• Knocks first homer
    Mateo went 1-for-2 with a solo home run, an additional RBI and a hit-by-pitch in Thursday's 7-2 win over the Yankees.

    Advice: Mateo's first homer of the year gave the Orioles a 2-1 lead in the fourth inning, and they never looked back. He tacked on another RBI with a sacrifice fly in the fifth. His playing time has trended up since Jackson Holliday was demoted to Triple-A Norfolk, but Mateo has gone a modest 3-for-11 with two extra-base hits over his last five games. The utility man is slashing .268/.340/.488 with three RBI, seven runs scored, four stolen bases and six doubles over 47 plate appearances. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 9:12 pm
     
  • Getting limited opportunities
    Jones has appeared in just nine games for the Yankees this season, going 1-for-6 with one run and four strikeouts.

    Advice: Jones has remained on the big-league roster throughout the campaign, but he's made just one start, functioning almost exclusively as a pinch runner or defensive replacement. The 26-year-old's speed and defensive versatility make him useful in those roles, though his ability to remain with the big club may be more strongly tied to the fact that he's out of minor-league options. It's difficult to envision Jones becoming a viable fantasy asset given his very limited work and his career .178/.229/.451 slash line as a major-leaguer. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 9:02 pm
     
  • Jose Altuve tallies three hits, steal in victory
    Jose Altuve went 3-for-5 with an RBI and also stole a base on Thursday, leading the Astros to an 8-2 victory over the Guardians.

    Advice: Altuve’s latest three-hit performance, which also included a seventh-inning RBI single, boosted his batting average to a stratospheric .352 (45-for-128) mark through 31 games. The 33-year-old veteran also picked up his 299th career stolen base in this one. He’s managed to stay healthy and has been one of the most impactful contributors in the entire fantasy landscape this season. Unreal. Rotoworld Yesterday, 8:17 pm
     
  • Jon Singleton homers, plates three in victory
    Jon Singleton went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer and three RBI on Thursday in the Astros’ win over the Guardians.

    Advice: Singleton took Guardians lefty starter Logan Allen deep into the sixth inning with a go-ahead blast, his second round-tripper of the season. The 32-year-old journeyman also added an RBI sacrifice fly in the ensuing frame to cap off an eight-run offensive night for Houston’s lineup. He’s taken over as the Astros’ primary first baseman with José Abreu jettisoned to the minors and figures to at least continue hitting for some over-the-fence pop if he’s going to play everyday. Rotoworld Yesterday, 8:12 pm
  • Checkup coming soon
    McLain (shoulder) is about a week away from a follow-up appointment that will give the Reds a better idea on his timetable, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

    Advice: If all goes well with his exam, McLain could start working out at the Reds' spring training facility in Arizona. He doesn't have an official return date yet. "It's still way too early to determine a time when he would get back to us, but the goal would still be early August ideally," manager David Bell said. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 6:43 pm
    Matt McLainCIN - 2B,SS
    3:10 pm vs BAL
     
  • Could return Friday
    The Reds expect Stephenson (hand) to return Friday against the Orioles, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

    Advice: Stephenson is hitting .231/.338/.415 with three homers and 10 RBI, but his Statcast metrics (20.4% barrel rate, 93.4 mph average exit velocity) suggest better results could be forthcoming. Moreover, Stephenson has been considerably better than his backup Luke Maile, who is hitting just .163/.250/.256 so far on the season. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 6:23 pm
  • Likely to return Friday
    Encarnacion-Strand (hand) and teammate Tyler Stephenson are expected to return Friday when the Reds host the Orioles, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

    Advice: The Reds' bats went quiet on their 2-4 road trip against the Rangers and Padres, hitting .201 as a team while averaging 10 strikeouts per game on the trip. Of course, Encarnacion-Strand has been struggling this year in both aspects, hitting .196 with a troubling 3:31 BB:K ratio in 108 plate appearances. Perhaps with better health and better weather he will come close to displaying the form he showed in 2023, when he hit .270/.328/.477 in 241 plate appearances at the big league level. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 6:14 pm
  • Junior Caminero batting .333 at Triple-A Durham
    Junior Caminero was held out of the lineup on Thursday for Triple-A Durham.

    Advice: Caminero hasn’t been called up. According to multiple reports it’s merely a planned off day after he played in both games of Wednesday’s doubleheader. He’s been on an absolute tear with a pair of multi-homer performances in his last three contests. The 20-year-old top prospect appears to be on the precipice of returning to Tampa Bay’s lineup, likely for good, as he’s batting .333 (18-for-54) with six homers and one steal through 14 contests for Triple-A Durham. He should be rostered in all fantasy formats already. Rotoworld Yesterday, 6:12 pm
  • Cranks first home run
    Torres went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Thursday's 7-2 loss to the Orioles.

    Advice: Torres led off the sixth inning with a 418-foot shot to center field off Keegan Akin, cutting the Yankees' deficit to 7-2. While it didn't ultimately impact the final score, the home run was certainly a weight off of Torres' shoulders -- he'd gone 32 games without a long ball to start the campaign, a homerless streak of 53 regular-season games if you go back to Torres' last home run Sept. 7. The 27-year-old second baseman is now slashing a disappointing .218/.295/.274 to open the year with 15 runs scored, seven RBI and three stolen bases. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 4:32 pm