2 years agoSan Diego Padres outfielder Juan Soto (shoulder) is in the lineup Friday night against Dustin May and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Soto was injured during Wednesday's game after being hit by a pitch and had to be taken out early due to a right shoulder contusion. However, the 23-year-old superstar feels better after a day off Thursday and is ready to get right back in the lineup. The Padres' coveted trade deadline acquisition has hit just .232/.397/.374 in 127 PA with the team, numbers that simply aren't up to par for a hitter of his caliber. Although he's been frustrating, Soto remains a must-start for fantasy managers. Get him back in your lineup.Source: AJ Cassavell
2 years agoToronto Blue Jays outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (hamstring) was placed on the 10-day IL on Friday, retroactive to September 8. Gurriel was injured while hustling out a potential double play ball, as he landed on the bag awkwardly and went down in a heap. The team has chosen to put him on the injured list after Gurriel went for an MRI Thursday, which gives them an extra roster spot in a crucial part of their season. Hopefully the IL stint is a short one, but no timeline has been given. After a scorching June and July, Gurriel slumped hard in August, slashing just .225/.269/.304. It's certainly worth considering dropping Gurriel if you don't have any extra IL spots for him, as he likely won't see the field at all next week. Expect Raimel Tapia, Jackie Bradley Jr., and Whit Merrifield to see more time in the outfield with Gurriel on the IL.Source: Toronto Blue Jays
2 years agoTexas Rangers outfielder Adolis Garcia (back) landed awkwardly on his lower back recently while trying to make a catch on defense and is out of the starting lineup on Friday against the Toronto Blue Jays as a result. His back is sore, but he should return to the lineup on Saturday. Fantasy managers need to act accordingly and remove Garcia from their daily lineups on Friday. The 29-year-old, who has hit the 20-20 milestone already this year, should be considered day-to-day. Rookie Bubba Thompson is manning right field on Friday and will hit ninth against Blue Jays right-hander Ross Stripling. Thompson has held his own in his first 30 major league games, going 26-for-94 (.277) with a homer, seven RBI, 10 runs and 10 stolen bases, but he won't have a ton of DFS upside in the nine-hole.Source: Dallas Morning News - Evan Grant
2 years agoTexas Rangers third base prospect Josh Jung is starting at third base and is hitting seventh in his major league debut on Friday against the Toronto Blue Jays and right-hander Ross Stripling. Jung was in line to open the season on the big-league roster before he tore the labrum in his shoulder late in spring training. The club's top prospect, per MLB Pipeline, and former first-rounder went on to hit .273/.321/.525 with an .846 OPS, six home runs, 24 RBI and 15 runs scored in 23 games for Triple-A Round Rock before his first major league promotion. The power-hitting prospect should see regular playing time at the hot corner the rest of the way in September and is worth picking up in all fantasy leagues if you're in need of some pop.Source: Baseball Press
2 years agoThe Washington Nationals placed catcher Keibert Ruiz (groin) on the 10-day injured list on Friday with a testicular contusion. In corresponding moves, the team designated pitcher Jake McGee for assignment, purchases the contract of Israel Pineda from Triple-A and recalled Jordan Weems from Triple-A. Ruiz took a foul ball off his groin on Thursday and was sent to the hospital with swollen testicles. We wish him the best, but there's a chance he won't return to the last-place Nats before the end of the 2022 regular season. With the 24-year-old sidelined, Riley Adams and Tres Barrera will split the catching duties behind the plate in D.C. In his second season with the Nats, Ruiz has hit .251/.313/.360 with seven home runs, 36 RBI, 33 runs scored and six stolen bases in 112 games.Source: MASN Sports - Mark Zuckerman
2 years agoThe Houston Astros activated closer Ryan Pressly (neck) from the 15-day injured list on Friday and optioned Brandon Bielak to the minors in a corresponding move. Pressly was originally scheduled to be reinstated from the injured list earlier this week, but that was pushed back after he experienced more neck issues. Hopefully, the 33-year-old veteran right-hander is now good to go and can immediately return to ninth-inning duties for the first-place Astros. He didn't make any appearances on a minor league rehab assignment, so Pressly could be a bit rusty when he first pitches again in the big leagues. Expect Rafael Montero to shift back to a setup role. Pressly has a 3.11 ERA (2.08 FIP), a 0.93 WHIP, 25 saves and 46 strikeouts in 37 2/3 relief innings in 2022.Source: ATT Sportsnet Southwest - Julia Morales
2 years agoThe Kansas City Royals reinstated rookie infielder Vinnie Pasquantino (shoulder) from the 10-day injured list on Friday and optioned outfielder Brent Rooker to Triple-A Omaha in a corresponding move. Pasquantino was shelved at the end of last month with right shoulder discomfort, and he went 3-for-14 with three RBI in four minor league rehab games for Omaha. The 24-year-old left-handed hitter should return to being an everyday starter for the rebuilding Royals to close out the 2022 regular season. Before his shoulder injury, Pasquantino was slashing .263/.350/.434 with eight home runs, 15 RBI and 18 runs scored in 200 plate appearances over 49 games. Get him back into your lineups in deeper mixed leagues.Source: Royals Twitter
