In The Field
SS Nick Ahmed was placed on the 10-day IL with a left wrist sprain. The Giants called up SS Casey Schmitt in a corresponding move which means he is likely to fill in while Ahmed is out. SS Dansby Swanson (knee) was placed on the 10-day IL on Friday. He is eligible to return on May 18. DH Matt Carpenter joined the Cardinals on Saturday. He is likely to see some at-bats against right-handed pitching but hasn't been fantasy-relevant in years. OF Nolan Jones (back) was able to throw before the game on Thursday and is expected to start increasing his activity level this weekend. He has been out since April 30 and will need at least a short rehab assignment before returning to the big league club. OF Kris Bryant (back) hit in the cages and took infield prior to Wednesday's game. This is the first baseball activity he has been able to do since hitting the IL. He is dealing with both arthritis and a disc injury to his back. Bryant is going to need a rehab assignment before returning so a late May return looks likely unless he suffers a setback. The Rockies will continue to mix OF Sean Bouchard, OF Jordan Beck, and OF Jake Cave alongside OF Brenton Doyle. OF Jordan Beck has long-term potential in terms of a power/speed combo but he looks overmatched at the major league level (44% K and 44% O-swing). He is likely to be sent down when Jones or Bryant returns. 2B Tommy Edman (wrist) has been cleared to increase the intensity of his workouts but has been limited to tee work. It has been a slower recovery which is why he was transferred to the 60-day IL. He is eligible to return in late May (5/24). C Willson Contreras is going to be out for 8-10 weeks due to a fractured arm he suffered when J.D. Martinez hit him during a swing. This is a huge blow for fantasy owners because he was hitting .280 with 6 HR, 20 R, 12 RBI, and 2 SB. C Ivan Herrera figures to get the majority of the playing time while Contreras is out. Herrera is hitting .239 with 3 HR, 8 R, 11 RBI, and 0 SB in 25 GP this year. He has hit the ball hard (14% Barrels and 42% Hardhit) and shown good plate skills (6% BB and 20% K). Anyone who is losing Contreras should pick up Herrera if he is available. OF Jung Hoo Lee sat out Thursday and Friday with a sore foot. Lee has been as advertised to start the year. He is hitting .262 with 2 HR, 15 R, 8 RBI, and 2 SB. He has above-average contact skills (8% K) and has hit the ball hard enough (5% Barrels and 41% Hardhit). OF Jorge Soler has been placed on the 10-day IL with a right shoulder strain. The Giants called up OF Heliot Ramos in a corresponding move. C Sean Murphy (oblique) has progressed to hitting in the cage which is a huge step considering he has been out six weeks. The next hurdle to clear is starting a rehab assignment. 1B Christian Encarnacion-Strand was placed on the 10-day IL on Wednesday and is expected to miss 4-6 weeks with a fractured wrist. He was struggling prior to the injury (.190 AVG with 2 HR, 13 R, 16 RBI, and 0 SB with 29% K). 3B/OF Spencer Steer has played two of three games at first since Encarnacion-Strand hit the IL. The Reds seem content on Steer's OF spot and the DH between players which makes it hard to say anyone's value has increased due to the injury. OF Seiya Suzuki (oblique) was activated off the IL on Friday but did not get in the lineup until Saturday. Suzuki was hitting .305 with 3 HR, 11 R, 13 RBI, and 0 SB in 15 GP prior to the injury. OF Christian Yelich (back) returned to the Brewers lineup on Wednesday. The Brewers have been switching up their lineup trying to find the right combination. OF Jackson Chourio sat three games in a row (Wed.-Fri.) and is now hitting .221 with 29% K. He hasn't been bad from a fantasy perspective (4 HR/6 SB) but has struggled to make contact and hit the ball hard (6% Barrels and 36% Hardhit). The Brewers briefly called up 1B Tyler Black but he was promptly sent down. He is someone to keep an eye on because he should be back up at some point this year and offers power and elite speed. OF Sal Frelick continues to play regularly but has struggled as well (.244 AVG with 0 HR, 16 R, 7 RBI, and 4 SB). OF Cody Bellinger (ribs) was activated on Tuesday and has been starting at DH as he works his way back in. This gives OF Pete Crow-Armstrong a longer leash to stick around. SS Matt McLain (shoulder) has been cleared to start throwing. We will get a better picture of his return date once he gets cleared to start hitting. OF Kyle Schwarber is dealing with a sore back. He was removed from the game on Friday night and sat out Saturday with the hopes that he can get back in there Sunday. OF Brandon Nimmo left Saturday's game with intercostal irritation. 3B Ke'Bryan Hayes was placed on the 10-day IL with a back injury. 3B Christopher Morel left Saturday's game with a right knee injury.
