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.

Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Smith fell a triple shy of the cycle in Wednesday's 9-1 victory over the Tigers. Smith went 3-for-4 with a single, a double, a solo home run, two RBI, a run scored, and a stolen base. The 26-year-old also got on base once via a walk. He's filled in at the hot corner admirably since Josh Jung hit the IL, posting a .290-4-24-30-4 line with a .364 wOBA and 136 wRC+, even more so as of late, going 21-for-64 (.328) over his last 17 games. Fantasy managers should consider the former second-round draft pick as at least a bench bat, as he's also eligible at 3B, SS, and OF. He's available in 60% of Yahoo leagues.

Texas Rangers catcher Jonah Heim went 3-for-4 with a double, a home run, two RBI, and two runs scored in Wednesday's 9-1 romp over the Tigers. The home run was his sixth of the season, but after posting a solid .438 SLG last season, the switch hitter owns a .372 SLG thus far, along with a .295 wOBA and 89 wRC+. Heim's 95 RBI last season led all catchers by a wide margin, but the 28-year-old is on pace for just 72 this season. Still, his current numbers put him in the Top-12 at the catcher position, so if he can build off this game then he could rise further up the ranks in no time.

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.

New York Mets catcher Luis Torrens smashed two home runs in Wednesday's win over the division-rival Washington Nationals, launching his first homers of the year in the victory. Torrens provided a spark on Wednesday, first putting the Mets on the board with a solo shot in the third inning and later taking Nationals left-hander Patrick Corbin deep again for his second long ball of the game in the sixth frame. The 28-year-old journeyman backstop is serving as catching depth alongside veteran Tomas Nido for New York at the moment, but it's hard to envision Torrens maintaining consistent playing time once starter Francisco Alvarez (thumb) is reinstated from the injured list, which could happen as early as Tuesday.

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.

San Francisco Giants outfielder Heliot Ramos was busy in Wednesday's win over the division-rival Arizona Diamondbacks, reaching base safely six times and hitting his fifth home run of the year. Ramos walked four times on Wednesday, also tagging struggling D-backs left-hander Jordan Montgomery for a two-run homer to center field to give the Giants a 2-1 lead in the third inning. The 24-year-old former first-round pick has carved out a significant role in San Fran's outfield and is worth a look in all fantasy leagues while he's running this hot. Over 26 games this season, Ramos is slashing a potent .304/.407/.511 with five long balls, four doubles, 19 RBI, and one stolen base.

St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman remained scorching hot in Tuesday's loss versus the Houston Astros. Gorman went 2-for-5 on the evening with a solo home run. Gorman struggled mightily to open the season, but he has pulled a 180 over the last month by going 23-for-73 with 10 homeruns and 19 RBI. For the season, he is hitting .235 with 14 homers and 31 RBI. It's hard to move on from Gorman with the way he is hitting, but his trade value is at an all time high and it is unlikely that he will keep this pace throughout the season which makes him a great sell-high candidate.

Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena continued his career year in Tuesday's victory versus the St. Louis Cardinals. Pena went 2-for-2 with a walk, a run and two RBI. He was also caught stealing in the contest. Pena was overlooked in many drafts this offseason after a rough 2023 campaign, but his 2024 season has made him look like one of the best draft picks for fantasy managers. On the season, Pena is now hitting .305 with five homers, 23 RBI and nine stolen bases. Pena should remain an everyday starter in all formats moving forward with his ability to help across the board.

After being recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis earlier in the day, Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Jack Suwinski would provide the only offense in a victory against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Suwinski went 1-for-4 on the evening and took Tyler Glasnow deep for a solo home run in the bottom of the third inning to lead the Pirates to their 28th victory. Suwinski has shown power in the past with 50 career home runs, but has struggled this season with a .177 batting average and five homers to go along with 14 RBI and five stolen bases. His time in Triple-A may be what he needed to get going and managers searching for power should watch and see what Suwinski does over the next few days as he could be a solid one-category pickup.

