New York Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton is back in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers. The slugger was given a rest day for Friday's game but still notched a go-ahead RBI double in extra-innings in the Yankees' 7-6 loss to the Brewers. Stanton has had a solid start to the season slashing .232/.284/.476 with five HR and 13 RBI. He'll get a matchup against Brewers right-hander Joe Ross, who Stanton is 2-10 against with a HR. With Stanton hitting for an .829 OPS against righties (compared to .658 vs lefties) he should be a viable option in DFS formats.

The New York Mets have placed outfielder Starling Marte on the bereavement list while infielder Mark Vientos has been recalled from Triple-A Syracuse to take his spot on the active roster. The 35-year-old has been off to a hot start this season, hitting .288 with four home runs, six stolen bases, and a .769 OPS across 111 trips to the plate, good for a 119 wRC+ that sits 19% above the league average. Marte plummeted down draft boards after a 2023 season that saw him hit .248 with only five homers alongside 24 stolen bases and a .625 OPS across 86 games in 2023, by far the worst offensive season of his career. However, he has rewarded managers who bet on a bounce back in drafts this spring.

Washington Nationals outfielder Joey Gallo (shoulder) was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left-shoulder sprain on Saturday. Outfielder Alex Call was promoted from Triple-A Rochester as a result. The 30-year-old has posted a .122/.286/.311 stat line with three home runs and five RBI. Even though Gallo has struggled at the plate, he still maintained an impressive 19.4% barrel rate, which placed him in the 99th percentile among qualified hitters. Gallo should be expected to be sidelined for at least the next ten days. Call should make his season debut sometime next week. The 29-year-old flashed speed at times as he swiped nine bags last season and could be a target in NL-Only formats.

New York Mets outfielders Harrison Bader and Starling Marte are both out of Saturday's lineup. As a result, Tyrone Taylor will play in center field and bat seventh, and DJ Stewart will man right field and bat fifth. Bader has put up a solid .267 AVG during his first month in Queens but will get a breather since he has not registered a hit in his past three games. Marte, who has been off to a great start with a .288 AVG and four home runs, will miss his first game of the season. Both Taylor and Stewart have a tough matchup today as they will face Sonny Gray, who enters Saturday with a dominant 1.04 ERA and 0.87 WHIP, and both will be popular fades in DFS.

Toronto Blue Jays outfielder George Springer and utility man Isiah Kiner-Falefa are both out of the starting lineup on Saturday against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers. This will be Springer's first off day since April 19. The 34-year-old veteran has gone 7-for-28 with a home run since then to drop his season line to .228/.322/.356 with three home runs, five RBI, three stolen bases and 11 runs scored in 101 at-bats. With Springer sitting on Saturday, rookie Addison Barger will make just his third major-league start, playing in right field and batting ninth against Dodgers right-hander Tyler Glasnow. Barger, the former sixth-round pick in 2018, has yet to get a hit in his first eight MLB at-bats and won't be a recommended DFS option in the nine-hole in a tough matchup.

Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy, shortstop Gavin Lux and outfielder Josh Outman, who all hit left-handed, are out of Saturday's lineup against left-hander Yusei Kikuchi and the Toronto Blue Jays. Enrique Hernandez will play third and bat sixth, Miguel Rojas is at shortstop and hitting eighth, and rookie Andy Pages is in center field and will bat seventh for the Blue. Muncy is hitting a modest .258 (23-for-89) this year with five home runs and 18 RBI, but he's gone just 5-for-25 (.200) with one homer and 10 strikeouts against lefties. Lux has struggled in general, hitting .183 (13-for-71) and has yet to go deep. Outman's fantasy stock has really fallen as he's fallen into a platoon with Pages. Hernandez is the DFS play to consider with a .256 career average and 55 homers in 1,417 plate appearances against southpaws. He's also hitting .308 in 13 career at-bats against Kikuchi.

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith went 4-for-5 in Friday's 12-2 victory over the Blue Jays, with two of his four hits going for extra bases, including a double and his second home run of the season. The 2023 All-Star also drove in three runs and scored three times. This was the second straight game Smith has recorded four hits, raising his season slash line to .376/.413/.527 and putting himself in position as the third-highest-scoring backstop for fantasy thus far. The Dodgers face Jays left-hander Yusei Kikuchi on Saturday night. Smith is hitting a scorching .520/.581/.680 against lefties so far this season and is 1-for-3 off Kikuchi in his career.

