10-team leagues
Álex Reyes , STL SP (69% ownership), FAAB Bid - $18 - Adding Reyes in re-draft leagues is a game changing move. Reyes has a huge arm and consistently hits 100 on the radar gun. He has massive strikeout stuff as well as he’s posted a 27.5-percent K-rate throughout each stop of his professional career. Just this season, he’s made four minor league starts and had a K-rate of 40-percent or better in each outing. Reyes is making his season debut with the Cardinals as we speak. He’s thrown 3.2 scoreless innings thus far. Reyes has SP2 potential if he lives up to the hype.
Jack Flaherty , STL SP (63% ownership), FAAB Bid - $16 - I’d rather have Reyes out of the two Cardinals rookies, but you can’t really go wrong with either. Flaherty is has been consistent as heck this year, especially over his last three starts. Over those three games, he’s thrown 19.1 innings, won two decisions, struck out 20 and yielded only three earned runs. Flaherty sports a 2.15 ERA and has K’d 31 batters in 29.1 innings. The Cardinals rotation is rolling right now and Flaherty should be scooped up in all formats if he’s available.
Evan Gattis , HOU C (74% ownership), FAAB Bid - $12-14 - With the catcher position in absolute shambles right now, Gattis is heating up at the perfect time. A lot of Welington Castillo owners are looking for a replacement and here he is. Gattis is on fire over the past two weeks, hitting .333 with four home runs while driving in 12 runs. It’s only a matter of time before he cracks the top 10 for catchers in fantasy and creeps his way into the top five, especially if he continues hitting the way he currently is.
12-team leagues
Joe Musgrove , PIT SP, (46% ownership), FAAB Bid - $12-13 - Musgrave’s debut couldn’t have gone any smoother throwing seven scoreless innings and doing it in just 67 pitches. He also struck out seven giving himself a 9.0 K/9 mark. Musgrove has always been more of a groundballer than anything, but he elevated his ground ball game to a 55.6-percent mark in his first time out this season. Musgrove is close to a must own in all formats, including 10-team leagues. He shouldn’t be on a pitch count for much longer.
Carlos Rodon , CWS SP (9% ownership), FAAB Bid - $8-10 - We almost have the return of Carlos Rodon upon us. Rodon is going to make his third rehab start this week which should put him really close to his expected return in early June. Since his original call up back in 2015, we’ve seen the type of strikeout stuff Rodon has. He’s notched a 22.9-percent K-rate or better in all three seasons he’s pitched in the Major League’s. His problem is the amount of people he walks. He’s posted over four walks per nine innings twice in three seasons! That’s not what an ace does, as many people around baseball think Rodon has ace-like stuff, but he just can’t stay healthy. Well if he stays healthy this time around he’ll have every opportunity to be the team’s ace.
Ryan Tepera , TOR RP (9% ownership), FAAB Bid - $7-10 - We’re still unsure as to who will be getting the saves in the ninth for the Blue Jays, but my guess would be Ryan Tepera . Roberto Osuna is likely going to get a lengthy suspension following his court date in the middle of June and we will probably not be seeing him for a while. Tepera has converted two saves in the last five days so all signs point to him being the guy. If not Tepera, it’ll be Seunghwan Oh. Both are viable pickups in 12-team leagues.
15-team leagues
Guillermo Heredia , SEA OF (1% ownership), FAAB Bid - $3-4 - With Dee Gordon taking over at 2B for the suspended Robinson Canó , a spot in the outfield opened up for Heredia and he’s making the most of his opportunity. Over the last 10 games, Heredia has hit .323 with an .884 OPS and is actually sitting pretty at .302 for the year. He’s not going to provide us with a lot of anything, but he’ll put together a few runs here, a few extra-base hits there and sprinkle in a couple of stolen bases as well. He’ll be a nice fourth OF in big 15-team leagues.
Johan Camargo , ATL 2B, SS, 3B (2% ownership), FAAB Bid - $3-4 - With Joey Bats long gone, Camargo has taken over as the Braves every third baseman and has responded rather well. Over the last 10 games, he’s slashed .296/.486/.519. For a young player he shows EXCELLENT patience at the plate as he’s walked (21) more times than he’s struck out (17) this year. Camargo’s already seen success at the big league level just last year, so recent play of his can be expected.
Max Muncy , LAD 1B, 3B, OF (4% ownership), FAAB Bid - $2-4 - Everyone said Muncy was going to lose time once the Dodgers got healthy, but they’re healthy and Muncy is playing just as much. Not only has he been playing, but he’s producing as well. He’s hit six homers in 90 at-bats and leads the team in RBI during May. Over his last eight starts, Muncy has hit first or second in seven of those games. The Dodgers are also looking for production at 2B, so he’s getting a chance to show them what he’s got there, which means another position he could become eligible at. If he wins that job, he could become valuable in 12-team formats.
*ownership percentages courtesy of Yahoo
** FAAB bids based on $100 budget
Player News
Zach Neto (shoulder) is playing shortstop once again at Triple-A Salt Lake on Friday, marking the first time that he has done so in back-to-back games.
Angels’ manager Ron Washington is already on record saying that he wanted Neto to play nine innings at shortstop in back-to-back games before he rejoins the Angels. Neto played six innings on Thursday night and hasn’t played more than seven, so it’s going to take him at least a few more games before he’s able to check off that box. If all goes well, there’s a chance that he could be ready to return by the end of next week.
Astros’ general manager Dana Brown told reporters on Friday that they’re hopeful Spencer Arrighetti (thumb) will be able to return in six weeks.
Arrighetti suffered a broken right thumb when he was hit by a line drive while playing catch in the outfield during batting practice on Monday. If he is able to reach that optimistic timeframe, he could be back in the Astros’ rotation before the end of May. Fantasy managers in leagues that don’t feature an injured list may have some tough decisions to make on whether or not to cut bait or wait it out.
Padres’ manager Mike Shildt told reporters that he expects Fernando Tatis Jr. (shoulder) to return to the lineup on Friday night.
While the Padres have yet to release their lineup, it sounds like their superstar outfielder will be in there after sitting out Wednesday’s game after he tweaked his surgically-repaired right shoulder. Things could still change before gametime, but fantasy managers should expect to have Tatis at their disposal on Friday evening.
Dodgers activated 1B Freddie Freeman from the 10-day injured list.
As expected, Freeman will make his triumphant return to the Dodgers’ lineup on Friday night against the Cubs. The 35-year-old slugger told reporters that he’s feeling as good as he has felt all year and that he feels like he could steal a base. The Dodgers probably won’t be giving him that green light as he eases back into action, but it’s nice to hear that he’s feeling spry as he returns to action.
Brewers optioned RHP Elvis Peguero to Triple-A Nashville.
The Brewers needed to send someone out to make room on the active roster for Jose Quintana’s debut and unfortunately Peguero was the odd man out this time around. The 28-year-old hurler posted a 5.68 ERA, 1.74 WHIP and a 3/4 K/BB ratio over 6 1/3 innings in his five appearances with the Brewers.
Brewers recalled LHP Jose Quintana from Triple-A Nashville.
The 36-year-old southpaw will make his Brewers’ debut on Friday night in a tough spot against the Diamondbacks in Arizona. Fantasy managers would be advised to take a wait-and-see approach here instead of throwing Quintana to the wolves on Friday night in his first start of the season.