MLB Player News

Walker did strike out five while posting a solid 27 percent whiff rate and 33 percent CSW but he also walked three on the day. His velocity was up from his season average and he leaned heavily on the splitter today, but it’s hard to trust him in fantasy right now, even against the Nationals this weekend.

Mullins put together his strongest all-around performance of an otherwise lackluster Rays debut, notching a season-high four hits, including his third round-tripper of the season. The 31-year-old center fielder also picked up his ninth stolen base of the season in this one. He’s been a complete non-factor fantasy-wise this year, but he’s putting up some impressive numbers recently, hitting .306 (11-for-36) with one homer and three steals in 11 games since the start of May.

Bleday’s latest multi-hit performance pushes his triple-slash line to a surreal .345/.465/.776 with six homers, 19 RBI and one steal in 17 games since coming up from Triple-A Louisville last month. The 28-year-old has done a remarkable job making hard contact at much more frequent rates than previously in his career with his average exit velocity and hard-hit rate skyrocketing to near-elite levels. He’s also pulling the ball in the air 39.5 percent of the time this season, per Statcast, which has enabled him to hit for much more power. He’s also chasing out of the zone less frequently and striking out less than ever before. Simply put, there’s a lot to like here. He was probably scooped up off waivers a couple weeks ago, but Bleday should be rostered in all fantasy leagues.

McGonigle is still getting on-base at an above-average rate, but he’s hitting just .182 (8-for-44) with one extra-base hit and five stolen bases in 12 games since May 1. The 21-year-old top prospect’s rookie campaign is off to a phenomenal start overall, but he’s going through a bit of a rough patch recently. It’s a small sample size with arbitrary end points, but it’s still worth noting. His minor-league track record suggests he’ll turn things around rather quickly, especially since his plate skills remain pristine during this latest cold spell.

It took a couple weeks for baseball’s top prospect to find his stride, but Griffin has been excellent in the early portion of May, hitting .294/.351/.471 with one homer, seven RBI and three steals across 13 contests during that span. The 20-year-old prodigy has the raw talent to eventually develop into a five-category fantasy force, but it may not happen this season. Context matters. Griffin is holding his own in the majors at an age when most of his peers are still in the lower minors or playing in college. His time as a perennial first-round fantasy selection is coming.

Cruz’s strong performance got lost in the process of teammate Brandon Lowe slugging two homers while Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber went deep for the ninth time in his last eight games. The 27-year-old power/speed combo threat is two steals behind José Ramírez and Nasim Nuñez for the big-league lead in the stolen base department this season. He’s still striking out a ton, but some strides against left-handed pitching have helped make his batting average a bit more palatable than last year’s abysmal .200 mark.

There’s no publicly available Statcast data from this contest, but Hader said afterwards that he felt good physically and was trying to work on his slider in this latest rehab appearance. The 32-year-old closer appears close to returning to Houston’s bullpen after missing the start of the year recovering from a biceps issue. There should be a definitive timetable for his season debut from the Astros at some point soon. He’s close.

Peña returned to action after sitting out a couple rehab contests earlier this week following an on-field collision that left him dealing with neck soreness. The 28-year-old shortstop played Friday’s entire game at shortstop and should be ready to return to Houston at some point next week. He’s likely to get a couple additional games under his belt this weekend prior to being activated.

Marte isn’t hitting for a ton of over-the-fence power with just four homers in 26 games, but he’s hitting .365 since being demoted to Triple-A back on April 13. The 24-year-old former top prospect’s path to fantasy relevance continues to be blocked by Cincinnati’s logjam at several spots at the highest level, especially with both Spencer Steer and JJ Bleday playing well. It’s possible injuries or ineffectiveness create a pathway to at-bats later this summer. He seemingly has nothing to prove playing everyday on the doorstep of the majors.

Holliday played the entire contest at third base as he continues to ramp up after dealing with some hand discomfort a few weeks ago coming off surgery to repair a hamate fracture. The 22-year-old former top prospect figures to be ready to make his season debut by the end of May or early June.

Nothing official from the Dodgers after Snell landed on the injured list prior to Friday’s scheduled start against the Angels with an elbow injury. The 33-year-old southpaw spent the first seven weeks of the season working his way back from offseason shoulder issues. It’s worth noting that Dodgers manager Dave Roberts expressed optimism that Snell would pitch again this season, but that’s hardly a lock. He can be safely dropped in shallow fantasy formats where roster spots are at a premium. It’ll likely be former top pitching prospect River Ryan taking his rotation spot next week.