New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor went 3-for-5 with a home run in his team's 7-2 victory against the Chicago Cubs. The superstar switch-hitter singled and scored twice, adding his fifth stolen base of the campaign. Lindor started the scoring for New York with a 388-foot shot off Cubs pitcher Jameson Taillon to lead off the bottom of the first inning. The long ball was his eighth, and second in his last four outings, as he continues to enjoy a fantastic start to 2025. He's up to a .297 average to go along with seven doubles, 26 runs scored, and 25 RBI. If the former first-round pick is set to take off in the summer months as he usually does, he could be in store for a monster season. Friday marked his second straight multi-hit effort and third in his last five.

From RotoBaller

Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal was excellent on the mound during Friday's outing against the Texas Rangers. The southpaw retired the first 15 batters he faced before giving up a single in the sixth inning. The Rangers would evenutally push across a run, but it was still an incredible performance by Skubal. The reigning CY Young award winner tossed seven innings, allowing one earned run on two hits, while striking out 12 batters. The left-hander has now struck out 11 batters or more in two of his last three starts. He'll take a 2.08 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, and 60/5 K/BB ratio into his next start against the Boston Red Sox. Yes, that is correct, Skubal has only five walks on the season and hasn't walked in a batter in three straight starts. He obviously needs to be rostered and started in all fantasy formats.

From RotoBaller

Detroit Tigers relief pitcher Will Vest was called upon to hold a one-run lead against the Texas Rangers on Friday. The Tigers elected to use Tommy Kahnle in the eighth inning and give Vest the final frame in this game. Vest was getting more save chances earlier in the season, but this was his first chance this month. He was able to throw a scoreless inning and strike out one batter as he recorded his fourth save of the season. He has been excellent with a 2.12 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and 19/7 K/BB ratio across 17 innings of work this season. He isn't a must-have fantasy option because he's not the primary closer, but Vest has been putting up good numbers this season.

From RotoBaller

The San Diego Padres have traded outfielder/first baseman Connor Joe to the Cincinnati Reds on Friday. In exchange, the Padres will receive right-hander Andrew Moore and cash considerations. The 32-year-old outfielder was hitless in nine plate appearances before getting traded. Joe doesn't have great career stats, but is someone who could be a contributor off the bench. The Reds are in need of some depth with Jake Fraley (calf) and Tyler Callihan (forearm) both injured right now. The move to Cincinnati should hopefully give Joe more playing time, but he's still unlikely to be a viable fantasy option.

From RotoBaller

Toronto Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk is out of the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the Seattle Mariners. Kirk saw his six-game hitting streak come to an end when he went 0-for-4 during Thursday's game against the Los Angeles Angels. Now, Kirk will get the night off on Friday and fantasy managers are hopeful he'll begin a new hitting streak on Saturday. In the meantime, Tyler Heineman will do the catching and bat eighth versus right-hander Luis Castillo on Friday. Fantasy managers should adjust their lineups accordingly ahead of first pitch.

From RotoBaller

New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells is out of the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the Athletics. Wells will get a rest day here after starting in all three games during their most recent series against the San Diego Padres. He went 3-for-12 with a home run and five RBI during that series. In his absence, J.C. Escarra will cover behind the plate and bat seventh versus right-hander Osvaldo Bido on Friday. Fantasy managers should adjust their lineups ahead of first pitch.

From RotoBaller

Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Evan Phillips (elbow) was recently placed on the 15-day injured list due to forearm discomfort. An MRI revealed that Phillips is dealing with elbow inflammation, so he'll likely be sidelined longer than expected. For now, Phillips will be shut down for the next two weeks before hopefully beginning a throwing program. That being said, Phillips might not be back on the mound until some point in June. Before going down, Phillips threw 5.2 scoreless innings with six strikeouts and one save in seven appearances. There should be a better timetable on him in a few weeks.

From RotoBaller

Baltimore Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said that infielder Jordan Westburg's hamstring is still bothering him and he likely won't start a minor-league rehab assignment until late next week now. Westburg is being delayed slightly after being put on the 10-day injured list on April 28 with a strained left hamstring. Still, if the 26-year-old looks good on his rehab assignment, he might only need several games before being activated back to the big-league roster. Although he was hitting just .217 (20-for-98) with four homers and six RBI in 23 games at the time of his injury, Westburg should be the team's starting third baseman again when he's cleared to return. Ramon Urias (hamstring) is also on the IL and prospect Coby Mayo was just sent back to the minors, so Emmanuel Rivera is in line for regular playing time at the hot corner until Westburg returns.

