New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Hicks is not in the starting lineup for Thursday's game against right-hander Luis Garcia and the Houston Astros. Aaron Judge, Joey Gallo and Giancarlo Stanton will be covering the outfield for the game. Hicks has been scuffling at the plate lately, recording just one hit over his last 18 at-bats. The 32-year-old has appeared in 66 games this year and he's slashing .218/.338/.284 with three home runs, seven stolen bases, 18 RBI and 24 runs. He should remain on waivers in all but the deepest of fantasy leagues at this point.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Jake Odorizzi (leg) told reporters that he believes he's ready to return to action and that he's just waiting to hear his next move from the organization. Odorizzi made his second rehab start on Wednesday. Pitching at Double-A Corpus Christi, he tossed five scoreless frames, allowing just three hits and no walks while striking out six. Odorizzi was off to a strong start to the year prior to suffering strains and sprains to the ligaments of his right foot and ankle. He has a 3.13 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP over seven starts with the Astros this season. His main problem at this point might be that the Astros have a seemingly complete rotation. Cristian Javier joined the starting rotation after Odorizzi's injury and Javier has been fantastic lately. He pitched seven scoreless, no-hit innings against the New York Yankees in his last outing, striking out 13 batters along the way. Astros manager Dusty Baker appears to have a tough decision to make regarding his rotation soon.

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Zach Eflin (knee) has received a cortisone shot in his right knee. Eflin was placed on the 15-day injured list with a right knee bruise this past Tuesday and the move was retroactive to June 26. He originally stated that he'd be able to return after the minimum 15 days. However, Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Eflin's cortisone shot makes it more likely that he'll be out for more than the minimum 15 days. Left-hander Bailey Falter will be taking Eflin's spot in the rotation, starting with Friday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals. Falter has made seven appearances (three starts) this year and has pitched to a 4.50 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP.

The Boston Red Sox activated outfielder Jarren Duran and right-hander Tanner Houck from the restricted list on Thursday and optioned infielder Yolmer Sanchez to Triple-A Worcester and designated right-hander Silvino Bracho for assignment in corresponding moves. Duran and Houck were unavailable for the series against the Blue Jays in Toronto this week because they aren't vaccinated against COVID. Duran is hitting well in his second major league season, going 17-for-52 (.327) with three RBI and four stolen bases in just 13 games. Houck, who has six saves and 47 strikeouts in 47 1/3 innings over 22 outings (four starts), should return to being a favorite for closing duties in Boston this weekend against the Chicago Cubs.

Talks are intensifying between the Washington Nationals and outfielder Juan Soto regarding a second offer from the team for 13 years and $425 million, which will increase the initial $350 million offer by $75 million. Soto is just 23 years old, but he was a first-time All-Star in 2021 and has proven to be one of the best all-around hitters in baseball in five years in the majors. He's hitting just .224 this year through 76 games, but Soto also has a .375 on-base percentage, an .812 OPS, 14 home runs, 15 doubles, 32 RBI, 43 runs scored and five stolen bases in 333 plate appearances on a bad Nationals team. Soto has a whopping 112 home runs, 344 RBI and 37 stolen bases in his five MLB seasons to this point and remains a must-start in fantasy.

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 relievers Brooks Raley and Ryan Thompson on the restricted list on Thursday, and they will not be joining the team in Toronto for a five-game series this weekend due to Canada's COVID vaccination requirement. The Rays bullpen will be a bit short-handed this weekend against the Blue Jays. The left-handed Raley has been great for Tampa so far this year in 24 1/3 innings pitched, picking up four saves while allowing six earned runs on 14 hits while striking out 32 and walking only eight in 27 relief appearances. Thompson hasn't been nearly as good, posting a 5.33 ERA and 1.42 WHIP with 22 K's, three saves and 10 walks in 25 1/3 innings pitched.

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.

The Oakland Athletics are calling up infielder Vimael Machin from the minors on Thursday. Machin went 4-for-32 (.125) with an RBI, three walks and 10 strikeouts in 15 games for the A's earlier this year, but he's had a breakout offensive season at Triple-A Las Vegas, slashing .324/.401/.457 with an .858 OPS, four home runs, 49 RBI and 41 runs scored in 64 games. The 28-year-old could easily see more consistent at-bats at the major league level this time around for a struggling A's team, which could make Machin valuable in deep mixed and AL-only leagues if he's playing regularly. Machin is also extremely versatile with his glove, as he can play shortstop, third base and second base.

The Boston Red Sox are considering moving right-hander Garrett Whitlock (hip) to the bullpen when he returns from the injured list. Skipper Alex Cora sounds as if the team is leaning toward making him a reliever when he returns. Whitlock has been on the injured list since June 10 with right hip inflammation, but he's getting close to going out on a minor league rehab assignment. We should have a better idea of how Boston plans to utilize him based on how many pitches he throws in his rehab outings before he's activated. The 26-year-old opened the season with four relief appearances before moving to a starting role. In 13 appearances (nine starts), Whitlock has a 3.51 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP with 49 strikeouts, 11 walks and one save in 48 2/3 innings. He'll unfortunately lose most of his fantasy appeal if he moves back to relieving.

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.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds had a career day at the plate on Wednesday, going 3-for-5 with three home runs and six RBI, helping his club defeat the Washington Nationals 8-7. After struggling out of the gate, the 27-year-old has brought his batting line to .258/.332/.476 with 15 HRs, 35 runs, 31 RBI, and three stolen bases over 72 games. Reynolds has been a productive player for most of his four-year career and should be trusted to provide value in every format.

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 White Sox first baseman Andrew Vaughn (rest) is out of the starting lineup for Wednesday's game against the Los Angeles Angels. It looks like a routine rest day for Vaughn, but he was dealing with a leg issue last week. Gavin Sheets will serve as the designated hitter and bat fifth against right-hander Shohei Ohtani on Wednesday. Fantasy managers should be able to find a better streaming option than Sheets here. Vaughn has been crushing the ball and should be in the lineup for their next contest.