Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jameson Taillon recorded a win in his season debut on Friday in the Cubs 8-3 victory over the Miami Marlins. Taillon struck out four and gave up one earned run in five innings in his return. The 32-year-old had been recovering from back tightness since early March. It was good for the Cubs and fantasy managers to see Taillon start off on the right foot and start to bounce back from a slightly subpar 2023. He'll have a much tougher test in his next scheduled start on Wednesday night when the Cubs host the Houston Astros.

Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Walker Buehler (elbow) needs at least one more minor-league rehab outing, according to manager Dave Roberts, which means rookie Landon Knack will stay in the team's starting rotation for at least one more start. Roberts said Buehler's execution during his rehab start on Thursday night was "not great" and that his command was lacking. The 29-year-old gave up two runs on four hits while walking four and striking out three in just 2 2/3 innings for Triple-A Oklahoma City. It's no surprise the Dodgers want to see more from Buehler before they feel comfortable letting him pitch in the big leagues for the first time since 2022. Buehler's outing on Thursday in the minors is a reminder that fantasy managers are probably going to have to be patient with him once he returns.

Chicago White Sox relief pitcher John Brebbia (calf) is set to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte on Friday. The right-hander appears to be back on track after suffering a calf injury during a game two weeks ago. It's uncertain how many outings Brebbia will need before rejoining the big league bullpen. The assumption is that Brebbia should be back before or in early May. However, Brebbia is likely going to take a backseat to Michael Kopech who appears to be the primary closer in Chicago. Brebbia should still be used in high leverage spots, but probably won't offer the same fantasy value.

Chicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ (hamstring) was pulled in the seventh inning of Friday's win over the visiting Miami Marlins due to right-hamstring tightness, according to manager Craig Counsell. Happ's status for the rest of the weekend is now to be determined. Given the fact that Happ also missed time in spring training with a left-hamstring strain, fantasy managers should not be surprised at all if this ends up being an injured-list situation for the switch-hitting outfielder. For now, the 29-year-old should be considered day-to-day. There's a good chance he won't play on Saturday, but check back anyway to see if he's active. With Seiya Suzuki (oblique) already on the IL, the Cubbies would be down to Cody Bellinger, Mike Tauchman and rookie Alexander Canario in their outfield, although Garrett Cooper and Patrick Wisdom could also be used out there.

Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson said that right-hander Taijuan Walker (shoulder) will make a third minor-league rehab start on Sunday for Triple-A Lehigh Valley. If Walker comes out of that outing without any setbacks, he's expected to rejoin the Phillies' starting rotation after that to make his 2024 debut. The Phillies aren't going to rush the 31-year-old veteran back into the fold, especially with Spencer Turnbull pitching well right now as he fills in for Walker. Fantasy baseball managers looking for extra rotation depth in deeper mixed leagues may want to consider picking Walker up now and stashing him. Walker's 4.83 xFIP last year shows he was pretty lucky to come away with a 4.38 ERA in his 31 starts in 2023. He'll be a matchup-based streamer once he returns to the majors.

Pittsburgh Pirates left-handed reliever Aroldis Chapman's suspension has been reduced to one game after he settled with the league. Chapman will serve his one-game suspension on Friday night against the Boston Red Sox and won't be available out of the bullpen. The league suspended the 36-year-old southpaw for getting into a confrontation with an umpire during Monday's game against the New York Mets. The Cuban hurler does have a save on the season but has also allowed four runs (three earned) on two hits while walking six and striking out 11 in 5 2/3 innings pitched so far in 2024. The seven-time All-Star isn't Pittsburgh's primary closer but he can still be useful for his strikeout numbers and holds in deeper fantasy leagues.

Washington Nationals first baseman/outfielder Joey Gallo and third baseman Nick Senzel are both out of the starting lineup on Friday against the visiting Houston Astros. Joey Meneses is playing first base and batting sixth, while Ildemaro Vargas is at third base and hitting ninth against Astros right-hander Justin Verlander, who is making his 2024 debut after dealing with a right-shoulder injury this spring. Gallo started each of the team's previous 14 games and could use a break after hitting just .170 with three home runs to begin the year. Senzel began the year on the injured list and has gone 2-for-11 with a walk and three strikeouts in his first three games of the year. Meneses and Vargas have gone hitless against Verlander in their careers in just five combined at-bats.

