St. Louis Cardinals shortstop/outfielder Jose Barrero had a solid game at the plate in Monday's 6-3 win over the Pirates. The 27-year-old went 2-for-4 with a double, a solo home run, three RBI, and two strikeouts. Barrero turned on a third-inning Carmen Mlodzinski fastball, landing it into the left-field bullpen for his first homer of the season and first as a Cardinal. Barrero only has 14 plate appearances with the Cardinals but took advantage of the opportunity with Masyn Winn (ankle) out of the lineup with a left ankle sprain. Despite the strong game, he is slashing just .231/.286/.538 with a 35.7% strikeout rate and had not played in the big leagues since 2023.

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New York Yankees relief pitcher Devin Williams continued his dismal start to the season in Monday's 4-3 loss to the Padres. Williams came in to pitch the top of the eighth inning with a 3-0 lead. He got the first out on a strikeout, allowed a walk and a single, and got the second out on a strikeout. He then allowed another walk before being relieved by Luke Weaver, who allowed two more runs to score, one of which was charged to Williams. The 30-year-old, who has been an excellent reliever throughout his career, has already been removed as the team's closer and owns a 10.03 ERA, a 1.97 WHIP, and a 10.03 K/9 rate in 11 2/3 innings of work. While Williams could theoretically earn his way back into save opportunities, he will need to drastically turn things around to make that a potential chance. Ideally, fantasy managers could hold onto Williams on their bench to wait for that chance if they can afford the roster spot.

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Atlanta Braves starting pitcher AJ Smith-Shawver looked sharp in Monday's 4-0 win over the Reds. Smith-Shawver took a no-hitter into the eighth inning and finished the outing with eight innings pitched, one hit allowed, four walks allowed, and five strikeouts. The 22-year-old's first two starts of the season left something to be desired, but he has pitched better since and is now 2-2 with a 3.00 ERA, a 1.37 WHIP, a 9.00 K/9 rate, and a 4.33 BB/9 rate in five starts and 27 IP. Walks have still been an issue, but Smith-Shawver has shown that he is worth consideration in favorable matchups. His next scheduled start will be a great matchup at the Pirates.

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Chicago Cubs catcher Carson Kelly continued his torrid start to the season in Monday's 9-2 win over the Giants. Kelly went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and a strikeout. The 30-year-old jumped on a sixth-inning Hayden Birdsong hanging breaking pitch, sending it into the left-field seats. Kelly has been producing at a career-best rate so far, slashing .361/.500/.820 with eight HR and 23 RBI in 80 plate appearances. Kelly has split playing time with Miguel Amaya, who has produced decent offensive numbers. He also has not seen time as a designated hitter. However, he has started to earn a larger share of playing time behind the plate due to his hot bat.

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Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman had a historic night in Monday's 7-4 win over the Marlins. Freeman went 2-for-5 with a single and a two-run home run. The 35-year-old launched a third-inning Sandy Alcantara middle-middle fastball over the center-field wall for the 350th HR of his career. The milestone came amidst a great start to the season for the veteran, who is now slashing .337/.414/.663 with seven HR and 23 RBI in 99 plate appearances. He has yet to steal a base, but fantasy managers would probably be ok with trading some of his stolen bases for extra power production. He will look to keep things going for the remainder of the series against a weak Marlins pitching staff.

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Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Cole Ragans (groin) looked perfectly healthy in Monday's 3-0 win over the White Sox. Ragans was pushed back from his normal rotation due to a groin strain, but he tossed five excellent innings, allowing three hits and two walks with 11 strikeouts. The 27-year-old's ERA has been a little higher than fantasy managers would expect, but he is now 2-1 with a 3.79 ERA, a 1.15 WHIP, and an impressive 14.38 K/9 rate in seven starts and 35 2/3 IP. He will face a tough matchup in his next scheduled start, which will be at home against the Red Sox. Even with the slightly inflated ERA, Ragans' strikeout potential makes him a start in all leagues.

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Boston Red Sox outfield prospect Roman Anthony went 3-for-5 with three singles, an RBI, and a stolen base for Triple-A Worcester on Sunday, pushing his batting average back up to .305 to go along with a .933 OPS, a .418 wOBA, and a .151 wRC+. Just when it looks like Red Sox outfielder Wilyer Abreu looks like he's going cold, he hammers out a three-hit day, which is what he did yet again on Sunday after a 1-for-15 stretch at the plate, staving off Anthony for a bit longer. MLB's No. 1 prospect is still expected to debut within the next few weeks, and he remains a high-priority stash in most leagues as he has the potential to be a four-category contributor who should be able to sprinkle in some stolen bases as well.

