The Minnesota Twins will be re-signing right-handed reliever Darren McCaughan and will head to Triple-A St. Paul after he initially elected free agency after being designated for assignment. McCaughan got caught in an early-season roster crunch but has now returned to the organization and should reappear in Minnesota's bullpen at some point this year. The 29-year-old former 12th-round pick of the Seattle Mariners in 2017 out of Long Beach State had looked good in his first three relief appearances with the Twins before being DFA'd, allowing only one earned run on five hits while walking one and striking out six in 5 1/3 innings pitched. He hasn't been nearly as good in his previous three MLB seasons with the Guardians, Marlins and Mariners, though, posting a 6.43 ERA and 1.61 WHIP with two saves in 56 innings pitched.

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Boston Red Sox right-handed reliever Liam Hendriks (elbow) had a very successful first minor-league rehab outing on Thursday with Triple-A Worcester, tossing a scoreless inning with one hit and three strikeouts. The 36-year-old veteran threw 13 of his 18 pitches for strikes and said he felt good after needing an injection in his elbow two weeks ago to help with a nerve issue. He will most likely need a few more rehab appearances before he's ready to rejoin the Red Sox's bullpen for his 2025 season debut. After recovering from Tommy John surgery in 2024, Hendriks hasn't pitched in a big-league game since June 9 of 2023, when he pitched for the Chicago White Sox. The Australian is a three-time All-Star and has 116 career saves in 13 MLB seasons, though, so he could be in the mix for saves in Boston alongside lefty Aroldis Chapman when he's fully healthy.

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The Atlanta Braves announced on Friday that they placed left-handed reliever Aaron Bummer on the major-league bereavement list and recalled right-hander Zach Thompson from the minors in a corresponding move. Bummer will most likely miss the entire three-game series in St. Louis against the Cardinals, but he should be able to rejoin the team next week for their series against the Toronto Blue Jays. The 31-year-old southpaw has gotten off to a bumpy start in 2025 in his second year with the team, allowing three earned runs on five hits while walking four and striking out two in five innings out of Atlanta's bullpen. Thompson, 31, will give the Braves an extra arm in their bullpen this weekend at Busch Stadium. He has not appeared in a major-league game since 2022 with the Pittsburgh Pirates, when he had a 5.18 ERA and 1.51 WHIP in 29 outings (22 starts) over 121 2/3 innings.

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Colorado Rockies outfield prospect Yanquiel Fernandez tallied seven total bases during their contest on Thursday evening. Fernandez went 3-for-5 with a double, a home run, and a single. He tallied three RBI and scored two runs. This outing extended his current hitting streak to four games. During this impressive stretch, Fernandez has launched two home runs and held a .389 AVG with a .944 SLG. However, before this recent surge, the 22-year-old tallied just three hits (one double) during his first seven contests of the campaign. Last summer, Fernandez spent most of his time at Double-A before receiving a brief taste of Triple-A. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his progression as he should be in the mix for an MLB debut later this season.

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The Seattle Times' Adam Jude reports that Seattle Mariners infielder Jorge Polanco (side) is likely to serve as the designated hitter for another one to two weeks, according to a source. With Ryan Bliss out for the foreseeable future after tearing his biceps, it has the M's short-handed with infield options at the major-league level. In the short term at second base, Seattle has the left-handed-hitting Miles Mastrobuoni and switch-hitter Leo Rivas as stop-gap options. Mastrobuoni got the start against a right-hander on Wednesday. The light-hitting Rivas has a dependable glove and some speed, which is useful off the bench. Long term, former first-round prospect Cole Young has been regarded as the team's second baseman of the future. However, a promotion isn't imminent. At third base, Dylan Moore is the team's only viable option right now until Polanco is cleared to return to playing defense.

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San Francisco Giants infielder/outfielder Marco Luciano was able to snap his skid on Thursday evening at Triple-A. Entering Thursday's contest, Luciano tallied just four hits over his last 10 contests. During this slow stretch, Luciano did not hit an extra-base hit and held a 4:17 BB:K. However, on Thursday, Luciano was able to go 3-for-4 at the plate with a long ball. He tallied one RBI, scored four times, and held a 2:1 BB:K. Last summer, Luciano received his second look at the major leagues and held a modest .217/.259/.303 line with just five doubles and one round-tripper across 27 games. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his production as he could be in the mix to return to San Francisco later in the season.

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Cleveland Guardians pitching prospect Parker Messick enjoyed another strong showing on Thursday evening with Triple-A Columbus. In this outing, Messick tossed five shutout innings. He allowed just two hits and no walks while striking out eight. In his first outing, he kept the score sheet clean as he did not allow a run over four innings. However, in that start, he allowed three hits and two walks. Messick spent the 2024 season split between High-A and Double-A and has already looked quite comfortable at Triple-A. Last summer, during his first look at Double-A, the former second-round pick posted an impressive 2.06 ERA with a 1.01 WHIP across 65 2/3 innings. During this stint, he struck out 85 batters. He is worth keeping a close eye on as he should be in the mix for his MLB debut later this summer.

