Colorado Rockies outfielder Brenton Doyle will get the day off for Friday's series opener at Petco Park against the division-rival San Diego Padres. With Doyle starting on the bench, Mickey Moniak will start in center field and will hit ninth in the batting order versus Padres right-hander Nick Pivetta. Doyle is currently riding a modest seven-game hitting streak and is coming off a 3-for-5 performance with a double, home run and five RBI in Thursday's win over the Milwaukee Brewers. The 26-year-old rising star is off to a great start in 2025 and is currently slashing .302/.339/.528 with an .868 OPS, three home runs, 12 RBI, one run scored and one stolen base in 53 at-bats. Doyle can do it all and is a must-start in fantasy when he's active. Moniak will be a low-upside DFS play in the nine-hole in his return home to San Diego. He's gone 5-for-19 with a homer, two RBI and four runs in the early going for Colorado.

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Colorado Rockies shortstop Ezequiel Tovar (hip) is back at shortstop and is hitting third in the batting order for Friday's series opener against the division-rival San Diego Padres and right-hander Nick Pivetta at Petco Park. A minor hip injury kept Tovar out of Thursday's series finale in Colorado against the Milwaukee Brewers, but he'll return for the start of a weekend series in America's finest city. The 23-year-old will be hoping to keep up his strong start in 2025, as he'll enter Friday's contest with a .277/.306/.404 slash line, four doubles, one triple, four RBI, two stolen bases, four runs scored, two walks and 10 strikeouts in 11 games played. He has only faced Pivetta four times in his career, but he's homered against him and has driven in two runs. Return Tovar to your starting fantasy lineups on Friday evening.

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Washington Nationals first baseman Nathaniel Lowe (illness) has been scratched from the starting lineup for Friday's series opener against the division-rival Marlins in Miami because he's feeling under the weather, according to The Washington Post's Andrew Golden. Lowe didn't come out for batting practice, and Amed Rosario and Riley Adams were seen taking ground balls at first base. Josh Bell will make the start at first base and will bat fifth against Marlins right-hander Edward Cabrera, who is making his first start of the year. James Wood is the designated hitter and is batting second, while Alex Call will start in left field and hit sixth. Lowe already has three homers and nine RBI in his first 12 games with the Nats and will hopefully be back in action on Saturday in Miami. Bell, who is an all-or-nothing hitter, is batting .091 in 11 career at-bats against Cabrera with one homer and two RBI.

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Atlanta Braves right-hander Spencer Strider (elbow) will throw a bullpen session in Tampa on Sunday and then travel with the team to Toronto for their series against the Blue Jays next week. The Athletic's David O'Brien says that it sounds like Spencer Schwellenbach will make his next start on Tuesday on regular rest, with Strider coming off the injured list to make his season debut on Wednesday. Nothing is official yet, but Strider is primed to return to Atlanta's starting rotation after giving up two earned runs on five hits while walking five and striking out 27 in 13 2/3 frames over his three minor-league rehab starts for Triple-A Gwinnett. The 26-year-old All-Star got up to 90 pitches in his final rehab outing and should be fully stretched out for next week. He's coming off an internal-brace procedure on his right elbow last April, but Strider has the upside of a fantasy ace if he's right.

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Chicago White Sox general manager Chris Getz said that outfielder Mike Tauchman (hamstring) has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 right-hamstring strain and will likely be out for a "couple weeks." Tauchman was placed on the 10-day injured list on Thursday for already the second time this year, but this time the White Sox will give him more time to heal up. The 34-year-old left-handed-hitting veteran should return in at least the strong side of a platoon in left field for Chicago when he's cleared, but he should be expected to miss the rest of April. Despite his bum hamstring, Tauchman went 4-for-10 with a run scored in his first three games with the Pale Hose. In the meantime, expect the White Sox to try several players in left field, including Austin Slater, Brooks Baldwin, Joshua Palacios and Michael Taylor. Taylor is in left and is batting sixth on Friday against the Boston Red Sox.

