San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Jordan Hicks continued his remarkable season allowing only two runs in five innings while recording four strikeouts and zero walks. The right-hander picked up a no-decision in an extra-inning 6-4 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Hicks hasn't allowed more than three runs in nine straight starts to begin the season. One has to wonder if the pitch-to-contact method is the reason for his breakout campaign. Where things sit on Monday, he's averaging only 0.81 strikeouts per inning. Last season, he averaged 1.25 strikeouts per inning. Fantasy managers will certainly take the hit in strikeouts for the 3-1 record, 2.44 ERA, and 1.15 WHIP Hicks will be taking into his next matchup against the Colorado Rockies.

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Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Zach Eflin was awarded a win in Monday's 5-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox after allowing three runs in five innings of work with two strikeouts and no walks. Eflin left the game with a one-run lead, and luckily for fantasy managers, the Tampa Bay bullpen finished the contest with four shutout innings. It was Eflin's second game in a row that he hasn't been able to whiff more than three batters, but it's the third game in a row in which he didn't allow a walk. Taking the good with the bad, Eflin will carry his 3.91 ERA into his next matchup against a Toronto Blue Jays offense that roughed up Eflin for six runs, including three home runs, on Opening Day.

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Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Kevin Newman went 4-for-5 with two doubles, two singles, and two RBI in Monday night's walk-off win vs. the Cincinnati Reds. That makes it three games in a row that Newman has collected multiple hits; the two RBI have been his first since April 26. The right-handed hitting shortstop did have a poor .216 batting average on the season, but the four hits, one of them being the game-winning walk-off single, bumped that batting average to a more respectable .253. Despite the four-hit performance, Newman only has two home runs and 10 runs batted in on the season, batting out of the number nine spot in the Diamondbacks' batting order. This makes him someone you can avoid for your fantasy outside of deep-league formats team unless his hot streak proves to be sustainable.

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Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Corbin Burnes threw six one-run innings while recording only two strikeouts and allowing two walks. He picked up a no-decision in the 3-2 extra-inning loss to the Toronto Blue Jays, as the only run support the Orioles could manage were a pair of solo shots off the bat of catcher Adley Rutschman. He was pulled after six innings with only 85 pitches thrown, his lowest since his Opening Day gem against the Los Angeles Angels. Burnes' next matchup on Sunday against the Seattle Mariners should garner a higher strikeout total on Sunday as the Mariners hitters lead the league in that category this season.

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Texas Rangers starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen produced his best start of the year going seven scoreless innings allowing only one hit and four walks. The Rangers, unfortunately, couldn't provide Lorenzen with any offense as he finished with a no-decision in the 7-0 loss to the Cleveland Guardians. The performance lowered his ERA to 3.75 and WHIP to 1.22 on the season, but the four walks gave him 18 walks on the season in only 36 innings. The ERA and WHIP are on par with his career numbers of 4.10 and 1.32, but the walks are higher than normal as he's averaging almost double the amount of walks per inning with 0.5 walks. The heavy load of walks doesn't bode well for his next outing as he faces a patient Philadelphia Phillies team that ranks fifth in the league in taking free passes.

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Pittsburgh Pirates catcher/outfield prospect Henry Davis has struggled since his demotion to Triple-A Indianapolis last week. The former Number one overall pick opened the year with the big-league club, but struggled with a .162 batting average and four RBI in 68 at-bats before veteran Yasmani Grandal returned from the injured list and took away his job. Since being sent back down, Davis is 3-for-19 with two runs and two RBI. Davis was picked number one overall for a reason and still has a bright future ahead of him, but he will need to turn things around in Triple-A to get another chance with the big-league club. Although managers in redraft leagues should have already cut ties, Davis still has value in dynasty leagues.

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Boston Red Sox corner infield prospect Blaze Jordan (finger) has been placed on the 7-day injured list with a fractured finger and is expected to miss several weeks. The 20-year-old has slowly slid down the rankings of Red Sox prospects within his time in the organization, but he has still produced at a respectable level. In 99 at-bats this season, Jordan hit .283 with two homers and 16 RBI. Jordan should be able to return later this summer, but he can remain on the waiver wire in most formats moving forward.