From RotoBaller

Baltimore Orioles infielder Ramon Urias (hamstring) is progressing well and could return from the 10-day injured list next Tuesday or Wednesday, according to manager Brandon Hyde. The Orioles placed Urias on the IL last Saturday with a strained right hamstring. It was bad timing for Urias with Jordan Westburg (hamstring) already on the IL. Now that the Orioles have sent prospect Coby Mayo back to the minors, Emmanuel Rivera is Baltimore's primary third baseman until one of Urias or Westburg return. The 30-year-old Urias was hitting a strong .292 (21-for-72) at the time of his injury, but it came with only two home runs, nine RBI and five runs scored in a utility infield role. Even if he's in a full-time role at third in the short-term when he comes off the IL, Urias is really only attractive in AL-only leagues due to his limited power and speed.

From RotoBaller

Baltimore Orioles outfielder Colton Cowser (thumb) played catch on the field before Friday's series opener in Anaheim against the Los Angeles Angels and is officially doing baseball activities, according to The Baltimore Sun's Matt Weyrich. Cowser fractured his left thumb early in the regular season and landed on the 10-day injured list. He has since been moved to the 60-day IL. It's good to see the 25-year-old doing baseball activities, but he still has a ways to go before he'll be cleared to swing a bat, so it's unlikely that he'll be able to make his season debut with the O's until sometime in June. Cowser went 2-for-16 with a homer and an RBI in his first four games this year before getting hurt. Baltimore's outfield is crowded, but Cowser finished second in American League Rookie of the Year voting in 2024 and should at least play regularly against right-handers when he returns in 2025.

From RotoBaller

Los Angeles Dodgers infielder/outfielder Tommy Edman (ankle) is still dealing with some discomfort in his ankle when doing straight-line running, according to The Athletic's Fabian Ardaya. Edman is scheduled for live at-bats next week. The Dodgers placed the 30-year-old on the 10-day injured list on April 30 with an injured right ankle. He's already eligible to return from the IL, but he won't be able to rejoin the big-league club for the rest of their weekend series in Arizona against the division-rival Diamondbacks. Before his injury, the versatile switch-hitter was batting .252/.295/.523 with an .818 OPS, eight home runs, 24 RBI, 19 runs scored and two stolen bases in 111 at-bats. Edman is on pace for a career-high in homers and he should continue to be productive in runs and RBI when he returns to L.A. Hyeseong Kim and Miguel Rojas should continue sharing second base duties while Edman is out.

From RotoBaller

Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Freddy Peralta (groin), who tweaked his groin at the end of his last start against the Chicago Cubs on May 4, threw a bullpen session on Friday and didn't report any problems, according to manager Pat Murphy. Peralta is now scheduled to start on Monday against the Guardians again in Cleveland. Right-hander Chad Patrick will slide up a day to start Sunday's series finale against the Tampa Bay Rays. The 28-year-old still managed six shutout innings with one walk and seven strikeouts in his last outing against the Cubs to secure his fourth win of the season. Peralta has been magnificent for fantasy baseball managers in his first eight starts of 2025, going 4-2 with a 2.18 ERA and 1.04 WHIP with 48 strikeouts in 45 1/3 innings. The Dominican will be going up against a Guardians offense that is middle of the pack in terms of team OPS (.697).

From RotoBaller

Cincinnati Reds right-handed pitching prospect Connor Phillips (shoulder) has been activated off the 7-day injured list at Triple-A. Phillips was dealing with shoulder fatigue. He made three rehab appearances with High-A Dayton and allowed three hits with one run. He struck out six batters. The 24-year-old made his MLB debut during the 2023 campaign and posted a high 6.27 ERA with a 1.50 WHIP. Last summer, Phillips spent the entire campaign with the Louisville Bats and struggled as well, posting a career-high worst 8.01 ERA with a 2.02 WHIP. During this stint, he struck out just 77 batters and served up a high 60 walks. Fantasy managers should expect the No. 15-ranked prospect in the system to return to the starting rotation at Triple-A.

From RotoBaller

Los Angeles Angels outfielder/designated hitter Jorge Soler (groin) was scratched from Friday's starting lineup against the visiting Baltimore Orioles at Angel Stadium with groin tightness, according to The Athletic's Sam Blum. With Soler hurting, Jo Adell will start in right field and bat eighth against Orioles right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano. It's unclear if Soler's injury is serious enough to land him on the 10-day injured list, but fantasy managers will want to check back on Saturday to see if he's available for Game 2 of the series against Baltimore. The 33-year-old right-handed slugger has gone 5-for-27 (.185) with a homer, double, five RBI and two runs in seven games so far in the month of May. The Cuban outfielder has performed pretty much as expected through his first 130 at-bats with a low average .231 and modest power production (six homers, 16 RBI) in his first year with the Halos.

