Washington Nationals outfield prospect Dylan Crews hit a pair of doubles and drove in four runs on Sunday for Double-A Harrisburg. The 2023 second-overall draft pick accomplished the same feat (two doubles, four RBI) earlier in the week as well, and is now hitting .300 (15-for-50) in the month of May after hitting just .224 in April (11-for-49). The 22-year-old now has a .263-3-26-15-6 line on the season over 27 games and should be getting closer to a Triple-A promotion. If everything goes to plan, MLB's seventh-ranked overall prospect should see some MLB at-bats by season's end as well.

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St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Michael Siani continued his strong offensive month in Monday's 6-3 win over the Orioles. Siani went 2-for-4 with a single, a three-run home run, four RBI, and a stolen base. The 24-year-old's season slash line leaves a lot to be desired, but he is now hitting .341 with five RBI and three stolen bases in 41 May at-bats. Siani is likely widely available in fantasy leagues, and while his batting average and stolen bases may be helpful in deeper roto leagues, the Cardinals' overall offensive struggles and his spot in the bottom of the lineup may not allow for many opportunities for additional counting stats.

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Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman had another solid offensive performance in Monday's 6-4 win over the Diamondbacks. Freemen provided one of three of his team's home runs, going 2-for-4 with a single and a grand slam. The 34-year-old has shown no signs of slowing down at the plate, slashing .298/.409/.464 with five HR, 29 RBI, and one stolen base. Even given his fantasy track record and high caliber, fantasy managers may be worried that age could negatively strike down his numbers at some point. This does not seem like an imminent threat, as he has continued to produce while hitting in the middle of one of baseball's best lineups.

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New York Yankees closer Clay Holmes blew his first save of the season and picked up the loss Monday night, allowing four runs and two walks in 2/3 of an inning pitched against the Seattle Mariners. Those four runs were the first runs allowed on the season for Holmes, who has been nothing short of spectacular in 2024. Monday's implosion ballooned his 2024 ERA from 0.00 to 1.74. It was, without a doubt, the worst appearance of the year for Holmes, who allowed five straight batters to reach base after inheriting a generous three-run lead. It will take much more than one blown save for Holmes' job to be in jeopardy. Despite blowing his first of the year, fantasy managers can continue to start Holmes in all leagues.

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Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers continued his torrid power streak in Monday's 5-0 win over the Rays. Devers went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run and a strikeout. The 27-year-old has really picked things up at the plate lately after a slow offensive start and has now homered in each of his last six games, bringing his season total to 10 to go with 23 RBI and a .284/.380/.567 slash line. The Red Sox offense has started to heat up overall, which is a doubly welcome sight for fantasy managers, as it will provide opportunities for additional counting stats for Devers.

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Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Chris Sale (7-1) completed seven scoreless innings Monday night, improving his record to 7-1 in a 3-0 win over the San Diego Padres. Sale recorded his fourth straight game of nine or more strikeouts to go with his third straight scoreless start. In May, the lefty slinger looked like his former All-Star self with a total record of 4-0, a 0.36 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, and 37 strikeouts in 25 innings of work. All of that without recording a single walk. Look for Sale to continue his dominant May this weekend against a Pittsburgh Pirates team that has struggled mightily against southpaws this season.

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Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Tanner Houck (4-5) continued his breakout season on Monday night with another dominant performance, allowing no runs on two hits with five strikeouts while giving up a walk in a 5-0 win against the Tampa Bay Rays. His record improved to 4-5 on the season, while his ERA dipped to an incredible 2.17 to pair with a 1.02 WHIP. The right-hander's record may only be (4-5), but Houck has recorded a quality start in an astounding eight of 10 games this season. His next start will be a tough matchup against Brewers this weekend who have the sixth best team batting average on the season.

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Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase continued to cruise in Monday's 3-1 win over the Mets, earning his 14th save of the season. Clase came in to pitch the top of the ninth inning up by two and turned in a 1-2-3 performance with no strikeouts. The 26-year-old has been one of fantasy's best closers throughout his career and has rebounded from his relative down 2023 season. He is now tied for the most saves in baseball with Ryan Helsley and has converted 14 of 17 save opportunities with a 0.37 ERA, an 8.88 K/9 rate, and a 0.73 BB/9 rate. Clase has outdone himself so far for fantasy managers, even by his lofty standards.

