Fantasy Baseball News

Maikel Franco went 1-for-3 with a single and a sacrifice fly. He also scored a run.

Fantasy Impact: Maikel Franco has five hits in his last 16 at-bats including a double and two RBIs.

Aaron Altherr went 1-for-3 with two RBIs for the Phillies in a rainy night in Philadelphia. He is batting a mere .167 on the season.

Fantasy Impact: Well, it's been a good seven days for Aaron Altherr, he has five hits in 12 at-bats including a double, a triple and two RBIs.

Curtis Granderson had a monster game at the plate against the Red Sox on Tuesday, finishing the game 3-for-5 including a single, a double, and a walk-off home run.

Fantasy Impact: Granderson was responsible for driving in three of the Blue Jays' four runs on Tuesday and he capped off his night by blasting a walk-off solo home run off of Craig Kimbrel in the bottom of the 10th inning. The 37 year old outfielder owns a blistering .321./424/.571 triple slash line through 66 plate appearances and he still clearly has quite a bit of juice left in the tank.

Brandon McCarthy allowed six hits, five runs (three earned), and one walk while striking out one in a no-decision start Tuesday night against Cincinnati. He is scheduled to face Vince Velasquez and the Phillies next, Sunday in Philadelphia.

Fantasy Impact: Nothing seemed to work well for McCarthy this time out and he'll look to get back on track this weekend.

J.A. Happ pitched a beauty of a game on Tuesday night, holding the hard hitting Red Sox lineup to just one run through seven innings while striking out a season-high 10 batters.

Fantasy Impact: Happ was nearly flawless against the Red Sox as he allowed just four hits and did not walk a single batter on the night. The veteran southpaw has been one of the best pitchers in baseball in 2018 as he now owns a 3-1 record to go along with a 3.72 ERA. All the more impressive is that Happ is currently sitting on a robust 32.0 percent K rate after registering just a league average 22.7 percent K rate in 2017. Through five starts Happ is looking every bit like his 2016 self, where he finished sixth in the Cy Young voting with a dazzling 20-4 record.

Freddie Freeman went 2-for-6 with two solo homers in Tuesday's 9-7 extra-inning loss to the Reds in Cincinnati. He's slashing .296/.431/.543 thus far with a .918 OPS.

Fantasy Impact: Fantasy managers know that having Freeman in the lineup is like money in the bank. Look for him to have another MVP-type year.

Roberto Osuna blew his first save of the year against the Red Sox on Tuesday night by walking a batter and surrendering two runs on four hits in the bottom of the 9th inning.

Fantasy Impact: Osuna entered the game with a 2-run lead but things went south in a hurry for the usually reliable closer. Osuna struck out two batters in the inning but after loading up the bases, Brock Holt delivered a game-tying single with two outs. Although he blew the save, Osuna avoided the loss thanks to a Curtis Granderson walk-off home run in the bottom of the 10th inning. The two runs allowed tonight were the only runs Osuna has allowed through 10.1 innings pitched and he ranks second in the American League with six converted saves.

Kurt Suzuki went 3-for-5 including a two-run homer in Tuesday's extra-inning 9-7 loss to the Reds in Cincinnati. He's slashing a .327/.409/.600 line thus far with a .923 OPS.

Fantasy Impact: Suzuki has been filling in for Tyler Flowers (oblique) and has shown how productive he can be at the plate. Flowers will return shortly and assume primary catching duties, with Suzuki serving as backup.

Charlie Morton allowed four runs on five hits and five walks over four innings Tuesday night in a no decision vs. the Angels.

Fantasy Impact: It was a poor outing for Morton who allowed two home runs in addition to walking five forcing him out of the game after only four innings. He still holds a 1.86 ERA this season and will look to forget this outing as soon as possible. It will not get any easier when Morton takes on the Yankees next week at home.

The Phillies fell to the Diamondbacks on Tuesday, 8-4. Vince Velasquez got the start and lasted only 4 2/3 innings. He allowed four earned runs on four hits, two walks and six strikeouts. Velasquez was a victim of the long ball, allowing two. He took the loss to drop to 1-3 on the season.

Fantasy Impact: Velasquez has yet to reach seven innings or 100 pitches in a game this season. He's struck out 30 and walked seven in 26 innings, while posting an ERA of 4.50.

Adrian Beltre left Tuesday’s game against the A’s after an RBI single in the eighth inning with a strained left hamstring. (Source: Evan Grant on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Beltre pulled up running to first, crossed the bag, and immediately went into the clubhouse. There has been no word on the severity of the injury yet but given how quickly Beltre left the field, a DL stint seems likely.

