Kerry Carpenter (OF-DET) enjoyed a nice day at the dish against the Mariners on Tuesday as he went 3-5 with a pair of longballs and 3 RBI. The game marked the 26 year-old's first since returning from the IL as a back issue kept him sidelined since late May. Before the injury, he had logged a .283 average to go with 8 homers, 29 RBI, and 21 runs scored across 163 PA, with a 149 wRC+ attesting to his productivity at the dish. A two-homer game certainly announced his return, so fantasy owners should look to add him wherever he's sitting on the waiver wire. With a Statcast profile that includes a 45% hard-hit rate and a 16% barrel rate, Carpenter has the potential to give fantasy rosters a jolt down the stretch.
Jhonkensy Noel (OF-CLE) stayed hot as he went 2-3 with a solo blast against the Cubs on Tuesday. The 23 year-old slugger is now batting .265 with 9 dingers, 17 RBI, and 11 runs scored through his first 90 MLB PA, with a wRC+ of 158. Noel has now gone deep three times in his last two games played, but playing time has been an issue as team management has seemed hesitant to start him against RHP. While there is certainly tremendous power in Noel's bat - his scouting grades include plus-plus raw power - his hit tool is problematic as he fanned a ton in the minors and has posted a 29% strikeout rate so far in the majors. Add him if you could use the pop and have the flexibility to sit him when he doesn't start as well as if your team can take a bit of a likely average hit.
Jake Burger (3B-MIA) continued his second-half tear as he went 1-4 with a solo homer, a walk, and additional run scored against the Phillies on Tuesday. The 28 year-old slugger is now hitting .251 with 23 dingers, 54 RBI, and 50 runs scored through 406 PA on the year, with a 113 wRC+ attesting to his above-average productivity on offense. But it's been a pretty uneven campaign for Burger, who has caught fire since the calendar turned to July, batting .313 with 15 homers, 26 RBI, and 24 runs scored in 146 PA entering Tuesday's action, with a robust wRC+ of 191 during that span. Burger's Statast profile since July 1 includes a lofty 58% hard-hit rate, 18% barrel rate, and average exit velocity of 95 mph. Dude is mashing.
Erick Fedde (SP-STL) took the L against the Reds as he allowed 4 runs on 6 hits and 2 walks while striking out a pair over 6 IP. The 31 year-old righty tossed 52 of his 89 pitches for strikes while coughing up a pair of round trippers in the outing. Since joining the Cardinals as a trade-deadline acquisition, Fedde had allowed 6 runs on 10 hits and 2 walks while striking out 10 over 10 IP entering Tuesday's start. On the year, he's outperformed his peripherals, with a 3.40 ERA, 7.9 K/9, 2.5 BB/9, and 4.11 xFIP through 137.2 IP. He's certainly been useful for fantasy, but the gap between the ERA and xFIP has long screamed regression, and it's happening. It could very well continue against the Brewers next Tuesday.
Matthew Boyd (SP-CLE) enjoyed a strong season debut against the Cubs as he allowed 1 run on 3 hits and no walks while fanning 6 over 5.1 IP. The lefty was efficient as he threw 61 of his 80 pitches for strikes in the contest. Boyd therefore enjoyed a successful return from Tommy John surgery, which forced him to miss a chunk of the 2023 campaign as well. He was sharp in minor-league rehab work, compiling a 0.83 ERA and 27 punchouts in 21.2 IP, with most of that coming at the Double-A and Triple-A levels. Although Boyd recorded an unsightly 5.45 ERA in 71 IP with the Tigers before he sustained the injury last season, his peripherals - which included a 4.37 xFIP, 9.3 K/9, and 3.2 BB/9 were encouraging. His outing against the Cubs suggests that he could offer some value to fantasy owners down the stretch in 2024, and he should stick with the injury-riddled Guardians rotation for a start early next week against the Yankees, which will certainly be a nice test
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