Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Gavin Stone picked up the win in Saturday's 5-2 victory over the Padres. Stone threw six-and-two-thirds innings, allowing five hits and a walk while striking out four. All of the hits and the walk came after the sixth inning as the 25-year-old twirled five perfect innings before that. He'll look to build on this outing, and now has a 6.14 ERA, 1.57 WHIP, and a 15:5 K:BB on the season. The Dodgers will need him to step up with news that Bobby Miller will hit the IL. The righty's next start lines up with the Mets next week in L.A.

Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Walker Buehler (elbow, hand) is set to make his next rehab start on Thursday with Triple-A Oklahoma City. According to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, Buehler is fine and will pitch his next rehab start on Thursday. The 29-year-old was removed from Friday's rehab start after taking a comeback to his right hand. Buehler will do a tune-up start on Thursday and could rejoin the Dodgers the following week. LA's rotation is banged up with Bobby Miller (shoulder), Emmett Sheehan (forearm), Clayton Kershaw (shoulder), and Dustin May (elbow) all on the injured list. Fantasy managers should continue to stash Buehler in all leagues, as he is expected to return from the injured list soon.

Veteran first baseman Yuli Gurriel has signed a minor-league deal with the Atlanta Braves. Approaching his 40th birthday in June, Gurriel hit .245 with only four home runs in 329 plate appearances in 2023 for the Miami Marlins. It is a low-risk signing for the Braves, who feature slugger Matt Olson at 1B and Marcell Ozuna at DH. Gurriel has played some second and third base in his career, but Atlanta already has Ozzie Albies and Austin Riley at those spots. Gurriel figures to be a bench bat depth option for the Braves if he can get his bat back on track in Triple-A Gwinnett County. This signing will have little to no impact on fantasy baseball rosters.

Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Daniel Bard (knee, elbow) had a setback rehabbing and will undergo season-ending right flexor tendon surgery. After recently throwing off a mound, the banged-up Bard's season suddenly ends before it even begins while also recovering from a cleanup procedure on his left knee. The 38-year-old veteran right-hander is a free agent following the 2024 campaign, and it's unlikely that he'll draw very much interest after walking more batters (49) than he struck out (47) a season ago. Bard spent seven years away from the major leagues before latching on with Colorado in 2020. Justin Lawrence and Tyler Kinley are the names to watch for fantasy purposes for saves-needy managers, but Lawrence has yielded seven runs across five appearances, and Kinley has given up eight runs over six innings thus far.

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Walker Buehler's (elbow) third minor-league rehab start on Friday was cut short after he was struck in the right hand by a comebacker. Buehler threw only two innings before departing, but it sounds like his exit was a precautionary measure. This could have been Buehler's last rehab start on his way back from Tommy John surgery, but the Dodgers may now want him to get one final tune-up appearance before rejoining the rotation following such a long layoff. The 29-year-old All-Star right-hander should still be able to return by late April and obviously needs to be stashed in all fantasy leagues at this point. Who comes out of LA's rotation upon Buehler's comeback remains a question mark, but Ryan Yarbrough's 3.29 ERA and 1.02 WHIP through four starts may give him the upper hand over Gavin Stone's 9.00 ERA and 2.13 WHIP over his two appearances.

St. Louis Cardinals center fielder Dylan Carlson (shoulder) and shortstop Tommy Edman (wrist) will begin hitting activities on Monday. Per Cardinals' manager Oli Marmol, the two will begin to ramp up their rehab process on Monday by hitting off a tee and taking soft toss. Edman had previously been cleared for baseball activities while Carlson had not, so this is a positive sign for Carlson's progress. No return timeline has been established for either player. In Carlson's absence, Victor Scott II's takeover in center field has not gone well with Scott hitting for just a .091 batting average. Masyn Winn has filled in for Edman at shortstop much more admirably, hitting .379 to start this season. Edman will hold more value to fantasy managers than Carlson upon their returns.

Chicago Cubs first base prospect Matt Mervis is off to an excellent start to his 2024 season. He is hitting .325/.420/.525 with one home run and five RBI. Mervis got a small taste of the majors last season but struggled, so the Cubs felt it was better for him to continue his development at Triple-A. While he has only hit one long ball so far, Mervis hit 22 in Triple-A last season, so expect more on the way. Mervis should see time in Wrigley later this summer and could very well be one of the first of many exciting bats from the Chicago system to be promoted.

