Chicago White Sox relief pitcher Michael Kopech picked up his fourth save of the season on Thursday, shutting down the Cleveland Guardians in a 3-2 win. Kopech got the final four outs of this one, allowing just a hit while striking out one. Although the White Sox aren't likely to get many save chances, it appears Kopech is the go-to guy when the opportunity arises. He now has four of the team's seven saves and has saves in back-to-back games as well. It might be time to consider picking him up in leagues where saves are sparse.

From RotoBaller

Arizona Diamondbacks closer Paul Sewald notched his first save of the season on Thursday, closing the door on the Cincinnati Reds in a 5-4 win. Sewald struck out a pair and didn't allow a baserunner in his inning of work. The 33-year-old veteran was making just his second appearance of the season after recovering from an oblique strain that put him out of action for all of April and the first week of May. After being used in a non-save situation in his first appearance on Tuesday, Sewald was put right back into the fire on Thursday and looked great, putting fantasy manager's worries at ease. He should continue to be the D-backs primary closer if he can stay healthy.

From RotoBaller

Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Erick Fedde had a solid outing against the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday, tossing six innings of shutout ball and earning the win in a 3-2 victory. Fedde allowed six hits while walking none and striking out three. Although the whiffs weren't there for the righty in this one, he was able to control his pitches much better than last outing, where he walked five. It was a step in the right direction for Fedde, but he will have to continue to have these strong performances to become a must-start fantasy option.

From RotoBaller

Colorado Rockies outfielder Brenton Doyle went 2-for-4 with a double and a homer on Thursday, helping the team pick up a 9-1 win over the San Francisco Giants. Doyle added two runs scored and three RBI to round out his stat line. The 25-year-old got off to a hot start at the dish and was a popular waiver wire add in fantasy, but coming into this game since May 1, he was slashing a dismal .111/.143/.185 with just one extra-base hit. He still has solid season numbers, but he is much less appealing in fantasy outside of deeper leagues, especially since he has moved down in the Rockies lineup.

From RotoBaller

Kansas City Royals outfielder Dairon Blanco showed up big on Thursday, leading his team to a 10-4 win over the Los Angeles Angels. Blanco went 3-for-3 with four runs scored, two RBI, a homer, and two stolen bases. It was a full stat line for Blanco, but unfortunately the 31-year-old hasn't done much to warrant being rostered in fantasy outside of this game. He will steal the occasional base, with 10 on the season, but he hardly starts games and is usually used as a late-game pinch-runner. He might see more at-bats now, but he shouldn't be rostered unless steals are at a premium.

From RotoBaller

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich went 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI in a 7-1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. Yelich scored on a Rhys Hoskins homer in the first inning and later tripled in William Contreras. It was the lefty's second game back from a lower back strain that caused him to miss about a month of action and he looked much better in this game after an 0-for-5 in his first game back. Yelich and his fantasy owners are hoping he can pick right back up from where he was before his injury, as he was torching the ball with a .333/.407/.708 triple-slash line.

From RotoBaller

The Los Angeles Angels placed infielder Brandon Drury (hamstring) on the 10-day injured list on Thursday with a left-hamstring strain. With infielder Luis Rengifo (illness) also going on the 10-day IL and Anthony Rendon (hamstring) out for the long term, the Angels infield depth has really been tested. The Halos acquired veteran infielder Luis Guillorme from the Atlanta Braves on Thursday, and he immediately got the start at second base while hitting eighth in his Angels debut. With both Rengifo and Drury now out, Guillorme, Cole Tucker and Ehire Adrianza could see decent playing time to warrant a look in AL-only leagues. In addition to his hamstring injury, Drury was hitting a terrible .173/.230/.240 with a homer, six RBI and nine runs scored in his first 104 at-bats this year.

From RotoBaller

MLB teams are already calling the Oakland Athletics with trade interest in flamethrowing closer Mason Miller, and naturally, the A's are asking for a ton in return. No team has come close to meeting the A's price, according to a team source, and perhaps no one will before this summer's trade deadline. The 25-year-old is Oakland's best young player and their best player, period. For a team to acquire Miller, they'd likely have to give up a young player of comparable ability or a substantial package of multiple youngsters who could be part of the A's future. If the Padres wanted Miller, the A's would likely ask for rookie center fielder Jackson Merrill. Miller isn't eligible for arbitration until 2016 and is under club control through 2029. While Miller has been amazing this year, he also missed almost four months in 2023 with a mild UCL sprain in his right elbow, so the A's are going to listen to offers. He's 8-for-8 in save chances and has struck out 33 in 16 2/3 innings so far this year.

