After seeing team doctors in Oakland on May 14, Athletics left-hander Alex Wood (shoulder) was diagnosed with rotator-cuff tendonitis in his left shoulder and was expected to be shut down from throwing for at least 10 to 14 days from that date. Manager Mark Kotsay said on Tuesday that the plan is for Wood to begin playing catch on Saturday, June 1. His 15-day injured list placement is retroactive to May 13. The time off from throwing looks like it has been good for the 33-year-old veteran southpaw, but Wood still has a ways to go before he's pitching in live games and is on the cusp of a return from the IL. In the meantime, he belongs on the waiver wire in standard-sized mixed fantasy leagues. Before his shoulder injury, Wood had gone 1-3 with a 5.26 ERA and 1.78 WHIP with 33 strikeouts in 39 1/3 innings over his first nine starts with the A's.

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Oakland Athletics right-hander Ross Stripling (elbow) landed on the injured list on May 25 with a right-elbow flexor strain one day after his start against the Houston Astros. Manager Mark Kotsay said on Tuesday that Stripling will not throw for seven to 10 days and the team will re-evaluate him after that period. It's already been a tough first season for Stripling and the A's, as the veteran pitcher was 1-9 with a 5.82 ERA (3.98 FIP) and 1.59 WHIP with 12 walks and 35 strikeouts in 55 2/3 innings over his 11 starts before landing on the injured list. Stripling currently leads the league with his nine losses and also leads the league with 77 hits allowed. Even if Stripling gets past his elbow issue and returns to Oakland's starting rotation, fantasy managers in mixed leagues should look elsewhere.

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St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado is getting the day off on Wednesday versus the division-rival Cincinnati Reds. With Arenado on the bench, Brendan Donovan will shift over to third base and hit leadoff against Reds right-hander Frankie Montas. It was nice to see Arenado hit just his fourth home run of the year in the contest against the Reds on Tuesday, but he'll get the day off to rest with a scheduled off day coming on Thursday before St. Louis starts a weekend series on Friday in Philadelphia against the Phillies. The 33-year-old is hitting .257 (52-for-202) on the year with 25 RBI and 21 stolen bases, and his fantasy managers are hoping his power display on Tuesday will lead to more consistent power moving forward. Donovan is one of the better contact hitters in the league but is only batting .235 (47-for-200) on the year.

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Oakland Athletics infielder J.D. Davis (hand) left the game early on Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Rays in the seventh inning after being hit by a Zack Littell pitch on his left hand and he will undergo X-rays. Davis also had his right leg stepped on by outfielder Jonny DeLuca in the fifth inning. He was able to finish the inning after being hit by the pitch but was replaced at first base by Tyler Soderstrom before the bottom of the seventh. Manager Mark Kotsay said after the 3-0 win that Davis has a contusion, but we'll know more when his X-ray results are revealed. The 31-year-old went 1-for-2 with a sacrifice before leaving the game and is hitting .225/.271/.369 on the year with four homers and five RBI in 118 plate appearances. There's a good chance we won't see Davis in the starting lineup on Wednesday in Tampa.

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The Cincinnati Reds activated outfielder TJ Friedl (thumb) from the 10-day injured list on Wednesday and designated infielder Mike Ford for assignment in a corresponding move. Friedl recovered very quickly from a left-thumb fracture and is immediately back in center field and is batting leadoff for the Reds on Wednesday against the visiting division-rival St. Louis Cardinals and right-hander Andre Pallante. In nine career at-bats against Pallante, Friedl is hitting just .111. The 28-year-old left-handed swinger is also slashing just .182/.250/.227 with no home runs, two RBI and two stolen bases in only 22 at-bats in 2024 due to multiple unfortunate injuries he's already suffered this year. Friedl proved last year he has 20-20 ability over a full season, so he's worth rostering in most fantasy leagues now that he's back. His return is bad news for Stuart Fairchild.

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The Detroit Tigers placed outfielder Kerry Carpenter (back) on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to May 27) on Wednesday with lumbar-spine inflammation and recalled outfielder Akil Baddoo from Triple-A Toledo in a corresponding move. The back soreness that Carpenter was feeling over the weekend has turned out to be something worse and will almost surely keep him out beyond the 10 days on the IL. It's a big loss for the Tigers and for fantasy managers, as the 26-year-old was hitting .283 with eight home runs, 29 RBI and 21 runs scored. Manager A.J. Hinch said there's no clear timetable for a return for Carpenter without further testing. Baddoo will give the Tigers more outfield depth. Matt Vierling is in center field on Wednesday, while Wenceel Perez is starting in right field for the Tigers in Game 1 of their doubleheader versus the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates.

