Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Kyle Bradish threw 4 innings of one-run ball in his first start of the 2024 season against the New York Yankees on Thursday. Bradish didn't pick up the win as he didn't go five innings, but he was solid and gave his team a good chance to win. He gave up four hits and two walks while striking out five in the shortened outing, throwing 84 pitches. Bradish should get back to a normal workload soon and will hopefully return to his 2023 form where he posted a 2.83 ERA and 1.04 WHIP with 168 strikeouts in 168 IP. The 27-year-old should be universally rostered in fantasy.

Houston Astros designated hitter/outfielder Yordan Alvarez continued his slump at the dish on Thursday, going 0-for-5 with three strikeouts in an 8-2 win over the Cleveland Guardians. Alvarez is now 0-for-17 with seven strikeouts and zero walks in his last four games. Fortunately for the 26-year-old, the Astros have won three of those games anyway. Alvarez is down to a .244/.312/.439 triple-slash line to go with 18 runs, 18 RBI, and a modest seven homers. They aren't terrible numbers by any means, but they certainly aren't what fantasy managers were hoping for when they drafted the slugger with a top-20 pick in most cases. Alvarez will likely turn things around and end up being one of the best four-category contributors in fantasy, but this stretch is frustrating nonetheless.

Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena increased his hitting streak to five games as he tallied two hits in Thursday's victory over the Cleveland Guardians. Pena tallied his first hit of the game in the fourth inning with a ground ball to second base and then swiped second base but was unable to score. Later in the sixth, Pena ripped his first triple of the campaign to score Gabriel Arias. The shortstop would then score twice, courtesy of a Jon Singleton blast in the same frame and sacrifice fly in the seventh. Pena has a solid .333/.375/.467 line, and his underlying metrics suggest he could be in for a big summer with a .324 xBA. The former World Series MVP should be rostered in all formats and remains a solid DFS option.

There has been speculation that Oakland Athletics rookie closer Mason Miller, who has the most pitches at 102-plus mph (19) this year, could be dangled at this summer's trade deadline. Rival executives are split on whether the A's would actually dare trade their biggest start with a move to Sacramento coming next year. Miller has topped out at 103.7 mph and is an "elite" closer that should bring "a prospect package worth pursuing." A rival executive envisions a bidding war that could make a Miller trade irresistible for the A's. "They may want to cash in while stock is so high." The 25-year-old former third-round pick in 2021 out of Gardner-Webb University has been lights-out in 2024 with a 1.26 ERA, 0.77 WHIP, eight saves and 29 K's in 14 1/3 innings, although a trade to a contender wouldn't necessarily mean he'd stay in a closer's role.

Texas Rangers catcher Jonah Heim tallied two hits for the seventh time of the season to lead the Rangers to a series victory over the Washington Nationals. Heim laced a single to left field in the second frame and was able to cross home plate via an Ezequiel Duran double. The 28-year-old then knocked an RBI single in the eighth inning to score Nathaniel Lowe to increase the Texas lead. During the young season, Heim has proven to be a solid batting average contributor with a .263 AVG, which is on pace to be a new career-high. Heim remains a strong second catcher in two-catcher leagues and is a sneaky play in DFS due to the strong lineup around him.

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve registered three hits in Thursday's victory over the Cleveland Guardians. The 33-year-old has now tallied at least three hits in five games this season and continues to improve on his .341/.409/.585 line. In addition, Altuve tallied 11th RBI of the season in the seventh inning by scoring Jake Meyers. He also swiped his fifth and sixth bags on Thursday. Altuve continues to be a high-end five-category fantasy contributor with his stellar bat-to-ball skills and his excellent 13.9% K rate. The 2017 American League MVP should be a weekly lineup lock and remain matchup-proof in DFS.

Houston Astros first baseman Jon Singleton went 2-for-3 in Thursday's victory with three RBI to power the Astros to their 11th victory of the season. Singleton tallied a single in his first at-bat of the game in the third inning and crossed home plate via a passed ball. Then in the sixth inning, the 32-year-old launched his second home run of the season, which scored shortstop Jeremy Pena. This was Singleton's second home run of the series and of the season, and he is carrying a .275/.362/.431 slash line into a three-game set against their division rivals, Seattle Mariners, which will begin Friday evening. Singleton has been subject to limited playing time but could be a viable option in DFS in a favorable matchup.

