Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Shota Imanaga has done it again in Monday's 2-0 loss to the Atlanta Braves. The lefty tossed five more shut-out innings against a powerful Braves lineup with eight strikeouts, seven hits allowed, and three walks. He did not factor into the decision. This would generally be a top stat line for any other starting pitcher this season, but not for Imanaga. It's only the third time he didn't make it past six innings in the young season and the first time he has walked three batters in a game. He wasn't as efficient with his pitch count, which is the reason for his shorter outing, but with no runs allowed, he lowered his earned run average to an absurd 0.96 ERA with a 0.94 WHIP. Although his insane run is impossible to sustain, you can feel great as a fantasy manager knowing his next matchup this weekend against a Pittsburgh Pirates lineup that is batting .220 against lefties on the season.

From RotoBaller

Texas Rangers outfielder Evan Carter (back) said his MRI exam showed only inflammation in his lower back. He will get a cortisone injection on Tuesday and hopes to return to the lineup in a few days. Ultimately, it's good news for Carter, who hasn't played since last Friday, but fantasy managers may still be without him for a few more days. And if Carter still doesn't feel good by then, the Rangers will surely consider placing him on the injured list. With Carter out on Monday, Ezequiel Duran drew the start in left field and hit eighth in the order, going 0-for-3 with a strikeout to drop his season average to .297 in the 7-0 loss to the Cleveland Guardians. The 21-year-old Carter is an everyday player when healthy despite hitting just .216 (27-for-125) to begin his first full season in the big leagues. Carter has added five homers, 15 RBI, two steals and 23 runs scored in his first 37 games in 2024.

From RotoBaller

Boston Red Sox right-hander Garrett Whitlock (oblique) will make his first and possibly only minor-league rehab start with Triple-A Worcester on Wednesday morning. Manager Alex Cora said that if all goes well for Whitlock on Wednesday, he'll only need one rehab start. In addition, the skipper reiterated that Whitlock is a starting pitcher moving forward The 27-year-old is getting close to a return from the 15-day injured list and should be rostered in most fantasy leagues after getting off to a 1-0 start with a 1.96 ERA (3.30 FIP) and 1.14 WHIP with seven walks and 17 strikeouts in 18 1/3 innings over his first four starts this year before going on the injured list. Whitlock is attempting to return from a left-oblique strain that has kept him out for almost a month. When he's back, Cooper Criswell is the most in jeopardy of losing his rotation spot in Beantown.

From RotoBaller

Detroit Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson swatted his first home run of the season on Mother's Day and followed up with his second dinger in Monday's 6-5 win over the Miami Marlins. Despite the Tiger's winning record, it's been a tough go for the 24-year-old first basemen this season, sporting a .225 batting average with only two home runs and 16 RBI. With a career batting average of .222, don't expect too much improvement in that department during the season, but after slugging 31 homers in 2023, one can only hope the last two days mean he finally found his power stroke and can keep it up moving forward. Torkelson has a great outlook over the next two days, with southpaws Ryan Weathers (4.54 ERA) and Trevor Rogers (6.57 ERA) toeing the rubber.

From RotoBaller

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Jordan Hicks worked around a tough matchup in Monday's 6-4 extra-innings loss to the Dodgers. Hicks pitched five innings, allowing two runs on seven hits (including a solo home run) and no walks with four strikeouts. The 27-year-old has re-adjusted to a starting role quite well with a 3-1 record and a 2.44 ERA in nine starts and 48 IP. His next start should be much more favorable in a home matchup against the Rockies.

From RotoBaller

Atlanta Braves relief pitcher A.J. Minter picked up his first save of the season in Monday's 2-0 win over the Cubs. Minter entered the game to pitch the top of the ninth inning up by two. He allowed a leadoff single and a walk but induced a ground-ball double play and ended the game with a flyout. Raisel Iglesias had pitched in two of the team's last three games, so Minter got the nod to close this one out. Minter has had closing experience in the past but has only converted one of four opportunities this season with a 3.57 ERA in 17 2/3 innings of work. He is worth a look in deeper roto leagues and saves-plus-holds leagues, but his fantasy value will remain limited overall if Iglesias is healthy.