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Milwaukee Brewers pitching prospect Jacob Misiorowski allowed just one earned run in his latest start on Saturday for Triple-A Nashville despite allowing five hits and four walks over six innings of work. The righty struck out five batters, and perhaps most importantly, threw 92 pitches in the outing, which would be enough to be considered fully stretched out for major league work. The 6-foot-7 hurler now owns a 1.77 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, and an 18.6 percent K-BB% through seven starts (35 2/3 IP), making a strong case for a call-up to the majors. The former second-round draft pick has been named International League Player of the Week twice already this season, and with the Brewers a bit thin in the starting rotation, the team's fourth-ranked prospect will likely be in the big leagues within the next month or so. A 14.2 percent walk rate during his minor league career is concerning and could eventually push him to the bullpen, but he'll likely break in as a starter, bringing along with him a 32.0 percent career strikeout rate, which would make him an intriguing waiver add in deep leagues when he gets the call.

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Washington Nationals third base prospect Brady House has been hitting well for Triple-A Rochester so far this year, slashing .293/.353/.488 with seven doubles, a triple, and five home runs over 32 games (136 PA). The former first-round draft pick is making a push for a big league debut. With Paul DeJong not expected to return from the IL until around the All-Star break, Jose Tena and Amed Rosario have been manning the hot corner for the Nats, but Rosario can be used all over the field and Tena is batting just .231 with zero home runs while currently mired in an 0-for-13 slump over his last four games. House could make it to the majors by the end of the month, and although the 29.4 percent strikeout rate should give fantasy managers pause, he could provide some power for managers in deep leagues desperate for home runs and RBI.

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Cincinnati Reds outfielder Rece Hinds homered for the seventh time this season in a 3-for-6 day at the plate for Triple-A Louisville on Sunday. The former second-round draft pick has his season-long slash line up to .274/.338/.521 with 31 RBI, 25 runs scored, and 12 steals through 32 games (134 PA), and could be knocking on the door to the majors again, especially with the Reds' recent call-up Tyler Callihan suffering a broken forearm on Monday against the Braves. Fantasy managers might remember the right-handed hitter's power binge when he was called up in 2024, collecting five home runs in his first six major league games, although it came with a 31.4 percent strikeout rate overall and no home runs over his final 16 games for Cincinnati. Power-needy managers in deep leagues will want to keep a close eye on this one, especially due to the 6-foot-3 slugger's potential to add some stolen bases along with the power.

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Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Zebby Matthews showed off his swing-and-miss stuff during a start against the Columbus Clippers on Sunday. Matthews went four innings, allowing two runs on seven hits while striking out five batters in a no-decision. The right-hander has struggled during his last two starts, but the five punchouts is nice to see. Despite his recent struggles, Matthews still holds a 2.30 ERA with 34 strikeouts with Triple-A St. Paul this season. There is still a good chance that we see Matthews on the big league mound at some point this season. However, he'll likely need to clean it up a bit before the Twins decide to bring him into their rotation.

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Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Justin Martinez (shoulder) was recently placed on the 15-day injured list. The right-hander is dealing with right shoulder inflammation, but hopefully he won't be sidelined for too long. He underwent additional imaging that didn't show any significant damage. That being said, Martinez is reportedly going to begin a throwing program this week. It's unclear if Martinez will need to go on a rehab assignment before returning. He isn't eligible to return until the middle of May, so it wouldn't be shocking to see Martinez throw a few minor league games. In the meantime, the D-Backs are likely going to use a committee approach at the closer which involves Ryan Thompson, Shelby Miller, Jalen Beeks, and Kevin Ginkel.

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Cincinnati Reds infielder Tyler Callihan (forearm) was forced to exit early during Monday's game against the Atlanta Braves. Callihan suffered a broken left forearm when he collided into the wall while trying to make a catch in the third inning. This is terrible news as Callihan is going to miss significant time from this injury. He got called up to the big leagues last week and was only playing in his fourth big league game before suffering this injury. The organization should give a timetable at a later time, but fantasy managers in redraft formats should probably go ahead and look for another option. Callihan isn't going to be in the lineup anytime soon, which is a shame considering he's a promising young player that could be a legitimate contributor on this roster.

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Athletics third baseman Gio Urshela is out of the starting lineup ahead of Monday's game against the Seattle Mariners. This appears to be a regular rest day for Urshela who has been hot at the plate recently. Over the last 10 games, Urshela has a batting average over .300 with 11 hits and four runs knocked in. He got off to a slow start, but Urshela is finally getting the bat going at the plate. In his absence, Miguel Andujar will get the start at the hot corner and bat cleanup versus right-hander Bryce Miller. Andujar doesn't see enough playing time to warrant rostering in most fantasy formats.

