Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley (side) is sitting out the second game of Monday's doubleheader against the visiting San Diego Padres. Riley also missed the Game 1 loss and now has not played in over a week due to intercostal inflammation on his left side. If the 27-year-old is forced to miss anymore time, it's likely he'll eventually land on the injured list. Riley is hoping to swing a bat soon, so he's technically still considered day-to-day. When healthy, he's the Braves' starting third baseman and is a must-start in all fantasy lineups when he's in the lineup. The former 41st overall pick in 2015 is currently hitting .245/.319/.388 on the year with three home runs, 18 RBI and 22 runs scored in 147 at-bats. Zack Short is making another start at third in Game 2 on Monday and is hitting in the nine-hole after going 0-for-3 with a strikeout in Game 1 to drop his average to .143.

Cleveland Guardians second baseman Andres Gimenez went yard for the third time this season in Sunday's win over the division-rival Minnesota Twins, also drawing a walk in the victory. Gimenez took Twins right-hander Chris Paddack deep to plate Tyler Freeman in the first inning, later walking and scoring a run in the ninth frame. The 25-year-old former All-Star is on a prolific run during his current seven-game hitting streak, batting a torrid .464 (13-for-28) with two home runs, eight RBI, seven runs scored, and two stolen bases over this hot stretch as Cleveland's everyday No. 2 hitter. Up next for Gimenez is a three-game series starting on Monday against the New York Mets, the team that traded him away back in 2021. Last season, he went hitless in eight at-bats against the Mets.

Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley (side) remains out of the lineup for Game 1 of Monday's doubleheader versus the visiting San Diego Padres. Riley fielded grounders ahead of Sunday's matchup against San Diego, which is positive step forward in his recovery from intercostal discomfort in his left side, but it's unclear if he's been cleared to resume swinging. If he's not still experiencing the discomfort, however, the 27-year-old All-Star slugger seems to have a decent chance of rejoining Atlanta's lineup for Tuesday's series opener against the Chicago Cubs. Fantasy managers shouldn't expect to see Riley in Monday's nightcap, though. Zack Short is at third base and batting seventh against Padres right-hander Dylan Cease in the matinee, and he's 1-for-4 with two walks in six plate appearances against Cease in his career.

Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Corbin Burnes looked unhittable during Sunday's game against the Seattle Mariners. The right-hander struck out 11 batters while allowing only one run over six innings of work. Burnes matched his season-high for strikeouts, he also struck out 11 batters on Opening Day. He holds a solid 2.56 ERA so far and earned his first win since late April on Sunday.

Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley (side) is not in the starting lineup for Sunday's game against the San Diego Padres. It will be the sixth straight game that Riley has missed due to side inflammation. Riley has managed to avoid the injured list and is still considered day-to-day, but it is slightly concerning that he continues to miss time. In his absence, Zack Short will at third base and bat seventh against Padres starter Yu Darvish. Short is a fantasy afterthought at this point as he is slashing a paltry .172/.333/.241 through 29 at-bats in 2024.

Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras' three-run homer off Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander proved to be the game-winning hit in Saturday's 4-2 win. Contreras battled Verlander for 12 pitches before the 13th pitch in the at-bat, which resulted in his seventh homer of the season. He enters Sunday's play second in the majors with a .350 batting average, while his 37 RBI has him tied for third in what has become a breakout campaign. Contreras is one of the top catchers in fantasy baseball and managers should continue to roll with him in all league formats.

Seattle Mariners reliever Andres Munoz allowed a run on one hit while striking out two to earn the save during Saturday's 4-3 win over the Baltimore Orioles. Munoz entered the ninth inning to protect a two-run lead. He allowed a solo home run to Gunnar Henderson but was able to shake it off and strike out Adley Rutschman to end the game. The homer to Henderson was Munoz's first earned run over his last 11 innings. He owns a 1.86 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, and a 26:7 K: BB across 19 1/3 innings in 2024. Munoz is one of the relief pitchers in baseball, and fantasy managers should continue to roll with him in all league formats.

