Los Angeles Dodgers pitching prospect River Ryan (shoulder) began his rehab assignment in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League on Monday. Ryan has been sidelined on the 60-day injured list with right shoulder fatigue, but looked dominant in his return to the mound. Ryan tossed two scoreless innings with one walk and five strikeouts. It was a nice display for the club's No. 4 prospect per MLB Pipeline. In his previous two seasons on the farm, Ryan has worked mostly as a starting pitcher with a career-high 104 1/3 innings in 2023. The Dodgers are likely to bring him back slowly and he could be an option out of the bullpen this summer, but long-term, Ryan projects as a starting pitcher. As one of the better arms in a strong Dodgers system, Ryan remains a name for dynasty league managers to consider past this season.

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Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop and No. 1 prospect Jordan Lawlar is nearing a return to Triple-A Reno. Lawlar returned to action this past Friday after missing the entire season after undergoing surgery on his right thumb. Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo alluded to the fact that Lawlar will need to shake off some rust, but should find himself back in the big leagues when he is healthy. Lawlar, 21, is one of the most exciting prospects in the game and offers five-tool potential. The youngster made his big-league debut in 2023 for the Diamondbacks, but struggled with four hits in 31 at-bats. It was a very small sample size for Lawlar and managers shouldn't put too much stock into that performance. As one of the top prospects in the game, managers in all formats should be keeping tabs on his return as he has the ability to be a difference maker down the stretch. Once he returns, expect Kevin Newman and Blaze Alexander to see less playing time.

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After completing his rehab assignment, Cleveland Guardians pitching prospect Joey Cantillo has been reassigned to Triple-A Columbus. The left-hander had a nice spring before being sidelined with a strained hamstring. According to MLB Pipeline, Cantillo is the Guardians No. 10 prospect, moving up from No.19 in 2023. Cantillo has performed well in his professional career, but injuries have held him back. Cantillo rolled through the lower levels of the system, but had his worst ERA of his career at 4.64 for Columbus in 20 game (18 starts) last season. Cantillo has been an exciting strike thrower for the Guardians, but he will need to maintain his health first and foremost. If he is able to stay on the hill, there is a chance he gets the call to the big leagues sometime this summer.

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Houston Astros DH Yordan Alvarez turned in a big game in a 7-4 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday. Alvarez went 2-for-3 with a double, a homer, a walk, two runs, and two RBI to help power Houston to the win. The veteran slugger is putting together another excellent season, hitting .287 with 12 doubles, 12 homers, 32 runs, 27 RBI, and three steals across 230 at-bats. Alvarez has been red-hot at the plate lately, batting .462 with three homers over his past seven games. He should be an everyday fixture in fantasy lineups.

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Cincinnati Reds outfielder Will Benson turned in an excellent night at the plate in a 13-3 win over the Colorado Rockies on Monday. Benson went 2-for-3 with a triple, two runs, and three RBI to help power Cincy to the blowout win. The 25-year-old outfielder has struggled this season, posting just a .205 batting average along with eight homers, 20 runs, 20 RBI, and eight steals across 176 at-bats. That being said, he's showing signs of life of late, hitting .385 over his past seven contests. With a skillset that blends power and speed, Benson is worth rostering in deeper fantasy leagues moving forward.

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Los Angeles Angels right-hander Carlos Estevez threw a scoreless ninth inning to preserve a 2-1 win over the San Diego Padres on Monday. Estevez needed just 10 pitches to send the Padres down in order on the way to earning his ninth save of the season. The 31-year-old has had an up-and-down season as the Angels' closer as he has a 4.50 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and 18 strikeouts over 18 innings of work with three blown saves. While his ERA is an eyesore, Estevez is a source for saves and strikeouts and, as such, is worth a roster spot in fantasy leagues moving forward.

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San Diego Padres right-hander Matt Waldron turned in a solid performance in a 2-1 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Monday. Waldron allowed just one run on two hits over 6 1/3 innings while striking out four and walking none. The right-hander emerged from the outing with a no-decision, keeping his record at 3-5 on the year. Waldron has been a pleasant surprise for the Padres this season, posting a 3.98 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and 64 strikeouts over 63 1/3 innings of work. Since getting tagged for seven earned runs by the Arizona Diamondbacks back on May 5, Waldron has allowed just six total earned runs in his five subsequent starts. Waldron will look to stay hot in his next start, which is scheduled for Saturday against Arizona.

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San Francisco Giants outfielder Heliot Ramos stayed hot in his team's 4-2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday. Ramos went 2-for-4 with a solo homer in the losing effort, with his blast traveling 420 feet with an exit velocity of 105.8 MPH. The 24-year-old is off to a nice start for the Giants in 2024, hitting .295 with four homers, 10 runs, 17 RBI, and one steal across 88 at-bats. He's been swinging a hot bat of late, hitting .346 with two homers over his past seven contests. Ramos is worth a look in deeper fantasy leagues moving forward.

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St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Alec Burleson made his only hit count in a 7-4 loss to the Houston Astros on Monday. Burleson went 1-for-5 with a solo homer in the loss. The shot came off Justin Verlander in the first inning and traveled 363 feet with an exit velocity of 100.6 MPH. Burleson has shown some power this season, with seven homers across 170 at-bats for the Cards. Overall, he's batting .271 with 16 runs, 21 RBI, and two steals. Thanks to his solid contributions across the board, Burleson is worth starting in fantasy in favorable matchups moving forward.

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St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Kyle Gibson turned in a solid start in a 7-4 loss to the Houston Astros on Monday. Gibson allowed three runs on five hits over five innings while striking out eight and walking three. He managed to escape with a no-decision in the start, holding his record at 4-2 on the year. Gibson's eight strikeouts fell just one short of his season-high of nine which he set back on April 30 against the Detroit Tigers. Overall, Gibson has a 3.69 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, and 60 strikeouts over 70 2/3 innings of work in his first season with the Cardinals. He is worth a look as a streaming option in fantasy when he has favorable matchups.

