Fantasy Baseball News

Jorge Soler finished 2-for-4 and mashed a 407-foot home run as the Marlins defeated the Mets 2-1 on Friday.

Fantasy Impact: Soler put the Marlins up 1-0 early, when he deposited a David Peterson bid deep over the center field wall. The shot was a reminder of the raw power Soler possesses when healthy. A man that hit 48 homers back in 2019, Soler could provide an impressive bounce back season for fantasy owners should his body hold up.

Garrett Cooper went 3-for-4 against the Mets on Friday including a triple in a 2-1 Miami victory.

Fantasy Impact: Cooper is sizzling out of the gate, following up his Opening Day home run with a three-hit performance on Friday. He will continue to be a staple in the heart of the Marlins' order, and is worth a look in season-long leagues for as long as he remains hot.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. finished 1-for-4 against the Mets on Friday, with his lone hit being a solo shot in the eighth inning.

Fantasy Impact: Chisholm's homer was a 411-foot moonshot to right, and was subsequentially his first hit of the season. It proved to be the difference, as Miami would go on to take the game 2-1. Chisholm fully looks like he is ready to breakout for the Marlins in 2023, and he could certainly find himself a fantasy stalwart in short order.

Jesus Luzardo pitched 5 2/3 effective innings against the Mets on Friday, limiting them to no runs and just two hits while striking out five and walking four.

Fantasy Impact: Luzardo was dealing through the first three frames of the game before having some control issues later on. The surplus of walks would eventually lead to his removal at 91 pitches, but the 25-year-old was solid overall in his season debut. Luzardo has a chance to provide sneaky fantasy value in 2023, as a guy that can pile up strikeouts. His only real issue in seasons past has been his health.

Pete Alonso went one-for-four, with his only hit being a solo home run in the Mets' 2-1 loss to the Marlins on Friday.

Fantasy Impact: Alonso smashed the first pitch he saw from A.J. Puk into the right field seats with one out in the ninth inning, but it wasn't enough to complete a comeback. The slugger could be in line for another big year in the Mets' stacked lineup.

David Peterson lost his first start of the year after allowing only one run over five innings. He allowed eight hits to the Marlins but walked only one and struck out five.

Fantasy Impact: Peterson deserved better, but his offense didn't come through for him. Jorge Soler's second-inning homer gave Miami a lead they wouldn't relinquish. It wasn't particularly pretty for Peterson, who threw only one clean inning, but he limited the damage. He'll be a streamable option next Wednesday when he faces the Brewers in Milwaukee.

Tony Gonsolin is expected to throw a bullpen session on Sunday, per Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts. (Source: Fabian Ardaya on Twitter )

Fantasy Impact: Gonsolin is continuing to recover from a sprained ankle. If all goes well in the bullpen session, the 28-year-old is expected to face live hitters Wednesday. The team will likely target a return to the rotation in late April if Gonsolin responds well to both sessions.

Michael Soroka is set to make his first start with Triple-A Gwinnett on Tuesday. (Source: Gabe Burns on Twitter )

Fantasy Impact: Soroka is expected to work as a reliever and a starter while in Triple-A. Soroka has not pitched since 2020 after suffering two Achilles tears and will need extra time to return to the Majors after suffering a hamstring injury this spring. The 25-year-old should be a valuable asset for fantasy managers once he returns to the big leagues, if he can stay healthy.

Kyle Freeland is scheduled to start on the mound for the Colorado Rockies against the San Diego Padres Friday night. (Source: MLB.com)

Fantasy Impact: Freeland will look to replicate the success he had against the Padres last season, compiling a 3-1 record with 15 strikeouts in five starts against the club. This San Diego lineup will be plenty to reckon with for the left-hander and fantasy managers may want to look elsewhere in daily lineup and DFS formats Friday night.

Robbie Ray will start on the mound for the Seattle Mariners against the Cleveland Guardians Friday night. (Source: MLB.com)

Fantasy Impact: Ray will be an intriguing option for fantasy managers Friday night against a re-tooled Guardians lineup. The left-hander should offer plenty of swing-and-miss results after finishing with a solid 10.10 K/9 ratio in 32 starts on the mound last season.