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The San Francisco Giants have demoted pitching prospect Mason Black back to Triple-A Sacramento. Black was having a strong season for Sacramento, but struggled in his brief time at the big-league level. In two starts for the Giants, Black allowed six runs and walked five batters in 8 2/3 innings. The 24-year-old remains one of the better pitching prospects in Triple-A and should receive another opportunity in the show at some point this season. He can safely be dropped in redraft leagues, but still holds value in dynasty leagues. Replacing Black on the Giants roster is pitcher Nick Avila. Avila has struggled mightily this season and can be left on the waiver wire.

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Seattle Mariners shortstop Felnin Celesten has been off to a hot start in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League to begin his professional career. The 18-year-old is currently hitting .423 with three doubles, a triple, two homers and eight RBI over his first 26 at-bats. Celesten was signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2023 as one of the top international free agents, but missed making his debut last season due to suffering a Grade 2 hamstring injury. Celesten is a switch-hitter, but has more power from the right side. He also added around 10-to-15 pounds of muscle this summer and his hit tool should continue to mature as his body does. He is years away from a big-league debut, but dynasty managers should keep tabs on the young shortstop.

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Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Ryan Pepiot (leg) threw a 14-pitch bullpen session on Sunday, his first time throwing off a mound since he suffered a bruised lower left leg when he was hit by a comebacker during his start against the New York Mets on May 5. Manager Kevin Cash said Pepiot felt some soreness on Sunday but remains hopeful that he will return from the 15-day injured list when he's first eligible on May 21. Because he's not dealing with any sort of arm injury, the 26-year-old already confirmed that he's not going to need to go on a minor-league rehab assignment before he returns to Tampa's starting rotation. Pepiot should remain stashed in an IL spot in most fantasy leagues with his return just around the corner. He had gone 3-2 with a 3.68 ERA and 0.93 WHIP with 11 walks and 41 strikeouts in 36 2/3 frames over his first seven starts before landing on the shelf.

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Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez smacked a two-run single in the eighth inning and followed that up with another two-run single in the ninth inning during Monday night's 7-0 win over Texas Rangers. Ramirez went 2-for-4, collected four RBI, and picked up two stolen bases in the contest. The switch-hitting slugger has been under-par in the batting average department with a .235 average but has produced the power with nine long balls and 33 RBI. Ramirez's days of batting .280 and above may be over. Still, he remains a big-time fantasy contributor who looks to continue the momentum against rookie pitcher Jack Leiter on Tuesday and Jon Gray on Wednesday.

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New York Yankees relief pitcher Lou Trivino (elbow) is in the middle of a three- to four-week shutdown because of inflammation after right-elbow surgery. Manager Aaron Boone said that Trivino developed inflammation in his right elbow in late April and was shut down at that time. The 32-year-old had Tommy John surgery on May 3 of 2023 and has now experienced a setback. The good news is he's only dealing with inflammation, so it's not too big of a setback for the right-hander. As long as he doesn't have any more setbacks with his elbow this year, Trivino will most likely be working towards a return to New York's bullpen around the All-Star break this summer. Trivino split the 2022 season with the A's and Yankees, posting a 4.53 ERA, a 1.64 WHIP, 11 saves, 24 walks and 67 strikeouts in 53 2/3 relief innings.

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New York Mets left-hander David Peterson (hip) will move his minor-league rehab assignment to Double-A Binghamton this week. Peterson has looked good so far in three rehab games with Low-A St. Lucie, allowing just two hits in 8 2/3 scoreless innings. Manager Carlos Mendoza said Peterson could be ready to return from the 60-day injured list as early as May 27, the first day he's eligible to be reinstated. The 28-year-old southpaw is trying to make a return from offseason hip surgery, so he'll be making his 2024 debut whenever he gets into a game. At the moment, the Mets' starting rotation is full and healthy, so there's a chance that Peterson is sent back to the minor leagues when he comes off the injured list. The former 20th overall pick in 2017 out of Oregon went 3-8 last year with a 5.03 ERA and 1.57 WHIP with 50 walks and a career-high 128 strikeouts in 111 innings over 27 appearances (21 starts).