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Baltimore Orioles right-hander Grayson Rodriguez turned in a quality start in a 7-2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday. Rodriguez allowed two runs (one earned) on seven hits over 6 2/3 innings while striking out four on the way to earning the win. The 24-year-old hurler has been excellent for the Orioles this season, posting a 6-2 record, 3.28 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, and 65 strikeouts over 57 2/3 innings of work. Rodriguez should remain in fantasy lineups for his next start, which is scheduled to come against the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday.

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Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman struggled in a 7-2 loss to the Baltimore Orioles on Monday. Gausman allowed six runs on six hits over 6 1/3 innings while striking out three and walking one. The veteran hurler struggled to keep the ball in the yard on Monday as he served up three homers to Baltimore batters on the way to taking the loss. The rough outing drops Gausman's record to 4-4, to go along with a 4.60 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, and 59 strikeouts over 60 2/3 innings of work. He will look to get back on track in his next start, which is scheduled for Saturday against the Oakland A's.

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Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Pavin Smith was the hero in his team's 4-2 win over the San Francisco Giants on Monday. Smith hit a pinch-hit, walk-off two-run homer in the ninth inning to propel Arizona to the win over the Giants. The blast traveled 424 feet and had an exit velocity of 105.7 MPH. Smith is now hitting .255 with two homers, eight runs, and 13 RBI across 47 at-bats in 2024. He will look to stay hot moving forward.

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Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Ryne Nelson turned in a quality start in a 4-2 win over the San Francisco Giants on Monday. Nelson held San Francisco to two runs on six hits over 7 2/3 innings while striking out one and walking none but had to settle for a no-decision. While he didn't rack up the strikeouts, Nelson's strong performance is worth taking note of in fantasy. Nelson now has a 3-4 record, 5.44 ERA, 1.60 WHIP, and 32 strikeouts across 48 innings of work in 2024. He will look to stay hot in his next start, which is set for Saturday against the San Diego Padres.

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New York Mets relief pitcher Jake Diekman immediately bounced back by earning his second save of the season in Monday's 8-7 game against the Nationals. Adam Ottavino started the bottom of the ninth inning with a three-run lead, but he gave way to Diekman after giving up a run and loading the bases while getting just one out. Diekman got the second out on a sacrifice fly and ended the game with a strikeout. The Mets' bullpen has been up in the air since Edwin Diaz (shoulder) was placed on the injured list. Both Ottavino and Diekman have seen save opportunities in the last seven days, but neither has pitched well lately. Ottavino has more closing experience, but Diekman has pitched better overall with a 4.12 ERA, a 12.36 K/9 rate, and a 6.41 BB/9 rate. As such, both players are worth a look in deep roto leagues but neither instills a ton of confidence.

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Baltimore Orioles outfielder/designated hitter Anthony Santander continued to heat up in Monday's 7-2 win over the Blue Jays, going 2-for-4 with a single, a two-run home run, and a strikeout. The 29-year-old pulled a second-inning Kevin Gausman fastball just over the right-field wall for his 11th HR of the season. Santander's power numbers for the season are as expected but his .223 batting average leaves something to be desired. Fortunately for fantasy managers, he has been heating up lately, batting .346 with a pair of homers in his last seven games. Hopefully, he can continue to run with his hot streak.

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New York Mets third baseman Mark Vientos continued his encouraging season in Monday's 8-7 win over the Nationals, going 2-for-3 with a single, a solo home run, and two walks. The 24-year-old ambushed a fourth-inning MacKenzie Gore fastball and deposited it into the center-field bullpen for his fifth HR of the season. Vientos has started to earn regular playing time by producing offensively with a .339/.409/.661 slash line and 10 RBI in 66 plate appearances. Fantasy managers in re-draft leagues should be cautious with Vientos until he proves he can produce consistently, but his power promise as a prospect has started to show at the big leagues.

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New York Mets middle infielder Jose Iglesias had a nice day at the plate in Monday's 8-7 win over the Nationals. Iglesias went 3-for-4 with three singles, an RBI, and a stolen base. The 34-year-old veteran was called up from Triple-A Syracuse last Friday and has gone 5-for-11 while playing at both second base and shortstop. Iglesias has been a useful fantasy player at times throughout his career and put together a respectable .273/.309/.442 slash line in 175 plate appearances with Syracuse before getting called up. Fantasy managers should wait to see his role more clearly defined before considering him, but he may be able to earn playing time if he continues to hit well, given the Mets' struggles.

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Detroit Tigers catcher Jake Rogers provided all of his team's offense in Monday's 2-1 win over the Rangers. Rogers went 2-for-3 with a pair of solo home runs. The 29-year-old took Nathan Eovaldi deep to tie things up in the third inning and put his team ahead in the eighth with another HR off of Jose Leclerc. Rogers' season stats may not stand out, but he has hit well lately, batting .421 with four extra-base hits in his last seven games. Rogers is currently rostered in just one percent of leagues, making him worth a look in deeper two-catcher leagues.

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Recently called-up Detroit Tigers prospect Justyn-Henry Malloy went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts in Monday's 2-1 win over the Rangers. Malloy started at DH and hit sixth, but Tigers hitters were unable to get much going against Nathan Eovaldi and the Rangers relievers, totaling just four hits in all with two Jake Rogers solo home runs being all Detroit needed in this one. The 24-year-old will presumably get another shot to collect his first MLB hit on Tuesday against RHP Dane Dunning who has a 3.94 ERA and 1.20 WHIP on the season.

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