Eduardo Escobar went 3-for-3 in Tuesday's loss to the Yankees, smacking two doubles and a single. He drove in a run, scored a run, and even walked in the contest.

Fantasy Impact: Escobar continues to fill in for Jorge Polanco fairly well, sporting a .293 average and .872 OPS. He has some value in deeper leagues, and in leagues that have a DH slot, as he qualifies there in ESPN leagues. In standard leagues, there is definitely better value on the waiver wire.

Sandy Leon went 0-for-2 on Tuesday night vs the Blue Jays. He struck out in both his at-bats, once looking, and the other swinging.

Fantasy Impact: Leon has been 0-for-10 over his last three games, and don't expect for it to get much better. The defensive catcher has a .107 batting average for the year, with no home runs, and one RBI. He shouldn't be used in any fantasy league.

Jose Berrios could only make it through four innings against the Yankees on Tuesday, giving up five runs on six hits and two walks. He did manage to strike out seven, but he gave up homers to Gary Sanchez and Didi Gregorious (who hasn't lately?) that did him in. His record dropped to 2-2 as the Twins lost, 8-3.

Fantasy Impact: Even with the poor start, Berrios still has an ERA of 2.84 and minuscule 0.54 WHIP. The youngster also has 36 Ks in 31 and 2/3 innings and only three walks. He gets the measly Reds at home next. Start him with confidence.

Brock Holt went 3-for-4 on Tuesday night vs the Blue Jays. He hit a double, singled twice, drove in an RBI, and scored a run.

Fantasy Impact: Holt had a huge game on Tuesday night, and was almost the hero of the game as he tied the score up in the top of the ninth inning, but they unfortunately lost in extra innings. He extended his hit streak to seven games, and over that span he's had four multi-hit games and driven in five RBI.

Jackie Bradley went 1-for-4 on Tuesday night vs the Blue Jays. He had one hit in the game, which was an infield single, in his first at-bat.

Fantasy Impact: Bradley has now had back to back games where he had a single in his first at-bat of the game, then followed it up with goose eggs. He's had some decent success at the plate, with a hit in five of the last six games, but only has a .225 batting average for the year.

Jose Ramirez kept his momentum going Tuesday, stroking a double and two singles against the Cubs. He also walked once and scored a run in the loss.

Fantasy Impact: Ramirez has been heating up at the dish as of late, as he has hit four homers in the past week to go with a .445 average. These extended spurts of greatness are common for Ramirez, so do not expect it to stop anytime soon. The window to buy low is now fully closed.

Eduardo Nunez went 1-for-4 on Tuesday night vs the Blue Jays. His lone hit of the game was a single, he also drove in an RBI and stole a base.

Fantasy Impact: Nunez, had been hitless at the plate going into the ninth inning, but then delivered a line drive, to right-center field, to bring the Red Sox with in one run. He also stole his first base of the season, but it wasn't contested with a throw from the catcher. Still, it's a good sign for Nunez who has looked labored in the early part of the season by his knee.

Josh Tomlin had a rough time against the Cubs on Tuesday, getting punished for five earned runs in 3 and 2/3 inning pitched. He was done in by the long ball, giving up moonshots to Kyle Schwarber (twice), Ian Happ, and Willson Contreras. He gave up three other hits, two of which were doubles. He gave up more homers (four) than batters he struck out (three). In other words, Tomlin was awful. The Indians lost, 10-3. His record dropped to 0-3.

Fantasy Impact: Fans of the Indians have to be begging Danny Salazar to be coming off the disabled list, because Tomlin has been absolutely terrible this season. The Indians are likely now forced to try Salazar as a starter, given how bad Tomlin has been, and no other immediate pitcher to consider as a starter besides Ryan Merritt, who is currently rehabbing. Tomlin has an atrocious 9.24 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, and just seven Ks in 12 and 2/3 innings. He should not be owned by any fantasy player, even as a stream against a bad-hitting team. If he starts again, he gets the Mariners at home next.

Hanley Ramirez went 3-for-5 on Tuesday night vs the Blue Jays. He singled three times, drove in an RBI, and scored a run.

Fantasy Impact: Ramirez started off the ninth inning rally for the Red Sox with a liner past the shortstop, but they eventually lost in extra innings. The slugger has been on fire over the last week, with a hit in five of the last six games. He has a very healthy .333 batting average on the season, to go with three homers and 16 RBI.