2 years agoNew York Yankees outfielder Harrison Bader (heel) is planning to play the outfield in rehab games on Saturday and Sunday. Bader has been down with plantar fasciitis since June, back when he was a member of the St. Louis Cardinals. If all goes smoothly for Bader, he could be on track to be activated from the injured list by Tuesday. Bader is hitting .256 with five homers, 35 runs, 21 RBI, and 15 steals over 246 at-bats.Source: Pete Caldera on Twitter
2 years agoNew York Yankees right-hander Luis Severino (lat) is expected to return to the rotation for a start against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday. Severino has been sidelined since straining his right lat in July. He will not have a full workload against the Pirates, as he's expected to throw around 65 pitches. Severino has made 16 starts in 2022, posting a 5-3 record, 3.45 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 95 strikeouts over 86 innings of work. Severino should be rostered in all leagues for fantasy managers still in contention.Source: Pete Caldera on Twitter
2 years agoSeattle Mariners outfielder Mitch Haniger (back) remains out of the starting lineup on Friday against the Los Angeles Angels. Haniger showed optimism about being ready to return for the start of their weekend series, but clearly he isn't quite ready yet. He is likely to return at some point this weekend barring a setback. Haniger has not played since last Sunday after suffering a back injury. The 31-year-old slugger was in a major funk in September, slashing .179/.250/.256 with no homers in 10 games. When he returns he could be of some use in medium/deep leagues, but he is certainly not a must start at this point.Source: Ryan Divish
2 years agoPhiladelphia Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos (oblique) is backing off swinging after feeling stiffness in his oblique. Castellanos strained his oblique on September 2, and his progression hasn't gone as planned. He still has no date set for a possible return, and at this point it is fair to question if he will make any impact for fantasy managers the rest of the way. It has been a disaster of a season for the 2021 breakout star, and as soon as he was starting to come around he got injured. His .300/.333/.500 August slash line gives some sense of optimism for 2023 at least.Source: Alex Coffey
2 years agoWashington Nationals starting pitcher Cade Cavalli (shoulder) experienced pain in his shoulder while throwing on Wednesday and will be shut down for three to seven days. The top prospect has been sidelined since his debut start on August 26, and is unlikely to see the mound again in 2022. Although he got shelled in his only major league game, Cavalli had a good year in the minors, posting a 3.71 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and 104:39 K:BB ratio for Triple-A Rochester. Cavalli could be a deep sleeper next season and is likely to start in the Nationals rotation.Source: Andrew Golden
2 years agoMinnesota Twins middle infielder Jorge Polanco (knee) is set to start a rehab assignment for Triple-A St. Paul on Friday. The switch-hitter will play second base tonight and possibly tomorrow, and could rejoin the Twins in Cleveland this weekend depending on how things go. Polanco is having a down year after his breakout 2021 and was slashing just .234/.341/.364 with two homers in August before his injury. Still, he should be activated and started in most leagues if he returns this weekend, as he has five-category potential.Source: Phil Miller
2 years agoAtlanta Braves relief pitcher Kirby Yates (elbow) was placed on the 15-day IL on Friday with right elbow inflammation. Tough news for the righty, who just came back from his second Tommy John surgery in August. In his nine appearances since his return, Yates has a 5.14 ERA and 1.57 WHIP with six strikeouts in seven innings. Yates has certainly gone through the ringer in regards to injuries, and it's hard to believe that he was a top end fantasy reliever just a few years ago.Source: David O'Brien
2 years agoPhiladelphia Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler (forearm) pitched two simulated innings on Friday, and is targeting a return to the rotation Wednesday against the Toronto Blue Jays. Good news for the righty, who has been out since August 20 with elbow soreness/forearm tendinitis. He was originally expected back two weeks ago, but after experiencing renewed soreness in his elbow he took a week off from throwing. He is feeling better now, though, and won't need a minor league rehab assignment before jumping back in the Phillies rotation. His first start will be an abbreviated one, but he can still be of use in daily lineup leagues next week.Source: Matt Gelb
