Fantasy baseball pitcher rankings, lineup advice for Wednesday's MLB games

Look for our fantasy baseball starting pitcher rankings, hitter upgrades and downgrades daily to help you make smart fantasy baseball lineup decisions and for MLB betting tips. MLB game odds are provided by ESPN BET, and fantasy advice is geared toward ESPN 10-team leagues with standard scoring.

Note: This file has been updated with any overnight pitching changes or weather-related game postponements, along with the addition of the latest MLB game odds as of the indicated time of publication.

It's Shota time!

Through nearly one-fifth of the 2024 MLB season, Chicago Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga is shaping up as one of the winter's best free-agent bargains, not to mention one of fantasy baseball's biggest success stories to date.

Imanaga, whose four-year, $53 million deal paled in comparison to that of Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander and fellow Japanese import Yoshinobu Yamamoto's 12-year, $325 million contract, entered Tuesday as the No. 12 starting pitcher in terms of fantasy points scored (91) and No. 6 on the Player Rater. Yamamoto, as a point of comparison, was 40th in fantasy points (71) and 42nd on the Player Rater.

What has made the difference for Imanaga in his first season in the States is the performance of his fastball. Statcast grades it as being worth nine runs above average, the second most-valuable individual pitch behind only Corbin Burnes' cutter.

Imanaga's fastball is unusual in that it's both one of the higher-spin fastballs, and it has one of the lower release points around, giving the pitch the perception of being a "rising" fastball. At 19.3 inches of induced vertical break, it ranks fifth among the 77 pitchers who have thrown at least 150 (entering Tuesday). If you're familiar with the advantages of such a pitch -- Dylan Cease, Cristian Javier and Joe Ryan being three notable names who are heavily reliant upon it, for comparison's sake -- you know it typically generates higher swing-and-miss rates, lower hard-contact rates, but also higher fly-ball rates than an average fastball. Imanaga's statistical profile, through five starts, is closely following those patterns.

Another advantage Imanaga has in the season's early stages is opponents' unfamiliarity with the pitch, or his whiff-inducing (43% rate) splitter. On Wednesday, he'll be facing the New York Mets for the first time, meaning he has yet to face the same opponent for a second time. While it's an exceedingly small sample, that Imanaga has limited hitters to a .111 batting average with 15 Ks in 45 trips to the plate during his first trip through the lineup in his five starts fuels an "opponents' unfamiliarity" argument.

Imagana, unsurprisingly, winds up as Wednesday's best projected starting pitcher. He should be a mainstay in your lineup for so long as hitters haven't caught up to him.

What you may have missed on Tuesday

By Todd Zola

• The Angels announced that Mike Trout requires surgery for a torn meniscus in his left knee. The typical recovery time is two to three months, but it could be less, depending on the severity. Since Trout was placed on the 10-day IL, there is hope he'll be back in fewer than two months. However, he can still be shifted to the 60-day IL. Trout's batting average is a career low .220, but he has six steals, matching his combined total over the previous four seasons. Mickey Moniak's playing time should tick up, along with that of Cole Tucker and recently acquired Kevin Pillar.

• Manny Machado's fantasy team managers have a managerial decision to thank for an extra RBI. In the fifth inning of last night's 6-4 Padres win over the Reds, Jake Cronenworth grounded out with runners on first and third. A run came in, but there was catcher's interference on the play. Padres skipper Mike Schildt had the option of letting the play stand with the run scoring and out recorded or take the catcher's interference to load the bases but also take the run (and out) off the board. Schildt opted for the latter and was rewarded for his decision with a bases-clearing double from Machado. The run-expectancy matrix favored bases loaded with one out over runners on first and second with two outs and a run in.

• The Reds played their third straight game with Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Tyler Stephenson on the bench, as both are still nursing hand injuries. Although neither was used last night, they were available if needed. The pair remains day-to-day.

• Garrett Cooper struck out in his first two at bats with the Red Sox. He took a pitch off his wrist in his third trip to the dish. Cooper had to leave the game in the fifth innings and was subsequently diagnosed with a wrist contusion. He's expected to be further evaluated today, and Bobby Dalbec will fill in at first base if Cooper is unable to play in today's middle game of a three-game set with the Giants. The Red Sox stole three bases in last night's 4-0 win in Fenway Park. The club is quietly running more, as they swiped the eighth-most bases in the league over the second half of April.

• Vaughn Grissom was slated to be activated for last night's interleague affair and supplement the Red Sox newfound running game, but he has the flu, so his Boston debut was delayed.

• Gary Sanchez was lifted from last night's game with right hamstring tightness. Sanchez has been backing up catcher William Contreras and has also been seeing time as the Brewers' designated hitter. Sanchez was replaced at DH by Tyler Black. The Brewers called up Black on Tuesday, but he began the game on the bench. Black earned his first MLB promotion with a .303/.393/.525 line over 25 games with Triple-A Nashville. He came up as a third baseman, but this season Black played 17 games at first base as opposed to just one at the hot corner. With Joey Ortiz settling in at third base, the left-handed hitting Black will likely share first base and designated hitter with Rhys Hoskins. Jake Bauers is likely the odd man out, though Black could platoon with Sanchez once Sanchez is ready to return.

• A cramp forced Cole Ragans to leave last night's pitching duel with two outs in the seventh. At the time, the Royals led the Blue Jays 2-1, with Jose Berrios on the hill for the Toronto. The Royals added a pair of insurance tallies in the eighth inning, then James McArthur secured the Royals' 4-1 win with his seventh save. Ragans is expected to make his next start.

Everything else you need to know for Wednesday