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Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz will take a seat on the bench for the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader in Detroit against the Tigers with a left-handed pitcher on the mound. Alika Williams will start at shortstop and will bat in the nine-hole against Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal. Fantasy managers should expect to have Cruz back for the second game of the twin bill to face right-hander Keider Montero, who will be making his MLB debut. The 25-year-old Cruz has been a little better in May with a .260 average (20-for-77) with four home runs, 11 RBI and a stolen base in 20 games played. His power/speed combination makes him relevant in all fantasy formats when he's on the field. Williams has very little offensive prowess and therefore should be avoided in DFS lineups against a tough southpaw.

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New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto went 2-for-5 with a solo home run in Tuesday's loss versus the Los Angeles Angels. Soto continues to have an incredible season and now has 15 homers to go along with a healthy .312 batting average, 46 RBI and four stolen bases. He also has a shiny .989 OPS. Soto, 25, entered the season as one of the top bats in the game, but has taken it to another level in 2024 as he gets ready to enter free agency. Managers should continue to reap the benefits of the upcoming free-agent as he has shown no signs of slowing down. Soto will look to continue his success against left-hander Tyler Anderson and the Angels on Wednesday.

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Cincinnati Reds outfielder Will Benson went 1-for-1 with a walk in Tuesday's loss versus the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday. His lone hit would be a home run and the only offense for the Reds on the day. Benson was eventually removed in the 8th inning with a left-hander on the hill. Benson has shown power with eight home runs and 17 RBI to go along with eight stolen bases to his name. The 25-year-old entered the season with high hopes and despite some good power numbers, Benson has been more of a platoon player and will continue to be with outfielder TJ Friedl (thumb) expected to return as soon as this weekend or the beginning of next week. Benson is an intriguing player, but is a better real-life option versus fantasy. Outside of the deepest leagues, he is best suited as a DFS pick.

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St. Louis Cardinals second baseman/third baseman Nolan Gorman continued his power surge when he went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer in Tuesday's victory versus the rival Cincinnati Reds. Gorman has been having a rough season for the Cardinals, but has picked it up lately and now has five of his nine homers in the month of May. Despite having nine homers, Gorman has hit a unimpressive .214 with 64 strikeouts in 159 at-bats. Gorman was once a highly touted prospect, but outside of his 50 career homers has been a minor disappointment with a career .229 batting average. The 24-year-old has worked his way into a platoon role and doesn't hold much value outside of the deepest of leagues.

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Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's loss versus the Seattle Mariners. Bregman's homer off Luis Castillo in the top of the fourth inning would be the only offense for the Astros in the team's defeat. Bregman's home run was his fifth of the season. The upcoming free-agent has really struggled in his contract year and has hit a weak .212 on the season. Statcast metrics show that Bregman's struggles are real and his .208 batting average in May is a decline from his .218 average in April, however, Bregman has hit four of his five longballs in May. Regardless, Bregman has failed to give managers any sort of return on their investment. The veteran's track record suggests he can turn it around before all is said and done, but managers should consider options swinging a better bat until Bregman shows he can string together a few games.

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Houston Astros starting pitcher Hunter Brown put together a very strong performance against the division rival Seattle Mariners in a no-decision on Tuesday evening. Brown made it through six frames of one-run ball and allowed four hits with no walks and nine strikeouts. The nine K's would be a career-high for the 25-year-old. Brown entered the season with breakout potential, but got hit very hard early in the season, including a nine-run outing in his third start of the season that lasted 2/3 of an inning. It was enough for many managers to cut bait with right-hander, but he was steadily improved since. In the month of May, Brown made five appearances (four starts) and pitched to a 3.42 ERA and 1.14 WHIP. He also allowed two or fewer runs in four of his five outings. Brown's terrible outing early the season sunk his value, but wise managers should consider scooping him as his month of May is more evident of the pitcher he can be the rest of the way. Next up for Brown will be a date at home versus the Minnesota Twins.

