New York Mets starting pitcher Tylor Megill (shoulder) threw his first bullpen assignment on Friday. Megill is ramping up his throwing activity as he recuperates from a strained right shoulder that's held him to one start so far in the 2024 regular season, which came in New York's opening series of the campaign. The big 28-year-old right-hander is probably not going to be activated from the injured list before the end of April at this rate, but Megill could be an option for the Mets sometime in early May. With righty Jose Butto beginning to emerge in the rotation, Megill could be facing a long-relief role upon his eventual return. Butto has yielded a lone run while fanning 15 hitters and walking four covering 12 innings (two starts) in Queens this year, but he's a dangerous fantasy bet in Saturday's scheduled start against a high-powered Los Angeles Dodgers offense at Chavez Ravine.

From RotoBaller

Atlanta Braves right-hander Spencer Strider's (elbow) UCL ligament was compromised by the unavoidable development of a bone fragment. But instead of having Tommy John surgery for the second time in his career, Dr. Keith Meister fixed Strider's damaged UCL by inserting an internal brace last week. It could allow the Braves' hurler to pitch again early next season. The 25-year-old was the top-ranked fantasy starter coming into the 2024 season after leading all of baseball with 483 strikeouts from 2022-23. Strider was told he might have been pitching with the fragment in his ligament for at least a couple of years. He initially felt discomfort in his elbow in spring training before things deteriorated quickly early in the regular season. In single-year fantasy leagues, Strider can be dumped since he won't pitch again in 2024.

From RotoBaller

Baltimore Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said before Friday's game against the Kansas City Royals that starting pitcher John Means (forearm) still needs to get stretched out more in his minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Norfolk. Means' fourth rehab start on Wednesday compounded on his recent struggles, as he was blown up for five earned runs in one-third of an inning. He's now given up 15 runs (five homers) and five walks in 7 1/3 innings in the minors, so the O's likely want to see him sharpen things up before considering activating him from the injured list. The 30-year-old left-hander is working his way back from a strained left forearm and should still be able to rejoin Baltimore's rotation in late April or early May. After posting a 2.66 ERA (5.24 FIP) and 0.71 WHIP with 10 K's over 23 2/3 frames (four starts) late last season, Means is someone to consider stashing in mixed fantasy leagues.

From RotoBaller

Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez said before Friday's game versus the Houston Astros that starting pitcher Josiah Gray (elbow/forearm) was able to increase his throwing distance up to 60 feet on Thursday and Friday. Gray has been on the 15-day injured list since April 9 due to a right elbow/forearm flexor strain, and while he's eligible to come off the IL after the weekend, fantasy managers should not expect Gray to be available before May. The Nats could opt to send him on a brief minor-league rehab assignment before returning him to the big-league roster, as it's fair to expect a cautious approach after the 26-year-old former top prospect allowed 13 runs in his first 8 1/3 innings of the year before going down. Rookie left-hander Mitchell Parker is occupying Washington's rotation for now, but he won't be a recommended streamer in a tough matchup for Sunday's scheduled start against Houston.

From RotoBaller

Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez said before Friday's game versus the Houston Astros that catcher Keibert Ruiz (influenza) is feeling a lot better after he recently played catch and took batting practice. Martinez said the backstop lost 20 pounds while battling the flu, so Ruiz still needs to build his strength back up. With that said, he's eligible to be reinstated from the 10-day injured list as early as Tuesday's series opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers and seems unlikely to need a minor-league rehab assignment before getting back behind the dish for the Nats. The 26-year-old former top prospect was off to a sluggish start, however, batting .194 (6-for-31) with one home run and three RBI over eight games. Riley Adams will get the bulk of the catching work in DC in the interim and is worth a look for fantasy managers in deep two-catcher leagues, hitting .306 (11-for-36) with two homers and five RBI in 10 outings this year.

From RotoBaller

New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (thumb) departed Friday's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the second inning with an apparent injury to his left thumb. The injury occurred while Alvarez was hustling to second base on an errant Yoshinobu Yamamoto throw to first base, and he went 0-for-1 with a run scored before veteran Omar Narvaez replaced him and took over behind the plate. The Mets should offer another update on Alvarez's status following Friday's contest, and fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day until more is known about the issue. Expect the 22-year-old former top prospect to at least get the day off in the second matchup of the series on Saturday. Alvarez is off to a slow start at the dish this season, batting .236 (13-for-55) with one home run, four doubles, eight RBI, eight runs scored, and one stolen base over 16 appearances.