2 years agoNew York Yankees left-handed pitcher Aroldis Chapman (leg) has been activated off the IL before their weekend series against the Milwaukee Brewers. Chapman hasn't pitched since August due to a leg infection related to a tattoo. The fireballer threw two innings of scoreless ball in his minor league rehab games, striking out five while allowing three baserunners. Chapman will likely return to a set-up role behind closer Clay Holmes, limiting his fantasy value. He is still useful in save plus holds leagues, but outside of that he can be safely dropped.Source: New York Yankees
2 years agoMinnesota Twins second baseman Luis Arraez (hamstring) is back in the starting lineup on Friday against the Cleveland Guardians and right-hander Triston McKenzie, serving as the designated hitter and batting leadoff. Arraez didn't start Thursday's game after leaving Wednesday's contest early with hamstring tightness, but he's back in there on Friday for the start of a weekend series against Cleveland. The 25-year-old Venezuelan native doesn't bring a ton of power, but he's still plenty useful in fantasy. He currently leads the league with a .320 batting average, and he's also sporting a .380 on-base percentage, .812 OPS, eight home runs, 46 RBI, 79 runs scored and a stolen base in 128 games. Get the first-time All-Star back into your lineups.Source: Baseball Press
2 years agoCincinnati Reds shortstop Jose Barrero is out of the starting lineup for a second straight game on Friday against the St. Louis Cardinals. Barrero is hitting just .160 (20-for-125) with two home runs, 10 RBI and three stolen bases in 35 games for the Reds this year, and he's also gone just 7-for-39 (.180) with 17 strikeouts in 11 games in the month of September. With Barrero out again on Friday, Kyle Farmer is starting at shortstop and batting third, while Spencer Steer will get the start at the hot corner and bat eighth against Cardinals right-hander Jack Flaherty. Donovan Solano is also starting at first base and batting fifth in the order.Source: Baseball Press
2 years agoWashington Nationals outfielder Victor Robles (neck) is back in center field and is hitting eighth on Friday against the Miami Marlins and left-hander Jesus Luzardo. It will be the first time that Robles has been in the starting lineup since Sept. 7 due to neck stiffness. Before the injury, he had gone 3-for-10 with a run scored and a stolen base in five games to begin the month of September. Overall, the 25-year-old Dominican outfielder is hitting a mere .224/.283/.304 with four home runs, 28 RBI, 40 runs scored and 14 stolen bases in 349 plate appearances over 115 games. Robles is only attractive in deeper fantasy leagues because of his speed, and he's a low-upside DFS play.Source: Baseball Press
2 years agoThe plan is for Cleveland Guardians right-hander Aaron Civale (forearm) to return to the starting rotation and pitch against the Chicago White Sox next Tuesday, according to manager Terry Francona. Civale surrendered four earned runs and allowed two home runs in 2 2/3 innings in his minor league rehab start on Thursday, but the Guardians feel he's ready to return to their rotation next week. The 27-year-old hasn't pitched well in the big leagues this year either, going 2-6 with a 5.40 ERA (3.92 FIP), a 1.31 WHIP, 75 strikeouts and 20 walks in 75 innings over his 16 starts. Civale won't particularly be an attractive streaming option for fantasy managers in his first start back, though he could be a two-start pitcher next week.Source: Akron Beacon Journal - Ryan Lewis
2 years agoThe Houston Astros activated starting pitcher Justin Verlander (calf) from the 15-day injured list on Friday and optioned Seth Martinez to the minors in a corresponding move. Verlander, who landed on the injured list on Aug. 30 with a calf injury, will make the start in a great matchup against the Oakland Athletics on Friday. There's a chance he could face a pitch count in his first start back, though, since he didn't go on a minor league rehab assignment while away from the team. Still, it's hard to leave the 39-year-old ace out of starting lineups, especially in the excellent matchup. The nine-time All-Star currently leads all of baseball in ERA (1.84), wins (16) and WHIP (0.85) while striking out 154 and walking just 26 in 152 innings over 24 starts.Source: Houston Chronicle - Chandler Rome
2 years agoPhiladelphia Phillies first baseman Rhys Hoskins (hand) is out of the starting lineup on Friday against the Atlanta Braves. Hoskins was hit on the hand by a pitch on Wednesday, although X-rays thankfully came back negative. He won't start the first game of the series against Atlanta, but there's a chance he'll start at some point this weekend. Hoskins is deserving of being returned to all starting fantasy lineups when he's back in Philly's lineup, as he's clubbed 28 homers and driven in 71 runs in 524 at-bats this year. Alec Bohm will shift to first base and hit second on Friday, while Yairo Munoz is starting at the hot corner and batting eighth against Braves left-hander Max Fried.Source: Baseball Press