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Articles by Javier Assad
Cubs starter Jameson Taillon goes on injured list with left groin injury
About 2 minutes reading time. SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Chicago Cubs right-hander Jameson Taillon was placed on the 15-day injured list Wednesday because of a left groin injury that manager Craig Counsell doesn’t believe will keep him down for long. The move is retroactive to Monday, a day after Taillon exited having thrown just 62 pitches but went five innings for the win against the Angels in Anaheim.
Cubs recall RHP Javier Assad from Triple-A Iowa and place reliever Ryan Brasier on 15-day IL
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The Chicago Cubs recalled right-hander Javier Assad from Triple-A Iowa on Friday and placed reliever Ryan Brasier on the 15-day injured list with a left groin strain. Assad was slated to start Chicago’s series opener at the Los Angeles Angels. The team also announced that Cade Horton will start on Saturday after he left his previous outing because of . The 28-year-old Assad from the 60-day IL on Aug. 12 after he missed the start of the season because of a left oblique strain.
Cubs reinstate catcher Miguel Amaya and right-hander Javier Assad from the 60-day IL
TORONTO (AP) — The Chicago Cubs have reinstated catcher Miguel Amaya and right-hander Javier Assad from the 60-day injured list. Chicago also optioned right-hander Nate Pearson to Triple-A Iowa and designated infielder Jon Berti for assignment in moves announced before Tuesday’s game at Toronto. Assad was slated to start the series opener against the AL East-leading Blue Jays. The 26-year-old Amaya had been on the injured list since May 25 with a left oblique strain.
Cubs RHP Javier Assad to make rehab start on Wednesday
About 2 minutes reading time. CHICAGO (AP) — Javier Assad thinks he can help the Chicago Cubs in the last part of the season. So does manager Craig Counsell. Assad is slated to make a rehab start for Triple-A Iowa on Wednesday. The right-hander is coming back from a troublesome left oblique injury. “Just trying to get back to my 100 percent,” Assad said Saturday through a translator. Assad, who turns 28 on Wednesday, got hurt during spring training.
Cubs’ Taillon, Assad nearing returns to depleted staff as trade deadline approaches
CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Cubs line up as one of the prospective buyers, especially for pitching, as baseball’s July 31 trade deadline approaches. In the meantime, Chicago — which entered Friday at 60-42 and a game behind first-place Milwaukee in the NL Central — is inching closer to having some injured pitchers return.
Cubs taking a cautious approach with LHP Shota Imanaga in his recovery from a hamstring injury
CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Cubs are going to be cautious with Shota Imanaga while the left-hander recovers from his first hamstring injury. Imanaga was placed on the 15-day injured list on Monday with a mild strained left hamstring. He is planning to keep his arm loose by playing catch while he gives his leg time to recover. “Talking to the doctor he even mentioned that it was good that it wasn’t like a shoulder or an elbow injury,” Imanaga said Tuesday through a translator.
Cubs put lefty Shota Imanaga on injured list after he got hurt going to cover first base
CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Cubs placed left-handed starter Shota Imanaga on the 15-day injured list Monday with a left hamstring strain, when going to cover first base. Chicago made the move before the opener of its series against San Francisco. Right-hander Gavin Hollowell was recalled from Triple-A Iowa. Imanaga got hurt during Sunday’s after going to cover first base on a potential double play in the sixth inning of what was then a scoreless game.
Chris Flexen brought up to majors by Chicago Cubs after spending last season with White Sox
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Chris Flexen was brought up to the major leagues by the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday after signing a minor league contract in February and making five minor league starts. Chicago selected the contract of the 30-year-old right-hander from Iowa, optioned left-handed reliever Tom Cosgrove to the Triple-A farm team and transferred right-hander Javier Assad, who has a strained left oblique, to the 60-day injured list.
Cubs pitcher Justin Steele to have season-ending elbow surgery
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Chicago Cubs ace Justin Steele will undergo season-ending surgery to repair the flexor tendon in his left elbow, dealing a significant blow to the team’s rotation. It was unclear whether Steele, who underwent Tommy John surgery in 2017, will need another full ligament-replacement procedure or a Tommy John revision with an internal brace. The 29-year-old left-hander will be sidelined until 2026.
