St. Louis Cardinals first baseman/designated hitter Matt Carpenter (oblique) is moving his minor-league rehab assignment to Triple-A Memphis, according to manager Oliver Marmol. Memphis was off on Monday and will return to action on Tuesday. In two games with Double-A Springfield over the weekend, Carpenter went 1-for-6 with an RBI and two runs scored. The 38-year-old veteran has been on the injured list since April 2 with a right-oblique strain. The three-time All-Star is getting close to a return to the major-league lineup, but he offers virtually zero upside for those playing fantasy after slashing .176/.322/.319 with five home runs and 31 RBI in 76 games last year with the San Diego Padres. At best, he'll be an option at DH for the Cardinals against right-handed pitching when he returns.

Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper continued to flex his muscles at the plate in Monday's 6-1 win over the Giants. Harper went 2-for-4 with a single, a three-run home run, and a strikeout. The 31-year-old hasn't performed as well as fantasy managers were hoping for but owns a .243/.371/.496 slash line with eight HR and 24 RBI in 140 plate appearances. Hopefully, his power surge can help get him going overall.

Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Caleb Thielbar earned his third save of the season in Monday's 3-1 win over the Mariners. Thielbar came in to pitch the top of the ninth inning up by two and delivered a 1-2-3 outing with two strikeouts. Closer Jhoan Duran was called upon to face the top of the order in the eighth inning, so Thielbar got the save opportunity. The 37-year-old veteran has gotten off to a rough start this season with a bloated 6.14 ERA in 7 1/3 innings pitched. His fantasy value will remain limited if he continues to pitch poorly, as it seems unlikely that he would earn high-leverage situations.

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Yu Darvish turned in another good start in Monday's 6-3 win over the Cubs. The veteran pitched five scoreless innings, allowing three hits and a walk with five strikeouts. Darvish's strikeout numbers are still down relative to his career average, but he is 2-1 through seven starts with a 2.94 ERA, an 8.02 K/9 rate, and a 2.94 BB/9 rate in 33 2/3 IP. He will face a tough matchup in his next scheduled start against the Dodgers. Fantasy managers in weekly lineup leagues won't have a choice, but those in daily leagues may consider sitting him despite his strong start to the season.

The Los Angeles Dodgers placed right-hander Joe Kelly (shoulder) on the 15-day injured list on Monday with a "right posterior shoulder strain." The move cleared a spot for right-hander Walker Buehler (elbow) to be activated from the IL. Kelly doesn't think the injury will keep him out for long, but that doesn't mean he will be ready to return once his stay on the 15-day IL is up. The 35-year-old reliever also dealt with a groin injury recently. The Dodgers' bullpen has taken a hit in recent days with both Kelly and closer Evan Phillips (hamstring) going on the shelf. With Phillips out, expect the Dodgers to move to a closer-by-committee, with players such as Daniel Hudson, Blake Treinen and Alex Vesia being candidates for save opportunities. Kelly has a 4.73 ERA and 1.35 WHIP with five walks and 14 K's in 13 1/3 relief innings so far in 2024.

Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said that right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (groin) does not have a sports hernia, and the team thinks he'll be able to return soon around the time his 15-day injured list stint is up. Eovaldi visited with a specialist on Monday in New York, with Bochy calling it "good news." It was reported earlier on Monday that the 34-year-old veteran wouldn't need to go on a minor-league rehab assignment before returning from his IL stint, so all around it's been good news for Eovaldi's fantasy managers. As long as he doesn't suffer a setback when he returns to throwing, Eovaldi should be expected to return to Texas' starting rotation during the upcoming series against the Los Angeles Angels. Eovaldi needs to be stashed in all fantasy leagues while he's on the IL.

Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez belted his seventh home run of the 2024 regular season in Monday's 2-1 win over the division-rival Detroit Tigers, helping lift his team to victory. Ramirez's go-ahead blast came in the eighth inning, and it was his second homer in as many days after going yard in Sunday's series finale against the Los Angeles Angels. It's been a much-needed rebound for Ramirez, who was mired in a 3-for-28 dry spell over eight games prior to Sunday. The 31-year-old perennial All-Star is still slashing a disappointing .230/.278/.432 on the season, but he does have seven bombs, 28 RBI, 23 runs scored, and five stolen bases covering 139 at-bats (34 games) for the Guardians. Ramirez will try to solve his woes against the Tigers during the final two contests of this three-game series, as he's batting just .167 (9-for-54) with three round-trippers and six RBI across 14 games versus Detroit since 2023.