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Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Taj Bradley had a confounding start in Monday's 5-0 loss to the Red Sox. He pitched seven innings and struck out 10, but he also allowed five runs on five hits, including two home runs. The 23-year-old has looked good overall in his first three starts this season, going 1-2 with a 4.00 ERA, an 11.50 K/9 rate, and a 1.50 BB/9 rate in 18 IP. As a top fantasy prospect last season, Bradley flashed strikeout skills but also showed a propensity for giving up the long ball. Fantasy managers may not be fully ready to trust him now, but it will be easier to forgive him if he continues to strike batters out at a high rate. His next projected start will be against a hot-hitting Royals lineup.

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Toronto Blue Jays catcher Danny Jansen continued his breakout offensive season in Monday's 9-3 win over the White Sox. Jansen batted second, going 3-for-5 with a single, a double, a two-run home run, and five RBI. The 29-year-old is now slashing an impressive .333/.397/.681 with five HR and 12 RBI in 78 plate appearances. He has started to earn regular at-bats and is hitting much better than his batterymate Alejandro Kirk, who is slashing just .198/.295/.284. Jansen is currently rostered in just 17% of leagues. Fantasy managers may not need to look his way in shallower leagues, but he is definitely worth a roster spot in at least all two-catcher leagues at this time.

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Baltimore Orioles third baseman/shortstop Gunnar Henderson extended his impressive home run streak in Monday's 6-3 loss to the Cardinals. The 22-year-old provided all the offense, going 1-for-3 with a three-run HR and a walk. Henderson has hit for elite power all season long and has homered in each of his last four games. He now has a league-best 16 with 34 RBI, seven stolen bases, and a .271/.351/.610 slash line in 202 plate appearances. Henderson already flashed his power and speed potential in his rookie season, and he could elevate himself to a top fantasy option for seasons to come if he can also continue to bat for a high average.

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Detroit Tigers infield prospect Jace Jung stayed hot Sunday, blasting his eighth home run of the season in the first game of a doubleheader for Triple-A Toledo. He also collected a hit in the second game, now having hit safely in nine of his last 10 games and going 22-for-60 (.367) since April 27 (17 games), with four doubles, a triple, and four home runs. The former first-round draft pick hit 28 home runs across two levels of the minors last season and is showing off the power once again in 2024. Expect a call-up to the majors around mid-season, perhaps sooner if Detroit wants to attempt to boost their power numbers, having posted the fifth fewest home runs in the majors to date.

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St. Louis Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley continued his stellar start to the season in Monday's 6-3 win over the Orioles, earning his 14th save. Helsley came in to pitch the top of the ninth inning up by three. He got the first two outs on a pop-out and a groundout, allowed a walk, and ended the game with a fly-out. The 29-year-old has been rock solid for his team and fantasy managers, converting all but one save opportunity with a 1.29 ERA, a 9.86 K/9 rate, and a 1.29 BB/9 rate. Despite the Cardinals' disappointing season, he is now tied for the most saves in the league with Emmanuel Clase. Helsley should continue to be a high-end fantasy option, especially if he can continue to limit his walks.

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St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Sonny Gray improved to 6-2 in Monday's 6-3 win over the Orioles. Gray pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing three runs (one earned) on three hits (including a three-run home run) and two walks with six strikeouts. He cruised through the first five innings but labored in the six, throwing over 30 pitches before motioning to manager Oli Marmol to be removed. Gray elaborated after the game, explaining that he was simply tired after getting so deep into the inning. The 34-year-old has been a fantasy stud with his new team and now owns a 2.87 ERA and 11.30 K/9 rate in eight starts and 47 IP. He will look to keep things rolling in his next projected start, which will be a decent matchup against the Cubs.

