Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez (back) has been scratched from Monday's lineup against the Blue Jays in Toronto due to back tightness. Freddy Fermin will now catch right-hander Jonathan Bowlan and hit sixth in the batting order against Blue Jays right-handed rookie Yariel Rodriguez. For now, fantasy managers should consider Perez as day-to-day, but this is certainly something that could sideline the 33-year-old veteran for multiple days or even land him on the injured list. We'll keep an eye out for more updates on Perez, but for now, fantasy managers will obviously want to remove him from their starting lineups on Monday. Injury aside, Perez has been excellent through the season's first month, hitting .340/.398/.592 with a .990 OPS, seven home runs and 26 RBI in his first 103 at-bats.

New York Mets designated hitter J.D. Martinez will return to the lineup and hit fourth on Monday against the Chicago Cubs. After coming off the bench in Sunday's 4-2 extra-innings win and flying out in a pinch-hit at-bat in the ninth inning, the veteran will start in the Mets' series opener. Martinez got a late start to the season after signing with New York in late March and dealing with a back issue a couple of weeks ago. However, he officially made his season debut on Friday, where he went 2-for-4 with one RBI and one double. Expect the 36-year-old to take some days off here and there over the next few weeks since he didn't have a spring training. Nonetheless, he's a player whom fantasy managers should be looking to pick up in fantasy, given his potential to hit 25-30 home runs atop the Mets' lineup.

New York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo has been heating up at the plate over the last week. On Sunday, Rizzo went 4-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in the blowout win over the Milwaukee Brewers. This marked Rizzo's fourth homer in six days and his 300th career long ball of his career. It came in his 1,664th game since debuting with the San Diego Padres in 2011. The six hits in the last two days has boosted his slash line to .277/.341/.446 on the season. Fantasy managers should check the waiver wire to see if Rizzo is available.

Baltimore Orioles closer Craig Kimbrel blew his second consecutive save on Sunday before leaving the game alongside the team's training staff. Kimbrel issued a four-pitch walk to Darrell Hernaiz and then served up a two-run home run to Kyle McCann before leaving. He also blew the save in Friday's game after allowing two hits and three walks. It is unclear at this point what Kimbrel's injury is, but something was off with the veteran reliever. Expect more news to come out shortly from the Orioles.

Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman was 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk during Sunday's 3-1 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. It was just the second homer of the season for Freeman and his first since March 28th. Despite the slight power outage, the former MVP has still been quite productive. Freeman is slashing .306/.425/.435 with 19 RBI, one stolen base and a 15.4 BB%. The 34-year-old is still one of the best bats in baseball and a serious hot streak might be right around the corner.

New York Mets designated hitter J.D. Martinez will retreat to the bench on Sunday for the series finale against the visiting St. Louis Cardinals. Martinez didn't make his 2024 debut with the Mets until Friday night after signing with the club late in spring training and then suffering a back injury while getting ramped up at extended spring training. The 36-year-old veteran right-handed went 3-for-8 in his first two games with an RBI, but he also struck out five times. The Mets plan on easing Martinez back into the fold, so it shouldn't be a surprise that he's on the bench in only his third game back. With Martinez starting on the bench, DJ Stewart will serve as the team's designated hitter and bat cleanup against Cardinals right-hander Lance Lynn. The 30-year-old lefty hitter isn't a bad low-cost DFS option on Sunday in the cleanup spot. He's hitting .200 (9-for-45) on the year with three homers and 11 RBI.

Minnesota Twins first baseman Carlos Santana went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, four RBI, and three runs scored in Saturday's 16-5 win over the Angels. The veteran was also hit by a pitch in the contest. The 38-year-old is experiencing a power surge of late, with all three of Santana's home runs coming in the last three games. The former All-Star hit 24 home runs last season, so the pop is certainly still there, but even after the recent resurgence, he's still slashing a paltry .181/.269/.325 on the year and is probably best left on the waiver wire.