From RotoBaller

Minnesota Twins third baseman Jose Miranda (hand) was activated off the 7-day injured list at Triple-A prior to Friday's contest. Miranda has been sidelined for a few weeks due to a strained left hand. The 26-year-old opened the campaign in the major leagues but was optioned to Triple-A after a slow start. Through 12 games in Minnesota this season, Miranda posted an underwhelming .167/.167/.250 slash line with just one long ball. However, last season, Miranda flashed upside at the major leagues as he held a career-best .284/.322/.441 slash line with 28 doubles and nine round-trippers. However, Miranda has already begun to find his footing at Triple-A, holding a .294/.375/.471 line, which suggests he should be in the mix to return to Minnesota in the coming weeks.

From RotoBaller

Seattle Mariners right-hander George Kirby (shoulder) will make his second minor-league rehab start for Triple-A Tacoma on Saturday and will make one more rehab start after that, according to general manager Justin Hollander. Kirby is getting close to being ready to make his 2025 season debut after looking sharp in his first rehab assignment with Tacoma on Sunday, allowing an earned run while walking none and striking out four in three innings. The 27-year-old topped out at 97.8 mph with his sinker in his first game action since Feb. 26 in spring training. Kirby was a first-time All-Star in 2023 and hasn't had an ERA above 3.53 in any of his first three MLB seasons. He's a control artist with a mediocre strikeout rate, but Kirby should be rostered in all fantasy leagues with his 2025 debut coming sooner than later in the month of May.

From RotoBaller

Seattle Mariners right-hander Logan Gilbert (elbow) was scheduled to play catch again on Friday and could throw off the mound by the end of the team's current homestand next Wednesday, May 14, according to general manager Justin Hollander. Gilbert landed on the 15-day injured list with a Grade 1 flexor strain in his right elbow, but barring a setback, the M's are hoping that he'll be able to rejoin their starting rotation by the end of May. The 28-year-old was shut down from throwing for two weeks and will now begin building up his arm. When healthy, Gilbert is a high-end fantasy starter, so he needs to remain stashed in an IL spot in all leagues. The former 14th overall pick in 2018 out of Stetson went 1-1 with a 2.37 ERA and 0.79 WHIP with 44 strikeouts and only six walks in six starts over 30 1/3 innings this year before getting hurt.

From RotoBaller

Cincinnati Reds starting pitching prospect Rhett Lowder (forearm) is set to move his rehab assignment to High-A Dayton. Lowder is slated to start on Sunday. Lowder recently began his rehab assignment in the Arizona Complex League and is now set to face tougher competition. During his lone start in the ACL, Lowder allowed two runs across three innings. He struck out five batters. The 23-year-old has been on the 15-day injured list due to a forearm strain. Last season, Lowder made his MLB debut and was quite productive, logging a strong 1.17 ERA with a 1.27 WHIP across 30 1/3 innings of work. During this stint, he struck out 22 batters and generated an elite 3.3% barrel rate. Fantasy managers should expect the former seventh overall pick to compete for a spot in the rotation when he is activated off the injured list.

From RotoBaller

Toronto Blue Jays outfielder/designated hitter Anthony Santander is out of the lineup for Friday's series opener against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. George Springer is serving as the designated hitter and is batting cleanup, while Jonatan Clase is starting in left field and is batting ninth against Mariners right-hander Luis Castillo. Santander does have five home runs early on in his first season with the Blue Jays, but he's hitting under .200 with 36 strikeouts in 160 plate appearances after he was a first-time All-Star in 2024 in his final season with the Baltimore Orioles. The good news is Santander has swung the bat better so far in seven games in May, going 8-for-29 with a homer, double, four RBI, three runs scored, three walks and five strikeouts. Springer has hit .167 with a .417 OPS and one RBI in 12 career at-bats against Castillo, while Clase has never faced him.

From RotoBaller

Chicago White Sox infield prospect Chase Meidroth was a late scratch on Friday. Fantasy managers should pay close attention to his status, as the team did not provide a reason for why he was removed from the starting nine. The prospect has already had an early-season stint on the injured list due to a thumb injury. Through his first 17 games in the MLB, the former fourth-round pick has held a .245/.355/.264 slash line with three stolen bases. He has tallied just one extra-base hit (a double). He has shown a strong eye at the plate, holding a 9:9 K:BB. If Meidroth were to miss another period of time, fantasy managers should expect Jacob Amaya to see most of the opportunities at shortstop. This evening, Amaya is covering shortstop and batting in the nine-hole.

From RotoBaller