2 years agoSt. Louis Cardinals outfielder Tyler O'Neill (neck) is back in center field and is hitting sixth on Friday against the Pittsburgh Pirates and right-hander Roansy Contreras. O'Neill woke up with neck stiffness on Thursday and was scratched from the starting lineup, but he's back in there a day later. On the season as a whole, the 27-year-old has hit only .225/.301/.384 with 13 home runs, 57 RBI, 51 runs scored and 11 stolen bases in 315 at-bats. In six games to start the month of September, he's gone 4-for-20 (.200) with a homer, four RBI, four runs scored and six strikeouts. Fantasy managers in single-year leagues will want to get O'Neill back into their lineups, but DFS gamers may want to look elsewhere.Source: Baseball Press
2 years agoTampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco (hand, wrist) was reinstated from the injured list on Friday, with infielder Yu Chang being designated for assignment in a corresponding move. Franco will immediately return to shortstop and will hit second on Friday against New York Yankees right-hander Frankie Montas. The 21-year-old Dominican hasn't played in the big leagues since July 9, so there might be some rust to shake off initially, but he'll return to being the team's everyday shortstop to close out the regular season in 2022. In three minor league rehab games last week, he went 6-for-11 with a double, two RBI, two runs scored and a walk.Source: Tampa Bay Times - Marc Topkin
2 years agoNew York Yankees outfielder Giancarlo Stanton (foot) remains out of the starting lineup on Friday against the Tampa Bay Rays. Stanton fouled a ball off his foot on Monday and hasn't played since. The good news, however, is that he came off the bench as a pinch-hitter on Thursday, so there's a strong chance he'll return to the starting lineup at some point this weekend. With the 32-year-old slugger out again Friday, Miguel Andujar will serve as the designated hitter again and bat fifth against Rays right-hander Drew Rasmussen. Andujar hasn't played much for the Yankees this year, and he's hit .240 (6-for-25) with a homer, three RBI and one run scored in seven games played since Aug. 9.Source: Baseball Press
2 years agoNew York Mets outfielder Starling Marte (finger) remains out of the starting lineup on Friday against the Miami Marlins. Surprisingly, Marte wasn't placed on the injured list after suffering a partial non-displaced fracture of his right middle finger, but he'll miss his third straight game. For now, he'll continue to be listed as day-to-day, but it remains to be seen when he'll have a chance to play again. Tyler Naquin is getting another start in right field and is hitting fifth on Friday against Marlins right-hander Edward Cabrera. Naquin will be a low-cost DFS sleeper play on Friday. He's hitting .267 (55-for-206) with nine of his 11 home runs this season against right-handed pitching.Source: Baseball Press
2 years agoThe Los Angeles Angels reinstated outfielder Mickey Moniak (finger) and right-hander Michael Lorenzen (shoulder) from the injured list on Friday and optioned right-hander Touki Toussaint to Triple-A Salt Lake and designated outfielder Ryan Aguilar for assignment in corresponding moves. Moniak will merely serve as outfield depth for the Halos to close out another disappointing season. He's gone 10-for-60 (.167) with two homers, five RBI and eight runs scored in 23 combined games with the Angels and Phillies in 2022. Lorenzen will make the start on Friday against the Houston Astros. The 30-year-old right-hander didn't look great on his three-start minor league rehab assignment and is an extremely risky fantasy streamer on Friday in a tough matchup.Source: Angels PR
2 years agoBaltimore Orioles shortstop Jorge Mateo is not in the starting lineup on Friday against the Boston Red Sox. Mateo appears to just be getting a regular day of rest on Friday. Fantasy managers need to act accordingly. The 27-year-old is hitting .226/.275/.394 with 12 home runs, 45 RBI, 55 runs scored and 30 stolen bases in his 421 at-bats for the O's this season. Shortstop prospect Gunnar Henderson is starting at the 6 instead and will bat fifth against Red Sox right-hander Brayan Bello. Henderson is the No. 2 prospect in all of baseball, per MLB Pipeline, and he's gone 9-for-33 (.273) with a homer, two RBI, two runs scored and a stolen base in his first nine big-league games. There's plenty of upside to be had with Henderson as a DFS play.Source: Baseball Press
2 years agoChicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ is not in the starting lineup on Friday against the San Francisco Giants and left-hander Carlos Rodon. The 28-year-old switch-hitter will get a day of rest against a tough lefty in Rodon. It's been a tough start to the month for Happ, as he's gone 3-for-22 (.136) with a solo homer and five strikeouts in six games to start September. He'll most likely return to the lineup on Saturday. With Happ starting on the bench, rookie Christopher Morel will start in left field and hit ninth against Rodon. Morel has had his moments in his first MLB season, but he won't carry much DFS option at the bottom of the Cubs batting order.Source: Baseball Press
2 years agoChicago Cubs outfielder Rafael Ortega will take a seat on Friday against the San Francisco Giants and left-hander Carlos Rodon. It will be the third straight game that Ortega has started on the bench. He's hit .191 (4-for-21) with four RBI and nine strikeouts in eight games over the last two weeks and only has four hits in 19 at-bats (.211) against southpaws in 22 plate appearances in 2022. In his place, Christopher Morel will start in left field and bat ninth on Friday against Rodon. The 23-year-old rookie is hitting .248/.312/.443 on the season with 13 home runs, 38 RBI, 49 runs scored and nine stolen bases in 323 at-bats, but he'll have low upside in DFS in the nine-hole.Source: Baseball Press