Chicago Cubs outfielder Cody Bellinger (ribs) went 3-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 3-2 win over the San Diego Padres. Bellinger was activated from the injured list on Tuesday after missing the last two weeks with a fractured ribcage. The 28-year-old didn't miss a beat on his return, collecting three hits and blasting a solo shot off Randy Vasquez in the bottom of the fourth inning to give the Cubs a 1-0 lead. Before landing on the injured list in mid-April, Bellinger was on an eight-game hitting streak entering Tuesday's contest. He extended his hitting streak to nine games and is slashing .382/.447/.794 with four home runs, eight RBI, and six runs during that span. Overall, Bellinger is slashing .250/.337/.489 with six home runs and 11 RBI across 101 plate appearances in 2024. Bellinger appears over his rib injury and should be started in all leagues.

San Diego Padres outfielder Jurickson Profar went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's 3-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs. Profar blasted a two-run shot off Shota Imanaga in the eighth inning to put the Padres on the scoreboard and tie the game 2-2. His home run traveled 385 feet with an exit velocity of 103.4 mph. The 31-year-old has been on absolute fire at the plate recently, hitting .429 (21-for-49) with four home runs, 12 RBI, 12 runs, and a stolen base over his last 13 games. Profar is slashing .338/.420/.538 with six home runs, 27 RBI, 22 runs, and two stolen bases across 150 plate appearances in 2024. Fantasy managers should continue to roll with Profar in most leagues while he's swinging a hot bat.

New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso was able to put together a strong performance during Tuesday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals. The right-handed slugger went 2-for-5 with a home run, double, and three RBI in the win. His two-run double gave the Mets the lead and his home run was added insurance in the eighth inning. Alonso hasn't really been himself this season, but is beginning to heat up at the plate, which is good news for fantasy managers.

New York Mets relief pitcher Adam Ottavino was called upon to close out Tuesday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals. The veteran right-hander is normally a set-up pitcher, but was asked to close with Edwin Diaz being unavailable for this game. Ottavino gave up a home run and got some traffic on the bases. Despite that, he was able to strike out the final two batters and record his first save of the season. It's unlikely that Ottavino gets many more saves in the future with Diaz being the primary option.

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Miles Mikolas looked sharp during the first four innings of Tuesday's game against the New York Mets. After that, the Mets jumped on him for six earned runs on six hits during the fifth inning. Mikolas was pulled out of the game before he could even record an out in the inning. The veteran right-hander was decent last time out but has struggled during a majority of his starts this season. It appears that time has finally caught up to Mikolas who has been fairly reliable throughout his big league career. Fantasy managers probably want to stay away from Mikolas until he gets back on track.

Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers has been red-hot at the plate to begin the month of May. On Tuesday, Jeffers went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI in the loss to the Seattle Mariners. At the time, his offensive heroics helped the team get the lead, but it didn't last. Despite that, Jeffers is hitting 6-for19 with two homers and eight RBI this month. Fantasy managers in need of catching help should take a look at Jeffers.

Washington Nationals right-hander Trevor Williams (4-0) allowed two hits while striking out eight across five scoreless innings in Tuesday's 3-0 win over the Baltimore Orioles. Williams picked up his fourth win of the season. The 32-year-old threw 77 pitches, landing 53 for strikes. He struck out a season-high eight batters and has not allowed a home run in his previous seven starts, helping the Nationals go over .500 for the first time since 2021. Williams owns a 1.96 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and a 30:12 K: BB across 36 2/3 innings in 2024. The veteran will look to continue his strong season and can be used as a streamer at his next start on Monday on the road against the Chicago White Sox.

St. Louis Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras (forearm) said he will have surgery on his fractured left forearm in the coming days. Doctors have told him that he will likely miss six to eight weeks, but Contreras said he hopes to return to the team by the All-Star game in mid-July. The 31-year-old veteran backstop was hit by the swing of Mets designated hitter J.D. Martinez on Tuesday night and was in obvious pain. With Contreras now out for the foreseeable future, Ivan Herrera's fantasy stock just skyrocketed as St. Louis' primary catcher. The team is likely to recall Pedro Pages from Triple-A Memphis when they officially put Contreras on the injured list. Contreras entered Tuesday's game hitting .274 (29-for-106) with six home runs, 12 RBI and two steals. He needs to remain stashed in all fantasy formats while he's out.

Miami Marlins right-hander Edward Cabrera (biceps) left his start on Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Chavez Ravine after just two innings because of right-biceps discomfort, which has been a recurring issue for him over the past three years. Before leaving, Cabrera allowed four earned runs on a grand slam from Max Muncy while also walking four and striking out one to balloon his season ERA to 7.17 on the year in the eventual 8-2 loss. Given the 26-year-old's issues with his biceps in recent years, it seems likely that Cabrera will need a trip to the injured list, but fantasy managers should check back on his status again on Wednesday. The good news for the Marlins is that both lefties Jesus Luzardo (elbow) and Braxton Garrett (shoulder) are getting close to rejoining Miami's starting rotation.

Atlanta Braves closer Raisel Iglesias picked up his ninth save of the season in Tuesday's 4-2 win over the Red Sox. Iglesias came in to pitch the top of the ninth inning up by two and shut the door with a 1-2-3 outing with a strikeout. The 34-year-old veteran has not racked up the strikeouts fantasy managers would expect but has converted all but two save opportunities with a 1.88 ERA. He should continue to serve as a higher-end fantasy option in his current role with a great offense supporting him.