Dustin May is scheduled to start in the mound for the Los Angeles Dodgers against the Arizona Diamondbacks Friday night. (Source: MLB.com)

Fantasy Impact: May will look to return to the form the Dodgers and fantasy managers were mesmerized with prior to being injured in 2021, posting a 0.96 WHIP and .186 opponents batting average. The right-hander will get the opportunity for a strong start against a revamped Arizona lineup led by phenom Corbin Carroll Friday night.

Merrill Kelly will start on the mound for the Arizona Diamondbacks against the Los Angeles Dodgers Friday night. (Source: MLB.com)

Fantasy Impact: Kelly will look to slow down a Los Angeles lineup featuring Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, and J.D. Martinez after Zac Gallen struggled Thursday night. The right-hander was solid for fantasy managers in 2022, posting a 1.14 WHIP with 177 strikeouts in 33 starts (13-8) on the mound last season.

Lance Lynn will toe the rubber for the Chicago White Sox, starting on the mound against the Houston Astros Friday night. (Source: MLB.com)

Fantasy Impact: Lynn will look to follow ace Dylan Cease’s dominant opening night performance with a gem of his own against the Astros Friday night. The right-hander offers fantasy managers an innings-eater who finished with a strong 2.52 ERA after the all-star break last season for the White Sox.

Cristian Javier will start on the mound for the Houston Astros against the Chicago White Sox Friday night. (Source: MLB.com)

Fantasy Impact: Javier will be tasked with offering another strong starting performance for a Houston club looking for their first win of the 2023 season Friday night. The right-hander was electric on the mound in 2022, carrying an 11.74 K/9 ratio to go along with a 0.94 WHIP in 30 starts last season.

Oscar Colas will start in right field and bat eighth in the lineup for the Chicago White Sox against the Houston Astros Friday night. (Source: Chicago White Sox on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Colas picked up a pinch-hit single in Chicago’s win over the World Series champions and will look to keep his bat hot against Houston right-hander Christian Javier Friday night.

The Seattle Mariners and Cesar Hernandez are in agreement on a minor-league deal. (Source: Daniel Alvarez-Montes on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Just hours after being released by the Tigers Hernandez signs a minor-league pact with the Mariners. Hernandez hit .234 with seven doubles and a .704 OPS with the Tigers this spring but was cut to make room for younger players. The veteran hit just one homer with the Nationals last season after connecting for 21 long balls in the 2021 season.

The Atlanta Braves have signed veteran Charlie Culberson to a minor-league deal. (Source: MiLB Transactions on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Culberson re-joins the Braves where he played from 2018-2020 before joining the Texas Rangers for the last two seasons. The third baseman/outfielder specializes in hitting left-handed pitching after posting an .824 OPS off southpaws over the last two seasons with the Rangers.

The Houston Astros are optimistic as Lance McCullers Jr. is pain-free after suffering a mild elbow strain in spring training. (Source: Mark Berman on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: McCullers avoided the 60-day injured list and instead was placed on the 15-day IL retroactive to March 27 to begin the season. The right-hander has dealt with a plethora of injuries over his career including Tommy John surgery and shoulder issues that limited him to just eight starts last season. When healthy, McCullers is an excellent fantasy asset with a career 3.48 ERA and 26.5% K-rate but he obviously carries a significant amount of injury risk seemingly every season.

The Tampa Bay Rays have traded first baseman Dillon Paulson to the Detroit Tigers in exchange for cash considerations. (Source: Cody Stavenhagen on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: It's the second such trade between the two clubs in less than a week after the Rays sent outfielder Grant Witherspoon to Detroit for cash as well. Paulson only appeared in 24 minor-league games last season and has never played above the Double-A level where he spent 15 games in the 2021 season.

The Pittsburgh Pirates and Bryan Reynolds have agreed on the financials of a contract but an opt-out remains the issue. (Source: Jon Heyman on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: It's encouraging that the Pirates and Reynolds have at least made some strides in extension negotiations following the outfielder's trade request but the opt-out remains a sticking point. Reynolds started in left field on Opening Day and went 1-for-4 with a walk and an RBI. An official extension for Reynolds would signal a major turnaround for a franchise that's been in rebuild mode for several seasons.