Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Max Fried threw his second complete game of the season in Wednesday's victory on the road over the Chicago Cubs, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits with a season-high nine strikeouts en route to his fourth win of the year. Fried needed 105 pitches to go the distance in Wednesday's masterful performance, carrying a bid for a perfect game into the sixth inning before Ian Happ's leadoff double broke it up. Even though it's been an up-and-down campaign for the 30-year-old star left-hander, he owns a strong 3.38 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and 48:20 K:BB with a career-best .197 average against through 10 starts overall (58 2/3 frames) for the Braves in 2024. Monday's series opener at home against the division-rival Washington Nationals marks Fried's next projected start. He gave up two runs over 9 1/3 innings (two starts) with a 9:1 K:BB against Washington in 2023.

Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Adbert Alzolay (forearm) will be shut down from throwing for at least two weeks, manager Craig Counsell said on Wednesday. No surprise here, as Alzolay has gone for a second opinion on his strained right flexor. The Cubs will follow a conservative treatment plan for the 29-year-old right-hander, and while surgery is not off the table, they'll know more after his down time. After posting a poor 4.67 ERA with 13 strikeouts, six walks, and six home runs allowed in 18 games over 17 1/3 innings out of Chicago's bullpen this year and getting removed from the closer's role, Alzolay looks like a drop in shallow fantasy leagues and a weak stash in deeper formats. Hector Neris owns a 2.50 ERA with six saves across 18 frames and is the current favorite for ninth-inning work in the Windy City.

Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Luis Garcia was tasked with holding a one-run lead in the ninth inning of Wednesday's game against the Houston Astros. The right-hander blew the lead during the seventh inning of Tuesday's game. Despite that, Garcia was given another chance and worked a perfect ninth inning to earn his third save of the season. Garcia has been busy pitching in four of the last five games. The Angels bullpen situation is a little messy with Carlos Estevez as the primary closer, but Adam Cimber and Garcia are in the mix as well.

Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Tyler Anderson was able to put together a solid outing during Wednesday's game against the Houston Astros. The left-hander allowed only one run over eight innings of work during Wednesday's victory. Anderson did allow six hits, but he was able to limit the damage. He now holds a 5-4 record with a 2.52 ERA to begin the season.

Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Kyle Freeland (elbow) was able to throw a successful bullpen session on Wednesday. This was the first time that Freeland was able to throw since landing on the injured list due to a left elbow strain. The expectation is that Freeland will throw a few more bullpen sessions before going on a rehab assignment. There isn't a clear timetable for his return, but a return in middle or late June is possible.

Boston Red Sox first baseman Garrett Cooper (shoulder) has been scratched ahead of Wednesday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays. The right-handed slugger was in the original lineup, but has been pulled out due to right shoulder discomfort. Now, Dominic Smith will cover first base and bat sixth versus right-hander Ryan Pepiot. Fantasy managers should adjust their lineups accordingly.

Seattle Mariners second baseman Jorge Polanco (hamstring) is returning to second base and will bat seventh for the M's on Wednesday against the New York Yankees and left-hander Nestor Cortes in the Bronx. Polanco returns to action for Seattle after missing over a week with a right-hamstring injury. The 30-year-old veteran switch-hitter has struggled to get things going at the plate in his first year with the team in 2024, as he's hitting .192/.298/.308 with five home runs, 13 RBI, one stolen base and 15 runs scored in 146 at-bats. Polanco has been better in May, though, going 11-for-46 (.239) with a homer and three RBI in 11 games. His fantasy managers will be hoping he can pick up where he's left off this month after missing the last week. Polanco has two hits and an RBI in 10 career at-bats off of Cortes.

Toronto Blue Jays catcher Danny Jansen is being rested on Wednesday versus the visiting Chicago White Sox. Alejandro Kirk will do the catching for right-hander Chris Bassitt and will bat seventh in the batting order against White Sox rookie right-hander Nick Nastrini, who is making only his third career start. Jansen got a late start to the 2024 season due to a fracture in his hand, but it hasn't slowed him down at all, as he's currently slashing .319/.390/.653 with a 1.043 OPS, five home runs, 12 RBI and 14 runs scored in his first 72 at-bats. He's been even better so far in May, going 16-for-46 (.348) with three homers and 10 RBI. Jansen has earned more playing time over Kirk early in the year as Toronto's primary backstop. Kirk, meanwhile, is under the Mendoza Line at .198 with a homer and 12 RBI in 81 at-bats.