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler earned his fourth win of the 2024 regular season in Monday's 6-1 victory over the visiting San Francisco Giants, fanning double-digit batters (11) for the third time this year while throwing seven innings of one-run ball on four hits and one walk. After going winless through his first four starts of the campaign, Wheeler has notched four wins in a row and given up a lone run over this hot streak. Overall, the 33-year-old All-Star right-hander owns a 1.64 ERA, and 0.89 WHIP while striking out 63 and walking only 13 over 49 1/3 frames (eight starts) for the Phillies this year. With Philly seemingly riding a six-man rotation at the moment, Wheeler's next turn doesn't line up until next Monday against the division-rival New York Mets at Citi Field. In six appearances against the Mets since 2022, Wheeler shows just a 5.24 ERA and 35:12 K:BB through 34 1/3 innings.

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich (back) was able to take batting practice ahead of Monday's game against the Kansas City Royals. The veteran outfielder landed on the injured list in mid-April due to a back issue. The timetable for Yelich has been a bit unclear, but the organization gave positive news on Monday. Brewers' manager Pat Murphy said that Yelich taking batting practice was likely his final step in his recovery process. That means Yelich should be able to return to the lineup without going on a rehab assignment. Fantasy managers will have to check back later for another update.

San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado is not in the team's starting lineup on Monday for a series opener against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. With Machado on the bench, Donovan Solano will start at the hot corner and bat sixth against Cubs left-hander Justin Steele, who is making his first start off the injured list. Solano is hitless in two career at-bats against Steele and will be getting his first at-bat of the 2024 season after just being called up from the minors over the weekend. The 31-year-old Machado had started all nine games since returning from the paternity list last month. Since returning on April 26, Machado has gone 9-for-36 (.250) with a home run and nine RBI in 37 plate appearances. Machado will be back in the lineup on Tuesday.

Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper hit a three-run homer Sunday in the 5-4 victory over the San Francisco Giants. Harper went 1-for-3, with his only hit being the three-run homer off Logan Webb in the third inning. He is hitting .234 (26-for-111) with five doubles, seven homers, 17 runs, 21 RBI, 24 walks, and 31 strikeouts in 31 games. Fantasy managers should continue to roll with Harper, and he will have favorable matchups in Week 7, facing the Giants, Toronto Blue Jays, and ending it against the Miami Marlins.

Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said on Saturday that right-hander Max Scherzer (back, thumb) is still in a holding pattern until his right-thumb soreness subsides. The Rangers pushed Scherzer's scheduled minor-league rehab start for Double-A Frisco on April 30 back a few days because of his thumb soreness. He traveled with the team to Kansas City on Friday but has yet to throw off a mound since being pushed back. "He's not at a point where he can play catch. Every day he's getting a bit better, but it's slower than he would like. You can't rush it. It's day to day with this thing before he gets on the mound," Bochy said. Scherzer was originally slated to return in late June/early July after having surgery on his back for a herniated disc on Dec. 15, but his timeline has accelerated and he should be able to rejoin Texas' rotation in May, barring any further setbacks.

Texas Rangers right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (groin), who was placed on the 15-day injured list after leaving his start last Thursday with a right-groin strain, isn't expected to be on the IL for long or need a minor-league rehab assignment once he's able to return. "He's feeling pretty good. We're optimistic this will be a short little stint on the IL. We are just making sure we are covering all the bases," manager Bruce Bochy said. It's great news for the Rangers and Eovaldi's fantasy managers. The veteran hurler needs to be stashed in all fantasy formats after he's started the season with a 2-2 record with a 2.61 ERA in his seven starts. Until Eovaldi returns, there's a chance pitching prospect Jack Leiter will take his spot in Texas' starting rotation.

Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander James Paxton recorded his fourth win of the season against the Atlanta Braves on Sunday in a 5-1 victory. Paxton went 6 innings, allowing one run on five hits and two walks while striking out three. He has now recorded back-to-back wins in two starts. The 35-year-old has pitched 32 innings in six starts, holding a 3.06 ERA with a 5.01 K/9 and 6.68 BB/9 rate. His next projected start is against the San Diego Padres, who had already given him troubles earlier this season. Despite surrendering eight walks in last start against the Padres, Paxton has pitched well enough recently to be used as a streamer in most league formats.

New York Yankees infielder DJ LeMahieu (foot) hit a little bit over the weekend on Saturday and Sunday, according to manager Aaron Boone, but the skipper wasn't ready to say whether LeMahieu is close to going on a minor-league rehab assignment. "I don't know if he's that close to being ready for rehab," Boone said. It's good news that LeMahieu is doing baseball activities, but the 35-year-old veteran still doesn't appear close to coming off the injured list to make his 2024 debut. He was originally shut down late in April after more swelling in his injured foot. When healthy, LeMahieu is expected to be the team's starter at third base while hitting at the top of the batting order, but fantasy managers are running out of patience. Until LeMahieu is able to return, Oswaldo Cabrera will continue to see most of the playing time at the hot corner in the Bronx.

Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Joe Kelly could be asked to pitch in a higher leverage role for a few weeks. The organization recently placed closer Evan Phillips (hamstring) on the injured list. It sounds like the timetable for Phillips is around two weeks, so the Dodgers will need someone to step up for a few weeks. Daniel Hudson and Blake Treinen figure to be the primary options, but Kelly should be in the mix too. Fantasy managers might want to wait and see how the Dodgers play this situation before grabbing one of these relievers.

Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Daniel Hudson is expected to see a larger role in the bullpen going forward. The team was forced to place closer Evan Phillips (hamstring) on the injured list prior to Sunday's game. He's expected to miss at least two weeks of action, which should open up a role for Hudson in high leverage spots. Blake Treinen is also an option for the ninth inning, so possibly they split up the role. Fantasy managers might have to wait and see what Dodgers' manager Dave Roberts does with his bullpen.

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich (back) has reportedly been progressing well throughout the weekend. The veteran outfielder has been able to swing a bat, throw, and run without issues. The 32-year-old recently had a setback with his back issue but appears to be back on track now. The hope is that Yelich will be back in the lineup around mid-May. In the meantime, Jackson Chourio will cover left field and bat ninth during Sunday's game against Javier Assad. The rookie outfielder figures to continue seeing more at-bats with Yelich sidelined. Both Blake Perkins and Sal Frelick will see more playing time as well.

New York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo will retreat to the bench on Sunday in the series finale against the Detroit Tigers and left-hander Tarik Skubal. With Rizzo on the bench, Oswaldo Cabrera will start at first and hit ninth, with Jon Berti manning the hot corner and hitting seventh in the batting order. This will be Rizzo's first off day of the year after starting all 35 games to begin the season. The 34-year-old veteran slugger has had a strong year to this point, batting .263 (35-for-133) with six home runs, 20 RBI and 16 runs scored in his first 146 plate appearances. However, he's hitting just .175 (7-for-40) with no homers and 10 strikeouts against southpaws, so it makes sense to give him his first day off of the year against a tough lefty on Sunday. Neither Berti nor Cabrera will be particularly attractive low-cost DFS sleepers against Skubal.

St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado reached base five times in five plate appearances in Saturday's 6-5 loss to the White Sox. The veteran went 3-for-3 at the plate with a home run, two singles, and two walks, raising his season slashline to .296/.362/.408. The 33-year-old is having a solid season overall, although somewhat underwhelming based on the Arenado we've grown accustomed to. The 8x All-Star has seen his home run, RBI, and run totals drop in consecutive years now. With a 1.9% Barrel% this season, a career-low by far, the home runs may come few and far between, just like this last one. Saturday's home run was Arenado's first since April 12. He should remain a solid fantasy contributor nonetheless, so you're still using him in season-long formats.