Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw (toe) is scheduled to begin a minor league rehab assignment on Wednesday, according to manager Dave Roberts. The veteran southpaw isn't eligible to be activated from the injured list until the middle of May. That being said, Kershaw is likely going to make a handful of starts with Triple-A Oklahoma City. When healthy, Kershaw is a stud, but actually keeping him on the mound has been a problem lately. He figures to be a regular in the starting rotation once he's cleared to play. That being said, Kershaw could be a good stash for fantasy managers who have an open IL spot at the moment.

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Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Tobias Myers (oblique) will make his second rehab start with Triple-A Nashville on Sunday. Myers is currently working his way back from an oblique strain, but he appears to be progressing well. He threw 3 1/3 scoreless innings during his first rehab outing. The expectation is that Myers will probably need one more rehab start after Sunday's game. That means, Myers should be back in the Brewers rotation by the end of April or early May. Until then, Quinn Priester figures to remain in the starting rotation.

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Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Brandon Woodruff (shoulder) is set to make his first rehab start at Triple-A Nashville on Friday. Woodruff hasn't pitched in an MLB game since 2023, but is finally nearing his return to the big league mound. The plan is for Woodruff to work four innings and throw around 65 pitches on Saturday. The expectation is that Woodruff will need two or three more outings before joining the big league staff. His timetable appears to be the end of April or early May. Fantasy managers shouldn't rush to the waiver wire to add Woodruff. He hasn't thrown a big league pitch in quite some time, so might want to take a wait-and-see approach here.

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Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Aaron Civale (hamstring) has reportedly suffered a setback in his recovery process. The right-hander is currently working his way back from a strained hamstring. He resumed throwing recently, but now it's unclear if the team will shut him down for a bit. The team hasn't given much information on the setback, so more information should be known in a few days. The absence of Civale likely means Quinn Priester will probably stick in the starting rotation a little longer.

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Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Justin Steele (elbow) underwent an MRI on Thursday that showed tendinitis in his left elbow. The same injury that sidelined Steele for a few weeks towards the end of last season. On Friday, Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Steele plans to seek a second opinion on his injured elbow. Fantasy managers don't need to hit the panic button yet, but there is certainly some concern here. If Steele misses significant time, Colin Rea or Javier Assad (forearm) figure to be the primary replacement options. For now, fantasy managers can stash Steele on their IL, but there should be more information on his status soon.

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Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Joey Bart (back) was removed early during Friday's game against the Cincinnati Reds. Bart was pulled out of the contest due to lower back soreness. Endy Rodriguez took over behind the plate for the rest of the game. The team has already said Bart is considered day-to-day, so it doesn't appear to be a serious injury. Possibly, Bart is forced to miss a game or two, which would mean more playing time for Rodriguez behind the plate. This doesn't sound like something that is going to force Bart to land on the injured list.

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St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn (back) was pulled out early during Friday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies. Winn didn't get to have a plate appearance before being taken out of the contest due to back spasms. He was taken out in the second inning and replaced by Thomas Saggese. Right now, Winn should be considered day-to-day, but back issues due often times linger around. Saggese figures to see more playing time if Winn misses some time. Winn was off to a sluggish start to the season, so maybe a few days off could help him get back on track.

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Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams (undisclosed) has been removed early during Friday's game against the Miami Marlins. It's unclear what exactly happened to Abrams, but he was removed in the fourth inning due to injury. It's worth noting that he missed time earlier in the week due to a hip flexor issue. Paul DeJong shifted over to shortstop while Amed Rosario takes over at third base with Abrams exiting. Both players figure to see more playing time if Abrams is forced to miss time. Fantasy managers will need to check back after the game for more information.

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Baltimore Orioles pitching prospect Brandon Young could be a candidate to make his MLB debut next week. According to Jake Rill of MLB.com, Young was initially expected to start Friday's games for the Norfolk Tides but has been pushed back to Sunday. The Orioles will need a fifth starter next week with Zach Eflin (lat) hitting the injured list. Young has enjoyed a strong start to the season with Norfolk as he has logged 11 1/3 innings of two-run ball across his first two starts. During this impressive start, he has allowed seven hits and two walks while tallying 11 punchouts. Fantasy managers should monitor his status throughout the weekend as he could be called to start for the Orioles next week. If he gets the call, he could be worth a look in deeper formats.