Cubs agree to $5 million, 1-year contract with RHP Colin Rea, AP source says
About 1 minute reading time. CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Cubs and Colin Rea have agreed to a $5 million, one-year contract, reuniting the right-hander with manager Craig Counsell. A person with direct knowledge of the negotiations confirmed the agreement to the AP on Friday on condition of anonymity because the team hadn’t announced the deal. The 34-year-old Rea made one appearance with Milwaukee in 2021 and then pitched in Japan during the 2022 season before returning to the Brewers.
MLB DFS Lineups Today: Expert Picks, Projections & Advice - Wed, 8/21
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MLB DFS Core Plays: June 22
As mentioned in today's MLB DFS Playbook, we have a consistent slate across the three major sites (DraftKings, Yahoo, FanDuel) today and they all start at 7:05 pm ET. The Pirates led by Oneil Cruz and Bligh Madris is a great and cheap mlb dfs stack tonight, but I also like the Orioles, Cardinals, and Mariners as other strong options.. It appears we have a relatively clear day in terms of weather, outside of the Nationals vs.
2022 Stanley Cup Playoff Predictions: Eastern & Western Conference Finals
Welcome to the 2021-22 Stanley Cup Playoffs. After an amazing second round, only four teams remain. We are at the point where no team wants to go home, but sadly, only two teams will advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. Even if your favorite team is knocked out already, there are tons of ways to enjoy the 2022 NHL Playoffs — whether you're playing daily fantasy hockey, participating in legal sports betting, or having fun with Underdog Fantasy, Monkey Knife Fight, or PrizePicks NHL player props.
Fantasy Baseball Player Spotlight: We May Not Have Drafted Enough Seiya Suzuki
We have seen plenty of players come over from Japan in recent years but for every Ichiro or Shohei Ohtani, there are plenty of Kosuke Fukudome or Masumi Kuwata who didn’t work out as well. All early signs right now though look to be pointing toward Seiya Suzuki being the real deal for the Chicago Cubs, and he could find himself as one a steal for those who picked him up for their fantasy baseball teams on draft day.
NHL DFS Podcast: April 5
Andrew Dewhirst gets you ready for April 5th's 10 game NHL DFS slate, looking at times with the highest implied goal totals, whom he thinks the best goalies will be, and some of the best teams to build stacks with today such as the Florida Panthers, and the Boston Bruins. Dominate your NHL DFS contests today with our DFS Playbook, Player Projections, Lineup Generator & DFS Tools
2022 Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide: Catcher Bold Predictions
In fantasy baseball, the catcher position isn’t the most glamorous, but there is an edge to be had at this position. Hey, it’s not quite as weak as many would say, despite what you may see in a multitude of fantasy baseball rankings.
PrizePicks CBB NCAA Tournament Top Plays - March 25 Sweet 16
What’s up, FA Nation?! Day two of the Sweet 16 gets underway tonight as March Madness and the 2022 NCAA Tournament roll on towards New Orleans! With four games on tap for Friday evening, we have plenty of college basketball PrizePicks plays on the board. Let’s take a closer look and find some winners.
2022 Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide Starting Pitching: Late-Round Starting Pitchers to Consider When Drafting
You should have a decent idea of the tap pitching options you can select in the early rounds in your drafts, especially if you are a dedicated reader of this site (I would suggest you pick up an ace in your first two rounds, just a suggestion, and perhaps two “aces” in the first seven or eight rounds). Plus, you probably have a good idea about the second, third and even fourth arms that will fill out your fantasy squad’s rotation(s).
NHL Injury Report: January 1st
Welcome to another edition of the Fantasy Hockey Injury Report. The injury report is going to keep you up to date on all the important injuries going on around the league, and how that might affect your fantasy hockey team. Make sure to check back regularly for any updates. Let’s take a look at some players that are either ruled out, or that we need to monitor. Note: If you’re looking for the most up-to-date COVID-19 information regarding players who are out of the lineup, you can find that here.