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Colorado Rockies infield prospect Adael Amador is one of the best hitters in minor league baseball, making terrific pure contact. He combines his bat-to-ball skills with plus speed, making him a threat to leg out extra-base hits and swipe bags. He also has a phenomenal 1.03 K/BB ratio this season, confirming that he has great zone awareness, works walks, and cuts down on strikeouts. The biggest void in his offensive profile is his power; Amador won't slug more than 12 to 20 homers in a season. Defensively, he possesses average glovework but will likely patrol second base long-term. Amador went on a tear against Portland last week, going 10-for-31 (.323) with four homers, 10 RBI, seven walks, and eight strikeouts. He also continued to show his ability on the basepaths, swiping three bags. His best game came on Saturday as he went 5-for-6 with two homers, three singles, five RBI, and four runs scored. He's had subpar numbers for much of this year, but this hot week might be enough for a promotion to Triple-A in the near future.

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Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Luis Castillo put together another quality start in Tuesday's no-decision versus the division rival Houston Astros. Castillo fired six innings and allowed five hits, two runs, one walk and struck out six on the evening. Castillo had a couple rough starts to open the season, but he has been his dominant self throughout most of the season and remains a must-start every time that he is on the bump. On the season, Castillo is 4-6 with a 3.28 ERA and 1.19 WHIP over 12 starts. Next up will be a favorable matchup versus the Los Angeles Angels. Castillo should continue to be a top option for managers moving forward.

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Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Davis Schneider went 3-for-4 with a walk, two doubles and three RBI in Tuesday's victory versus the Chicago White Sox. Schneider has been having a good season for the Blue Jays and was recently rewarded by primarily leading off with outfielder George Springer in a season-long slump. For the season, Schneider has hit .255 with six homers, 27 RBI, 26 runs and three stolen bases. Schneider has been playing well enough to help managers in most formats. Schneider will look to continue his breakout season against Chris Flexen in Wednesday's series finale.

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Seattle Mariners relief pitcher Ryne Stanek recorded his third save of the season in Tuesday's victory versus the division rival Houston Astros. Stanek did quick work versus his former with back-to-back strikeouts against Alex Bregman and Jake Meyers before getting Jon Singleton to flyout for the victory. The Mariners primary closer Andres Munoz had pitched the previous two days and got Tuesday off. Stanek has been having a solid season out of the bullpen and appears to be entrenched as the next man up behind Munoz, but Munoz remains one of the best closers in the game and save opportunities will be few and far between for Stanek. Despite the good outing, Stanek can remain on the waiver wire in most formats.

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Los Angeles Dodgers rookie starting pitcher Gavin Stone (5-2) hurled seven scoreless innings, only allowing three hits and recording seven strikeouts in a 3-0 win versus the New York Mets Tuesday night. After having a rough April with a 4.50 ERA, the 25-year-old right-hander has been spectacular in May with a 1.97 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and 23 strikeouts in 32 innings pitched. He also added three wins to his total in May while recording four quality starts in five games. Stone will look to keep things going in his next scheduled start next Wednesday (June 5) against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

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Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Max Fried (5-2) fired eight shutout innings Tuesday night while allowing seven hits and one walk, picking up six strikeouts in a 2-0 victory over the Washington Nationals. This is the pitcher the Braves need Fried to be with their ace Spencer Strider (elbow) out for the rest of the season. Fried finishes May with a 2.04 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, and 29 strikeouts in 35 1/3 innings pitched. He had a rough go in his first few starts in 2024 but has been an absolute ace since then. Look for Fried to continue his dominant run against the Oakland A's at home on Sunday.

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Oakland Athletics closer Mason Miller shut the door Tuesday night, recording his 11th save on the season with two strikeouts in a 3-0 shutout win against the Tampa Bay Rays. After retiring the first two batters in the inning via a strikeout and flyout, Miller made things interesting by allowing a single and a walk before closing the night out by striking out Richie Palacios. Despite having a hiccup against the Rockies last week, where he allowed three runs, Miller carries a 1.88 ERA with 47 strikeouts in 24 innings pitched. Assuming the young fireballer continues his domination, he has a real shot at winning the American League Rookie of the Year Award.

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Chicago Cubs rookie starting pitcher Ben Brown (1-1) dominated the Milwaukee Brewers, hurling seven shutout innings with 10 strikeouts and two walks while allowing no hits in a 6-3 extra-inning victory. Brown deserved a win on Tuesday night, but the Cubs didn't provide much run support in the first nine innings. Hector Neris blew the save in the bottom of the 9th inning, allowing the Brewers to score one run to tie the game. Brown was not expected to last much longer in the rotation with Jordan Wicks (forearm) set to return soon, but he has given manager Craig Counsell something to consider. Right now, he's tentatively scheduled to face the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday, and another stellar start could make the coach's decision about his future in the rotation even more difficult.

From RotoBaller