With a right-hander on the mound for the Baltimore Orioles in Game 2 of the wild-card series on Wednesday at Camden Yards, Kansas City Royals veteran outfielder Tommy Pham will start on the bench. Hunter Renfroe will instead get the nod in right field and will bat seventh against Orioles right-hander Zach Eflin. In the Game 1 win over the O's on Tuesday, Pham made the start in right field and went 0-for-3 with a strikeout in the victory. Neither veteran outfielder is particularly attractive in DFS while hitting near the bottom of the Royals' batting order. The 32-year-old Renfroe doesn't move the needle much offensively these days after slashing .229/.297/.392 with a below-average .689 OPS, 15 home runs and 52 RBI in 120 games this year for KC. He hit just .177 (9-for-51) with three homers, five RBI and 16 strikeouts in 16 games in the month of September.
Free agent outfielder Tommy Pham has been claimed by the Kansas City Royals, according to Katie Woo of The Athletic. Pham was DFA'd by the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday, only a month after acquiring him at the trade deadline. Pham posted a mere .208/.286/.368 slash line with two home runs across his 23-game stint in St. Louis. However, earlier this summer with the White Sox, the veteran held a solid .266/.330/.380 line. Fantasy managers should expect the 36-year-old to see most of his starts in right field and will likely compete with switch-hitter Robbie Grossman for playing time. Managers in deeper leagues should consider adding Pham as he could earn a stable spot in the starting nine and should produce solid counting stats batting in the heart of a competing Royals lineup.
The St. Louis Cardinals designated outfielder Tommy Pham for assignment on Friday and recalled outfielder Jordan Walker from Triple-A Memphis in a corresponding move. It was announced on Thursday that the Cardinals were looking to put the veteran Pham on waivers for some financial relief while also giving some younger players more playing time in the outfield for the final month of the season. The 36-year-old is now off the team's 40-man roster, but he could be claimed by a team in postseason contention looking for a veteran presence on their roster. At best, though, he'll probably be just a platoon player against left-handed pitching, like he was with St. Louis. Since being acquired at the deadline from the Chicago White Sox, Pham disappointed with the Cardinals, going 14-for-68 (.206) with two homers, 12 RBI and 16 strikeouts in 23 games played.
The St. Louis Cardinals are placing veteran outfielder Tommy Pham on waivers on Thursday, according to team sources. The move comes just ahead of the league's postseason eligibility deadline of Sept. 1. Pham is eligible to play for the Cards until he is claimed by another team. If he's not claimed, he'll remain with St. Louis. If a team doesn't claim him ahead of Sunday's deadline, he will not be eligible to play in the playoffs with a new team. Entering play Thursday, the Cardinals had less than a one percent chance of making the postseason, according to FanGraphs. The Cardinals could gain some financial relief with the move, and it also suggests they could move to some younger talent in the final month in September. Since joining St. Louis, Pham has been operating in a platoon role and has hit just .206 (14-for-68) with two homers, 12 RBI and 16 K's in 23 games.
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Tommy Pham retreats to the bench on Tuesday for the contest against the hosting division-rival Cincinnati Reds. Pham is in need of a much-needed break after collecting just one hit in his last four games over 14 at-bats. The 36-year-old veteran journeyman was acquired at the trade deadline in late July from the Chicago White Sox and has gone 12-for-43 (.279) with two home runs, 10 RBI and six runs scored in his first 12 games with the Red Birds. With Pham sitting the bench on Tuesday, Lars Nootbaar is in left field and is batting seventh for St. Louis against Reds right-hander Hunter Greene. Nootbaar still has power/speed upside, but injuries have gotten in the way yet again in 2024 and he's hitting just .226 (51-for-226) with seven homers and five steals. He has yet to record a hit in seven career at-bats against Greene.
Tommy Pham Homers Tuesday Night In Win Vs. Tampa Bay
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Tommy Pham hit his second home run in his new uniform as the Cards went on to beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-3. The 36-year-old went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer in Tuesday's victory. Pham was having a decent season with the White Sox, slashing .266/.330/.380 in 70 games (271 at-bats). The 36-year-old was dealt to St Louis right before the trade deadline. He has, however, been red hot since joining the Cardinals. Pham is slashing .379/.400/.759 over his last eight games. This is a small sample size. However, it is possible that all Pham needed was out of the dreadful White Sox lineup. He is available in 86% of Yahoo! fantasy baseball leagues and has plenty of value in leagues with deep rosters.
Tommy Pham Crushes Pinch-Hit Grand Slam In Cardinals Return
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Tommy Pham dramatically returned to St. Louis Tuesday night by hitting a pinch-hit grand slam in an 8-1 victory over the Texas Rangers. The slam came off Cody Bradford, who had gone into the game early to relieve Max Scherzer. It was his first game back at Busch Stadium as a member of the Cardinals since the 2018 season. Along with starting pitcher Erick Fedde, Pham was part of a three-team deal completed Monday with the Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers. The 36-year-old is slashing .267/.331/.392 with six home runs, 23 RBI, 34 runs, and six stolen bases over 71 games in 2024. Unfortunately for fantasy managers, Pham could struggle to find everyday playing time and be a part of a lefty/righty platoon. The Cardinals have an all-left-handed hitting outfield with Alec Burleson, Lars Nootbaar, and Michael Siani. Pham should still produce enough for fantasy managers to be rostered in leagues with 12-plus teams or more.
The St. Louis Cardinals acquired veteran outfielder Tommy Pham from the Chicago White Sox on Monday in a three-team deal that also included the Los Angeles Dodgers, according to sources. Pham was originally a 16th-round selection by the Red Birds in 2006 and spent the first four seasons of his big-league career in St. Louis before joining the Tampa Bay Rays in a trade. The 36-year-old was solid for the worst team in baseball in 70 games this year, slashing .266/.330/.380 with five home runs, 19 RBI, six stolen bases and 33 runs scored in an everyday role. Pham will be joining a team in contention for a wild-card spot in the National League, but it remains to be seen if he'll see regular playing time like he did in Chicago. At the very minimum, he should play regularly against lefty pitchers in a much better Cardinals lineup.
Chicago White Sox outfielder Tommy Pham (mouth) is back in the starting lineup on Tuesday against the visiting Minnesota Twins and right-hander Bailey Ober, playing right field and batting leadoff for the Pale Hose. Pham had to be scratched from Monday's series opener against the division-rival Twins due to a dental procedure, but the 36-year-old veteran outfielder is back in there now and has an interesting matchup on tap for DFS gamers looking for an outfield sleeper. Pham has only had five career at-bats against Ober, but he's taken him deep once and driven in two runs with a 1.600 OPS. Counting stats aren't really anyone's thing on the White Sox this year, but Pham is riding a current five-game hitting streak in which he's gone 7-for-23 (.304) with two runs scored.
Chicago White Sox outfielder Tommy Pham has been scratched from the starting lineup ahead of Monday's game against the Minnesota Twins. The organization hasn't yet given a reason as to why Pham was pulled from the lineup. Corey Julks will cover center field and bat eighth in his place versus right-hander Chris Paddack. Fantasy managers should adjust their lineups ahead of first pitch. UPDATE: Pham is dealing with a dental issue, according to the team. Fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day and check back to see if he's back in the lineup for Tuesday's contest.