The Oakland Athletics acquired right-hander Brandon Bielak from the Houston Astros on Thursday in exchange for cash considerations. The move comes after the Astros had designated Bielak for assignment. The 28-year-old will stay in the American League West and will take his 5.71 ERA and 1.76 WHIP in 17 1/3 relief innings to the Bay Area. Bielak has spent all five of his big-league seasons with the Astros since debuting in the big leagues in 2020. Over that time, he's posted a 4.65 ERA (5.25 FIP), a 1.52 WHIP, one save, 85 walks and 155 strikeouts in 191 2/3 innings over 70 appearances (21 starts). Bielak has some starting experience, but he's unlikely to be used as anything more than a spot starter with the A's when their rotation needs some help.

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The Los Angeles Angels reinstated infielder Luis Rengifo (illness) from the 10-day injured list on Thursday and optioned infielder Niko Goodrum and right-hander Davis Daniel to Triple-A Salt Lake after Wednesday night's game in a corresponding move. Rengifo missed over a week with a viral illness that caused painful blisters on his feet. Now that the 27-year-old is recovered, he should return to everyday duties at third base for the Halos, starting on Friday for their series opener against the Rangers in Texas. Rengifo is due some regression after starting the year with a .330/.378/.462 slash line with two home runs and nine stolen bases in 28 games, but the fact that he's going to play regularly makes him at least a middle-infield bench option in deep-mixed fantasy leagues. He's most useful for his speed in AL-only formats.

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Houston Astros right-hander Luis Garcia (elbow) threw another bullpen session on Wednesday as he continues to rehab from Tommy John surgery that he had in May of 2023. Garcia started throwing bullpens in April and is taking a slow progression to eventually go out on a minor-league rehab assignment. The expectation is that he will be able to rejoin Houston's starting rotation at some point in the middle of the season. The 27-year-old will mostly likely not be activated from the injured list until the second half of the season after the All-Star break in mid-July. When healthy, Garcia has been quite intriguing for fantasy managers because of his ability to create plenty of swings and misses. However, given his long layoff, you should temper expectations for him in 2024 as he returns from Tommy John surgery.

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Houston Astros infielder Zach Dezenzo (wrist), the team's No. 5 prospect per MLB Pipeline, was limited in major-league camp during spring training with a wrist injury and remains on a slow rehab plan. Dezenzo appeared in 31 games last year at High-A Asheville and 63 games for Double-A Corpus Christi, where he hit .257 with 14 home runs and 41 RBI as a third baseman. The 24-year-old opened the year on Corpus Christi's seven-day injured list. Despite the power he displayed at Double-A last year, Dezenzo also struck out nearly 30 percent of the time. He has above-average raw power from the right side of the plate that could allow him to hit 30-plus home runs over a full season. Dezenzo's primary goal right now is just getting healthy, though.

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Houston Astros outfielder Chas McCormick (hamstring) played in his second straight minor-league rehab game on Wednesday with Double-A Corpus Christi and went 0-for-4 as the designated hitter. McCormick went 0-for-2 in five innings in center field on Tuesday after going 2-for-5 in his first rehab game on Sunday for Triple-A Sugar Land. He'll have the day off on Thursday before playing for Corpus Christi again on Friday. If the 29-year-old outfielder comes out of Friday's game fine, there's a good chance the Astros will reinstate him from the injured list and have him available for Saturday's contest against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers. When he returns to the majors, McCormick will continue to battle for playing time in Houston's outfield as a platoon option. Through his first 72 at-bats in 2024, he's hit .236 (17-for-72) and is still searching for his first home run.

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Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Taylor Walls (hip) has started a spring training-type progression at the team's spring complex in Port Charlotte, Fla., which will take about two weeks before he starts getting into games. Manager Kevin Cash said the team received a "very good report" from Walls' visit with Dr. J.W. Thomas Byrd on April 1. But given the amount of time that Walls has missed, it's likely he'll have to recreate a progression similar to spring training when he returns to game action. He was transferred to the 60-day injured list on April 20 after having surgery on Oct. 27 of last year to fix a labral tear and to relieve discomfort from an impingement in his right hit. It's something that Walls had been dealing with for more than a year. It's unclear what Walls' role will be when he eventually returns to the majors, but it's likely to be a bench role.

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New York Yankees infielder DJ LeMahieu (foot) will do a full workout on Thursday at Double-A Somerset with the expectation being that he will start his minor-league assignment on Friday. LeMahieu went on a rehab assignment in the minors last month before being shut down after just one game due to renewed soreness in his right foot, so hopefully this time around he'll be able to get through a handful of games and then be activated from the injured list in order to make his 2024 debut in the Bronx. The Yankees surely won't rush the 35-year-old veteran back to the majors, but when he's ready, he figures to be the team's primary option at the hot corner despite a disappointing performance at the plate in 2023.

