In The Field
1B Triston Casas was removed from Friday's game with a knee injury. After the game, manager Alex Cora described the injury as significant. Testing revealed a ruptured patellar tendon, which means his season is likely over. The Red Sox are likely to give 1B Romy Gonzalez most of the at-bats at 1B while Casas is out. The Red Sox are going to have a lot of important roster decisions coming up in the near future with their top two prospects playing well and ready for the big leagues in SS Marcelo Mayer(.270 AVG with 7 HR, 17 R, 34 RBI, and 1 SB) and OF Roman Anthony (.290 AVG with 5 HR, 22 R, 15 RBI, and 2 SB). The issue is that they do not have room for either on the major league roster. The Casas injury will give them an opportunity if Gonzalez isn't cutting it. He hit .266 with 6 HR, 25 R, 29 RBI, and 11 SB in 216 PA last year. 2B Kristian Campbell missed his third straight game with rib soreness on Saturday. 3B Jose Ramirez has been diagnosed with a mild right ankle sprain after leaving Friday's game early against the Blue Jays. He is considered day-to-day. He is on pace for another 30 HR/30 SB season, so hopefully this injury doesn't linger and hamper his stolen base potential. OF Tyler O'Neill is getting closer to a return and may not need a rehab assignment. General Manager Mike Elias said that he is likely back in "days" and not "weeks". He was hitting .215 with 2 Hr, 8 R, 10 RBI, and 0 SB before the injury. The power is going to come because everything looks in line with his career numbers outside of 7% HR/FB, which is well below his career 21% HR/FB mark. 3B Jordan Westburg (hamstring) is expected back next week when first eligible. He is hitting .217 with 4 HR, 12 R, 6 RBI, and 0 SB. His core skills look good, but a .242 BABIP is bringing his batting average down. 3B Ramon Urias had been filling in for Westburg, but he was scratched from the lineup on Friday with right hamstring tightness and was placed on the 10-day IL on Saturday. OF Matt Vierling is going to start his rehab assignment on Sunday. He hasn't played yet this year after starting the year on the IL with a strained rotator cuff in his right shoulder. It is going to be interesting to see how the Tigers manage their roster once Vierling does return. OF Zach McKinstry has played himself into a regular role (.316 AVG with 1 HR, 16 R, 15 RBI, and 3 SB). OF Javier Baez has looked competent in the outfield and at the plate this year (.291 AVG with 2 HR, 9 R, 12 RBI, and 1 SB). They are committed to OF Kerry Carpenter DH'ing on most nights, so it appears that Vierling will likely play a super utility role bouncing between 3B and OF. It also means that the Tigers will continue to mix and match under manager A.J. Hinch, which is great for real life but cuts into all of their fantasy value with fewer at-bats. OF Josh Lowe has been shut down for a couple of days on his rehab after experiencing back spasms. He has been out since Opening Day due to an oblique injury. OF Mike Trout was placed on the 10-day IL with a left knee contusion. He remains optimistic that it will be a minimal stay on the IL, but he has a history of lingering injuries. C Salvador Perez was out of the Royals' lineup on Friday and Saturday with left hip soreness. 2B Jazz Chisholm Jr. was placed on the 10-day IL on Friday, and manager Aaron Boone said he is expected to be out 4-6 weeks with a high-grade right oblique strain. He was struggling prior to the injury (.181 AVG with 7 HR, 17 R, 17 RBI, and 6 SB). The Yankees called up and started 2B Jorbit Vivas in Chisholm's absence. They will likely platoon Vivas and 2B Pablo Reyes at second. 2B Zack Gelof started a rehab assignment on Tuesday. He is expected to return to the Athletics sometime next week, provided everything goes as planned. 