San Diego Padres first baseman Jake Cronenworth is out of the lineup on Saturday for the Padres tilt against the Los Angeles Dodgers. With James Paxton on the mound, and Cronenworth struggling deeply against lefties, the Padres will start Luis Arraez at first base in his place. While Cronenworth has been excellent this season with an .841 OPS, that drops to just .437 when facing lefties. This decision would appear to simply be platoon-based and shouldn't raise any concerns with fantasy managers. Expect Cronenworth to be back in the lineup on Sunday when the Los Angeles Dodgers start right-hander Walker Buehler.

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Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Nick Lodolo will look to bounce back after a rough outing vs Baltimore when he faces the San Francisco Giants on Saturday night. Lodolo has only had two real hiccups in his five starts this season with both of those hiccups (Philadelphia, Baltimore) being strong against lefties. The San Francisco Giants rank 18th against lefties with a 98 wRC+, just below league average. Lodolo should be able to perform a little stronger against San Francisco than those two. Fantasy managers should feel fine with him in their lineups on Saturday and DFS players should target the left-hander as well.

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Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Cole Ragans will aim to notch his third straight quality start on Saturday when he takes the hill against the Los Angeles Angels. Ragans has been living up to the potential the Royals were looking for when they traded for him last season. The lefty ranks third in K/9 among American League starters who have thrown at least 20 innings with an 11.39 K/9 behind only Garrett Crochet and Jack Flaherty. The lefty should continue to dominate and may even have room for improvement as his 3.38 ERA and 2.35 FIP suggest he could be even better. Fantasy managers and DFS players will want to target the lefty Saturday against the struggling Los Angeles Angels, who are only hitting for a .217 BA over the last seven days.

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Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel has been removed from his normal role as Orioles closer. Orioles manager Brandon Hyde told reporters Saturday that he talked with the 35-year-old Friday afternoon about the change in plans. Hyde said he intends to take it day-by-day and that he's not sure when Kimbrel will return back to the closer role, hinting that this move may be more temporary. "We need him to be Craig Kimbrel and we need him to be the lockdown guy he's been for his entire career," the Orioles manager stated. Kimbrel had failed to convert four of his last five save opportunities before the change on Friday night, when he threw a perfect seventh inning. Fantasy managers will want to keep an eye on Kimbrel over the next couple weeks, but should be looking for other closers if Kimbrel was their starting closer.

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New York Yankees outfielder Jasson Dominguez (elbow) is set to begin a rehab assignment in Single-A Tampa on Tuesday or Wednesday according to manager Aaron Boone. Dominguez has been sidelined since September after having Tommy John surgery. Once he begins his rehab assignment it will start a 20-day clock in which the Yankees have to decide to add him to the active roster or option him to the minor leagues. "Hopefully it is a tough decision at that point, because good things are happening here," Boone said on Saturday. The Yankees outfield trio of Aaron Judge, Juan Soto and Alex Verdugo are all hitting for an OPS+ over 110, providing plenty of production and potentially plenty of time for Dominguez to get right before joining the active roster again. Fantasy managers will want to check in over the next few weeks to monitor Dominguez's progress through his rehab assignment.

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New York Yankees utility infielder DJ LeMahieu (foot) was seen hitting live pitching off JT Brubaker. Yankees manager Aaron Boone expressed confidence in the 35-year-old's recovery process and said that he will hit live again on Tuesday. The veteran is beginning to ramp up his work and should be starting a rehab assignment fairly shortly. LeMahieu has yet to make his 2024 debut. He posted a .243/.327/.390 line with 15 long balls and two swiped bags last season. When he returns, LeMahieu should see the majority of starts at the hot corner, which will significantly lower Oswaldo Cabrera's fantasy value. LeMahieu is worth holding onto in deeper formats and should be worth looking into in standard leagues when he is cleared to return.

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Washington Nationals starting pitcher Cade Cavalli (elbow) threw another bullpen session on Thursday at the team's training facility in West Palm Beach. This was his longest session (45 pitches) since recovering from Tommy John surgery. The Nationals have not changed the original timeline for Cavalli to return in late June or July, but Manager Dave Martinez said that he "threw the ball well again" and that Cavalli is "well on his way." This is an excellent sign for fantasy managers in deeper leagues who may have the 25-year-old stashed on their injured reserve. Cavalli could become worth rostering in standard leagues if he performs well after he returns later in the summer.