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Detroit Tigers second baseman Gleyber Torres (oblique) is expected to be activated from the 10-day injured list on Friday, according to the Detroit News' Chris McCosky. In a corresponding move, outfielder Brewer Hicklen was optioned back to Triple-A Toledo. Fantasy managers will want to check back for confirmation, but Torres should be back in the starting lineup at the keystone for Detroit for Friday's series opener in Minnesota against the division-rival Twins. Torres suffered a minor oblique injury on March 28 but is ready to return after a minimal absence. The Venezuelan infielder went 3-for-7 with a homer, RBI, two runs scored and a stolen base in his first two games with the Tigers before getting injured. Fantasy managers in deeper leagues will want to get Torres back in their starting lineups if he's officially active on Friday.

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The Minnesota Twins have promoted right-handed pitcher David Festa from Triple-A St. Paul to Minnesota on Friday. In a corresponding move, the Twins placed right-handed pitcher Pablo Lopez (hamstring) on the 15-day injured list. Festa made his MLB debut last summer and logged 64 1/3 innings. The 25-year-old held a modest 4.50 ERA with a 1.32 WHIP. However, he posted an impressive 27.8 percent strikeout rate while generating whiffs at a 28.4 percent rate. He also showed improvement in the second half as he held a 3.13 ERA with a 1.04 WHIP across 23 innings in August. Through his first eight 1/3 innings with St. Paul this season, Festa has allowed six hits and five earned runs. However, that should not deter fantasy managers in 12+ team formats from adding him off the waiver wire. He is slated to start Friday evening against the Detroit Tigers.

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The Minnesota Twins have officially placed starting pitcher Pablo Lopez (hamstring) on the 15-day injured list with a grade-one hamstring strain. The team recalled right-handed pitched David Festa in a corresponding move. It was the expected route for the team after Lopez left his last start against the Kansas City Royals early -- tweaking his hamstring in the fifth inning. It's unfortunate news for the 29-year-old, who had compiled a strong 1.62 ERA and 1.02 WHIP in 16.2 innings. The move is retroactive to Wednesday, and the hope is that Lopez will only require a minimum stay on the injured list. So long as he does not suffer any setbacks, he should be pitching again in a few weeks.

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Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber went 1-for-5 with a home run and a walk in Thursday's 4-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves. The 32-year-old walloped a Spencer Schwellenbach fastball 429 feet over the right-center field wall in the top of the third to tie the game at one. It was his sixth long ball of the season, tying him with New York Yankees' Aaron Judge and the Athletic's Tyler Soderstrom for the league lead. Schwarber has been excellent in 2025, bolstering a .283/.411/.739 slash line with 12 RBI and 12 runs scored. The lefty slugger bears a robust 61.8% hard-hit rate and 96.8 mph exit velocity, placing him in the top 3% of all MLB hitters in both metrics.

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Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Chris Bassitt allowed one run on five hits in Thursday's 4-3 loss to the Boston Red Sox. The veteran struck out five batters and walked one over 5.2 innings of work -- narrowly missing his third quality start. Bassitt pitched well again, stifling the Red Sox through five innings. He ran into trouble in the sixth, though, walking outfielder Jaren Durran, who would eventually steal second and score on an Alex Bregman single. The right-hander has been excellent thus far in 2025 -- holding a sterling 0.98 ERA and 1.09 WHIP with a 21:3 K:BB ratio in 18.1 innings. Statcast thinks he may be over-performing his metrics, but Bassitt has started another season off on the right foot. If it holds, the right-hander's 28.8% strikeout rate would be the highest of his career.

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Miami Marlins starting pitcher Edward Cabrera (finger) will make his season debut on Friday in his team's series opener against the Washington Nationals at home. The 26-year-old has been shelved with a blister on his middle finger for the last month. Cabrera pitched well in his two rehab starts, allowing two earned runs and striking out ten batters over seven innings of work while walking none for Triple-A Jacksonville. The 6-foot-5 right-hander has shown the ability to miss bats in the bigs but has been plagued by injuries and control issues. If he can get a hold of his walk rate, he may provide mixed-league value in 2025 after all. Cabrera will line up against Nationals lefty Mitchell Parker, who owns a 0.73 ERA and 2-0 record across 12.1 innings this season.