Los Angeles Angels infielder Brandon Drury (hamstring) is back in the starting lineup on Friday against the Cincinnati Reds, serving as the designated hitter and batting fifth in the order. Luis Rengifo remains at second base and is batting seventh for the Halos. Drury missed the team's last three games with left-hamstring tightness but is back in action against his former team, the Reds. It's a good place for Drury to come alive with the bat in a hitter-friendly environment. So far in 2024 in his first 55 at-bats, Drury has been cold, picking up only 11 hits for a .200 batting average while hitting one home run, driving in three and scoring five runs. The Reds currently don't have a starter listed for Friday's contest yet.

New York Yankees infielder DJ LeMahieu (foot) said after undergoing an MRI exam on Thursday, doctors don't yet feel comfortable sending him on a minor-league rehab assignment. The hope is later this week he can start playing in games. When the 35-year-old is finally cleared, he's expected to begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Somerset. LeMahieu has yet to make his 2024 MLB debut with the Yankees after initially being expected to open the year as the team's regular third baseman. Manager Aaron Boone said that next Tuesday is now the target date for LeMahieu to begin his rehab assignment. Oswaldo Cabrera is starting at the hot corner for the Yankees on Friday against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays and left-hander Tyler Alexander.

The Colorado Rockies announced on Friday that they placed left-hander Kyle Freeland (elbow) on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to April 16) with a left-elbow strain and recalled right-hander Noah Davis from Triple-A Albuquerque in a corresponding move. Freeland injured his right, non-throwing shoulder on a slide into home plate as a pinch-runner earlier this week but is now dealing with a left-elbow injury. The 30-year-old southpaw could be out longer than just two weeks, depending on the exact nature of his elbow injury. It's unclear who will take Freeland's spot in the starting rotation, but it could be Davis. Freeland was scheduled to make his next start on Saturday against the Seattle Mariners. After a 13.21 ERA with eight walks and nine K's in his first four starts, fantasy managers in mixed leagues can drop him for now.

Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers (knee) is not in the starting lineup for Friday's series opener against the hosting Pittsburgh Pirates. The 27-year-old went for an MRI on his knee after leaving Wednesday's game against the Cleveland Guardians with discomfort but the test revealed nothing more than bone bruise. He is not expected to require a stint on the injured list. It's been a sluggish start to the season for the star third baseman who is hitting just .188 but also has two homers and a healthy 15.5% BB% across 58 trips to the plate. Fantasy manager should check back daily to see when Devers is able to return to the lineup.

Cincinnati Reds corner infielder Jeimer Candelario remains out of the lineup on Friday versus the visiting Los Angeles Angels due to an illness. The veteran was scratched from Tuesday's lineup before sitting out Wednesday's series finale against the Seattle Mariners. Santiago Espinal will once again take over duties at the hot corner while hitting eighth against Angels left-hander Tyler Anderson. The 30-year-old does have a pair of homers on the young season but is also hitting just .190 with a 31.3% K% across his first 64 plate appearances in a Reds uniform. He set career highs with 22 home runs and eight stolen bases across 140 games between the Nationals and Cubs last season.

Atlanta Braves left-hander Chris Sale will be looking to bounce back from a rough outing when he takes on the visiting Texas Rangers on Friday. The veteran was touched up for five earned runs on six hits, including a homer, while walking three against seven strikeouts across seven innings in a loss to the Marlins his last time out. Despite the tough outing, Sale has been quit good early on in his Braves tenure. While his ERA has risen to 4.58, he also sports a 2.91 xFIP, 3.09 SIERA, and a healthy 21.1% K-BB% through his first three starts with Atlanta. He remains a quality fantasy asset whose injury woes are seemingly behind him.