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Washington Nationals Josiah Gray (elbow) threw another bullpen session on Friday afternoon. He threw his first session on Tuesday. On Friday, he increased his count to 35 pitches compared to his total of 30 earlier in the week. Gray is still just throwing fastballs, but this is a good sign in his recovery process. The 26-year-old threw just eight innings before being placed on the injured list on April 6. Gray still has to begin throwing breaking balls in bullpen sessions before beginning a rehab assignment. There is still no official timetable in place, but with where he is in the recovery process, fantasy managers should not expect Gray back on the mound until June.

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Washington Nationals outfielder/designated hitter Joey Gallo (shoulder) is feeling good in his rehab with Triple-A Rochester. Nationals skipper Davey Martinez provided an update on the slugger on Friday after Gallo enjoyed a big night at the plate on Thursday. "He hit a home run and a double. He's starting to swing the bat a little bit better," Martinez said. "They said he feels good. Just like everybody else, he's trying to get his timing back." It's been a tough start for Gallo to begin his Nationals tenure as he hit just .122 with three homers and a .597 OPS across 91 trips to the plate before he hit the injured list with a sprained AC joint in his left shoulder on April 26.

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Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes (back) was placed on the 10-day injured list on Saturday with a back issue, per Kevin Gorman of Tribune-Review Sports. In a corresponding move, the Pirates promoted Alika Williams from Triple-A. Hayes has posted a solid .240/.322/.318 line with only one long ball and a strong 16.1% K rate. However, Hayes has been in a bit of a slump since April 28 with a .121/.189/.152. Williams has appeared in 15 games this season and put up a modest .239/.271/.348 line. Williams may occasionally see starts at the hot corner in Hayes' absence, but a majority of the starts will go to Jared Triolo, who enters Saturday with a .210 AVG.

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Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Shane Baz (elbow) threw 59 pitches across one innings on Friday in a rehab start. Baz was expected to go a bit longer in this start but ran into some trouble. He allowed three earned runs, one hit, and five free passes. He struck out one. While this was not the performance Baz expected, he did add 20 pitches to his pitch count compared to his previous rehab outing of 39. The 24-year-old has not started a major league game since July 10, 2022. Fantasy managers should expect Shane Baz back on the major league mound before the end of the month but should tamper their expectations as the Rays will likely lean on the side of caution with their young, hard-throwing right-hander.

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New York Mets catcher Tomas Nido has been receiving the slight edge in starts behind the dish due to Francisco Alvarez's thumb injury. Omar Narvaez was expected to see the majority of opportunities, but that has yet to look to be the case. Nido has started every game from May 3 to May 10, and Nido may be running away with the starting role. One significant reason why is that Nido is a much better defender and is 3-15 when throwing out opposing runners, while Narvaez is 0-30. In the batter's box, Nido has a .211/.231/.316 with one long ball compared to Narvaez, who has a .186/.222/.233. Manager Carlos Mendoza clearly values Nido's defense skill, and NL-only fantasy managers should monitor this situation as Nido could be worth adding if he becomes the primary backstop.

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New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz will be used in three consecutive games at a time throughout the summer. As per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, Edwin Diaz will pitch in three consecutive games, much to Diaz's enjoyment. The star closer emphasized that daily usage helps him "feel ready without much warm-up time at all." It is very rare for a relief pitcher, even of Diaz's talents, to be utilized in three consecutive games. The 30-year-old missed the entirety of the 2023 season with a right patellar tear but has looked like his 2022 self this season with a 2.45 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, and an impressive 22 punchouts in just 14 innings. Diaz remains a lineup lock and could very well finish as the number-one relief pitcher by the end of the summer.

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New York Mets outfielder DJ Stewart was in danger of losing time due to the return of designated hitter J.D. Martinez, but that may not seem to be the case. Even though Stewart has ceded primary designated hitter duties to Martinez, Stewart has seen starts in left and right field, which could still make him worth holding on to in NL-only formats. On the season, Stewart has posted a mediocre .185/.365/.415 line with four home runs. However, he has shown an excellent eye at the plate with a 20.0% walk rate, which is the best among qualified hitters. Manager Carlos Mendoza values his patience at the plate and will continue to reward him with opportunities in the foreseeable future. Stewart should remain rostered in NL-only formats, especially points leagues or rotisserie leagues that score on-base percentage.

