Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz had a monster game on Thursday, going 4-for-4 with a double, three runs, an RBI, and an astounding four stolen bases. De La Cruz is now at 30 swipes on the season, putting him on a pace not seen since the 1980s. Although he has slowed down at the dish in May, he is still a major fantasy asset due to his stolen bases. He also has a .277 AVG, 35 runs, nine homers, and 22 RBI to round out his line, making him a five-category contributor. He's looking like a future first-rounder in fantasy leagues at this point.

Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Jose Alvarado had a tough outing on Thursday, blowing the save and taking the loss in a 6-5 defeat at the hands of the New York Mets. Alvarado allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits while striking out two. It was a tough situation for the lefty, who inherited the ghost runner in a one-run game. He had been rock solid of late, allowing just one run in his last eight innings pitched. Alvarado should still be the go-to guy for the Phillies, but don't expect him to always pitch in save situations as the team has shown the willingness to use him earlier in games.

Pittsburgh Pirates closer David Bednar continued his recent run of success on Thursday, tossing a scoreless inning to pick up the save in a 5-4 win over the Chicago Cubs. Bednar didn't allow a baserunner and struck out one. After a horrid April that included three blown saves and a loss, Bednar has bounced back in May, going 4-for-4 in save opportunities while allowing just two runs in seven innings. Fantasy managers can rest easy with Bednar for now, as he should continue as the team's closer for the foreseeable future.

Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran had a big game on Thursday, going 3-for-5 with a homer and two doubles in a 7-5 loss against the Tampa Bay Rays. Duran added a pair of runs and an RBI to round out his line. The lefty now has five extra-base hits in his last two games after hitting a pair of doubles yesterday and following it up with today's performance. After a slump in late April, Duran has somewhat returned to his early-season form, although the steals haven't been there recently. He isn't much of a fantasy asset without the swipes, so his owners will have to hope those come back.

Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Shane Baz (elbow) made his third minor-league rehab start with Triple-A Durham on Thursday, throwing 3 1/3 innings while allowing one run on five hits and two walks with three strikeouts. Baz threw 69 pitches on Thursday as he continues on the road to recovery from Tommy John surgery, and he'll likely need another appearance or two in the minors to sharpen things up before rejoining Tampa Bay's injury-riddled rotation. The 24-year-old former top prospect should be able to return before the end of May at this rate, so he's worth a stash in the majority of fantasy leagues. For his major-league career, Baz features a promising 4.02 ERA and 1.12 WHIP while fanning 48 and walking 12 through 40 1/3 frames (nine starts) for the Rays.

Seattle Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford (oblique, hand) is not traveling with the team ahead of Friday's series opener against the Baltimore Orioles. Crawford's hand is still sore and a little swollen after getting hit by a pitch during Wednesday's minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Tacoma, and the M's aren't certain when he'll rejoin the club. Working his way back from a strained right oblique as well, the 29-year-old infielder will likely need a few days to allow the swelling in his hand to go down before getting back into game action. It may be enough to keep Crawford from being reinstated from the injured list this weekend. Fantasy managers should have a few more days of streaming value out of utility man Josh Rojas, who's taken over as Seattle's primary leadoff man while slashing a potent .330/.395/.482 with three home runs, nine RBI, 12 runs scored, and four stolen bases in 126 plate appearances (35 games) this year.

Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner (hamstring), who remained out of Thursday's lineup, went through a more regular pregame workout before the game against the division-rival Pittsburgh Pirates, manager Craig Counsell said. If all goes well, the hope is that Hoerner will be back in Chicago's lineup for the second game of the series against Pittsburgh on Friday. The 27-year-old contact-hitting infielder appears to be on the cusp of a return from tightness in his left hamstring after being out of the lineup in each of the past three contests, so fantasy managers should expect to get him back without needing a trip to the injured list. In 41 games (156 at-bats) before picking up the injury, Hoerner slashed .269/.361/.391 with two home runs, 11 doubles, 12 RBI, 25 runs scored, and five stolen bases as the Cubs' primary leadoff hitter.

Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson (knee) continued to ramp up his activity ahead of Thursday's game against the division-rival Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field, including fielding ground balls. After a period of rest, recovery, and treatment, Swanson did some light running and agility work and played catch before Wednesday's series finale against the Atlanta Braves and seems to be progressing well in his recuperation from a sprained right knee. The 30-year-old star infielder is eligible to come off the 10-day injured list as early as Saturday's contest against Pittsburgh, though it's unclear if he'll need a brief minor-league rehab assignment before the Cubs activate him. Although Swanson was slashing a meager .209/.285/.341 with four home runs, 12 RBI, 20 runs scored, and four stolen bases in 37 games (129 at-bats) as Chicago's everyday shortstop before the injury, he's a must-stash player in all fantasy leagues.

Texas Rangers left-hander Brock Burke (hand) has been sent to the Arizona Complex League Rangers in the Rookie league on a minor-league rehab assignment. Burke is scheduled to pitch for the ACL Rangers in Thursday's game against the ACL Padres at Peoria Sports Complex. Burke is trying to recover from a broken right (non-throwing) hand that landed him on the injured list on April 13. The 27-year-old southpaw had allowed five earned runs on nine hits (one homer) while walking one and striking out five in three innings out of the Texas bullpen earlier this year before going on the shelf. Since he's currently on the 60-day injured list, Burke will not be eligible to return to the team's big-league bullpen until June 12. When healthy, Burke isn't on the fantasy radar in a middle-relief role.

The Los Angeles Angels acquired right-hander Roansy Contreras from the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday in exchange for cash considerations, according to sources. The Pirates had designated Contreras for assignment last Saturday. The 24-year-old Dominican hurler went 1-0 with the Pirates with a 4.41 ERA (5.01 FIP) and 1.65 WHIP with eight walks and 16 strikeouts in 16 1/3 relief innings over 12 outings out of the bullpen this year before being traded to the American League. In his four big-league seasons in Pittsburgh, Contreras has made 53 appearances, with 30 of them coming in a starting role, so he could become an option to make some spot starts for the Halos eventually. Contreras has a career 4.83 ERA and 1.42 WHIP with weak 20.2% strikeout rate and a 10.1% walk rate. Fantasy managers can continue ignoring him.

Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Taijuan Walker (foot) was forced to leave his start early on Thursday against the visiting division-rival New York Mets after he was hit by a line drive on his left foot. Before leaving the contest early, Walker allowed two earned runs on four hits (one homer to Pete Alonso) while walking two and striking out one in 3 1/3 innings pitched. The Phillies are likely to do some tests on Walker, at which point we should have a better idea of the severity of his injury and whether it will cause him to miss his next start. The 31-year-old got a late start to the season due to injury and came into Thursday's start with a 4.82 ERA and 1.34 WHIP with 15 strikeouts in 18 2/3 innings over his first three starts. After giving up two more runs on Thursday, Walker's ERA now stands at 4.91.UPDATE: Walker's injury is being called a foot contusion, but he's scheduled for more testing.

Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Emmet Sheehan (elbow) underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery on his UCL on Wednesday. The procedure was performed successfully by Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles. Sheehan was cleared to face hitters in late March but then was shut down in the middle of April when he had a setback with his right elbow. The 24-year-old will now miss all of the 2024 season and probably will not be able to return for the Dodgers until around midseason in 2025. It's a big blow for one of the Dodgers' promising young arms after he made his big-league debut in 2023, going 4-1 with a 4.92 ERA (4.85 FIP) and 1.19 WHIP while walking 26 and striking out 64 in 60 1/3 innings over his 13 outings (11 starts). Sheehan can now be safely dropped by any fantasy managers in deeper redraft leagues that were hanging onto him in an IL spot.

For the second straight day on Thursday, Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner (hamstring) went through a full agility workout at Citizens Bank Park while taking ground balls and also hitting inside in the cages. It has only been 13 days since he injured his left hamstring and is progressing at a surprising pace given the original timetable of around six weeks. The 30-year-old All-Star is making fantastic progress, but the Phillies will probably pump the brakes on him returning too soon and aggravating his injury, especially given the nature of Turner's game on the basepaths. However, if Turner continues to progress at this pace, he'll surely beat his projected six-week timetable, which is great news for his fantasy managers. Edmundo Sosa will continue to work as the Phillies' starter at the 6 until Turner returns from his hamstring ailment. Keep Turner stashed in all fantasy formats.

