MLB Player News

Judge had just the one hit today and struck out in three of his remaining at-bats. He’s off to such a good start that his OPS declined in spite of the homer, dropping from 1.648 to 1.558.

Lawlar extended his hitting streak to seven consecutive games with his fourth consecutive multi-hit effort, falling just a home run shy of hitting for the cycle during Friday’s slugfest. The 22-year-old top prospect has begun playing regularly at second base to add some additional defensive versatility to his toolkit and appears close to getting another extended look at the highest level. He’s hitting .354/.466/.656 with 17 extra-base hits (five home runs) and 10 steals through 24 games for Triple-A Reno. His power-speed combination upside makes him one of the more intriguing prospects in the fantasy landscape and a worthy stash candidate in all leagues until further notice.

The numbers are getting a little absurd as Chandler’s latest scoreless outing leaves him with a microscopic 1.33 ERA, 0.64 WHIP and 27/6 K/BB ratio across 20 1/3 innings (five starts) this season at the Triple-A level. The 22-year-old righty is up there with Phillies phenom Andrew Painter as arguably the top pitching prospect in baseball and it feels like he’s knocking on the door of the majors. He’s one of the few pitching prospects that fantasy managers should be stashing, even in shallow re-draft formats.

There’s a chance Montero takes the ball for the nightcap of Saturday’s twin bill at Comerica Park. However, that depends whether he’s needed to pitch in relief during the opening contest. We’re assuming that rookie Jackson Jobe isn’t an option this weekend for workload reasons, so it’ll likely be a bullpen game on Saturday night. Regardless, it’s a situation that fantasy managers should make an effort to avoid entirely.

Rays manager Kevin Cash told reporters on Friday that Kim is still “a ways away” from making it back from offseason shoulder surgery. The 29-year-old shortstop hasn’t experienced any sort of setback, but it appears the Rays don’t want to risk rushing him back too quickly. There should be some additional clarity on his exact timeline once he’s cleared to kick off an extended minor league rehab assignment.

It’s unclear whether O’Neill will be available for Saturday’s nightcap at Comerica Park, but he’ll sit out the front-end of the doubleheader. The 29-year-old slugger missed Thursday’s showdown against the Nationals due to neck soreness, which has been a lingering issue for him the past few weeks. Fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day for now. It’ll be Ramón Laureano patrolling right field in his absence.

Boone’s noncommittal response to reporters came in the wake of Friday’s latest ugly meltdown where Williams was charged with three runs in a blown save against the Blue Jays. The 30-year-old elite stopper said Friday that “nothing’s working right now,” after his latest implosion left him with a bloated 11.25 ERA through 10 appearances. It’s abundantly clear that he could use a bit of a reset, even if it’s only temporary. The Yankees will have a chance to think things over during Saturday’s rainout, but fantasy managers should anticipate Luke Weaver being in the mix for saves until further notice. He’s an obvious pickup in all fantasy formats.

Allard bolsters Cleveland’s relief mix heading into Saturday’s doubleheader against the Red Sox at Progressive Field. The well-traveled 27-year-old former top prospect has made 76 appearances (42) starts in the big leagues dating back to 2018. He’ll most likely operate in long relief out of the Guardians’ bullpen and doesn’t offer any appeal for fantasy purposes.

Nikhazy will take the ball for his major-league debut during the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader against the Red Sox. The 25-year-old lefty gets the promotion after compiling a respectable 3.44 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 22/7 K/BB ratio across 18 1/3 innings for Triple-A Columbus. He’s not a recommended streaming option for fantasy purposes and will likely head back to the minors at the conclusion of the twin bill.

It’s merely a procedural move to free up a spot on Cleveland’s 40-man roster. The 27-year-old lefty remains out indefinitely with left elbow inflammation.

The cosmic ideal for the modern-era emergency swingman-type, Criswell provides the Red Sox with some additional depth heading into Saturday’s twin bill against the Guardians at Progressive Field. The 28-year-old is capable of gobbling up multiple innings, if needed, and will likely head back to Triple-A Worcester at the conclusion of the doubleheader.