Kansas City Royals first baseman Salvador Perez went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run in Friday's 7-1 victory over the Rangers. It was the eighth time he's gone deep this season and the three RBI put him at 30, good for third-most in all of baseball. The 33-year-old is having a fantastic season thus far, slashing .351/.413/.605 with a .438 wOBA and 184 wRC+. After an 86 wRC+ season last year, the veteran has cut down his K% to a measly 10.3% and his Contact% of 83.2% is his best since 2015. The 8x All-Star has hit safely in 25 of the 32 games he's played and has 11 multi-hit efforts. Ranking behind only William Contreras for top fantasy catcher, Perez is looking like an early AL MVP contender and probable All-Star.

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout (knee) underwent successful surgery to repair the torn meniscus in his left knee on Friday. The Angels have not given a timetable on the return of Trout, but this injury isn't expected to be season-ending. Regardless, it's a crushing blow to both the Angels roster and fantasy managers. For now, fantasy managers will have to sit tight and hold Trout on an IL spot. Mickey Moniak figures to gain the most playing time in the absence of Trout. He hasn't hit well this season, but possibly more playing time will help him get his bat going again.

Chicago Cubs left-handers Jordan Wicks (forearm) and Drew Smyly (hip) have been cleared to resume playing catch. Wicks just landed on the 15-day injured list this past Sunday with a left-forearm strain, while Smyly has been out for two weeks due to a right-hip impingement. Wicks' injury is obviously a bit less serious, but it's good news for the Cubs pitching staff that both southpaws are ramping back up. It's unclear when either hurler will be able to return to the big-league roster, but when Wicks is ready, he should return to the rotation. The 24-year-old went 1-2 with a 4.70 ERA and 1.52 WHIP with 28 K's in 23 innings in his first five starts. Smyly has plenty of starting experience, but he figures to return to the Cubs' bullpen when he's activated.

Texas Rangers relief pitcher David Robertson tallied his 10th hold of the season and is now tied for the most in baseball with Nationals pitcher Hunter Harvey and Cardinals pitchers JoJo Romero and Andrew Kittredge. Robertson entered in the seventh inning with two outs to face Ildemaro Vargas with a runner on first and was able to retire him. Then, the 39-year-old remained in the game to pitch the eighth inning. He surrendered a leadoff walk to Jacob Young but then retired the next three batters via two strikeouts and a groundout. The veteran reliever carries a stellar 1.08 ERA and 0.84 WHIP across 16 2/3 innings with 20 punchouts. Robertson remains an elite option for holds and should be considered next in line to receive ninth-inning duties in Texas.

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Max Scherzer (back, thumb) is likely to make his next minor-league rehab start next week. He started a rehab game at Triple-A Round Rock last Wednesday and dealt with some lingering thumb soreness that pushed his next appearance back a few days. Apparently, that outing will come sometime in the next seven days as Scherzer said his thumb is improving. The 39-year-old is a risky fantasy asset due to potential injury reoccurrence, but he is still worthy of a roster spot if he has a place to be stashed. Scherzer still probably needs a couple of starts to build his arm up before joining the Rangers. Barring any setbacks, fantasy managers can anticipate his return sometime in mid-May.

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Chris Sale has been surprisingly reliable on the mound this season. The left-hander has rejuvenated his career since joining the Braves. On Wednesday, Sale recorded a season-high nine strikeouts while allowing one run over five innings of work in the win over the Seattle Mariners. Sale has allowed three or fewer runs in five of his six starts to open the season. He'll take his 3.44 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 42/7 K/BB ratio into his next start versus the Boston Red Sox.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielders Andrew McCutchen and Michael Taylor are not in the starting lineup on Wednesday against the Oakland Athletics. With both players out, Bryan Reynolds will serve as the designated hitter and bat second, while Jack Suwinski will cover center field and hit eighth against A's right-hander Ross Stripling. Connor Joe is manning left field and batting third in the order. The veteran McCutchen has gotten off to a slow start in 2024, hitting just .190 (15-for-79) with three home runs, seven RBI and one steal. Taylor has been a bit better with a .253 average (19-for-75), but he has yet to go deep with six RBI and three stolen bases. Reynolds is a daily must-start in season-long fantasy leagues, while Joe is a nice low-cost DFS play with an average just under .300 in his first 89 at-bats in 2024.

Returning from the 15-day injured list on Tuesday, San Diego Padres starting pitcher Yu Darvish did not miss a beat. Darvish tossed five innings and allowed three hits with no runs or walks and three strikeouts against the Cincinnati Reds. It was Darvish's first start since April 14 as he dealt with neck stiffness. Darvish had a bit of a down season in 2023, but he has bounced back so far in 2023 with a 3.45 ERA over his first 28 2/3 innings. His strikeouts are down at the moment versus his career numbers, but there is still plenty of time for that to improve. Darvish is worth rostering in all formats and will face the Chicago Cubs early next week.

