San Francisco Giants designated hitter Jorge Soler went 2-for-6 with a home run in Wednesday's 9-3 win over the Diamondbacks. The home run was the slugger's seventh of the season, but surely the Giants were hoping for more after coming off a 2023 season in which he belted 36 home runs with a 15.0% Barrel%. This season the 32-year-old has a 7.7% Barrel%, his lowest number since 2017. Hopefully he's just heating up, though, as the former All-Star is 7-for-20 (.350) with just one strikeout over his last five games.

San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado (hip) is day-to-day with what the club believes is a mild strain of an upper hip flexor. Machado sustained the injury while running to first base to try and beat out a double play in the fourth inning on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Angels, but he appears to have come away with a minor issue. It's still reasonable to expect him to sit out Thursday's series opener against the division-rival Arizona Diamondbacks, though. The 31-year-old All-Star infielder has picked it up at the plate lately following a slow start to the season, batting .322 with one home run and nine RBI over his last 17 games. For any games Machado may need to miss, Donovan Solano and Tyler Wade would likely form a platoon for at-bats at the hot corner.

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jose Urena dominated the visiting Detroit Tigers in Wednesday's victory, throwing six innings of one-hit ball (one home run) with one walk and six strikeouts for his second win of the year. Urena had a bid for a perfect game going through five innings, but Tigers outfielder Justyn-Henry Malloy homered on a fly ball to left-center field to end that. The 32-year-old journeyman right-hander has provided a stabilizing presence and found a home in Texas' injury-ruined rotation in 2024, posting a career-best 3.44 ERA alongside a 1.20 WHIP with 37 punchouts and 17 walks over 52 1/3 innings (six starts) for the Rangers. With that said, Urena will not be a recommended fantasy start in his next slated appearance against the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers at Chavez Ravine next Wednesday.

New York Yankees starting pitcher Carlos Rodon flirted with a no-hitter in Wednesday's victory over the visiting Minnesota Twins, fanning nine batters through six strong innings of work for his eighth win of the season. Rodon carried a no-hit bid through five frames on Wednesday, but the Twins were able to put two runs on the board in the sixth before his night ended. The 31-year-old southpaw has given up more than three runs just one time out of 13 appearances for the Yankees in his second season in the Bronx, delivering a steady 3.08 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, and 71:20 K:BB over 73 innings. Rodon looks for continued success in his next scheduled start on Monday on the road against the Kansas City Royals.

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola was in top form Wednesday, blanking the Brewers over seven superb innings in a 2-0 win. Nola allowed just two hits, struck out five, and walked none, lowering his season ERA to 2.77. After driving fantasy managers mad in 2023 with inconsistency, Nola has reminded everyone why the Phillies invested in him last offseason, allowing two runs or less in his previous five starts and only allowing more than three runs twice in 13 trips to the mound this season. Nola is a must-start in all formats; with his next outing scheduled at Fenway Park against the Red Sox, Nola should be confidently penciled into all fantasy lineups.

Chicago Cubs closer Hector Neris picked up his eighth save of the season in Tuesday's 7-6 win over the White Sox. Neris came in to pitch the top of the ninth inning up by one. He got the first out on a line-out, walked a batter, allowed a stolen base but then picked the runner off, and ended the game with a pop-out. The 34-year-old veteran did not enter the season as the team's closer but has converted all but two opportunities with a 2.86 ERA, a 7.36 K/9 rate, and a 6.55 BB/9 rate. Neris is worth rostering in all roto leagues at least given his current role, but his strikeouts have taken a dip and his walks have spiked. Fantasy managers should be wary of these trends potentially hurting him at some point, but he is a useful fantasy option for now.

Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Colin Rea will work behind an opener on Tuesday against the Philadelphia Phillies on the road. It's unclear who the Brewers will use as the opener after going with Jared Koenig on Monday. Rea, 33, worked as the team's bulk reliever behind Koenig on May 25 against the Boston Red Sox and allowed two earned runs with three walks and two strikeouts in 5 2/3 frames in a win. In his last outing on May 30 against the Chicago Cubs, Rea had a no-decision while working 5 1/3 frames and allowing one earned run on one walk and five K's. Rea has had a solid campaign thus far for the Brew Crew, going 4-2 with a 3.77 ERA and 1.34 WHIP with 42 strikeouts in 59 2/3 innings over 11 outings (10 starts), but the matchup on Tuesday against the Phils on the road is one to fade him in.

Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman struggled in a 7-2 loss to the Baltimore Orioles on Monday. Gausman allowed six runs on six hits over 6 1/3 innings while striking out three and walking one. The veteran hurler struggled to keep the ball in the yard on Monday as he served up three homers to Baltimore batters on the way to taking the loss. The rough outing drops Gausman's record to 4-4, to go along with a 4.60 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, and 59 strikeouts over 60 2/3 innings of work. He will look to get back on track in his next start, which is scheduled for Saturday against the Oakland A's.

St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Kyle Gibson turned in a solid start in a 7-4 loss to the Houston Astros on Monday. Gibson allowed three runs on five hits over five innings while striking out eight and walking three. He managed to escape with a no-decision in the start, holding his record at 4-2 on the year. Gibson's eight strikeouts fell just one short of his season-high of nine which he set back on April 30 against the Detroit Tigers. Overall, Gibson has a 3.69 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, and 60 strikeouts over 70 2/3 innings of work in his first season with the Cardinals. He is worth a look as a streaming option in fantasy when he has favorable matchups.

New York Mets relief pitcher Jake Diekman immediately bounced back by earning his second save of the season in Monday's 8-7 game against the Nationals. Adam Ottavino started the bottom of the ninth inning with a three-run lead, but he gave way to Diekman after giving up a run and loading the bases while getting just one out. Diekman got the second out on a sacrifice fly and ended the game with a strikeout. The Mets' bullpen has been up in the air since Edwin Diaz (shoulder) was placed on the injured list. Both Ottavino and Diekman have seen save opportunities in the last seven days, but neither has pitched well lately. Ottavino has more closing experience, but Diekman has pitched better overall with a 4.12 ERA, a 12.36 K/9 rate, and a 6.41 BB/9 rate. As such, both players are worth a look in deep roto leagues but neither instills a ton of confidence.

New York Mets middle infielder Jose Iglesias had a nice day at the plate in Monday's 8-7 win over the Nationals. Iglesias went 3-for-4 with three singles, an RBI, and a stolen base. The 34-year-old veteran was called up from Triple-A Syracuse last Friday and has gone 5-for-11 while playing at both second base and shortstop. Iglesias has been a useful fantasy player at times throughout his career and put together a respectable .273/.309/.442 slash line in 175 plate appearances with Syracuse before getting called up. Fantasy managers should wait to see his role more clearly defined before considering him, but he may be able to earn playing time if he continues to hit well, given the Mets' struggles.

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler put up another strong start against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers on Monday, striking out six batters across seven innings of one-run ball on five hits and three walks for his seventh win of the year. Make it four quality starts in a row for Wheeler, who's now reached double figures with 10 in this category this year. The 34-year-old fantasy stalwart will bring a sensational 2.23 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, and 91:26 K:BB over 13 starts (80 2/3 innings) into his next scheduled start, which doesn't line up until next Tuesday against the Boston Red Sox with the Phillies headed to London this weekend. Wheeler is a matchup-proof fantasy play each time he takes the mound.

Toronto Blue Jays veteran first baseman Joey Votto (ankle) is still taking live at-bats and working through a running progression, and there is no timetable for him to get into game action. A severe right-ankle sprain that Votto suffered in spring training when he stepped on a bat in the dugout has kept him on the injured list so far in 2024. The 40-year-old long-time Cincinnati Reds All-Star first baseman continues to do baseball activities, but there appears to be no rush to get him playing in games again. The Canadian product hasn't been an All-Star since 2018 and hasn't played in over 100 games since 2021. In his 65 games in 2023 in his final season with the Reds, Votto hit just .202 (42-for-208) but managed to hit 14 homers while driving in 38. When healthy, Votto probably won't be anything more than a left-handed bench bat for the Blue Jays.

