Diamondbacks' Jake McCarthy: Possible waiver wire pickups
Rotowire
A .143 (9 for 63) batting average in April earned Jake McCarthy a ticket back to Triple-A. He spent a month there performing more like we've come to expect from him (a .333 batting average, four homers, four steals) and is now back, having started three straight for the Diamondbacks, including once against a lefty. So far, he's 1 for 8 with a steal, but it's an insignificant sample, of course. More significant is that the Diamondbacks sent down a pretty good player to bring him back. Dominic Fletcher was batting over .300 and had displaced Corbin Carroll in center field (sending him to right). McCarthy got off to a slow start as a rookie, too, but ended up being a great source of stolen bases and batting average, so he's worth another look in five-outfielder Rotisserie leagues, at least.
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Diamondbacks' Jake McCarthy: Claims third straight start
Rotowire
McCarthy will start in right field and bat eighth in Sunday's game against the Red Sox.
McCarthy will man right field for the third game in a row after he went 1-for-5 with a double, a walk and a stolen base between his first two contests since returning from Triple-A Reno. With Dominic Fletcher now back in the minors, McCarthy looks like he'll handle an everyday role in the Arizona outfield. Despite his struggles over 76 plate appearances in the majors this season (.487 OPS), McCarthy makes for an intriguing speculative pickup off the waiver wire due to the stolen-base upside he displayed with Arizona in 2022.
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Diamondbacks' Jake McCarthy: Swipes bag in return to majors
Rotowire
McCarthy went 0-for-2 with a walk and a stolen base in Friday's 7-2 loss to the Red Sox.
McCarthy tore up Triple-A pitching with a .322/.410/.522 slash line, four home runs, four stolen bases, 17 RBI and 17 runs scored in 22 games over the last month. The outfielder could get another look in an everyday role, either in center field or right field, as long as he can continue his strong hitting following his call-up. At the major-league level this year, he has a .138 batting average, .464 OPS, one homer and three steals through 73 plate appearances, so he still has a ways to go to prove himself after regressing from last year's breakout campaign.
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Diamondbacks' Jake McCarthy: Returning to majors
Rotowire
The Diamondbacks are planning to recall McCarthy from Triple-A Reno on Friday, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.
McCarthy was demoted to Reno in late April after hitting just .143 with Arizona to begin the season. He's hit well in the minors since, maintaining a .410 average and .932 OPS while swiping four bags across 22 games. Dominic Fletcher was optioned in a corresponding move, leaving McCarthy as the favorite to be the primary starter in center field.
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Diamondbacks' Jake McCarthy: Optioned to Triple-A
Rotowire
McCarthy was optioned Tuesday to Triple-A Reno, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.
McCarthy had quite a bit of fantasy buzz leading into the 2023 campaign following his mini breakout in 2022, but he heads to the farm having slashed just .143/.229/.238 with one homer and two steals through 22 games (70 plate appearances) this season for the Diamondbacks. Emmanuel Rivera has been recalled in a corresponding move, though it should be Pavin Smith who benefits most from McCarthy's demotion.
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Diamondbacks' Jake McCarthy: Breaks slump
Rotowire
McCarthy went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's 7-5 loss to the Padres.
McCarthy snapped an 0-for-22 skid with an eighth-inning homer, his first of the season. The outfielder, who provided surprising fantasy value in the second half of 2022, is slashing .150/.227/.250 through 21 games. During his slump, McCarthy lost at-bats to Pavin Smith and Lourdes Gurriel.
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Diamondbacks' Jake McCarthy: Sits again Saturday
Rotowire
McCarthy remains on the bench Saturday against San Diego.
At the start of the season, McCarthy appeared primed to start against every righty as well as a handful of lefties. His off day here against Joe Musgrove means he's now been on the bench against four of the last five right-handers Arizona has faced. The loss of playing time is no surprise given that he's hitting just .143/.226/.196 on the year. Pavin Smith remains in the lineup as the designated hitter, while Lourdes Gurriel plays left field alongside Alek Thomas and Corbin Carroll.
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Diamondbacks' Jake McCarthy: Out of lineup Friday
Rotowire
McCarthy isn't in Arizona's lineup Friday against San Diego, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
McCarthy last recorded a base hit April 11, and he will take a seat again Friday. His absence opens up a spot for Pavin Smith to serve as Arizona's designated hitter and bat sixth.
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Diamondbacks' Jake McCarthy: Extends hitless run
Rotowire
McCarthy went 0-for-1 as a pinch hitter in Wednesday's 14-5 loss to St. Louis.
McCarthy is hitless over his last 15 at-bats and is batting just .154 through 17 games. Wednesday's non-start was the second straight game against a right-hander that the lefty-hitting outfielder opened on the bench. Pavin Smith, who homered for a second straight game in place of McCarthy in the starting lineup, could grab more opportunities going foward.
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Diamondbacks' Jake McCarthy: Out of lineup Wednesday
Rotowire
McCarthy will take a seat Wednesday against the Cardinals.
