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 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.

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.

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.

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.

Texas Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien collected a season-high five RBI in Tuesday's 15-8 win over the division-rival Oakland Athletics, also smacking a solo home run in the victory. It was a massive day at the plate for Semien, who went 4-for-5 with an RBI single plus a two-run double as part of a 10-run blitz in the second frame by the Rangers, and he added another run-scoring single in the fourth for good measure. The 33-year-old All-Star infielder is now slashing a solid .266/.314/.449 with six homers, nine doubles, 27 RBI, and 27 runs scored in 158 at-bats as Texas' everyday leadoff man. Before a tasty three-game weekend set against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field begins on Friday, Semien gets two more cracks at his former Athletics team in Wednesday's doubleheader. In 18 games versus Oakland since 2023, Semien is batting .329 with four long balls, 15 RBI, and three stolen bases.

St. Louis Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras (arm) has been diagnosed with a fractured left arm after exiting Tuesday's game against the visiting New York Mets in the second inning. Contreras was writhing in pain after getting hit on a swing by J.D. Martinez, and he immediately came out of the game. It's a massive blow to a Cardinals offense already struggling to produce runs as well as Contreras, who will face some kind of lengthy absence following the setback. Through 128 plate appearances (31 games) for St. Louis this year, the 31-year-old star backstop was slashing a robust .280/.398/.551 with six home runs, 11 doubles, 12 RBI, 20 runs scored, and two stolen bases. Ivan Herrera stepped in on Tuesday and figures to get all the action he can handle behind the dish in Contreras' stead, slashing just .215/.264/.369 with three homers and 11 RBI over 65 at-bats. Fantasy managers can find better replacements on waiver wires.

Chicago Cubs left-handers Drew Smyly (hip) and Jordan Wicks (forearm) were both scheduled to throw bullpen sessions on Tuesday. Wicks went on the injured list over a week ago with a strained left forearm but is already good to throw off a mound, so it sounds as though his injury isn't very serious. However, the 24-year-old southpaw could need a minor-league rehab assignment before the Cubs feel comfortable returning him to their starting rotation. Smyly, 34, is recovering from a right-hip impingement and has already missed several weeks. Because Smyly is a reliever, he may not need as lengthy of a rehab assignment before rejoining Chicago's bullpen. In a starting role, Wicks is more attractive in fantasy in deeper leagues. He had a 4.70 ERA with a 1.52 WHIP and 28 K's in five starts before his injury.

New York Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole (elbow) threw another bullpen session on Tuesday. Manager Aaron Boone said the plan is for Cole to travel with the team to Tampa and throw another bullpen session this weekend. Cole threw off a mound for the first time last Saturday and continues to progress from a right-elbow injury that landed him on the injured list to begin the 2024 season. The 33-year-old still has a ways to go before he's able to make his season debut, but he's making progress and is currently on track to return to the Yankees' starting rotation in mid-June. Fantasy baseball managers must remain patient, though, as the Yankees aren't going to rush last year's American League Cy Young winner back too soon. Keep him stashed everywhere.

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi (groin) is playing catch after rejoining the team on Monday after meeting with doctors in New York. Eovaldi was placed on the 15-day injured list on May 3 with a strained right groin. The hope is Eovaldi won't need a minor-league rehab assignment and can return to the rotation on May 18 once he is eligible to come off the IL. Eovaldi is 2-2 with a 2.61 ERA this season in five starts and he's given up just 10 runs and has 33 strikeouts. The right-hander has been a great fantasy option this season, as he's gone at least 5 1/3 innings in every outing and has allowed three or fewer runs in four of his starts. With Eovaldi on the IL, Jose Urena and Jack Leiter will be starting for the Rangers.

Houston Astros manager Joe Espada told SportsTalk790 that there is no timetable for first baseman Jose Abreu to return to the big-league roster. Abreu was sent down to the Florida Complex League on April 30 to help with his swing. Before being optioned, Abreu struggled at the plate, slashing .099/.156/.113 with zero home runs and three RBI. With Abreu in the minor leagues, Houston has been starting Jon Singleton at first base. Singleton is slashing .258/.329/.435 this season with three home runs and eight RBI. If Abreu does return to the MLB, he will need to prove he can produce offensively to be an everyday player for the Astros once again.