Veteran lefthander Garrett Cleavinger earned his third save on Saturday, closing out the Toronto Blue Jays in a 5-4 victory. Closer Pete Fairbanks is back from the IL, but Cleavinger got the call to face the lefty portion of the Toronto lineup. He has been excellent for the Rays this year, going 3-0 with the aforementioned three saves, four holds, a 1.53 ERA, and a 1.25 WHIP in 17 innings in 2024. Fairbanks should get the bulk of the save opportunities, but Cleavinger could vulture some when the Rays have to face lefties in the ninth, or when Fairbanks needs a night off.

Veteran ace Kevin Gausman threw six strong innings on Saturday afternoon against the Tampa Bay Rays. Gausman surrendered three earned runs on eight hits while striking out six, leaving with a 4-3 lead. However, Nate Pearson gave up a two-run homer to outfielder Jonny DeLuca to ruin the win for Gausman. Gausman remains at 2-3 with a 4.89 ERA and 1.51 WHIP, with 43 strikeouts in 42 innings. He only went three innings in his last start, giving up six earned runs. He will make his next start this coming week at Detroit on Thursday.

Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Taijuan Walker will throw a "light" bullpen session on Sunday. Walker injured his toe after being hit by a comebacker on Thursday night. Manager Rob Thomson sounded optimistic that Walker would make his next start. The team will see how Walker feels tomorrow after the bullpen session and make any further determinations from there. Walker is 3-0 with a 4.91 ERA, a 1.41 WHIP, and 16 strikeouts in 22 innings pitched this season. Walker is currently scheduled to pitch Wednesday against the Texas Rangers. If he cannot make that start, look for veteran Spencer Turnbull to make it.

Atlanta Braves relief pitcher Pierce Johnson (elbow) is expected to be activated off the 15-day Injured List on Saturday. Johnson had been dealing with elbow inflammation and was placed on the 15-day IL on May 4th. The 33-year-old threw a bullpen session on Wednesday that went well and the Braves will be ecstatic to have him back. Johnson had been performing at his dominant norms, showing off a 32.0% K% and a 1.25 WHIP, before dealing with elbow inflammation. The Braves have a stretch of 17 games over 17 games so Atlanta will need the bullpen arms to get through that stretch. Fantasy managers should be ready to have Johnson active in their lineups. If he happens to be available on the waiver wire then fantasy managers should snatch him up immediately.

Washington Nationals outfielder Lane Thomas (knee) could be ready to start his rehab assignment this week, per Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports. Thomas suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain on April 23 and has been mixing in some running over the past week. If all goes well in Thomas' rehab stint, he could return to the Nationals' lineup by the end of May. The 28-year-old was performing well below his norms before his MCL sprain, hitting for just a .503 OPS in 96 plate appearances. Based off his expected stats, he should regress positively and perform closer to his norms once he returns, with a good amount of his value coming from stolen bases (11 on the season). Fantasy managers should keep an eye on his status, though he may be best as a bench option rather than a starter.

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Cade Cavalli (elbow) is ready to begin a minor-league rehab assignment in the Florida Complex League. Cavalli has been recovering from Tommy John surgery that was performed in March 2023 and has been progressing after throwing multiple bullpen sessions over the past few weeks. Once Cavalli makes his first start, then that will start his 30-day rehab block.Only dynasty managers should be concerned with Cavalli's status as he works to return to the big leagues.

Minnesota Twins outfielder Emmanuel Rodriguez broke out of a 19-game home run drought on Thursday evening. Through his first 28 games at Double-A this season, the 21-year-old has posted a strong .271/.466/.563 slash line with five home runs, nine stolen bases, and a 34:39 BB:K ratio. Last season, Rodriguez posted a pedestrian .240/.400/.463 line with 16 home runs. This is a great sign, as the number three prospect in the Minnesota system has been performing better against tougher competition. MLB Pipeline projects him to reach the major leagues sometime next season. However, as the 33rd-best prospect in all of baseball, he is worth paying close attention to and could even be worth stashing once he is prompted to Triple-A later this summer.

Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Jose Siri is being rested on Friday in Toronto as the club takes on the Blue Jays. Jonny DeLuca will get back into the starting lineup in center field and will bat ninth against Blue Jays right-hander Chris Bassitt. Siri had started in five of the team's last seven games after a short stretch where DeLuca was pretty much starting every day. The 28-year-old Siri hasn't done much offensively for the Rays this year, going 19-for-109 (.174) with three home runs, 13 RBI and six stolen bases, so he could continue to lose playing time to DeLuca in center field. Meanwhile, DeLuca has hit a much better .281 (9-for-32) with a home run, 10 RBI and two stolen bases. The 25-year-old former Dodger won't have much DFS appeal out of the nine-hole for Friday's action, though.

Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley (side) remains sidelined for Friday's series opener against the visiting San Diego Padres. Zack Short will make yet another start at the hot corner in Atlanta and will hit in the nine-hole versus Padres right-hander Matt Waldron. Riley is missing his fourth straight game after being pulled from Sunday's game early against the New York Mets with a left-side issue. The 27-year-old's MRI exam earlier this week showed only inflammation, so there's still hope he can avoid a trip to the injured list. Still, if Riley cannot play at all in the weekend series against the Padres, things could change. Since joining the Braves, Short has gone 4-for-10 with two doubles and two RBI in just four games, but he's hitting .192 (5-for-26) on the year as a whole and is a career .175 hitter in 193 big-league games. Avoid him in DFS.

Chicago Cubs right-hander Yency Almonte (shoulder) is shut down from throwing and is in a strengthening program. However, the hope is that his strengthening program will be relatively short and he can start throwing again next week. The 29-year-old reliever was placed on the 15-day injured last week with a right-shoulder strain but he shouldn't be out for too much longer, barring a setback. The former 17th-round selection by the Los Angeles Angels in 2012 was 1-0 with a 3.45 ERA (3.31 FIP), a 1.08 WHIP, one save, eight walks and 20 strikeouts in 15 2/3 innings out of the Cubs' bullpen this year before going on the IL. Almonte isn't really on the fantasy radar in any formats and holds a career 4.44 ERA (4.41 FIP) and 1.30 WHIP with three saves in 223 innings out of the bullpen.

Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes (back) will resume baseball activities on Monday, according to director of sports medicine Todd Tomcyzk. The plan is for Hayes to play catch and field ground balls on Monday and then swing the bat on Tuesday. The 27-year-old landed on the injured list with a back injury that doesn't sound too serious, so as long as he doesn't suffer a setback, Hayes could be back with the Pirates before the calendar flips to June. Until Hayes is able to return, expect the Pirates to continue to lean on Jared Triolo at the hot corner. Triolo is hitting ninth for the Bucs on Friday against Chicago Cubs veteran right-hander Kyle Hendricks. Before his injury, Hayes was hitting a modest .240/.322/.318 with only one home run and 11 RBI in 34 games played.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Michael Taylor will take a seat on the bench on Friday for the start of a series at Wrigley Field against the division-rival Chicago Cubs. Taylor will retreat to the bench after starting the last four games while going 2-for-13 with a double, two runs scored and five strikeouts to drop his season slash line to a weak .222/.271/.287. The 33-year-old veteran outfielder has added only one home run, eight RBI, three stolen bases and 12 runs scored for the Bucs through a month and a half of the season. Jack Suwinski is getting the start in center field and is batting sixth, while Connor Joe will be in right field while hitting cleanup against Cubs right-hander Kyle Hendricks. Both Joe and Suwinski are worth a look as DFS sleepers in the outfield on Friday against a pitcher who currently holds an 0-3 record and 10.04 ERA.