Rowdy Tellez Fantasy Stats

The New York Post's Jon Heyman reports that the Texas Rangers are calling up first baseman Rowdy Tellez from Triple-A Round Rock before Friday's series opener against the visiting Detroit Tigers. Tellez will essentially be replacing first baseman Jake Burger (quadriceps) on the active roster after Texas placed Burger on the 10-day injured list on Wednesday due to a quad strain. Tellez, a 30-year-old left-handed slugger, hit .208/.249/.434 with 11 home runs, 27 RBI, 20 runs scored and a 49:8 K:BB in 62 games with the Seattle Mariners earlier this year before being released. At least until Burger is able to return, Tellez should see regular playing time in Texas between first base and designated hitter against right-handed pitching. Fantasy managers in deeper formats looking for a little power boost should take notice.

The Texas Rangers agreed to a minor-league deal with free-agent first baseman Rowdy Tellez on Friday, league sources tell The Athletic's Will Sammon. Tellez will stay in the American League West after spending 62 games with the Seattle Mariners this year, where he slashed .208/.249/.434 with a weak .682 OPS, 11 home runs, six doubles, 27 RBI, 20 runs scored and a stolen base in 185 at-bats. Tellez certainly has plenty of power still in his eighth major-league season, but he offers little else and won't be guaranteed to make an impact at the major-league level for the Rangers the rest of this year. Jake Burger is currently the team's starting first baseman, but if Tellez impresses in the minors, it's possible he could be a platoon option at the cold corner against right-handers in the second half.

The Seattle Mariners placed first baseman Rowdy Tellez on unconditional release waivers on Thursday. Tellez was designated for assignment last week when the team activated first baseman/outfielder Luke Raley from the injured list. Tellez had been a decent source of power this season with 11 home runs in 221 plate appearances. However, he's also hitting .208 with one stolen base. Statcast suggests that Tellez was a little unlucky in Seattle. His barrel rate (15.9%) and hard-hit percentage (48.4%) were both career bests, and his xBA was .256. If Tellez finds a new home, he could be an under-the-radar waiver claim for deep-league fantasy managers needing power.

The Mariners announced that they have designated first baseman Rowdy Tellez for assignment. The club activated outfielder/first baseman Luke Raley from the injured list in a corresponding move. Tellez signed a minor league contract with the Mariners in February and played well enough during the spring to earn a season-opening roster spot and collect a $1.5 million salary. The 30-year-old provided some pop with 11 home runs over 62 games and 185 plate appearances, but he otherwise didn't offer much. The lefty-swinging Tellez hit a below-average .208/.249/.434 with 49 strikeouts and eight walks while playing almost exclusively against right-handed pitchers. He went 1-for-13 versus southpaws before the Mariners jettisoned him from their roster. They'll have five days to trade the well-traveled Tellez or place him on waivers. Tellez has enough service time to reject an outright assignment to Triple-A Tacoma, meaning he could return to free agency.

Seattle Mariners first baseman Rowdy Tellez has made the Opening Day roster and was formally selected to the team's 40-man roster on Tuesday. The Seattle Times' Adam Jude writes that Tellez changed the conversation at first base and designated hitter this spring and has earned a regular role to start the 2025 season. "Rowdy's had an outstanding spring and we're excited to go north with him," manager Dan Wilson said on Monday. The 30-year-old left-handed slugger made the roster over outfielder Mitch Haniger, who was released on Monday. He impressed by hitting .298 (14-for-47) with four doubles, three home runs and five RBI in 16 Cactus League games for the M's. It sounds like Tellez will be in the lineup regular at either first base or DH against right-handed pitchers, giving him some appeal for his power in deep-mixed and AL-only fantasy leagues.

The Seattle Mariners have signed free-agent first baseman Rowdy Tellez to a minor-league deal that includes an invite to spring training. The Mariners are looking to add a little power at the left side of the plate. Last season, Tellez hit .243/.299/.392 with 13 home runs and 56 RBI across 131 games with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Tellez hasn't quite been the same at the plate over the last two seasons, but he did hit 35 home runs during the 2022 campaign. The Mariners have Luke Raley, Donovan Solano, and Tyler Locklear who are all also fighting for a role at first base in Seattle. Tellez will have an uphill battle ahead of him to earn a spot on the 26-man roster.

The Pittsburgh Pirates designated first baseman Rowdy Tellez and outfielder Michael Taylor for assignment on Tuesday and recalled infielder Liover Peguero and outfielder Joshua Palacios from Triple-A Indianapolis in corresponding moves. The Pirates have decided to move on from a couple of veterans with the end of the 2024 regular season quickly approaching on Sunday. The 29-year-old Tellez has really struggled of late and will finish his season with a .243/.299/.392 slash line, a below-average .691 OPS, 13 home runs and 56 RBI in 131 games played for the Bucs. Connor Joe and Billy Cook figure to split first-base duties the rest of the week. Taylor, 33, hit a lowly .193/.253/.290 with five home runs, 21 RBI and 12 stolen bases in a reserve role in Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Rowdy Tellez, catcher Joey Bart and infielder Jared Triolo are all on the bench for the start of Saturday's contest against the division-rival Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Connor Joe is manning first base and batting seventh, Yasmani Grandal is doing the catching and hitting sixth, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa is at third and hitting leadoff against Reds rookie right-hander Rhett Lowder. It will be the fifth time in the last 10 games that Tellez has found himself on the bench, as he has only two hits in his last 25 at-bats over nine games. Kiner-Falefa draws the most DFS intrigue on Saturday against a rookie hurler. Since coming over from the Blue Jays in a deadline trade this summer, IKF has hit .249 (45-for-181) for Pittsburgh with a homer, nine doubles, two triples, 10 RBI and seven stolen bases.

Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman and designated hitter smashed a two-run homer in a pinch-hit appearance during the Pirates' 5-3 loss on Saturday in the first game of their doubleheader. Tellez pinch-hit for Connor Joe in the bottom of the seventh and hit the two-run shot, his 13th of the season, off Nationals' right-hander Jacob Barnes. The lefty added on a walk in the bottom of the ninth before being pinch-ran for. The 29-year-old has started to turn things around after starting the season off very cold in April and May, hitting for an .853 OPS and knocking 11 of his 13 HR since June. Tellez's fantasy value is still somewhat subsided as he's mainly used as a platoon option vs right-handers, but he remains a solid option going forward. He's in the starting lineup for game two against Nationals left-hander Mitchell Parker and will likely sit on Sunday against Nationals' lefty Patrick Corbin. Fantasy managers should plan appropriately.

Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Rowdy Tellez finds himself on the bench for Game 1 of a doubleheader on Saturday at PNC Park against the Washington Nationals with a left-hander on the mound. Connor Joe will make the start at first base and will bat seventh for Pittsburgh against Nationals rookie left-hander DJ Herz. Tellez has only 42 plate appearances against southpaws in 2024 and has gone 8-for-37 (.216) against them with two of his 12 homers on the year, so it's no surprise he's on the bench in this one, especially with two games on tap on Saturday in Pittsburgh. Joe, 32, represents a low-upside, deep-sleeper option for DFS lineups in the first game of the twin bill to kick off the action on Saturday. He has never faced Herz in his career and is hitting .245 (34-for-139) with three of his nine home runs on the year against left-handed pitching.