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Ben Rolfe has written 778 articles so far, you can find them below.
Cole Hamels Facing Tough Start Monday
Texas Rangers starting pitcher Cole Hamels faces the prospect of a rough outing Monday. In six career starts against Cleveland, Hamels has a 6.11 ERA in 35 1/3 innings with just 26 strikeouts. The outlook is not any better if you look at how he has fared in Cleveland. Across 16 1/3 innings at Progressive... Read More
Robbie Ray Leaves Start With Oblique Strain
Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Robbie Ray left Sunday’s start in Washington with an oblique injury. Ray left in the bottom of the second after signalling to the dugout. The extent of the injury will become clearer on Monday after further examination. Ray has struggled so far in 2018, with a 5.13 ERA in 26 1/3... Read More
Ian Kennedy Starting Sunday
Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Ian Kennedy will start Sunday at home, against the Chicago White Sox. Kennedy took a line drive off his leg in his last start but has recovered in time for Sunday. In his previous start against the White Sox, Kennedy threw six innings, striking out five and giving up just... Read More
Brad Miller Has A Good Match-up Sunday
Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Brad Miller has a good history against opposing starting pitcher Rick Porcello. In 45 career plate appearances against Porcello, Miller has five home runs, five doubles and 11 RBI. In all Miller is batting .279 against the Red Sox pitcher. Miller has been struggling this season, but a match-up against... Read More
A.J. Minter (ATL, RP) - Week 5 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 15% of leagues ANALYSIS: A.J. Minter was lights out in 2017 with 26 strikeouts in 15 innings and entered the 2018 season as the favorite to displace Arodys Vizcaino as the Atlanta Braves closer. The left-handed Minter started slowly with three walks and zero strikeouts in his... Read More
Renato Nunez Starting At Third Base Saturday
Texas Rangers infielder/outfielder Renato Nunez is in the Rangers lineup on Saturday. Many people expected Nunez to have a shot to be a the regular starter at third base with Adrian Beltre out. However, Nunez has struggled this season since being claimed by the Rangers. This season, Nunez is hitting .154 with zero home runs,... Read More
Daniel Robertson Hitting Fifth Saturday
Tampa Bay Rays infielder Daniel Robertson is playing second base and hitting fifth Saturday. Robertson is in a platoon with Joey Wendle, following the return of Matt Duffy from the disabled list, but draws the start against left-handed pitcher David Price. In 2018, Robertson has been hitting well in general but has two home runs... Read More
Drew Butera Starting Game One Saturday
Kansas City Royals catcher Drew Butera will get the start behind the plate in game one of the double header Saturday. Salvador Perez will be the designated hitter and will liely catch the second game as he continues his return from injury. Butera is finding it tough so far this season, he has a .182... Read More
Trevor Oaks To Start Saturday
Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Trevor Oaks will make his major league debut Saturday. Oaks will pitch in the first game of a double header, against the Chicago White Sox. For fantasy purposes, Oaks does not have a huge amount of upside, having struggled for strikeouts in Triple-A this season, striking out just 4.47 batters... Read More
Michael A. Taylor (OF) - Week 4 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 43% of leagues ANALYSIS: Michael A. Taylor has yet to completely live up to the potential he offered in the minor leagues. In 2014, while at Double-A, Taylor hit .313 with 22 home runs and 34 stolen bases in 441 plate appearances. In his first three years... Read More
Nate Karns "Progressing"
Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Nate Karns (elbow) threw a 25-pitch bullpen session Thursday. "He still felt a little something on his fastball," so he is not quite ready to return yet. It looks like Karns will initially return in a bullpen role, but with Eric Skogland struggling, he might get a shot in the... Read More
Jakob Junis Could Have Big Night Thursday
Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Jakob Junis faces off against the Chicago White Sox on Thursday. Junis has been impressive so far in 2018 with a 2.03 ERA in his four starts. He has struggled at times for strikeouts this season (20 in 26 2/3 innings) and has never been a huge strikeout pitcher in... Read More
Chris Archer Faces Tough Test Thursday
Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Chris Archer is a difficult pitcher to trust in his start Thursday. Archer has struggled out of the gate this season and currently has a 6.59 ERA through 27 1/3 innings. He is not striking people out as frequently as he has previously, and he is struggling with his control.... Read More
Tim Lincecum Nearing A Return
Texas Rangers relief pitcher Tim Lincecum (blister) will head to Arizona to continue his throwing program. Lincecum cannot be activated from the 60-day disabled list until May 28, meaning the Rangers have no need to rush his rehab. His current timetable appears to have him heading for a rehab assignment on May 6. Lincecum was... Read More
Christian Villanueva Sitting, Chase Headley Playing Third Base
San Diego Padres third baseman Christian Villanueva is sitting Wednesday. That is good news for Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Jon Gray, as Villanueva is hitting .356 with seven home runs this season. Third baseman Chase Headley will take Villanueva's place in the lineup. Headley is hitting just .088 this season and is 1-for-6 when facing... Read More
