Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Shane Baz (elbow) made his third minor-league rehab start with Triple-A Durham on Thursday, throwing 3 1/3 innings while allowing one run on five hits and two walks with three strikeouts. Baz threw 69 pitches on Thursday as he continues on the road to recovery from Tommy John surgery, and he'll likely need another appearance or two in the minors to sharpen things up before rejoining Tampa Bay's injury-riddled rotation. The 24-year-old former top prospect should be able to return before the end of May at this rate, so he's worth a stash in the majority of fantasy leagues. For his major-league career, Baz features a promising 4.02 ERA and 1.12 WHIP while fanning 48 and walking 12 through 40 1/3 frames (nine starts) for the Rays.

Seattle Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford (oblique, hand) is not traveling with the team ahead of Friday's series opener against the Baltimore Orioles. Crawford's hand is still sore and a little swollen after getting hit by a pitch during Wednesday's minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Tacoma, and the M's aren't certain when he'll rejoin the club. Working his way back from a strained right oblique as well, the 29-year-old infielder will likely need a few days to allow the swelling in his hand to go down before getting back into game action. It may be enough to keep Crawford from being reinstated from the injured list this weekend. Fantasy managers should have a few more days of streaming value out of utility man Josh Rojas, who's taken over as Seattle's primary leadoff man while slashing a potent .330/.395/.482 with three home runs, nine RBI, 12 runs scored, and four stolen bases in 126 plate appearances (35 games) this year.

Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner (hamstring), who remained out of Thursday's lineup, went through a more regular pregame workout before the game against the division-rival Pittsburgh Pirates, manager Craig Counsell said. If all goes well, the hope is that Hoerner will be back in Chicago's lineup for the second game of the series against Pittsburgh on Friday. The 27-year-old contact-hitting infielder appears to be on the cusp of a return from tightness in his left hamstring after being out of the lineup in each of the past three contests, so fantasy managers should expect to get him back without needing a trip to the injured list. In 41 games (156 at-bats) before picking up the injury, Hoerner slashed .269/.361/.391 with two home runs, 11 doubles, 12 RBI, 25 runs scored, and five stolen bases as the Cubs' primary leadoff hitter.

Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson (knee) continued to ramp up his activity ahead of Thursday's game against the division-rival Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field, including fielding ground balls. After a period of rest, recovery, and treatment, Swanson did some light running and agility work and played catch before Wednesday's series finale against the Atlanta Braves and seems to be progressing well in his recuperation from a sprained right knee. The 30-year-old star infielder is eligible to come off the 10-day injured list as early as Saturday's contest against Pittsburgh, though it's unclear if he'll need a brief minor-league rehab assignment before the Cubs activate him. Although Swanson was slashing a meager .209/.285/.341 with four home runs, 12 RBI, 20 runs scored, and four stolen bases in 37 games (129 at-bats) as Chicago's everyday shortstop before the injury, he's a must-stash player in all fantasy leagues.

Texas Rangers left-hander Brock Burke (hand) has been sent to the Arizona Complex League Rangers in the Rookie league on a minor-league rehab assignment. Burke is scheduled to pitch for the ACL Rangers in Thursday's game against the ACL Padres at Peoria Sports Complex. Burke is trying to recover from a broken right (non-throwing) hand that landed him on the injured list on April 13. The 27-year-old southpaw had allowed five earned runs on nine hits (one homer) while walking one and striking out five in three innings out of the Texas bullpen earlier this year before going on the shelf. Since he's currently on the 60-day injured list, Burke will not be eligible to return to the team's big-league bullpen until June 12. When healthy, Burke isn't on the fantasy radar in a middle-relief role.

The Los Angeles Angels acquired right-hander Roansy Contreras from the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday in exchange for cash considerations, according to sources. The Pirates had designated Contreras for assignment last Saturday. The 24-year-old Dominican hurler went 1-0 with the Pirates with a 4.41 ERA (5.01 FIP) and 1.65 WHIP with eight walks and 16 strikeouts in 16 1/3 relief innings over 12 outings out of the bullpen this year before being traded to the American League. In his four big-league seasons in Pittsburgh, Contreras has made 53 appearances, with 30 of them coming in a starting role, so he could become an option to make some spot starts for the Halos eventually. Contreras has a career 4.83 ERA and 1.42 WHIP with weak 20.2% strikeout rate and a 10.1% walk rate. Fantasy managers can continue ignoring him.

Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Taijuan Walker (foot) was forced to leave his start early on Thursday against the visiting division-rival New York Mets after he was hit by a line drive on his left foot. Before leaving the contest early, Walker allowed two earned runs on four hits (one homer to Pete Alonso) while walking two and striking out one in 3 1/3 innings pitched. The Phillies are likely to do some tests on Walker, at which point we should have a better idea of the severity of his injury and whether it will cause him to miss his next start. The 31-year-old got a late start to the season due to injury and came into Thursday's start with a 4.82 ERA and 1.34 WHIP with 15 strikeouts in 18 2/3 innings over his first three starts. After giving up two more runs on Thursday, Walker's ERA now stands at 4.91.UPDATE: Walker's injury is being called a foot contusion, but he's scheduled for more testing.