On The Mound
Joe Musgrove (elbow) played catch on Friday. His MRI came back clean and he is expected to come back when first eligible next Friday. Steven Matz (back) was able to play catch on Friday. He has been out since May 3 with a lower back strain. He is going to need at least one if not two rehab starts before returning. Jameson Taillon was scratched from his start on Friday with back stiffness. Kyle Freeland (elbow) played catch on Thursday which is the first time he has been able to throw since being placed on the 15-day IL. Eduardo Rodgriguez (shoulder) had a recent MRI which showed healing of his shoulder so he is expected to start a throwing program soon. Progressing to actually throwing is going to be a huge step in his rehab. Blake Snell (thigh) threw a bullpen session on Thursday and is going to start a rehab assignment on Sunday. He could then make a return to the Giants rotation as soon as next week. Kyle Hendricks (back) is going to make another rehab start on Sunday and is expected to be activated on May 17 to start against the Pirates. Hendricks hasn't been fantasy-viable for years but he is going to move someone out of the rotation who is. Depending on the severity of Taillon's back injury he could just slot in for him if Taillon hits the IL. Edward Cabrera was placed on the 15-day IL with a shoulder impingement. It is the same injury that he missed time at the beginning of the season. Between the constant injuries and high walk rates (14% BB) it is hard to buy into Cabrera moving forward. Bobby Miller (shoulder) threw bullpens on Monday and Thursday. He is scheduled for another Sunday before facing hitters in a live BP session. He is also going to need at least one rehab start if not multiple before returning. The good news is that he is progressing towards a return. Dustin May (elbow) is close to starting mound work according to manager Dave Roberts. He has had two elbow surgeries in the past three seasons so the Dodgers are going to be extremely careful with his rehab. Clayton Kershaw (shoulder) threw a 20-pitch bullpen session on Tuesday. He is only throwing fastballs but everything has checked out so far. He is expected back after the All-Star break. David Peterson (hip) went 3 IP with 1 H, 0 BB, and 4 K's (41 pitches) in his most recent rehab start. The Mets are going to want him to continue to build up his pitch count before thinking about activating him. The Pirates called up Paul Skenes to make his major league debut. He went 4 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, and 7 K. The overall line doesn't look great but he is going to miss a lot of bats and the reliever who came in after him allowed 2 of the 3 ER to score. Skenes was struggling with fastball command which is understandable given it was his first major league start but that should not be a problem going forward. What is likely going to be a problem is the Pirates babying Skenes. They did not let him finish the 5th with a 6-1 lead and under 90 pitches. On talent alone, Skenes is a top 10 starter for fantasy purposes the rest of the way and could move into the top five if the Pirates don't severely limit his innings, especially per start with little chance at wins.
In The Bullpen
Evan Phillips (hamstring) was able to play catch on the field on Friday. He is expected to miss just the minimum which is good news for fantasy owners. He has a 0.66 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and 24% K:BB. Devin Williams (back) is going to meet with a doctor soon and is hopeful that he can start a throwing program. Raisel Iglesias picked up two saves this week and is now up to 10 SV on the year with a 2.35 ERA. Kyle Finnegan has been one of the most valuable draft picks so far with 12 SV a 1.65 ERA and 26% K:BB. Robert Suarez had a big week with 1 W and 2 SV. He has been lights out this year (0.52 ERA, 0.63 WHIP, 19% K:BB, and 12 SV).
