As the fantasy baseball calendar flips to May, we need to make sure that we, like MLB players, are making the proper adjustments. By now, you should have picked through the fantasy baseball waiver wire for Week 4 and begun to shed some dead weight. Maybe it’s as simple as swapping out your second catcher for newly called up MJ Melendez or as complicated as navigating through the latest fantasy baseball closer rankings to find out if Ryan Helsley is the new St. Louis Cardinals closer. Either way, adjustments need to be made now before you fall behind and you have hopefully taken the time investigate your team’s needs.

And speaking of rankings, while we don’t do fantasy baseball weekly rankings, we do have updated fantasy baseball rankings for the month of May to help guide you through the next four weeks as best we can. We splash in some ROS rankings (rest of season) thoughts, but the primary focus is carrying you through May with the best players possible. Adam Ronis and I have ours both live right now while Jim Bowden’s will be available in the next day or so as he returns from his son’s wedding weekend.

After you’ve sifted through the new rankings and your own waiver claims, be sure to examine the rest of your league’s Week 4 fantasy baseball pickups. We’re still just three full weeks into the season and panicky owners still make rash moves they shouldn’t be doing. Build a fantasy baseball drop list, if you will. Simply mark down which potential buy low players have been dropped, follow their performance for the week and see if they are worth adding to your team during the next waiver wire period.

OK, enough hand-holding here. Let’s get down to business and see what happened on Sunday that is worthy of your attention.

 

 

Fantasy Baseball Talk

 

Randal Grichuk is Enjoying Colorado

 

 

Now batting .338 on the season, Grichuk is steadily becoming the poster child for career resurrection in Colorado. The trade that sent him from Toronto to the Mile High city has been huge for fantasy baseball owners and should be even more enjoyable once the weather starts to warm up. He’s now hit safely in 11 of his last 13 games with six multi-hit performances, two doubles, three home runs and 12 RBI. I never like to talk in terms of on-pace numbers, but given the situation and the opportunity, Grichuk could challenge his own personal career-best of 31 home runs this year. Even better is that he could do it with a batting average close to .270 which would only make him more valuable.

Andrés Giménez Heating up for the Cleveland Guardians

 

 

Expectations heading into the 2022 MLB season were relatively low for the Guardians shortstop, but if you were looking to boost your stolen base total in an inexpensive way, Gimenez was an intriguing option. While he’s only got one steal through 19 games, what he’s doing for your team in the other categories has been a blessing, especially in the batting average and OBP department. This is more of a “ride the wave before it breaks” situation than anything else, because no one expected him to be slashing .346/.352/.577 right now and no one expects him to continue at this pace. But he’s now hit safely in four-straight games with three multi-hit performances, two doubles, one home run and six RBI. He's got some tough pitching match-ups this week facing San Diego and Toronto, but he’s worth a look in deeper formats. 

Is Kyle Schwarber Kryptonite for Max Scherzer?

 

 

There is no denying that Mets right-hander Max Scherzer is more than comfortable pitching for his new club. He’s logged four wins in five starts and is sporting a 2.61 ERA with a 0.81 WHIP and 42 strikeouts over 31 innings. Granted, it’s New York, but the Cy Young buzz for the 37-year-old is abundant. But while he may look like Superman on the mound at CitiField, Scherzer’s weakness was on full display as Phillies outfielder Kyle Schwarber smacked two home runs off him to end a brutal strikeout streak. Now through just eight career at-bats against Scherzer (the two were teammates for some time, hence the small sample size), Schwarber has three hits (two of which are dingers) and has drawn four walks. Not that we’re ready to lock him into every DFS lineup when they face each other, but as the Mets and Phillies battle each other all season, this could be an intriguing match-up to follow. 

Who the Heck is Yadiel Hernandez?

 

 

If you actually have to ask, then be sure you don’t fall victim to the ultimate fantasy baseball sell high candidate. The 34-year-old Hernandez looks outstanding right now with his .340 average and coming off a five-RBI game from Sunday. He’s also got four doubles over his last four games too, so there seems to be some power here, right? After all, he belted 33 home runs in Triple-A back in 2019. While he may be seeing the playing time right now in Washington, there’s no way this is sustainable and there is no way the Nationals don’t start auditioning more of their younger players as they fall out of contention. If you are using him right now, fine, but once the 0-for-4 days start piling up…and they will pile up… do not be afraid to cut bait.

 

 

MLB Rookies to Watch

 

Julio Rodríguez Hits First Home Run During Breakout Game for Seattle Mariners

 

 

You knew it was just a matter of time before he found his footing in the big leagues and those who panicked early are likely scrambling to reacquire the Mariners’ top prospect. He’s now hit safely in 10 of his last 13 games, has two multi-hit performances in his last three and clubbed his first big-league home run of the season off one of the top pitchers in the game, Sandy Alcantara. Don’t sweat the low batting average because that’s on an upward trajectory and watch as the power continues to develop. He’s got three doubles and this big blast over his last nine games and seems to be adjusting to major-league pitching nicely. Enjoy the ride.

Are Triston Casas and Nolan Gorman the Next to be Called Up?

