Baltimore Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins is out of the Orioles lineup on Saturday against the Kansas City Royals. This appears to be a matchup decision as the Royals are starting their dynamic lefty Cole Ragans. Jorge Mateo will be starting in center field in place of Mullins. Mateo has been much stronger against lefties, hitting for a .908 OPS compared to Mullins' .388 OPS in 16 PA. The 29-year-old should be expected to be back in the lineup on Sunday as the Orioles will face off against Royals right-hander Seth Lugo.

Baltimore Orioles second baseman Jackson Holliday and outfielder Colton Cowser are out of the Orioles lineup on Saturday against Kansas City Royals lefty Cole Ragans. Holliday has had a rough start to his MLB career, hitting for a .037 batting average in 28 PA. Cowser has been Baltimore's best hitter, on the other hand, posting a 1.178 OPS in 51 PA. Austin Hays will get the start in left field for Cowser. Jordan Westburg will slide over from third base to second base and Ramon Urias will start at third. Both Holliday and Cowser should be expected to be back in the lineup on Sunday against Royals right-hander Seth Lugo.

Minnesota Twins third baseman Royce Lewis (quadriceps) has started to begin baseball activities according to the Twins head trainer Nick Paparesta. "We're looking to get him in a running progression probably the end of next week. He's still got some boxes to check, but heading in the right direction," the trainer said. No timetable has been set for the 24-year-old's return though it's still likely he won't be back until closer to the All Star Break. Kyle Farmer and Jose Miranda have been splitting time at third base in Lewis' absence. Farmer has hit for a paltry 15 wRC+ in 41 PA while Miranda has hit for a 119 wRC+ in 28 PA. Fantasy managers shouldn't rush to add either player in Lewis' absence, though Miranda shows more potential currently.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez (elbow) threw a bullpen session on Saturday. This marks the first time Valdez has thrown off of a mound since he was put on the injured list. The Astros will wait to see how the lefty responds to the bullpen session before taking next steps, though there is a chance he will be activated without needing a rehab start. The Astros are desperate for his return as their staters have posted a 4.93 ERA to begin the season, 5th worst in the majors. The lefty posted a 2.19 ERA in his two starts before hitting the injured list so his return will provide a boost to the Astros, who also welcomed back Justin Verlander on Friday. Fantasy managers will want to keep an eye on Valdez's progress in the event a rehab assignment isn't necessary.

Cincinnati Reds infielder Jeimer Candelario (illness) is back in the starting lineup Saturday against the visiting Los Angeles Angels and left-hander Patrick Sandoval. The veteran has been out since being scratched from Tuesday's contest with an illness, but he appears to be feeling better and will man the hot corner and hit cleanup against the southpaw on Saturday. It's been a slow start to the season for the 30-year-old, who is hitting just .190 with a couple of homers and a .649 OPS across his first 64 trips to the plate after he set career-highs with 22 homers and eight stolen bases across 140 games between the Nationals and Cubs in the 2023 campaign.

Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Mitch Keller will look to keep up the good work in a Saturday outing versus the visiting Boston Red Sox. After allowing four earned runs in each of his first two starts of the season, the 28-year-old has allowed just two earned runs in each of his last two starts and 13 innings of work. He has 13 strikeouts against just four walks in that time and did not walk a batter across seven innings his last time out. Fantasy managers should certainly be encouraged by his start to the season, even if his 19.8% K% leaves something to be desired as he posted a 25.5% K% last season alongside a healthy 18.8% K-BB%. He should see continued positive ERA regression moving forward as his 3.87 xFIP and 4.09 SIERA sit well below his 4.50 ERA on the young season.

Oakland A's left-hander Alex Wood will be in search of better results as he takes on the hosting Cleveland Guardians on Saturday. The club's Opening Day starter, Wood was tagged for six earned runs in that outing and has pitched to a 8.10 ERA through his first four starts of the season. He lasted just 4 1/3 frames his last time out, yielding four earned runs on seven hits, including a homer, with four walks and four strikeouts in a no-decision against the Washington Nationals. Wood has struggled with his control via an 11.8% BB% while his ground-ball rate has plummeted to just 32.7%. However, his results should improve once his bloated .442 BABIP normalizes.