The Texas Rangers are pushing right-hander Max Scherzer's (back, thumb) next minor-league rehab start with Double-A Frisco back a few days after he experienced some soreness in his thumb after his last outing at Triple-A Round Rock, according to general manager Chris Young. Scherzer will hopefully make his next rehab start by the end of the week. The 39-year-old's surgically repaired back has apparently held up well, though, which is the main takeaway here for fantasy managers that have been stashing the three-time Cy Young winner. In his lone rehab start with Round Rock, Scherzer allowed three earned runs while walking none and striking out four in 2 1/3 innings, so he still has a ways to go to build up his arm before making his 2024 MLB debut. Barring setbacks, Scherzer should be back in Texas' rotation at some point next month.

Updating a previous report, Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout (knee) has a torn meniscus in his left knee that will require surgery, according to general manager Perry Minasian. The procedure, which is believed to be scheduled for Friday, isn't considered season-ending. It's a silver lining for the 11-time All-Star, who has missed significant time the last several seasons due to injuries. A source familiar with Trout's injury said a four- to six-week timetable is a best-case scenario, but a true timetable won't be established until he goes under the knife later this week. The 32-year-old three-time MVP is currently tied for the major-league lead in home runs with 10, but he's also hitting just .220 (24-for-109) with 14 RBI and six stolen bases. Fantasy managers must keep him stashed in an injured-list spot for the time being. Former first overall pick Mickey Moniak is expected to start regularly in center field for the Angels with Trout sidelined.

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout (knee) is expected to undergo surgery on his knee in the near future. This comes as a shock, considering there was no word of Trout dealing with a serious knee issue. The timetable for his return is unknown right now, but the injury isn't expected to be season-ending, so fantasy managers will need to stash him for now. There should be more details on this situation in the coming days. Fantasy managers should prepare to be without Trout for the foreseeable future. With Trout out, former first-rounder Mickey Moniak should serve as the Angels' everyday center fielder.

Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez (back) is playing first base and is batting cleanup for the Royals on Tuesday against right-hander Jose Berrios and the Toronto Blue Jays. Freddy Fermin is doing the catching and will bat sixth. Perez was scratched from Monday's lineup with back tightness, but he singled in a pinch-hit appearance late in the game and is back in the lineup a day later. Fantasy managers will want to get the 33-year-old All-Star back into their starting lineups immediately. Perez has been going off offensively with a .346/.404/.596 slash line with seven home runs in his first 29 games this year. He has a lot of experience against Berrios in his career, too, but he's hit just .214 with a home run and five RBI in 42 at-bats.

San Diego Padres right-hander Yu Darvish (neck) is being activated from the 15-day injured list and will start on Tuesday at Petco Park against the visiting Cincinnati Reds, according to manager Mike Shildt. Darvish has been on the injured list since April 17 due to neck tightness and didn't require a minor-league rehab assignment, so fantasy managers in all fantasy formats should be pretty hesitant to throw the 37-year-old veteran right back into the fold for Tuesday's action. Darvish wasn't throwing the ball particularly well before his injury, either, as he was sporting a 4.18 ERA and 1.27 WHIP with 22 strikeouts and 10 walks in 23 2/3 innings over his five starts. The Reds rank 22nd in the league in OPS, but their lineup is dangerous and can explode at any time.

Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez (back) has been scratched from Monday's lineup against the Blue Jays in Toronto due to back tightness. Freddy Fermin will now catch right-hander Jonathan Bowlan and hit sixth in the batting order against Blue Jays right-handed rookie Yariel Rodriguez. For now, fantasy managers should consider Perez as day-to-day, but this is certainly something that could sideline the 33-year-old veteran for multiple days or even land him on the injured list. We'll keep an eye out for more updates on Perez, but for now, fantasy managers will obviously want to remove him from their starting lineups on Monday. Injury aside, Perez has been excellent through the season's first month, hitting .340/.398/.592 with a .990 OPS, seven home runs and 26 RBI in his first 103 at-bats.

The Miami Marlins placed outfielder Avisail Garcia (hamstring) on the 10-day injured list on Sunday with a left-hamstring strain, according to a source. In a corresponding move, outfielder Dane Myers was recalled from Triple-A Jacksonville. The team also selected the contract of right-hander Emmanuel Ramirez from Jacksonville and designated left-hander Kent Emanuel for assignment. Garcia was pulled from Saturday's contest against the Washington Nationals with his hammy injury and will now miss at least the next 10 days. At this stage of his career, the 32-year-old isn't much of a fantasy asset in mixed leagues. He's currently hitting .240 (12-for-50) with two home runs and two RBI. Myers immediately jumps into Miami's starting lineup on Sunday and will start in right field and hit seventh against Nationals left-hander Patrick Corbin.

Minnesota Twins first baseman Carlos Santana went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, four RBI, and three runs scored in Saturday's 16-5 win over the Angels. The veteran was also hit by a pitch in the contest. The 38-year-old is experiencing a power surge of late, with all three of Santana's home runs coming in the last three games. The former All-Star hit 24 home runs last season, so the pop is certainly still there, but even after the recent resurgence, he's still slashing a paltry .181/.269/.325 on the year and is probably best left on the waiver wire.

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.

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.

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.

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.