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New York Mets starting pitching prospect Christian Scott made his major league debut last week and does not have a hard innings limit for the remainder of the season. This is an excellent sign for fantasy managers who picked him up from the waiver wire, as he now has a path to be a significant fantasy contributor. Scott looked sharp in his debut on May 4, throwing six innings of one-run ball. He allowed just five hits and one free pass and struck out six. In the minor leagues earlier this season, he tallied 36 punchouts across 25 innings with a 3.20 ERA and stellar 0.70 WHIP. With this recent news, Scott has a path to being a valuable fantasy contributor in all leagues for the remainder of the season, especially if the Mets do not intend to hold him back. He should be rostered in all formats and be deployed quite often in DFS due to elite strikeout potential. Scott faces a tough matchup with the Atlanta Braves on Saturday, but he is worth considering nonetheless.

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Boston Red Sox backstop Connor Wong is not in Saturday's lineup after starting the previous two games. Reese McGuire will serve as the backstop for starting pitcher Cooper Criswell. Wong has had a great start to the young season with a .360/.385/.581 line with five long balls through 25 games. Wong should be expected to return behind the dish on Sunday. McGuire enters Saturday with a solid .270/.361/.381 line with three swiped bags and two home runs. McGuire will be batting in the seven-hole against Jake Irvin and could be a sneaky play in DFS, who enters Saturday's game with a 3.72 ERA and 1.19 WHIP.

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Baltimore Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins is not in Saturday's lineup after starting the last three games. As a result, Colton Cowser will shift to center field which opens the door for Heston Kjerstad to start in left field. Mullins has had a disappointing season with a .193/.246/.370 across 36 games and a rough .087/.125/.130 through the start of May. Kjerstad was promoted to the major league roster on April 22 but has not had stable playing time. However, with how Mullins is struggling at the plate, Kjerstad may be given more opportunities. Kjerstad is worth inserting in your DFS lineup as he will face Ryne Nelson who enters Saturday's game with a 5.23 ERA.

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San Francisco Giants outfielder Austin Slater (head) left Friday night's loss to the Cincinnati Reds with concussion-like symptoms, according to the team. Slater crashed into the center field wall while trying to make a catch in the first inning. The Giants placed outfielder/Jorge Soler (shoulder) on the 10-day injured list before Friday's game, so if Slater's head injury is serious enough to send him to the shelf, too, the Giants outfield depth will be tested. Slater went hitless in his only at-bat as the Giants' leadoff hitter on Friday before being replaced by Michael Conforto. If Slater requires a trip to the seven-day concussion injured list, it would open up more opportunities for Heliot Ramos in San Fran's outfield. Slater, 31, only has 49 plate appearances this year and has recorded five hits (no homers) while walking eight times and striking out 12 times.

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Texas Rangers right-hander Max Scherzer (back, thumb) said that he was given a cortisone injection in his right thumb after undergoing additional tests on Wednesday. Scherzer is feeling better after the injection and apparently isn't dealing with any kind of ligament damage after he passes strength tests with his thumb. The 39-year-old three-time Cy Young winner's timetable has been pushed back due to this setback with his thumb, but the good news is that he was scheduled to play catch on Friday for the first time since reporting discomfort in his right thumb and forearm. The Rangers aren't going to rush Scherzer back, so fantasy managers might have to wait until early June now to get him back into their starting lineups.

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Seattle Mariners right-hander Bryan Woo (forearm) said he experienced some tightness in his right forearm in his season debut on Friday night against the Oakland Athletics due to the long layover between the fourth and fifth innings, but manager Scott Servais said he thinks Woo will be fine to make his next scheduled start. The 24-year-old was making his first start of 2024 after being activated from the 15-day injured list. Before departing as a precaution in the eventual 8-1 win over the A's, the second-year starter looked good, tossing 4 1/3 shutout innings with one walk and three strikeouts. Woo gave up just one hit. He lines up to make his next start on Wednesday in a tough matchup against the upstart Kansas City Royals. Woo won't have a ton of fantasy upside as a streamer for that one, but he deserves to be considered as a back-end fantasy starter in deeper leagues.

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