New York Yankees right-hander Luis Gil was absolutely outstanding in his sixth win of the season on Thursday against the visiting Seattle Mariners, holding them to just one hit over 6 1/3 shutout innings while walking two and striking out eight to lower his season ERA to a very stingy 2.11. The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal said on Thursday that his guess is that the Yankees are likely to "back off" Gil in order to have him as a factor for the playoffs once ace Gerrit Cole (elbow) makes his season debut. Gil isn't necessarily on an innings limit this year, but it is his first full season since having Tommy John surgery in 2022. The 25-year-old has now struck out 22 hitters in his last two starts covering 12 1/3 innings. Cole still has a ways to go before he's back in the Yankees' starting rotation, and fantasy managers should continue to roll Gil out there during his brilliant season. He's scheduled to face the Angels in his next outing next Wednesday.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Jake Fraley (hand) still has swelling on the outside of his right hand after being hit by a pitch on Tuesday. Fraley said he was going to try and take some swings to test it on Thursday, but he remained out of the starting lineup for the series finale versus the visiting San Diego Padres. X-rays came back negative on the 28-year-old left-handed hitter's hand, so he's considered day-to-day for now. If Fraley feels better while testing his hand on Thursday, he could return to the lineup at some point this weekend for a series against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers. When healthy, Fraley is an option for fantasy managers in deeper leagues and in DFS lineups against right-handed pitching. The former second-rounder by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2016 out of LSU is currently hitting .272/.333/.359 with a homer, seven RBI and seven steals in 103 at-bats.

New York Yankees starting pitcher Nestor Cortes did not give up a run on his way to picking up the win in Wednesday's 7-3 victory over the Mariners. It was the second straight start that Cortes did not allow an earned run, and in Wednesday's outing, the lefty went five innings, allowing three hits and three walks while striking out six. The win pushed his record to 3-4 on the year and lowered his ERA to 3.29. The southpaw also sports a 1.07 WHIP and a solid 18.2% K-BB%. The 29-year-old will draw the Angels in his next start which will be next Tuesday in Anaheim.

Miami Marlins closer Tanner Scott earned his sixth save of 2024 in Wednesday's win over the visiting Milwaukee Brewers, fanning one and allowing one hit before locking down the shutout victory. William Contreras singled to get Christian Yelich to the plate and make things interesting in a one-run ballgame, but Scott got Yelich to ground out to wrap this one up. The 29-year-old left-hander remains manager Skip Schumaker's preferred ninth-inning man despite the return of fellow southpaw A.J. Puk to Miami's bullpen, and he hasn't surrendered an earned run in 14 straight appearances with five saves during this span. Scott owns a dicey 22:18 K:BB through 21 innings overall, however, and he could be on the move at July's trade deadline with many anticipating for the Marlins to host a fire sale later this summer. That makes Scott a sell-high piece in fantasy leagues.

Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Luis Garcia was tasked with holding a one-run lead in the ninth inning of Wednesday's game against the Houston Astros. The right-hander blew the lead during the seventh inning of Tuesday's game. Despite that, Garcia was given another chance and worked a perfect ninth inning to earn his third save of the season. Garcia has been busy pitching in four of the last five games. The Angels bullpen situation is a little messy with Carlos Estevez as the primary closer, but Adam Cimber and Garcia are in the mix as well.

Texas Rangers outfielder Adolis Garcia (forearm) is back in the starting lineup on Wednesday against the Philadelphia Phillies and right-hander Taijuan Walker, serving as the designated hitter and batting cleanup. Derek Hill is making another start in right field and will hit in the eight-hole for the Rangers. Garcia injured his right forearm during a collision with second baseman Marcus Semien and was held out for the team's last two games. But the injury wasn't serious, and the 31-year-old right-handed slugger needs to be returned to all fantasy lineups as he takes on Walker, who he has never faced in his career. The two-time All-Star has opened his 2024 campaign with a .251/.297/.491 slash line with 11 home runs, nine doubles, 35 RBI, four stolen bases and 24 runs scored in 46 games. However, he's slumping a bit in May, going 13-for-69 (.188) with three homers, 10 RBI and 24 K's in 17 games.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Jake Fraley (hand) is not in the team's starting lineup for the second game of the series on Wednesday against the visiting San Diego Padres. Fraley was hit by a pitch on his right hand in the first inning of Tuesday's win over the Friars and was forced to leave the contest. The good news is that X-rays came back negative, but Fraley will take a seat for this one and yield right-field duties to Nick Martini, who was recalled from the minors on Tuesday. Martini is hitting seventh in the batting order against Padres right-hander Michael King. Fantasy managers that have been deploying Fraley in starting lineups will need to bench him and check back on Thursday to see if he's active for the series finale. Martini comes into Wednesday's game hitting just .177 (14-for-79) with three homers and 15 RBI this year for the Reds.