New York Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said that right-hander Kodai Senga (shoulder) is getting closer to a return and being sent on a minor-league rehab assignment. "We all feel better about it here than we would have 5-6 days ago," Stearns said on Thursday. The front-office executive also said Senga had a good bullpen session recently where the Japanese hurler felt like he made some strides. There's no set date for when Senga will go on a rehab assignment, but that's the next step in his recovery after he took a step back recently in his rehab to deal with some mechanical issues. The 31-year-old looks to have moved past those issues and could be on the cusp of making his 2024 debut, although fantasy managers shouldn't be surprised if the Mets want to see him make a handful of minor-league starts first. Senga should be stashed in all fantasy leagues.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen and infielder Jared Triolo are both out of the lineup on Thursday against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. McCutchen went 3-for-4 with a home run in Wednesday's loss to the Milwaukee Brewers and has been better in May so far, batting .250 (11-for-44) with two home runs and three RBI to raise his season line to .211/.317/.358 in 142 plate appearances. With McCutchen out, Bryan Reynolds will serve as the designated hitter and bat second, while Edward Olivares will serve as the cleanup hitter while starting in right field against Cubs left-hander Justin Steele. Triolo has just two hits in his last 39 plate appearances and could start losing more playing time if he doesn't pick things up offensively soon. Nick Gonzales is starting at third base and is batting fifth, while ... [More]

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Andy Pages will be hitting the bench for the first time since his major league promotion on Thursday. The 23-year-old has been a lineup lock for just over the past month in Los Angeles. As a result, Teoscar Hernandez will move over to right field and bat cleanup, which opens up left field for Chris Taylor, who will bat seventh. Pages has performed exceptionally well in his first taste of the majors with a .260/.300/.440 line with four long balls and one swiped bag and should be expected to return to the starting lineup on Friday. Both Hernandez and Taylor are viable options in DFS today, as the Reds will have a bullpen game this evening with southpaw Brent Suter serving as the opener.

Cincinnati Reds second baseman Jonathan India (migraine) is not in the starting lineup on Thursday with a migraine. He was also held out of Wednesday's lineup for the same reason. The 27-year-old should still be considered day-to-day. As a result, Santiago Espinal will get the starting nod at the keystone and bat in the eight-hole. Espinal has been swinging a hot bat as of late with a .400/.438/.600 line across his past five games with one home run. However, he has a tough task tonight in Tyler Glasnow, who enters Thursday with a 2.53 ERA and 73 punchouts across 57 innings, and is best to fade him in DFS this evening.

Los Angeles Dodgers backstop Will Smith will be getting the day off on Thursday as the Dodgers open a four-game set against the Cincinnati Reds. Smith has started each of the past six games and holds an overall .315/.381/.479 line with four home runs. Instead, Austin Barnes will serve as the catcher for Tyler Glasnow and will bat in the nine-hole. The 34-year-old is best to fade in DFS as he enters Thursday with a .219/.359/.250 slash line with no home runs and has only appeared in 13 games this season.

Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy is not in Thursday's lineup while the team goes against Cincinnati Reds southpaw Brent Suter. The 33-year-old has only made seven starts this season against left-handed pitchers. Muncy has been showcasing his elite power once again this season with nine long balls and a .475 SLG through 40 games. As a result, Kike Hernandez will occupy the hot corner. Hernandez enters Thursday's game with a modest .220/.278/.305 line with just two home runs. However, Hernandez will bat in the five-hole and is worth considering in DFS as he will be right in the middle of a potent Dodgers lineup. He will face Brent Suter, who enters Thursday with a 3.86 ERA; however, he is only likely to pitch a few frames as he will serve as the opener in a bullpen game for Cincinnati.

New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe hit his sixth home run of the season and swiped his ninth base of the season on Thursday. The 23-year-old wasted no time as he launched a lead-off home run, which ended up being the game-winning run. Then, in the second inning, he hit a single and stole second base. After struggling in his rookie season last year, the former top prospect is clearly beginning to find his footing at the major league level. Across 44 games this season, he has posted a .273/.348/.432 slash line, which is significantly higher than his .209/.283/.383 line last year. Volpe was a 20/20 player last season and is on pace to repeat that feat this season. He has also consistently batted in the leadoff spot of a great Yankees lineup behind Juan Soto and Aaron Judge, which has done wonders for his counting stats. Volpe should continue to be a mainstay in your fantasy lineup all summer and is a solid choice in DFS in any matchup.