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Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernandez (hamstring) left Monday's series opener against the hosting Miami Marlins early due to left-hamstring tightness, according to the team. Before leaving the game early, Hernandez was 2-for-2 with an RBI for the Blue. Andy Pages shifted from center field to right field, while Chris Taylor entered the game to play center field for L.A. Losing Hernandez for any amount of time would be a big blow for fantasy managers. The 32-year-old Dominican veteran came into Monday's action hitting an impressive .305/.323/.586 with a .909 OPS, nine home runs, nine doubles, a league-leading 33 RBI, four stolen bases and 21 runs scored in 32 games. Check back for an update on Hernandez's condition later Monday or Tuesday morning. If he's forced to miss time, Taylor figures to be the biggest beneficiary of playing time in the Dodgers' outfield.

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Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Corbin Burnes (shoulder) threw on flat ground on Monday before the team's series opener at Chase Field against the visiting New York Mets. Burnes then spoke with trainer Ryan DiPanfilo and pitching coach Brian Kaplan, which ended with a fist bump. The D-backs kept the 30-year-old veteran from making his scheduled start on Monday against the Met after he worked his way through right-shoulder fatigue in his last two outings. It sounds as though his throwing session went well on Monday, though, and the team remains optimistic that he won't need to go on the injured list. The four-time All-Star only allowed four runs (two earned) with eight walks and 11 K's in 11 1/3 innings while being less than 100% in his last two starts against the Rays and Mets. Overall, he has a 3.58 ERA and 1.38 WHIP with 28 K's in 32 2/3 innings over his first six starts. Burnes is a must-start in fantasy when he's on the mound.

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Seattle Mariners right-hander George Kirby (shoulder) made his first minor-league rehab start on Sunday for Triple-A Tacoma and allowed just one earned run on a solo homer while walking none and striking out four in three innings of work. It was the first time that Kirby had taken the mound since Feb. 26 in spring training due to a right-shoulder injury. The 27-year-old was able to throw 33 of his 42 pitches for strikes while topping out at 97.8 mph. Barring a setback with his shoulder injury, the Mariners are expecting Kirby to need only two or three rehab starts before he comes off the 15-day injured list for his 2025 season debut. The former 20th overall pick in 2019 out of Elon University was a first-time All-Star in 2023 and hasn't posted an ERA over 3.53 in any of his three MLB seasons. Kirby has impeccable control but a below-average 23.3% strikeout rate. Still, he needs to be rostered in all fantasy leagues.

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Athletics second baseman Zack Gelof (ribs, wrist) was pulled from his minor-league rehab assignment du to a stress reaction in his ribs and has been shut down from swinging for the time being, according to MLB.com's Martin Gallegos. Gelof was forced to start the 2025 season on the injured list after having surgery on his right wrist, but he had started a rehab assignment in the minors last week. The 25-year-old went 1-for-7 with an RBI, two runs scored, a walk and two strikeouts in just three rehab games with Triple-A Las Vegas before suffering a new injury. Stress reactions can be quite serious, so there's no telling how long he'll be shut down from swinging a bat, or when he'll be able to return to his rehab assignment. Depending on how long Gelof is away from Vegas, he might not be able to make his season debut for the A's until June.

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Seattle Mariners outfielder Randy Arozarena (hamstring) is absent from the starting lineup for Monday's series opener in Sacramento against the division-rival Athletics. Miles Mastrobuoni is starting in left field and will hit sixth, while Rhylan Thomas is manning right field and batting out of the nine-hole against A's right-hander Luis Severino. A hamstring forced Arozarena from Sunday's game early against the Texas Rangers, so fantasy managers shouldn't be all that surprised that he's out on Monday. The good news is that the 30-year-old veteran is expected to be back for the second game of the series on Tuesday. Arozarena is hitting just .224 (26-for-116) on the year with five homers, 18 RBI, eight steals and 16 runs scored, but he's gone 10-for-33 (.303) with a homer, RBI and two steals in nine games since April 23 and is on a modest four-game hitting streak.

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The New York Mets announced on Monday that they placed outfielder Jesse Winker (oblique) on the 10-day injured list with a right-oblique strain and recalled infielder Brett Baty from Triple-A Syracuse in a corresponding move. Winker injured his right oblique in Sunday's first game of a doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals and was sent back to New York for additional testing. Sunday's contest was the first time that the 31-year-old veteran had started in the outfield this year, and he tweaked his oblique trying to throw out a runner at the plate on a sacrifice fly. With Winker out, the Mets are expected to lean more on veteran Starling Marte in the designated hitter spot. Marte is the DH and is batting cleanup for Monday's series opener against the hosting Arizona Diamondbacks. In 24 games, Winker was batting a very mediocre .239/.321/.418 with a homer, 10 RBI and eight runs scored in 78 trips to the plate.

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