Houston Astros outfielder Yordan Alvarez (head) and rookie shortstop Jeremy Pena (head) are both out of the starting lineup on Thursday against the New York Yankees. Alvarez and Pena were involved in a scary collision in the outfield on Wednesday, with Alvarez needing to be carted off the field. Both players were being evaluated for concussions after the game, but it's unclear what their final diagnosis was. We'll bring more details to you once we have more information, and fantasy managers should consider them both day-to-day for now. Alvarez and Pena have both been excellent at the plate this year, so hopefully they can both avoid a trip to the injured list. Aledmys Diaz is starting in left field and batting second, while Mauricio Dubon is at the 6 and hitting seventh against Yankees right-hander Luis Severino.

Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Brett Phillips is not in the starting lineup on Thursday against Toronto Blue Jays left-hander Yusei Kikuchi. Phillips will start on the bench for the second straight day with the Rays facing two lefties on back-to-back days. The 28-year-old lefty hitter is batting just .159/.226/.269 on the season with four home runs, 10 RBI, 16 runs scored and six stolen bases in 145 at-bats, and he's actually hitless with 12 strikeouts in 26 plate appearances against left-handed pitchers this season. Josh Lowe is getting the start in center field and is hitting ninth against Kikuchi. The former first-rounder has gone 17-for-95 (.179) with a homer, seven RBI and two stolen bases in his first 27 games for Tampa this year, and he'll be a low-upside DFS gamble in the nine-hole.

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Odubel Herrera is out of the starting lineup on Thursday against the Atlanta Braves. It will be Herrera's second straight game starting on the bench, and his 2-for-33 (.061) stretch at the plate in nine games over the last two weeks probably has a lot to do with it. The recent cold streak has dropped his season line to .230/.267/.401 with five home runs, 18 RBI, 18 runs scored and four stolen bases in 49 games. With Herrera out again, Matt Vierling will get the start in center field and will bat ninth against Braves right-hander Ian Anderson. You can probably do much better than Vierling in DFS if you're looking for an outfielder sleeper. He's hitting .237 with three homers, seven RBI and two stolen bases in 93 at-bats in 2021.

Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Ji-Man Choi is not in the starting lineup on Thursday against Toronto Blue Jays left-hander Yusei Kikuchi. Believe it or not, Choi has gone 13-for-28 (.464) against left-handed pitchers on the season, but he'll take the day off on Thursday after facing a southpaw on Wednesday. Overall, he's hitting a solid .282/.386/.465 with an .851 OPS, six home runs, 35 RBI and 22 runs scored in 202 plate appearances over 53 games played. Isaac Paredes is at the cold corner and is hitting fifth on Thursday, while Harold Ramirez is the designated hitter and is batting third against Kikuchi.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (foot) remains out of the starting lineup on Thursday against the Philadelphia Phillies. Acuna will miss his fourth straight game after fouling a ball off his foot last Saturday against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 24-year-old remains in Atlanta while receiving treatment, but fantasy managers will be crossing their fingers that he can rejoin the team for a series this weekend against the Cincinnati Reds that begins on Friday. Acuna hasn't been able to escape the injury bug this year, but he's been a stud when he's been on the field. Adam Duvall is starting in right field again and is batting seventh, while William Contreras is the designated hitter and is batting sixth against Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola on Thursday.

The Tampa Bay Rays placed left-hander Jeffrey Springs on the family medical emergency list on Thursday, which explains why he won't make the start against the Toronto Blue Jays as originally scheduled. Ryan Yarbrough has been called up from the minors as the likely bulk pitcher for Thursday's game, while Matt Wisler is listed as the opener for Tampa. Springs will be forced to miss three to seven days, but he could be an option to return as a starter for the Rays next week. Yarbrough has struggled in his time in the big leagues this year, going 0-3 with a 5.65 ERA and 1.53 WHIP while walking 10 and striking out 20 in 28 2/3 innings over seven appearances (six starts), so he won't be a recommended fantasy streamer.