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Minnesota Twins third baseman Jose Miranda is out of the team's starting lineup for Friday's series opener against the division-rival Detroit Tigers at Target Field. Miranda will be given a day to clear his head after a tough start to the season at the plate. The 26-year-old has gone just 5-for-35 (.143) with a homer, five RBI, no walks and 13 strikeouts in 35 trips to the plate over 11 games played. Willi Castro will get the start at the hot corner and will hit second, while Edouard Julien is at the keystone and is batting sixth against Tigers right-hander Reese Olson. The switch-hitting Castro will be the more attractive piece for DFS lineups, although he's hitting just .214 (9-for-42) with a homer, four RBI and four runs scored in the early going. He's hitless with an RBI in only two career at-bats against Olson. Julien has two hits and two RBI in 10 career at-bats versus Olson.

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The San Diego Padres announced on Friday that they placed infielder Jake Cronenworth (rib) on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to April 9) with a non-displaced right-rib fracture and selected the contract of infielder/outfielder Tyler Wade from Triple-A El Paso in a corresponding move. The team also moved right-hander Matt Waldron (oblique) to the 60-day injured list. Cronenworth was hit by a pitch in his ribs last Sunday against the Chicago Cubs and looked to be in a lot of pain while grounding out on Tuesday against the Athletics. It remains to be seen how long the 31-year-old will be out, but fantasy managers shouldn't be surprised if his absence extends beyond 10 days. In the meantime, the glove-first Jose Iglesias should see most of the playing time at the keystone in San Diego. Cronenworth was hitting .257 (9-for-35) with two homers, two doubles and five RBI through 12 games at the time of his injury.

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New York Mets second baseman Jeff McNeil (oblique) is starting his minor-league rehab assignment on Friday at Single-A St. Lucie and is batting leadoff. Catcher Francisco Alvarez (hand), who started his rehab assignment on Wednesday with St. Lucie, is batting in the two-hole. Barring setbacks, both McNeil and Alvarez could come off the injured list to make their season debuts at some point next week for the Mets. The 33-year-old McNeil has been out of action since suffering a strained right oblique in spring training, but when healthy, he figures to be New York's primary starter at the keystone. In his absence, the Mets have been using a platoon with Brett Baty and Luisangel Acuna. McNeil, a former batting champion in 2022, hit a career-worst .238 last year and never had much power to begin with, giving him a low floor and ceiling in fantasy if he's unable to rebound.

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Atlanta Braves catcher Sean Murphy is absent from the starting lineup for Friday's series opener against the Tampa Bay Rays at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Rookie Drake Baldwin will do the catching for right-hander Bryce Elder and will hit eighth against Rays right-hander Taj Bradley. Murphy had started the three previous games, including Thursday night's extra-inning affair against the Philadelphia Phillies that finished early in the morning in Atlanta after a lengthy rain delay. After starting the 2025 season on the injured list due to a rib injury, the 30-year-old backstop has come out strong offensively, going 3-for-11 with a homer, four RBI and two runs scored. Murphy should be back in action on Saturday for the Braves. Baldwin has intriguing long-term potential behind the dish in Atlanta, but he's gotten off to a 4-for-26 start at the plate in his first seven big-league games.

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Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto will head to the bench for Friday's series opener at Busch Stadium against the hosting St. Louis Cardinals after catching all 11 innings of Friday night's loss to the Atlanta Braves that was delayed by rain. With Realmuto on the bench, Rafael Marchan will catch right-hander Aaron Nola and will hit ninth against Cardinals right-hander Andre Pallante. The 34-year-old Realmuto should be back in the starting lineup for Game 2 of the series on Saturday. While it's not quite time to panic yet, Realmuto is still searching for his first home run of the year after 10 games played. He's gone 9-for-35 (.257) with a double, triple, three RBI, four steals, and two runs scored. Fantasy managers should be able to find better catching options in DFS than Marchan, who has gone 1-for-5 with an RBI and a run in the early going as a backup.