For the second straight day on Thursday, Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner (hamstring) went through a full agility workout at Citizens Bank Park while taking ground balls and also hitting inside in the cages. It has only been 13 days since he injured his left hamstring and is progressing at a surprising pace given the original timetable of around six weeks. The 30-year-old All-Star is making fantastic progress, but the Phillies will probably pump the brakes on him returning too soon and aggravating his injury, especially given the nature of Turner's game on the basepaths. However, if Turner continues to progress at this pace, he'll surely beat his projected six-week timetable, which is great news for his fantasy managers. Edmundo Sosa will continue to work as the Phillies' starter at the 6 until Turner returns from his hamstring ailment. Keep Turner stashed in all fantasy formats.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen and infielder Jared Triolo are both out of the lineup on Thursday against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. McCutchen went 3-for-4 with a home run in Wednesday's loss to the Milwaukee Brewers and has been better in May so far, batting .250 (11-for-44) with two home runs and three RBI to raise his season line to .211/.317/.358 in 142 plate appearances. With McCutchen out, Bryan Reynolds will serve as the designated hitter and bat second, while Edward Olivares will serve as the cleanup hitter while starting in right field against Cubs left-hander Justin Steele. Triolo has just two hits in his last 39 plate appearances and could start losing more playing time if he doesn't pick things up offensively soon. Nick Gonzales is starting at third base and is batting fifth, while ... [More]

Cincinnati Reds second baseman Jonathan India (migraine) is not in the starting lineup on Thursday with a migraine. He was also held out of Wednesday's lineup for the same reason. The 27-year-old should still be considered day-to-day. As a result, Santiago Espinal will get the starting nod at the keystone and bat in the eight-hole. Espinal has been swinging a hot bat as of late with a .400/.438/.600 line across his past five games with one home run. However, he has a tough task tonight in Tyler Glasnow, who enters Thursday with a 2.53 ERA and 73 punchouts across 57 innings, and is best to fade him in DFS this evening.

Los Angeles Dodgers backstop Will Smith will be getting the day off on Thursday as the Dodgers open a four-game set against the Cincinnati Reds. Smith has started each of the past six games and holds an overall .315/.381/.479 line with four home runs. Instead, Austin Barnes will serve as the catcher for Tyler Glasnow and will bat in the nine-hole. The 34-year-old is best to fade in DFS as he enters Thursday with a .219/.359/.250 slash line with no home runs and has only appeared in 13 games this season.

Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy is not in Thursday's lineup while the team goes against Cincinnati Reds southpaw Brent Suter. The 33-year-old has only made seven starts this season against left-handed pitchers. Muncy has been showcasing his elite power once again this season with nine long balls and a .475 SLG through 40 games. As a result, Kike Hernandez will occupy the hot corner. Hernandez enters Thursday's game with a modest .220/.278/.305 line with just two home runs. However, Hernandez will bat in the five-hole and is worth considering in DFS as he will be right in the middle of a potent Dodgers lineup. He will face Brent Suter, who enters Thursday with a 3.86 ERA; however, he is only likely to pitch a few frames as he will serve as the opener in a bullpen game for Cincinnati.

New York Yankees starting pitcher Clarke Schmidt tossed an eight-inning gem on Thursday afternoon as he kept the scoresheet clean and only allowed three hits with eight punchouts to clinch a series sweep over the Minnesota Twins. Schmidt never ran into any trouble, as all three hits were scattered throughout the afternoon. This was Schmidt's longest and most productive outing of the young season, which lowered his ERA to a solid 2.84 and his WHIP to 1.24. The 28-year-old has now won consecutive games and has struck out at least six batters through his three starts in May. Schmidt is rostered in just over half of fantasy leagues at 51% and should continue to be deployed in most matchups. He is tentatively scheduled to face the Seattle Mariners next Tuesday, May 21, which should be an excellent opportunity for Schmidt to continue to tally punchouts as the Seattle bats have struck out the most times in baseball.

New York Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo (illness) was scratched from Thursday's lineup against the division-rival Philadelphia Phillies due to a stomach bug. Fantasy managers should consider Nimmo to be day-to-day and check back on Friday to see if he's available to play in the series opener in Miami against the Marlins. With Nimmo out, DJ Stewart is playing left field and is batting fifth, while outfielder Tyron Taylor is moving up to the leadoff spot with Harrison Bader getting a day to rest. The move makes Taylor more attractive as a DFS sleeper play for Thursday's slate against Phillies right-hander Taijuan Walker. Nimmo is hitting a disappointing .215/.361/.396 on the year with six home runs, 27 RBI and 21 runs scored in 149 at-bats, but his xwOBA of .422 means he's an excellent buy-low candidate who has been squaring balls up regularly without much to show for it so far in 2024.