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Washington Nationals outfield prospect Dylan Crews went 3-for-5 at the plate on Wednesday with two doubles and four RBI. After starting off slow at Double-A with a .224/.296/.367 slash line through April, the top prospect in Washington has bounced back with a strong showing through the first half of May. Since May 1, the 22-year-old has a .303/.400/.636 line with one long ball and a solid 6:10 BB:K. This is an excellent sign for the former LSU Tiger, as he is now clearly settled in at Double-A and showcasing his elite talent. MLB Pipeline ranked Crews as the No. 7 prospect in all of baseball in their updated rankings earlier this month and projects him to reach the major leagues this season. The former No. 2 overall selection in the 2023 MLB draft should be rostered in all keeper and dynasty leagues and could be worth stashing in redraft formats when he is promoted to Triple-A.

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Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Chris Devenski (knee) is throwing pain-free bullpen sessions and will soon face hitters in live batting practice at the team's spring complex in Port Charlotte, Fla. Devenski landed on the injured list on April 29 (retroactive to April 26) with right-knee tendinitis. Devenski said he was optimistic that he wouldn't miss much time. An MRI exam on April 30 revealed what manager Kevin Cash called "pretty strong patella tendinitis." The 33-year-old swingman is now ramping up his throwing program and could return to the Rays before the end of May, barring any setbacks with his knee. When he's healthy enough to be reinstated from the injured list, Devenski will return to a relief role for Tampa. He's not on the fantasy radar, though, and was sporting a 7.71 ERA and 1.79 WHIP with 11 K's and six walks in 14 innings before his injury.

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Colorado Rockies outfielder Nolan Jones (back) started his minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Albuquerque on Wednesday and went 0-for-3 with an RBI and a strikeout for the Isotopes while playing five innings in left field. It was the 26-year-old's first game since going on the 10-day injured list in late April with a lower-back strain. If Jones doesn't suffer any setbacks in the minors, he should be ready to return to the big-league roster pretty soon, possibly as early as this weekend against the Giants in San Francisco. The former second-round pick of the Cleveland Guardians in 2016 hit nearly .300 in 2023 with 20 homers and 20 stolen bases, so his power/speed combination makes him intriguing in all fantasy formats, especially playing half his games at hitter-friendly Coors Field. His fantasy managers will be hoping he can turn around his slow start in 2024 when he's activated, as he's currently slashing .170/.243/.277 with a homer and seven RBI in 26 games.

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Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Ryan Pepiot (leg) was placed on the 15-day injured list after being struck by a line drive against the Mets on May 5, but he said he felt good after throwing a bullpen session off the mound on Sunday. Pepiot threw another bullpen on Tuesday and expects to spend "minimal time" on the IL. He made the road trip to Boston and Toronto with the team, and manager Kevin Cash said Pepiot will throw another bullpen session or a simulated game on the road "to simulate some sort of up-down." If Pepiot comes out of that good, he could return to the Rays' starting rotation. The 26-year-old isn't dealing with an arm injury, so he should return from the IL when he's eligible, and he could make his next start at home against either the Boston Red Sox or Kansas City Royals. The former third-round pick of the Dodgers in 2019 out of Butler is currently 3-2 this year with a 3.68 ERA and 0.93 WHIP with 41 K's in 36 2/3 innings over seven starts.

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Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton (knee) will play another minor-league rehab game with Triple-A St. Paul on Thursday, and if all goes well, he'll be back from the injured list to rejoin the Twins on Saturday against the Cleveland Guardians. Buxton went 0-for-3 while playing seven innings in center field on Wednesday in his first rehab game with St. Paul and should be cleared to return to the big leagues if he gets through one more game with the Saints on Thursday. The 30-year-old oft-injured outfielder has already had surgery on the same knee twice and has been sidelined with right-knee inflammation since early May. Fantasy managers should expect the Twins to ease Buxton back into the fold when he returns, but if his knee cooperates, he'll eventually return to starting duties in center field.

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New York Yankees top prospect Jasson Dominguez (elbow) will be optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and not rejoin the Yankees as a starting center fielder or bench player when he completes his rehab assignment in his recovery from Tommy John surgery. Dominguez's 20-day rehab assignment will be up on June 4. The 21-year-old is rusty after having surgery last Sept. 20 and then rehabbing with no games for almost eight months, so he's understandably rusty, and the Yankees may choose not to bring him to the majors at all in 2024. At the very minimum, Dominguez needs a month of building up since he didn't play at all in spring training. As the DH for Low-A Tampa on Tuesday in his first rehab game, the young switch-hitter went 1-for-3 with a walk in four trips to the plate. He will DH for about two weeks and then start playing in center field. Despite this news, the guy they call the Martian still deserves to be stashed in most fantasy leagues.