2B Gleyber Torres (hamstring) was out of the Tigers' lineup on Friday. He is considered day-to-day. SS Corey Seager (hamstring) was activated on Saturday. This will push SS Josh Smith into a utility role again, or they could move him to 1B with the recent demotion of 1B Jake Burger. C Kyle Higashioka was placed on the 10-day IL with a mild left intercostal strain. OF Luke Raley was placed on the 10-day IL on Wednesday with a right oblique strain. OF Rhylan Thomas and OF Samad Taylor each played a game in RF since Raley hit the IL. 2B Dylan Moore (hip) expects to return on May 7 when first eligible. DH Masataka Yoshida (shoulder) is struggling with throwing, which is a major concern for the Red Sox because he will need to play the outfield when he returns to get any at-bats with 3B Rafael Devers being the regular DH. OF Jonny DeLuca (shoulder) suffered a setback in his recovery. He experienced soreness in his right shoulder and was shut down for 3-5 days. OF Chandler Simpson has taken over as the Rays' everyday CF. He is hitting .292 with 0 HR, 6 R, 3 RBI, and 3 SB in 51 PA. 3B Royce Lewis (hamstring) is expected to return during the Twins' next homestand on May 6. The good news is that since OF Byron Buxton has been able to play the outfield regularly, the Twins will be able to keep 3B Brooks Lee on the roster once Lewis returns. They can utilize the DH spot for Lewis to ease him in and then use it to rotate through Brooks Lee, Edouard Julien, and Royce Lewis. 2B Luke Keaschall is expected to miss two months with a fractured ulna bone. The good news is that he doesn't need surgery at this point. SS Anthony Volpe left Saturday's game early with a shoulder injury. X-rays came back negative, but he will have additional testing done.
On The Mound
Walker Buehler was placed on the 15-day IL on Friday with right shoulder inflammation. Buehler tried to pitch through the injury, but the Red Sox decided it was best to shut him down to try to get rid of the inflammation. Manager Alex Cora doesn't expect Buehler to miss more than the minimum amount of time. The Red Sox also activated Lucas Giolito for his 2025 season debut this week. He went 6 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, and 7 K. His velocity looked good, and he featured a ton of changeups. The only major difference was that he didn't use his slider much, but it most likely was the result of a specific game plan rather than a true pitch mix change. Zach Eflin (lat) is going to start a rehab assignment on Sunday with High-A Aberdeen. Grayson Rodriguez (lat/elbow) is going to get an MRI in a couple of weeks that will determine if he can start a throwing program. A mid-season return looks like a best-case scenario for Rodriguez, but General Manager Mike Elias did say they expect him to return later this season. Logan Gilbert (elbow) has a chance to return before the end of May, according to Mariners president Jerry Dipoto. He said the same thing about George Kirby, who has yet to pitch this year due to right shoulder inflammation. Kirby is slated to start his rehab assignment on Sunday. Cody Bradford (elbow) has extended his throwing out to 90 feet this week. The next step is throwing breaking balls and then mound work. A return before the end of May is unlikely, but he progressing. Jon Gray (wrist) had follow-up X-rays and was cleared to begin throwing. He will need to completely build back up and regain strength before starting a rehab program. Kumar Rocker (shoulder) is slated to throw a bullpen next week. He is eligible to return next week, but if he is just starting to throw bullpens, it's unlikely that he will return. Cole Ragans (groin) threw a bullpen on Friday. He is expected to start on Monday against the White Sox. He has a 4.40 ERA and 1.17 WHIP with 36% K and 7% BB. Shane Bieber (elbow) threw live BP on Friday. He is still targeting a mid-summer return. Max Scherzer (thumb) was able to throw a bullpen session on Wednesday. There has been positive news about each of his last two bullpens. Until he faces live batters, it will be hard to gauge a return date. Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) is going to be activated on Sunday to start against the White Sox. He has not pitched in a major league game since the 2022 World Series. Shane McClanahan (triceps) has started throwing-like activities. The Rays want McClanahan to have a slow build-up because they want him to be 100% healthy when he does return, so that he can pitch the rest of the season without any restrictions. Clarke Schmidt was scratched from his start on Saturday due to left-side soreness.
