Mookie Betts (2B/SS/OF) will miss significant time after he suffered a fractured left wrist when it was struck by a 98-mph fastball on Sunday. This development is certainly a major blow to the Dodgers and his fantasy owners, as Betts boasts a .304 average, 10 homers, 40 RBI, 50 runs scored, and 9 steals (in 10 chances) through 331 PA this season, with a wRC+ of 159 attesting to the leadoff man's productivity at the dish. The 31 year-old's power production was down a bit as his .186 ISO is on pace to be his lowest since his first season in the majors in 2014, but Betts was helping to make up for it by swiping bags at a clip that would probably see him finish with his highest total since 2018, as his highest since that season was 16 in 2019. His quality of contact has certainly been down a bit compared to recent seasons, as a 40.5% hard-hit rate and 6% barrel rate per Statcast are low for him. Wrist injuries notoriously hamper power output, so it will be interesting to see what he can do after he returns to action, whenever that might be.
Andrew Vaughn (1B-CHW) continued to surge as he went 3-5 with a run scored and 3 RBI against Arizona on Sunday. The 26 year-old now claims a .234 average, 9 homers, 31 RBI, and 26 runs scored through his first 277 PA of the season, with a subpar wRC+ of 93. But Vaughn started the season slowly, hitting just .207 with a homer, 9 RBI, and 9 runs scored in his first 158 PA of the season and a wRC+ of 59 through May 12th. Entering Sunday's game, he was batting .255 with 8 dingers, 19 RBI, and 16 runs scored in 114 PA since that date, with a much-improved wRC+ of 132. His Statcast profile has improved tremendously during that time, as it includes a 54% hard-hit rate (37.5% before), 15.5% barrel rate (3.5%), and average exit velocity of 93.5 mph (90) over the last month. Add wherever he's still lingering on the waiver wire and consider trading for him if you could use help at 1B.
Lane Thomas (OF-WSH) continued to turn things around as he went 1-4 with a solo blast against the Marlins on Sunday afternoon. The 28 year-old now has a .238 average to go with 7 dingers, 23 RBI, 21 runs scored, and 16 steals through his first 184 PA of the season, with a slightly below-average wRC+ of 98. The good news is that Thomas has hit .301 with 4 homers, 12 RBI, 14 runs scored, and 5 stolen bases in 84 PA since returning from the IL on May 27th after batting just .184 with 2 big flies, 10 RBI, 6 runs scored, and 11 thefts in 96 PA before going on the shelf in late April. He's making more loud contact in recent weeks, with a 46% hard-hit rate (37% before he went on the IL), 12% barrel rate (4.5%), and average exit velocity of 90 mph (88) per Statcast. Definitely pick him up if he's on the waiver wire in your league or consider trading for him.
Kyle Harrison (SP-SF) was placed on the 15-day IL with a right ankle sprain on Sunday. The 22 year-old southpaw was slated to start Sunday's game against the Angels, but will now instead miss a few starts as his ankle heals; the severity of the issue has not yet been disclosed. Harrison is in the midst of a solid if unspectacular campaign in which he's shown some improvement from his 34.2 IP stint in the majors last season. Through 77.1 IP (14 starts), the lefty claims a 3.96 ERA (4.15 last season), 7.9 K/9 (9.1), 2.6 BB/9 (2.9), and 4.15 xFIP (5.01). His swinging-strike rate has remained steady at 9.5% while his called-strike rate has dipped a bit to 16.5% (was 19% last season) and the opposition's contact rate is up slightly to 80.5% (79.5% last year). Their quality of contact has improved, though, as their Statcast profile in 2024 includes a 43.5% hard-hit rate (38% in 2023), 10% barrel rate (9%), and average exit velocity of 90.5 mph (89.5). The results to date might not be impressive for Harrison, but he's still very young and has high potential while he's held his own in his first 112 IP of MLB action.
Jesus Luzardo (SP-MIA) took the L in an abbreviated outing against the Nationals on Sunday afternoon, allowing 2 runs on 5 hits and 3 walks while striking out just a pair over 5 IP. The 26 year-old lefty threw 46 of his 77 offerings for strikes while coughing up a pair of homers in the outing. Luzardo simply hasn't looked right this season - especially as of late - as his average fastball velo is down a full tick on the year to 96 mph and has sat in the low-90s in his last couple of outings. Club management indicated that he was feeling under the weather in his last start and one wonders what led to him being pulled after 77 pitches on Sunday even though he had surrendered only a pair of runs. It's difficult to expect too much out of him as he prepares for a probable start against the Mariners at home this coming week.
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