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.

Tampa Bay Rays left-hander Tyler Alexander will make the start on Friday for the series opener in the Bronx against the New York Yankees. Alexander has appeared in three games so far this year for the Rays, with one of those three outings coming as a traditional start on April 6 against the Colorado Rockies, when he allowed four earned runs on eight hits (two homers) while walking two and striking out four in 4 1/3 innings for a no-decision. The 29-year-old southpaw has fanned 12 and walked five in 15 1/3 total innings, but the most concerning issue is that Alexander has already allowed five home runs and 11 earned runs on 20 hits for a 6.46 ERA and 1.63 WHIP. Fantasy managers should absolutely ignore Alexander as a spot starter on Friday in the Bronx.

Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Triston McKenzie is reportedly pitching through a torn ligament in his right elbow. Last year, a right teres major strain and elbow sprain limited McKenzie to just four starts (16 innings), and the hurler bypassed a potential Tommy John surgery in favor of rest and rehabilitation to heal his arm. His average fastball velocity (90.9 mph) ranks among baseball's worst to begin the 2024 season, and it's down from 92.4 mph during his injury-ruined 2023 campaign. It could explain the 26-year-old right-hander's struggles to begin the campaign, as McKenzie carries a 6.23 ERA (7.20 FIP), 1.76 WHIP, and a concerning 5:12 K:BB across 13 innings (three starts). A start at home on Friday in a favorable matchup versus the visiting Oakland Athletics could be just what the doctor ordered. In three career starts (18 1/3 IP) against the A's, McKenzie holds a 1.96 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, and 18:4 K:BB.

The San Francisco Giants announced on Thursday that starting pitcher Alex Cobb (hip, shoulder) is now dealing with mild shoulder irritation amid his recovery from offseason surgery on his left hip. Cobb says his arm is just still a little "cranky" as he ramps back up, but he doesn't believe his timetable has changed much. It's still yet another minor setback for Cobb, who just resumed throwing on Monday following a brief shutdown due to a mild flexor strain in his right elbow. The 36-year-old right-hander was an All-Star in 2023 and should still be able to return at some point in the month of May. Until Cobb is ready to re-enter San Fran's rotation, swingman Jordan Hicks should remain locked in as a starter for the Giants. Hicks features a 1.57 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and 18:6 K:BB through 23 innings (four starts) and is a must-roster fantasy player ahead of Sunday's scheduled start versus the division-rival Arizona Diamondbacks.

Chicago Cubs third baseman Patrick Wisdom (back) was activated off of the 10-day injured list on Thursday evening. The 32-year-old slugger recently embarked on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Iowa and will be back with the big club ahead of Friday's series opener against the Miami Marlins. Wisdom is a boom-or-bust bat that combines serious home run power with undesirable strikeout numbers. The Cubs infield is already crowded with Christopher Morel and the recently surging Michael Busch, so it is unclear exactly where Wisdom fits in. He would have slightly more value if he found an everyday role, but until then, he is a waiver-wire option for fantasy managers needing power in deeper leagues.

Tampa Bay Rays reliever Colin Poche picked up his second save of the year in Thursday's 2-1 victory over the visiting Los Angeles Angels by tossing a scoreless ninth inning with a strikeout. It wasn't perfect, though, as he did allow two hits. The 30-year-old got the save opportunity in the series finale after regular closer Pete Fairbanks tossed 28 pitches in a save attempt on Wednesday. The left-handed Pache gave up four runs in his first three outings of the 2024 campaign, but since then he hasn't given up a run in five straight appearances out of Tampa's bullpen. As long as Fairbanks and Jason Adam remain healthy, Poche isn't going to see very many save chances for the Rays.

