New York Yankees right-handed reliever Tommy Kahnle (shoulder) started a minor-league rehab assignment on Wednesday with Single-A Tampa. Kahnle has yet to make his debut in 2024 with the Yankees due to a right-shoulder injury that he's been dealing with late last year. Because of the long layoff, the 34-year-old is likely to have a lengthy rehab stint in the minors before the Yankees consider adding him back to their bullpen mix. The former fifth-round pick in 2010 out of Lynn University is a veteran of nine MLB seasons and had a strong 2.66 ERA, a 1.11 WHIP, a career-high-tying two saves, 19 walks and 48 strikeouts in 40 2/3 relief innings in 2023 in his return to the Bronx. If healthy, Kahnle can give New York's bullpen a big boost when he's able to return.

Oakland Athletics infielders Aledmys Diaz (calf) and Zack Gelof (oblique) will both join Triple-A Las Vegas this weekend to begin their respective minor-league rehab assignments. Diaz was cleared for a rehab assignment after successfully running the bases on Wednesday. The 33-year-old veteran utilityman is on the 60-day injured list and has yet to play in 2024. He won't be eligible to return until late May, so he'll take his time on his rehab assignment. When he's back from the injured list, he won't be guaranteed to see regular playing time for the A's. Gelof, who was the team's starter at second before his injury, is the more attractive fantasy asset in deeper leagues despite starting the year with a .196/.260/.337 slash line with three home runs, seven RBI and four stolen bases in his first 92 at-bats.

Houston Astros right-handed reliever Ryan Pressly (back), who hasn't pitched since last Friday, is dealing with soreness in his lower back, according to manager Joe Espada. Pressly played catch on Wednesday, and Espada said he "felt OK" and termed it "nothing worrisome right now." For now, the 35-year-old will remain with the team, but it remains to be seen if he'll be available out of the team's bullpen on Wednesday against the New York Yankees. Pressly's back issues could have contributed to his slow start in 2024, as he's currently sporting a 5.27 ERA and 1.68 WHIP while walking five and striking out 21 in 13 2/3 innings of relief. However, he hasn't allowed a run in his last five innings while walking one and striking out nine and will remain a key late-inning setup man in front of closer Josh Hader if he's healthy enough to pitch.

Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager was held out of the starting lineup for Game 2 of a doubleheader on Wednesday against the A's in Oakland. Josh Smith got the start at shortstop for the nightcap instead and is hitting out of the No. 5 spot for the Rangers. In the Game 1 loss, Seager broke a modest five-game hitting streak by going 0-for-3 with a walk and strikeout. The four-time All-Star and two-time World Series MVP had hernia surgery in the offseason and has gotten off to a slow start in 2024 by his standards, slashing .235/.305/.316 with three home runs, two doubles, 13 RBI and 16 runs scored in 34 games. After a scheduled off day on Thursday, Seager will be back in there on Friday for a series opener in Colorado against the Rockies. Smith has been a great find for fantasy managers in deeper leagues in the early portion of the year, as he's hitting over .300 with two homers and 16 RBI with Josh Jung (wrist) out.

San Francisco Giants left-hander Blake Snell (groin) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Thursday and then start a minor-league rehab assignment with Single-A San Jose on Sunday, according to manager Bob Melvin. Snell started facing live hitters on Tuesday and is ready to take the next step by pitching in a minor-league game later this weekend. The 31-year-old is recovering from an adductor strain and figures to pitch in more than one rehab game after starting the year late given the timing of his signing with the Giants. In his first three starts with the Giants, Snell lost all three starts while allowing 15 earned runs on 18 hits (two home runs) while walking five and striking out 12 in 11 2/3 innings. It's not the start his fantasy managers were hoping for, but Snell is also a notoriously slow starter and needs to be rostered in all leagues for his high-strikeout upside.

The San Francisco Giants placed outfielder Jorge Soler (shoulder) on the 10-day injured list on Wednesday with a right-shoulder strain and recalled outfielder Heliot Ramos from Triple-A Sacramento in a corresponding move. Soler missed the team's last three games with his shoulder injury and will now be forced to miss at least another week. The 32-year-old right-handed slugger boasts elite power but has gone just 24-for-119 (.202) with five home runs, eight RBI and 14 runs scored in his first 34 games in San Francisco. Ramos, 24, is serving as the designated hitter on Wednesday night and is hitting seventh in the batting order. He has yet to make an impact at the big-league level for the Giants but was swinging a hot bat in the minors and will be worth a look off the waiver wire in NL-only leagues now that he could see some playing time over the next week for the Gigantes.