Detroit Tigers right-hander Shelby Miller (elbow) completed a successful bullpen session on Tuesday. It was the first time that he had thrown off a mound since going on the injured list on May 13 with right ulnar nerve inflammation. The 33-year-old veteran will need to slowly build his arm back up with several more bullpen sessions before he's cleared to face live hitters in batting practice sessions or on a minor-league rehab assignment. Given the fact that Miller is now in a relief role, it shouldn't take him as long to return, which means he has a shot to come off the injured list before June. Miller isn't really on the fantasy radar at all and is currently 3-4 in 2024 with a 4.41 ERA (4.37 FIP) and 1.04 WHIP with six walks and 15 strikeouts in 16 1/3 innings pitched in 15 appearances out of Detroit's bullpen.

Atlanta Braves catcher Sean Murphy (oblique) went 1-for-3 with a 449-foot home run, two runs scored and a walk in his first minor-league rehab game on Tuesday night for Triple-A Gwinnett while playing seven innings behind the plate. Not only was it a good sign to see the 29-year-old hit a no-doubt blast to straightaway center field in this one, he also stayed in the game longer than expected at catcher, so he must be feeling pretty good after suffering a Grade 1 left-oblique strain on March 29. In addition to his monstrous long ball, Murphy threw out the only runner that attempted to steal on him. Murphy will get Wednesday off before starting again on Thursday. He's likely to play in a couple more rehab games before coming off the injured list later this weekend. Murphy will probably be eased back in with the Braves, but his impending return is going to mean less playing time for Travis d'Arnaud.

New York Yankees relief pitcher Tommy Kahnle (shoulder) is expected to be recalled from Double-A Somerset on Wednesday, per the Athletic's Chris Kirschner. Left-handed pitcher Clayton Andrews was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after Tuesday's game in a corresponding move. Kahnle has been out with shoulder inflammation since last season but compiled a solid 2.66 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and 29.1% strikeout rate with 14 holds in 40 2/3 innings pitched. Given his higher-leverage usage and strong team context, Jahnle will be worth a look in deeper saves-plus-holds leagues.

Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said that right-hander Dane Dunning (shoulder) will be ready to come off the injured list and start on Wednesday in Philadelphia against the Phillies. Dunning is making his return from a right rotator-cuff strain that put him on the injured list earlier this month. The 29-year-old didn't go on a minor-league rehab assignment and has gone beyond five innings just twice (in his first two starts) so far in 2024, so fantasy managers shouldn't be expecting him to go very deep in one of the tougher matchups in his return on Wednesday. The former 29th overall pick by the Washington Nationals in 2016 out of Florida has a decent 4.10 ERA and 1.15 WHIP with 43 strikeouts in 37 1/3 innings over his seven starts. Dunning has a 48.9% hard-hit rate but also a strong 31% whiff rate, making him a pretty polarizing fantasy asset.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Jake Fraley (hand) left Tuesday's game against the visiting San Diego Padres after being hit in the right hand by a pitch in the first inning. X-rays were negative for a fracture, but Fraley has swelling and will get looked at on Wednesday. Stuart Fairchild entered the game, and he would be in line for an uptick in at-bats in Cincy's outfield if Fraley needs to miss additional time beyond Tuesday. The 28-year-old Fraley is slashing a modest .272/.333/.359 with 17 runs scored and seven stolen bases through 103 at-bats in 2024, but he's going through a power outage with just one home run and seven RBI in 36 games. Consider the right fielder day-to-day ahead of Wednesday's meeting with San Diego, but it's fair to expect Fraley to get at least one day off with the injury.

Texas Rangers outfielder Adolis Garcia (forearm) remains out of the starting lineup on Tuesday against the Philadelphia Phillies. Derek Hill was called up from Triple-A Round Rock and will get the start in right field on Tuesday while batting eighth against Phillies left-hander Ranger Suarez. Garcia was scratched from Sunday's lineup with right-forearm discomfort after colliding with second baseman Marcus Semien on Saturday. The good news is that the 31-year-old right-handed slugger isn't suffering from a serious injury and could be back in the lineup as early as Wednesday's contest in Philly. When healthy and in the lineup, Garcia is a must-start in all fantasy formats, despite the fact he's hit just .188 (13-for-69) with three homers and 10 RBI in 17 games in May. Overall, he's batting .251 with 11 long balls, 35 RBI and four steals in 175 at-bats.

