Chicago Cubs outfielder David Peralta opted out of his minor-league deal with the Cubs and became a free agent. Peralta chose to sign a minor-league deal with Chicago in the offseason after having surgery on the flexor tendon in his left elbow last October. The 36-year-old veteran left-handed hitter was batting just .217 (15-for-69) with two home runs, eight RBI and 10 runs scored in 20 games for Triple-A Iowa before opting out of his deal. Peralta will now be hoping he can latch on with another team where he'll have a better shot at making it back to the Show. The Venezuelan outfielder also underwhelmed last year in 133 games with the Los Angeles Dodgers, slashing .259/.294/.381 with seven home runs, 55 RBI, four stolen bases and 47 runs scored in 422 plate appearances. For now, Peralta is well off the fantasy radar.

Pittsburgh Pirates backstop Yasmani Grandal launched his second home run in just seven games with his new club on Monday. The 35-year-old looks to be settling in quite nicely in the Steel City with an impressive .545 SLG through his first week as a Pirate. Grandal was on the 15-day injured list to open the season with plantar fasciitis but is now looking like his past self. Grandal began splitting catching duties with Joey Bart, but he has now started each of the past four games, suggesting he has a slight lead for the starting role. Grandal is worth adding in NL-only formats for the time being but could force his way into mixed leagues if his power surge continues.

Los Angeles Dodgers infielder/outfielder Mookie Betts blasted his 50th career leadoff home run in Monday's 6-4 extra-inning win over the San Francisco Giants. Including the dinger, Betts finished the night 2-for-5 with an RBI and scored two runs. The RBI was his first recorded in over a week which is hardly something to worry about when his season stat line includes seven home runs and 28 RBI with a ridiculous .341 batting average. Betts will continue his MVP campaign against the Giants and Cincinnati Reds this week. Logan Webb is on the mound Wednesday whom Betts has torched in his career with a .346 batting average and two home runs.

New York Yankees infielder DJ LeMahieu (foot) ran the bases on Sunday and will take live batting practice on Tuesday. If all goes well with that, he could soon start playing in minor-league rehab games. LeMahieu has yet to play a game in 2024 due to a non-displaced fracture in his right foot, and running full speed is probably going to be the last hurdle he needs to clear before playing in minor-league games. The 35-year-old veteran has already had a setback with his foot, so the Yankees are going to make sure he's ready before activating him from the injured list. When healthy, LeMahieu should be the team's regular third baseman while also hitting near the top of a potent Yankees lineup. The three-time All-Star is hoping to bounce back in 2024 after a disappointing .243/.327/.390 slash line in 136 games in 2023.

Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez smacked a two-run single in the eighth inning and followed that up with another two-run single in the ninth inning during Monday night's 7-0 win over Texas Rangers. Ramirez went 2-for-4, collected four RBI, and picked up two stolen bases in the contest. The switch-hitting slugger has been under-par in the batting average department with a .235 average but has produced the power with nine long balls and 33 RBI. Ramirez's days of batting .280 and above may be over. Still, he remains a big-time fantasy contributor who looks to continue the momentum against rookie pitcher Jack Leiter on Tuesday and Jon Gray on Wednesday.

Seattle Mariners second baseman Jorge Polanco (hamstring) exited Monday's game against the Royals in the fifth inning with right hamstring tightness, per the team's Twitter account. Polanco went 1-for-2 with a single, a walk, and a strikeout before being replaced in the field by Luis Urias. Fantasy managers should look for further updates on Polanco's status once the game has ended. The 30-year-old has struggled with injuries throughout his career, so hopefully this one will not be serious.

Oakland Athletics manager Mark Kotsay revealed after Sunday's loss to the Seattle Mariners that left-hander Alex Wood (shoulder) has been dealing with a shoulder issue for some time now, which appeared to worsen on Sunday. Wood's sinker averaged 88.6 mph, over two mph slower than his season average. He was pulled after just two innings in which the Mariners scored five runs and generated a ton of hard contact. Six of Seattle's 10 balls put in play against Wood registered an exit velocity of 100.2 mph or higher. Kotsay said the team will send Wood for further evaluations, and Wood is unsure if he will make his next scheduled start this weekend against the Kansas City Royals. If Wood were to miss time, the A's would likely turn to an in-house option with either Kyle Muller or Mitch Spence, both of whom are currently long relievers out of the bullpen.

