Chicago Cubs DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

Chicago Cubs right-handed pitcher Ben Brown is expected to serve as the bulk reliever during their contest on Saturday against the Cincinnati Reds. Drew Pomeranz is slated to open the game, but he is only expected to pitch one inning of work. Throughout the opening months of the season, Brown has been deployed primarily out of the rotation and has had mixed results. This afternoon, he will remain the primary option but will pitch out of the bullpen. Through 50 2/3 innings of work this season, Brown has held a 6.39 ERA with a 1.60 WHIP. Across this stint, Brown has struck out 64 batters and posted a solid 7.7% walk rate. However, he has generated a high 9.3% barrel rate with a hefty 45.7% hard-hit rate. This afternoon, Brown is best to fade in DFS given his inconsistent start to the season.

The Miami Marlins are expected to designate first baseman Matt Mervis and second baseman Ronny Simon for assignment prior to their contest on Friday against the San Francisco Giants. The Marlins acquired Mervis from the Cubs in the winter. While he showed solid power upside during his first 23 games, posting a .534 SLG with an .827 OPS, since May 1, Mervis has held a low .111/.200/.156 slash line with just two extra-base hits. Simon joined the MLB roster in late April when Griffin Conine hit the injured list. Through 19 games this season, Simon has posted a modest .234/.327/.277 slash line with two doubles and no home runs. With both Mervis and Simon likely exiting the roster, fantasy managers should expect Eric Wagaman to see most of the time at first base while Javier Sanoja continues to fill in for the injured Xavier Edwards (back) at the keystone.

Chicago Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga (hamstring) threw a bullpen session of around 25 pitches and went through running/fielding drills on Wednesday, according to MLB.com. He will repeat a similar workout this weekend as he recovers from a strained left hamstring that landed him on the 15-day injured list on May 5. It's been a slow build-up for the 31-year-old Japanese left-hander, but barring a setback, Imanaga should be ready to return to Chicago's starting rotation by mid-June. Because of his long layoff at this point, fantasy managers should expect him to make at least several minor-league rehab starts before returning to the majors. When healthy, Imanaga is a must-start fantasy hurler. In his second season in the big leagues, he went 3-2 with a 2.82 ERA and 1.09 WHIP with 34 strikeouts and 14 walks in 44 2/3 frames over his eight starts before injuring his hamstring.

Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong went 1-for-3 on Wednesday night against the Rockies, and his home run in the fourth inning proved to be the difference in the team's 2-1 win. Crow-Armstrong's home run came off Tanner Gordon on a pitch that was low and out of the zone, but PCA still managed to golf it over the right-field wall. The 23-year-old lefty has 15 homers, 16 stolen bases, a .275 batting average, and a .369 wOBA. He has been one of the breakout fantasy baseball stars of the first few months of the season and is a must-play in all formats due to his versatile and consistent contributions.

Chicago Cubs catching prospect Moises Ballesteros went 1-for-3 with his fifth home run of the season on Wednesday for Triple-A Iowa. The 21-year-old was unstoppable before being called up for a brief stint in the majors and was optioned back to Iowa on May 20. Over the first four games back at Triple-A, the left-handed hitter went 2-for-17, but it seems the bat is waking back up this week, going 4-for-7 over the last two days, including a double on Tuesday and Wednesday's home run. The Cubs' backup catcher, Miguel Amaya, hit the injured list this past Sunday and is expected to be out 4-6 weeks, but instead of recalling Ballesteros, the team brought up Reese McGuire (who promptly hit two home runs in his first game after recall). McGuire is a veteran, so perhaps the first-place club is looking for some stability behind the plate to back up Carson Kelly, but Ballesteros should be back in the majors at some point later this season and could be a viable stash in two-catcher and NL-only leagues (again).