Chicago Cubs DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

The Chicago White Sox announced on Friday that they reinstated both outfielders Andrew Benintendi (calf) and Mike Tauchman (hamstring) from the 10-day injured list and optioned infielders Andrew Vaughn and Tim Elko to Triple-A Charlotte in corresponding moves. Benintendi is serving as the designated hitter and is batting cleanup, while Tauchman is in right field and hitting in the two-hole for Friday's series opener versus the visiting Texas Rangers and right-hander Tyler Mahle. Both Benintendi and Tauchman offer mild power appeal for fantasy managers in deeper leagues searching for outfield depth, and they should both play regularly for the Pale Hose moving forward against right-handed pitching. Austin Slater and Michael Taylor are the two outfielders in Chicago that will probably be hurt the most by the return of both Benintendi and Tauchman.

Chicago Cubs outfield prospect Kevin Alcantara went 2-for-3 with two round-trippers during their contest against Triple-A Columbus on Wednesday. Alcantara tallied three RBI. Over his last four contests, Alcantara has gone deep three times and tallied eight RBI. However, prior to this stretch, Alcantara carried a 16-game power slump. During this skid, the 22-year-old posted a modest .203/.282/.266 slash line with just four doubles. Through 37 total games at Triple-A Iowa, Alcantara has posted a solid .248/.325/.426 slash line with 10 doubles and five long balls. Last season, the No. 74-ranked prospect in the sport received a brief taste of MLB action and tallied one hit across three games. However, given Chicago's depth in the outfield, Alcantara may have to wait for his first extended look in the major leagues.

Chicago Cubs outfield prospect Owen Caissie went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI on Wednesday against Triple-A Columbus. The 22-year-old has struck out at a 34% clip at Triple-A this season, but has combated it with a 13.4% walk rate. He flashed exciting power potential with a strong 115.5 MPH MaxEV last season in Triple-A and boasts a 53% hard hit rate this season. The Cubs' outfield is crowded with good players at the moment, but things can change fast with injuries. With his power potential and the strength of the Cubs' lineup, Caissie would be worth an add if he were to be called up.

Chicago Cubs right-handed reliever Daniel Palencia picked up his second career save in Wednesday's series finale against the Miami Marlins in the 2-1 victory at LoanDepot Park. It was a nice bounce-back outing for Palencia, who blew the save and took the loss in Monday's series opener in Miami. The 25-year-old Venezuelan hurler threw a clean inning on Wednesday without allowing a hit, walking anyone or recording a strikeout. Although nothing is official, Palencia could see more save chances going forward with Porter Hodge (oblique) recently landing on the 15-day injured list. After his scoreless outing against the Fish, he now has a nice 2.16 ERA and 0.90 WHIP with 16 strikeouts in his 16 2/3 innings of work out of the bullpen. Fantasy managers desperate for saves may want to consider adding Palencia off the waiver wire.

Although the Houston Astros were on the wrong side of an 8-4 score in Wednesday's series finale against the Tampa Bay Rays, it didn't stop third baseman Isaac Paredes from having a strong game. Paredes went 2-for-4 with two home runs, three RBI and a strikeout. The strong performance at the plate was the 26-year-old's first multi-homer game of the year, and he now has 10 long balls in 2025 in his first year in Houston. Paredes' first bomb came in the first inning off starter Taj Bradley, with his second one coming in the eighth inning off reliever Edwin Uceta. The Mexican infielder is heating up at the plate in May, having gone deep now six times in his last nine games played. With his big game on Wednesday, Paredes is now hitting .270/.378/.483 on the year with 10 homers, 28 RBI and 25 runs scored in 209 plate appearances. Keep rolling with him while he's en fuego.