The Chicago White Sox have signed pitcher Cory Abbott to a minor-league deal. The 28-year-old was recently released by the Seattle Mariners after failing to make the 40-man roster. Abbott is a former second-round pick of the Chicago Cubs, but never fully reached his potential. He made 22 appearances with the Washington Nationals last season but posted a 6.64 ERA during that time. He's expected to head to Triple-A Charlotte and provide additional depth for the organization.

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Darius Vines has been recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett on Friday. The organization is still searching for a viable option for the fifth spot in the rotation after the loss of Spencer Strider (elbow) who was placed on the injured list. Vines is expected to help fill out the rotation, so the rest of the starters can stay on schedule. In a corresponding move, right-hander Allan Winans has been optioned to Triple-A. Fantasy managers can go ahead and avoid Vines until further notice.

With right-hander Spencer Strider (elbow) out, next up from Triple-A Gwinnett for spot-start duty could be Atlanta Braves right-hander Bryce Elder, who was an All-Star in 2023 before fading in the second half in his first full season in the big leagues. Another option is left-hander Dylan Dodd, who started in the Braves' rotation last year before struggling and being sent to Gwinnett. Elder has a 2.61 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and a .211 opponents' average in his first two starts at Triple-A with 11 strikeouts, three walks and a homer allowed in 10 1/3 innings. Dodd had a 1.54 ER with 12 K's in 11 2/3 innings before he was hit hard on Thursday at Gwinnett. Darius Vines is another option. Huascar Ynoa and top prospect AJ Smith-Shawver have struggled in their first couple of Triple-A outings this year.

Boston Red Sox infielder Vaughn Grissom (groin, hamstring) will start his minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Worcester on Friday. Grissom has yet to make his Red Sox debut in the regular season in 2024 due to groin and hamstring issues that he dealt with late in spring training, but he's getting closer and could be activated early next week if he doesn't have any setbacks with Worcester this weekend. Even before Trevor Story suffered a season-ending shoulder injury, the 23-year-old Grissom was projected to play every day for Boston this year (mostly at second base). Grissom was blocked in Atlanta but will play every day in Beantown and should be picked up off the waiver wire in mixed fantasy leagues right now if he's available. If he stays healthy, Grissom has 15-15 potential.

The Arizona Diamondbacks have signed second baseman Kolten Wong to a minor-league deal and have assigned him to Triple-A Reno. Wong has inked a minors deal this offseason with the Orioles but failed to crack the Opening Day roster and once again hit the open market. Following a pair of production seasons at the plate with the Brewers, Wong's bat cratered in a brief stint with the Mariners in 2023, hitting just .183 with four homers, three stolen bases, and a .519 OPS across 87 games in the Pacific Northwest. The D-backs have Ketel Marte as their everyday second baseman but fellow infielder Geraldo Perdomo recently underwent knee surgery and will miss about a month's worth of action.

Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Blaze Alexander went 2-for-2 with his second home run of the season in Wednesday's 5-3 win over the Rockies and also drew a walk. The 24-year-old has hit safely in four straight games now and is showing well at the plate in his debut, going 10-for-29 (.345) with two home runs, four RBI, five runs scored, one stolen base, and a 4:9 BB:K in 33 plate appearances. The youngster is filling in for injured Geraldo Perdomo, who is expected back in about a month, but Alexander provides a little more pop than Perdomo. If he continues to hit well it might be hard to get him out of the lineup when Perdomo returns, but he could potentially DH as well. Alexander is also eligible at second base in Yahoo leagues which gives managers additional flexibility.

Miami Marlins starting pitcher Ryan Weathers quieted the New York Yankees in Wednesday's 5-3 victory, tossing five scoreless innings on three hits and three walks while fanning one hitter. Weathers was not particularly dominant in this one, but he got the job done by not allowing any of his baserunners to score. The 24-year-old left-hander has been a first-round bust to this point in his career but holds a sharp 2.57 ERA through 14 innings for the Fish to begin the season. His 1.50 WHIP is concerning, however, and his lack of strikeout stuff limits his overall fantasy appeal. Weathers gets a good matchup in his next scheduled start at home versus the San Francisco Giants next Tuesday, when he'll be worth streaming consideration.