From RotoBaller

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge walloped his ninth home run of the year in Thursday's 4-3 loss to the visiting Houston Astros, leaving the yard for the second time in as many days and the third time in the past four outings. Judge's gargantuan 473-foot blast to center field made it a one-run ballgame in the eighth inning, but the Yankees ultimately couldn't rally against All-Star closer Josh Hader. The 32-year-old fantasy superstar's bat has certainly woken up following a slow start to the campaign, now batting .372 with five home runs, 12 RBI, 10 runs scored, and one stolen base over his last 12 games. Judge looks to keep his foot on the gas during a three-game set against the division-rival Tampa Bay Rays beginning on Friday, but in 13 games against the Rays since 2023, he's hitting just .146 with two blasts and five RBI.

From RotoBaller

The Los Angeles Angels placed infielder Luis Rengifo (illness) on the 10-day injured list on Thursday, retroactive to May 6. Rengifo hasn't appeared since last Friday's win over the Cleveland Guardians due to a viral infection, and his absence leaves a considerable void in the Angels' infield. The versatile 27-year-old righty-hitter was slashing a strong .330/.378/.462 with two home runs, six doubles, 11 RBI, and a career-high nine stolen bases through just 91 at-bats (28 games) for the Halos in 2024. The club is hopeful it'll be a short stint for Rengifo. Veteran Luis Guillorme was just acquired on Thursday and already made his way into Anaheim's patchwork lineup against the Kansas City Royals, but he carries little to no fantasy appeal despite an everyday role likely headed his way.

From RotoBaller

Houston Astros relief pitcher Ryan Pressly (back) made his first appearance since last Friday in Wednesday's 4-3 win over the New York Yankees, giving up a home run and one walk with one strikeout while recording two outs. Making his first appearance in six days after experiencing soreness in his lower back, Pressly wasn't sharp in the eighth inning while throwing just 10 of his 22 pitches for strikes and serving up a monstrous home run to Aaron Judge late on Wednesday. While the 35-year-old veteran reliever has taken a backseat to All-Star closer Josh Hader in the saves department, he's not helping his cause with a poor 5.65 ERA, 1.74 WHIP, 22:6 K:BB, and two blown saves over 14 1/3 innings out of Houston's bullpen this year. Even in fantasy leagues that count holds, Pressly is barely worth hanging onto right now.

From RotoBaller

Houston Astros closer Josh Hader secured Thursday's save, recording four outs with one strikeout for his fourth save of the season in the 4-3 win over the New York Yankees. Hader relieved Ryan Pressly in the eighth inning and got lefty-hitter Anthony Rizzo to pop out to end the frame. Gleyber Torres lined a single to get the tying run aboard in the ninth, but Hader managed to sit down the next three hitters in order. It was awful start to the year for Hader in his Astros debut season, but he's gotten back on track with a 2.16 ERA and 1.08 WHIP while striking out 14, walking three, and converting each of his three save opportunities over his last seven appearances (8 1/3 innings). It looks like the 30-year-old three-time National League Reliever of the Year's buy-low window in fantasy has closed for the time being.

From RotoBaller

Cleveland Guardians outfielder Chase DeLauter (foot) doesn't need surgery on his broken left foot, and the medical team is working through the next steps for him. DeLauter reported pain in his left foot on April 25, which is the same foot that he had surgically repaired last year, and the team announced on Sunday that a CT scan revealed a fracture in his fifth metatarsal bone. The 22-year-old former first-round pick is Cleveland's No. 1 prospect for 2024, per MLB Pipeline, and his indefinite absence could delay his major-league debut that wasn't likely to arrive until 2025 to begin with. It's a big hit to his fantasy stock for dynasty managers. DeLauter was already struggling with Double-A Akron this season, slashing .197/.296/.295 with one home run, three doubles, three RBI, and one stolen base over 71 plate appearances (16 games) after crushing four homers in 25 Cactus League at-bats with the Guardians in spring training.