NHL DFS Power Play - Playbook Core Plays: May 23
Welcome to the NHL DFS Power Play. You will see three tiered options for both DraftKings, and FanDuel, every night that there are three or more games. Otherwise, you are still getting the same great playbook, the chat is still open and monitored with all of your questions. also don't forget you also have the power of the lineup generator to help you build out your winning lineup tonight.
MLB Streaks & Trends: Tucker is Rolling
Published: May 15, 2021 Kyle Tucker , OF - Houston: Starting to surge after a slow start, he's logged 29 plate appearances in his last seven games with eight runs, three home runs, eight RBI and a .360/.448/.880 slash line. Teaser alert, he may appear again in this column. Jesús Aguilar , 1B - Miami: Quite the anomaly since he only hits home runs on the road. This will be tested with his team heading to face the Dodgers in Los Angeles this weekend.
MLB Prospect Report: Finally Playing Ball - Part 2
Published: May 12, 2021 Last week was part one of this look at the last two draft and signee classes for prospects, looking at the 2019 class last week, and now in part two we’ll look at the bigger names from the 2020 classes who were really affected by the pandemic and the cancellation of the minor league season last year.
Two-Start Pitchers/Streaming Starters: Young Bucks
Published: Apr 25, 2021 An extraordinarily nice balance between the top and middle tier this week, leaving a boatload of options that are taking the baseball for a pair of starts. Unfortunately, there exists a second boatload of bottom tier denizens, those that are suggested you not consider employing in your fantasy pitching rotations this scoring period, but forewarned is forearmed (pun sorta intended).
Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire Report-- March 30th
Welcome to the fantasy hockey waiver wire report! As usual, every week, the weekly waiver wire report will help you target some players that you should be adding, or monitoring, on the waiver wire. You’ll want to check back through the week to see if players are added. The fantasy hockey season is a long one, but staying on top of the waiver wire will most certainly help keep your team competitive. Let’s see who we should be targeting this week.
2021 MLB Draft Guide Player Profile: Alex Verdugo
Published: Mar 13, 2021 Boston star outfielder Mookie Betts , I mean, the guy they got back in that deal, Alex Verdugo , had a really good 2020 campaign. In 53 games, he hit six home runs, scored 36 runs, drove in 15 and swiped four bags, all while slashing .308/.367/.478.
MLB Injury Report: September 21
As we head into the last week of the fantasy baseball season setting season long lineups can be tricky. You don’t want to get too cute and change things up just for the sake of doing so, but at the same time with several new injuries to fantasy relevant players surfacing this past week you need to be proactive. After all, you want to submit a fantasy lineup that gives you the best chance for a strong finish to your season.
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Advice: September 12
Bobby Dalbec (BOS – 1B, 3B) Dalbec got off to a bit of a cold start going 2-for-19 in his first five games. However, that has not been the case lately. Over the last week he’s slashing .429/.500/1.190 with five home runs, all of which came in consecutive games. As is the case with power hitters, you have to take the strikeouts that come with them and surely enough he does rack up quite a few K’s. He’s still hitting toward the bottom of the lineup, but he’s managed to produce lately.
Fantasy Baseball Bullpen Report: September 10
Published: Sep 10, 2020 We are getting to the end of this wild 60 game schedule and monitoring these bullpens has me looking for a nap, or a beer, or maybe both. The closer’s carousel has spun at a breakneck speed over the last seven weeks, and it hasn’t stopped even up to today. This week wasn’t as crazy as others have been, but there is still plenty of news to discuss. Let’s take a look at some good news, some decent news, and then some very bad news.
MLB Short-Season Strategy: Schedule Wrinkles | Fantasy Alarm
Doing well in division will be even more important in 2020 with 67 percent of the schedule against four teams. However, who teams face as their “rival” matchups also come into play. For instance, Cincinnati benefits from replacing Cleveland as their rival with six of their ten first games against Detroit instead.
2020 MLB Draft Guide: Farm Report: San Diego Padres
A.J. Preller made a splash a few offseasons ago when he went wild in free agency and made a ton of high-priced acquisitions and pulled off some big trades to fill out the roster. That didn’t work out too well for the major league results but it did get them started on this road of building up the farm system quite rapidly.