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The Milwaukee Brewers are calling up pitching prospect Bradley Blalock for what would be his big league debut whenever he enters a game. The righty has been pitching at Double-A Biloxi in 2024, and has never even seen any action Triple-A. The 23-year-old doesn't have particularly gaudy numbers in his minor league career, but was pitching well for Biloxi before his call-up, posting a 2.27 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and a 7:29 BB:K over 35 2/3 IP so far this season. While he worked as a starter in the minors, he'll likely provide bullpen depth for the Brewers, although Joe Ross left Monday's start after just one inning due to a back injury, so the Brewers may need another starter for Ross' next scheduled turn through the rotation this coming Sunday.

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The New York Mets released infielder Joey Wendle on Monday after he was designated for assignment last week. Wendle is now free to sign with any team in baseball to provide some veteran infield depth. The 34-year-old was cut by the Mets after going 8-for-36 (.222) with no home runs and just one RBI in 37 plate appearances over 18 games this year. Wendle was a first-time All-Star in 2021 in his final season with the Tampa Bay Rays, when he hit .265 (122-for-460) with a career-high 11 home runs, 54 RBI and eight stolen bases in 136 games played. Since then, he's hit .237 with five home runs, 53 RBI and 20 teals in 231 games with the Miami Marlins and Mets. Wendle will likely be signed to a minor-league pact if he latches on with another team. Avoid him in all fantasy leagues for now.

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Seattle Mariners shortstop prospect Colt Emerson (foot) has a small fracture in his foot after fouling a ball off of it and could miss up to the next four weeks. Emerson will wear a walking boot for the next two weeks. The 18-year-old is listed by MLB Pipeline as Seattle's No. 3 prospect, behind Cole Young and Harry Ford. The former 22nd overall pick last year started his first professional season in 2024 with Single-A Modesto and was hitting .271 (19-for-70) with two home runs, 14 RBI, three stolen bases and 16 runs scored in his first 19 games before fracturing his foot. Emerson, who hits from the left side, has several years before he'll be a realistic candidate for a big-league call-up. He has plenty of athleticism, a smooth left-handed swing, and an advanced approach at the plate for his age.

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The Houston Astros signed free-agent left-hander Eric Lauer to a minor-league deal on Monday and assigned him to Triple-A Sugar Land, the team announced. Lauer will give the Astros' some much-needed starting rotation depth at the minor-league level for now. The 28-year-old southpaw recently opted out of his minors deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates after not pitching in the big leagues yet in 2024. He didn't look very good at Triple-A Indianapolis, though, so he'll need to show better results at Sugar Land in order to get consideration for a call-up to Houston. The former 25th overall pick by the San Diego Padres in 2016 out of Kent State has a career 4.30 ERA (4.60 FIP) and 1.37 WHIP with a mediocre 22 percent strikeout rate and 8.9 percent walk rate in 596 2/3 innings with the Padres and Brewers since 2018.

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Colorado Rockies manager Bud Black is encouraged by the progress of right-hander German Marquez (elbow), who pitched 1 2/3 innings on May 10 in an Arizona Complex League game, which was his first game action since suffering a right-elbow injury on April 26 of 2023. Marquez is recovering from Tommy John surgery and will have a full spring training-type regimen, which will include a lengthy minor-league rehab assignment. The Rockies are spacing his ACL appearances out far enough that he'll be able to restart his rehab clock. Between ACL appearances, Marquez is throwing in extended spring camp as he builds his right arm back up. Barring a setback in his recovery, the 29-year-old could rejoin Colorado's starting rotation around the middle of the 2024 season.

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Colorado Rockies right-hander Jake Bird (elbow), who was placed on the 15-day injured list on Sunday with right-elbow inflammation, is likely to need a minor-league rehab assignment before returning to Colorado's bullpen. Bird made a whopping 70 appearances out of the Rockies' bullpen in 2023 but has been inefficient so far in 2024 before getting hurt. He allowed four runs while walking six in his three appearances before landing on the injured list and has a 6.10 ERA (6.35 FIP), a 1.74 WHIP, his first career save, 15 walks and 12 strikeouts in 20 2/3 relief innings this year. "We need to figure out what was going on, and we haven't quite got there yet mechanics-wise," manager Bud Black said. Righty Matt Koch finished off last year strong for Colorado and will replace Bird in the bullpen for now. He was 3-1 with a 2.53 ERA in 21 1/3 innings over 18 outings for Triple-A Albuquerque.

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