New York Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton is back in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers. The slugger was given a rest day for Friday's game but still notched a go-ahead RBI double in extra-innings in the Yankees' 7-6 loss to the Brewers. Stanton has had a solid start to the season slashing .232/.284/.476 with five HR and 13 RBI. He'll get a matchup against Brewers right-hander Joe Ross, who Stanton is 2-10 against with a HR. With Stanton hitting for an .829 OPS against righties (compared to .658 vs lefties) he should be a viable option in DFS formats.

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Alex Cobb (hip, shoulder) has been held back from throwing activities the last few days as he's still experiencing soreness in his shoulder. He is scheduled to see Dr. Ken Akizuki Friday night. Cobb had been working his way back from a hip surgery he had in October and started to experience some setbacks after throwing a bullpen session a few weeks ago. The 36-year-old won't be eligible to come off the injured list until late May, but these setbacks may push his return further into June. This isn't the news the Giants wanted to hear after needing to put newly acquired Blake Snell on the 15-day injured list this week. Cobb will have a rotation spot available for him when he returns, but fantasy managers and Giants fans will need to exercise patience for a couple more months for that moment.

New York Yankees outfielder Giancarlo Stanton (rest) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers. This appears to be a routine rest day for the veteran slugger. Stanton has started in five straight games, so the team has decided to give the 34-year-old the night off. In the meantime, Aaron Judge will serve as the designated hitter while Trent Grisham will cover center field versus right-hander Colin Rea.

Milwaukee Brewers veteran left-hander Wade Miley (elbow) needs Tommy John surgery and will spend the next 10 to 12 months rehabbing and then decide whether to continue his career. It's a tough break for the 37-year-old southpaw and the Brewers. Fantasy baseball managers that were stashing Miley in deeper leagues can now officially let go. "I've always said I want to go out on my own [terms]," Miley said. "I still feel like I've got more in the tank." While it sounds like the 14-year veteran wants to give it a shot to come back at some point in 2025, it's fair to wonder if he's already thrown his final pitch in the big leagues. Even if Miley rehabs for a comeback next season, he'll be off the radar in most fantasy formats. The former 43rd overall pick by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2008 out of Southeastern Louisiana gave up five earned runs with four walks and two K's in his two starts in 2024.

New York Yankees designated hitter J.D. Martinez (back) is hitting fifth in his debut with the team on Friday against the visiting St. Louis Cardinals and right-hander Miles Mikolas. Martinez is getting a late start to the 2024 campaign after signing with the team late in March. The 36-year-old veteran then tweaked his back while playing in extended spring training, further delaying his debut. Martinez is back now, though, and will give first baseman Pete Alonso more protection in the lineup. Martinez hit a strong .271/.321/.572 with 33 home runs with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2023, and while he can still provide some decent pop in mixed fantasy leagues, nobody should be expecting him to be quite that good in New York. The Mets plan to ease Martinez back in, so don't be surprised to see him get frequent days of rest.

New York Mets designated hitter J.D. Martinez (back) is set to make his debut with the team on Friday against the visiting St. Louis Cardinals. He's expected to give All-Star first baseman Pete Alonso more protection in the batting order after hitting 33 home runs in just 479 plate appearances in 2023 with the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, Martinez won't be hitting behind Alonso every day, at least not to start. Manager Carlos Mendoza said the team will ease Martinez into regular playing time, which makes sense given his age (36) and the fact he dealt with a back injury while ramping up this spring. Fantasy managers can't expect another 30-plus homer season from Martinez while getting a late start to the year, but he can provide notable pop in mixed leagues if he can stay healthy.

Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez came up clutch for his team during Thursday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays. The veteran catcher blasted a two-run home run off right-hander Jose Berries. That home run ended up being enough as the Royals won the game 2-0. The 33-year-old now has seven home runs on the year and is showing no signs of slowing down.

Colorado Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon is not in the starting lineup for Thursday's afternoon contest against the visiting San Diego Padres. It's not surprising to see the club give the veteran a spell in an afternoon game following an evening game on Wednesday in which Blackmon led off as the designated hitter and went 0-for-4 with a strikeout in his club's 5-2 loss. The 37-year-old is off to a sluggish start this season, hitting .228 with one homer, one stolen base, and a .659 OPS across 86 trips to the plate. At this point, Blackmon's power and speed just aren't there and he should be left on the waiver wire in all fantasy formats, including NL-only leagues.