Cleveland Guardians second baseman Andres Gimenez is not in the starting lineup for Saturday's contest against the visiting Oakland Athletics. The 25-year-old went 1-for-4 with a run scored, two RBI, and a stolen base during Friday's 10-2 victory but will begin Saturday's game on the bench. Gimenez has shown a nice combination of power and speed over the last couple of seasons, slugging 32 homers and stealing 50 bags over the last two campaigns. He has hit .291 on the young season and while he has yet to hit a home run, he does have three stolen bases and a .736 OPS across his first 91 trips to the plate. The Guardians are off to a hot start, sitting atop the AL Central with a 14-6 record on the young season.

San Francisco Giants third baseman Matt Chapman is not in the starting lineup for Saturday's afternoon contest against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks and right-hander Zac Gallen. Chapman did his part on Friday by going 1-for-3 with a double and a walk but his team was blown out to the tune of a 17-1 final score as the Giants mustered just four hits on the night. The 30-year-old has flashed some power with four homers and five doubles on the young season but is also hitting just .205 with a .677 OPS across his first 90 trips to the plate in a Giants uniform. The Giants are just 9-12 on the young season despite a busy offseason that saw them add a number of notable free agents, including Chapman.

Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno is on the bench for Saturday's game against the San Francisco Giants and left-hander Kyle Harrison. Moreno started and went 2-for-3 with a walk, a double, two runs, and three RBI as part of a massive 17-1 blowout win over the Giants but will get a break in a day game following a night game on Friday. The young backstop is hitting .241 without a homer on the season but his impressive 14.3% BB% is roughly double his tiny 7.9% K% across his first 63 trips to the plate on the young season. Moreno has dealt with a thumb injury that cost him a couple of starts earlier in the week but he is back to health and is a batting average-first fantasy asset.

Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz has been slipped down to the eight-hole for Saturday's contest against the Boston Red Sox and right-hander Kutter Crawford. The 25-year-old has hit out of the seven spot on occasion this season, but the eight-hole is the lowest spot in the order he has started at so far while he has largely served as the team's leadoff hitter. However, he's off to a sluggish start at the plate, hitting .222 with three homers, one stolen base, and a .605 OPS across his first 85 trips to the plate on the young season. Even with a massive 40% strikeout rate against only a 4.7% walk rate, fantasy managers should continue to exercise patience, as Cruz ranks in the 88th percentile in average exit velocity and the 89th percentile in hard-hit rate to this point in the season.

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith is not in the starting lineup Saturday against the New York Mets and right-hander Jose Butto. It's a predictable absence as the Dodgers and Mets played a night game on Friday but will get together for an afternoon clash on Saturday. Smith went 2-for-4 with a walk, a double, and a run scored on Friday but the Dodgers took a 9-4 loss despite his efforts. The 29-year-old has come out of the gate hot this season, hitting .356 with a homer, five doubles, and an .861 OPS across 81 plate appearances, good for fourth-most among big-league backstops. The Dodgers have surprisingly dropped four of their last five entering Saturday's contest.

New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (thumb) has been placed on the 15-day injured list after suffering a thumb injury while running the bases in the top of the second inning against the Dodgers on Friday. His thumb was bent back when he attempted to brace for a fall during the club's 9-4 win and he has been diagnosed with a sprain in his thumb. Mets skipper Carlos Mendoza said after the game that he was "pretty concerned" about Alvarez's injury and that the young backstop was in a lot of pain. A year after slugging 25 homers as a rookie, the 22-year-old is hitting .236 with a homer and a .652 OPS across his first 59 trips to the plate this season. Tomas Nido was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse to take Alvarez's spot on the active roster while left-hander Kolton Ingram was designated for assignment.

Chicago Cubs infielder Michael Busch is not in the team's starting lineup for Game 1 of a twin bill on Saturday against the Miami Marlins and left-hander Jesus Luzardo. The lefty-swinging Busch is off to a massive start to the season but has struggled in limited time against same-handed pitching. Busch has hit .317 with six home runs, three doubles, and a 1.067 OPS across 70 plate appearances on the season but is just 1-for-9 (.111) with a walk across only 10 trips to the plate against southpaw pitching. All nine of the 26-year-old's extra-base hits have come against right-handers. Despite his struggles against lefties, Busch has cemented himself as a strong fantasy asset, even at the first base position, with a history of hitting for big-time power in his minor-league career.

Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers (knee) remains out of the starting lineup on Saturday against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Bobby Dalbec is getting the start at the hot corner and is batting sixth in the lineup versus Pirates right-hander Mitch Keller. Devers is dealing with a bone bruise in his left knee and will miss his third straight game. The 27-year-old is going to need to return to the lineup soon to avoid landing on the injured list. The Red Sox's bench is pretty short-handed right now with outfielder Tyler O'Neill on the seven-day concussion injured list. Dalbec has never faced Keller in his career and has just one hit with two walks and 13 strikeouts in 24 plate appearances over 12 games so far in 2024 as a bench option for the BoSox.

Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Daniel Duarte (elbow) has elbow surgery scheduled for May 8 with Dr. Keith Meister and will miss the rest of the 2024 season. It's an elbow issue for Duarte after he originally landed on the injured list with a triceps strain. The 27-year-old had only pitched four innings in two appearances out of Minnesota's bullpen before suffering the injury. He had allowed one earned on two hits (one homer) while walking one and striking out three in his four innings of work. Even if he avoids Tommy John surgery, there's a chance Duarte won't be ready for the start of the 2025 season. In 38 1/3 relief innings in the big leagues since making his MLB debut in 2022, Duarte has a 3.99 ERA, a 1.38 WHIP, one save, 24 walks and 28 strikeouts.

The Tampa Bay Rays selected the contract of right-hander Erasmo Ramirez from Triple-A Durham on Saturday and optioned left-hander Jacob Lopez to Durham in a corresponding move. The Rays also moved infielder Taylor Walls (hip) to the 60-day injured list. Ramirez will join Tampa's bullpen for the first time in 2024 after giving up two earned runs while striking out 13 in 8 1/3 innings pitched for the Bulls on the farm. The 33-year-old is unlikely to be a fantasy asset after posting a 6.41 ERA (5.05 FIP) and 1.57 WHIP with 13 walks and 43 strikeouts in 60 1/3 innings over 38 appearances (two starts) for the Rays and Washington Nationals. Ramirez has only struck out 6.8 batters per nine innings in his 12-year MLB career.

The Miami Marlins recently optioned No. 3 prospect Max Meyer to Triple-A Jacksonville despite the fact that he had been the team's most consistent starter three turns through the rotation to begin the year. But Meyer missed 19 months due to Tommy John surgery in August of 2022, so his workload in 2024 was always going to be monitored closely. The most innings he's thrown in his professional career was 111 three years ago. Manager Skip Schumaker said Meyer won't be shut down, but he'll pitch once a week in three-inning stints for Jacksonville so he can be available to the Fish in the second half of the season. "There's not an exact date or timeline," Schumaker said of Meyer's return. The 25-year-old has a bright future in the big leagues, but his ceiling is capped significantly for fantasy managers in 2024.

The Miami Marlins announced on Saturday that they placed left-hander A.J. Puk (shoulder) on the 15-day injured list with left-shoulder fatigue. In additional moves, right-hander Kyle Tyler's contract was selected from Triple-A Jacksonville and left-hander Josh Simpson (elbow) was moved to the 60-day IL. Right-hander Roddery Munoz was designated as the 27th man on Saturday for the team's doubleheader against the Chicago Cubs. Puk had to have his start this week pushed back multiple times due to an illness, but now he's dealing with an arm injury and will have to miss at least the next two weeks. The 28-year-old southpaw has lost each of his four starts of the season and has a 9.22 ERA and 2.63 WHIP while not going more than 4 2/3 frames in any of his outings. When Puk is ready to return from the IL, he could very well find himself back in Miami's bullpen.

The Detroit Tigers placed infielder Gio Urshela (hamstring) on the 10-day injured list on Saturday with a right-hamstring strain and recalled infielder Buddy Kennedy from Triple-A Toledo in a corresponding move. Urshela was removed from Friday night's win over the Minnesota Twins with right-hamstring tightness after running to first base and will now miss at least the next 10 days. Kennedy will provide infield depth for the Tigers in the meantime, but Matt Vierling is the most likely candidate to see most of the playing time at the hot corner in Detroit until Urshela is able to return. Vierling is at third and batting fifth on Saturday against Twins right-hander Bailey Ober. Although Urshela doesn't have a homer this year, he was hitting .298 (17-for-57) with six RBI at the time of his injury on Friday night.