From RotoBaller

Miami Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said on Friday that starting pitcher Braxton Garrett (shoulder) is playing catch at 90 feet. Braxton could next advance to a bullpen session, but the Marlins will first re-evaluate him after the catch session before he moves ahead in his progression. Working his way back from a left shoulder impingement, Garrett made two minor-league rehab starts earlier in April before experiencing a "dead arm" after Monday's bullpen session. His return timetable is murky at the moment, but the team should provide another update in the coming days. The 26-year-old left-hander fully broke out a year ago, registering a 3.66 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and a wonderful 156:29 K:BB through 159 2/3 innings (31 appearances) and should be stashed in the majority of fantasy leagues. The scuffling A.J. Puk would be a prime candidate to move back to Miami's bullpen when Garrett ultimately makes his 2024 season debut.

From RotoBaller

Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said before Friday's game versus the Oakland Athletics that starting pitcher Gavin Williams (elbow) will pitch on Friday in Arizona. After throwing his first simulated game on Monday, Williams appears to be closing in on a minor-league rehab assignment if all continues to go smoothly in his recovery from right elbow discomfort. Although he has a chance to be activated from the injured list before April's end, an early-May return is probably more realistic. The 24-year-old former top prospect recorded a 3.29 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, and 81:37 K:BB across 82 innings (16 starts) for the Guards in his rookie season in 2023, and it's about time to make sure he's not floating around any waiver wires in fantasy leagues. In the meantime, veterans Carlos Carrasco and Ben Lively will keep battling to hold down spots in Cleveland's rotation when Williams eventually makes his 2024 regular-season debut.

From RotoBaller

Boston Red Sox outfielder Ceddanne Rafaela blasted a two-run home run for his first HR of the season in the Red Sox 8-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Rafaela was starting at shortstop as Boston works to cover the absences of Trevor Story and Rafael Devers. Rafaela had a very subpar start to the season with just a .464 OPS coming into Friday, so hitting a bomb was a good sight to see for Rafaela and the Red Sox. The 23-year-old may not hold much current fantasy value but may be worth a stash in deeper leagues for fantasy managers who are willing to be patient. Rafaela will look to be in Boston's lineup tomorrow night vs Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller.

From RotoBaller

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitching Spencer Turnbull took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and recorded a win in the Phillies 7-0 victory on Friday night. Turnbull struck out six and only yielded one hit to Gavin Sheets to end his no-hit bid. The righty bounced back from a so-so start in his last outing against the Pittsburgh Pirates and continued a very strong start to his 2024 campaign. Turnbull now has a 1.23 ERA in four starts and is posting up a 0.77 WHIP. Fantasy managers are certainly going to be interested in adding Turnbull if he's available on the waiver wire. By expected stats we can expect some negative regression to come his way, but at a 3.39 xERA the negative regression won't hit him too hard. Turnbull is worth the addition to your roster, even if it's just stashing him for a little longer. His next start will be Wednesday at Great American Ballpark against the Cincinnati Reds.

From RotoBaller

Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm blasted two three-run home runs to record six RBI and two runs in the Phillies' 7-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Friday night. Both of Bohm's HR came in his first two at-bats and was all the Phillies would need to win the game. The 27-year-old bumped his OPS up to .834 on the season and is outpacing his 2023 season when he posted just a .727 OPS. Bohm will look to continue his solid homestand on Saturday night when he gets to face White Sox right-hander Michael Soroka.

From RotoBaller

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Nick Lodolo had a strong outing on Friday and picked up the win in the Reds 7-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels. Lodolo struck out six batters and gave up just one run in 6 1/3 innings. He did give up seven hits, but that was his only blemish on the day as none of the hits yielded much damage. The 26-year-old now has two good starts in a row after returning from a tibia injury that held him out of major league action for nearly a year. He'll look to notch another strong start on Wednesday when he faces the Philadelphia Phillies, though fantasy managers may want to temper expectations as the Phillies have been strong against lefties this season.