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Max Scherzer threw two-and-a-third innings for Triple-A Round Rock on Wednesday, allowing three earned runs on five hits (two home runs), no walks, and four strikeouts. The veteran threw 52 pitches, which was the expectation heading into the game. The 39-year-old will likely make at least one more start, working his way up to 60-70 pitches next time out, before rejoining the Rangers at some point in May. Scherzer was solid in 2023's regular season, going 13-6 with a 3.77 ERA (3.77 SIERA), and a 1.12 WHIP, but his K-BB% of 20.8% was his lowest since 2014. He had a rough postseason, going 0-1 with a 6.52 ERA, 1.66 WHIP, and a 4.8% K-BB% over three starts. Hopefully he's able to shake off the rust and get back to form, both for the Rangers and for fantasy managers.

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Max Scherzer (back) made his first appearance of 2024 in Wednesday's minor-league rehab start with Triple-A Round Rock, surrendering three runs on five hits (two home runs) with four punchouts. The long ball plagued Scherzer a year ago as well, serving up 28 homers over 27 starts, so fantasy managers hope he's getting those issues out of his system before he rejoins the major-league roster. With Scherzer's target being an early-May return to Texas' rotation after offseason back surgery, he appears likely to make at least two more rehab starts before becoming available to fantasy managers. Even so, the 39-year-old future Hall of Famer has a chance to crush the late-round ADP he carried in the spring due to concerns he'd be out until midseason. Last season, Scherzer recorded a rock-solid 3.20 ERA (3.41 FIP), 0.95 WHIP, and 53:15 K:BB over 45 frames (eight starts) after joining the Rangers.

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout went deep for the second time in as many days in Wednesday's 6-5 loss to the visiting Baltimore Orioles, homering to deep left in the sixth inning. Trout's solo shot got the Halos on the board, but their late comeback attempt fell just short. The 32-year-old perennial Silver Slugger is rewarding those who took the gamble on his discounted ADP during fantasy drafts, slashing a powerful .237/.321/.598 with an MLB-leading 10 big flies, 13 RBI, five stolen bases, and 16 runs scored in 97 at-bats (25 outings). If he stays healthy, Trout should have no problem returning early-round value the rest of the way no matter where he's placed in Anaheim's lineup. He'll get a day off before a three-game series with the Minnesota Twins begins on Friday, and Trout is batting .400 (8-for-20) with a homer, three doubles, six RBI, and six runs scored in six games versus the Twins since 2021.

New York Yankees infielder DJ LeMahieu (foot), who was pulled from a minor-league rehab game early on Tuesday with Double-A Somerset, still has swelling in his injured right foot. He will be shut down from baseball activities for the next seven days and then be re-evaluated. LeMahieu was set to play fewer than five rehab games in the minors before being activated from the injured list for his 2024 debut with the Yankees, but that's not going to happen now. The 35-year-old veteran is struggling to return from a fractured right foot and will now need to rest some more before trying to restart his rehab assignment. Fantasy managers shouldn't expect to see LeMahieu now until around mid-May. Oswaldo Cabrera has benefitted from a regular role at third base in the Bronx as a result and was hitting .278 (20-for-72) with three homers, 14 RBI and 11 runs heading into Wednesday's contest.

As long as New York Mets designated hitter J.D. Martinez (back) comes out of his final minor-league rehab game with Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday without a setback, the team expects him to be their starting DH on Friday night against the visiting St. Louis Cardinals. Martinez signed with the Mets late in spring training but didn't join the big-league club for Opening Day because he needed to get his timing down first. A back issue has delayed his arrival to the big leagues in New York, but it sounds like his 2024 debut is right around the corner on Friday. Injuries are probably going to continue to be an issue, but if Martinez is available in your fantasy league, he's worth a pickup if you're in need of a power boost. The 36-year-old six-time All-Star hit .271/.321/.572 with an .893 OPS, 33 home runs and 103 RBI in 113 games with the Dodgers in 2023.