Minnesota Twins first baseman/outfielder Alex Kirilloff will be on the bench in Friday's series opener against the Detroit Tigers. Kirilloff has yet to make a start against a southpaw, and tonight is no different, as the Twins face left-handed pitcher Tarik Skubal. Kirilloff has had an excellent start to the season, currently batting to the tune of a .324/.385/.647 stat line. Instead, Jose Miranda will be slotted in the designated hitter spot and will bat in the five-hole. Miranda might not be a popular play in DFS as he has a tall task against the hard-throwing lefty.

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson is joining the taxi squad with the expectation of starting during Saturday's doubleheader against the Detroit Tigers. The right-hander failed to make the team during spring training, but he'll have a chance to impress here. So far in 2024, Woods Richardson has struggled during two starts in Triple-A. He made one appearance for the Twins last season but spent the majority of his time in the minors. He won't be a recommended streaming option for Saturday.

Houston Astros catcher Yainer Diaz continued his strong start of the season on Thursday versus the Kansas City Royals. Diaz went 2-for-5 on the day with a home run. The home run would be the third of the season for the 25-year-old. Diaz has become the full-time catcher with veteran Martin Maldonado signing with the Chicago White Sox this offseason and the move has worked to perfection thus far. Diaz has not only been a solid bat in the middle of the lineup, but he is hitting a healthy .333 with three homers and seven RBI in 51 games. As a fixture in one of the better lineups in the league and at a tough position, fantasy managers must be thrilled with their early return on investment with Diaz.

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Brandon Marsh had another good day at the plate on Thursday in a 5-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Marsh went 1-for-3 with his fourth homer of the young season and added a run and two RBI to his line as well. The 26-year-old appears to be finding his groove fourth MLB season, as he is slashing a strong .333/.357/.641 with six runs, four homers, nine RBI, and a steal. He doesn't play every day, but if he continues to hit he might force the Phillies hand. Marsh has some upside and is a decent option in fantasy leagues, especially those with five outfielder spots to fill.

New York Mets outfielder DJ Stewart went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run during Thursday's 16-4 rout of the Atlanta Braves. It was Stewart's second homer in his past three games, although the two long balls are his only hits this season. The 30-year-old has seen steady playing time as the designated hitter in the early going, but this seems likely to change whenever J.D. Martinez joins the roster. Stewart can be utilized as a bench bat in NL-Only formats while he is on a power surge, but he can be left on the waiver wire everywhere else.

The Tampa Bay Rays granted right-hander Jake Odorizzi (hamstring, shoulder) his release on Thursday. The veteran of 11 major-league seasons signed a minor-league deal with the Rays in mid-March and made two rehab starts with Triple-A Durham in hopes of getting back to the big leagues. Odorizzi missed all of the 2023 season while recovering from shoulder surgery and will now be looking for another opportunity with another organization in 2024. In his two minor-league starts with Durham, the 34-year-old didn't look good, giving up seven runs while walking five and striking out only two in 5 1/3 innings while being bothered by a hamstring injury. Even if he's healthy and gets a shot elsewhere, it's looking like an uphill battle for Odorizzi to get back to the majors this year.

Minnesota Twins outfielder Trevor Larnach (toe) is starting his minor-league rehab assignment on Thursday night with Single-A Fort Myers. Larnach is working his way back after being placed on the Triple-A injured list on March 29 due to turf toe. If the 27-year-old outfielder doesn't suffer any setbacks with his toe while with Fort Myers, he'll be returned to Triple-A St. Paul in short order. The former 20th overall pick in 2018 out of Oregon State has yet to stick at the major-league level, hitting .222/.315/.385 with 20 home runs and 86 RBI in 188 games played in parts of the last three seasons. Nothing about his defense in the outfield stands out, and although he has drawn plenty of walks, he's failed to make enough consistent contact at the plate to play regularly for the Twins. A platoon role will be likely if he's back with the Twins in 2024.

