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    Padres release J.P. France

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    FA Relief Pitcher #68
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    Padres released RHP J.P. France.

    France has thrown just 10 2/3 MLB innings since 2024 due to shoulder issues. The 31-year-old was let go by the Astros earlier this season and posted an 8.44 ERA in 10 2/3 innings out of the bullpen for Triple-A El Paso before the Padres decided to move on as well.
Smoltz: NLCS will be 'unbelievably' close series
John Smoltz joints the Dan Patrick Show to weigh in on this year's NLCS matchup, how the Brewers can dethrone the Dodgers and former generations of pitchers compared to today's pitchers.

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  • SD Relief Pitcher #68
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    France was just released by the Astros. He was a big help to Houston in 2023, when he went 11-6 with a 3.83 ERA, but he injured his shoulder afterwards and has pitched just 10 times in the majors since the beginning of 2024. He had a 3.72 ERA and a 39/25 K/BB in 36 1/3 innings while working as a reliever for Triple-A Round Rock this season.
  • FA Relief Pitcher #68
    The 31-year-old hurler had been stationed at Triple-A Sugar Land where he registered a 3.72 ERA, 1.68 WHIP and a 39/25 K/BB ratio over 36 1/3 innings of work. He’s now free to explore opportunities on the open market.
  • HOU Relief Pitcher #68
    France passed through waivers unclaimed and will remain with Houston as organizational relief depth. The 31-year-old former starter allowed six runs over 6 2/3 innings across three relief appearances earlier this month. He was removed from Houston’s 40-man roster over the weekend.
  • HOU Relief Pitcher #68
    France loses his spot on Houston’s 40-man roster with the club claiming young outfielder Dustin Harris off waivers. The 31-year-old righty returned to the big leagues last week, and wound up allowing six runs over 6 2/3 innings of work over three relief appearances. He’s likely to pass through waivers unclaimed given his struggles since undergoing shoulder surgery back in 2024.
  • HOU Starting Pitcher #68
    France was sent down Saturday after giving up four runs over 2 2/3 innings in his one relief appearance for the Astros. He’ll be available in middle relief for now, but this might be another brief major league stint.
  • HOU Starting Pitcher #68
    France was awful Friday, allowing four runs in 2 2/3 innings. The 31-year-old will head back to the minors with Jayden Murray up to provide a fresh arm. France will likely be back in a low-leverage role at some point.
  • HOU Starting Pitcher #68
    It’s unclear if France is just up as an emergency option to add length to the Astros’ bullpen, or if he’ll fill one of the spots in the team’s rotation that have been vacated by the injuries to Hunter Brown and Cristian Javier. France has posted a 4.35 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and a 128/61 K/BB ratio over 165 2/3 innings with the Astros over the last three seasons.
  • HOU Starting Pitcher #68
    Hunter Brown (shoulder) is out for at least a month, and Cristian Javier left his start yesterday with an injury, so the Astros need to fill innings in their rotation. France has been pitching in a multi-inning role in Triple-A, so it’s unclear if he would move into the rotation or perhaps keep his bullpen role, which would allow Ryan Weiss to enter the rotation. Weiss looked good in spring training and could be an interesting name in fantasy leagues if he gets a chance to start.
  • HOU Starting Pitcher #68
    France did not make the Astros as a starter and is now working to establish himself as a multi-inning option out of the bullpen. His fastball velocity was in line with what we saw last year, and he pounded the strike zone for 77 percent strikes while registering a 42 percent whiff rate. He’ll likely see some MLB innings in some capacity this season.
  • HOU Starting Pitcher #68
    He also struck out four and walked none while registering a 26 percent whiff rate and throwing 75 percent strikes overall. France was waived and remained with the Astros, so he will start the season in Triple-A and give them an option should injuries crop up during the year.

Rotoworld

  • CWS Center Fielder #7
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    Brenton Doyle will hit ninth and play center field in Game 5 of the ALDS on Saturday against the Guardians.

    Doyle gets the nod over Braden Montgomery, who has gone just 1-for-19 thus far in his playoff at-bats. The full lineup as the White Sox try not to blow a 2-0 lead and advance to the ALCS against the Rays: 1. Sam Antonacci LF, 2. Kyle Teel C, 3. Miguel Vargas 3B, 4. Munetaka Murakami 1B, 5. Andrew Benintendi DH, 6. Tristan Peters RF, 7. Chase Meidroth 2B, 8. Colson Montgomery SS and Doyle in center behind Sean Burke on the mound.
    - Christopher Crawford
  • CLE Center Fielder #0
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    Petey Halpin is hitting eighth and playing center field against the White Sox on Saturday in Game 5 of the ALDS.

    Halpin will get his first start of the postseason as the Guardians look to complete the 2-0 comeback. Angel Martinez will begin Saturday’s win-or-go-home contest on the bench, but seems likely to be involved at some point. The full lineup against Sean Burke in Game 5: 1. LF Steven Kwan 2. 3B José Ramírez 3. RF Chase DeLauter 4. DH Jo Adell 5. 1B Nathaniel Lowe 6. 2B Travis Bazzana 7. C Patrick Bailey 8. CF Halpin and Brayan Rocchio at shortstop with Gavin Williams on the mound.
    - Christopher Crawford
  • MIL Starting Pitcher #32
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    Jacob Misiorowski will start Game 1 of the NLCS against the Dodgers on Sunday.

