Baltimore Orioles starting pitching prospect Cade Povich has been excellent through 10 starts with Triple-A Norfolk. In 53 2/3 innings, he's posted a 2.35 ERA, a 1.06 WHIP, and 71 strikeouts. He performed especially well in April, posting a 1.03 ERA, a 0.76 WHIP, and 40 strikeouts over 26 1/3 innings. He took a step back in May, but he was still impressive, finishing this month with a 3.62 ERA, a 1.35 WHIP, and 31 strikeouts over 27 1/3 innings. There's a solid chance of Povich making his MLB debut in 2024. Considering his success in Triple-A, he could be pitching in the majors by the end of the summer.

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Free-agent outfielder Ramon Laureano signed a minor-league deal with the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday. The Braves are adding some outfield depth with Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) out for the season with a torn ACL. The 29-year-old Laureano will most likely be assigned to Triple-A Gwinnett and will be major-league bench depth, at best, if he gets called up to Atlanta eventually. Both Jarred Kelenic and Adam Duvall will see more playing time with Acuna out for the remainder of the season. Laureano, formerly a 16th-round pick by the Houston Astros in 2014 out of Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, has hit the 20-homer mark once in his previous six MLB seasons (back in 2019 with the A's) and has struggled to find a regular role since leaving Oakland. In 31 games with the Guardians this year before becoming a free agent, he went 10-for-70 (.143) with a homer and four RBI.

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Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung (wrist) is swinging a lighter bat right now, but manager Bruce Bochy said "he looks great." After watching Jung hit on Wednesday, Bochy said, "You'd think he was going to be ready in a couple of days." After visiting with the doctor that performed the surgery on his broken right wrist in early April on Tuesday, the 26-year-old was cleared to resume swinging a bat this week. Fantasy managers will be happy to hear that he's progressing nicely, but Jung still has a ways to go before he rejoins the Rangers' lineup as their starting third baseman. For now, Jung will continue to go through baseball activities while hoping to eventually go on a minor-league rehab assignment sooner than later. When Jung returns, he'll be a must-start in fantasy lineups for his power upside in a strong Texas lineup.

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Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton is not in the team's starting lineup on Wednesday against the visiting Kansas City Royals. It appears to be a normal day of rest for Buxton as the Twins look to keep the oft-injured veteran outfielder healthy. Willi Castro is making the start in center field and will bat seventh for the Twins against Royals veteran right-hander Seth Lugo. Castro has one hit in two career at-bats against Lugo and has been a useful utility man for the Twins this year, hitting .247 (45-for-182) with four homers, 16 RBI, seven stolen bases and 26 runs scored so far. The Puerto Rican is mostly useful for his speed in deeper fantasy leagues. After getting on base four times and stealing a base on Tuesday, Buxton is now slashing .254/.308/.426 on the year with three homers, 15 RBI and two thefts in 122 at-bats.

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Milwaukee Brewers right-handed reliever Trevor Megill (elbow) might need a few days to let his right elbow calm down after he took a comebacker off of it in his appearance on Tuesday night in the loss to the division-rival Chicago Cubs, but the good news is that he has avoided being placed on the injured list for now. X-rays on the 30-year-old's elbow came back negative for any breaks, but fantasy managers shouldn't expect him to be available for any save chances for at least a few days. In the meantime, Elvis Peguero, Joel Payamps and Bryan Hudson could all be in the mix to be used if a save situation arises in the next couple of days. With Devin Williams (back) still on the injured list, Megill has emerged as Milwaukee's preferred closing choice and has pitched to a 2.57 ERA and 1.14 WHIP with his first eight saves in 2024.

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St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar (side) was removed from Wednesday's win over the Cincinnati Reds early in the bottom of the eighth inning after he appeared to strain something in his left side on a check swing in the top of the seventh inning. Nootbaar stayed in the game for an inning before eventually being replaced by Dylan Carlson in right field. Before departing, the 26-year-old went 2-for-4 with two singles and a strikeout to raise his season average to .234 with a .741 OPS. For a player that has already had his fair share of injuries early in his career, this isn't a good sign and could easily send him back to the injured list after he got a late start to the 2024 season. If Nootbaar's injury keeps him out for 10 days or more, Carlson will get a boost in playing time. Check back for more news on the specific nature of Nootbaar's injury.

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New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso (hand) was removed from Wednesday's contest against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers after he was hit by a pitch from left-hander James Paxton on his right hand in his first at-bat of the game. It's not good, but we will know more after Alonso undergoes testing on his injured hand. At the very least, fantasy managers should expect the right-handed slugger to miss Thursday's series opener against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks if his tests come back negative for any broken bones. It's the last team a struggling Mets team needs is to lose their best power bat in the middle of the lineup. After Alonso left, Mark Vientos shifted across the diamond from third to first and Brett Baty came off the bench to play the hot corner for the Mets. Check back for an update on Alonso soon.

