Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Joe Ross (back) left his start after just 15 pitches in the first inning on Monday against the Miami Marlins with back tightness. Manager Pat Murphy said in the dugout that Ross was dealing with some back tightness before the game but felt good enough to continue after warming up. However, Ross' back tightness returned in the first inning. In his lone inning of work, Ross gave up a hit and allowed a walk to the Marlins in the bottom of the first inning. It's unclear exactly how serious the 30-year-old's back injury is, and we probably won't know more until Tuesday. But if you have been using Ross in deeper fantasy leagues, you may want to start preparing right now just in case he has to go on the injured list. Entering Monday's game, Ross was 2-4 with a 4.61 ERA and 1.37 WHIP with 35 K's in 41 innings over his eight starts.

New York Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole (elbow), who played catch on Monday, is scheduled to face live hitters on Tuesday for the first time in his rehab process. Cole is finally moving to facing live hitters after throwing off a mound for the last couple of weeks as he tries to return from nerve irritation and edema in his right elbow. The 33-year-old hasn't pitched in a game since early in spring training in March and still has plenty of boxes to check off, but fantasy managers may finally be starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. The reigning American League Cy Young winner will eventually have to go on a minor-league rehab assignment, but if he doesn't suffer any setbacks along the way, he could make his 2024 debut before the All-Star break in the middle of July.

Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel as been confirmed as the closer going forward, according to manager Brandon Hyde. This doesn't come as much of a surprise after Kimbrel was tasked with closing down Sunday's game. The O's took a few weeks off from having Kimbrel as the closer, but he worked his way back into the role. Yennier Cano figures to return to his role as the set-up pitcher, so his fantasy value is going to take a significant hit.

Seattle Mariners manager Scott Servais said that second baseman Jorge Polanco (hamstring) will be available off the bench, if needed, against the New York Yankees in the Bronx. Josh Rojas is making another start at second base and will bat leadoff for the M's versus Yankees right-hander Marcus Stroman. Polanco is missing a fourth straight game due to a right-hamstring issue, but it appears he's getting close to a return and should avoid a trip to the injured list. The 30-year-old Dominican veteran has had a rough start to his first year in Seattle, as he's currently slashing .192/.298/.308 with five homers, 13 RBI and 15 runs scored in 146 at-bats. Rojas has exceeded expectations offensively for the M's but has come back down to Earth a bit in his last five games with just one hit and seven strikeouts in his 21 plate appearances.

Minnesota Twins outfielder Max Kepler is taking a seat on Monday with the team facing left-hander Mitchell Parker and the Washington Nationals. With Kepler getting a day off, Manuel Margot will draw into the starting lineup, playing right field and batting third for the Twins. The 31-year-old lefty-swinging Kepler has been solid in limited plate appearances against southpaws this year, but he's hit just .221 against them in over 1,000 career plate appearances. The German outfielder is hitting .303 (30-for-99) with three home runs, 17 RBI and 13 runs scored so far this year, but the underlying numbers show that he's due some regression in the average department eventually. Margot is hitting just .195 (17-for-87) this year with a homer and nine RBI, but he could be worth considering as a DFS sleeper against a young lefty out of the three-hole.

Atlanta Braves catcher Travis d'Arnaud (head) is back behind the plate and is batting fifth for the second game of a doubleheader on Monday against the visiting San Diego Padres and right-hander Randy Vasquez. It will be d'Arnaud's first game since he was removed from Friday's game against San Diego early as a precaution after he dealt with dizziness from being hit by a foul tip. The good news is that the 35-year-old veteran avoided a concussion and a trip to the seven-day concussion list. His fantasy value remains high with Sean Murphy (oblique) still working his way back from an injury. d'Arnaud is also hitting .255/.336/.500 with an .836 OPS, five home runs, 16 RBI and 15 runs scored in his 102 at-bats so far in 2024. He's never faced Vasquez in his career.