Robinson Cano Has Good History Against White Sox Starter
Seattle Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano will take his usual place in the lineup Wednesday. In his career, Cano has been extremely successful against Chicago White Sox starting pitcher James Shields with a .423 batting average and four home runs in 85 plate appearances. Cano will be one of the more expensive options at second base... Read More
Omar Narvaez, Trayce Thompson Starting Wednesday
With the Chicago White Sox giving catcher Welington Castillo and designated hitter Matt Davidson an off day, catcher Omar Narvaez and outfielder Trayce Thompson get starts. Neither Narvaez nor Thompson have started well this season. Narvaez is hitting a meager .160 with zero home runs in 30 plate appearances. Thompson is hitting just .167 in... Read More
Luis Valbuena, Rene Rivera Starting Wednesday
The Los Angeles Angels will start first baseman Luis Valbuena and catcher Rene Rivera Wednesday. Designated hitter Shohei Ohtani receives an off day after pitching Tuesday night and catcher Martin Maldonado gets a rest after catching three straight days. Rivera has never registered a hit against Astros starter Justin Verlander in seven plate appearances but... Read More
Max Stassi, Derek Fisher Starting for Astros Wednesday
The Houston Astros are sitting catcher Brian McCann and designated hitter Evan Gattis on Wednesday. Starting in their place are catcher Max Stassi and outfielder Derek Fisher. Stassi has been hitting well so far in 2018 and currently has a .294 batting average with two home runs, five runs and seven RBI in 40 plate... Read More
Tyson Ross A Pitcher to Avoid Wednesday
San Diego Padres starting pitcher Tyson Ross will be tested on Wednesday as he faces off with the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Ross has been extremely impressive in his last two starts, striking out 15 with just one earned run in 13 2/3 innings. However, Coors Field is an extremely tough place to pitch,... Read More
Jeff Samardzija A Useful Option Wednesday
San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Jeff Samardzija will face off against the Washington Nationals at home on Wednesday. In AT&T Park, Samardzija owns a 3.73 ERA with 188 strikeouts across 198 innings. At home, Samardzija allows just 0.73 home runs per nine innings pitched, which is 0.27 lower than his overall career rate. The Nationals... Read More
Adrian Beltre Strains Hamstring
Texas Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre left Tuesday's game against Oakland with a strained left hamstring. The Rangers third baseman will be further evaluated on Wednesday. Beltre would be a huge loss to the Rangers offense. This season, he is hitting .310 with one home run, 11 runs and eight RBI. If he misses significant... Read More
Nick Pivetta (SP) - Week 4 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 45% of leagues ANALYSIS: 2017 was an extremely disappointing season for Nick Pivetta. Coming out of two seasons in Triple-A where he had a 1.91 ERA and 64 strikeouts in 56 2/3 innings, a lot was expected of him. However, in 133 major league innings he had a... Read More
Shane Greene (RP) - Week 4 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 61% of leagues ANALYSIS: Shane Greene took over the closer role for Detroit in August last year. From that point onward he had nine saves, two wins and a loss whilst putting up a 2.49 ERA with 23 strikeouts in 21 2/3 innings. Entering 2018, Greene was virtually... Read More
Salvador Perez and Alex Gordon Activated Tuesday
The Kansas City Royals activated both catcher Salvador Perez (knee) and outfielder Alex Gordon (hip) Tuesday. Paulo Orlando and Cam Gallagher have been optioned to Triple-A to make room. Perez will have the most fantasy value of the two, as he should hit in the middle of a Royals lineup that has shown some signs... Read More
Kevin Jepsen Implodes Monday
Any hopes Texas Rangers relief pitcher Kevin Jepsen had of wrestling the closer's role from Keone Kela went up in smoke Monday. Jepsen came into a tie game with two outs in the top of the eighth inning, which he successfully navigated. However, he ran into trouble in the ninth inning, where he gave up... Read More
Ian Kennedy An Interesting Play Against Milwaukee Tuesday
Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Ian Kennedy faces off against the Milwaukee Brewers at Kauffman Stadium on Wednesday. Kennedy has pitched well so far this season with a 2.35 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 23 innings. In two home starts, he has surrendered just two earned runs with eight strikeouts in 12 innings. Now he... Read More
Bartolo Colon To Remain in Rotation
The return of Texas Rangers starting pitcher Doug Fister from the disabled list on Wednesday could have spelled the end of Bartolo Colon’s time in the Rangers rotation. However, Colon has been one of the bright spots in the Texas rotation this season. In three starts, Colon has pitched 19 1/3 innings with six earned... Read More
Matt Moore Is a Risky Start Monday
Texas Rangers starting pitcher Matt Moore faces off against the Oakland Athletics on Monday in Arlington. Coming off his best start of the season in Tampa Bay -- six strikeouts and zero earned runs in seven innings -- may make him a potential starter in some leagues. However, Moore, who has a 5.59 ERA and... Read More
Cesar Hernandez (2B) - Week 4 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 60% of leagues ANALYSIS: Ever since his breakout in 2015 Cesar Hernandez has gone from strength to strength. In 2015, he hit one home run, had 19 steals and a .272 average. In 2016, he then hit six HRs and upped the average to .294. Then in... Read More