    Misiorowski will square off against Dodgers trade deadline acquisition Tarik Skubal, who was reportedly pursued by the Brewers prior to the deal with Los Angeles, to kick off the best-of-seven opener in Milwaukee. Logan Henderson will start Game 2, and the plan is for Robert Gasser to get the nod in Game 3. There are plenty of narratives here, but the most compelling to monitor is whether Misiorowski can go shut down Los Angeles’ star-studded lineup multiple times to help lead the Brewers to the Fall Classic for the first time since 1982. The hard-throwing 24-year-old allowed two runs over four innings during his playoff debut against the Padres last weekend.
  • PHI Front Office #23
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    ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports former Phillies general manager Sam Fuld has declined an offer to become the Athletics next president of baseball operations.

    Fuld, who is currently Philadelphia’s president of business operations, has withdrawn his name from consideration. The 44-year-old former big leaguer, who wound up finishing his playing career with the Athletics in 2015, was viewed as one of the front-runners for the vacancy. Passan adds that Red Sox assistant general manager Taylor Smith is one of the top candidates for the role.
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    Vladimir Guerrero Jr. underwent laser eye surgery earlier this week.

    The Laser Eye Center of Miami shared the news on Instagram that Guerrero underwent successful laser eye surgery to correct his vision. It’s notable that Guerrero’s offseason procedure comes on the heels of a disastrous campaign where he batted .260/.332/.356 with 72 runs scored, nine home runs, 57 RBI and seven steals in 609 plate appearances over 144 games. He swung at more pitches outside of the strike zone and walked much less often than previous years. The 27-year-old first baseman represents a logical rebound candidate for fantasy purposes heading into next season based on the fact that he remains in his physical prime and boasts an extensive track record of elite offensive production. He’s going to be a borderline top-100 pick in most fantasy drafts next spring.
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    Rangers SS prospect Sebastian Walcott went 2-for-4 with an RBI in Arizona Fall League action on Friday.

    The biggest name in the entire fall showcase circuit, Walcott finished last season with a cup of coffee at Triple-A Round Rock after slashing .322/.398/.586 with nine homers and 11 steals in 171 plate appearances for Double-A Frisco. The 20-year-old prodigy added some additional muscle while recovering from elbow surgery back in the spring and has looked like one of the top prospects in baseball again. He’s a long shot to break camp in the majors next spring, but he figures to arrive as Texas’ shortstop of the future by midseason.
  • PHI Shortstop #87
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    Phillies INF prospect Aidan Miller went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI in Arizona Fall League action on Friday.

    Miller is making up for lost time by getting some work in at third base in the fall’s prospect finishing school. He’s hitting .500 (6-for-12) with one steal through four games this fall. The 22-year-old former first-round pick missed most of this past season due to a lingering back issue that prevented him from making his Double-A debut until early September. He’s one of the more challenging prospects to forecast from a fantasy perspective after missing nearly an entire year to injury. He possesses an extremely intriguing power and speed blend that should make him an impactful fantasy contributor in the near future.
  • DET Left Fielder #93
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    Tigers OF prospect Zyhir Hope went 2-for-4 with an RBI in Arizona Fall League action on Friday.

    The centerpiece of the Tarik Skubal blockbuster with the Dodgers at the trade deadline, Hope blasted 29 round-trippers and also stole 26 bases in 564 plate appearances at the Double-A level this past season. The 21-year-old figures to ascend to Detroit’s outfield mix alongside Riley Greene and Max Clark at some point next season. It wouldn’t be shocking if he were in contention for a corner outfield spot in spring training given the present state of their depth chart.
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    Royals OF prospect Angeibel Gomez went 2-for-4 with a run scored in Arizona Fall League action on Friday.

    Gomez, the second-youngest player in AFL history at just 17 years old, is still several hyperspace jumps away from reaching Kansas City. However, his fantasy stock has soared following a sublime DSL campaign in which he hit .361/.467/.653 with nine homers and 15 steals across 180 plate appearances. One of the premier prospects in the 2026 international signing class, Gomez received $2.9 million from the Royals and advanced to the fall circuit before even making his stateside debut. He’s an exceptionally fast runner who projects to develop into an above-average power producer as he matures physically. It’s not hyperbolic to suggest that his present trajectory puts him on track to become one of the top prospects in baseball by the conclusion of next season.
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    Diamondbacks 2B prospect Demetrio Crisantes went 4-for-5 with three RBI and a stolen base in Arizona Fall League action on Friday.

    All four of his hits carried exit velocities over 98 mph. That’ll work. Crisantes, the top prospect in Arizona’s system, is making up for lost time on the fall circuit after missing the first two months of this past season with a hamstring strain. He missed most of the previous year recovering from shoulder surgery. The 22-year-old showcased his impressive hitting ability by slashing .319/.413/.548 with five homers in 160 plate appearances at the Double-A level before finishing the year hitting .278/.343/.412 with three homers in 209 plate appearances at Triple-A Reno. He’s a prospect that fantasy managers need to know entering next season.