Colorado Rockies outfielder Kris Bryant is out of the starting lineup ahead of Monday's game against the Cincinnati Reds due to soreness after making an awkward catch during Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Manager Bud Black said Bryant is "a little sore" and is consulting with doctors and trainers. Fantasy managers haven't seen much of Bryant lately anyway. He has mainly been playing only once per series of late as the Rockies try to keep him healthy. Sean Bouchard will cover left field and bat seventh versus left-hander Andrew Abbott on Monday.

San Francisco Giants outfielder Michael Conforto (hamstring) has been activated from the 10-day injured list ahead of Monday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks and is in left field and batting cleanup against D-backs right-hander Ryne Nelson. This move was expected but has been officially made, with starting pitcher Blake Snell (groin) headed to the injured list. The assumption is that Conforto will take over in left field in place of Heliot Ramos. It'll be interesting to see how the Giants split up the playing time between Ramos and Luis Matos in the outfield. Regardless, fantasy managers can get Conforto back in their lineups on Monday.

San Francisco Giants outfielder Michael Conforto (hamstring) is on track to return from the injured list ahead of the team's three-game set against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday. Conforto has been on the shelf since May 11, when he suffered a hamstring injury after taking a hard turn around first base on a single. However, it appears now that the outfielder is fully healthy following his weekend rehab stint with Triple-A Sacramento. He should immediately slot back in atop the Giants' lineup and should be rostered in most fantasy leagues going forward. The former All-Star was hitting .280 with seven home runs, seven doubles, and 20 RBI before his injury in early May.

Texas Rangers right-hander Jon Gray (groin) is scheduled to face live hitters on Monday. Gray wasn't expected to miss much more than the minimum 15 days on the injured list after leaving his most recent start against the Philadelphia Phillies on May 21 and then being placed on the IL two days later. Before getting hurt, Gray had a stellar 2.21 ERA through the first two months of the season to go along with a 1.19 WHIP and 56 strikeouts in 57 innings over his first 11 appearances (10 starts). The 32-year-old's injury obviously isn't considered too serious, so if he gets through Monday's session without any issues, he could be a candidate to come off the IL to start against the San Francisco Giants this Friday. If Gray is for some reason on your league's waiver wire, scoop him up now.

Texas Rangers right-hander Max Scherzer (back, forearm) threw around 25 pitches in a bullpen session over the weekend on Saturday before the team's win over the Miami Marlins and continues to progress. Scherzer gave two thumbs-up on Sunday because he was able to throw without nerve pain. Depending on how he recovers, manager Bruce Bochy said Scherzer could potentially face live hitters on Monday. "I feel great, finally turning the corner on this. The check engine light just won't go off, there's something wrong with the engine, but we addressed it and now everything is firing on all cylinders," Scherzer said. The 39-year-old future Hall of Famer was moved to the 60-day injured list on May 15 after experiencing nerve pain in his right triceps and forearm. He has yet to pitch in 2024 after having offseason back surgery, but barring another setback, he could make his season debut before the All-Star break in mid-July.

Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman went 1-for-1 with a homer and three walks in a 4-0 win over the Colorado Rockies on Sunday. Freeman was perfect at the dish, showcasing his elite on-base skills while popping some power as well. He added two runs and two RBI to his line, making for a solid day at the dish. While he hasn't been the same Freddie we saw last year and hasn't quite lived up to his first-round pedigree, he's still been a solid fantasy contributor. He is now up to a .293 AVG and .877 OPS to go with 35 runs, seven homers, 35 RBI, and two steals.

Toronto Blue Jays reliever Yimi Garcia notched his third save of the season on Sunday, holding on against the Pittsburgh Pirates to secure a 5-4 win. Garcia allowed two hits and a run but finished off the game by striking out the side. Although it wasn't the most convincing save, Garcia was able to get the job done and further cement himself as the team's closer while Jordan Romano is on the IL. Garcia deserves the opportunity, as he is having a career year so far, pitching to a 1.57 ERA and 0.74 WHIP with 29 strikeouts in 23 IP. The ratios will likely come back to earth a bit, but he should be added in all fantasy leagues where saves matter while Romano is out.