Pittsburgh Pirates left-hander Bailey Falter turned in a fourth straight quality start in his team's 5-3 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays in 14 innings on Friday. Falter tossed six innings of shutout ball while allowing just two hits, striking out five, and walking two. The 27-year-old southpaw has been a pleasant surprise for the Pirates this season, posting a 3-2 record, 3.22 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and 38 strikeouts over 64 1/3 innings of work. Falter isn't posting big strikeout numbers but he has proven worthy of a spot in fantasy lineups thanks to his other solid numbers. He will return to the mound on Thursday at home to take on the Los Angeles Dodgers.

From RotoBaller

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge turned in a big night in a 6-2 win over the San Francisco Giants on Friday. Judge went 3-for-4 with two homers and four RBI to help power the Yankees to the win. The veteran outfielder ripped a three-run homer off Jordan Hicks in the third inning and then tormented Hicks again with a solo shot in the sixth. Judge is now hitting .282 with 20 homers, 40 runs, 45 RBI, and two steals across 213 at-bats in 2024. He has been swinging a hot stick of late with five homers and 10 RBI over his past seven games.

From RotoBaller

Baltimore Orioles closer Craig Kimbrel tossed a scoreless ninth inning to preserve a 3-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday. Kimbrel struck out two and did not allow a baserunner on the way to securing his 13th save in 16 chances in 2024. The 36-year-old veteran now has a 3.00 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and 31 strikeouts over 21 innings in his first season with the O's. Kimbrel should continue to see plenty of save chances pitching for the contending Orioles moving forward. That, coupled with his elite strikeout rate, makes him an excellent fantasy closer for fantasy managers this season.

From RotoBaller

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich had a huge night in a 12-5 win over the Chicago White Sox on Friday. Yelich went 5-for-6 with two doubles, one run, five RBI, and a stolen base in the lopsided victory over the Sox. Most of his run production came via a two-run single in the fourth inning and a two-run double in the seventh. The veteran outfielder is putting together a productive season for the Brewers, hitting .325 with six doubles, six homers, 21 runs, 27 RBI, and eight steals across 117 at-bats thus far. Yelich should continue to be locked into fantasy lineups moving forward.

From RotoBaller

San Diego Padres first baseman Luis Arraez turned in a productive night at the plate in an 11-8 win over the Kansas City Royals on Friday. Arraez went 4-for-5 with three runs and two RBI to help propel the Padres to the win in the high-scoring affair. The veteran infielder has been swinging a hot bat since San Diego acquired him from the Miami Marlins earlier in the season, hitting .398 in 24 games with his new team. Overall, Arraez is batting .342 with one homer, 35 runs, 15 RBI, and three steals in 2024. While he doesn't bring much power to the table, Arraez contributes enough across the other categories to hold plenty of value in fantasy leagues.

From RotoBaller

New York Mets third baseman Mark Vientos turned in a productive game in a 9-8 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday. Vientos went 3-for-5 with two RBI to help the Mets knock off the D-Backs on Friday. The 24-year-old infielder has emerged as a productive bat for the Mets this season as he's hitting .327 with three homers, seven runs, and eight RBI across 49 at-bats. Vientos is worth a look in fantasy as long as he continues to show consistent production at the plate.

From RotoBaller

Washington Nationals left-hander Patrick Corbin took a hard-luck loss in a 7-1 defeat at the hands of the Cleveland Guardians on Friday. Corbin turned in a quality start, allowing just two runs on six hits over six innings while striking out five and walking three. Despite the solid start, the veteran southpaw saw his record drop to 1-6 on the season, to go along with a 5.83 ERA, 1.67 WHIP, and 41 strikeouts over 66 1/3 innings of work. Corbin's recent track record suggests that he should not be trusted in fantasy leagues moving forward.

From RotoBaller

Cleveland Guardians catcher David Fry continued his unexpected early-season success on Friday in a 7-1 win over the Washington Nationals. Fry went 1-for-3 with a three-run homer and a walk to help power Cleveland to their eighth straight home win. The 28-year-old Fry has been one of MLB's most surprising early-season stories as he's hitting .352 with eight homers, 27 runs, 27 RBI, and four steals across 105 at-bats. Fry has been exceptionally hot of late, batting .425 with six homers over his past 15 games. Fantasy gamers should be streaming Fry for as long as he continues to hit the ball consistently.