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Boston Red Sox right-hander Walker Buehler was excellent on Thursday, on a day the Red Sox desperately needed a win to avoid the four-game sweep at home against division rival Toronto Blue Jays. Buehler went 6 1/3 innings, allowing four hits, one earned run, and one walk while striking out seven. He walked away from this outing with a no-decision, as the Red Sox won the game in extra innings. The seven strikeouts were encouraging, and his effectiveness was impressive, as he only threw 89 pitches in the six-plus innings. Buehler will try to keep it going as he is tentatively lined up to face the Tampa Bay Rays on the road. Fantasy managers can continue to roll out Buehler in most 12-plus team leagues but hope to see more consistency from him moving forward.

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Los Angeles Angels' right-hander Jose Soriano was excellent on Thursday against the Tampa Bay Rays. He went 7 2/3 innings, allowing one earned run, five hits, walked three, and struck out four batters. This outing lowered his season ERA to 2.70 through 20 innings pitched. The Angels gave Soriano an early lead, as they scored early and often against Rays starter Zack Littell. This led to Soriano pitching to contact, effectively throwing 93 pitches in those seven-plus innings. The win was his second of the season, and he will look to keep it rolling as he is tentatively lined up to face the Texas Rangers on the road in his outing next week. Fantasy managers can continue to confidently start Soriano, as he's proven a reliable starter in deeper leagues.

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Los Angeles Dodgers pitching prospect Jackson Ferris tossed five 2/3 shutout innings on Thursday evening. The southpaw struck out six batters and served up four walks. He allowed just two hits. This was a strong bounce-back outing for Ferris as he allowed two runs and six hits across four 1/3 innings in his first start of the campaign. The former second-round pick spent the 2024 season at High-A before receiving a brief taste of Double-A at the end of the summer. With High-A, Ferris held a 3.39 ERA with a 1.16 WHIP across 98 1/3 innings of work. Through his first look at Double-A, the IMG Academy product posted a 2.54 ERA across 28 1/3 innings. Fantasy managers should expect Ferris to remain with Double-A through most of the summer. He could push for a late-season taste of Triple-A if he continues to perform well.

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Colorado Rockies first baseman Michael Toglia went 3-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored in the Rockies' 7-2 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday to avoid the three-game sweep. Toglia got some hype coming into the season when he was announced as a starter in spring training. However, it's been a bit of a slow start for him as he is slashing .191/.240/.255 (9-for-47) with four runs scored and only one RBI. Ultimately, Rockies hitters will always get a bit of an edge playing in Coors half of their games, so as the season heats up, fantasy managers can expect Toglia to hit for more power as he hit 25 home runs last year. Next for the Rockies are a couple of difficult road trips to take on the San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

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Milwaukee Brewers pitching prospect Jacob Misiorowski struck out five batters across five innings of one-run ball on Thursday evening. The right-hander allowed just two hits. However, he continued to struggle with his command as he served up three free passes. Through his first three starts of the Triple-A regular season, Misiorowski has held a stellar 0.66 ERA. However, his command his been a weakness as he held an underwhelming 10:16 BB:K while allowing just three total hits. Misiorowski spent most of the 2024 season at Double-A, where he held a 3.50 ERA with a 1.28 WHIP across 79 2/3 innings of work. He then earned a brief taste of Triple-A, where he posted a 2.55 ERA with a stellar 0.85 WHIP in 17 2/3 innings. Given the number of injuries in the Milwaukee rotation, Misiorowski could be nearing his MLB debut.

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Arizona Diamondbacks infield prospect Jordan Lawlar went 2-for-2 with a double and his first home run of the campaign on Thursday evening. Lawlar tallied two RBI and scored once in this contest as well. After going 0-for-7 at the plate through the first two games of the Triple-A regular season, Lawlar has begun to turn the corner as he has posted a strong .317/.417/.488 slash line over his past 10 contests. During this stretch, he has tallied nine RBI and scored 10 runs. He has hit four doubles and swiped four bags. Lawlar is considered not only the top prospect in Arizona but one of the best in the sport. He received a brief taste of the majors in 2023 but was unable to return in 2024 as he battled numerous injuries. However, if he continues to perform with Reno, he should be in the mix for an early return to Arizona this summer.

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Chicago White Sox first baseman Andrew Vaughn is off to a slow start in 2025. Vaughn is slashing .125/.205/.250 (5-for-40) with one home run, two runs scored, and 5 RBI in the teams' first 11 games. Over the past two seasons, Vaughn has hit .258 and .246, respectively, so fantasy managers can expect some progression on the horizon, although, at this point, he can be dropped in most 10 to 12-person leagues if someone on the waiver wire is worth picking up. After the loss on Thursday to the Cleveland Guardians, the White Sox have struggled to a 2-10 start to the season, picking up where they left off in 2024 with 121 losses. On Friday, Vaughn and the White Sox will try to get going as they start a three-game series against the Boston Red Sox.

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