Seattle Mariners starting pitcher George Kirby has been a big reason why the team has a 1.58 ERA over their last 19 games since April 10. After yielding 13 runs in his first 14 1/3 innings (three starts) of the 2024 regular season, Kirby has turned it around for a 1.00 ERA and a 25:2 K:BB across the subsequent 18 frames (three starts). The 26-year-old All-Star right-hander will take the ball in a tough spot on Friday for the start of a three-game weekend set on the road against the division-rival Houston Astros, but in three career starts against Houston, Kirby owns a 1.62 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, and 14:3 K:BB across 16 2/3 innings. The current Astros roster is batting a career .218 (12-for-55) with zero extra-base hits against Kirby, who'll have plenty of DFS tournament appeal on Friday's full slate.

Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Tyler Wells (elbow) played catch on Wednesday and is still undergoing tests, according to manager Brandon Hyde, who had nothing further to report on the hurler. Working his way back from inflammation in his right elbow, Wells still has no clear timetable for his return to Baltimore's rotation at this juncture. Considering the big 29-year-old right-hander logged a shaky 5.87 ERA and 1.37 WHIP while striking out 13 batters and walking three over 15 1/3 innings (three starts), he doesn't need to be stashed in the majority of fantasy leagues. The O's just reinstated Kyle Bradish and John Means from the injured list this week, but Dean Kremer and Cole Irvin will still be needed as starters until Wells is back in the fold, and they'll have streaming appeal under the appropriate circumstances.

New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole (elbow) is scheduled to throw his first bullpen session on Saturday, with the new target for his return now being "mid-June." Cole is all set to resume throwing off the mound, which is a big step forward in his throwing progression, and a mid-June return is pretty much in line with his original recovery timetable from discomfort in his right elbow. The 33-year-old reigning American League Cy Young Award winner still needs to build up his stamina and then start a minor-league rehab assignment, which could begin sometime in the next few weeks if all continues to go well. Cole notched a 2.63 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, and 222:48 K:BB over 209 innings (33 starts) a year ago. Until he's ready to rejoin New York's rotation, right-handers Clarke Schmidt and Luis Gil should continue getting starts for the Yankees as fantasy streaming options in favorable matchups.

Cleveland Guardians right-hander Gavin Williams (elbow) has been cleared to begin throwing and did so on Thursday pain-free, according to manager Stephen Vogt. An elbow injury has kept Williams from making his 2024 debut with the Guardians after a fine rookie season in 2023 in which he went 3-5 with a 3.29 ERA (4.05 FIP) and 1.26 WHIP with 81 strikeouts and 37 walks in 82 innings in his first 16 major-league starts. He allowed just one earned run in 4 2/3 spring training innings over two appearances as well before getting hurt and landing on the injured to open the year. The 24-year-old former 23rd overall pick in 2021 out of East Carolina isn't exactly close to joining Cleveland's rotation, but he showed enough last year to be worthy of stashing in mixed fantasy leagues if you have the room on your roster.

San Francisco Giants right-hander Jordan Hicks (side) is scheduled to make the start on Friday in the series opener in Philadelphia against the Phillies. Hicks felt some tightness in his side in his last start on Saturday against the Pittsburgh Pirates, but he managed it well and struck out a season-high nine batters while giving up just one earned run in six innings. There was a lot to be skeptical about from Hicks from a fantasy perspective with his move to a full-time starting role in 2024, mainly because of his history with injuries as a hard-throwing reliever. However, he's excelling so far in San Fran and has gone 2-0 with a fantastic 1.59 ERA (3.08 FIP) and 0.91 WHIP with 27 K's and 10 walks in 34 innings over his six starts. He'll face a tough matchup in a hostile environment on Friday against a Phillies offense that ranks seventh in MLB in OPS (.742), but he's been a must-start through the first month.

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.

New York Yankees starting pitcher Carlos Rodon had a start to forget on Thursday against the Baltimore Orioles. The left-hander was tagged for seven runs (six earned) on eight hits with six strikeouts. He did not issue a walk, but he gave up three homers in the defeat. Prior to this outing against a tough Orioles lineup, Rodon had not allowed more than three runs in any outing this season. He will carry a 3.68 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 36/14 K/BB into his next projected start against the underperforming Houston Astros. Rodon still deserves to be rostered in most fantasy formats.