New York Yankees outfielder Alex Verdugo played his part in Tuesday's 10-3 win over the Astros. Verdugo went 3-for-5 with two singles, a three-run home run, and four RBI. The 27-year-old has brought more pop than expected and is slashing .275/.362/.450 with five HR and 17 RBI in 141 plate appearances. His fantasy value would be boosted if he continues to hit for power and average in a strong lineup.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander did not have his good stuff in Tuesday's 10-3 loss to the Yankees. Verlander pitched five innings, allowing seven runs on eight hits (including three home runs) and three walks with two strikeouts. The veteran pitched well in his first three starts but this one brought his ERA all the way up to 4.43, and his 6.04 K/9 rate and 4.03 BB/9 rate leave room for improvement. Verlander should have an opportunity to find it in his next scheduled start, which is a favorable matchup at the Tigers.

Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Patrick Sandoval improved to 2-5 in Tuesday's 9-0 win over the Pirates. Sandoval pitched seven innings, allowing just three hits and a walk with seven strikeouts. The 27-year-old has provided plenty of strikeouts but has been erratic and now owns a 4.85 ERA with a 10.38 K/9 rate and a 3.92 BB/9 rate in eight starts and 39 IP. His next scheduled start is a middling matchup against the Royals. Fantasy managers may want to keep him on the bench if possible until he can provide that he can pitch well consistently.

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Cristopher Sanchez turned in his best start of the season in Tuesday's 10-1 win over the Blue Jays. Sanchez pitched seven innings, allowing one run on six hits and two walks with five strikeouts. The 27-year-old hasn't had the most exciting start to the season, but he is now 2-3 with a 3.22 ERA, an 8.42 K/9 rate, and a 3.72 BB/9 rate in seven starts and 36 1/3 IP. He will look to build on his success in his next scheduled start, which will be a decent matchup at a middling Mets lineup.

Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper extended his home-run streak to three consecutive games in Tuesday's 10-1 rout of the Blue Jays. Harper went 3-for-3 with two singles, a grand slam, and a walk. The 31-year-old has started to find his offensive stride and is now slashing .263/.389/.534 with nine HR and 28 RBI in 144 plate appearances. Hopefully, he can continue to extend his hot streak in the coming days.

Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Jose Berrios hit his first snag of the season in Tuesday's 10-1 loss to the Phillies. Berrios pitched 3 2/3 innings, allowing eight runs on seven hits (including two home runs) and two walks with seven strikeouts. He also hit two batters. Despite the rough outing, the 29-year-old has pitched well this season with a 4-3 record, a 2.85 ERA, a 7.23 K/9 rate, and a 2.85 BB/9 rate. Things won't get easier for him in his next scheduled start at the Orioles, but hopefully, Berrios can pitch more in line with his season numbers.

Arizona Diamondbacks closer Paul Sewald (oblique) saw his first action of the season in Tuesday's 6-2 win over the Reds. Sewald was activated from the 15-day injured list earlier in the day after recovering from an oblique strain. He pitched the bottom of the ninth inning up by five and allowed a solo home run with a strikeout. The result wasn't great, but the encouraging thing is that Sewald is now a fantasy-relevant closer once again. He accumulated 34 saves last season with a 32.1% strikeout rate, so he should be slotted right back into fantasy manager's lineups.

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zac Gallen continued his strong season in Tuesday's 6-2 win over the Reds. Gallen pitched six scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and three walks with six strikeouts. The 28-year-old has looked like a fantasy ace, going 4-2 with a 2.84 ERA and a 9.71 K/9 rate in seven starts and 38 IP. His next scheduled start will be a test at the Orioles, but Gallen is a must-start fantasy option at this point.

Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Jakob Junis (head, shoulder) was moved to the 60-day injured list on Monday, meaning he won't be eligible to come back until June 2 now, at the earliest. Junis' comeback from a right-shoulder injury in early April was interrupted when he was stretchered off the field on April 22 after being hit in the neck by a batting practice ball. He was alert and responsive when he was sent to a local hospital and was able to resume playing catch by April 26. It's a tough break for the 31-year-old veteran, who allowed just one earned run on three hits while walking one and striking out four in a four-inning no-decision in his lone start of the year on April 2 against the Minnesota Twins. When healthy, Junis should be a candidate to return to Milwaukee's starting rotation next month.

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Dylan Cease is enjoying an excellent start to his 2024 regular season, and he'll try to keep the good times rolling in Wednesday's scheduled start on the road against the Chicago Cubs. Through seven starts this year, Cease boasts a 2.55 ERA (2.50 FIP) and 0.80 WHIP while striking out 48, walking 14, and leading MLB with just 4.3 hits per nine innings over 42 1/3 frames. After spending the first five years of his major-league career with the Chicago White Sox on the South Side, Cease has plenty of experience dealing with the Cubs. In four appearances against the Cubs since 2021, the hard-throwing 28-year-old right-hander is 3-0 with an outstanding 1.50 ERA and 33:11 K:BB across 24 innings. Chicago's current roster is batting just 4-for-46 (.087) versus Cease, who looks like a great fantasy play across the board on Wednesday.