Houston Astros catcher Yainer Diaz went 1-for-4 with a three-run homer in Tuesday's victory against the St. Louis Cardinals. The home run would be his second in as many games and his fifth of the season. Diaz is now hitting .249 and has driven in 28 runs this season. The 25-year-old backstop entered the season as a popular sleeper behind the dish, but struggled before the beginning of this week. It's nice to see Diaz enjoy the Cardinals pitching and hopefully this is a sign of better times to come from here on out. Diaz remains the Astros everyday catcher and is a worthy option in most formats moving forward.

Seattle Mariners closer Andres Munoz (back) exited Tuesday's 4-3 win against the Athletics early after colliding with Max Schuemann on a play at the plate. Munoz entered the game to pitch the bottom of the ninth inning up by two. He got the first out on a strikeout, allowed a single, got the second out on a fly-out, allowed another single, and collided with Schuemann on a play at the plate due to a wild pitch. Munoz attempted to throw several warm-up pitches but left the game. The 25-year-old has been dealing with a lower-back strain the past couple of weeks, which may have flared up after the collision. He will get an MRI to determine the severity. Fantasy managers should keep an eye out for more news, but this would be a big loss if Munoz were to miss time, as he has converted 12 of 13 save opportunities with a 1.73 ERA and a 12.46 K/9. Tayler Saucedo picked up a save (his second of the year) in one-third of an inning, and he and Ryne Stanek could be candidates for saves moving forward if Munoz's injury is serious enough to put him on the injured list.

Chicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ played his part offensively in Tuesday's 7-6 win over the White Sox. Happ went 3-for-4 with a single, two doubles, two RBI, and a strikeout. This included a go-ahead RBI double in the eighth inning to bring in what would be the winning run. The 29-year-old has had a disappointing fantasy season overall and has yet to find a rhythm, slashing .232/.335/.394 with six home runs, 26 RBI, and two stolen bases in 236 plate appearances. While outfield has been a relatively weak position for fantasy this season, fantasy managers can likely find useful alternatives on the waiver wire in shallower leagues at this time.

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.

Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr. (hip) did not waste time to contribute offensively in Tuesday's 7-6 loss to the Cubs. Robert Jr., who had been sidelined since early April with a Grade 2 right hip flexor strain, went 2-for-4 with a single, a solo home run, and a strikeout. The 26-year-old has just 33 plate appearances in 2024, but he is slashing a respectable .250/.273/.594 with three HR, five RBI, and a stolen base. Robert Jr.'s power-speed skills have made him a high-end fantasy option throughout his career, but injuries have often prevented him from reaching his full potential. He should be plugged into fantasy managers' lineups as long as he is able to play.

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Max Fried continued to impress in Tuesday's 8-3 win over the Red Sox. Fried pitched seven innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits (including a solo home run) and a walk with a season-high 13 strikeouts. He also hit a batter. The 30-year-old struggled in his first two starts of the season but has looked like himself since and is now 6-2 with a 3.05 ERA, an 8.19 K/9 rate, and a 2.69 BB/9 rate in 12 starts and 73 2/3 IP. He will have a good opportunity to turn in more gaudy stats in his next scheduled start at the Nationals.

New York Yankees starting pitcher Luis Gil continued his amazing season in Tuesday's 5-1 win over the Twins. Gil pitched six shutout innings, allowing just one hit and three walks with six strikeouts. The 26-year-old is now 8-1 with a 1.82 ERA, an 11.03 K/9 rate, and a 4.41 BB/9 rate. It is unlikely that he will maintain a .178 BABIP throughout the season, but there is no doubt that he has been a huge surprise fantasy option. He has now turned in seven consecutive quality starts, although that streak will be put to the test in his next scheduled start against the Dodgers. Regardless, Gil should be started given how well he has pitched.

Pittsburgh Pirates closer David Bednar shut the door for his 12th save in Tuesday's 1-0 win over the Dodgers. Bednar came in to pitch the top of the ninth inning up by one and delivered a 1-2-3 performance with no strikeouts. The 29-year-old has converted 12 of 15 save opportunities this season, but those have come with a 5.92 ERA. Four different relievers have seen a save opportunity for the Pirates in the last seven days, so Bednar's grasp on the role seems to be tenuous. However, he has been a useful fantasy option in each of the last two seasons, so fantasy managers should continue to trust him as long as he can pitch well enough.