Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Anthony Bass has been designated for assignment by the organization on Friday. Bass recently shared an anti-LGBTQ+ video on social media. The highly-publicized off-field controversy was enough for the Blue Jays to move on from the 35-year-old. He has been struggling this season, posting a 4.95 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and 19/2 K/BB across 20 appearances. In a corresponding move, right-hander Mitch White (elbow) has been activated from the 60-day injured list. The 28-year-old joins the Jays bullpen in a versatile swingman role. It's tough to imagine White having much fantasy value unless he moves into the starting rotation.

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw tossed seven scoreless innings as part of the team's 6-0 shutout win over the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday. The 35-year-old picked up his NL-best eighth win and tallied his third scoreless start of at least seven innings and nine strikeouts of the year, which leads MLB. The ageless Kershaw had a wonderful 1.89 ERA in April, but the southpaw had stumbled a bit to a 5.55 ERA over five May starts. Fantasy managers hope that Kershaw is building up a more effective June, as he's only yielded two runs over 14 frames so far this month. The highly-decorated veteran tentatively toes the rubber next versus the disappointing Chicago White Sox on Wednesday.

The Seattle Mariners and free-agent shortstop Didi Gregorius agreed to a minor-league contract on Thursday. The 33-year-old affords the Mariners a contingency reserve and perhaps a power complement to the light-hitting J.P. Crawford at shortstop. Gregorius fizzled out with the Philadelphia Phillies when we last saw him in the major leagues, hitting .210 with a .613 OPS over 582 at-bats from 2021 to 2022. The righty masher remains off the fantasy radar for now, but he could give Seattle a lift in pop (.375 SLG as a team) if Gregorius eventually gets elevated to the bigs.

Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter Brandon Belt was 2-for-4 with a solo homer against the Astros in a 3-2 win on Wednesday. Belt blasted a home run into the second deck off a pitch from Houston's hurler Ronel Blanco. His second hit was a single off Bryan Abreu in the eighth frame. The 35-year-old left-handed hitter is displaying the power absent in 2022, slashing .268/.385/.444 with four homers in 142 plate appearances. His four dingers this season have come in the last seven contests. For a fantasy manager looking to add some power to their lineup, the veteran Belt may be worth watching as his offensive output continues to increase.

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (oblique) is back at second base and is hitting second on Wednesday against Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Chris Bassitt. Altuve recently made his season debut after recovering from a fractured thumb that he sustained in the World Baseball Classic, but he just missed the last four games with oblique tightness. Thankfully, the 33-year-old All-Star second baseman has managed to avoid the injured list for now, and he should be returned to all starting fantasy lineups on Wednesday. In his first 11 games of 2023, Altuve has gone 12-for-42 (.286) with three doubles, two home runs, six RBI and eight runs scored. He's a must-start whenever he's in Houston's lineup.

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (oblique) is expected to be back in the starting lineup for Wednesday's game against Chris Bassitt and the Toronto Blue Jays, according to MLB.com. The former MVP has missed the past four games as he deals with an oblique issue. This is great news for fantasy managers, who already went without Altuve for the first month and a half of the season while rehabbing from a thumb ailment. The 33-year-old has slashed .286/.388/.500 with two homers, eight runs, and six RBI across 11 games. Fantasy managers should expect Mauricio Dubon to move back into a part-time role, even with his .294 batting average.

Miami Marlins right-hander Johnny Cueto (ankle, biceps), who sprained his left ankle during a minor-league rehab start with Triple-A Jacksonville on May 6, is scheduled to throw a live batting practice session on Tuesday. Cueto also threw a 40-pitch bullpen session on May 30, his first time throwing off a mound since spraining his ankle. The veteran hurler had been dealing with a biceps issue on and off since spring training and was pulled after 30 pitches in his team debut on April 3. An MRI revealed no structural damage. The 37-year-old could be close to starting another rehab assignment, but he's at least a few weeks away from a return and should be left to the waiver wire in mixed leagues for now.

Milwaukee Brewers left-hander Wade Miley (lat) will make his first rehab start on June 11 with Double-A Biloxi, according to MLB.com. The veteran hurler has been on the shelf since mid-May after suffering a posterior serratus strain and was originally supposed to miss 6-8 weeks. However, Miley thinks there's a chance he could return to the Brewers after just one rehab appearance. The 36-year-old was putting up solid numbers before the injury, pitching to a 3.67 ERA and 1.13 WHIP with three victories over eight starts, but posted just a 14.0% strikeout rate. Fantasy managers should only roster Miley in deep leagues, as he'll continue to hurt the strikeout department once he's back.

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (oblique) is out of the starting lineup for Monday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays. This is not good news after Altuve missed both games over the weekend due to an oblique issue. The hope was that Altuve would return on Monday, but that is obviously not the case. It's unclear if Altuve will require a stint on the injured list or need a few extra days off. Regardless, Mauricio Dubon will bat leadoff and play second base versus right-hander Alek Manoah on Monday.

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi twirled another scoreless gem on Sunday. The right-hander was scratched by just one hit over six innings with seven strikeouts en route to his eighth win of the year as the team sunk the Seattle Mariners 12-3. The 33-year-old is firing on all cylinders right now and added to what has become perhaps baseball's most dazzling pitching journey of 2023 thus far. Eovaldi has notched five scoreless starts of at least five innings including two shutouts since his warpath began on April 29. The former All-Star is undefeated over his last seven appearances (6-0) with an immaculate 0.68 ERA across 52 2/3 innings during this stretch. Eovaldi's reign of terror will face its mightiest foe yet on Saturday versus Shane McClanahan and the Tampa Bay Rays for a clash of the titans.