From RotoBaller

St. Louis Cardinals infielder/outfielder Tommy Edman (wrist) is continuing tee work with increased intensity. After being transferred to the 60-day injured list on Sunday, Edman has still yet to fully go through baseball activities after undergoing wrist surgery in October. Although the speedy 29-year-old switch-hitter still has a chance to return in late May when first eligible for reinstatement, he still needs to go through what will likely be a lengthy minor-league rehab assignment after missing all of spring training. In the interim, top prospect Masyn Winn is functioning as St. Louis' primary shortstop. Winn is slashing only .265/.333/.357 with seven extra-base hits, seven RBI, 10 runs scored, and five stolen bases through 98 at-bats (33 games) this season, however, and he isn't worth rostering in the majority of fantasy leagues at the moment.

From RotoBaller

Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr. (hip) has resumed hitting after suffering a minor setback with his right hip flexor strain while rehabbing in Arizona. Manager Pedro Grifol says Robert is back up to running at 70 percent intensity, and the center fielder will continue to ramp up his activity. Robert is about a week away from taking the next step in his recovery, which could be a minor-league rehab assignment, and he'll play some backfield games before doing so. While the dynamic 26-year-old slugger could get into rehab games in mid-May, barring any setbacks, fantasy managers should be prepared to be without Robert until late May with the last-place ChiSox likely in no hurry to rush him back. Veteran Tommy Pham is working as Chicago's primary center fielder and worth considering in AL-only leagues, slashing a serviceable .295/.326/.477 with two home runs, two doubles, six RBI, and four runs scored in 44 at-bats (11 games) this year.

From RotoBaller

Minnesota Twins third baseman Royce Lewis (quad) saw doctors again for another checkup on Wednesday, and his latest MRI still showed some inflammation in his strained right quad. Lewis started sprinting on Wednesday alongside up to 80 swings in the batting cage a day, jogging on the warning track, and taking fielding drills hit directly to him, but there's still a lack of a concrete timeline for him to be cleared to ramp up his baseball activities. With the Twins exercising ample levels of caution with the 24-year-old former No. 1 overall pick, Lewis' return to major-league roster is not expected to arrive before June. In the meantime, super-utility man and switch-hitter Willi Castro is bouncing around the diamond to help fill in for Minnesota and worth rostering in most fantasy leagues. In 21 games since April 17, Castro is batting .363 with two home runs, 12 RBI, 12 runs scored, and five stolen bases.

From RotoBaller

Baltimore Orioles infield prospect Jackson Holliday hit his first home run since returning to Triple-A Norfolk on Wednesday. This was his third home of the season at Triple-A, and is riding a solid .309/.482/.531 line through 21 games. After tallying just two hits in ten major league games in April, Baltimore decided that it was best for their top prospect to build more confidence and return to Triple-A for the time being. Since returning, the 20-year-old has gone hitless in just five of his eleven games and looks to be comfortable at the plate again. However, fantasy managers may need to wait a bit longer to see Holliday back in the major leagues due to the crowded infield the Orioles currently have and the several other budding stars in their system who are vying for playing time.

From RotoBaller

Colorado Rockies starting pitching prospect Chase Dollander struck out 10 batters on Thursday and allowed just two runs across five innings in a no-decision. Dollander has been showcasing his elite strikeout potential all season, and Thursday was no different. On the season, the 22-year-old has 43 strikeouts in just 24 1/3 innings at Double-A. He has a 2.59 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and has offered only 10 free passes. Dollander is considered the second-best prospect in the Rockies pipeline and the 46th-best overall prospect on MLB Pipeline. The former ninth overall selection in the 2023 MLB draft is still several years away from his major-league debut but is worth monitoring in dynasty leagues, as he has the potential to develop into one of the top pitching prospects in all of baseball.

From RotoBaller

Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Nick Gonzales is expected to be recalled from the minors on Friday. The 24-year-old is hitting .358 with four home runs over 30 games in the minors this season. He played in 35 games with the Pirates last season, but will hopefully get a longer stint this time around. Fantasy managers might want to use a wait-and-see approach here, but Gonzalez has all the skills to be a reliable hitter at the highest level.

From RotoBaller

San Francisco Giants shortstop Nick Ahmed (wrist) was forced to exit early during Thursday's game against the Colorado Rockies. The veteran infielder left the game after an awkward swing early during the contest. The hope is that it's a minor injury and Ahmed won't require a trip to the injured list. If he misses time, former top prospect Marco Luciano could be recalled to take his spot on the roster. Fantasy managers will need to stay tuned for another update on Ahmed.

From RotoBaller