Texas Rangers right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (groin) did some flat-ground throwing on Monday and could throw off a mound this weekend. It's good to see Eovaldi making some progress from his strained right groin, but fantasy baseball managers should not expect him to come off the injured list when he's first eligible on Saturday. Even if Eovaldi takes a bit longer to return from the injured list, he should be stashed in most fantasy baseball leagues. Before hitting the shelf, he was 2-2 with a 2.61 ERA (3.55 FIP) and 1.16 WHIP with 19 walks and 44 strikeouts in 41 1/3 innings over his seven starts. The two-time All-Star will not be rushed back into the Rangers' starting rotation given his lengthy history of injuries in the big leagues.

Updating a previous report, Toronto Blue Jays outfielder George Springer (illness) and Kevin Kiermaier (illness) and designated hitter Justin Turner (illness) are both out sick on Monday against the Baltimore Orioles. Springer missed Friday and Saturday while being sick but was able to return on Sunday before going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. It appears he's still not feeling great and will sit out another game. Turner is sick and in a slump of late, so a day off second consecutive day off should do him well. Kiermaier will miss his fourth straight game. Cavan Biggio is in right field and batting eighth, Daniel Vogelbach is the DH and is hitting fifth, while Daulton Varsho is in center field and batting second against Orioles right-hander Corbin Burnes. ... [More]

Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto (knee) is out of the starting lineup for Monday's series opener against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Realmuto will be missing his second straight game after missing Sunday's contest with a sore right knee. With Realmuto still resting up, Garrett Stubbs will make a second straight start to catch left-hander Cristopher Sanchez while batting ninth against Mets left-hander Sean Manaea. Realmuto's knee injury isn't considered serious, so fantasy managers should treat him as day-to-day and check back on Tuesday to see if he's feeling good enough to play. When active, he's a must-start, top-tier fantasy catching option. Stubbs has never faced Manaea in his career and will be a low-upside DFS play. He's gone just 3-for-26 (.115) on the year with no home runs. Realmuto is dealing with what he described as "soreness" in his right knee. He felt it on his triple on May 4 against the Giants, and it hasn't gotten better. He hasn't had any tests yet and said he's hopeful of being able to play in the next few days. Realmuto isn't concerned yet about it turning into an injured-list situation.

Toronto Blue Jays outfielder George Springer and designated hitter Justin Turner are both sitting out on Monday for the series opener against the Orioles in Baltimore. With both veterans resting, Cavan Biggio is in right field and is hitting eighth, while Daniel Vogelbach is the DH and is batting fifth against Orioles right-hander Corbin Burnes. Davis Schneider is in left field and is hitting leadoff for the Blue Jays. Springer missed Friday and Saturday against the Minnesota Twins but returned on Sunday to go 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. The 34-year-old has struggled so far in 2024 with a .200 average (29-for-145), three homers and six stolen bases. Turner has one hit in his last 22 at-bats in his last five starts, so he'll be on the bench for the second straight game. None of Toronto's replacements on Monday will be particularly attractive in DFS against Burnes.

Minnesota Twins first baseman Carlos Santana went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer in Sunday's victory against the Toronto Blue Jays. The homer would be the seventh of the season for the veteran. Santana has shown up with power this season as he also has 21 RBI. The issue for Santana has been that he is only hitting .212, but he has been hitting the ball hard with an average exit velocity of 90.7 MPH. Managers in deeper leagues should consider Santana if power is needed, but with the expectation that he will sink managers batting average along the way.

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Yu Darvish blanked the division rival Los Angeles Dodgers in Sunday's victory. The veteran tossed seven scoreless innings and allowed two hits, one walk and struck out seven. It was an impressive start for the 37-year-old against one of the toughest offenses in the league. Darvish has been putting together a strong season over his first eight starts and owns a 3-1 record to go along with a 2.43 ERA and 0.97 WHIP with 37 strikeouts in 40 2/3 innings. He should be rostered in all formats, but draws a tough matchup against the Atlanta Braves this weekend.