From RotoBaller

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jameson Taillon recorded a win in his season debut on Friday in the Cubs 8-3 victory over the Miami Marlins. Taillon struck out four and gave up one earned run in five innings in his return. The 32-year-old had been recovering from back tightness since early March. It was good for the Cubs and fantasy managers to see Taillon start off on the right foot and start to bounce back from a slightly subpar 2023. He'll have a much tougher test in his next scheduled start on Wednesday night when the Cubs host the Houston Astros.

From RotoBaller

Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz ran circles around the Los Angeles Angels on Friday in the Reds 7-1 victory. De La Cruz went 2-4 with a three-run homer and a single. He also recorded three RBI, two runs and three stolen bases. It was his first game with multiple stolen bases this season and the second time in his career he has recorded three stolen bases in a game. The 22-year-old also raised his OPS to 1.002 on the season, a significant bump over his .710 mark last season. De La Cruz now has hit a HR in back-to-back games and will look to continue his hot streak on Saturday against Angels lefty Patrick Sandoval.

From RotoBaller

Houston Astros outfield prospect Jacob Melton is riding a disappointing .211/.262/.263 slash line across his first 10 games at Double-A this season. The top prospect in the Houston system launched 23 long balls last year but is having a power outage to begin the 2024 campaign. Melton, who has maintained a consistent .466 and .467 slugging percentage over his first two minor-league seasons, respectively, should be expected to turn things around soon. The 23-year-old is projected to make his major-league debut in 2025 but could make a case for a late-season call-up if he can continue to climb the ranks of the minor leagues.

From RotoBaller

Chicago Cubs infield prospect James Triantos is off to a slow start this season with a .233/.292/.349 line with one home run and six RBI. Triantos has been a great contact hitter in the minors, hitting a .272 AVG at Low-A in 2022 and a .287 AVG across High-A and Double-A last season. The former second-round pick should hope to reach Triple-A this season, as he has progressed through the lower levels of the system rather swiftly. Triantos is expected to make his major league debut in 2025 and is worth looking at in dynasty leagues, even though his arrival is far away.

From RotoBaller

Cincinnati Reds starting pitching prospect Rhett Lowder is dominating in his first taste of professional ball. The seventh overall pick in the 2023 Draft has made two starts, totaling nine innings with a 1.00 ERA and 0.89 WHIP, and has racked up ten punchouts. Lowder has only surrendered two free passes, one in each of his starts. The former Wake Forest Demon Deacon should move up the Reds minor league system rather quickly and should be rostered in all dynasty and keeper league formats.

From RotoBaller

Boston Red Sox outfield prospect Roman Anthony is off to a strong start at Double-A this season. The 19-year-old is riding a solid .278/.333/.528 stat line with two home runs. This is a great sign to see, as Anthony did well in a small sample size at Double-A last season as he hit for a .343/.477/.543 line. However, Anthony still holds a hefty 15:3 K:BB ratio, which could hinder his development. The number two-ranked prospect in the Boston system is projected to make his major league debut in 2025 but could push for a late-season call-up if he can continue to hit the ball and lower his strikeout rate.

From RotoBaller

Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Walker Buehler (elbow) needs at least one more minor-league rehab outing, according to manager Dave Roberts, which means rookie Landon Knack will stay in the team's starting rotation for at least one more start. Roberts said Buehler's execution during his rehab start on Thursday night was "not great" and that his command was lacking. The 29-year-old gave up two runs on four hits while walking four and striking out three in just 2 2/3 innings for Triple-A Oklahoma City. It's no surprise the Dodgers want to see more from Buehler before they feel comfortable letting him pitch in the big leagues for the first time since 2022. Buehler's outing on Thursday in the minors is a reminder that fantasy managers are probably going to have to be patient with him once he returns.

From RotoBaller

Seattle Mariners catching prospect Harry Ford has struggled throughout his first 11 games at Double-A. The 21-year-old is batting a disappointing .119/.288/.190 with only three extra-base hits. The former 12th overall selection in the 2021 MLB Draft is considered one of the best catching prospects in baseball and is ranked as the number two overall prospect in the Seattle system. Ford is expected to make his major league debut in 2025 and should see time in Triple-A later this summer. Ford remains a coveted piece in dynasty and keeper leagues but will not be relevant in redraft this season.

From RotoBaller