Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Max Fried threw his second complete game of the season in Wednesday's victory on the road over the Chicago Cubs, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits with a season-high nine strikeouts en route to his fourth win of the year. Fried needed 105 pitches to go the distance in Wednesday's masterful performance, carrying a bid for a perfect game into the sixth inning before Ian Happ's leadoff double broke it up. Even though it's been an up-and-down campaign for the 30-year-old star left-hander, he owns a strong 3.38 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and 48:20 K:BB with a career-best .197 average against through 10 starts overall (58 2/3 frames) for the Braves in 2024. Monday's series opener at home against the division-rival Washington Nationals marks Fried's next projected start. He gave up two runs over 9 1/3 innings (two starts) with a 9:1 K:BB against Washington in 2023.

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Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Shane Baz (elbow) looked sharp during his fourth minor-league rehab start with Triple-A Durham on Wednesday, giving up one run on three hits and three walks with four strikeouts over four innings. This was Baz's fourth start in the minors as he works his way back from Tommy John surgery, so there's an outside chance that his next appearance will come in the major-league rotation after tossing 76 pitches on Wednesday. In all likelihood, however, Baz will throw in one more rehab game before likely rejoining the Rays in early June. For his big-league career, the 24-year-old former top prospect sports an encouraging 4.02 ERA and 1.12 WHIP while punching out 48 and walking 12 through 40 1/3 frames (nine starts) for Tampa Bay. Baz is worth stashing in the majority of competitive fantasy leagues with his return on the horizon.

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Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Garrett Mitchell (finger) will begin taking swings off a tee ahead of Friday's series opener against the Boston Red Sox. The next major steps would be for Mitchell to first log at-bats in the Arizona Complex League and then head out on a minor-league rehab assignment as he progresses from a fractured left index finger. Mitchell's goal is to return to the Brewers during a series against the Los Angeles Angels that begins on June 17. The speedy 25-year-old was in line to be Milwaukee's starting center fielder and leadoff hitter in 2024, and he could still slot into those roles upon his activation from the 60-day injured list. In 47 career major-league games, Mitchell is slashing a formidable .278/.343/.452 with five home runs, five doubles, 16 RBI, and nine stolen bases over 126 ABs. He's a decent stash in NL-only fantasy leagues with most of the club's outfielders struggling besides Christian Yelich.

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Minnesota Twins outfielderMax Keplersignificantly impacted the Twins' 3-2 win over the Nationals on Wednesday. The lefty went 2-4 with a solo homer in the second inning to put the Twins in front early. Kepler doubled in the ninth and came around to score again on a single fromRyan Jeffers, who proved to be the difference maker in this one. While the .311 batting average he's currently sporting doesn't seem sustainable over the long haul, Kepler will be a valuable source of HRs & RBI for fantasy managers as long as he can stay healthy.

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Kansas City Royals third basemanMaikel Garciawent 2-for-5 with two runs scored on Wednesday as the red-hot Royals won their sixth straight game at home to finish their sweep of the Tigers 8-3. After a monster game Tuesday night (4-for-5, three Runs), Garcia kept the good times rolling during the finale, extending his hitting streak to 10 games and chipping in a stolen base for good measure. Hitting over .300 for May, Garcia, a late-round sleeper in most drafts before the season, is making anyone who took a flier on him look pretty smart right about now. The young speedster is pacing towards a 15 HR/40 SB campaign, but withBobby Witt Jr.andSalvador Perezbatting behind him, don't be shocked if he finishes the year in the triple digits in runs scored.

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Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Adbert Alzolay (forearm) will be shut down from throwing for at least two weeks, manager Craig Counsell said on Wednesday. No surprise here, as Alzolay has gone for a second opinion on his strained right flexor. The Cubs will follow a conservative treatment plan for the 29-year-old right-hander, and while surgery is not off the table, they'll know more after his down time. After posting a poor 4.67 ERA with 13 strikeouts, six walks, and six home runs allowed in 18 games over 17 1/3 innings out of Chicago's bullpen this year and getting removed from the closer's role, Alzolay looks like a drop in shallow fantasy leagues and a weak stash in deeper formats. Hector Neris owns a 2.50 ERA with six saves across 18 frames and is the current favorite for ninth-inning work in the Windy City.