Boston Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen tossed a clean ninth inning to pick up the save in a 3-2 win over the Washington Nationals. Jansen allowed just a hit in his inning of work, with no walks or strikeouts to account for. The veteran closer pitched on a third consecutive day for the first time this season, a move made possible because of his sparse usage in May, with only one other appearance before this weekend. Although he's had a few shaky outings, Jansen has been mostly solid for the Red Sox this season and should continue to see the bulk of their save opportunities. He is a good closing option in fantasy.

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Yu Darvish was excellent again on Sunday, tossing seven shutout innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 4-0 victory. Darvish allowed just two hits and one walk while punching out seven in this one. The 37-year-old is turning back the clock since returning from neck tightness in late April, going 3-0 in his three starts while not allowing any runs and generating a 15:2 K:BB ratio. Darvish is always a tough pitcher to analyze, but he is a must-start while he is on this heater. Looking to sell high on the righty might be a shrewd move, but it is also a risk.

St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt has been flat-out awful to start the month of May. The veteran slugger entered Sunday's game 1-for-32 with 14 strikeouts. Luckily, was able to do some damage against the Milwaukee Brewers. Goldschmidt went 2-for-5 with a home run and two RBI in the victory. This will raise his slash line to .197/.280/.279 on the season. This situation is obviously frustrating for fantasy managers, but maybe this is a sign of more good things to come.

Houston Astros starter Justin Verlander was in fine form on Sunday afternoon against the Detroit Tigers. The veteran right-hander tossed seven scoreless innings, allowing two hits and two walks while striking out eight batters. It was a nice bounce-back performance for Verlander after he surrendered seven runs to the New York Yankees in his previous outing. The 41-year-old now owns a 2-1 record this season to go along with a 3.38 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 23:12 K:BB through five starts. Verlander does not possess the same strikeout stuff he once had, but he is still a quality fantasy asset capable of churning out quality starts. He lines up against a surprisingly stout Milwaukee Brewers offense in his next projected start.

St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado is getting his first day off of the season on Sunday in the series finale against the division-rival Milwaukee Brewers. In the first 39 games of the season, Arenado, much like the rest of St. Louis' lineup, has struggled with a career-low .703 OPS. The 33-year-old eight-time All-Star is slashing .270/.331/.372 with two home runs, nine doubles, 20 RBI and 14 runs scored in 166 plate appearances. In the first three games of the series against the Brewers, had one hit in 12 at-bats with three strikeouts. Fantasy managers will be hoping Arenado's first day off of the year can get him going. Brendan Donovan is starting at third base on Sunday and is hitting seventh against Brewers right-hander Bryse Wilson. Donovan is hitting .429 with two RBI in seven career at-bats against Wilson.

Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto (knee) is getting a breather on Sunday in the series finale against the Marlins in Miami after manager Rob Thomson said that Realmuto came to the ballpark and said his knee is a little banged up. Thomson said he's not worried but wanted to give the veteran starter a rest day. With Realmuto out, Garrett Stubbs will do the catching and will hit ninth of the Phils against Marlins left-hander Braxton Garrett. Fantasy managers will want to check back on Monday for the series opener against the New York Mets to see if Realmuto is back in there. Those setting DFS lineups should probably ignore Stubbs as a deep sleeper at the catcher position. He's gone 3-for-22 (.136) in 2024 with no home runs and one stolen base.

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve is getting the day off on Mother's Day on Sunday in Detroit against the Tigers. With Altuve on the bench, Mauricio Dubon will start at second base and hit ninth in the batting order against Tigers right-hander Jack Flaherty. This will be Altuve's first day off of the season. The 34-year-old eight-time All-Star has been great this year so far with a .317/.379/.503 slash line with an .882 OPS, a league-leading 51 hits, seven home runs, 13 RBI, seven stolen bases and 26 runs scored for the Astros in 39 games played. However, he's slowed down of late, going 3-for-21 with seven strikeouts in his last five games. Dubon is hitting .274 (23-for-84) on the year but with only one home run. The 29-year-old will be a low-upside sleeper in DFS in the nine-hole for Houston in a tough matchup.