Houston Astros right-hander Cristian Javier (neck) will embark on a minor-league rehab assignment this weekend. It was reported earlier this week that Javier had a shot to come off the 15-day injured list to start this weekend against the Seattle Mariners, but that won't be the case. Instead, the 27-year-old will make a start in the minors. If that goes well, he should come off the IL to join Houston's rotation at some point late next week. The Dominican hurler should be rostered in all fantasy formats after starting the 2024 season with a 2-0 record, 1.54 ERA (3.57 FIP) and 1.11 WHIP with 11 walks and 18 strikeouts in 23 1/3 innings over his first four starts. When Javier is back in the fold in Houston, rookie Spencer Arrighetti will likely be sent back to the minors.

Texas Rangers right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (groin) left his start early on Thursday against the visiting Washington Nationals with right-groin tightness. It's obviously bad news for a pitcher with a pretty lengthy injury history, but at least it's not an injury to his pitching arm. The silver lining on Thursday is that the 34-year-old threw 5 1/3 shutout innings against the Nats before leaving, allowing only two hits while walking two and striking out eight to drop his season ERA to 2.61. The severity of Eovaldi's groin injury is not known yet, but fantasy managers shouldn't be surprised if he needs to take a couple weeks off. Coming into his start on Thursday afternoon, Eovaldi had a 1-2 record, 3.00 ERA and 1.22 WHIP with 36 strikeouts in 36 innings over six starts.

Boston Red Sox right-hander Brayan Bello (lat) will make a minor-league rehab start with Double-A Portland on Tuesday. Bello has been out the last two weeks with right-lat tightness, but he threw a bullpen session this week and has now been cleared for live game action. If the 24-year-old looks good during his rehab start next week, he could be cleared for activation from the injured list when he's eligible on May 12 to make a start against the Washington Nationals. The Dominican starter was a popular breakout candidate coming into the 2024 season and was looking good before his lat injury, going 3-1 with a 3.04 ERA (4.04 FIP) and 1.05 WHIP with seven walks and 26 strikeouts in 26 2/3 innings of work in his first five starts. Bello should remain stashed in all fantasy formats.

The Boston Red Sox's medical staff is still gathering information on outfielder/designated hitter Masataka Yoshida's (hand) injury, and surgery isn't being ruled out. Yoshida jammed his left thumb in Sunday's game against the Chicago Cubs and landed on the injured list on Wednesday with a left-thumb sprain. If surgery is needed, he'll obviously need to miss extended time, but a specific timetable probably won't be known until after he goes under the knife. Until Yoshida is able to return, the newly acquired Garrett Cooper figures to serve as Boston's primary designated hitter. The 30-year-old Tanaka continues to make plenty of contact and is currently hitting .275 (22-for-80) with a nice .348 on-base percentage, but he only has two home runs and has driven in 11.

Boston Red Sox infielder Enmanuel Valdez has been optioned to Triple-A Worcester with Vaughn Grissom (hamstring) likely to make his Red Sox debut on Friday against the Minnesota Twins. The 25-year-old struggled mightily at the plate to begin the season, hitting just .156 with two homers and just a 4.1% walk rate against a bloated 30.6% strikeout rate across 98 trips to the plate. His 18 wRC+ suggests his offensive production was a whopping 82% below the league average. Valdez was much better in his big-league debut last season, when he hit .266 with six homers, five stolen bases, and a 102 wRC+ across 49 games and 149 trips to the plate.

Detroit Tigers right-hander Reese Olson will take the bump to start Friday's series opener versus the New York Yankees. The 24-year-old has enjoyed a nice start to his season, tossing a 3.18 ERA across his first five starts and 28 1/3 innings of work, although his 4.09 SIERA suggests some regression may be on the horizon. Nonetheless, Olson has been one of the most unlucky pitchers in the game from a win/loss standpoint as he has allowed just four earned runs over his last three starts and has managed to take the loss in each of those outings. He worked seven innings of one-run ball while striking out eight in his last start against the Royals but failed to gain a single run of offensive support.