From RotoBaller

Houston Astros third basemen Alex Bregman torched Oakland A's pitching, going 3-for-3 with two home runs, four RBI, and three runs scored. He started his big day with a solo home run in the fourth inning, another solo shot in the seventh, and then capped off his night with a two-run double as the Astros beat the A's 9-2. It's been an underwhelming start to the season, with his slash line at .218/.288/.327 and his demotion to the seventh spot in the batting order. Hopefully, Bregman will look to carry the momentum from Monday into the following three games against the A's pitching staff to finally get out of the early season funk he has been in.

From RotoBaller

Seattle Mariners closer Andres Munoz earned his sixth save of the season in Monday's 6-2 win over the Royals. Munoz entered the game in the top of the eighth inning up by two with two outs and a runner on second. He ended the inning with a strikeout and stayed on to pitch the ninth, delivering a 1-2-3 inning with two more strikeouts. The save count hasn't been as high as fantasy managers were hoping for, but the 25-year-old has pitched very well, converting all but one save opportunity with a 1.62 ERA, an 11.34 K/9 rate, and a 3.78 BB/9 rate in 16 2/3 innings of work.

From RotoBaller

Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Jose Alvarado picked up his eighth save of the season in Monday's 5-4 extra-innings win over the Mets. Alvarado came in to pitch the bottom of the 10th inning up by one with an automatic runner on second and shut the door with a 1-2-3 outing. The 28-year-old has pitched well overall this season and has seen the majority of save opportunities for the Phillies, converting all of them with a 3.57 ERA, an 8.15 K/9 rate, and a 3.57 BB/9 rate. While other Phillies relievers offer fantasy value in deeper leagues and saves-plus-holds leagues, Alvarado is the pitcher to roster in conventional fantasy leagues at this time.

From RotoBaller

Seattle Mariners starting pitcher George Kirby got things back on track in Monday's 6-2 win over the Royals. Kirby turned in seven scoreless innings, allowing just three hits and no walks with six strikeouts. He also hit two batters. The 26-year-old is now 4-3 with a 3.58 ERA, a 9.12 K/9 rate, and a 0.89 BB/9 rate in nine starts and 50 1/3 IP. He will face a tougher matchup in his next scheduled start at the Orioles, but fantasy managers should feel comfortable starting him unless they have the luxury of better alternatives.

From RotoBaller

Detroit Tigers relief pitcher Jason Foley earned his 10th save of the season in Monday's 6-5 win over the Marlins. Foley came in to pitch the top of the ninth inning up by one and delivered a 1-2-3 outing with a strikeout. After starting the season as the team's closer, the Tigers have mixed up their bullpen usage over the past couple of weeks. However, Foley has been the team's best reliever, converting all but one save opportunity with a 2.20 ERA, an 8.27 K/9 rate, and a 3.86 BB/9 rate. He still seems like the pitcher to roster for fantasy purposes and may be able to earn the closer's role back if he can string together several solid performances.

From RotoBaller

New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz was not sharp in Monday's 5-4 extra-innings loss to the Phillies. Diaz came in to pitch the top of the ninth inning up by two. He allowed a leadoff solo home run, allowed a single and a walk, got the first out on a strikeout and the second out on a pop-out, allowed another walk, hit a batter to bring the tying run in, and ended the inning with a strikeout. The 30-year-old, who did not pitch last season due to injury, has not looked as sharp, converting five of seven save opportunities with a 3.24 ERA, a 13.50 K/9 rate, and a 3.24 BB/9 rate. However, he should be given a long leash with his history of excellence and fantasy managers should not panic at this time.

From RotoBaller

Chicago Cubs first baseman prospect Matt Mervis hit his eighth home run of the season and third in his past two games on Sunday for Triple-A Iowa. The 26-year-old is hitting .474 (9-for-19) in the last five games since being sent back to Triple-A. Unfortunately, the left-handed hitter hasn't hit well during his time with the big league club, going 15-for-90 (.167) in 2023 and 3-for-26 (.115) in 2024. With Michael Busch excelling and blocking him at first base, Mervis was used as designated hitter while with the Cubs, but they decided to give Miles Mastrobuoni a shot when they sent Mervis back down. Mastrobuoni hasn't seen any more success, hitting .150 over 20 at-bats. If Mervis can keep it up, it's probably not the last time we see him in Chicago this year.

