Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez is not in the team's starting lineup with a left-hander on the mound in Wednesday's series finale versus the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Jose Altuve will serve as the DH while hitting leadoff, and Chas McCormick draws into left field while batting ninth against Cardinals southpaw Steven Matz. Alvarez hit his second home run of the season in Tuesday's win over St. Louis, but he's hitting an uncharacteristic .224 (13-for-58) with two doubles, 10 RBI, a steal, 11 walks and 15 strikeouts in his first 17 games. It's still way too early to panic with the three-time All-Star. Altuve, meanwhile, continues to hit .300 with three homers, seven RBI, 10 runs and three steals after moving permanently to left field. Both he and McCormick have homered in their careers off Matz, although McCormick is a lackluster DFS play in the nine-hole on Wednesday.

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Detroit Tigers outfielder Kerry Carpenter is getting a day of rest with a left-hander on the mound in Wednesday's series finale versus the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Justyn-Henry Malloy is in right field and will bat leadoff, while second baseman Gleyber Torres is the designated hitter and batting second against Brewers left-hander Jose Quintana. Andy Ibanez is at second base and in the three-hole. Carpenter has gone 3-for-15 against lefties so far this year, but two of those hits cleared the fences. Overall, the 27-year-old has been a great source of power for fantasy managers in the early going with five home runs and 10 RBI in 17 games. Malloy has zero homers and has gone 7-for-34 (.206) this year, but he's worth a look as a DFS sleeper in the leadoff spot. Torres has a solo home run and is batting .571 in seven career at-bats against Quintana.

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Slumping New York Mets third baseman Mark Vientos will retreat to the bench for Wednesday's series finale against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Brett Baty will take over at third base and will bat eighth against Twins right-hander David Festa. This will be Vientos' first day off of the season. After a breakout 2024 season in which he hit .266/.322/.516 with an .837 OPS, 27 home runs and 71 RBI in 111 games played, the 25-year-old has started off cold in 2025, going 9-for-62 (.145) with no home runs, four doubles, four RBI, nine walks and 14 strikeouts in 17 games. It will be more concerning if his slow start to the year drags into May, but hopefully this day off will get Vientos right. Baty hasn't been any better, going 5-for-36 (.139) with no homers and just one RBI early on for the Mets. The former first-rounder has never faced Festa in his career.

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Minnesota Twins outfielder Matt Wallner (hamstring) is out of the team's starting lineup for Wednesday's series finale against the New York Mets at Target Field after tweaking his left hamstring in his first at-bat in Tuesday's victory. Wallner is going for an MRI exam on Wednesday, but until we know more, fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day. After an off day on Thursday, Wallner's next chance to play will be on Friday in Atlanta against the Braves. In his absence on Wednesday, DaShawn Keirsey Jr. will start in right field and bat eighth against Mets right-hander Huascar Brazoban. The 27-year-old will be playing in just his 18th big-league game after debuting for the Twins in 2024. He hit .154 (2-for-13) last year with a homer and RBI and has gone 1-for-10 with two steals and four strikeouts in his first 11 games in 2025. DFS gamers should look for better sleeper options in the outfield on Wednesday.

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Minnesota Twins right-hander Pablo Lopez (hamstring) threw a successful bullpen session on Wednesday, according to The Athletic's Dan Hayes. Lopez will now wait to see how his hamstring responds on Thursday. The 29-year-old Venezuelan hurler is currently on the 15-day injured list with a right-hamstring injury, but if he continues to progress at this pace, he could be ready to rejoin Minnesota's starting rotation when he's eligible on April 24. He was looking good in his first three starts of the year before getting injured, going 1-1 with a 1.62 ERA (3.26 FIP) and 1.02 WHIP with 14 strikeouts and only two walks in 16 2/3 innings against the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Royals. If Lopez is for some reason available on your league's waiver wire, scoop him up immediately. Right-hander David Festa has been filling in for Lopez in the Twins' rotation.

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Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Max Scherzer (thumb) threw on Tuesday and Wednesday and will visit with a doctor again on Wednesday, according to manager John Schneider. Scherzer will be visiting with a different hand specialist than the last time. The 40-year-old veteran just hasn't been able to get past a thumb issue after feeling more soreness following a throwing session late last week. It's good news that he has started throwing again, but we won't know more on a potential timeline for a return until he meets with another doctor on Wednesday. Even if the three-time Cy Young winner is cleared to start ramping up his throwing program, it seems like a good bet he won't return to Toronto's starting rotation until May. In the meantime, left-hander Easton Lucas will get more starting opportunities for fantasy managers in AL-only leagues.