The New York Mets are discussing the possibility of a Sunday night minor league rehab start for starting pitcher Jacob deGrom (shoulder) with Single-A St. Lucie. deGrom threw 27 pitches in his third live batting practice session on Wednesday, and he's close to taking the next step on a rehab assignment. The 34-year-old right-hander hasn't pitched yet this season due to a stress reaction in his right scapula, but there's a chance he could make his first 2022 start for the Mets before the All-Star break, barring any setbacks. The two-time Cy Young winner went 7-2 with a career-low 1.08 ERA, 0.55 WHIP, 146 strikeouts and just 11 walks in 92 innings over 15 starts while dealing with injuries, and he's been one of the best pitchers in baseball, when healthy, for most of his career.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Tyler Naquin (quadriceps) is starting his minor league rehab assignment with Triple-A Louisville on Thursday. Naquin hasn't played in a major league game since May 31 due to a left quadriceps strain, so this could be a lengthy rehab assignment for the 31-year-old left-handed hitter. However, barring any setbacks on his rehab assignment, Naquin could return to the Reds outfield in early July before the All-Star break. Before his injury, Naquin was hitting a respectable .256/.315/.460 with five home runs, 22 RBI, 21 runs scored and three stolen bases in 150 plate appearances over 39 games, so he should at least return to a regular role against right-handed pitchers when he's activated.

Houston Astros outfielder Yordan Alvarez (head) and rookie shortstop Jeremy Pena (head) are both being evaluated for concussions after the two were involved in a scary collision in the outfield on Wednesday against the New York Mets, according to the team. The Astros will provide an update on Thursday. Alvarez laid motionless on the ground for a while, but he eventually walked to a cart and was taken off the field. Pena tried to remain in the game but was removed shortly after. Fantasy managers shouldn't expect either player to return for Thursday's makeup game against the New York Yankees, but hopefully they can gain clearance to return for a weekend series against the Los Angeles Angels. Alvarez has been one of the best hitters in the league this year, while Pena is a front-runner for American League Rookie of the Year honors to this point.

Detroit Tigers catcher Eric Haase has been on a hot streak lately and that continued on Wednesday. The 29-year-old catcher went 1-for-4 with a go-ahead two-run home run in the sixth inning off left-hander Alex Wood. This blast proved to be the difference in the 3-2 victory for the Tigers. Haase has struggled throughout most of the season. However, he's hitting .316 with three home runs and 10 RBI over his last 12 games. Fantasy managers in need of a production from the catcher spot should look and see if Haase is available.

Chicago Cubs first baseman Frank Schwindel (back) is slowly getting better, according to manager David Ross. The 30-year-old is expected to resume baseball activities soon, which is great news. Schwindel has been sidelined since June 18 due to back tightness. He'll likely require a minor league rehab assignment before rejoining the Cubs roster. Fantasy managers shouldn't expect Schwindel back until mid-July. Alfonso Rivas should continue to start at first base until Schwindel returns.

Los Angeles Angels infielder David Fletcher (hip) was able to take live batting practice on Wednesday. Fletcher continues to recover from surgery, but it's nice to see him making progress. The Angels are hopeful that Fletcher will be able to return in mid-July. He's expected to need a rehab assignment before rejoining the Angels roster. Fletcher was heavily struggling before landing on the injured list, but he does have a strong track record.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Tommy Pham (back) is included in the starting lineup for Wednesday's game against left-hander Justin Steele and the Chicago Cubs. He'll be hitting out of his usual No. 3 spot and covering left field in the game. Pham was a late scratch from Tuesday's lineup as he was dealing with lower-back stiffness. The 34-year-old veteran is currently in the midst of his best offensive month of the year. Across 22 June games, he's slashed .265/.347/.482 with five home runs, two stolen bases, 13 RBI and 17 runs.