From RotoBaller

Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola turned in a quality start in a 4-2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday. Nola allowed two runs on three hits over 6 1/3 innings while striking out six and walking two on the way to improving his record to 7-2 on the season. All of the damage to Nola came from a pair of solo homers in the contest. Nola has been a consistent fantasy starting pitcher this season, posting a 3.03 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and 71 strikeouts over 77 1/3 innings of work. He will return to the mound on Wednesday to take on the Milwaukee Brewers in Citizens Bank Park.

From RotoBaller

San Francisco Giants outfielder Michael Conforto (hamstring) is starting a minor-league rehab assignment on Friday with Triple-A Sacramento, and shortstop Nick Ahmed (wrist) will join him in Sacramento on Saturday. Both Conforto and Ahmed could rejoin the Giants early next week if they get through their rehab assignments this weekend without any setbacks. Conforto was hitting a solid .280 (40-for-143) with seven home runs and 20 RBI before he suffered a right-hamstring strain on May 11 against the Cincinnati Reds. Conforto will be a lineup regular for the Giants when he returns. Ahmed, meanwhile, was the regular shortstop in San Fran before spraining his left wrist against the Braves on May 9. The 34-year-old vet is more of a defensive asset and was hitting a mere .236 with 11 RBI on the year before his injury.

From RotoBaller

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery (3-3) was roughed up for the loss Friday night giving up six runs while allowing nine hits and three walks with four strikeouts in a 10-9 slugfest against the New York Mets. The Diamondbacks jumped on the board early with three runs of support for Montgomery, but unfortunately, the southpaw gave it all right back and more allowing four runs in the bottom of the 1st inning. After allowing just four runs in 13 1/3 innings in April the lefty has allowed 23 earned runs in 31 1/3 innings in May. Not only that he has 15 walks in 44 innings pitched which means he's on a full-season pace of almost doubling his walk total from last season. It's been a tough go, to say the least for the new Diamondback pitcher who will be looking to lower his 5.48 ERA on Wednesday against a San Francisco Giants he allowed one run in six innings against in his first start of the season.

From RotoBaller

Cleveland Guardian starting pitcher Tanner Bibee (4-1) picked up his fourth win and whiffed seven batters in 6 1/3 one-run innings allowing three hits and one walk in a 7-1 victory over the Washington Nationals Friday night. Bibee was fantastic and efficient on Friday only needing 89 pitches to pick up a quality start while giving his team plenty of support to pick up their eighth win in their last 10 games. With a 4.01 ERA in May, it wasn't quite the encore month Bibee had in mind after posting a 2.96 ERA in April, but was able to hold teams to two total runs in his last four starts. Despite the so-so month, Bibee was able to escape with only one recorded loss because the scorching hot Guardians offense provided an abundance of run support for him and all of the other starters in the rotation. The 25-year-old will look to start June off on the right foot against the Kansas City Royals next Thursday.

From RotoBaller

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Reynaldo Lopez (3-2) dazzled Friday night allowing one run on four hits and two walks while whiffing eight batters and picking up his third win in a 4-2 victory against the Oakland Athletics. We are sitting here on May 31st and Reynaldo Lopez of all pitchers, a reliever with only one start under his belt in the last two seasons and a career 4.12 ERA, is leading the National League with a 1.73 ERA. That is exactly why baseball is the beautiful game that it is. The unlikeliest outcome can occur at any given moment for any given team. Although it's unlikely to expect a pitcher who hasn't pitched over 66 innings in over four seasons to continue this domination over a full season, it is making for one heck of a story, and fantasy managers have reaped the rewards thus far. Look for him to continue his breakout campaign against the division rival Washington Nationals next Thursday.