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Minnesota Twins shortstop Carlos Correa (wrist) is not in the starting lineup for Wednesday's series finale against the New York Mets at Target Field. It shouldn't come as a big surprise after Correa injured his left wrist on a swing in the fifth inning of Tuesday's win over the Mets. Expect the 30-year-old to undergo testing on his injured wrist, at which point we'll have a better idea of the severity of his injury. Minnesota has a day off on Thursday before starting a new series on Friday in Atlanta against the Braves. Fantasy managers will want to check back then on Correa's status. On Wednesday, Willi Castro will make the start at shortstop and bat seventh, while Brooks Lee is at the hot corner and is hitting sixth against Mets right-hander Huascar Brazoban. Both Lee and Castro are each hitless in their only career at-bats against Brazoban.

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The Atlanta Braves officially activated right-hander Spencer Strider (elbow) from the 15-day injured list on Tuesday, and he will make his 2025 season debut in Toronto against the Blue Jays. In a corresponding move, the team optioned right-hander Zach Thompson to Triple-A Gwinnett. While Strider will be a bit more risky in DFS lineups in his season debut, fantasy managers in single-year leagues will want to get him back into their starting lineups immediately after how dominant he was during his minor-league rehab assignment. The 26-year-old got up to 90 pitches in his final rehab start and will make his return to Atlanta's starting rotation just over a year after having an internal-brace procedure on his right elbow. In his 13 2/3 innings at Gwinnett, Strider struck out 27, walked five and allowed just two runs. He proved in 2023 that he's a fantasy ace when he's healthy.

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Toronto Blue Jays outfielder George Springer (wrist) remains out of action for Wednesday's series finale against the Atlanta Braves at the Rogers Centre. Alan Roden will get another start in left field and will bat sixth against Braves right-hander Spencer Strider (elbow), who is making his first start of the season. This will be Springer's third straight game on the bench as he deals with inflammation in his left wrist. Toronto has a day off on Thursday before starting a weekend series against the visiting Seattle Mariners on Friday, so fantasy managers will want to check back then to see if the 35-year-old veteran is back in the lineup. As of right now, Toronto is treating Springer as day-to-day, and he could even be available off the bench on Wednesday. Roden clubbed his first home run of the season in Tuesday's win over Atlanta but will be in store for a tough matchup against Strider on Wednesday.

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Arizona Diamondbacks infield prospect Jordan Lawlar went 1-for-4 with a home run during Tuesday's contest against Triple-A Round Rock. This was Lawlar's second-straight game going deep. This outing also extended his current hitting streak to three games. Over his last five games, the former sixth overall pick has begun to find his power upside, as he has gone deep three times and added three doubles with a .381/.458/.952 slash line. Through the first 16 games of the Triple-A regular season, Lawlar has held a strong .292/.395/.523 slash line with six doubles, three long balls, and four stolen bases. In addition to his offensive production, the Reno Aces have begun moving him to several infield positions. Fantasy managers should keep a close eye on his production as he could be in the mix to return to Arizona in the coming weeks.

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Washington Nationals left-handed pitcher DJ Herz (elbow) is set to undergo Tommy John surgery. The southpaw sought several opinions on his partial UCL tear. However, Herz was unable to make significant progress and will now be sidelined until at least the 2026 All-Star break. The 24-year-old has been shut down for several weeks due to this injury. He entered camp competing for a spot on the Opening Day roster. Last summer, Herz made his MLB debut and logged 88 2/3 innings to the tune of a 4.16 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP. He struck out batters at an impressive 27.7 percent rate and generated an elite 3.26 xERA and a .208 xBA, which suggests he should see significant positive regression when he returns to the bump. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status but should not expect him to carry any fantasy value for at least the next 12 months.

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The St. Louis Cardinals are promoting right-handed pitcher Matt Svanson to the major leagues. Svanson has yet to reach the major leagues in his professional career. He was selected in the 13th round of the 2021 MLB Draft by the Toronto Blue Jays. Last season, Svanson spent his entire campaign with Double-A Springfield and posted a strong 2.69 ERA with a 1.40 WHIP across 63 2/3 innings. He struck out just 59 batters and served up a high 25 free passes. He then made his Triple-A debut at the start of the 2025 campaign and needed just five 2/3 innings of work to prove he was ready for the major leagues. Across this brief stint, Svanson allowed just one run. Fantasy managers should expect the Cardinals to deploy the Lehigh product in a low-leverage role.