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Frankie Montas (forearm) is expected to throw off a mound this weekend, according to manager David Bell. Montas is progressing in his recovery from a right forearm contusion and is eligible to come off the 15-day injured list on May 7, but it's unknown if he'll need a brief rehab assignment before rejoining Cincy's rotation. The 31-year-old former ace carries an uninspiring 4.19 ERA (5.26 FIP), 1.44 WHIP, and 14:10 K:BB across 19 1/3 innings (five starts), and fantasy managers in shallow mixed leagues might be able to find stronger options as a stash. Veteran swingman Nick Martinez should receive at least two more starts for the Reds until Montas becomes available again, but he has just a 5.48 ERA and 1.39 WHIP with 17 punchouts in 23 frames (five appearances) and won't be a convincing streamer in Tuesday's scheduled road start against the San Diego Padres.

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Alex Cobb (hip, shoulder) has been held back from throwing activities the last few days as he's still experiencing soreness in his shoulder. He is scheduled to see Dr. Ken Akizuki Friday night. Cobb had been working his way back from a hip surgery he had in October and started to experience some setbacks after throwing a bullpen session a few weeks ago. The 36-year-old won't be eligible to come off the injured list until late May, but these setbacks may push his return further into June. This isn't the news the Giants wanted to hear after needing to put newly acquired Blake Snell on the 15-day injured list this week. Cobb will have a rotation spot available for him when he returns, but fantasy managers and Giants fans will need to exercise patience for a couple more months for that moment.

Los Angeles Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon (hamstring) said he has a high-grade partial tear of his left hamstring and doesn't have a timetable to return. The Angels placed Rendon on the 10-day injured list on Sunday, but the 33-year-old is certainly going to be out for an extended amount of time. Ever since signing a seven-year deal with the Halos, Rendon has mostly been in the trainer's room and has been one of the biggest disappointments in baseball after recording a league-high 126 RBI and a career-high 34 home runs in his final year with the Nationals in 2019. Before the injury, he was hitting .267 (20-for-75) with no homers, three RBI and three steals. We wouldn't blame you for dumping Rendon to the waiver wire at this point. Miguel Sano has been playing third since Rendon went down, but Brandon Drury could also see time there moving forward.

New York Yankees outfielder Giancarlo Stanton (rest) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers. This appears to be a routine rest day for the veteran slugger. Stanton has started in five straight games, so the team has decided to give the 34-year-old the night off. In the meantime, Aaron Judge will serve as the designated hitter while Trent Grisham will cover center field versus right-hander Colin Rea.

San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado has been activated off the paternity leave list on Friday. That is great news after Machado missed a few games earlier in the week due to a personal matter. He's batting fourth and covering third base during Friday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies. In a corresponding move, infielder Matthew Batten has been optioned to the minors. Fantasy managers should make sure to get Machado back in their lineups.

Los Angeles Angels infielder Brandon Drury (knee) is back in the starting lineup on Friday against the visiting Minnesota Twins and right-hander Bailey Ober, serving as the designated hitter and batting fifth. Miguel Sano is at third base for the Halos and is hitting cleanup. Drury didn't start at all during the recent three-game series against the Baltimore Orioles due to a knee injury but appeared on Wednesday late in the game and struck out in his only plate appearance. Fantasy managers in deeper leagues will be hoping that Drury can show some signs of life at the plate this weekend, as he's started the 2024 season with a weak .194/.270/.269 slash line with a home run and four RBI in 74 plate appearances. He's never faced Ober in his career.

