New York Yankees starting pitcher Clarke Schmidt (shoulder) made what is expected to be his final rehab start on Thursday. The right-hander looked excellent as he tossed four scoreless innings, allowing three hits, and striking out four batters with Double-A Somerset on Thursday. He needed only 61 pitches and was pounding the strike zone during this game. The expectation is that Schmidt is going to be activated from the injured list following this start. He has been out since spring training due to discomfort in his shoulder. Fantasy managers looking for pitching help should check the waiver wire and stash Schmidt if he's available.

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Baltimore Orioles right-handed pitcher Kyle Gibson logged 47 innings during his first start of the season with Triple-A Norfolk. Gibson pitched three 1/3 innings and allowed one run with three hits. He struck out four. Gibson signed a contract with the Orioles late in the spring and still needs time to increase his workload. However, with Zach Eflin (lat) hitting the injured list, the Orioles may promote Gibson to the majors sooner than previously expected. Last season, the 37-year-old logged 169 2/3 innings with the Cardinals and posted a 4.24 ERA with a 1.35 WHIP. Fantasy managers should expect the veteran to have a spot in the rotation once he is cleared to report to Baltimore. When he does return to the big leagues, he will have value in 15+ team formats as a high-floor option.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers have optioned catcher Hunter Feduccia to Triple-A Oklahoma City. The Dodgers are expected to activate first baseman Freddie Freeman (ankle) off the injured reserve on Friday. Freeman will take Feduccia's roster spot. The 27-year-old backstop only saw three plate appearances while replacing Freeman over the past week. He did not tally a hit over this span. Last summer, Feduccia made his MLB debut and held .333 AVG across his first five MLB games. Fantasy managers should expect Feduccia to push for another stint in the majors if he continues to perform well. Last summer, Feduccia held a strong .284/.409/.428 slash line with six round-trippers across 82 contests with Oklahoma City. Freeman should continue to be viewed as a must-start first baseman, but he may be given occasional rest days to maintain his ankle.

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The Chicago Cubs have designated right-handed pitcher Caleb Kilian for assignment. This transaction opened a roster spot for left-handed pitcher Tom Cosgrove from the San Diego Padres for cash considerations. Kilian was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the eighth round of the 2019 MLB Draft. He was traded to Chicago in the deal that sent Kris Bryant to the Bay Area in 2021. The 27-year-old has only logged 27 1/3 career innings in the major leagues and has posted an underwhelming 9.22 ERA with a 2.01 WHIP. He has struck out 21 batters and has walked 20. Through 274 career innings at Triple-A, Kilian posted a 4.37 ERA with a 1.40 WHIP. Kilian will report back to Triple-A Iowa if he does not draw interest on waivers.

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New York Yankees left-handed pitcher Tyler Matzek (oblique) was activated off the 7-day injured list on Wednesday. The southpaw was sidelined with an oblique injury since March. He took the mound during Wednesday's contest and logged two innings of two-hit ball. He struck out three batters and did not allow a run. Matzek signed a minor league contract with the Yankees during the winter. Matzek was an effective reliever during Atlanta's World Series run, but had not enjoyed similar production over the past two seasons as he underwent Tommy John surgery in 2023. In 2024, Matzek logged 10 innings in the big leagues and allowed 11 earned runs. If the 34-year-old can continue to impress with Triple-A, he could make a push to the Bronx later this month.

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The Chicago Cubs have acquired left-handed pitcher Tom Cosgrove from the San Diego Padres on Thursday. In a corresponding move, the Cubs designated right-handed pitcher Caleb Kilian for assignment. Cosgrove was designated for assignment by San Diego over the weekend and will look to turn the corner with the Cubs. Through the early part of the Triple-A regular season, Cosgrove logged three 2/3 innings with El Paso. Across this brief stint, he allowed four runs (three earned) and held a 4:2 BB:K. Last season, Cosgrove logged 14 2/3 innings in the majors and struggled there as well, holding a high 11.66 ERA. However, during the 2023 campaign, the southpaw posted a stellar 1.75 ERA with a 0.97 WHIP across 51 1/3 innings. He will likely report to Triple-A Iowa.

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The Boston Red Sox have signed catcher Yasmani Grandal to a minor league contract on Thursday. Grandal spent the 2024 campaign with the Pittsburgh Pirates and will now look to continue his professional career in Boston. Last season, Grandal posted a .228/.304/.400 slash line with 10 doubles and nine home runs across 72 contests. He held a 24:46 BB:K. He also generated a modest .325 xwOBA with a .419 xSLG. Grandal was able to find a spot in Boston as they placed their top backstop, Connor Wong (finger), on the injured list. Fantasy managers should expect Grandal to begin his time in the minor leagues, but he could push for a quick promotion to the majors if Boston continues to lack offensive production behind the dish. Grandal is worth monitoring in two-catcher formats as he was a viable option in deeper leagues last season.