Fantasy Baseball Position Preview - Probable Closers
The one thing you can count on with closers is that some of them will lose their jobs. It’s inevitable. And, strangely enough, it’s almost comforting to know that we can guarantee that some curveballs will be thrown our way at some point this season. And we don’t even need anyone to bang on a trash can to tell us that because it happens every single year. We know for a fact that we can expect the unexpected so that we can do our best to roll with the punches.
2020 MLB Draft Guide Player Profile: Jose LeClerc
Published: Feb 12, 2020 Part of what makes projecting a player difficult, how will he carry over the gains from a breakout season? José Leclerc finished 2018 with 12 saves and 32 strikeouts over his last 21 appearances. Teeming with upside and a high strikeout percentage, LeClerc seemed poised to join the top tier of closers. However, LeClerc lost the hold on the job during the season, ceding saves to Shawn Kelley and Chris Martin .
Fantasy Baseball Daily Round Up: August 19
Sunday was a milestone day in Major League Baseball. If you head over to the front page of MLB.com, you’re going to see a lot of headlines about milestones. Younger players like Rafael Devers and Pete Alonso reached milestones as did veterans Zack Greinke and Mike Trout . Devers had a four-RBI game that put him over 100 on the year, and he’s the first Boston player to crack the 100-RBI mark before the age of 23 since Ted Williams.
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Advice: July 31
10 Team Leagues Shane Greene RP ATL; FAAB Bid: 25-30% - Not even I can possibly screw this call up, right? The Atlanta Braves closing job (and the bullpen in general) has been a glaring weakness for the defending National League East champions. Sean Newcomb blew the save earlier today against the Nationals, but fortunately the Braves rallied in extra innings to get the win. It looks like they finally got their closer in Shane Greene .
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Advice: April 24
This week we take a look at a handful of new names without rehashing too many old names, but the very first guy mentioned was in this article a couple weeks back and everyone needs to rush to their waiver wire to go pick him up. Here are the best mid-week options to grab off your waiver wire! 10 Team Leagues Clint Frazier (Outfielder – New York Yankees) FAAB Bid: 20-25% - Frazier’s ownership is on a very quick spike after a solid showing this weekend.
2019 MLB ADP and Draft Trends: Crunch Time
Whether perusing all the player profiles or scouring the tiers, it’s time to cash in all the knowledge in the last weekend before baseball ensues. Preparing for the 26 week marathon can be daunting, but knowing when players could be targeted depending on the site one’s league uses can be important. Especially if relying on the draft data on the site.
2019 MLB Injury Report: March 21
The 2019 MLB season has officially begun with the two games played in Japan between the A’s and Mariners. I would be remiss without acknowledging the great career of Ichiro Suzuki which came to an end after the second game. Ichiro was always a player I enjoyed having on a fantasy team and is sure-fire first ballot Hall of Famer. Opening Day for everyone else is next week so now is the time when decisions must be made about players dealing with injuries.
2019 MLB Draft Guide: Rookie Infielders
Published: Mar 14, 2019 Like the Pitcher's piece in this series, we will break down the rookies sitting 20-50 in the rankings or the ones that were not talked about in Jim Bowden's Rookie piece due to timing. Brandon Lowe (2B Rays) - Lowe came up towards the end of last season and, while it started out rough, he turned it around fairly quickly.
2019 Fantasy Hockey: Waiver Wire Report March 10
With fantasy hockey playoffs just around the corner, the waiver wire becomes even more important. It’s taken weeks for us to get here, and now it’s time to finish the job. Injuries at this time of the year can cripple a fantasy team, but if you look for value on the waiver wire, you can survive the loss and still make a push for the championship. With that, let’s take a look at which players you should be looking to add this week off the waiver wire.
2019 MLB Draft Guide Player Profile: Kenley Jansen
Published: Mar 06, 2019 The 2018 version of Kenley Jansen wasn’t the same version we saw in previous years. Not only did he lose a career-high five games, but he blew four saves, his 38 saves were his lowest since 2015 and his ERA of 3.01 was a career high. Furthermore, his FIP indicates that his 3.01 ERA was lucky, and he was more indicative of a pitcher with an ERA closer to four. Up until 2018, Jansen never posted a HR/9 above 1.03, but last year, it was 1.63.