We addressed this during last Friday’s special Buy Low Sell High Edition of the Fantasy Baseball Round Up and I just want to keep the names fresh in your mind. Both are in strong situations where their respective teams may not be able to hold them back any further. As I also stated in my latest article in the New York Post, I believe Gorman will be the one to get the promotion first, but just look at who is standing in each of their way. In St. Louis, you have a .145-hitting Paul DeJong with a .160-hitting Edmundo Sosa while in Boston, you have a .147-hitting Bobby Dalbec and a freshly called-up Franchy Cordero who has yet to show any staying power in the majors. If you weren’t able to stash them this week, be sure to keep looking out for them during your next fantasy baseball waiver wire period. 

 

 

MLB Injuries

 

Robbie Grossman to Undergo More Tests on Injured Right Hand

 

 

While the initial x-rays came back negative for any fractures, the Detroit Tigers are going to play it safe with Grossman and send him out for another round of tests, assumingly for any ligament damage. Grossman got drilled by a 93-mph fastball from Walker Buehler Sunday and we saw immediate swelling. But with MLB rosters now going below the 28-man threshold here in May, they want to be 100-percent sure it’s just a bruise and nothing more. If he does need a stint on the 10-day IL, we should know by noon easter Monday.

Still No Timetable for Rockies Outfielder Kris Bryant

 

 

According to reports, Bryant (back) played catch on Sunday and is taking baby steps during his time off. He has yet to swing a bat since landing on the 10-day IL, though there are still some who are hopeful he will only need to serve the minimal time. You want to be careful here as the temptation to get his bat back into the lineup is strong, but backs can be tricky and if they push him too hard, too soon, he could end up sidelined for longer. Keep him reserved this whole week and watch how it plays out. If you need a last-minute fill-in, Sam Hilliard should continue to see an uptick in playing time. 

Chicago White Sox Say Yoán Moncada Remains On-Track to Return This Week

 

 

Be sure to adjust your lineups properly, especially if you can only make weekly roster moves. Moncada homered and attempted to steal a base during Sunday’s rehab start for Triple-A Charlotte and appears to be nearing full-strength. He has reported no discomfort in his injured oblique and if everything checks out here on Monday, we could see him back with the White Sox as early as Tuesday to face the Cubs. Monitor the reports during the day, but expect to see him make his season debut this week. 

Josh Rojas Expected Back in Arizona Late This Week

 

 

According to Arizona Diamondbacks beat writer Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic, Rojas is expected to rejoin the team for its upcoming homestand this coming Friday against the Rockies. He has been getting extra at-bats at extended spring training and will begin his rehab assignment this week to get a few games under his belt before he returns. Keep tabs on what he does at Triple-A Reno over the next few days as he could be a huge asset for fantasy baseball this season with his multi-positional eligibility. He is expected to start at third base for the D-Backs, but already has eligibility at second base and in the outfield as well. I’m a big fan of this kid’s talent

Sonny Gray Could Start for the Minnesota Twins This Friday

 

 

Keep tabs on his throwing schedule this week, but it looks like Gray is on-track to make his return this weekend against the Oakland A’s. Gray looked real sharp as he tossed three scoreless innings with five strikeouts and no walks on Sunday at Single-A Fort Myers and hasn’t reported any setbacks or issues with the hamstring that has kept him on the shelf. While you know I’m a sucker for a good revenge-game narrative, the A’s lineup is pretty soft and should make for an excellent (and soft) opponent for his return.  

Other injuries and returns to watch:

Jonathan India, 2B CIN – back on the 10-day IL with the same hamstring injury; no timetable given

Bobby Witt Jr., 3B KC – day-to-day with wrist soreness though no mention of IL stint

Jose Altuve, 2B HOU – expected to return for Monday’s game

Shohei Ohtani, DH LAA – plans to play Monday despite groin tightness from the weekend

Adley Rutschman, C BAL – rehab moves to Double-A; debut coming soon

Tommy Edman, 2B STL – day-to-day with hip flexor tightness so expect him to miss a game or two

Teoscar Hernández, OF TOR – begins rehab assignment this week; potential return Thursday

Mike Clevinger, SP SD – set to make his Padres debut Tuesday

 

 

Monday’s MLB Best Bets for Today

 

Friday’s MLB Best Bets: 2-1

Season MLB Best Bets: 17-6

 

 

The Minnesota Twins are coming off back-to-back wins over the Rays and scored nine runs in each of those two victories. Byron Buxton has been white hot since he missed a week with a knee issue and the team has followed suit, leading them to winning nine of their last 10. Now they face Orioles righty Tyler Wells who owns a 5.54 ERA over four starts and is not expected to throw more than five innings. Given the shortcomings of the Orioles bullpen, we’ll happily back the Twins today.

Pick: Minnesota Twins Money Line (-145 on DK Sportsbook)

 

 

We’ve got two of my favorite pitchers going tonight as Patrick Sandoval leads the Angels into the south side of Chicago to square off against Dylan Cease of the White Sox. Cease is coming off a nine-strikeout performance where he limited the Royals to two runs over six innings and he’s allowed two runs or fewer in three of his four starts this season. Meanwhile, Sandoval hasn’t allowed an earned run in three starts this season and is also coming off a nine-strikeout game against the Guardians. Both bullpens can handle the late innings and I expect this one to be a low-scoring affair.

Pick: Angels/White Sox Total Runs UNDER 7.5 (-115 on DK Sportsbook)

 

 

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