New York Yankees starting pitcher Marcus Stroman took a tough-luck no-decision in Monday's defeat to the visiting Seattle Mariners, allowing one run on three hits and one walk with six strikeouts over 7 1/3 innings. Dominic Canzone took Stroman deep in the eighth inning, but the hurler posted his second straight quality start despite witnessing closer Clay Holmes implode for a blown save in the ninth. The 33-year-old two-time All-Star will take an improved 3.05 WHIP, 1.30 WHIP, and 48:26 K:BB over 56 innings (10 starts) for the Yankees into his next scheduled start against the San Diego Padres on Saturday at Petco Park. Despite the tough matchup on paper, Stroman is 3-0 with a microscopic 0.47 ERA and 21:8 K:BB in three appearances versus the Padres since 2021.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez (3-2) had a night to forget Monday, allowing eight runs on 10 hits while recording just three strikeouts with one walk in a 9-7 loss to the Los Angeles Angels. Every starting pitcher, even the best ones, is due for a dud start now and then. The part that stings the most was that Valdez was cruising into the fifth inning with a five-run lead before the home run barrage began. The former all-star lefty allowed a three-run home run to Nolan Schanuel. Then, a few batters later, back-to-back home runs, surrendering a three-run homer by Logan O'Hoppe followed by a solo shot from Jo Adell. It's important to note that Valdez strayed away from the game plan, which was confirmed in his post-game interview: "Yainer (Diaz) did a really good job calling pitches. I was the one that decided to try and change the game plan. I had to deal with the consequences," Valdez said. Valdez should have stuck to the game plan, as going rogue skyrocketed his ERA over a whole run from a 2.95 ERA to a 4.32 ERA. Despite the ugly outing, Valdez belongs in all fantasy lineups moving forward, especially when the Astros take on the Oakland A's for his next start.

The New York Mets released infielder Joey Wendle on Monday after he was designated for assignment last week. Wendle is now free to sign with any team in baseball to provide some veteran infield depth. The 34-year-old was cut by the Mets after going 8-for-36 (.222) with no home runs and just one RBI in 37 plate appearances over 18 games this year. Wendle was a first-time All-Star in 2021 in his final season with the Tampa Bay Rays, when he hit .265 (122-for-460) with a career-high 11 home runs, 54 RBI and eight stolen bases in 136 games played. Since then, he's hit .237 with five home runs, 53 RBI and 20 teals in 231 games with the Miami Marlins and Mets. Wendle will likely be signed to a minor-league pact if he latches on with another team. Avoid him in all fantasy leagues for now.

Los Angeles Dodgers closer Evan Phillips (hamstring) will need to make either two or three appearances during a minor-league rehab assignment before being activated from the injured list. There was some optimism that Phillips could rejoin LA's bullpen sometime this weekend, but he won't be ready to return from a strained right hamstring for about another week in all likelihood. In 14 appearances before hitting the shelf, the 29-year-old right-hander allowed a lone run while striking out 17, walking four, and converting each of his eight save chances over 13 2/3 innings of work as the Dodgers' closer. Veteran Daniel Hudson remains the best bet for fantasy managers trying to find some saves in Phillips' absence, registering a 2.84 ERA, 0.79 WHIP, and a sublime 20:1 K:BB with two saves over 19 innings, but he hasn't had very many save opportunities.

Seattle Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford (oblique) went through a pre-game warmup at Yankee Stadium on Monday and told the team he was ready to go. However, he's not in the starting lineup against the New York Yankees, and the Mariners are likely waiting to reinstate him from the injured list and return him to the starting lineup for the second game of the series on Tuesday. Dylan Moore is going to get one more game to serve as Seattle's starting shortstop. He's at the 6 and is batting sixth against Yankees right-hander Marcus Stroman. Crawford has been out since the end of April with a Grade 1 right-oblique strain but is on the cusp of a return. Fantasy managers in deeper leagues will be hoping Crawford can turn things around offensively when he's back, as he'll be returning to a .198/.296/.302 slash line with two homers and nine RBI.UPDATE: Crawford was activated from the injured list on Monday but wasn't included in the starting lineup.

Texas Rangers outfielder Adolis Garcia (forearm), who was scratched from Sunday's lineup against the Los Angeles Angels due to a right-forearm injury that he suffered during a collision with Marcus Semien on Saturday, could be available for Tuesday's series opener against the Philadelphia Phillies after tests didn't show any structural damage in his arm. The Rangers have a scheduled off day on Monday, which is great news for the 31-year-old slugger. Like many of the Texas hitters, Garcia has struggled in May, batting .188 (13-for-69) with three home runs, 10 RBI and 24 strikeouts in 74 plate appearances over 17 games. However, fantasy managers will need to return Garcia to their starting lineups if he's back in the fold on Tuesday. In 175 total at-bats in 2024, he's hitting .251/.297/.491 with 11 home runs, 35 RBI, four stolen bases and 24 runs scored for the reigning champs.

Tampa Bay Rays infielder Isaac Paredes smashed his ninth home run of the season in Sunday's loss to the division-rival Toronto Blue Jays, but his team still fell 5-2 in the defeat. Paredes' ninth-inning two-run homer off Jays right-hander Zach Pop helped force Toronto to summon closer Jordan Romano to finish off the game, keeping Paredes' on-base streak alive. Over his current 18-game on-base streak, the 25-year-old former top prospect is batting a scorching .375 (24-for-64) with three homers, four doubles, 10 RBI, 11 walks, and eight runs scored as Tampa's everyday third baseman. Look for Paredes to stay productive in an upcoming three-game series against the visiting Boston Red Sox beginning on Monday, as he's hitting .271 with three long balls, seven RBI, and six runs scored in 13 games against the Boston since 2023.