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Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker isn't committing to right-hander Spencer Strider (elbow) being activated from the 15-day injured list next week, but it's the current plan. After undergoing an internal-brace procedure on his right elbow early last year, Strider has worked his way all the way back and is on the cusp of rejoining Atlanta's starting rotation. The 26-year-old former All-Star in 2023 has looked dominant since he started pitching in games in spring training, and he capped it off by striking out 13 batters in 5 1/3 innings in his final minor-league rehab start for Triple-A Gwinnett on Thursday. Before that, he allowed an earned run in 8 1/3 innings while walking three and striking out 14 in two starts for Gwinnett. Strider go up to 90 pitches on Thursday and should be sufficiently stretched out to debut next week against the Toronto Blue Jays. It goes without saying that he should be rostered in all fantasy formats.

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Colorado Rockies manager Bud Black told reporters that right-hander Ryan Feltner (illness) pitched through the flu in the team's 7-2 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday at Coors Field. It makes Feltner's outing even more impressive, as he held a Brewers offense that put up 17 runs the night before to just one earned run in six innings to pick up a quality start. The 28-year-old didn't earn a win, but he allowed only three hits while walking two and striking out seven while being under the weather. We'd venture to guess that Feltner will be feeling better in time for his next outing, which is scheduled to come next Tuesday against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Despite Feltner's gutsy performance on Thursday, we'd recommend avoiding him next time out against L.A. He's pitched well through three starts, though, posting a 2.81 ERA with 16 K's and four walks in 16 innings pitched.

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Colorado Rockies outfielder Brenton Doyle continued his strong start to the early season and filled the stat sheet in Thursday's 7-2 victory over the visiting Milwaukee Brewers, going 3-for-5 with a two-run home run, two runs scored, five RBI and a strikeout to raise his season average to .302 and his OPS to .867. Doyle's third home run of the year came right away in the bottom of the first inning at Coors Field against right-hander Quinn Priester, who was making his first start of the year for the Brew Crew. Three of his five RBI on the day came on a double in the eighth inning to put the game away essentially. The 26-year-old center fielder got off to a 2-for-13 start early on, but he's quickly turned things around at the plate, proving why he's a must-start in all fantasy leagues. Doyle certainly ruled in Thursday's series finale against Milwaukee.

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Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan was quite the table-setter in Thursday's 6-1 win over the division-rival Chicago White Sox at Progressive Field, going 4-for-5 with a two-run home run, two runs scored and four RBI. The home run was his second of the season, and the big day at the plate raised his season average to .356 and his OPS to a strong .931. The 27-year-old left-handed-hitting outfielder now has 11 runs scored and seven RBI in his first 51 plate appearances of the 2025 campaign. Although Kwan hit a career-high 14 home runs as a first-time All-Star for the Guardians last year, he shouldn't be considered a lock to repeat double-digit home runs again in 2025. Still, he's proven to be an elite contact hitter and should provide double-digit stolen bases as long as he stays healthy.

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The Los Angeles Angels went off at the plate in their 11-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays in Thursday's series finale, and outfielder Jo Adell was at the center of the offensive outburst. Adell went 2-for-4 in the game with two home runs, two runs scored and a team-leading four RBI, with both of his long balls coming in the fifth inning when the Angels broke the game wide open. The 26-year-old's first shot was a solo blast off Zack Littell, with his second homer being of the three-run variety off reliever Mason Englert. It was great to see from Adell, who came into Thursday's game hitting just .185 (5-for-27) with no homers, two walks and eight strikeouts in eight games played. The big day raised Adell's season average to .226 and his OPS to .746. Adell had gone hitless in his last 10 at-bats before Thursday. Don't expect Adell to provide a useful batting average, but he has the ability to go on power binges like this.

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Los Angeles Angels outfielder Taylor Ward came into Thursday's series finale against the hosting Tampa Bay Rays with a .196 average (9-for-46) with a homer and three RBI in his first 11 games this year. Ward turned things around in a big way at the plate in the 11-1 win over Tampa, though, going 3-for-5 with two home runs, two runs scored and three RBI to raise his season average to .235 and his OPS to .704. The 31-year-old led off the game with a solo, opposite-field shot before adding a two-run bomb in the fifth inning. He's clearly heating up, as he now has three home runs in his last two games in Tampa. Fantasy managers liked what they saw from Ward against the Rays and will be hoping he can keep it going as the Halos head to Houston for a weekend series against the division-rival Astros.

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Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout had a big day at the plate, along with several other teammates, in the team's 11-1 drubbing of the Tampa Bay Rays in Thursday's series finale. Trout went 2-for-5 with two home runs, two runs scored and three RBI to keep his early-season power streak going. The Angels clubbed a whopping six homers off Rays right-hander Zack Littell, with Taylor Ward and Jo Adell also hitting two homers apiece. The 33-year-old Trout is hitting only .205 through his first 12 games of 2025, but he has five homers, 11 RBI and an .895 OPS. The primary takeaway is that he's been able to stay healthy after playing in only 29 games in 2024 and 82 the previous season due to injuries. If Trout can stay healthy for the majority of the season, fantasy managers that took the chance on him at his lowered cost will be pleasantly surprised.