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Cincinnati Reds left-hander Andrew Abbott (shoulder) will be activated from the 15-day injured list to make his 2025 season debut on Saturday against the division-rival Pittsburgh Pirates at Great American Ball Park. Abbott wants to get off to a strong start and said the spin on his fastball was good during his minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Louisville, in which he allowed four earned runs on 10 hits (three homers) while walking five and striking out eight in two starts (10 innings). The 25-year-old southpaw is also excited about his new cutter becoming his fifth pitch. Abbott threw 92 pitches in his final rehab start, so he should be sufficiently stretched out, but he'll still be a risky deep-league streamer in his first start of the year after finally getting over shoulder issues that date back to last year. His strikeout rate will need to improve for him to become relevant in mixed fantasy leagues.

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Miami Marlins third base prospect Connor Norby (oblique) will start a minor-league rehab assignment on Saturday, according to MLB.com's Christina De Nicola. It's unclear where Norby will be playing or how long he might be on his rehab assignment, but it's notable progress for a player that hasn't seen game action since suffering a left-oblique strain in late March during spring training. When the 24-year-old is cleared on his rehab assignment, he's expected to be called up to the big leagues to serve as Miami's starting third baseman. The former second-rounder of the Baltimore Orioles in 2021 out of East Carolina hit .247/.315/.445 with seven homers and 17 RBI in 36 games for the Fish last year after being acquired in a trade with Baltimore. Strikeouts could be an issue, but Norby showed enough power/speed in the minors to be worth looking at in mixed fantasy leagues when he returns to the majors.

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The Kansas City Royals announced on Friday that they placed right-handed reliever Hunter Harvey (shoulder) on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to April 8) with a right teres-major strain and recalled right-hander Steven Cruz from Triple-A Omaha in a corresponding move. Harvey was diagnosed with a Grade 1 strain, which is the most mild, so he could be ready to return to the Royals' bullpen when his 15 days are up. Veteran Carlos Estevez has settled in as KC's closer early on in 2025, with Lucas Erceg serving as the primary late-inning setup man. With Harvey on the shelf for a little bit, expect John Schreiber to be leaned on more in high-leverage setup spots. Although he won't see many save chances, if any, Harvey is a key member of the Royals bullpen and had tossed 5 1/3 scoreless innings with no walks and seven K's in his first six outings this year.

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Miami Marlins outfielder Griffin Conine and first baseman Matt Mervis are both out of the starting lineup for Friday's series opener against the division-rival Washington Commanders at loanDepot Park with left-hander Mitchell Parker on the mound. Javier Sanoja is starting in left field and is hitting eighth, while Eric Wagaman is serving as the designated hitter and is batting cleanup against Parker. These moves won't register in most fantasy leagues. Conine has started his second year in the big leagues hitting .237 (9-for-38) with a homer, double and an RBI in 12 games played. Mervis, meanwhile has displayed some power (three homers, seven RBI) in 29 at-bats for those in deep NL-only leagues. Sanoja is still searching for his first career homer in his 23rd game, while Wagaman should be considered one of the weakest cleanup hitters on Friday's slate of action.

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The Miami Marlins announced on Friday that they placed catcher Nick Fortes (oblique) on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to April 10) with a left-oblique strain and selected the contract of catcher Rob Brantly from Triple-A Jacksonville in a corresponding move. Fortes will miss time with a Grade 1 left-oblique strain, which means Liam Hicks will be Miami's primary backstop moving forward. Hicks is batting seventh on Friday against the division-rival Washington Nationals. Brantly will serve as his backup until further notice. It's bad timing for the 28-year-old Fortes, as he opened the 2025 season hitting .300 (6-for-20) at the plate, albeit with no home runs, three RBI and only one run scored. Even though it's a minor oblique strain for Fortes, don't be surprised if he's forced to miss more than the 10 days on the IL.