The Los Angeles Dodgers selected the contract of third baseman Jake Lamb from Triple-A on Tuesday. He appeared as a pinch-hitter in Tuesday's game and he is making his first start as a Dodger on Wednesday. He'll be slotting in as designated hitter and batting seventh in the game. The 31-year-old has had a productive year at Triple-A. Over 61 games, he's slashed .290/.395/.537 with 15 home runs, 50 RBI and 44 runs. He was abysmal during his time in the majors last year. Splitting the 2021 season between the Chicago White Sox and Toronto Blue Jays, he slashed just .194/.306/.368 with seven homers over 55 games. He'll likely be used primarily as a matchup-based pinch-hitter while he remains active for the Dodgers this year.

Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Rowdy Tellez went deep twice in the 5-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday. He finished the day 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBI. Tellez has been red-hot lately, slugging five home runs across his last seven games with eight RBI. The 27-year-old is on pace to have the best full season of his five-year career, slashing .249/.324/.494 with 15 HRs, 47 RBI, and 29 runs in 72 games and should be rostered in most leagues.

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper (thumb) underwent surgery to repair his fractured thumb on Wednesday. According to Matt Gelb of The Athletic, the team is deferring comments regarding the surgery and Harper as a whole at this time. They are instead waiting until Harper addresses the surgery himself later on in the week. News broke earlier this week that Harper may only be sidelined the next six weeks with the injury. While that's still a good chunk of the remaining fantasy season, that timeline would still allow him to be a potential difference-maker down the stretch. He needs to remain rostered in all season-long fantasy leagues.

Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Teoscar Hernandez is not in the starting lineup for Wednesday's game against right-hander Nick Pivetta and the Boston Red Sox. Raimel Tapia will be covering right field for the game. Hernandez's bat has come alive in a big way this month. He's slashing .314/.346/.569 with five home runs, 18 RBI and 16 runs across June and he's notched multi-hit efforts in two straight outings. Hernandez has been primarily hitting fifth in the lineup lately and should be back in or around that slot for Thursday's series opener against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Boston Red Sox second baseman Trevor Story is not in the starting lineup on Wednesday against the Toronto Blue Jays. It will be Story's first day off since June 10. In 24 games in June, he's hitting .232 (22-for-95) with three home runs, 15 RBI and 31 strikeouts in 103 plate appearances. Story has struggled with a .224 average overall in his first year with Boston, but he does have 12 home runs, 52 RBI, 41 runs scored and 10 stolen bases to make up for it. With Story out Wednesday, Yolmer Sanchez will start at the keystone and hit eighth against Jays right-hander Alek Manoah. It will be Sanchez's first game action in the majors since 2020, when he went 5-for-16 with a solo home run in 11 games for the Chicago White Sox.

Houston Astros outfielder Yordan Alvarez and shortstop Jeremy Pena both left the game early on Wednesday against the New York Mets after being involved in a scary collision in the outfield as they tracked down a Dominic Smith pop-up. Alvarez was carted off the field, and Pena later walked off the field after trying to stay in. Alvarez lay motionless on the ground for some time, but thankfully he was able to walk to the cart before being driven off the field. Our best guess is that both players might be dealing with concussions, but we'll know more when they are evaluated. Alvarez has been playing at an MVP level this season, while Pena may be the front-runner for American League Rookie of the Year, so losing one or both for any amount of time would be really bad news for the Astros and fantasy managers. Stay tuned for updates.

Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Darick Hall is serving as the designated hitter and is batting cleanup in his major league debut on Wednesday against Atlanta Braves right-hander Kyle Wright. The Phillies are in need of another left-handed power bat with Bryce Harper (thumb) out for at least six weeks, and Hall had been one of the best power hitters at the Triple-A level before his call-up on Wednesday. The 26-year-old isn't one of the team's top-30 prospects, per MLB Pipeline, but he was hitting .269/.346/.548 with an .894 OPS, 20 dingers, 67 RBI, 47 runs scored and five stolen bases in 72 games for Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Hall should at least be in the lineup for the Phils against right-handers, and fantasy managers in deep mixed and NL-only leagues in need of power should scoop him up off the waiver wire.