Tampa Bay Rays closer Pete Fairbanks blew the save in Wednesday's 5-4 loss to the Angels. Fairbanks came on in the ninth with a 4-3 lead and recorded an out to the first batter he faced, then the wheels came off. The 30-year-old proceeded to allow three singles and two walks (one was an IBB to Mike Trout) which resulted in two runs coming across the plate and a blown save. It was only his first blown save of the season, but he's been up and down so far to start the year. Over eight appearances (seven IP) the righty has allowed seven earned runs on eight hits with a BB:K of 8:10. Fairbanks does have three saves to his name thus far and his job doesn't seem to be in jeopardy, but a couple more outings like this and fantasy managers might consider picking up Jason Adam as insurance.

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani continued his stellar stretch at the plate during Wednesday's game against the Washington Nationals. The two-way superstar went 3-for-4 at the plate with a stolen base during their 2-0 loss. This performance marked the 10th time this season that Ohtani has posted a multi-hit game. The 29-year-old is hitting .360 with four home runs and 10 RBI in 21 games this season.

Baltimore Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins came up clutch for his team during Wednesday's game against the Minnesota Twins. There was some thought that Mullins would return to the leadoff spot this season, but that doesn't appear to be the case. Instead, Mullins normally sits in the sixth spot where he has hit well this season. On Wednesday, Mullins was hitless until he blasted a walkoff two-run home run off right-hander Griffin Jax. Mullins now has five home runs and 15 RBI through 18 games.

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Michael King looked excellent during Wednesday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers. The right-hander took a tough loss after allowing one run and two hits over 7 2/3 innings of work. It was an 109-pitch game for King who struck out 10 batters over the course of the afternoon. After this outing, King holds a 2-1 record with a 3.33 ERA across four games.

The Chicago Cubs moved right-hander Julian Merryweather (back, ribs) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list on Wednesday to open up a spot on the 40-man roster for right-hander Colton Brewer, who was recalled from Triple-A Iowa. The Cubs also recalled right-hander Hayden Wesneski from Iowa and optioned left-hander Luke Little and right-hander Daniel Palencia to Iowa. The 32-year-old Merryweather was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his ribs and in his back last week and he won't be eligible to return to the club until early June. He won't resume throwing for three weeks and may not be able to return to the Cubs' bullpen until closer to the All-Star break. Injuries continue to bother Merryweather in his MLB career.

Left-hander A.J. Puk (illness) has been confirmed as the Miami Marlins' starter for Thursday's series opener against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. After dealing with an illness in recent days, Puk was back at the ballpark on Wednesday playing catch and working out. The 28-year-old southpaw was pushed back twice in the rotation this week while feeling under the weather. It's good news that Puk is feeling good enough to start on Thursday, but most fantasy baseball managers will probably be wanting to stay away from him against Chicago after he's started the year by going 0-3 with a 5.91 ERA (6.90 FIP) and 2.44 WHIP with a league-leading 14 walks and just eight strikeouts in 10 2/3 innings in his first three starts.

Cincinnati Reds infielder Jeimer Candelario (illness) remains out of the team's starting lineup on Wednesday in Seattle against the Mariners. Candelario was scratched from Tuesday's lineup, and it appears he's still under the weather. Santiago Espinal is manning the hot corner for the second straight day for the Reds and is hitting ninth against Mariners right-hander Bryce Miller. With an off day coming on Thursday, perhaps Candelario is feeling better on Friday for the start of a series against the visiting Los Angeles Angels. The 30-year-old switch-hitter has gotten off to a slow start in his first year in Cincinnati, going 11-for-58 (.190) with two home runs, seven RBI and seven runs scored. Espinal has never faced Miller in his career and should be avoided in DFS at the bottom of the Reds' lineup.

Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Zack Littell will look to keep his fast start going on Wednesday against the visiting Los Angeles Angels. Littell has yielded just two earned runs across his first three starts of the season spanning 15 1/3 innings, striking out 15 against five walks in that time. The 28-year-old has been solid for the Rays since the club claimed him from the Red Sox last season as he tossed a 3.93 ERA in 26 outings (14 starts) with the club last season before starting this season with a 1.17 ERA, albeit alongside a 3.90 SIERA. He takes on an Angels offense that is tied for 16th with a .314 wOBA and 19th with a 23.6% K% on the young season.