The Oakland Athletics announced on Thursday that they placed outfielder Brent Rooker (abdominal) on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to April 8) and selected infielder/outfielder Max Schuemann from Triple-A Las Vegas in a corresponding move. The team also moved right-hander Luis Medina (knee) to the 60-day injured list. Rooker is dealing with a costochondral cartilage injury in his abdomen after leaving Sunday's game early. It's unclear if the 29-year-old will be ready to return to the A's when he's eligible. After his first All-Star selection in 2023, Rooker is off to a slow start this year with a .200 average (6-for-30), but he does have two homers and five RBI in eight games. Until Rooker is able to return, Tyler Nevin figures to benefit from more playing time in Oakland, either in the outfield or at first base.

Miami Marlins third baseman Jake Burger kept his foot on the gas during Wednesday's 5-3 win over the New York Yankees, cranking his second home run of the young season. Burger took Yankees right-hander Marcus Stroman yard to deep center to bring home Luis Arraez and Nick Fortes for a three-run shot as part of a four-run Miami fourth inning. Although Burger didn't hit well during spring training, he's up to a productive .260/.291/.480 triple-slash line with three taters and an MLB-high 15 RBI over 50 at-bats to this point. The righty-hitting infielder faces two left-handers and an underperforming Atlanta Braves rotation during a three-game weekend set with the division rivals starting on Friday, but all three of Burger's homers have come against right-handed pitching this season.

Cleveland Guardians catcher Bo Naylor smacked his second home run of the year during Wednesday's 7-6 extra-inning win over the division-rival Chicago White Sox, also delivering an RBI single in the 10th inning to walk it off. Naylor first went yard 438 feet to deep center for a two-run jack in the fourth inning, later driving in Tyler Freeman for the game-winning score. The 24-year-old backstop was one of Cleveland's top prospects for 2023 but is off to a slow start to the campaign, slashing .194/.324/.387 with two big flies and five RBI through 31 at-bats. The lefty-hitting Naylor remains on the strong side of a platoon behind the plate with Austin Hedges, and he will face two right-handers during a three-game set with the New York Yankees beginning on Friday. He belongs on all fantasy watchlists where he isn't rostered.

Seattle Mariners relief pitcher Matt Brash (elbow) was able to throw a successful bullpen session on Wednesday, according to manager Scott Servais. The organization hasn't given a timetable for when Brash will get back on the mound. However, it sounds like Brash has been making solid progress. He still has more work to do, so he'll likely return at some point in May. His return should be a significant boost to the Seattle bullpen considering he was great for them last season.

Oakland Athletics outfielder Brent Rooker (abdomen) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Wednesday's game against the Texas Rangers. This marks the second game in a row that Rooker has missed after exiting early during Sunday's game. It appears the organization believes this is a day-to-day issue. That being said, Rooker should avoid a trip to the injured list and return at some point this week. In the meantime, Abraham Toro will leadoff and serve as the designated hitter versus left-handed Cody Bradford on Wednesday.

Los Angeles Angels catcher Logan O'Hoppe, third baseman Anthony Rendon and first baseman Nolan Schanuel are all on the bench on Wednesday versus the Tampa Bay Rays and right-hander Zack Littell. Matt Thaiss is catching and batting eighth, Miguel Sano is at third base and hitting fifth, and Brandon Drury is at first base and batting in the six-hole for the Halos. Luis Rengifo is also at the keystone and hitting leadoff on Wednesday. Rengifo will gain some DFS appeal in this one while hitting atop the order. The 27-year-old Venezuelan infielder has been the odd-man out on the Angels' infield so far early this year, but he's been good when active, going 8-for-22 (.364) with two doubles, two RBI and two stolen bases in 23 plate appearances.

An MRI on Los Angeles Angels right-hander Chase Silseth's right elbow has revealed inflammation but no ligament damage. The 23-year-old said he received a second opinion, but the doctors agreed on only inflammation, and he hopes to return to action in three weeks. It's certainly big news for everyone involved given the rash of elbow injuries across the league early in the 2024 season, while Silseth has seemingly avoided disaster after a solid debut season in 2023. Silseth had a 3.96 ERA across 16 outings (eight starts) with the Halos a season ago while also working to an impressive 2.96 ERA 11 starts with Triple-A Salt Lake. The youngster is worth a short-term injury stash in deeper leagues.

Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno and outfielder/designated hitter Joc Pederson are both out of the team's starting lineup on Wednesday as they face the Colorado Rockies. Tucker Barnhart is doing the catching and will hit eighth, while Ketel Marte will serve as the designated hitter and bat leadoff against Rockies lefty Austin Gomber. Kevin Newman is at second base and is batting ninth. Moreno had four hits on Tuesday but unsurprisingly will be on the bench in a day game after a night game. Pederson will now be on the bench for the fourth time in five games with Arizona facing a southpaw. After Marte went hitless on Monday and got the day off on Tuesday, he should be thrown back into all fantasy lineups on Wednesday, as he's hit a career .389 with two home runs and five RBI in 18 at-bats against Gomber.

Atlanta Braves closer Raisel Iglesias picked up his second save of the season versus the New York Mets on Tuesday. The veteran entered the ninth inning with a three-run lead, but barely survived to earn the save by allowing two runs on three hits with one strikeout. The good news is that it was the first runs he has allowed in four appearances this season and managers should be able to breathe a sigh of relief for the veteran. Iglesias is now 34 years of age, but remains a good closer on a great team. Iglesias will have shaky outings, but unless its consistent, he should remain the Braves closer. If he were to continue to struggle, Joe Jimenez and A.J. Minter would likely be the next men up.

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Louie Varland was hit hard in a loss against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday. The right-hander recorded five innings in the box score and allowed seven hits, six runs, three walks and struck out six on the evening. Other than the strikeouts, Varland didn't do much to help managers. Varland was a popular sleeper in the fantasy community entering 2024, but over two starts has allowed nine earned runs on 13 hits with five walks and 10 strikeouts. It is only two starts so managers might not want to panic drop the right-hander just yet. Varland will look to get back on track in a matchup versus the Detroit Tigers on Sunday.

Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Chad Green picked up his second save of the season on Tuesday versus the Seattle Mariners. The veteran tossed 1 1/3 innings and allowed a walk with one strikeout. Green has now appeared in five games and allowed two runs, but has been perfect in two save opportunities. It's encouraging to see Green in a high leverage role after dealing with injuries the past couple of seasons, but his time as a closer is nearing its end with closer Jordan Romano (elbow) and eighth inning arm Erik Swanson (forearm) both on their rehab assignments and nearing their returns. Regardless, Green can still have value in leagues that count holds.

Chicago White Sox infielder Lenyn Sosa is starting at second base and is hitting third in the batting order on Tuesday against the Cleveland Guardians and left-hander Logan Allen. This will be Sosa's second start with the White Sox since being called up from the minors over the weekend. With the 24-year-old drawing into the lineup at second base, Nicky Lopez will hit the bench for this one. Sosa has gone 2-for-5 so far in his two games but hit just .201/.224/.348 with six home runs, 14 RBI and 12 runs scored in 173 plate appearances over 52 games for the Pale Hose last year. He'll be in a nice lineup spot to make him a deep DFS sleeper on Tuesday, but Sosa's opportunity speaks more to Chicago's lack of options than his actual talent.

Cleveland Guardians shortstop Brayan Rocchio is taking the day off on Tuesday against the visiting Chicago White Sox. The rookie is the club's primary shortstop and has started off the 2024 season in good shape offensively, going 9-for-33 (.273) with a league-leading five doubles, two RBI and four runs scored in his first nine games. Rocchio should be back in the starting lineup for Wednesday's series finale against Chicago on Wednesday. With the 23-year-old starting on the bench, Gabriel Arias is starting at shortstop and batting ninth against White Sox right-hander Michael Soroka. Arias makes for a poor DFS play in the nine-hole and has two hits in his first 13 at-bats this year. He's never faced Soroka in his career.