Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler delivered another strong performance in Thursday's victory over the visiting Texas Rangers, striking out five batters and allowing just two runs on five hits and two walks over seven innings for his sixth win of the campaign. Wheeler has been a quality-start machine in 2024, with Thursday's showing already being his eighth out of 11 appearances this year. The early favorite to bring home his first National League Cy Young Award, the 33-year-old All-Star right-hander owns an outstanding 2.53 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, and 76:21 K:BB over 67 2/3 frames as Philly's ace this season. Wheeler's next act is slated to arrive during Tuesday's scheduled start against the San Francisco Giants at the pitcher-friendly Oracle Park, where he'll once again be one of the top fantasy plays on the slate.

Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Kevin Gausman shined in Thursday's victory on the road over the Detroit Tigers, fanning a season-high 10 batters while throwing six innings of one-run ball on three hits and two walks for his third win of the campaign. It was almost certainly Gausman's finest effort of the season, as it was his first double-digit strikeout performance this year. The 33-year-old strikeout machine missed some time during spring training due to injury, and while he has work to do to improve on his lackluster 4.47 ERA and 1.43 WHIP through 10 starts, Gausman's superb 53:13 K:BB is a reason for optimism. Tuesday's matchup against the last-place Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field marks Gausman's next projected start, a prime opportunity for Toronto's ace to right the ship further.

Chicago White Sox manager Chris Getz said during Thursday's game against the visiting Baltimore Orioles that designated hitter Eloy Jimenez (hamstring) is expected to miss "a month or so." It specifies Jimenez's return timetable after manager Pedro Grifol stated earlier on Thursday that an extended absence was in store for the outfielder as he recovers from a strained left hamstring, which he sustained in Monday's contest against the Toronto Blue Jays. The oft-injured 27-year-old slugger may have stolen a career-high three bases across 36 games as Chicago's everyday DH before going down, but he was slashing a career-worst .231/.288/.381 with five home runs, five doubles, and 12 RBI through 134 at-bats. Jimenez isn't the strongest stash in most fantasy leagues.

San Francisco Giants manager Bob Melvin says it's unlikely that outfielder Michael Conforto (hamstring) will be activated from the 10-day injured list in time for the club's series that starts on Friday against the New York Mets. After hitting the IL back on May 12, Conforto has ramped up his running progression but likely hasn't progressed quickly enough in his rehab from a strained right hamstring to return to the Giants when first eligible this weekend. The 31-year-old former New York Met was slashing a respectable .280/.331/.490 with seven home runs, seven doubles, and 20 RBI in 38 games (143 at-bats) as San Fran's everyday left fielder before getting hurt, and he's a decent stash in the majority of fantasy leagues. In Conforto's absence, former first-rounder Heliot Ramos is worth a look in NL-only formats while hitting .296 (16-for-54) with two homers, nine RBI, and one stolen base over 14 outings this year.

The Texas Rangers transferred starting pitcher Cody Bradford (back/rib) to the 60-day injured list on Thursday. Not much of a surprise here, as Bradford said on Sunday that he was shut down from throwing again because he wasn't recovering quickly enough between sessions. The 26-year-old upstart left-hander had gone 3-0 with a 1.40 ERA and 0.62 WHIP while striking out 17 and walking just two over three starts (19 1/3 innings) out of Texas' rotation before going down, ranking among the American League's leaders in wins, opponent average, and ERA at the time of his injury, but he's becoming a tougher stash in fantasy without a clear timeline for a return. With six starters now sitting on the shelf, the Rangers will have to dig into their bullpen as well as their farm system for pitching help until they get healthier.

San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado went 1-for-5 with two RBI during Thursday's 6-4 win over the Cincinnati Reds. The 31-year-old has not had the best year at the plate in 2024 and has not hit a home run since May 3. Machado owns a .230/.279/.361 slash line with five homers, 27 RBI and two stolen bases across 48 games. We may be watching Machado's decline happen in real time as he is on pace for some of the worst numbers of his career. Despite the slow start, he is still a top-10 fantasy option at third base due to the lack of depth at the position.

Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Tyler Wells (elbow) has been cleared to resume throwing. Wells has been sidelined since the middle of April after experiencing right elbow inflammation. The 29-year-old may be on the road to recovery, but his return is still likely several weeks away. He produced a solid season in 2023 with a 7-6 record, 3.64 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 117:34 K:BB across 25 appearances. He is not worth stashing in the majority of fantasy leagues but could offer some value to fantasy managers later in the season when he is back on the mound.

Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr. (hip) will start a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte on Tuesday. The talented 26-year-old recently started appearing in game action again in the Arizona Complex League. Robert has been out since April 6 with a hip-flexor strain and has dealt with injuries in the past. He is still worthy of a stash in all fantasy formats as he possesses significant upside even with the unappealing team around him. Robert will surely need a few rehab appearances to get back into the swing of things, but the expectation is that he will return to the team in early June.

Atlanta Braves pitching prospect AJ Smith-Shawver looked good in his season debut on Thursday as he tossed 4 1/3 scoreless innings in a 3-0 win over the Chicago Cubs. He struck out four batters while walking two. The 21-year-old is the Braves' top prospect and has a legitimate chance at sticking in the team's starting rotation. Despite the impressive outing, Smith-Shawver has struggled at Triple-A Gwinnett this season to the tune of a 6.10 ERA and 1.52 WHIP across eight starts. He tentatively lines up to face the Washington Nationals in his next start and would be a solid streaming option for that contest. Nevertheless, fantasy managers may want to temper expectations a little bit as there are sure to be some growing pains in store.

Chicago Cubs pitcher Ben Brown allowed one hit over four scoreless innings during Thursday's 3-0 loss to the Atlanta Braves. The rookie right-hander struck out six batters while issuing two walks. It was an impressive showing for the 24-year-old in his fifth start (and 12th appearance) of the season. Brown has been a solid option for the Cubs this year as evidenced by his 3.20 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 45:15 K:BB through 39 1/3 innings. He will most likely line up for a start against the Milwaukee Brewers early next week and is worth a speculative add in deeper leagues.

Chicago White Sox designated hitter Eloy Jimenez (hamstring) will miss an extended amount of time with his most recent injury, according to manager Pedro Grifol. The 27-year-old was placed on the 10-day injured list on Wednesday with a left hamstring strain. Jimenez heading to the shelf is a familiar sight for fantasy managers throughout the years as the former top prospect has dealt with a multitude of injuries over his MLB career. He has not hit over 20 home runs in a season since his rookie year in 2019. At this point, there is no real reason to keep Jimenez on any fantasy rosters with an extended absence looming.

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos put on a power display as the Phillies completed a sweep of the defending World Series-champion Texas Rangers on Thursday, going 2-for-4 with a solo home run to raise his batting average on the year to just .206. Castellanos' solo home run in the seventh inning gave the team an insurance run at 5-2 late in the game. The 32-year-old veteran two-time All-Star came into the day hitting just .200 on the year, and his long ball on Thursday was just his fifth in 51 games played. Castellanos definitely isn't the higher-average hitter he was earlier in his career, but he still figures to be a pretty good buy-low candidate in fantasy circles who will also continue to get plenty of RBI opportunities in a potent Phillies lineup. His homer on Thursday was the first time clearing the fences since May 12.

The Detroit Tigers optioned right-hander Alex Lange to Triple-A Toledo on Thursday and recalled right-hander Mason Englert from Toledo in a corresponding move. The move to demote Lange to the minors comes a day after he gave up four earned runs in one inning of work in the team's loss to the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday. The 28-year-old opened the year as Detroit's closer but will now try to figure some things out in the minors after going 0-3 so far in 2024 with a career-worst 4.34 ERA (3.94 FIP), a 1.77 WHIP, two saves, 17 walks and 21 strikeouts in 18 2/3 innings out of the bullpen. Lange had a career-high 26 saves for the Tigers last year but has fallen on hard times so far this year, mainly for his inability to control the strike zone. He should be back in Detroit eventually, but he's not guaranteed to win the closer role back from Jason Foley.

