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  • Fans seven in quality start
    Houck allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits and a walk over 6.2 innings in a no-decision Monday. He struck out seven during the win against the Blue Jays.

    Advice: Houck gave up just one run through six frames before the Blue Jays put two more runs on his final line during their five-run seventh inning. He's produced six quality starts in his last seven outings, giving him 13 through 16 total starts. Houck owns a terrific 2.18 ERA with a 101:18 K:BB through 103.1 frames. His next start is projected to be at home against the Padres. Rotowire.com Monday, 7:22 pm
     
  • Houck allows two earned runs in no-decision Monday
    Tanner Houck allowed three runs (two earned) in 6 2/3 innings and got a no-decision in the Red Sox’ 7-6 victory over the Blue Jays on Monday.



    Advice: Houck gave up five hits, walked one and struck out seven. Boston only scored two runs while he was in the game before coming back to win late. Houck’s ERA is now 2.18 on the year and his 101 strikeouts on the season rank inside the top 15 in all of baseball. The 27-year-old right-hander is set to face the Padres at home this weekend.

    Rotoworld Monday, 6:51 pm
     
  • Rehab transferred to Triple-A
    Minter (hip) had his rehab assignment transferred to Triple-A Gwinnett on Monday, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

    Advice: Minter made an appearance with High-A Rome on Saturday, allowing an unearned run and a hit while striking out three batters over an inning on the mound. The left-hander will now take the last step in his recovery from the left hip inflammation that has kept him out since May 30, joining the Triple-A roster. Minter will likely make multiple appearances with Gwinnett before being activated from the 15-day injured list in the near future. Rotowire.com Monday, 4:53 pm
    A.J. MinterATL - RP
    Top 1, Delay @STL ; 4:15 pm @STL
    Player Note
    IL15
     
  • Targeting mid-August return
    Kelly (shoulder) said Friday that he's eyeing the Diamondbacks' mid-August road trip as a target for his return from the 60-day injured list, Jake Oliver of SI.com reports. "Originally we thought it was kind of All-Star break but with how the progression lines up, it's probably a little bit later than that," Kelly said, when asked about his return timeline. "In my mind, I'm hoping I'm on that Tampa, Miami, and Boston trip. I've wanted to go on that trip all year and that seems to be around the right time that I'm back in there but obviously, things can change as we go along."

    Advice: The three-city road trip that Kelly alluded to begins Aug. 16 in Tampa and wraps up Aug. 25, so the right-hander has shifted his focus toward returning roughly a month after the All-Star break. Placed on the IL on April 23 with a right shoulder strain, Kelly has had a slow recovery thus far from what he said is the first soft-tissue injury he's dealt with during his 15-year professional career. On a positive note, Kelly reiterated that he's continuing to throw, but he remains limited to playing catch off flat ground from 75 feet and hasn't stepped back on the mound since landing on the shelf. With Kelly suggesting that his return is still likely another two months away, fantasy managers in redraft leagues with limited IL spots who have been stashing him during his prolonged absence may be best served cutting bait at this point. Rotowire.com Monday, 10:04 am
    Merrill KellyAZ - SP
    6:40 pm vs MIN
    Player Note
    IL60
     
  • Dominant in debut
    Scherzer (1-0) picked up the win Sunday, allowing one hit and no walks with four strikeouts across five scoreless innings against Kansas City.

    Advice: Scherzer showed no signs of rust after missing the first 12 weeks of the season recovering from offseason back surgery and battling thumb and forearm injuries, retiring the first 13 batters he faced and picking up the victory. Though he completed five innings, Scherzer was pulled after 57 pitches and should continue to have his workload monitored during his next few starts. Still, the three-time Cy Young winner looked like himself Sunday and is on track to face the Orioles at Camden Yards next weekend. Rotowire.com Sunday, 10:36 pm
     
  • Max Scherzer has great start in 2024 debut
    Max Scherzer threw five shutout innings, allowing just one hit while striking out four and walking none.

    Advice: There’s not much more you could ask for from the 39-year-old in his season debut. He was incredibly economical with his 57 pitches, throwing 39 strikes. He also induced seven whiffs on 31 swings for a 23 percent whiff rate and 26 percent CSW on the day. Two things to keep an eye on are that Scherzer’s four-seam fastball velocity was 92.9 mph, which is down from last year’s 93.7 mph, and he also allowed 92 percent zone contact, so he was really only missing bats when he got chases out of the zone. Still, it’s been just one start, and it’s great to see Scherzer on the mound and looking healthy. Rotoworld Sunday, 2:55 pm
     
  • Rangers activate Mad Max for ’24 debut on Sunday
    Rangers activated RHP Max Scherzer from the 60-day injured list.

    Advice: Scherzer will make his highly-anticipated season debut on Sunday afternoon for the defending World Series champions against the Royals at Globe Life Field. The 39-year-old veteran right-hander missed the first few months of the year recovering from offseason back surgery, and a nerve-related issue in his thumb that sprung up during his rehabilitation process. He’s no longer an elite fantasy contributor at this advanced stage of his legendary career. However, he’s likely to have flashes of occasional brilliance, and make a tangible impact for fantasy managers, even in shallow mixed leagues, when healthy. Rotoworld Sunday, 9:15 am
     
  • Reinstated from IL
    The Rangers activated Scherzer (back/thumb) from the 60-day injured list ahead of his start in Sunday's series finale against the Royals.

    Advice: Scherzer will make his season debut Sunday after having his start Saturday pushed back in favor of Jon Gray. Scherzer began the season on the injured list following offseason back surgery, and his rehab assignment was delayed due to separate thumb and forearm issues. In his last rehab start June 15, Scherzer allowed three runs on four hits and two walks while striking out eight over 4.2 innings. Sunday's start should provide clarity on whether the 39-year-old right-hander will work under any restrictions in his first big-league action since Game 3 of the 2023 World Series in October. Rotowire.com Sunday, 9:00 am
     
  • Stuck with loss Saturday
    Eflin (3-5) took the loss Saturday as the Rays were downed 4-3 by the Pirates, giving up four runs on five hits and a walk over seven innings. He struck out six.

    Advice: Pittsburgh stung the right-hander for a run in the first inning and three more in the third, and while Eflin settled in after that, the Tampa Bay offense wasn't able to put together a comeback. Eflin's last quality start came May 7, and in six outings since then, he's stumbled to a 4.86 ERA despite a 1.17 WHIP and 24:2 K:BB in 33.1 innings. He'll look to turn things around in his next start, which lines up to come at home next weekend against the Nationals. Rotowire.com Sunday, 5:52 am