Chicago Cubs middle infielder Nico Hoerner (hamstring) remains out of the starting lineup on Thursday against the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates. Hoerner will miss a third straight game after being scratched from Tuesday's contest versus the Atlanta Braves with left-hamstring tightness. The 27-year-old remains day-to-day, but if his absence extends into the weekend against Pittsburgh, the Cubbies may have to consider placing him on the injured list. It would be bad news for Chicago's middle infield, as Dansby Swanson (knee) is already on the shelf with knee soreness. Miles Mastrobuoni is making another start at the 6 on Thursday and is hitting eighth against Pirates rookie right-hander Jared Jones. Both Mastrobuoni and Nick Madrigal, who is playing second, are weak DFS plays as middle infielders.

Oakland Athletics first baseman Tyler Nevin and catcher Shea Langeliers are both getting a day off on Thursday in Houston against the Astros. Tyler Soderstrom will start at first base and bat cleanup, while Kyle McCann is doing the catching and will bat fifth against Astros right-hander Cristian Javier. Nevin had a nice little run in April but has gone 3-for-39 so far in the month of May, which has given Soderstrom more chances at first base. Soderstrom, meanwhile, has taken advantage by going 6-for-19 with a homer and three RBI in just six games played. This will be a regular off day for the 26-year-old Langeliers in a matinee affair. Langeliers has been much better in May, going 13-for-42 (.310) with three home runs and 11 RBI in 12 games to raise his season slash line to .218/.272/.496. McCann will be a DFS sleeper at catcher while he carries a .351 average (13-for-37) on the year with three home runs and eight RBI in just 15 games played.

Boston Red Sox catcher Connor Wong and outfielder Tyler O'Neill will not be in the team's starting lineup on Thursday against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays. Reese McGuire will catch Cooper Criswell and will bat seventh, while Rob Refsnyder will start in left field and hit in the No. 3 spot against Rays right-hander Zack Littell. Wong is hitting a remarkable .340/.370/.530 with five home runs and 15 RBI in his first 100 at-bats in 2024, but with an xBA of .340, he leads all of baseball with the biggest different in actual average and xBA, so fantasy managers should expect some eventual regression in that department. He also has an wOBA of .391 and an xwOBA of .309. O'Neill could use a day off after striking out seven total times in the last two games to drop his season line to .256/.371/.554 with a .924 OPS, 10 home runs and 16 RBI in 121 at-bats.

The New York Mets optioned left-hander Joey Lucchesi to Triple-A Syracuse after Wednesday night's game and recalled left-hander Josh Walker from Syracuse in a corresponding move. In his spot start on Wednesday versus the division-rival, Lucchesi didn't fare well, allowing five runs over 4 1/3 innings of work while walking four and striking out two to take the loss. The 30-year-old southpaw was making his season debut for the Mets, but now he'll head back to the minors to serve as starting pitching depth for the organization. Walker, 29, will give the Mets' bullpen a fresh arm. He made his big-league debut last year and had an 8.10 ERA and 1.80 WHIP in just 10 innings. So far in 2024, Walker has tossed three shutout innings in relief while walking one and striking out three for the Mets.

New York Mets outfielder Harrison Bader and catcher Tomas Nido are both taking the day off on Thursday against the Philadelphia Phillies. Tyron Taylor is getting the start in center field and is batting fifth, while Omar Narvaez is doing the catching and will hit ninth against Phillies right-hander Taijuan Walker. So far this month, Bader is 8-for-34 (.235) with a double, no RBI, four walks and 11 strikeouts in 11 games to drop his season line to .265/.312/.316. The former third-round pick by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2015 out of Florida has been pretty mediocre offensively to this point, but he's been known to go on streaks and could heat up at any moment for the Mets. Taylor has a hit and an RBI in three career at-bats against Walker and has gone 22-for-81 (.272) in the early going with two homers and three steals.

The Los Angeles Angels reinstated infielder Luis Rengifo (illness) from the 10-day injured list on Thursday and optioned infielder Niko Goodrum and right-hander Davis Daniel to Triple-A Salt Lake after Wednesday night's game in a corresponding move. Rengifo missed over a week with a viral illness that caused painful blisters on his feet. Now that the 27-year-old is recovered, he should return to everyday duties at third base for the Halos, starting on Friday for their series opener against the Rangers in Texas. Rengifo is due some regression after starting the year with a .330/.378/.462 slash line with two home runs and nine stolen bases in 28 games, but the fact that he's going to play regularly makes him at least a middle-infield bench option in deep-mixed fantasy leagues. He's most useful for his speed in AL-only formats.