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    Kahlil Watson plates lone run in loss to Mariners

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    CLE Left Fielder #31
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    Kahlil Watson went 1-for-4 with an RBI double as the Guardians fell to the Mariners on Friday evening in Cleveland.

    Watson opened the scoring in the ballgame as he plated Kyle Manzardo with an RBI double off of Luis Castillo in the third inning. That would wind up being the extent of the Guardians’ offense in the contest. The 23-year-old outfielder is now off to a 6-for-25 (.240) start to his big league career with one homer, seven RBI and one stolen base over 26 plate appearances in his first eight games.
Gray dominates Yankees on Sunday Night Baseball
Eric Samulski breaks down Sonny Gray's "tremendous" outing against the New York Yankees and how his impressive form may affect his trade value with Boston closing in on the Wild Card race.

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  • CLE Left Fielder #31
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    Watson’s go-ahead hit was just an 88-mph grounder to the left side, but the White Sox infield was in with the runner at third and no one had a shot at it. Watson entered the series against the White Sox 0-for-12 with eight strikeouts as a major leaguer, but he’s 5-for-9 with a homer and six RBI the last three days. He’s probably just a stopgap for an injury-riddled Guardians lineup, but he’ll keep starting against righties for now.
  • CLE Left Fielder #31
    The Guardians maxed out their three platoon spots against LHP Shane Drohan, leaving Watson to handle right field over fellow prospect Petey Halpin. Watson probably won’t get a huge runway with Chase DeLauter due back soon, but he will get a chance to show his talents and the 12 homers and 15 stolen bases in 56 games at Triple-A Columbus point to someone who could have fantasy value if he hits.
  • CLE Left Fielder #71
    Watson earns his first opportunity in the big leagues with fellow rookie Chase DeLauter (rib) requiring a trip to the injured list. The 23-year-old former first-round pick came over from the Marlins in the Josh Bell trade back in 2023. He was hitting a respectable .255/.370/.491 with 12 homers and 15 steals in 56 games at the Triple-A level this season. It’s challenging to envision Watson offering sustained fantasy relevance, but he’s certainly talented and has an opportunity to show what he can do for a little bit.
  • CLE 3rd Baseman #73
    One of the top prospects in Cleveland’s system, Genao possesses strong bat-to-ball skills and is starting to add some over-the-fence pop to his profile. There’s still some work to be done but he’s close to arriving in the big leagues, especially after being added to the Guardians’ 40-man roster during the offseason.
  • CLE Shortstop #97
    The 43rd-ranked prospect in baseball, per Baseball America, Genao enters next season in the upper minors with a chance to reach Cleveland before the end of the year. The 21-year-old prodigy is protected from next month’s Rule 5 Draft.
  • CLE Outfield #9
    Watson was hitting .247/.337/.461 in 59 games at Double-A with eight home runs and seven steals. The 22-year-old was the 16th overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft but struggled in the Miami organization. The Guardians took a gamble on him in the Josh Bell trade back in 2023 and moved Watson out to the outfield from shortstop. He’s now one step closer to making his MLB debut, but this seems mostly like a move to challenge him against better pitching.
  • CLE Shortstop #98
    Well, we can just call this the deal of disappointments. The 20-year-old Watson was the Marlins’ first-round pick (No. 16 overall) in the 2021 draft, but he’s hit just .234/.331/.412 through his first 157 pro games while striking out 32 percent of the time. He’s also dealt with some injuries, but there’s a lot of boom or bust potential here. The Guardians will now try to see if he can realize his potential.
  • CLE Left Fielder #31
    Watson also drew a walk. The doubles are nice, so is the steal, but the free pass is the big deal here, as that’s the first time he’s gotten on first via base on balls since May 19. Yep, an entire month passed between free passes, and it’s caused Watson to post an ugly 89/10 K/BB ratio in his first full season. The talent is obvious; Watson is a teenager until next April who has the tools to hit for average, power and steal bases. To say that his approach is going to have to get better to reach those lofty heights is an understatement. Fortunately, there’s plenty of time.

  • CLE Left Fielder #31
    The homer is the sixth of the season for Watson, and the steal gives him six thefts, as well. The 19-year-old started out as hot as possible, and even after going through some struggles over the past few weeks, he’s slashing a respectable .260/.308/.521 in his first professional season. There’s a ways to go before Watson is ready, but very few players in the minors have as much upside as he offers.

  • CLE Left Fielder #31
    Watson, 18, has been as impressive as any young prospect in baseball to begin the season. That’s already the fourth homer for the 16th pick of last year’s draft, and he’s slashing .391/.440/1.023 with a steal in six games. That draft position may be a bit misleading; Watson was considered one of the best prospects in the class, but fell due to bonus concerns. Other team’s loss is Miami’s gain; Watson can contribute in every fantasy category, and is very likely to stay at shortstop. He could be a star when he’s ready to roll by the end of the 2024 season -- maybe even sooner.