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernandez was a one-man wrecking crew during Wednesday's game against the Miami Marlins. Hernandez went 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBI in the win. He opened the first frame with an RBI single and blasted a two-run homer in the sixth inning. It was the only three runs the Dodgers scored in this game but it was enough to win them the contest. Hernandez has 10 home runs this season and has four long balls over his last six games.

Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Daniel Hudson was called upon to close out Wednesday's game against the Miami Marlins. The right-hander tossed on scoreless inning on only 12 pitches to record his second save of the season. Hudson blew a save on Friday but redeemed himself during this outing. The expectation is that the Dodgers are planning to use closer-by-committee until Evan Phillips (hamstring) is able to return. Blake Treinen and Alex Vesia should also be in the mix alongside Hudson.

The Boston Red Sox reinstated right-hander Nick Pivetta (elbow) from the 15-day injured list on Wednesday and optioned right-hander Naoyuki Uwasawa to Triple-A Worcester in a corresponding move. The Red Sox also reinstated infielder/outfielder Romy Gonzalez (wrist) from the 10-day IL and designated infielder Zack Short for assignment. Pivetta will immediately return to Boston's starting rotation and will toe the rubber on Wednesday against the Atlanta Braves. The 31-year-old has been out since April 9 due to a right-elbow flexor strain. Pivetta threw only 62 pitches in his only minor-league rehab start and should be considered a poor streaming option in his first game back against the potent Braves lineup. It doesn't mean he shouldn't be rostered everywhere after starting with a 0.82 ERA and 0.82 WHIP with 13 K's in his first two starts in 2024, though.

Los Angeles Angels infielder Brandon Drury (hamstring) left Wednesday's win against the Pittsburgh Pirates early with left-hamstring tightness. Drury was replaced after six inning at first base by Nolan Schanuel. The 31-year-old went 2-for-3 with two doubles, an RBI and a run scored in the eventual 5-4 win. Drury also missed several games last month with a hamstring injury, so it should be a pretty big concern that he might have to go on the injured list with his latest hamstring issue. Coming into Wednesday's game, Drury had been cold at the plate all year with a .158 average (16-for-101) with just one home run and five RBI. If Drury is forced to miss additional time with his hamstring injury, Ehire Adrianza and Cole Tucker could continue to find themselves in the lineup for the Halos on the infield.

Texas Rangers general manager Chris Young said that right-hander Max Scherzer (back, thumb) has been shut down from throwing for a few days while still dealing with a right- thumb/forearm issue. Scherzer doesn't have a timetable to resume throwing, but Young said he won't throw again until any tightness/discomfort is gone. The Rangers aren't going to take any chances with the 39-year-old veteran, who hasn't pitched in the big leagues since having surgery on Dec. 15 to fix a herniated disc in his back. Scherzer's thumb became a problem after his first minor-league rehab start for Triple-A Round Rock on April 24. Originally hoping to return to Texas' starting rotation in May, Scherzer could now be pushed back until June, depending on when he resumes throwing. With Dane Dunning (shoulder) now in the injured list, Jose Urena should stay locked into the rotation for at least a bit longer.

The Texas Rangers acquired outfielder Robbie Grossman from the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday in exchange for right-hander Anthony Hoopii-Tuionetoa, according to the Rangers. The 34-year-old switch-hitting veteran will return to the Rangers after he hit .238/.340/.394 with 10 home runs and 49 RBI in 115 regular-season games with the World Series champions last year. In 25 games with the White Sox this year, Grossman had gone 15-for-71 (.211) with no home runs, four RBI and two stolen bases in 85 plate appearances. Grossman isn't going to hit for average but has solid on-base skills and will give the Rangers another bat off the bench for the time being with rookie Wyatt Langford (oblique) currently on the 10-day injured list.

Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson (knee) "tweaked something in his right knee (and) has been bugging him a little bit," according to manager Craig Counsell, which is why Swanson is out of the starting lineup for Wednesday's series finale against the visiting San Diego Padres. Counsell said Swanson hurt his knee on a slide in the game on April 25 against the Houston Astros. With a scheduled off day on Thursday, the Cubs are hoping to get Swanson back for the series opener on Friday in Pittsburgh against the Pirates. Check back to see if the 30-year-old Swanson is back in there on Friday. With him resting on Wednesday, Nico Hoerner is starting at the 6 and batting leadoff, while Miles Mastrobuoni will play second and hit seventh against Padres right-hander Dylan Cease.