New York Mets designated hitter J.D. Martinez (illness) is back at DH and is batting cleanup for the Mets on Monday against the Cleveland Guardians and right-hander Ben Lively. Martinez was held out of Sunday's lineup in the series finale against the Miami Marlins due to flu-like symptoms but is feeling good enough to return to action against a pitcher he's never faced in his career. The 36-year-old right-handed slugger got a late start to the 2024 campaign after signing with the Mets late. He opened the year playing in minor leagues to get his timing at the plate down, and it seems to have worked, as he's currently hitting .315/.359/.466 with two home runs in his first 21 games of the season. Fantasy managers will want to get the veteran DH back in their starting lineups to begin the week.

San Diego Padres second baseman Xander Bogaerts (shoulder) was removed from the first game of Monday's doubleheader against the Atlanta Braves with a left-shoulder injury, but preliminary imaging came back negative. It's good news for now, but the Padres are awaiting further results. Even if Bogaerts avoids a serious injury, he's out of Game 2 of the double dip in Atlanta on Monday and could miss more time heading into Tuesday's series opener against the Reds in Cincinnati. The 31-year-old injured his shoulder while diving for a ball up the middle. For now, fantasy managers will want to consider him day-to-day until further notice. Luis Arraez is at second base and batting leadoff in Game 2 of the doubleheader. Before getting hurt on Monday, Bogaerts went hitless in his lone at-bat to drop his season average to a weak .219. Both Arraez and Tyler Wade are options to play the keystone if Bogaerts misses extended time.

Toronto Blue Jays outfielder George Springer will bat sixth against the Chicago White Sox on Monday. Springer started the season as the Blue Jays' leadoff hitter, but his recent struggles at the plate have pushed him down in the order. He will bat sixth for the third straight game, where he has seen some success. The 34-year-old went 1-for-2 with one double, one RBI, and two walks in Sunday's 5-2 win. Hitting the veteran lower in the order should result in more RBI opportunities, and Toronto is hoping it helps him turn a corner on offense. He is batting just .201 with three home runs and eight RBI this season.

San Diego Padres second baseman Xander Bogaerts left Game 1 of Monday's doubleheader against the Atlanta Braves early after injuring what appeared to be his shoulder on a diving attempt in the bottom of the third inning. Bogaerts immediately favored his shoulder before trainers took him off the field. With a quick turnaround, it's safe to say that the veteran will likely not be available for Game 2. Tyler Wade took his spot at second base in the third inning, and he could see more playing time if Bogaerts misses an extended time.

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Yu Darvish was nearly unhittable on Sunday, throwing seven shutout innings of two-hit ball in a 9-1 win over the Atlanta Braves. This marks back-to-back Sunday Night Baseball victories for Darvish, who posted an eerily similar line last week against the Dodgers. In both outings he went seven innings and allowed zero runs, two hits, and a walk. The only difference is that he managed two more strikeouts in this one, totaling nine compared to seven last week. The dominant performance lowered his ERA to 2.08 and his WHIP to 0.90. He should be an easy start in all fantasy leagues after stellar outings against two of the best offenses in baseball and his streak of not allowing an earned run reaching 26 IP.

Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel was asked with holding a three-run lead during Sunday's game against the Seattle Mariners. The veteran right-hander was removed from the closer role in early May. Hopefully for fantasy managers, Kimbrel is now getting eased back into the role. He was given a three-run lead and the bottom of the Mariners batting order on Sunday. He struck out two batters in a scoreless inning of work. It remains to be seen if Kimbrel has earned his closer role back.

Houston Astros first baseman Jose Abreu could return to the majors on Friday, according to general manager Dana Brown. Abreu will play in a few more minor-league games before the team makes their decision. The veteran slugger was sent down to the Florida Complex League after a horrific start to the season that saw him carrying a .099/.156/.113 slash line. Jon Singleton has seen most of the playing time at first base while Abreu has been away. Singleton could continue to see action even when Abreu comes back as there is no guarantee that Abreu will return to an everyday role.