Rotoworld

  • BAL Relief Pitcher #45
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    Orioles placed LHP Keegan Akin on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to June 28, with left elbow discomfort.

    No timetable yet for Akin, but elbow issues typically result in lengthy absences. The 31-year-old lefty has struggled to an inflated 5.68 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and 17/9 K/BB ratio across 25 1/3 innings this season.
  • SEA Designated Hitter #30
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    Mariners placed DH Rob Refsnyder on the 10-day injured list.

    Refsnyder is dealing with a knee issue. It’ll be newly acquired Buddy Kennedy taking his spot on Seattle’s roster prior to Monday’s contest against the division-rival Angels.
  • SEA 3rd Baseman #33
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    Brendan Donovan (groin) has progressed to on-field running.

    It’s typically the final step before a position player heads out on a minor league rehab assignment. The Mariners could certainly use Donovan back given their injury issues up and down the roster. The 29-year-old infielder has been battling lingering groin issues pretty much all season, which he believes are tied to last year’s sports hernia surgery. He’s been on the injured list since mid-May due to a groin strain.
  • SEA Right Fielder #20
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    Luke Raley (forearm) remains out of the lineup for Monday’s series opener against the Angels.

    It’s pretty remarkable that Raley has managed to avoid a trip to the injured list since he’s dealt with forearm and back issues, while also missing time due to illness, since mid-June. The 31-year-old will attempt to play through a left forearm strain that cropped up on a swing over the weekend. It’ll be Victor Robles in right field on Monday night in his place.
  • SEA Designated Hitter #8
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    Dominic Canzone (hamstring) is in the lineup at DH for Monday’s game against the Angels.

    Canzone will attempt to play through a lingering right hamstring issue that’s been bothering him since last weekend. The 28-year-old, who has homered eight times in his last 30 games, will be limited to DH for at least the next couple days and there’s optimism he’ll manage to avoid a trip to the injured list.
  • SD Center Fielder #3
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    Jackson Merrill is hitting sixth on Monday against the Cubs.

    Merrill has been scuffling recently, hitting just .228 (28-for-123) with four homers and seven steals over his last 30 games. He’s just 5-for-28 over his last seven games. His cold spell corresponds with a hot streak from Samad Taylor, who has been hitting second for the last couple weeks now. The Padres have moved him out of the heart of the order temporarily with lefty Shota Imanaga taking the ball for Chicago at Wrigley Field on Monday night.
  • CWS Starting Pitcher #76
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    White Sox manager Will Venable told reporters Noah Schultz (knee) is likely to be activated to start Wednesday’s game against the Orioles.

    It’s not official, but it seems highly likely that Schultz will return to take the ball later this week. The 22-year-old top pitching prospect threw 74 pitches and struck out seven over 4 2/3 innings during his latest minor league rehab start for Triple-A Charlotte last Friday. The towering 22-year-old southpaw offers enough strikeout upside that he’s worthy of a speculative roster spot in deeper fantasy formats. It’s a tough matchup against a strong Baltimore lineup, but he’s a name to watch closely in all fantasy formats based on his immense raw talent.
  • NYY Starting Pitcher #54
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    Max Fried (elbow) is scheduled to face hitters on Tuesday in a live batting practice session.

    Fried is aiming for roughly 30 pitches over two innings during his latest throwing session. It’ll be his first time facing hitters since landing on the shelf with a bone bruise in his elbow back in mid-May. The 32-year-old figures to be ready to progress to a minor league rehab assignment at some point in early July with a return to New York’s rotation possible after the All-Star break.
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    Jeremy Peña is out of the lineup for Monday’s series opener against the Twins with left leg discomfort.

    Astros manager Joe Espada told reporters Peña will undergo further evaluation to determine the severity of the issue. There should be some additional clarity on his status after the contest. The 28-year-old shortstop has been on a tear at the plate recently, hitting .319 (29-for-91) with three homers, 13 RBI and five steals since the start of June. He’s presumably day-to-day for now. It’ll be Nick Allen filling in at shortstop in his return from the injured list on Monday night.
  • NYY Center Fielder #12
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    Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters there’s a chance Trent Grisham (hamstring) could begin a minor league rehab assignment on Tuesday.

    It’ll be a brief one with Boone adding that Grisham could be activated for Wednesday’s series finale against Detroit or prior to Friday’s opener against Minnesota. The 29-year-old outfielder is likely to rejoin New York’s lineup later this week. He hit the injured list with a right hamstring strain back on June 13.