McCarthy will head to the bench after he went 0-for-4 with a run scored in Tuesday's 8-7 win over St. Louis. This is the second straight game against a right-hander that McCarthy is not starting. Corbin Carroll will slide over to right field while Pavin Smith enters the lineup at designated hitter and bats sixth, as the Diamondbacks attempt to finish off the series sweep.
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Diamondbacks' Jake McCarthy: Sits for second time in four games
Rotowire
McCarthy is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Cardinals.
After going hitless in 10 at-bats over his last three starts to drop his season-long average to .170, McCarthy will find himself out of the lineup for the second time in four games. Pavin Smith, who went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI in Sunday's 5-0 win over Miami, will be rewarded with a second straight start while McCarthy heads to the bench.
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Diamondbacks' Jake McCarthy: Out against lefty
Rotowire
McCarthy isn't in Arizona's starting lineup Friday against the Dodgers, Theo Mackie of The Arizona Republic reports.
After going 4-for-7 at the plate and recording a steal over Arizona's last two games, the lefty-hitting McCarthy will take a seat against the lefty-throwing Clayton Kershaw on Friday. As a result, Corbin Carroll will move over to right field and Lourdes Gurriel will play in left, giving Kyle Lewis an opportunity to serve as Arizona's DH and bat second.
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Diamondbacks' Jake McCarthy: Reaches base four times
Rotowire
McCarthy went 2-for-3 with a walk, was hit by a pitch, scored two runs and was successful on one of two attempted steals in Tuesday's 8-6 win over the Padres.
McCarthy was part of a lower-half of the order that was a key to the win. He started Arizona's four-run eighth inning with a single and stole second base before racing home with the tying run on a safety squeeze bunt by shortstop Geraldo Perdomo. McCarthy stole 23 bases (caught three times) in 99 games last season, so he has the ability to make an impact for fantasy teams.
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Diamondbacks' Jake McCarthy: Delivers game-winning hit
Rotowire
McCarthy went 1-for-3 with an RBI, a stolen base and was hit by a pitch in Sunday's 2-1 win over the Dodgers.
McCarthy laid down a drag bunt with two outs in the ninth for his first hit of the season, which delivered the game-winning run. Arizona's primary right fielder had not swung the bat well and decided to take a chance when Los Angeles first baseman Freddie Freeman dropped deep behind the bag. McCarthy went 1-for-10 during the season-opening four-game set in Los Angeles.
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Diamondbacks' Jake McCarthy: Sits against southpaw
Rotowire
McCarthy will be on the bench Saturday against the Dodgers.
Clayton Kershaw marks the second southpaw the Diamondbacks have faced in their first three games, giving us two windows into their plans for their lefty-heavy outfield this season. On Opening Day, Alek Thomas hit the bench, with Lourdes Gurriel, Corbin Carroll and McCarthy starting from left to right and Kyle Lewis serving as the designated hitter. This time around, McCarthy sits while Gurriel, Thomas and Carroll handle the outfield. Lewis will again serve as the designated hitter.
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Diamondbacks' Jake McCarthy: Plays Friday
Rotowire
McCarthy (illness) started in right field and went 1-for-3 with two RBI in Friday's spring game against the Reds.
McCarthy returned to action after missing nearly a week with an illness. He stole his second base of the spring after swiping 23 bags over 99 games in 2022. The 25-year-old will get in some plate appearances in the final days of camp to get his swing timing down.
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Diamondbacks' Jake McCarthy: Back in clubhouse
Rotowire
McCarthy (illness) returned to the clubhouse Thursday, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.
McCarthy was away from the team for five days due to the illness. He was not part of the lineup in either of Thursday's split games, as manager Torey Lovullo decided to give him another day before an expected appearance Friday. The outfielder was a fantasy surprise in the second half of 2022 but has gone just 5-for-29 (.172) in Cactus League play.
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Diamondbacks' Jake McCarthy: Scratched from lineup with flu
Rotowire
McCarthy was scratched from the Diamondbacks' Cactus League lineup Friday due to flu-like symptoms, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.
He should be ready to go in a day or two. Tim Tawa has replaced McCarthy in center field.
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Diamondbacks' Jake McCarthy: Keeps running Friday
Rotowire
McCarthy went 3-for-5 with a stolen base and a run scored in Friday's 10-4 loss to the Giants.
McCarthy finished an excellent September with 10 steals in 12 attempts across 23 games. He also hit .299 (26-for-87) this month, though he put up only four extra-base hits. The speedy outfielder's surge has him up to a .291/.353/.441 slash line with 22 steals, eight home runs, 41 RBI and 51 runs scored through 94 contests.
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Diamondbacks' Jake McCarthy: Two more steals
Rotowire
McCarthy went 2-for-5 with two stolen bases and a run scored in Wednesday's 5-2 extra-inning win over Houston.
McCarthy, who stole his 20th and 21st bases of the season, is putting the final touches on a surprising fantasy year. He bounced between the majors and minors over the first half, but the outfielder has been productive during the second half. He's slashing .305/.372/.443 with 17 steals and 32 RBI over 58 games since the break. While the Diamondbacks showcased their outfield of the future this season -- Corbin Carroll, Alek Thomas and Daulton Varsho -- McCarthy emerged as a legitimate candidate for a starting job in 2023.