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (oblique) remains out of the team's starting lineup against the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday. Altuve tweaked his oblique while swinging in Friday's game against the Angels, and he'll now sit out for the second straight game as a precaution. The 33-year-old All-Star will hopefully be back in the lineup for Monday's series opener against the Toronto Blue Jays, but if he isn't, fantasy managers might start to panic. Altuve has played in only 11 games after returning from a fractured left thumb, and he's hitting a solid .286 (12-for-42) in the small sample size with three doubles, two homers and six RBI. Mauricio Dubon is at the keystone and batting leadoff on Sunday against Angels right-hander Griffin Canning. Dubon only has one homer in 173 at-bats in 2023, but he's hitting a strong .295.

Philadelphia Phillies reliever Craig Kimbrel struck out one over a perfect inning to earn the save in Saturday's 4-2 win over the Washington Nationals. He entered the ninth inning to protect a two-run Phillies lead. The 35-year-old needed just 11 pitches to collect his eighth save of the season. He owns a 5.32 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and a 33: 11 K: BB across 22 innings in 2023. Kimbrel is a perfect 8-for-8 in save opportunities and should continue to be Philadelphia's primary closer until Jose Alvarado (elbow) is activated from the injured list.

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (oblique) won't be the lineup for the next two days. Manager Dusty Baker confirmed that Altuve will miss both Saturday and Sunday's contest due to an oblique issue. The 33-year-old reportedly felt something in his side during Friday's contest. It sounds like a minor issue, but the Astros might have Altuve undergo further testing anyway. Fantasy managers should expect Altuve to be back in the lineup early next week.

Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman (neck) remains in the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the New York Yankees. The left-handed slugger continues to play despite dealing with neck stiffness over the last few days. The fact Freeman continues to play means that it's likely a minor issue. The 33-year-old saw his 20-game hitting streak come to an end on Friday. He'll bat second and cover first base versus right-hander Gerrit Cole on Saturday.

Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Kenley Jansen was called upon to protect a three-run lead during Saturday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays. The right-hander immediately allowed a leadoff double to Yandy Diaz. After that, Jansen settled down and struck out the next three batters to record his 12th save of the season. The 35-year-old continues to be one of the more reliable closers in the MLB. Fantasy managers should continue to roster him in all formats.

Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman (knee) was not available on Friday versus the Colorado Rockies while he deals with a "barking knee", per manager Matt Quatraro. It sounds like a minor setback for the 35-year-old, but it remains to be seen if he could be summoned for Saturday's contest. Besides a typically wild 15.9% walk rate, Chapman's Statcast rankings are a sight to behold. The seven-time All-Star looks revived, attaining a fiery 37.5% strikeout rate and a .235 xSLG against him, just to name a few of Chapman's highlights. Fantasy managers hope the flame-throwing hurler can return soon. Chapman remains a forward-thinking hold with the possibility he is moved at the trade deadline to an even higher-leverage role. The southpaw only has two saves in 20 1/3 innings in Kansas City this year.

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Charlie Morton withstood seven innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday. The 39-year-old struck out nine batters and surrendered three runs for a quality start, but took a loss after Atlanta was beaten 3-2. Morton has fanned nine batters or more on four occasions in his 11 starts this year. The two-time All-Star has been fairly dependable overall, registering a 3.62 ERA with 72 punchouts in 64 2/3 innings. A 1.44 WHIP, however, remains a bit suspect. Morton tentatively faces the New York Mets next on Thursday, when he'll be seeking his first win since May 15.

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve is absent from the lineup on Saturday against the Los Angeles Angels. This is just a day of rest for the veteran second baseman who came off the IL about three weeks ago after fracturing his right thumb in the World Baseball Classic. Mauricio Dubon is leading off and taking over at second base in Altuve's place against Patrick Sandoval and the Halos.

The Milwaukee Brewers placed first baseman Darin Ruf (knee) and outfielder Tyrone Taylor (elbow) on the 10-day injured list on Saturday and recalled first baseman Jon Singleton and outfielder Blake Perkins from Triple-A Nashville in corresponding moves. Ruf suffered a right-knee laceration in Friday's game against the Cincinnati Reds, while Taylor is dealing with a right-elbow sprain. Ruf had only played in 11 games for Milwaukee and had just five hits in 26 at-bats with no home runs. Rowdy Tellez will continue to operate as the primary first baseman, with Singletary backing him up. Taylor opened this season on the IL with the same injury, so the 29-year-old is likely to miss extended time.

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg (ribs, shoulder) has been completely shut down from any rehab activities for more than a month, according to three people familiar with the situation, and there is increasing doubt that he'll ever pitch again. The 34-year-old right-hander hasn't pitched in a game since last June, when he was trying to return from surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome. Three people have described his complications as "severe nerve damage." His current plan is to rest and see if he can manage the nerve issues enough to make another attempt at pitching, but it doesn't look promising. Strasburg still has three seasons left on his seven-year, $245 million deal he signed in December of 2019. It's a disappointing situation for everyone involved, and Strasburg obviously shouldn't be rostered in fantasy formats at this point.