The Chicago White Sox placed outfielder/designated hitter Eloy Jimenez (hamstring) on the 10-day injured list on Wednesday with a left-hamstring strain and recalled outfielder Zach DeLoach from Triple-A Charlotte in a corresponding move. Jimenez will head to the sidelines after straining his hamstring on Tuesday against the Toronto Blue Jays. Given the 27-year-old's lengthy injury history, fantasy managers shouldn't expect him to be ready by the end of his 10 days on the IL. It's already Jimenez's second trip to the IL in 2024. He hit 31 homers in his rookie season in 2019 but has not surpassed the 20-homer mark in four seasons since then and has only played in 100-plus games in two of his five MLB campaigns. It's becoming harder to justify holding him in shallow mixed fantasy leagues because of the fact that he's a non-entity in the stolen base department (just three in his career).

Boston Red Sox outfielder Tyler O'Neill is starting Wednesday's game against the Rays in Tampa on the bench. With O'Neill starting on the bench for this one, Rob Refsnyder will serve as the team's designated hitter and will bat fifth against Rays right-hander Ryan Pepiot, who is returning from a stint on the injured list. O'Neill started his first year off in Boston strong in April, but so far in May he's gone just 11-for-66 (.167) with two home runs, five RBI and 30 strikeouts in 75 plate appearances and 18 games. It's dropped his season line to .248/.358/.525, but O'Neill remains a lineup regular for Boston and has still provided fantasy managers with a very useful 11 home runs, 17 RBI and 29 runs scored in 141 at-bats. Refsnyder has minimal power but is hitting .333 (20-for-60) on the year. He's never faced Pepiot in his career.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Jake Fraley (hand) is not in the team's starting lineup for the second game of the series on Wednesday against the visiting San Diego Padres. Fraley was hit by a pitch on his right hand in the first inning of Tuesday's win over the Friars and was forced to leave the contest. The good news is that X-rays came back negative, but Fraley will take a seat for this one and yield right-field duties to Nick Martini, who was recalled from the minors on Tuesday. Martini is hitting seventh in the batting order against Padres right-hander Michael King. Fantasy managers that have been deploying Fraley in starting lineups will need to bench him and check back on Thursday to see if he's active for the series finale. Martini comes into Wednesday's game hitting just .177 (14-for-79) with three homers and 15 RBI this year for the Reds.

Detroit Tigers right-hander Shelby Miller (elbow) completed a successful bullpen session on Tuesday. It was the first time that he had thrown off a mound since going on the injured list on May 13 with right ulnar nerve inflammation. The 33-year-old veteran will need to slowly build his arm back up with several more bullpen sessions before he's cleared to face live hitters in batting practice sessions or on a minor-league rehab assignment. Given the fact that Miller is now in a relief role, it shouldn't take him as long to return, which means he has a shot to come off the injured list before June. Miller isn't really on the fantasy radar at all and is currently 3-4 in 2024 with a 4.41 ERA (4.37 FIP) and 1.04 WHIP with six walks and 15 strikeouts in 16 1/3 innings pitched in 15 appearances out of Detroit's bullpen.

Atlanta Braves catcher Sean Murphy (oblique) went 1-for-3 with a 449-foot home run, two runs scored and a walk in his first minor-league rehab game on Tuesday night for Triple-A Gwinnett while playing seven innings behind the plate. Not only was it a good sign to see the 29-year-old hit a no-doubt blast to straightaway center field in this one, he also stayed in the game longer than expected at catcher, so he must be feeling pretty good after suffering a Grade 1 left-oblique strain on March 29. In addition to his monstrous long ball, Murphy threw out the only runner that attempted to steal on him. Murphy will get Wednesday off before starting again on Thursday. He's likely to play in a couple more rehab games before coming off the injured list later this weekend. Murphy will probably be eased back in with the Braves, but his impending return is going to mean less playing time for Travis d'Arnaud.