2018 Fantasy Hockey Injury Report: November 27
Welcome to the Fantasy Hockey Injury Report. Once a week, we’ll take a look at some injuries around the league that may affect your fantasy hockey team. Injuries will always happen and you can’t predict when, but it’s important to be ready for the aftermath and to have a plan ready. Let’s take a look and some players who are on the shelf for the upcoming week and beyond. Antti Raanta - Arizona Coyotes - Goalie Injury: unspecified, day-to-day.
MLB Closing Bell: July 31
Weather Issues The Marlins/Braves game has flash flood warnings and looks likely to be postponed. The Rads/Tigers and the Rockies/Cardinals have less risk, but both are iffy to play without delay or postponement. What’s Happening Lots of trades happened at the deadline! More on the prospects side of things in tomorrow morning’s roundup. The Tampa Bay Rays acquired Tommy Pham from the St. Louis Cardinals for Genesis Cabrera, Justin Williams , and Roel Ramirez.
MLB Two Start Pitchers: Week 13
Week Thirteen arrives full of hope and promise, with a fine slate of two-start options, including a baker’s dozen of top-tier starters to employ in your starting rotations. Additionally, there are another 14 middle-tier picks that offer fantasy production worthy of your consideration during the upcoming scoring period. With a large slate of dual-start pickings, naturally there is a large group of unusable starters as well, but you know not to employ them this week, right?
Closing Bell: Bad news travels fast
After spending 20 months working his way back from Tommy John surgery, Álex Reyes only lasted four inning before landing back on the disabled list. Fantasy owners took note of his velocity decline as the game progressed. Reyes assured writers he felt alright after his start but the next day his pain persisted prompting an MRI which revealed the “significant” injury to his lat which can precursor a shoulder problem.
Fantasy Baseball Daily Round Up: May 31
Juan Soto led off for the Nationals yesterday versus the Orioles. He went 1-for-4 with an RBI, which lowered his average to a robust .375. He was hitting lead off even with both Bryce Harper and Trea Turner in the lineup, so this looks like it could easily stick. Soto would obviously benefit dramatically if he led off for one of the best offenses in the game. According to manager Jim Riggleman, Jesse Winker is the “odd man out” of the Reds outfield rotation.
MLB Closing Bell: Another One Bites the Dust
It’s starting to feel like it’s The Year of the injury.” Initial reports about Carlos Martínez suggested he would miss one start, then more news surfaced linking him to missing another with an MRI scheduled then general manager John Mozeliak dropped the bomb no one wanted to hear. Martinez will be shut down the rest of the season with a shoulder strain. Nothing scares fantasy owners more than a pitcher with shoulder issues.
WinView Games Playbook: Predators vs Jets
Winnipeg Jets at Nashville Predators Round 2 is set to begin tonight and we have a fantastic matchup in front of us. It’s a shame this couldn’t have been the Western Conference Finals since we have two great teams in action. The Predators finished the season with 117 points, while the Jets ended with 114 points, which were first and second most in the league. This is going to be one hell of a series, and we should be in for no less than six games.
2018 Fantasy Baseball Podcast: March 1
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2017 Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire Report: January 11
Each week of the National Hockey League regular season, we will take a look at some of the most interesting names that may appear on the waiver wire in various fantasy leagues. It may be NHL players whose situation has improved because of injury, minor-league players recently recalled (or on the verge of a recall) or off to fast starts in the AHL. Here is this week's batch: 1.
2017 Fantasy Hockey Injury Report: January 2
Each week of the National Hockey League regular season, we will take a look at some of the most important injuries that have occurred in the last seven days, as well as key players that have returned from injury and updates on the conditions of other fantasy-relevant players (when applicable). Here is this week's batch: 1. Corey Crawford, G, Blackhawks (upper-body injury, IR) There is some mystery surrounding Crawford's current ailment, though it is suspected that he is dealing with a concussion.
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