Milwaukee Brewers veteran left-hander Wade Miley (elbow) needs Tommy John surgery and will spend the next 10 to 12 months rehabbing and then decide whether to continue his career. It's a tough break for the 37-year-old southpaw and the Brewers. Fantasy baseball managers that were stashing Miley in deeper leagues can now officially let go. "I've always said I want to go out on my own [terms]," Miley said. "I still feel like I've got more in the tank." While it sounds like the 14-year veteran wants to give it a shot to come back at some point in 2025, it's fair to wonder if he's already thrown his final pitch in the big leagues. Even if Miley rehabs for a comeback next season, he'll be off the radar in most fantasy formats. The former 43rd overall pick by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2008 out of Southeastern Louisiana gave up five earned runs with four walks and two K's in his two starts in 2024.

New York Yankees designated hitter J.D. Martinez (back) is hitting fifth in his debut with the team on Friday against the visiting St. Louis Cardinals and right-hander Miles Mikolas. Martinez is getting a late start to the 2024 campaign after signing with the team late in March. The 36-year-old veteran then tweaked his back while playing in extended spring training, further delaying his debut. Martinez is back now, though, and will give first baseman Pete Alonso more protection in the lineup. Martinez hit a strong .271/.321/.572 with 33 home runs with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2023, and while he can still provide some decent pop in mixed fantasy leagues, nobody should be expecting him to be quite that good in New York. The Mets plan to ease Martinez back in, so don't be surprised to see him get frequent days of rest.

Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Chris Bassitt will be looking to get back into the win column for the third time this season on Friday versus the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers. The veteran took a tough-luck loss his last time out after tossing 5 1/3 innings of two-run ball but also allowed six hits and three walks against the Padres his last time out. While the 35-year-old owns a solid 3.90 ERA on the season, he also sports a 4.77 FIP and a 4.47 SIERA that both suggest some regression could be on the horizon. Of course, there's at least a decent chance of that happening on Friday against a Dodgers offense that ranks second in baseball with a .348 wOBA on the season.

The Chicago White Sox have selected veteran outfielder Tommy Pham from Triple-A Charlotte. Fellow outfielder Kevin Pillar has been designated for assignment in order to clear a spot on the active roster. The White Sox agreed to a minors pact with Pham just a week ago and are bringing him up after he appeared in four games with Charlotte. Pham had a nice season in 2023, hitting .256 with 16 home runs and 22 stolen bases alongside a .774 OPS across 129 games between the Mets and Diamondbacks. Pham interestingly had to settle for a minors pact despite the quality season as he could once again become fantasy-relevant if his power and speed remain in his age-36 season.

New York Mets designated hitter J.D. Martinez (back) is set to make his debut with the team on Friday against the visiting St. Louis Cardinals. He's expected to give All-Star first baseman Pete Alonso more protection in the batting order after hitting 33 home runs in just 479 plate appearances in 2023 with the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, Martinez won't be hitting behind Alonso every day, at least not to start. Manager Carlos Mendoza said the team will ease Martinez into regular playing time, which makes sense given his age (36) and the fact he dealt with a back injury while ramping up this spring. Fantasy managers can't expect another 30-plus homer season from Martinez while getting a late start to the year, but he can provide notable pop in mixed leagues if he can stay healthy.

San Diego Padres right-hander Yu Darvish (neck) threw a side session on Wednesday, after which "reports were favorable," according to manager Mike Shildt. "He was on the gas, but didn't have it to the floor... it was a positive first step." Darvish was put on the 15-day injured list on April 17 (retroactive to April 15) and last pitched on April 14 against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 37-year-old was shut down in September of last year with a stress reaction in his right elbow and has dealt with back and neck issues in the past. It sounds like Darvish is improving, but at 37 years old, his recurring neck issue is something to keep an eye on when he returns. Before hitting the IL, he had a 4.18 ERA and 1.27 WHIP with 22 strikeouts and 10 walks in 23 2/3 frames over his first five starts.

San Diego Padres outfielder Jurickson Profar went 2-for-4 with a home run and a walk in Thursday's loss against the Colorado Rockies. Porfar took Nick Mears deep in the top of the seventh inning for his third homer of the season. The veteran has quietly been having a nice season for the Padres with a .295 batting average and 18 RBI. Profar should eventually regress, but he is worth riding while his bat is hot. For now, Profar is worth rostering, but managers would be wise to test the trade market and try to sell-high on the veteran. Profar will look to stay warm versus the division rival San Francisco Giants and Kyle Harrison on Friday evening.