Seattle Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford is not in the starting lineup Wednesday versus the Cincinnati Reds and left-hander Andrew Abbott. Crawford enjoyed a nice night at the plate on Tuesday, going 2-for-5 with a run scored in a 3-1 win but will take a seat to begin the lefty-on-lefty matchup on Wednesday. Despite the solid night on Tuesday, it's been a tough start to the season for Crawford who is hitting just .171 with a pair of homers and a .523 OPS across his first 79 plate appearances. Interestingly, he is 6-for-20 (.300) against left-handed pitching but is hitting only .100 (6-for-50) against righties.

Toronto Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano (elbow) earned a save in his season debut during Tuesday's 5-4 win over the Yankees. Romano saw action immediately after being activated from the 15-day injured list earlier in the day. He entered the game to pitch the top of the ninth inning up by two. He got the first out on a lineout, hit a batter, allowed a double, got the second out on an RBI groundout, and ended the game with another groundout. It wasn't the cleanest save, but it was encouraging to see Romano convert in game action. The 30-year-old's return is a welcome sight for fantasy managers, as he has provided 36 saves in each of his last two seasons.

Miami Marlins closer Tanner Scott picked up his second save of the season in Tuesday's 6-3 win over the Giants. Scott came in to pitch the top of the ninth inning up by three. He got the first out on a flyout, allowed back-to-back walks, and got the final two outs on a strikeout and a pop-out. Things haven't gone smoothly for the 29-year-old, as he is 0-3 and has converted two of three save opportunities with a 4.15 ERA, an 8.31 K/9 rate, and a huge 12.46 BB/9 rate. Scott ended the 2023 season to earn the closer's role to start 2024, but walks have been an issue throughout his career. Fantasy managers should keep an eye out to see if he can get them back under control.

Baltimore Orioles first baseman/outfielder Ryan O'Hearn got in on the slugfest in Tuesday's 11-3 win over the Twins. O'Hearn went 2-for-5 with a single and a two-run home run. The 30-year-old has made the most of his playing time in the O's lineup, slashing .333/.400/.689 with four HR, 11 runs scored, and six RBI in 50 plate appearances. The O's have plenty of young talent to stack the lineup, but O'Hearn is worth a look in deeper leagues as long as he hits well enough to earn playing time.

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Alex Cobb (hip, elbow), who was briefly shut down recently with a mild flexor strain in his right elbow, has been cleared to resume throwing and tossed a bullpen session in Arizona on Tuesday. Other than that hiccup, Cobb is progressing well and believes he's ahead of schedule in his rehab from offseason surgery on his left hip. The 36-year-old right-hander was an All-Star in 2023 for the first time in his career, and despite running into trouble with the long ball in the second half, he still managed to compile a solid 3.87 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, and 131:37 K:BB across 151 1/3 innings (28 starts). Cobb could re-enter San Fran's rotation at some time during May, and he's a decent stash in most fantasy leagues. With Robbie Ray (elbow) also on the shelf, Jordan Hicks and Keaton Winn should continue to function as starters for the Giants for the time being.

Chicago Cubs infielder/outfielder Patrick Wisdom (back) is continuing his minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Iowa and started Tuesday's game at right field for the first time this year. It's an interesting development for fantasy managers to keep an eye on, as Chicago's everyday right fielder, Seiya Suzuki (oblique), is expected to miss several weeks. Wisdom is essentially fully recovered from a back strain, but Michael Busch's recent power surge (five home runs in his last five games) is likely the reason why he hasn't been activated from the IL just yet. It looks like the Cubs could be grooming Wisdom for some action in right field, however, so his return appears imminent. The 32-year-old slugger is an all-or-nothing power hitter who smashed nine homers in his final 36 outings of the season in 2023, and he could be a decent source of pop if he lands a sizable role upon his reinstatement.