Atlanta Braves right-hander Allan Winans will toe the rubber on Wednesday when the club takes on the visiting New York Mets. The 28-year-old was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett on Sunday when the club placed ace Spencer Strider on the 15-day injured list with right elbow soreness. Wednesday marks Winans' 2024 big-league debut after he made one Triple-A start, allowing two earned runs on a pair of solo homers across 5 2/3 innings on April 2. Winans made six starts for the Braves in the 2023 season and posted a 5.29 ERA across 32 1/3 innings of work. However, his 4.09 FIP, 3.88 SIERA, and a strong 18.4% K-BB% in that time suggest he was much better than his surface ERA may indicate.

The Philadelphia Phillies are sending right-handers Taijuan Walker (shoulder) and Orion Kerkering (forearm, illness) on minor-league rehab assignments. Kerkering would then be activated sometime over the weekend. Walker will start his rehab assignment on Thursday with Triple-A Lehigh Valley and will likely make four starts, increasing his pitch count in 15-pitch increments before eventually joining the Phillies' starting rotation. The 31-year-old threw 46 pitches over three innings in a live batting practice session over the weekend and is attempting to return from a right-shoulder impingement he suffered in spring training. The 23-year-old Kerkering got sick in spring training and then suffered a right-forearm strain. When healthy, he'll be a key late-inning bullpen piece for the Phillies but is unlikely to see many, if any, save chances.

St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt and shortstop Masyn Winn are both getting a breather on Wednesday against the visiting Philadelphia Phillies. Alec Burleson is playing first base and batting sixth, while Brandon Crawford is at the 6 and is hitting seventh against Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola. The 36-year-old Goldschmidt could use the break after putting up a weak .544 OPS to begin the 2024 season. Meanwhile, Winn has been consistent so far in his first full season as the Cardinals' starting shortstop, going 11-for-33 (.333) with a double, triple, three RBI and a stolen base in 11 games. Neither Burleson nor Crawford will be very strong DFS plays against Nola. Burleson is hitting .167 with an RBI in six at-bats against Nola, while Crawford is hitting .200 with three RBI in 15 career at-bats.

Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Daniel Bard (knee) was expected to throw off a mound on Tuesday. The Rockies have been careful with Bard, whose platelet-rich plasma shots in his right forearm are a bigger concern than the cleanup operation on his left knee in February. Bard didn't participate in spring training, so he won't be available for the Rocks until May at the earliest. Even though the 38-year-old right-hander struggled to a 4.56 ERA (6.13 FIP), 1.70 WHIP, and an unfathomable 47:49 K:BB through 49 1/3 innings last season, he still might end up receiving the bulk of the save chances when he returns to the mound later this year. Justin Lawrence (9.82 ERA) and Tyler Kinley (13.50 ERA) remain the nominal favorites for saves out of Colorado's bullpen right now, but neither of the two right-handers have separated much in terms of seizing the closing gig to this point.

Chicago White Sox relief pitcher John Brebbia (calf), who exited last Friday's loss to the division-rival Kansas City Royals after he suffered a strained right calf, is not anticipating a long-term absence. Brebbia said on Tuesday that he was planning on throwing a bullpen later that day. "I'm throwing today, and throwing hasn't been impeded whatsoever. I feel days away from being able to pitch in a game, at worst," Brebbia said. The 33-year-old right-hander also dealt with a strained right calf that held him to two innings of spring ball. Brebbia has thrown 2 2/3 scoreless innings so far during his first season on the South Side and will be an option to close games upon his return, which could arrive when he's first eligible to be activated from the 15-day injured list on April 22. Former starter Michael Kopech is the favorite for saves for the ChiSox at the moment.

San Francisco Giants shortstop prospect Marco Luciano has been off to a hot start for Triple-A Sacramento. The 22-year-old was with the team this spring in the Cactus League, but struggled and was demoted to Triple-A to get more seasoning. He has always had a strong glove, but his hitting has needed to catch up and that hasn't been a problem early on in the season. In his first eight games, Luciano has hit a sparkling .375 with three doubles, four RBI, nine walks and 11 strikeouts. The near 1:1 walk to strikeout ratio is important as Luciano has been prone to doubling his strikeout to walk rate historically. Despite his aggressiveness, Luciano has very good bat speed and can hit for power with double-digit homers in all four of his professional seasons. If Luciano can become a more patient hitter, he has all the tools to help fantasy managers. For now, he is best served in dynasty leagues.