Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Charlie Morton withstood seven innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday. The 39-year-old struck out nine batters and surrendered three runs for a quality start, but took a loss after Atlanta was beaten 3-2. Morton has fanned nine batters or more on four occasions in his 11 starts this year. The two-time All-Star has been fairly dependable overall, registering a 3.62 ERA with 72 punchouts in 64 2/3 innings. A 1.44 WHIP, however, remains a bit suspect. Morton tentatively faces the New York Mets next on Thursday, when he'll be seeking his first win since May 15.

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve is absent from the lineup on Saturday against the Los Angeles Angels. This is just a day of rest for the veteran second baseman who came off the IL about three weeks ago after fracturing his right thumb in the World Baseball Classic. Mauricio Dubon is leading off and taking over at second base in Altuve's place against Patrick Sandoval and the Halos.

The Milwaukee Brewers placed first baseman Darin Ruf (knee) and outfielder Tyrone Taylor (elbow) on the 10-day injured list on Saturday and recalled first baseman Jon Singleton and outfielder Blake Perkins from Triple-A Nashville in corresponding moves. Ruf suffered a right-knee laceration in Friday's game against the Cincinnati Reds, while Taylor is dealing with a right-elbow sprain. Ruf had only played in 11 games for Milwaukee and had just five hits in 26 at-bats with no home runs. Rowdy Tellez will continue to operate as the primary first baseman, with Singletary backing him up. Taylor opened this season on the IL with the same injury, so the 29-year-old is likely to miss extended time.

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg (ribs, shoulder) has been completely shut down from any rehab activities for more than a month, according to three people familiar with the situation, and there is increasing doubt that he'll ever pitch again. The 34-year-old right-hander hasn't pitched in a game since last June, when he was trying to return from surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome. Three people have described his complications as "severe nerve damage." His current plan is to rest and see if he can manage the nerve issues enough to make another attempt at pitching, but it doesn't look promising. Strasburg still has three seasons left on his seven-year, $245 million deal he signed in December of 2019. It's a disappointing situation for everyone involved, and Strasburg obviously shouldn't be rostered in fantasy formats at this point.

Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Darin Ruf (knee) exited Friday's loss to the Cincinnati Reds. The veteran suffered a right knee laceration in the third inning after running into the tarp while going after a foul ball. Ruf needed stitches to close the wound, with Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reporting that the 36-year-old was "banged-up pretty badly." He was replaced in the game by Rowdy Tellez, who went 0-for-4 while striking out twice. That said, Ruf could miss time. But considering he's hitting .192 this season, an extended layoff shouldn't negatively impact many fantasy managers.

New York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo (neck) is back in the starting lineup on Friday, playing first base and batting third against the Los Angeles Dodgers and left-hander Clayton Kershaw. Rizzo has been dealing with neck issues this week and missed the previous three games, but he'll be back in there for the start of a three-game weekend series on Friday at Dodgers Stadium. Many fantasy managers may be hesitant to return him to their starting lineups while opposing Kershaw, but Rizzo has gone 18-for-43 (.419) with three doubles, a homer and seven RBI in 50 plate appearances against lefties in 2023. Overall, he's hit a very solid .304 (62-for-204) with 11 home runs and 32 RBI. Get Rizzo back into your starting lineups.

Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Brandon Belt (illness) is back in the lineup on Friday as the designated hitter while batting cleanup against right-hander Justin Verlander and the New York Mets. Belt has been a bit under the weather this week, but he's feeling better now and will return for the start of a weekend series against the Mets in Queens. The 35-year-old veteran left-handed hitter is batting a mediocre .256 (32-for-125) on the season with 10 doubles, two home runs and 12 RBI in 40 games, but he had a much more productive month of May by hitting .333 (22-for-66) with six doubles, a homer and seven RBI in 23 games played. Belt has faced Verlander just three times in his career and has one hit.

Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto (shoulder) is set to begin a minor league rehab assignment in Triple-A Louisville on Saturday. The veteran slugger has been sidelined all season while he works his way back from offseason shoulder surgery. He played in 10 rehab games in April, but was shut down due to an injury setback. The Reds don't have a timetable for Votto's return yet, but that should be coming shortly. It's great to hear that the 39-year-old is heading in the right direction now.

New York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo (neck) has been out of action since May 28 after sustaining neck stiffness on Sunday and leaving the game early. But the 33-year-old has been cleared and participating in full baseball activities. Fantasy managers should expect to have Rizzo back on Friday for the start of the weekend series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. That's great news, as the veteran slugger is in the midst of one of his best seasons at the dish, posting a .304/.376/.505 slash line with 11 long balls, 30 runs, and 32 RBI across 53 games, and he should be started in all formats.

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve is back in the starting lineup on Thursday for the start of a series against the Los Angeles Angels and left-hander Reid Detmers. Altuve took a day to rest on Wednesday, but he's back in his customary leadoff spot and should be returned to all starting fantasy lineups. The 33-year-old All-Star has only played in nine games so far in 2023 after recovering from a fractured thumb that he suffered in the World Baseball Classic. Altuve hasn't missed a beat so far, though, hitting .324 (11-for-34) in a limited sample size with three doubles, two homers and six RBI. In seven career at-bats against Detmer, Altuve is hitting .286 with a solo home run.