Players to add this week:
2B Luis Garcia (WSH)- Luis Garcia was one of the most popular pickups across platforms. He is hitting .318 with 3 HR, 9 R, 20 RBI, and 7 SB. Garcia has plus plate skills (19% K and 8% BB). The biggest difference this year has been a major increase in hard contact (11% Barrels and 50% Hardhit). This is the best version of Garcia so he needs to be rostered across the board.
SP Christian Scott (NYM)- Christian Scott made his much-anticipated debut last week. He went 6.2 IP and gave up 1 ER on 5 H, 1 BB, and 6 K. Scott was brilliant in Triple-A (3.20 ERA and 0.71 WHIP with 32% K:BB). He has shown the ability to miss bats with elite control. Scott is the total package and he should be up for good despite the Mets having a roster crunch soon when David Peterson is healthy.
OF Andy Pages (LAD)- Andy Pages has been impressive in his short stint in the majors. He is hitting .300 with 4 HR, 14 R, 13 RBI, and 0 SB. He hasn't walked much (3% BB) but he has kept his strikeouts in check (24% K). Pages has also hit the ball hard (10% Barrels and 44% Hardhit). He is going to hit for power with non-zero speed in a very good Dodgers lineup so he needs to be added where he is available.
OF Bryan De La Cruz (MIA)- Bryan De La Cruz has had a strong start to the year. He is hitting .270 with 8 HR, 22 R, 21 RBI, and 1 SB. The increased power is the result of more flyballs (39% FB +3%) and hard contact (Barrels 13% +4%). The home park isn't great but he's hitting in a prominent spot in the order (2nd) which helps him get more at-bats and keep his counting stats in order.
RP Daniel Hudson (LAD)-This is a short-term add as Evan Phillips (hamstring) is expected to be back soon. Hudson has been very good on his own right this year. He has a 3.38 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, and 26% K:BB. The Dodgers are one of the best teams in the league so anyone getting save chances for them has to be rostered even if it is just for a short period of time.
SP Gavin Stone (LAD)- Gavin Stone is 3-1 with a 3.55 ERA and 1.26 WHIP across 7 GS. He hasn't struck many batters out (17% K) but his swing strike rate (12%) suggests more should be coming. A normal rule of thumb is that a pitcher's strikeout rate should at least be double that of their swinging strike rate. It helps to pitch for one of the best teams in the league and gets the Giants in San Francisco next time out.
C Ivan Herrera (STL)-Ivan Herrera is the best option to pick up if he is on the wire and you need to replace Willson Contreras or just need another catcher. He is hitting .239 with 3 HR, 8 R, 11 RBI, and 0 SB. He hit the ball hard (14% Barrels and 42% Hardhit) and makes a lot of contact (20% K). He hit .297 AVG with 10 HR, 66 R, 60 RBI, and 11 SB in 83 GP at Triple-A last year.
OF TJ Friedl (CIN)-TJ Friedl is leading off for the Reds since returning from the IL. Friedl is coming off a breakout 2023 in which he hit .279 with 18 HR, 73 R, 66 RBI, and 27 SB. He doesn't hit the ball hard but puts enough balls in play and uses his home park to his advantage to hit 10-15 HR's. He was dropped by some owners to start the year because of his injury so if he is available he needs to be picked up.
SP Paul Skenes (PIT)- The Pirates called up Paul Skenes to make his major league debut. He went 4 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, and 7 K. The overall line doesn't look great but he definitely is going to miss a lot of bats and the reliever who came in after him allowed 2 of the 3 ER to score. Skenes was struggling with fastball command which is understandable given it was his first major league start but that should not be a problem going forward. What is likely going to be a problem is the Pirates babying Skenes. They did not let him finish the 5th with a 6-1 lead and under 90 pitches. On talent alone, Skenes is a top 10 starter for fantasy purposes the rest of the way and could move into the top five if the Pirates don't severely limit his innings, especially per start with little chance at wins.
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