New York Yankees reliever Tommy Kahnle (shoulder) could return to the majors on Wednesday, according to manager Aaron Boone. Kahnle made multiple relief appearances with Double-A Somerset over the weekend and did not allow a run in any outing. The 34-year-old has been sidelined since last season with shoulder inflammation, but he is finally nearing a return. Kahnle has been an effective bullpen piece throughout his career as evidenced by his 2.66 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 48:19 K:BB across 42 games last season. He is a decent option for managers in leagues that track holds as a scoring category.

Atlanta Braves catcher Travis d'Arnaud (head) is not in the starting lineup for Sunday's game against the San Diego Padres. The veteran backstop left Friday's game after taking a foul ball off of his mask. He reportedly felt dizzy after the incident, but he was not diagnosed with a concussion and is considered day-to-day. Chadwick Tromp will start behind the plate and bat ninth while d'Arnaud recovers. Tromp has minimal fantasy appeal, especially with Sean Murphy (oblique) inching closer to a return.

Texas Rangers starting pitchers Nathan Eovaldi (groin) and Dane Dunning (shoulder) are both scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Sunday, according to manager Bruce Bochy. Assuming all goes well, Dunning may return to the Rangers' starting rotation at some point this week. The 29-year-old is a viable streaming option in the right matchups and owns a 4.10 ERA through seven starts in 2024. Eovaldi's return is a little more unclear as he continues to progress through his recovery. The 34-year-old is worthy of being stashed in the majority of formats as he was off to a strong start prior to the injury.

New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole (elbow) threw a bullpen session on Saturday, and his fastball was clocking in at the low 90s. Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake said that Cole is "one notch ahead of your typical spring training progression." This means that the reigning AL Cy Young winner has a chance to face live hitters sometime next week. However, the 33-year-old is still several weeks away from a return, which could be somewhere around the mid-June or early July timetable. Cole should be rostered in all formats and will be inserted at the top of the Yankees rotation when he returns. This will likely send either Luis Gill or Clarke Schmidt to the bullpen if the Yankees opt to continue with a five-man starting rotation. However, both pitchers have performed quite well with a 2.39 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, and 2.49 ERA,1.13 WHIP, respectively, and could push the Yankees into having a six-man rotation.

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith (rest) is out of the starting lineup ahead of the game against the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday. Fantasy managers don't have anything to worry about as this appears to be a routine rest day for Smith. In his absence, Austin Barnes will handle behind the plate and bat ninth on Sunday. Fantasy managers should be able to find a better streaming option considering Barnes isn't known for his ability with the bat.

Seattle Mariners second baseman Jorge Polanco (hamstring) remains out of the starting lineup on Sunday against the Orioles in Baltimore. It will be the fifth straight game that Polanco has missed with a hamstring injury that could very well land him on the injured list. Outfielder Jonatan Clase, the team's No. 10 prospect per MLB Pipeline, is on the team's taxi squad right now and could join the active roster if Polanco lands on the injured list. On top of his injury, the 30-year-old Polanco has been a huge disappointment in his first year in Seattle, hitting just .192 (28-for-146) with five home runs, 13 RBI and 15 runs scored in 41 games played. Josh Rojas is getting another start at second base and is hitting leadoff against Orioles right-hander Corbin Burnes. Rojas is hitting .111 in nine career at-bats against Burnes. The 29-year-old is bound to cool off at the plate, but there's no ignoring the fact he's currently hitting .311 (37-for-119) with three homers, nine RBI and four steals.

New York Mets outfielder Starling Marte will not start on Sunday against the Marlins in Miami. It appears to just be a normal day of rest for the 35-year-old veteran. DJ Stewart is getting the start in right field for the Mets and will hit cleanup against Marlins right-hander Sixto Sanchez. Marte has stayed healthy so far this year through 183 plate appearances and is currently slashing .266/.313/.379 with four home runs, 16 RBI, eight stolen bases and 22 runs scored for the Mets. He should be back in the lineup on Monday for the series opener against the Cleveland Guardians. Stewart has some thump in his lumber with four home runs in 35 games in 2024, but he's also hitting just .203 (15-for-74) with 16 RBI, 19 walks and 19 strikeouts. He has never faced Sanchez in his career.