Texas Rangers left-hander Andrew Heaney will be looking to get deeper into Friday's contest against the hosting Atlanta Braves. The veteran went just 3 2/3 innings and threw 79 pitches in that time in his last start at Houston, allowing two earned runs and four walks in that time. Heaney has pitched just 12 innings through his first three starts, maxing out at 4 2/3 frames in his first start of the season against Tampa Bay. The 32-year-old has been roughed up for a 6.75 ERA on the young season and sports a tiny 5.1% K-BB%, as well. Heaney is in danger of losing his rotation spot with Max Scherzer likely returning in May while the club also recently called up right-hander Jack Leiter who started Thursday's game against the Tigers.

Chicago Cubs first baseman Michael Busch and catcher Yan Gomes are not in the starting lineup on Friday against the visiting Miami Marlins and left-hander A.J. Puk. Garrett Cooper is playing first base and batting seventh in the lineup, while Miguel Amaya is doing the catching and batting in the nine-hole against Puk. Busch had a streak of five straight games with a home run come to an end this week and he's hitting a strong .317 (19-for-60) overall with six total long balls, 13 RBI and 10 runs scored to start his first year in Chicago. He's hit just .167 (4-for-24) and has yet to homer against a left-hander in his career, though, so he'll likely occasionally be rested against lefties this year. Cooper has never faced Puk in his career, while Amaya has a hit and RBI in his only career at-bat against the southpaw.

Texas Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien had a great day at the dish on Thursday, leading the team to a 9-7 win over the Detroit Tigers. Semien went 3-for-6 with a homer and a double while scoring a pair of runs and knocking in one. With the big performance, the 33-year-old bumps up his slash line to .286/.355/.464 on the season. He also has 16 runs scored, three homers, 17 RBI, and a stolen base. While the counting numbers are great, his power and speed have left a little to be desired so far, but those should pick up as the season goes on.

San Francisco Giants right-hander Alex Cobb (shoulder, elbow, hip) said after the game on Thursday night that he had an MRI exam come back clean and that he will throw on flat ground on Friday. The news comes after it was reported earlier on Thursday that Cobb developed "mild shoulder inflammation" in his right arm two days after his latest bullpen session. The 36-year-old veteran has now dealt with elbow and shoulder issues while initially rehabbing from offseason hip surgery. It's good news that his shoulder injury isn't anything serious, but he's going to need at least several weeks to ramp his arm back up before he becomes a realistic option for the Giants' starting rotation in 2024. Injury issues aside, there's not a ton of fantasy upside with Cobb at this point in his career.

Texas Rangers relief pitcher Kirby Yates closed out the Detroit Tigers on Thursday in a 9-7 win. Yates got the final four outs of this one, allowing just a hit while striking out one. It was the 37-year-old's second save of the season, with his first coming on Monday. He has been used as Texas' highest-leverage pitcher for the past few weeks and is likely to continue in that role, which will presumably give him the best chance at saves in the Rangers bullpen. He should be added in any leagues where saves matter.

The Texas Rangers are now hoping that right-hander Max Scherzer (back) can return from the injured list in early May after originally believed to be out until maybe late June. Scherzer threw 25 pitches during a live batting practice session on Monday and is expected to throw 40 pitches in a another live BP session on Friday. If he comes out of Friday's session all good, he could embark on a minor-league rehab assignment after that. Scherzer said he's still a bit cautious about his return from surgery to fix a herniated disc in his back, but this is still a very positive development for the Rangers and fantasy managers that have been stashing Scherzer since the regular season started. Don't expect ace-like numbers from the 39-year-old at this point in his career, but when healthy, Scherzer can still act as a solid mid-rotation fantasy starter.

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Walker Buehler (elbow) was only able to throw 68 pitches in 2 2/3 innings during Thursday's minor-league rehab start with Triple-A Oklahoma City. Buehler allowed two runs on four hits and four walks with three strikeouts, so he wasn't particularly sharp in this one. More importantly, the Dodgers' goal was for him to reach the 90-pitch range, which means his highly-anticipated 2024 regular-season debut and comeback from Tommy John surgery could be delayed by another outing in the minors. Look for LA to make a decision in the next few days as to whether or not the 29-year-old All-Star right-hander's next appearance will come with the big-league club, as No. 13 prospect Landon Knack could get another turn in the rotation. When we last saw him back during the 2022 campaign, Buehler logged a 4.02 ERA (3.80 FIP), 1.29 WHIP, and 58:17 K:BB over 65 frames (12 starts).