The New York Yankees reinstated outfielder/designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton (hamstring) from the 10-day injured list on Thursday. The Yankees also reinstated right-hander Tommy Kahnle (biceps) from the 60-day injured list and moved left-hander Carlos Rodon (back) to the 60-day IL. Stanton is expected to return as the DH for the first game of a three-game set against the Los Angeles Dodgers on the road on Friday for the first time in seven weeks due to a left-hamstring strain. The 33-year-old slugger only played one minor-league rehab game, so fantasy managers may want to expect a little rust from Stanton upon his return. However, when he's on, he has the ability to carry fantasy teams with his elite power stroke.

The Colorado Rockies announced on Thursday that they placed outfielder Kris Bryant (heel) on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to May 31) with a left-heel bruise and reinstated outfielder Charlie Blackmon from the bereavement list in a corresponding move. This is bad news for Bryant's fantasy managers, as the 31-year-old veteran played in only 42 games in 2022 due mostly to a battle with plantar fasciitis. Before landing on the IL this year, Bryant has been pretty mediocre with a .263 average (50-for-190) with five home runs and 17 RBI, but he does have a solid .346 on-base percentage in 50 games played. With Blackmon back, Jurickson Profar, Nolan Jones and Randal Grichuk will battle for playing time in the third outfield spot and at designated hitter with Bryant on the shelf.

Pittsburgh Pirates designated hitter/outfielder Andrew McCutchen went 3-for-4 with two runs scored, one RBI and a stolen base in a 9-4 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday. The former NL MVP's Bucs return has been a rather triumphant one so far, slashing a healthy .273/.369/.453 with 28 runs, eight homers, 21 RBI, and six pilfers over 203 plate appearances this year. The steady McCutchen should be rostered in more than just one-third of fantasy leagues as Pittsburgh's daily leadoff man. The 36-year-old's rest-of-season ranking also should be reinforced by the optimism that the dynamic Oneil Cruz (fibula) is back in the mix in August.

On Wednesday, Minnesota Twins infielder Donovan Solano went 2-for-3 with a double and four RBI to lead the Twins to an 8-2 victory over the Astros. Solano also was patient at the plate, drawing a walk in the fifth inning, and he crossed home plate with a double by Ryan Jeffers later in the frame. It is worth noting that Solano, the experienced 35-year-old, currently maintains a solid .275 batting average, along with nine RBI in 120 at bats this season.

Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Lance Lynn threw four innings on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Angels, surrendering eight runs on eight hits and two walks. The 36-year-old struck out four in the contest, but took his sixth loss of the year as the ChiSox fell 12-5. Prior to this setback, Lynn had given up just four runs over his last 19 innings to get his ERA under the 6.00 threshold for the first time since March 31. The two-time All-Star is becoming a precarious hold in season-long leagues with three starts sacrificing seven runs or greater in 2023. Lynn has an uneven 6.55 ERA and 1.51 WHIP across 67 1/3 innings on the campaign. The big righty lines up for a dangerous spot versus the New York Yankees in the Bronx next Wednesday.

New York Yankees outfielder/designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton (hamstring) and third baseman Josh Donaldson (hamstring) will both fly to Los Angeles to join the team on Friday for the start of their three-game series against the Dodgers. Both players, as well as reliever Tommy Kahnle (biceps) are expected to be activated from the injured list. Stanton has been out almost seven weeks but will return as the DH after playing in just one minor-league rehab games, so fantasy managers may want to expect some rust. Eventually, the 33-year-old slugger will be mixed back into the outfield. When healthy, Stanton remains an elite source of power. The 37-year-old Donaldson has been out since early April and was looking washed up at the plate when he hit the IL, but he's expected to see regular playing time at the hot corner.

New York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo (neck) remains out of the starting lineup for Wednesday's game against the Seattle Mariners. The veteran slugger will miss his third straight game due to lingering neck stiffness. The good news is, Rizzo was able to take batting practice and field grounders ahead of Wednesday's game. The assumption is that Rizzo is going to avoid a trip to the injured list. Hopefully, Rizzo will be able to get in the lineup for Friday's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve is not in the team's starting lineup on Wednesday against the Minnesota Twins. After starting the team's last six games, the veteran 33-year-old will get a breather. Altuve has only played in nine contests because of a fractured thumb he suffered while playing in the World Baseball Classic, but he's knocked off the rust rather well by hitting .324 (11-for-34) with three doubles, two home runs, six RBI and seven runs scored in 40 plate appearances. Be prepared to put him back into your starting lineups on Thursday for the start of a series against the Los Angeles Angels. With Altuve out, Mauricio Dubon is at the keystone and is hitting leadoff for the 'Stros against Twins right-hander Louie Varland.

New York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo (neck) is trying to return to action on Wednesday for the series finale against the Seattle Mariners, according to MLB.com. The veteran slugger has missed the past two contests after he was in a collision with Fernando Tatis Jr. on Sunday. That probably means that Rizzo will avoid a stint on the injured list so fantasy managers can breathe a sigh of relief. Over 53 games this season, the 33-year-old's slashing .304/.376/.505 with 11 bombs, 30 runs, and 32 RBI, some of the best production from the first base position.

Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman went 4-for-5 with a home run and two runs scored in Tuesday's 9-3 victory over the Washington Nationals. Freeman continues to rake at home this year, as his average at Dodger Stadium is now .390. He's hitting .344 with 10 home runs, 47 runs scored, 35 RBI, and six stolen bases overall this season. Only Ronald Acuna Jr. and Marcus Semien have more runs scored than Freeman entering play Wednesday. With a hit in 19 consecutive games, Freeman continues to show he's one of the premier players in fantasy baseball in his age-33 season.