The Milwaukee Brewers activated outfielder Christian Yelich (back) from the 10-day injured list on Wednesday and he's right back into the starting lineup against Kansas City Royals right-hander Brady Singer, serving as the designated hitter and batting third. Yelich will return to Milwaukee after landing on the injured list on April 16 with a lower-back strain. The 32-year-old veteran left-handed swinger didn't go on a minor-league rehab assignment, so it will be interesting to see how he performs jumping right back into the action. Fantasy baseball managers are hoping he picks up right where he left off, as Yelich will return to a .333/.422/.744 slash line with a 1.166 OPS, five home runs, 11 RBI, two steals and seven runs scored in his first 39 at-bats. Get him back into your fantasy lineups in all single-year formats.

Detroit Tigers outfielder Mark Canha (illness) is out of the starting lineup again on Wednesday against the Cleveland Guardians due to an upper respiratory infection. "He's not feeling well. It hasn't been a great road trip health-wise (for the team), so we're kind of quarantining him at this point to get him away from the rest of us until further notice," manager A.J. Hinch said. It will be the second straight game missed for the 35-year-old, who is hitting .248 (29-for-117) so far in 2024 with five home runs, 16 RBI and 17 runs scored for the Tigers. Check back on Friday to see if Canha is feeling good enough to play in the series opener against the Houston Astros after a scheduled off day on Thursday. Colt Keith will serve as the designated hitter and will bat fifth on Wednesday against Guardians right-hander Tanner Bibee.

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Jason Heyward (back) did more hitting/baserunning on Tuesday and will take live batting practice in San Diego this weekend. Heyward is getting closer to a minor-league rehab assignment, which could last between two and five games, according to manager Dave Roberts. The 34-year-old left-handed hitter also took batting practice on the field before last Saturday's game against the Atlanta Braves and finally appears to be putting his back injury in the rearview mirror after originally landing on the injured list way back on April 3. Given how good rookie outfielder Andy Pages has looked since debuting in the big leagues, Heyward may struggle for regular playing time in LA's outfield when he returns from the injured list.

Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw (shoulder) threw his second bullpen session on Tuesday. Manager Dave Roberts said the session consisted of 20 pitches (all four-seam fastballs), and that Kershaw's left shoulder continues to feel good. His next steps will be ramping up in bullpens and mixing in breaking pitches. The skipper said it's all been "really encouraging" so far. The 36-year-old future Hall of Famer is recovering from left-shoulder surgery last November and is slowly ramping up as he attempts to return to LA's starting rotation after the All-Star break. Kershaw has been injury-prone in recent years, but when he's been healthy, he's been fantasy relevant with the best offense in baseball backing him.

Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez is getting a breather on Wednesday against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers. Freddy Fermin will do the catching for right-hander Brady Singer and will bat eighth in the order against Brewers right-hander Joe Ross. It's a regular day of rest for Perez in a day game after a night game. The 33-year-old backstop has been one of the hottest hitters in baseball to start the 2024 season, as he's slashing .326/.387/.558 with a .945 OPS, eight home runs, a league-leading 31 RBI and 15 runs scored in 129 at-bats. Perez should be back in action for the Royals for the series opener in Los Angeles on Thursday against the Angels. Fermin is batting just .218 (12-for-55) with a homer and two RBI and is low-upside streamer in DFS in the eight-hole on Wednesday.

St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt is out of the team's starting lineup on Wednesday for the series finale against the visiting New York Mets. Alec Burleson will get the start at first base and will hit fifth against Mets left-hander Jose Quintana. Goldschmidt is hitting .545 with a 1.651 OPS, three home runs and 11 RBI in 22 career at-bats against Quintana in his career, but the slugging 36-year-old right-hander has also gone hitless so far in the month of May and could use a day off to clear his head. Goldy, like many of St. Louis' hitters, has been ice-cold to start the year and is currently slashing just .195/.287/.263 with two home runs and 11 RBI in 133 at-bats. Burleson went 3-for-5 with a home run on Tuesday but is also hitting just .188 (3-for-16) with a homer and four RBI against lefties this year.

Chicago Cubs outfielder Cody Bellinger (ribs) went 3-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 3-2 win over the San Diego Padres. Bellinger was activated from the injured list on Tuesday after missing the last two weeks with a fractured ribcage. The 28-year-old didn't miss a beat on his return, collecting three hits and blasting a solo shot off Randy Vasquez in the bottom of the fourth inning to give the Cubs a 1-0 lead. Before landing on the injured list in mid-April, Bellinger was on an eight-game hitting streak entering Tuesday's contest. He extended his hitting streak to nine games and is slashing .382/.447/.794 with four home runs, eight RBI, and six runs during that span. Overall, Bellinger is slashing .250/.337/.489 with six home runs and 11 RBI across 101 plate appearances in 2024. Bellinger appears over his rib injury and should be started in all leagues.