From RotoBaller

The Chicago Cubs are reportedly trading infielder Jake Slaughter to the Seattle Mariners for relief pitcher Tyson Miller, per ESPN's Jeff Passan. The 28-year-old Miller was designated for assignment and will join the Cubs in the bullpen. He put together strong numbers in limited action with the Mariners, compiling a 3.09 ERA, 0.77 WHIP, and 26.7% strikeout rate in 11 2/3 innings pitched. The 27-year-old Slaughter had slashed .297/.392/.486 with five home runs, 17 RBI, and 10 stolen bases in 130 plate appearances with Triple-A Iowa. Neither player should be on the fantasy radar until their roles are established.

From RotoBaller

Seattle Mariners second baseman Jorge Polanco (hamstring) exited Monday's game against the Royals in the fifth inning with right hamstring tightness, per the team's Twitter account. Polanco went 1-for-2 with a single, a walk, and a strikeout before being replaced in the field by Luis Urias. Fantasy managers should look for further updates on Polanco's status once the game has ended. The 30-year-old has struggled with injuries throughout his career, so hopefully this one will not be serious.

From RotoBaller

Houston Astros right-hander Hunter Brown will start a game against the Milwaukee Brewers this weekend, according to manager Joe Espada. The Astros are officially moving to a six-man starting rotation. Brown is most likely to start the series opener against Milwaukee on Friday, but fantasy managers in most leagues are going to want to avoid him after he has opened the 2024 season by going 0-4 with a 7.79 ERA (5.08 FIP) and 2.01 WHIP with 18 walks and 36 strikeouts in 32 1/3 innings over eight appearances (seven starts). Brown looked better in a long-relief role over the weekend for the Astros, so hopefully he can carry that momentum over to his eighth start of the season. If Brown struggles again this weekend against the Brew Crew, he could find himself right back in the bullpen.

From RotoBaller

New York Mets shortstop prospect Luisangel Acuna went 2-for-5 with a walk, two runs scored, and two stolen bases on Sunday for Triple-A Syracuse. The pair of singles extended the 22-year-old's hit streak to nine games, although he isn't exactly knocking the cover off the ball during the streak with a .273 average and no home runs. The right-handed hitter has four doubles, three triples, and two home runs on the season, but even the last nine games could only bring his season batting average to .233. It's part of the reason that Acuna dropped 22 spots on MLB.com's most recently updated Top-100 prospects list, going from 58 to 80. The speed is still there though, totaling 13 stolen bases through 34 games.

From RotoBaller

Updating a previous report, Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Rhys Hoskins (hamstring) said that he will undergo an MRI exam on Tuesday after leaving Monday's 8-6 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates with a hamstring injury. We'll have a better idea of how much time Hoskins might have to miss once his MRI results are known, but fantasy baseball managers should be preparing for a potential trip to the injured list. Before hitting the showers early on Monday, Hoskins singled in his only at-bat to raise his batting average to .233 with an .814 in his first year in Milwaukee. The former fifth-round pick of the Philadelphia Phillies in 2014 out of Sacramento State has provided plenty of power (nine home runs) and run production (27 RBI) after missing all of 2023 with a torn ACL in his knee. Check back on Tuesday for Hoskins' MRI results.

From RotoBaller

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder/designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (back) will return to the starting lineup on Tuesday against the New York Met on the road at Citi Field, according to manager Rob Thomson. Schwarber was pulled late in Friday's win over the Miami Marlins with back soreness and was held out of the starting lineup on Monday for the third straight game, although he did come in to strike out as a pinch-hitter late in Monday's contest. The 31-year-old left-handed slugger's injury was never considered serious, but they wanted to hold him out for a few games as a precaution. After striking out in his pinch-hitting appearance on Monday, Schwarber is now hitting .216 on the year with a .718 OPS, nine home runs and 25 RBI in 40 games. He's leading baseball with 59 strikeouts and is going to be a drain on your team's batting average, but you can't argue with his elite power.

From RotoBaller

Chicago Cubs third baseman Christopher Morel (toe) left the team's game on Monday early against the Atlanta Braves with a toe injury on his left foot after he fouled a ball off his foot late in the contest. Morel also injured his right knee on Saturday against the Pittsburgh Pirates and is dealing with some bumps and bruises, so it wouldn't be a surprise at all to see him sit out of Tuesday's game in Atlanta. The 24-year-old walked off with a trainer and was seen wincing after fouling a ball off his foot. Before leaving late in Monday's game, Morel went 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts to drop his season average to .223 and his OPS to .747. If Morel needs more than just one day off because of his bumps and bruises, both Miles Mastrobuoni and Nick Madrigal would be candidates to mix in at the hot corner for the Cubbies.

From RotoBaller