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Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Alan Roden went 2-for-3 with a double and a home run in Tuesday's 6-3 win against the Atlanta Braves. Roden struck out once while scoring twice and driving in two runs. The 25-year-old crushed his first big-league homer -- a two-run blast -- off of standout Braves pitcher Spencer Schwellenbach that exited the bat at 106.4 MPH. His double, which also came off Schwellenbach, was struck well, too (104.4 MPH). Toronto's No. 5 prospect is 13-for-47 (.277), with six runs scored, four RBI, and three doubles in his first taste of big-league action. Roden isn't walking much but has displayed solid plate discipline, holding a strong 15.1% strikeout rate in his first 17 games.

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Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan continued his strong start to the season in Tuesday's 6-3 win over the Baltimore Orioles. He went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's victory. Kwan's blast in the fifth inning, which left the bat at 102.3 mph and traveled 380 feet, was his third home run of the season. He reached base three times on the night and is now slashing .333/.391/.492 with a .362 wOBA over 63 at-bats. Kwan will look to maintain his high level of production as the Guardians aim to secure a series win in Baltimore on Wednesday.

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Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran went 1-for-3 with a home run and a steal in his team's 7-4 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday. The former seventh-round pick scored twice, walked twice, and drove in two runs. It was Duran's first long ball of the year, as he's off to a sluggish start after batting .285 or better over the prior two seasons. The 28-year-old is up to a .234 average with six steals, eight runs scored, and ten RBI. He's logged a hit in three straight games -- the first time he's done so all season -- so it's possible that his bat is beginning to wake up. As a reminder, Duran hit .236 in May last season and followed it up with a blistering June in which he held a .360 average over 111 at-bats.

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Baltimore Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins provided a spark last night, going 2-for-3 with a home run in Tuesday's 6-3 loss to the Cleveland Guardians. Mullins blasted a solo shot in the seventh inning to put Baltimore on the scoreboard. He also singled in the fifth and drew a walk in Tuesday's defeat. Mullins is now hitting .300 (15-for-50) with four home runs, 17 RBI, 10 runs, and three stolen bases on the season and continues to produce solid numbers from the bottom of Baltimore's lineup. Mullins and the Orioles will look to bounce back Wednesday night in the middle game of a three-game set hosting the Guardians.

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Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Jonathan Aranda went 2-for-3 with a home run and a walk in Tuesday's 7-4 loss to their division-rival Boston Red Sox. Aranda continues to mash, posting his third home run in the early going with a white-hot .413 average (19-for-46) and robust 1.242 OPS. The 26-year-old is just three homers off his 2024 total in fewer than half the at-bats it took him to do so while notching seven doubles, 11 RBI, and ten runs scored. His batted-ball metrics are off the charts thus far, with stark increases in average exit velocity (96.5 MPH) and hard-hit percentage (62.2%) while dropping his strikeout rate (18.5%) and raising his walk percentage (11.1%) from a season ago.

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Cleveland Guardians outfielder Angel Martinez went 3-for-4 with a triple, steal, and two runs scored in Tuesday's 6-3 win over the Baltimore Orioles. His other two hits were singles. The 23-year-old has logged three multi-hit outings this season in his first four appearances, including two three-hit efforts. Martinez is hitting a scorching .571 (8-for-14) with two doubles, one triple, a steal, two runs scored, and three RBI. It's a small sample, but the switch-hitting outfielder has raised his average exit velocity by eight ticks (94.5 MPH) and is registering a hard-hit ball nearly 70% of the time (69.2%). Martinez was good for double-digit homers and steals during his time in the minors but never hit for a high average, so it's unlikely his early-season production sticks. Still, he's worth monitoring for the time being.

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Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Rhys Hoskins broke out in Tuesday' 5-0 win over the Detroit Tigers. He went 3-for-4 with a towering solo home run in the second inning, his first of the season. The 440-foot blast opened the scoring, as he later added an RBI single in the seventh to help cap off Tuesday's win. It was a strong showing for Hoskins, who had been off to a slow start at the plate. He is now slashing .229/.345/.313 across 48 at-bats. Hoskins and the Brewers will aim to take the series in Wednesday's finale at home against Detroit.

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New York Yankees infield prospect George Lombard Jr. went 2-for-2 with a home run, two walks, and two stolen bases during their contest against High-A Wilmington. This was Lombard's third-straight two-hit contest. This was also his first round-tripper of the campaign and first game in which he swiped multiple bases. Through the first nine games of the High-A regular season, Lombard has held a strong .333/.475/.500 slash line with two extra-base hits, and 8:9 BB:K, and four stolen bases. Last summer, the former 26th overall pick from the 2023 MLB Draft spent most of the campaign with Low-A Tampa and posted a .232/.333/.348 line. He then earned a brief taste of High-A. Fantasy managers should expect the Gulliver Prep School product to spend most of the 2025 season with High-A.

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