From RotoBaller

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder/infielder Tommy Edman (wrist) is taking left-handed batting practice for the first time since undergoing right wrist surgery in October. It's a been a very slow recovery process for Edman, who has been sidelined far longer than anticipated in 2024. It's unclear when he'll be ready to head out on a minor-league rehab assignment, which will likely be on the lengthier side, but Edman does have a chance to return to St. Louis before the end of June if he does so in the next week or so. The 29-year-old switch-hitter should only be stashed for fantasy managers absolutely desperate for speed. 2023 top prospect Masyn Winn has hit safely in each of his last 18 starts for the Cardinals, slashing .368/.389/.559 with two home runs, 11 RBI, six runs scored, and two stolen bases through 72 plate appearances during this hot streak and is worth rostering in NL-only leagues for as long as Edman is out.

From RotoBaller

Arizona Diamondbacks designated hitter Joc Pederson smacked a late-inning, three-run homer, adding an RBI single on a 2-for-4 night as the Diamondbacks came up short in a 10-9 slugfest against the New York Mets. The home run was Pederson's seventh on the season to go along with his impressive .308 batting average. Pederson is having a nice season as he tours the National League West with his third team. Due to his career .239 batting average, you can expect some regression in the batting average moving forward, but it's nice to see Pederson performing well in his new home. He's only accumulated six at-bats against left-handed pitching on the season because of his strict strong-side platoon, but that plus hitting in the middle of a solid Diamondbacks lineup is reason enough for him to be rostered in most fantasy formats.

From RotoBaller

Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Dean Kremer's (triceps) injury is not a long-term concern, according to general manager Mike Elias, who said on Friday that the hurler could return before the end of June. Kremer may need to go on a minor-league rehab assignment before he rejoins Baltimore's banged-up rotation, though. The 28-year-old right-hander is recovering from a strained right triceps and owns a respectable 4.32 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 49:18 K:BB, and a career-best .204 batting average against across nine starts (50 innings) for the O's this year, but fantasy managers should be able to find stashes with more overall upside on waiver wires. For the time being, veterans Albert Suarez and Cole Irvin are both worth considering as streaming options in favorable matchups.

From RotoBaller

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Michael Wacha (foot) had a walking boot on his left foot after being hit by a line drive from the first batter of Friday's series opener against the visiting San Diego Padres, and he's heading for scans on Saturday to determine the extent of the damage. The Royals will be able to provide an official diagnosis after the scans are completed, but it's encouraging that the hurler didn't need to exit the contest early. Wacha ended up throwing 5 1/3 innings on Friday, giving up two runs on five hits and one walk with two strikeouts without factoring into the decision. The 32-year-old veteran right-hander should be deemed day-to-day until more information comes to light, but his next scheduled start on Thursday against the division-rival Cleveland Guardians look to be very much up in the air. Wacha has a mediocre 4.24 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, and 56:20 K:BB over 12 starts (68 innings) during his first season in KC this year.

From RotoBaller

Miami Marlins starting pitcher Edward Cabrera (shoulder) is asymptomatic, and he'll be continuing his throwing program in Jupiter, Florida. Cabrera had previously been shut down following a bullpen session two weeks ago before resuming flat-ground work on Monday, and he appears to be back on track for a return in late June at the moment. The 26-year-old former top prospect has immense strikeout upside, as evidenced by his 31 punchouts through 21 1/3 innings for the last-place Marlins this season, but his lack of command has yielded a 7.17 ERA and 1.59 WHIP over five starts. Fantasy managers in redraft leagues don't need to hold onto Cabrera, and it remains to be seen when rookie right-hander Max Meyer will be recalled from the minor leagues to give Miami's rotation a boost.

From RotoBaller

Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Daulton Varsho (illness) was unavailable for Friday's series opener against the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates due to food poisoning. If Varsho is feeling better by the time Saturday's matchup with Pittsburgh and right-hander Mitch Keller comes around, he could make his way back into Toronto's lineup as early as then. The speedy 27-year-old former catcher has been an excellent source of power and speed with 10 home runs, 30 RBI, and five stolen bases over 52 games as an everyday player for the Jays this year, despite batting just over the Mendoza Line at .205 (36-for-176). Varsho should be considered day-to-day, and he shouldn't be out for very long with the ailment.

From RotoBaller