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Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Bryan Woo picked up his first win of the season in Wednesday's 4-2 win over the Royals. The righty went five-and-a-third innings in his second start off the IL, allowing one earned run on three hits and one walk while striking out five. In his two starts, the 24-year-old has allowed just one earned run in nine-and-two-thirds IP with a 0.62 WHIP. After a solid debut in 2023 and a couple of strong spring starts, it was disappointing to see Woo head to the IL before the season began, but managers who held on to the pitcher are now being rewarded for their patience. He'll have a tough road test his next turn through the rotation, as Woo takes on the Yankees in New York on Tuesday.

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Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Griffin Canning earned his second win of the year on Wednesday in a 7-2 victory over the Cardinals. Canning went six innings, allowing just one earned run on five hits and three walks while striking out five. The lone run came on a solo shot off the bat of Paul Goldschmidt. After a rough start to the season, Canning has pitched well in his three May starts, posting a 1.53 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, a 6:13 BB:K, and limiting opponents to a .190 batting average. His May LOB% of 98.7% is not sustainable though, so he's probably due for some regression. We'll see if he can keep it up as the 28-year-old will take on Houston on the road in his next start.

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San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Logan Webb picked up his fourth win of the season on Wednesday in a 4-1 victory over the Dodgers. Webb threw six shutout innings, allowing just three hits and three walks (also one HBP) while striking out five. The 27-year-old now has a 3.03 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, and a 12.0% K-BB% on the year. While the low strikeout rate is a bit disappointing (18.7%) and his walks are up over last year (6.8% vs 3.6%), he's limited batters to just two home runs in 59 1/3 IP. The righty will take on a Pittsburgh team on the road his next time out. The Pirates have scored the fifth-fewest runs in the league to this point.

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Chicago Cubs outfielder Mike Tauchman went 2-for-5 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 7-1 win over the Braves. Tauchman's homer set the tone of the game early, as it came on the first pitch of the game off Braves starter Charlie Morton. The 33-year-old had a solid start to the season, hitting .307 in April with three of his four home runs coming during the month, but so far is hitting just .208 in May. He's still making good contact (80.8% Contact%), walking a lot (16.0% BB%), and his 26 runs scored puts him just one behind the likes of Freddie Freeman (27), so hopefully this is just a cold spell for him and Wednesday's homer gets him back on track.

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Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jon Gray improved to 2-1 on the season after throwing 6 1/3 shutout innings in Wednesday's 4-0 victory over the Guardians. The 32-year-old allowed just four hits and two walks while striking out three. The outing was his fourth straight quality start and lowered his ERA to 2.08. Removing the righty's first start of the season (five earned runs allowed) from the equation, Gray has a 1.30 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 0.19 HR/9, and boasts a 20.0% K-BB% over his last nine appearances (eight starts). He'll be put to the test in his next start, which is against one of the hottest teams in baseball, the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park next Tuesday.

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Tampa Bay Rays reliever Kevin Kelly picked up his first save of the season on Wednesday, pitching a scoreless ninth to preserve the 4-3 victory over the Red Sox. Closer Pete Fairbanks pitched the eighth inning, which included both Rafael Devers and Tyler O'Neill, while Kelly was tasked with disposing of the bottom of the order. Kelly has some good numbers on the season, with a 3.06 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, and a fantastic 1:17 BB:K, but don't expect the saves to come with regularity. If you are in desperate need of saves, Kelly can be picked up and could help your peripherals in the meantime, but he's likely competing with Jason Adam (save on Monday) for Fairbanks' leftovers, while Fairbanks owners potentially lose out.

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Los Angeles Dodgers outfield prospect Josue De Paula hit his first home run of the season for Single-A Rancho Cucamonga on Wednesday. De Paula, 18, is a consensus Top-100 prospect and another potential big asset for the star-studded Dodgers. De Paula got off to a slow start this season, but has gotten going lately and has nine doubles and two triples to go along with 11 stolen bases over his first 25 games. Although he isn't going to help managers in 2024 or even 2025, the 6'3, right-handed offers good bat speed and his power should continue to grow as his body fills out. With the ability to help across the board, dynasty managers should consider De Paula, even though it may be a while until he is able to help at the big-league level.

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