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Free-agent veteran designated hitter J.D. Martinez is hitting and staying ready while waiting or an opportunity to sign with a major-league team, according to the New York Post's Jon Heyman. It was reported in early March that Martinez was in contact with the New York Yankees with DH Giancarlo Stanton (elbows) injured, but the two sides were never really close to a deal. MLB teams probably want the 37-year-old Martinez to play for the veteran minimum after he declined offensively with the New York Mets in 2024, hitting .235/.320/.406 with a .725 OPS, 16 home runs and 69 RBI in 120 regular-season games. Martinez is a six-time All-Star, though, and clubbed 33 homers and drove in over 100 runs with the Los Angeles Dodgers as recently as 2023, so it seems likely he'll be given a shot eventually in 2025.

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New York Yankees right-handed reliever Adam Ottavino elected free agency on Thursday instead of accepting an outright minor-league assignment. Ottavino has now been designated for assignment twice by the Yankees and has refused an outright assignment to the minors both times after clearing waivers. There's a chance the 39-year-old veteran will return to the Yankees if he doesn't generate much interest on the open market. He's made three appearances out of the bullpen for the Yankees this year and has thrown 1 2/3 scoreless innings with four walks and three strikeouts. Last year with the New York Mets, Ottavino had a 4.34 ERA (3.67 FIP), a 1.29 WHIP, one save, 70 strikeouts and 23 walks in 56 relief innings.

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The Athletic's James Fegan confirms that the Chicago White Sox are recalling infield prospect Chase Meidroth from Triple-A Charlotte. Meidroth, who is considered the team's No. 8 prospect per MLB Pipeline, is getting his first big-league call-up after hitting .267/.450/.600 with three home runs, a double, four RBI, two stolen bases, eight walks and five strikeouts in 40 plate appearances over nine games with Charlotte to begin the year. The 23-year-old has experience at both second base and shortstop, but he's most likely to see time at the 6 in Chicago, which is bad news for Jacob Amaya. Meidroth has elite bat-to-ball skills and is disciplined at the plate, but he lacks power and doesn't stand out defensively, making him only worth a waiver-wire pickup in AL-only leagues at this time.

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Minneapolis Star Tribune's Bobby Nightengale says not to be surprised if the Minnesota Twins use a temporary six-man starting rotation between off days, which could open up a spot for pitching prospect Zebby Matthews. David Festa will be promoted from the minors to start on Friday in place of right-hander Pablo Lopez (hamstring), who is headed to the injured list. The 24-year-old Matthews could also be promoted from Triple-A St. Paul after the right-hander has gone 1-1 with a 1.80 ERA, 0.60 WHIP and 13:1 K:BB in 10 innings over his first two starts in 2025 in the minors. Matthews, a former eighth-rounder in 2022 out of Western Carolina University, was inconsistent in his first nine big-league starts in 2024, going 1-4 with a 6.69 ERA and 1.65 WHIP with 43 strikeouts and 11 walks in 37 2/3 innings. In DFS and deep leagues, he could be a sneaky streaming option, depending on the matchup.

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Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. is expected to head to Los Angeles to meet with doctors first thing next week, according to 929 The Game's Grant McAuley. Acuna expects to be cleared for lateral movement and quick start/stop running, which will eventually determine his next steps and a timetable for him to begin a minor-league rehab assignment. The Braves have declined to give the 27-year-old former MVP a specific timetable, but the consensus all along is that he should be ready to make his season debut at some point in early to mid-May, barring a setback. Acuna has already proven he can be a difference-maker in fantasy, but it's possible he will lose a step after now having torn the ACL in both of his knees. Still, he needs to be stashed in all fantasy leagues and will be a must-start whenever he returns. Jarred Kelenic has been serving as the team's starting right fielder early on in 2025.

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The Miami Marlins announced that they optioned right-hander Valente Bellozo to Triple-A Jacksonville after Wednesday's game to make room for right-hander Sandy Alcantara, who was reinstated from the paternity list on Thursday. Alcantara was placed on the paternity list early this week, and Bellozo was brought up to make a spot start on Monday against the New York Mets. The 25-year-old took the loss in that outing, allowing an earned run on five hits while walking two and striking out two in just 3 2/3 innings. In his first start of the year on March 29 against the Pirates, the Mexican hurler had a no-decision while giving up an earned run, walking two and striking out four in 4 1/3 innings. Bellozo will surely make more spot starts for the Marlins this year, but for now he'll head back to Jacksonville and continue to develop. Alcantara will make his next start on Saturday against the Washington Nationals.

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