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The New York Mets announced on Wednesday that they have placed right-handed reliever Edwin Diaz (shoulder) on the 15-day injured list with a right-shoulder impingement. In a corresponding move, left-hander Josh Walker was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse. In his first year back from a knee injury that caused him to miss all of 2023, Diaz has struggled, posting a 5.40 ERA (4.58 FIP), a 1.25 WHIP, five saves, seven walks and 30 strikeouts in 20 innings out of the bullpen. Before landing on the IL, Diaz was temporarily removed from the closer role after a three-outing stretch in which he gave up seven earned runs on seven hits (two homers) while walking three and blowing two saves. He also blew his fourth save in his last appearance against the Giants. It remains to be seen when he'll be able to return to the Mets, let alone be rewarded with save chances again. In the meantime, Reed Garrett and Adam Ottavino could both factor into ninth-inning duties.

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Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman has a planned day off on Wednesday against the visiting Boston Red Sox. With Rutschman getting a breather, James McCann will do the catching for right-hander Corbin Burnes and will bat ninth against Red Sox right-hander Kutter Crawford. Wednesday will be only the fourth day off of the season for Rutschman, who typically serves as the designated hitter on days that he's not behind the plate. The 26-year-old switch-hitting backstop is one of the best overall hitters in the league and is currently slashing .299/.336/.479 with an .815 OPS, 10 home runs, 37 RBI and 29 runs scored in 211 at-bats in 2024. The former first overall pick in 2019 out of Oregon State is an elite fantasy catcher. McCann is a weak DFS play at catcher with just one homer and a .203 average in 79 at-bats for the O's.

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While X-rays on Baltimore Orioles infielder Jordan Westburg's right hand/wrist came back negative, he is not in the team's starting lineup on Wednesday against the visiting Boston Red Sox. Fantasy managers will need to remove Westburg from their starting lineups on Wednesday, but he's feeling a lot better and should have a good chance to return for Friday's series opener against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays after a scheduled off day on Thursday. The 25-year-old was hit in the right hand by a pitch in Tuesday's loss to Boston and should be considered day-to-day for now. Ramon Urias is at third base for the O's on Wednesday and will bat eighth against Red Sox right-hander Kutter Crawford. Urias will be a poor choice for DFS lineups in the eight-hole while also coming into Wednesday's game with a .194 average and just one homer in 62 at-bats this year.

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New York Mets third baseman Brett Baty and outfielder DJ Stewart are both on the bench on Wednesday for the series finale against the Los Angeles Dodgers with left-hander James Paxton on the hill. Mark Vientos will handle third-base duties and hit cleanup, while Tyrone Taylor will play left field and bat sixth against Paxton. The struggling Baty has been in a strict platoon with Vientos of late and will head back to the bench with the club facing a southpaw on Wednesday. If the 24-year-old cannot figure it out at the plate soon, he could star losing even more playing time to Vientos, who has an impressive 1.085 OPS since being called up from Triple-A Syracuse on May 15. Against a lefty, Vientos will be a popular DFS value play on Wednesday.

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Miami Marlins shortstop Tim Anderson will head to the bench for Wednesday's matinee game in San Diego against the Padres. With Anderson starting on the bench, Vidal Brujan will make the start at shortstop and will bat eighth, with Otto Lopez making the start at the keystone and hitting seventh against Padres right-hander Yu Darvish. Anderson has gone 5-for-24 in the seven games he's played since returning from the injured list, continuing to struggle at the plate since falling apart in his final season with the Chicago White Sox in 2023. The 30-year-old former All-Star is now slashing a weak .199/.235/.219 in his first year in Miami with no home runs, six RBI, three steals and 10 runs scored in 146 at-bats. Neither Lopez nor Brujan have a ton of fantasy appeal for DFS lineups near the bottom of a bad Marlins lineup.

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Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes and catcher Yasmani Grandal are both starting on the bench for the second game of a doubleheader on Wednesday against the hosting Detroit Tigers. Jared Triolo will take over at third base and bat seventh, while Grant Koch will do the catching for rookie right-hander Paul Skenes while batting in the nine-hole against Tigers rookie right-hander Keider Montero, who is making his MLB debut. Hayes returned from the injured list on Tuesday and played in his first game back in Game 1 of Wednesday's doubleheader, going 0-for-2 with a walk while playing all eight innings at the hot corner. It makes sense that the Pirates would rest the 27-year-old in the second game of their twin bill after he just returned from the IL. Hayes should be back in there to start Friday's series in Toronto against the Blue Jays.