St. Louis Cardinals first baseman/designated hitter Matt Carpenter (oblique) is moving his minor-league rehab assignment to Triple-A Memphis, according to manager Oliver Marmol. Memphis was off on Monday and will return to action on Tuesday. In two games with Double-A Springfield over the weekend, Carpenter went 1-for-6 with an RBI and two runs scored. The 38-year-old veteran has been on the injured list since April 2 with a right-oblique strain. The three-time All-Star is getting close to a return to the major-league lineup, but he offers virtually zero upside for those playing fantasy after slashing .176/.322/.319 with five home runs and 31 RBI in 76 games last year with the San Diego Padres. At best, he'll be an option at DH for the Cardinals against right-handed pitching when he returns.

Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Chris Stratton picked up his second save of the season in Monday's 3-2 win over the Brewers. Stratton came in to pitch the top of the ninth inning up by one. He allowed a leadoff walk, induced a ground-ball double-play, allowed another walk, and ended the game with a groundout. Closer James McArthur pitched two innings in Sunday's game, so he was likely unavailable. Stratton has struggled this season with a 5.40 ERA and a 7.20 BB/9 rate in 15 innings of work. His fantasy value will remain limited if he cannot improve those metrics.

Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper continued to flex his muscles at the plate in Monday's 6-1 win over the Giants. Harper went 2-for-4 with a single, a three-run home run, and a strikeout. The 31-year-old hasn't performed as well as fantasy managers were hoping for but owns a .243/.371/.496 slash line with eight HR and 24 RBI in 140 plate appearances. Hopefully, his power surge can help get him going overall.

Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Caleb Thielbar earned his third save of the season in Monday's 3-1 win over the Mariners. Thielbar came in to pitch the top of the ninth inning up by two and delivered a 1-2-3 outing with two strikeouts. Closer Jhoan Duran was called upon to face the top of the order in the eighth inning, so Thielbar got the save opportunity. The 37-year-old veteran has gotten off to a rough start this season with a bloated 6.14 ERA in 7 1/3 innings pitched. His fantasy value will remain limited if he continues to pitch poorly, as it seems unlikely that he would earn high-leverage situations.

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Yu Darvish turned in another good start in Monday's 6-3 win over the Cubs. The veteran pitched five scoreless innings, allowing three hits and a walk with five strikeouts. Darvish's strikeout numbers are still down relative to his career average, but he is 2-1 through seven starts with a 2.94 ERA, an 8.02 K/9 rate, and a 2.94 BB/9 rate in 33 2/3 IP. He will face a tough matchup in his next scheduled start against the Dodgers. Fantasy managers in weekly lineup leagues won't have a choice, but those in daily leagues may consider sitting him despite his strong start to the season.

The Los Angeles Dodgers placed right-hander Joe Kelly (shoulder) on the 15-day injured list on Monday with a "right posterior shoulder strain." The move cleared a spot for right-hander Walker Buehler (elbow) to be activated from the IL. Kelly doesn't think the injury will keep him out for long, but that doesn't mean he will be ready to return once his stay on the 15-day IL is up. The 35-year-old reliever also dealt with a groin injury recently. The Dodgers' bullpen has taken a hit in recent days with both Kelly and closer Evan Phillips (hamstring) going on the shelf. With Phillips out, expect the Dodgers to move to a closer-by-committee, with players such as Daniel Hudson, Blake Treinen and Alex Vesia being candidates for save opportunities. Kelly has a 4.73 ERA and 1.35 WHIP with five walks and 14 K's in 13 1/3 relief innings so far in 2024.

Arizona Diamondbacks left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez (shoulder) will have another MRI exam this week and could start his throwing program shortly after, according to manager Torey Lovullo. "He said he feels great and he's hoping for good news. And once we get that good news, he's going to be full steam ahead getting into a throwing program," Lovullo said. As long as the imaging shows significant healing and Rodriguez is asymptomatic, Lovullo expects a throwing program to begin quickly. The skipper said E-Rod told him he has been pain-free after he was initially shut down from throwing in mid-April due to left-shoulder tightness. It's good news for the 31-year-old veteran southpaw, but he won't be eligible to come off the 60-day injured list until late May and he's going to need a lengthy minor-league rehab assignment before he's able to rejoin Arizona's starting rotation.

Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said that right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (groin) does not have a sports hernia, and the team thinks he'll be able to return soon around the time his 15-day injured list stint is up. Eovaldi visited with a specialist on Monday in New York, with Bochy calling it "good news." It was reported earlier on Monday that the 34-year-old veteran wouldn't need to go on a minor-league rehab assignment before returning from his IL stint, so all around it's been good news for Eovaldi's fantasy managers. As long as he doesn't suffer a setback when he returns to throwing, Eovaldi should be expected to return to Texas' starting rotation during the upcoming series against the Los Angeles Angels. Eovaldi needs to be stashed in all fantasy leagues while he's on the IL.