Kansas City Royals outfielder Hunter Renfroe will head to the bench for Wednesday's contest as the Royals go for the sweep against the visiting Detroit Tigers in the series finale. Renfroe has gone 6-for-24 (.250) with a homer and five RBI in his last seven games since May 12, but overall he's been bad this year with a .160/.236/.282 slash line with four home runs, 18 RBI and 15 runs scored in 144 plate appearances over 43 games played in his first year in KC. With Renfroe on the bench, Dairon Blanco is getting the start in right field and will bat seventh against Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal. Blanco has three hits and two RBI in six career at-bats against Skubal. The 31-year-old Cuban outfielder has been useful for his speed this year in AL-only leagues, as he has 11 thefts in just 44 at-bats in 2024.

Washington Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz is taking the day off during Wednesday's matinee contest for the series finale against the visiting Minnesota Twins. With Ruiz on the bench, Riley Adams will do the catching for right-hander Jake Irvin and bat eighth against Twins rookie right-hander Simeon Woods Richardson. Ruiz dealt with a pretty serious illness early this year that caused him to lose over 10 pounds, so perhaps that's why he's been such a disappointment so far in 2024. The 25-year-old switch-hitting Venezuelan backstop is slashing .160/.198/.236 with only two home runs, seven RBI and seven runs scored in 106 at-bats. Adams has been slightly better, going 16-for-69 (.232) with two home runs and six RBI. The 27-year-old will be a low-upside sleeper in DFS at catcher.

Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Jose Alvarado picked up his ninth save of the season in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Rangers. Alvarado came in to pitch the top of the ninth inning up by three. He got the first out on a ground-out, had a runner reach on a throwing error and allowed a single, and ended the game with back-to-back strikeouts. The 29-year-old has pitched well overall this season, converting all of his save opportunities with a 3.54 ERA, an 8.85 K/9 rate, and a 3.10 BB/9 rate in 22 appearances. However, Jeff Hoffman, who pitched in the eighth inning of this game, has also pitched well and has converted three of six save opportunities. Alvarado appears to have more fantasy value of the two, but his overall value may remain in the mid-tier if Hoffman continues to see somewhat frequent save chances.

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Ranger Suarez continued his outstanding season in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Rangers. Suarez pitched seven innings of one-run ball, allowing five hits and two walks with 10 strikeouts. The 28-year-old has now won every start except for his first of the season and is 9-0 with a 1.36 ERA, a 9.27 K/9 rate, and a 1.64 BB/9 rate in 66 IP. His performance is reminiscent of when he first came onto the fantasy scene in 2021 after slotting into the Phillies rotation. Suarez may not finish the season with such an elite ERA, but he is still a top fantasy contributor. He will be on the road at the Rockies in his next start, but he has simply been too good to bench, even in Coors Field.

New York Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres continued his short-term offensive upswing in Tuesday's 6-3 loss to the Mariners. Torres went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run, a walk, and a strikeout. The 27-year-old has been a fantasy disappointment on the season, slashing just .223/.301/.310 with three HR, 14 RBI, and four stolen bases in 207 plate appearances. However, he has shown some signs of life lately, batting .280 with four extra-base hits in his last seven games. Fantasy managers will want to see more of this before getting excited about him again, but his career track record and strong surrounding lineup are too good to give up on this early in the season.

New York Yankees relief pitcher Tommy Kahnle (shoulder) is expected to be recalled from Double-A Somerset on Wednesday, per the Athletic's Chris Kirschner. Left-handed pitcher Clayton Andrews was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after Tuesday's game in a corresponding move. Kahnle has been out with shoulder inflammation since last season but compiled a solid 2.66 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and 29.1% strikeout rate with 14 holds in 40 2/3 innings pitched. Given his higher-leverage usage and strong team context, Jahnle will be worth a look in deeper saves-plus-holds leagues.