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"Everything's trending in the right direction" for New York Mets relief pitcher Drew Smith (shoulder) to come off the 15-day injured list early this week, according to manager Carlos Mendoza. The 30-year-old right-hander will most likely come off the injured list on Tuesday and be eligible out of the bullpen against the visiting Philadelphia Phillies. Smith had a strong 2.70 ERA and 1.70 WHIP with three holds and one save in 10 innings pitched for the Mets before he was placed on the injured list on April 27 with right-shoulder inflammation. Outside of deep holds leagues, Smith doesn't have a ton of fantasy value in a setup role in New York's bullpen. In his six-year career with the Mets, Smith holds a 3.48 ERA, a 1.70 WHIP, four saves and 190 strikeouts in 188 2/3 innings pitched.

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New York Yankees infielder DJ LeMahieu (foot) ran the bases on Sunday and will take live batting practice on Tuesday. If all goes well with that, he could soon start playing in minor-league rehab games. LeMahieu has yet to play a game in 2024 due to a non-displaced fracture in his right foot, and running full speed is probably going to be the last hurdle he needs to clear before playing in minor-league games. The 35-year-old veteran has already had a setback with his foot, so the Yankees are going to make sure he's ready before activating him from the injured list. When healthy, LeMahieu should be the team's regular third baseman while also hitting near the top of a potent Yankees lineup. The three-time All-Star is hoping to bounce back in 2024 after a disappointing .243/.327/.390 slash line in 136 games in 2023.

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Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Bryson Stott brought the late-inning heroics in the Monday night 5-4 win by hitting a game-tying solo home run against New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz. Stott also included an infield single to make that three games in a row with a multi-hit effort. He is now sporting a .270 batting average with three home runs, 23 RBI, and 10 stolen bases over 36 games. In the past week, he's been doing it all for fantasy managers with 10 hits, nine runs batted in, and four stolen bases. Look for Stott to keep it rolling with three more games on tap against the Mets and three against the Nationals to cap off the week.

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New York Mets left-handed reliever Brooks Raley (elbow) will meet with Dr. Keith Meister on Tuesday to make a firmer decision on his inflamed left elbow. Raley is concerned about bone spurs and possible ligament damage in his elbow, which means his 2024 season is very much in jeopardy. Manager Carlos Mendoza said late last week that Raley is "not close" to throwing and could be shut down for the foreseeable future if Meister doesn't like what he sees on Tuesday. The 35-year-old veteran southpaw was placed on the 15-day injured list on April 21 and was initially expected to return as soon as he was eligible. In a worst-case scenario, Raley would need Tommy John surgery or an internal-brace procedure, which would keep him out for the rest of this year and the start of 2025. It would be a pretty big blow for New York's bullpen.

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New York Mets right-hander Tylor Megill (shoulder) tossed 5 1/3 scoreless innings for Triple-A Syracuse on Sunday in yet another strong minor-league rehab outing. In his four rehab starts, Megill has given up just one run on nine hits over 16 innings and has struck out 23 with just one walk. The Mets will now decide whether to reinstate him from the 15-day injured list this week. Even though the 28-year-old has looked good on his rehab assignment, manager Carlos Mendoza has been hesitant to say that Megill will be handed a rotation spot upon his return. Megill has been on the IL since April 1 with a shoulder strain but has been building up as a starter as he rehabs. A multi-inning relief role would put Megill off the fantasy radar in deep leagues. He was hit with the loss in his lone start this year in 2024 on March 31 against the Brewers, when he allowed an earned run in four innings of work.

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Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Shota Imanaga has done it again in Monday's 2-0 loss to the Atlanta Braves. The lefty tossed five more shut-out innings against a powerful Braves lineup with eight strikeouts, seven hits allowed, and three walks. He did not factor into the decision. This would generally be a top stat line for any other starting pitcher this season, but not for Imanaga. It's only the third time he didn't make it past six innings in the young season and the first time he has walked three batters in a game. He wasn't as efficient with his pitch count, which is the reason for his shorter outing, but with no runs allowed, he lowered his earned run average to an absurd 0.96 ERA with a 0.94 WHIP. Although his insane run is impossible to sustain, you can feel great as a fantasy manager knowing his next matchup this weekend against a Pittsburgh Pirates lineup that is batting .220 against lefties on the season.

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