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New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (thumb) is scheduled to take batting practice when the club opens a homestand that begins on Friday, and he has been catching pitches with a splint inside his mitt. Alvarez is progressing well and perhaps ahead of schedule as he recuperates from ligament surgery in his left thumb, and he's still on course for a mid-to-late June return to the Mets. The 22-year-old slugging backstop was hitting just .236 (13-for-55) with one home run as New York's primary catcher before heading to the sidelines, but he did have four doubles and one stolen base over 16 games and is worth stashing in all fantasy leagues for his power upside at the catcher position. As long as Alvarez remains on the shelf, veterans Omar Narvaez and Tomas Nido will continue sharing work in a platoon for at-bats behind the dish.

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Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner (hamstring) was taking grounders ahead of Wednesday's game versus the visiting Texas Rangers. Turner has been taking batting practice and also ran arcs in the outfield on Wednesday, which typically preludes running the bases, but he'll get a "pullback day" on Thursday before resuming his ramp-up during the club's weekend series against the Colorado Rockies. Although there's no timeline yet for Turner's return from a strained left hamstring, he could potentially begin a minor-league rehab assignment before the end of May and rejoin Philly's lineup as early as June 8 for the start of the Phillies' two-game series against the division-rival New York Mets in London. Edmundo Sosa is worth a look in deep mixed or NL-only leagues in the interim, slashing .296/.406/.481 with one home run, eight RBI, 13 runs scored, and two stolen bases over 65 plate appearances this year.

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Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Josh Lowe (side) was taken out of Wednesday's game against the visiting Boston Red Sox early in the second inning due to right-side tightness. Lowe is considered day-to-day for now. As of right now, it doesn't seem like a serious injury for the 26-year-old left-handed hitter, but fantasy managers will want to check back on Friday to see is Lowe is ready to go for the series opener against the visiting Kansas City Royals. The Rays have a scheduled day off on Thursday. Before departing, Lowe was hitless in his only plate appearances with a strikeout. He was replaced by Jonny DeLuca in the outfield, and DeLuca could start to see more consistent playing time in Tampa's outfield if Lowe's injury turns out to be more serious than initially indicated. Lowe didn't debut this year until May 6 due to injury but should be rostered in all fantasy leagues after hitting 20 homers, driving in 83 and stealing 32 bases in 2023.

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Updating a previous report, Los Angeles Angels shortstop Zach Neto (elbow) said he has some concern about his right elbow because he's had issues with it before, but the training staff told him they didn't think the injury he suffered in Wednesday's win over the Houston Astros was serious. Neto will get some more tests on his elbow when the team returns home to Anaheim to start a series on Friday against the Cleveland Guardians. The 23-year-old left Wednesday's game in the bottom of the fifth inning after making an errant throw to first base. He went 0-for-2 at the plate with a strikeout before departing. This could very well require a trip to the injured list for Neto, so his fantasy managers in deeper leagues need to be prepared. Both Kyren Paris and Cole Tucker could see playing time at short for the Halos if Neto's injury is more serious than the training staff thinks it is.

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Boston Red Sox right-hander Garrett Whitlock (elbow) will have his medical visit with Dr. Jeff Dugas next Wednesday, at which point it will be decided if he will have surgery. While on a minor-league rehab assignment to recover from a left-oblique strain, Whitlock suffered a right-elbow sprain last Wednesday with Triple-A Worcester and may now be forced to miss the rest of the 2024 season if he has to go under the knife. If the 27-year-old needs surgery to fix damage to his right UCL, he'll not only miss the rest of this year, but he probably won't be ready to go for Boston to start next year, either. It would be a serious blow for Boston's pitching depth, as the former 18th-round pick of the New York Yankees in 2017 out of Alabama was 1-0 with a stingy 1.96 ERA and 1.14 WHIP with 17 strikeouts in 18 1/3 innings in 2024 in his four starts.

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Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Tyler Anderson was able to put together a solid outing during Wednesday's game against the Houston Astros. The left-hander allowed only one run over eight innings of work during Wednesday's victory. Anderson did allow six hits, but he was able to limit the damage. He now holds a 5-4 record with a 2.52 ERA to begin the season.

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Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Kyle Freeland (elbow) was able to throw a successful bullpen session on Wednesday. This was the first time that Freeland was able to throw since landing on the injured list due to a left elbow strain. The expectation is that Freeland will throw a few more bullpen sessions before going on a rehab assignment. There isn't a clear timetable for his return, but a return in middle or late June is possible.