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge hit his 15th home run of the season in the team's 5-0 shutout win over the visiting Seattle Mariners in the series finale at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday. Judge finished the contest 2-for-2 with a double, solo home run, two runs scored and two walks to boost his season average to .276 and his OPS to 1.027. His homer off right-hander Luis Castillo gave the Bombers a 2-0 lead early in the game, and they never looked back with Luis Gil dominating on the mound for the Yanks yet again. Judge didn't look all that great in the first month of the season in April, but those concerns have quickly evaporated, as he entered Thursday's game with a .373 average (25-for-67) with eight homers, 16 RBI and 18 walks in 20 games in May. Judge is locked in right now and needs to be in fantasy lineups every day.

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.

The Pittsburgh Pirates optioned outfielder Jack Suwinski to Triple-A Indianapolis on Thursday and recalled left-hander Jose Hernandez from the minors in a corresponding move. Suwinski is being shipped down to the farm to work on his swing after struggling so far this year to a .174/.268/.297 slash line with four home runs, 13 RBI, five stolen bases and 16 runs scored in 138 at-bats. The 25-year-old left-handed hitter should eventually be back in Pittsburgh, but he probably won't be anything more than a platoon center fielder. With Suwinski in the minors for the time being, it should open up more playing time in the outfield for Ji Hwan Bae and Connor Joe, which will in turn open up more action for the lefty-hitting Rowdy Tellez at first base in Pittsburgh.

Cincinnati Reds left-hander Brandon Williamson (shoulder) went 3 2/3 innings in his latest minor-league rehab start on Sunday for Triple-A Louisville, allowing one earned run on five hits while walking just one and striking out four in a no-decision. The 26-year-old was making his first rehab start with Louisville but his second overall after pitching for High-A Dayton on May 14. Williamson is likely going to need another rehab start or two before being an option to join Cincinnati's starting rotation. He's been on the IL all year with a left-shoulder strain but may have to settle for a role out of the bullpen for the Reds when he's ready to return if he's not sent back to the minors when he's activated. The former second-rounder by the Seattle Mariners in 2019 out of TCU had a 4.46 ERA and 1.28 WHIP with 39 walks and 98 K's in his first 23 MLB starts in 2023.

The Cincinnati Reds placed right-hander Emilio Pagan (triceps) on the 15-day injured list on Thursday due to right-triceps tightness. The move comes after Pagan had not appeared out of the Reds' bullpen since Sunday due to the injury. The 33-year-old veteran setup man had an MRI exam come back negative, so there's hope that he can return to the big-league roster when his 15 days are up. Pagan is a key setup man for the Reds in front of closer Alexis Diaz in his first year in Cincinnati and is currently sporting a 2-3 record, 4.19 ERA (4.32 FIP) and 1.34 WHIP with seven walks and 25 strikeouts in 19 1/3 relief innings. With Pagan out of the picture for at least the next two weeks, the Reds will need setup men Fernando Cruz and Lucas Sims to step up in high-leverage roles.

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.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder TJ Friedl (thumb) is back to hitting flips and continues to progress. He's working toward getting back to taking batting practice soon. Friedl suffered a fractured left thumb 11 days ago but is already swinging a bat and is progressing nicely. If the 28-year-old doesn't suffer a setback with his thumb once he starts to take batting practice, he should be sent on a minor-league rehab assignment shortly after that. Surprisingly, Friedl is on track to return from the 10-day injured list when he's eligible early next month. When healthy, Friedl should be a lineup regular, at least against right-handed pitching, after hitting 18 home runs, driving in 66 and stealing 27 bases in a breakout 2023 campaign. He's been unlucky with injuries so far in 2024, though, and is currently hitting .182 (4-for-22) with no homers, two RBI and two steals.