In The Bullpen
Ben Joyce (shoulder) has stopped his throwing program after not feeling right while trying to play catch. He will shut it down for a couple of days before trying again next week. He has been out since April 11. Felix Bautista started the year slowly but has picked it up as of late. He saved three games this week. He now has a 1.80 ERA and 1.10 WHIP with 6 SV. Luke Weaver picked up the lone save for the Yankees this week, as expected with Devin Williams being demoted. Jeff Hoffman had 1 SV and 1 W this week for the Blue Jays. Emmanuel Clase returned to being the Guardians' closer and picked up a save and a win. Tommy Kanhle and Will Vest appear to be in a committee for the Tigers. Kanhle had a save and a hold this week while Vest blew his only save opportunity. Carlos Estevez picked up two saves, giving him nine on the year. Kenley Jansen imploded on Friday night (0.2 IP, 6 ER, 6 H, and 3 HR). He now has a 6.23 ERA and 1.50 WHIP.
Players to add this week:
1B Romy Gonzalez (BOS)- Triston Casas is going to be out for an extended period of time, which opens up regular playing time for someone at first base. Romy Gonzalez is going to get the first crack. He hit .266 with 6 HR, 25 R, 29 RBI, and 11 SB in 216 PA last year. He hit the ball hard (8% Barrels and 50% GB) and showed enough plate skills to survive (6% BB and 27% K). Gonzalez has 10+ HR/10+ SB potential rest of season if he gets full-time at-bats.
SP Lucas Giolito (BOS)- The Red Sox also activated Lucas Giolito for his 2025 season debut this week. He went 6 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, and 7 K. His velocity looked good, and he featured a ton of changeups. The only major difference was that he didn't use his slider much, but it most likely was the result of a specific game plan rather than a true pitch mix change. He offers more upside than the traditional starter off the wire.
SS Jacob Wilson (ATH)-Jacob Wilson is hitting .320 with 3 HR, 16 R, 17 RBI, and 1 SB in 127 PA. He has a throwback approach at the plate. He isn't going to walk much (3% BB) and rarely strikes out (5% K), which means he puts a ton of balls in play. Wilson doesn't hit the ball hard often (3% Barrels and 25% Hardhit), but he can hit hard enough to hit double-digit home runs, which separates him from other batting average-only players. There is also a lot of belief that Sacramento is going to turn into a hitters' paradise over the summer when the temperatures rise.
OF Zach McKinstry (DET)- Zach McKinstry has played himself into a regular role for the Tigers. He is hitting .311 with 1 HR, 17 R, 15 RBI, and 3 SB. He is hitting the ball hard (8% Barrels) and getting on base (13% BB). There aren't many changes to support a complete turnaround, but he is hot right now and hitting at the top of the Tigers' lineup.
1B/OF Ryan O'Hearn (BAL)- Ryan O'Hearn is having a nice start to the year. He is hitting .303 with 6 HR, 12 R, 13 RBI, and 1 SB. The Orioles continue to play him mainly against right-handed pitchers. He has shown excellent plate skills (11% BB and 13% K) to go along with hard contact (12% Barrels and 54% Hardhit). They are putting O'Hearn in positions to succeed, and he is rewarding them. His value is much higher in daily formats, but he also brings 15-team mixed league value.
C Ryan Jeffers (MIN)- Ryan Jeffers is hitting .259 with 2 HR, 8 R, 11 RBI, and 0 SB. He has good plate skills (11% BB and 18% K) and hits the ball hard (9% Barrels and 47% Hardhit). He has done a great job not chasing out of the zone this year (25% O-swing). Jeffers is coming off the 2024 season in which he hit .226 AVG with 21 HR, 56 R, 64 RBI, and 3 SB. His power has been down this year, but that's a result of a 7% HR/FB compared to 15% HR/FB last year with almost identical skills. There is a buy-low opportunity here.
SP Ryan Gusto (HOU)- Ryan Gusto has a 3.00 ERA and 1.15 WHIP through 27 IP, which includes 8 G and 4 GS. He has shown the ability to miss bats (26% K) and limit base runners (6% BB). His 13% swinging strike rate backs up the strikeout rate. Gusto does a great job of keeping hitters off balance by throwing five pitches more than 10% of the time. He throws his fastball 50% of the time and then mixes in a cutter (12%), sinker (4%), slider (13%), curveball (12%), and changeup (9%). He might not have premium velocity, but he has more than enough stuff to make it work as a starter.
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