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Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher John Means (elbow) has been removed early during Wednesday's outing against the St. Louis Cardinals. The left-hander saw a decrease in velocity during his three innings before being taken out of the contest. The team is calling it left elbow discomfort, so the expectation is that Means will undergo further testing to determine the severity of the issue. Fantasy managers will need to check back for another update on his status.

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Boston Red Sox first baseman Garrett Cooper (shoulder) has been scratched ahead of Wednesday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays. The right-handed slugger was in the original lineup, but has been pulled out due to right shoulder discomfort. Now, Dominic Smith will cover first base and bat sixth versus right-hander Ryan Pepiot. Fantasy managers should adjust their lineups accordingly.

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Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Cole Ragans looked impressive during Wednesday's outing against the Detroit Tigers. The left-hander recorded 12 strikeouts over six scoreless innings during Wednesday's win. Ragans allowed only one hit while walking three batters during this outing. He'll carry a 3.34 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, and 76/12 K/BB ratio across 11 starts this season. His next start will be against the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday.

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Seattle Mariners second baseman Jorge Polanco (hamstring) is returning to second base and will bat seventh for the M's on Wednesday against the New York Yankees and left-hander Nestor Cortes in the Bronx. Polanco returns to action for Seattle after missing over a week with a right-hamstring injury. The 30-year-old veteran switch-hitter has struggled to get things going at the plate in his first year with the team in 2024, as he's hitting .192/.298/.308 with five home runs, 13 RBI, one stolen base and 15 runs scored in 146 at-bats. Polanco has been better in May, though, going 11-for-46 (.239) with a homer and three RBI in 11 games. His fantasy managers will be hoping he can pick up where he's left off this month after missing the last week. Polanco has two hits and an RBI in 10 career at-bats off of Cortes.

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Toronto Blue Jays catcher Danny Jansen is being rested on Wednesday versus the visiting Chicago White Sox. Alejandro Kirk will do the catching for right-hander Chris Bassitt and will bat seventh in the batting order against White Sox rookie right-hander Nick Nastrini, who is making only his third career start. Jansen got a late start to the 2024 season due to a fracture in his hand, but it hasn't slowed him down at all, as he's currently slashing .319/.390/.653 with a 1.043 OPS, five home runs, 12 RBI and 14 runs scored in his first 72 at-bats. He's been even better so far in May, going 16-for-46 (.348) with three homers and 10 RBI. Jansen has earned more playing time over Kirk early in the year as Toronto's primary backstop. Kirk, meanwhile, is under the Mendoza Line at .198 with a homer and 12 RBI in 81 at-bats.

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Texas Rangers outfielder Adolis Garcia (forearm) is back in the starting lineup on Wednesday against the Philadelphia Phillies and right-hander Taijuan Walker, serving as the designated hitter and batting cleanup. Derek Hill is making another start in right field and will hit in the eight-hole for the Rangers. Garcia injured his right forearm during a collision with second baseman Marcus Semien and was held out for the team's last two games. But the injury wasn't serious, and the 31-year-old right-handed slugger needs to be returned to all fantasy lineups as he takes on Walker, who he has never faced in his career. The two-time All-Star has opened his 2024 campaign with a .251/.297/.491 slash line with 11 home runs, nine doubles, 35 RBI, four stolen bases and 24 runs scored in 46 games. However, he's slumping a bit in May, going 13-for-69 (.188) with three homers, 10 RBI and 24 K's in 17 games.

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San Diego Padres second baseman Xander Bogaerts (shoulder) is heading to the injured list, and it appears that veteran outfielder David Peralta will replace him on the active roster. Bogaerts is dealing with a fracture in his left shoulder, although there's no indication of a labrum tear or a need for surgery. He will just need some time for the bone to heal and he intends to play again this year, perhaps by late summer. The Padres are planning for more tests on Bogaerts on Wednesday. The 31-year-old injured his shoulder diving for a ball early in the first game of a doubleheader on Monday against the Atlanta Braves and will now be forced to miss significant time. Luis Arraez should now handle the keystone on a daily basis, leaving Donovan Solano, Tyler Wade and Jose Azocar to battle for DH duties in San Diego. Bogaerts was already off to a weak .219/.265/.316 start with four homers and 14 RBI.

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