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Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Enmanuel Valdez is starting at second base and is hitting leadoff for Friday's series opener at Great American Ball Park against the division-rival Cincinnati Reds and right-hander Brady Singer. Valdez will get a shot at leadoff with outfielder Oneil Cruz (finger) sitting out for the second straight game. The Pirates continue to experiment at the top of their batting order early in the 2025 season. The left-handed-hitting Valdez has started his first season with the Bucs by going just 3-for-17 with a double, triple, two RBI, a run scored, one walk and five strikeouts in seven games played. It will be his first start at the keystone this year with Adam Frazier in right field on Friday. Normally, Valdez will be a bench player for the Pirates, although he'll have deep-sleeper appeal in DFS on Friday in the leadoff spot against a pitcher he's never faced.

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San Francisco Giants outfielder Mike Yastrzemski has been moved up to the leadoff spot for Friday's series opener against the New York Yankees and right-hander Marcus Stroman in the Bronx after hitting a two-run, walk-off shot against the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday. Not only was Yastrzemski the hero the other day, but he's hitting .344 (11-for-32) with two homers, fix RBI, five runs scored and two stolen bases early on this season. Before moving up to the top spot in the batting order on Friday, Yaz had hit near the bottom half of the lineup this year. If he stays hot, he could stay in the leadoff spot against right-handed pitchers. First baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. will move down to sixth for the Giants on Friday. Yastrzemski now becomes a much more attractive DFS play despite the fact he's hit just .214 with one RBI in 14 career at-bats against Stroman.

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Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder/designated hitter Andrew McCutchen will start on the bench for Friday's series opener against the division-rival Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Adam Frazier is making the start in right field and will hit eighth against Reds right-hander Brady Singer. Bryan Reynolds (triceps) continues to serve as Pittsburgh's designated hitter, leaving the 38-year-old McCutchen as the odd-man out. The former MVP has gotten off to a .267 (8-for-30) start at the plate in his 17th big-league season, and he's added a homer, two doubles, five RBI and two runs scored in his 10 games played. Cutch should start to see more regular playing time as the DH whenever Reynolds is able to return to left-field duties. Frazier will be a low-upside DFS option at the bottom of Pittsburgh's lineup. He has hit .286 with one RBI in seven career at-bats against Singer.

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Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz (finger) remains out of the starting lineup for Friday's series opener against the division-rival Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Cruz was hit by a pitch on his finger on Tuesday against the St. Louis Cardinals and will sit out for the second straight day as a result. It's not considered a very serious injury, though, so fantasy managers should hopefully get Cruz back at some point over the weekend in Cincinnati. With Cruz out, Jack Suwinski is making another start in center field and will hit sixth against Reds right-hander Brady Singer. Suwinski will be a poor DFS play on Friday night. He's gone 3-for-25 in the early going and has never faced Singer in his career. Cruz has started the year hitting only .211 (8-for-38), but he does have two long balls, five RBI, five runs scored and a league-leading seven stolen bases.

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Cleveland Guardians outfielder Angel Martinez is making the start in center field and will bat seventh in Friday's series opener against the division-rival Kansas City Royals and left-hander Kris Bubic at Progressive Field. Nolan Jones has been starting in center the last few days with Lane Thomas (wrist) out of the lineup, but he'll take a seat on Friday with a southpaw on the mound in favor of Martinez. The 23-year-old switch-hitting Dominican will be making his 2025 debut after slashing .232/.298/.338 with three home runs, seven doubles, 11 RBI, three stolen bases, 15 walks and 33 strikeouts in his first 43 big-league games in Cleveland in 2024. Without much speed or power, Martinez lacks a ton of fantasy upside, but he'll likely remain with the Guardians while Thomas heals up after being hit by a pitch on Tuesday.

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