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Kansas City Royals first base prospect Jac Caglianone has enjoyed an impressive start to his Double-A tenure. On Thursday, Caglianone smoked a 120.9 mph single to left field. This was the hardest hit ball by a Royal in the Statcast era since Eric Hosmer's 118 mph strike during the 2017 campaign. The Royals drafted Caglianone out of Florida with the sixth overall pick in last year's draft. After the draft, the Royals gave the 22-year-old a brief taste of High-A, and he posted a .241/.302/.388 slash line with nine doubles and two home runs. Through his first six games of the Double-A regular season, Caglianone has held a strong .346/.406/.615 slash line. He has gone deep twice and added one double. He is a prospect to closely monitor as he could be in the mix for his MLB debut later this summer.

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Pittsburgh Pirates infield prospect Nick Yorke (shoulder) was activated off the 7-day injured list at Triple-A on Friday. Yorke was only able to appear in the first four games of the campaign before hitting the IL. However, Yorke was able to progress well and did not miss much time. Through the first four games of the campaign, the 23-year-old posted a .333/.412/.533 slash line with three doubles and one RBI. Fantasy managers should expect Yorke to continue competing for a return to the big leagues. Last summer, Yorke received a brief taste of MLB action in Pittsburgh and held a .216/.286/.378 line with two home runs and two stolen bases across 11 games. The former 17th overall pick has posted a cumulative .333/.419/.500 line across 82 career games at Triple-A and should be in contention to return to the majors later this season.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers announced on Friday that they activated first baseman Freddie Freeman (ankle) from the 10-day injured list. Freeman is back at first base and will bat cleanup for Friday's series opener at Dodger Stadium against the Chicago Cubs and left-hander Matthew Boyd. It's not the greatest matchup for Freeman to return to for DFS purposes -- he's hitting .167 in six career at-bats against Boyd -- but fantasy managers in single-year leagues will want to get the All-Star first baseman back in their lineups for the weekend. The 35-year-old slipped in the shower in late March and aggravated his surgically repaired right ankle, but the Dodgers were never really concerned. There's a good chance he'll be rested at some point this weekend, but the only thing that matters is that he's starting on Friday. Freeman has gone 3-for-12 with two homers and four RBI in his first three games in 2025.

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San Diego Padres outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (shoulder) is back in right field and batting leadoff for the Friars in Friday's series opener at Petco Park against the division-rival Colorado Rockies and right-hander German Marquez. Tatis tweaked his surgically-repaired left shoulder on a swing in Tuesday's loss to the Athletics and was held out of the series finale on Wednesday as a precaution. It's something to watch with the 26-year-old superstar, but the fact that he's back in the lineup a few days later is encouraging. San Diego's lineup isn't nearly as strong with both Jackson Merrill (hamstring) and Jake Cronenworth (ribs) on the injured list, but Tatis remains a must-start in all fantasy formats now that he's back in action. The Dominican superstar has been on fire at the plate (.364, two homers, seven RBI, 10 runs, five steals). He's hitting .154 with a homer and three RBI in 13 career at-bats against Marquez.

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Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said that a realistic timeline for second baseman Ketel Marte (hamstring) to return from the injured list is late April or shortly after that. Lovullo recently said that Marte will mess a "series of weeks" after suffering a Grade 1 left-hamstring strain rounding the bases last Friday, but as long as he doesn't suffer any setbacks during his rehab, he could be back for fantasy managers before the calendar flips to May. It's good news for the 31-year-old, but fantasy managers will need to remain patient and keep him stashed in an IL spot for the time being. The two-time All-Star was off to a strong start at the plate, too, going 9-for-26 (.346), although he had yet to hit a homer in eight games. Until Marte is able to return, the D-backs will mix and match at second base with Garrett Hampson and rookie Tim Tawa.

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Milwaukee Brewers veteran left-hander Jose Quintana has been recalled from the rookie Arizona Complex League on Friday and will make his first start of the season in the series opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Curt Hogg. It will be Quintana's 20th start against the D-backs since the 2017 season. The 36-year-old veteran southpaw spent extra time building up in the minors to begin the year since he didn't sign with Milwaukee until after spring training started in early March. He will help the Brew Crew get by early in the year due to several starting-pitching injuries, but fantasy managers should view him as a low-upside innings-eater in NL-only leagues, at best. The 13-year MLB vet had a 3.75 ERA and 1.25 WHIP with a 135:63 K:BB in 31 starts for the New York Mets in 2024.

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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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