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Both Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Gavin Lux and outfielder Jason Heyward are sitting on Wednesday against the New York Mets with left-hander David Peterson on the mound. Mookie Betts will slide over to second base, allowing Miguel Rojas to enter the lineup at shortstop while hitting eighth in the batting order. Teoscar Hernandez shifts to right and Miguel Vargas will start in left field and bat in the nine-hole. It will be the second straight game on the bench for Lux after he sat out the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader. Lux has had a tough year in 2024, hitting just .205/.256/.281 with one homer and 12 RBI in 146 at-bats. Heyward has been even worse after missing a good chunk of time due to a back injury. The 34-year-old veteran is hitting .184 (7-for-38) with a homer and four RBI. It's hard to justify using either Rojas or Vargas in DFS lineups at the bottom of LA's lineup.

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San Francisco Giants catcher Patrick Bailey is not in the starting lineup on Wednesday against the visiting Philadelphia Phillies in the series finale. The Giants are also holding left-handed-hitting outfielder Mike Yastrzemski and infielder Brett Wisely out in this one. Curt Casali is doing the catching and is batting ninth, Tyler Fitzgerald is in center field and is hitting eighth, and Marco Luciano is at the 6 and is batting second against Phillies left-hander Cristopher Sanchez. Bailey has missed some time this year due to a concussion but is hitting a strong .299 (32-for-107) for the Giants and fantasy managers, adding four home runs, 19 RBI and 15 runs scored along the way. Luciano, one of the Giants' top prospects, will be the most attractive DFS piece on Wednesday, especially after going 9-for-23 (.391) since his call-up.

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Detroit Tigers shortstop Javier Baez will start on the bench for Game 2 of the second game of a doubleheader on Wednesday against the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates. Zach McKinstry will make the start at shortstop in his place and bat eighth against Pirates rookie right-hander Paul Skenes. Baez heads to the bench after going hitless in three at-bats with a walk and a run scored in the 8-0 Game 1 win. While the 31-year-old has been better in the month of May, he's still impossible to recommend in most mixed fantasy leagues as one of the worst regulars in baseball. The Puerto Rican veteran came into Wednesday's games hitting a poor .203/.228/.278 with a homer, 23 RBI, six stolen bases and 13 runs scored in 158 at-bats. McKinstry, who has gone 14-for-73 (.192) this year with no homers, should be ignored against the hard-throwing Skenes.

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San Diego Padres relief pitcher Jeremiah Estrada struck out the side against Miami on Tuesday night to extend his strikeout streak to 13 straight, a streak which remains active. This breaks the modern MLB record by Jose Alvarado, which dates back to 1961 when complete play-by-play data became reliable. Estrada has established himself as one of the best relievers in baseball, ascending far from his being a waiver claim back in November. A stellar fastball, splitter, and slider form an overwhelming arsenal that he commands well. Only he and Mason Miller have K-BB rates above 40% among 261 relievers (min. 10 IP). Fantasy teams seeking strikeouts and ratio help would be wise to scoop up Estrada, who is currently rostered in 22% of Yahoo leagues, even if Robert Suarez is locked in as San Diego's closer.

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New York Yankees outfield prospect Jasson Dominguez (elbow) played five innings in center field on Wednesday with Double-A Somerset, his first time playing the field on his minor-league rehab assignment after serving as the designated hitter the first two weeks. In his 10 rehab games with Somerset and Single-A Tampa, Dominguez has gone 12-for-39 (.308) with two home runs and six RBI as he continues to recover from Tommy John surgery last September. The Yankees aren't going to rush the 21-year-old back to the big leagues, though, with manager Aaron Boone already saying that Dominguez will be sent to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre when his rehab window is up. Eventually, the guy they call the Martian is expected to be the starting center fielder in the Bronx in the long term, and he has tons of fantasy upside.

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St. Louis Cardinals right-handed reliever Keynan Middleton (forearm) is headed for further testing on his forearm and could need UCL replacement or repair surgery on his right arm. It would be a tough blow for Middleton and the Cardinals after the free-agent signee was expected to be an integral piece of the team's bullpen this year. Middleton has yet to pitch in 2024 because of persistent pain in his arm. The 30-year-old is set to undergo an MRI exam on Friday, so we should know more then on whether he'll have to miss all of the 2024 season. He signed a one-year, $6 million deal with the Cardinals in free agency back in February. If Middleton needs to go under the knife, not only would he miss all of this year, but he probably wouldn't be ready to go for the start of the 2025 season, either.

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The Philadelphia Phillies are resting catcher J.T. Realmuto for their matinee game on Wednesday against the San Francisco Giants. With Realmuto getting a day of rest, Garrett Stubbs will do the catching and bat eighth against Giants left-hander Kyle Harrison. Realmuto is currently riding an impressive 17-game hitting streak, going 26-for-74 (.351) during that span with two home runs, five doubles, a triple, six RBI, four walks and 16 strikeouts in 78 plate appearances to raise his season slash line to .284/.327/.454 with a .780 OPS, seven home runs and 20 RBI in 196 plate appearances. The 33-year-old All-Star remains one of the best hitting catchers in baseball. Stubbs has only six hits in his 43 at-bats this year as Realmuto's backup and should be avoided in DFS lineups.

From RotoBaller