Texas Rangers outfielder Evan Carter (back) is undergoing an MRI exam on his back on Monday and is not in the team's starting lineup against the visiting Cleveland Guardians. Carter has now missed the last four games due to a lower-back issues. Depending on the results of his MRI exam, the 21-year-old could be forced to go on the injured list. With Carter out of action yet again, Ezequiel Duran is starting in left field and is batting eighth against Guardians right-hander Tanner Bibee. Duran is hitting a strong .310 (22-for-71) on the year but doesn't have a homer and will be a low-upside DFS option out of the eight-hole on Monday. Carter, who won a World Series ring in his first year in the big leagues, has five home runs in 125 at-bats in his first full season, but he's also struggling to a .216/.303/.416 slash line.

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Texas Rangers rookie outfielder Wyatt Langford (hamstring) said he ran at 90 percent effort on Monday and didn't have any issues with his injured hamstring. In addition to running, Langford said he started swinging a bat last weekend. The 22-year-old will need to run at full speed to test out his right-hamstring injury before the Rangers consider reinstating him from the injured list. With Langford expected to be out for two to three weeks in total, it would be a pretty big surprise if the youngster isn't sent on a minor-league rehab assignment before he rejoins the big-league lineup. The fourth overall pick last year out of Florida has tremendous upside in 2024 and beyond but went 26-for-116 with a homer, 11 RBI and 13 runs scored in his first 31 games before landing on the IL. Because of his upside, Langford should remain stashed in all fantasy formats.

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Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Adbert Alzolay (forearm) has been placed on the 15-day injured list on Monday. The right-hander has struggled to open the season, so hopefully some time off will help him get back on track. Alzolay opened the season as the closer but quickly lost that job have blowing multiple save chances. In a corresponding move, right-hander Jose Cuas has been recalled from Triple-A Iowa. Cuas figures to pitch in low leverage spots, so Hector Neris should continue to be the primary closer.

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Cincinnati Reds outfielder TJ Friedl (thumb) has been placed on the 10-day injured list on Monday. Friedl underwent X-rays on Sunday, but they came back negative. Clearly, that wasn't the case as Friedl is set to miss time due to a fractured left field. This is a tough blow considering Friedl just returned from a stint on the injured list. Will Benson and the newly recalled Jacob Hurtubise figure to split up the playing time in the outfield.

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Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong (rest) remains out of the starting lineup ahead of Monday's game against the Atlanta Braves. The rookie outfielder has now sat on the bench for three straight games. He was getting decent playing time with the Cubs outfield banged up, but hasn't played much since Cody Bellinger and Seiya Suzuki returned. Crow-Armstrong is too young and talented to be sitting around on the big league bench. He'll likely be headed to Triple-A soon if he doesn't start playing more frequently.

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Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (back) is returning to the starting lineup ahead of Monday's game against the San Diego Padres. Ohtani was removed early during Saturday's contest due to back tightness. He didn't play on Sunday but that was likely precautionary to give Ohtani a day off to rest. He'll return to the lineup as the designated hitter and bat second on Monday. Fantasy managers should adjust their lineups accordingly with Ohtani returning.

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Washington Nationals outfielder Jesse Winker (back) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Monday's game against the Chicago White Sox. The veteran outfielder was forced to exit early during Sunday's game due to back spasms. Winker is reportedly feeling better on Monday but will sit out at least one more game. Winker holds a .143/.247/.247 slash line over his last 21 games so he hasn't been much of a help to fantasy managers anyway. Jared Young, Eddie Rosario, and Victor Robles will cover the outfield on Monday.

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Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley (side) is undergoing an MRI exam on Monday and is not in the team's starting lineup for the series opener against the visiting Chicago Cubs. The Braves are still hopeful that Riley will avoid a stint on the injured list but they won't know more until they see the results, which will likely be known after Monday's game, according to manager Brian Snitker. With Riley out on Monday, Zack Short is starting at third base and is batting ninth against Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga. The 27-year-old Riley was pulled from Sunday's loss to the New York Mets with soreness in his left side. The Braves are optimistic now, but side injuries can be tricky to return quickly from, so fantasy managers may want to prepare for Riley landing on the IL just in case. If Riley does land on the IL, the Braves could call up utility infielder David Fletcher from the minors.

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The Miami Marlins placed shortstop Tim Anderson (back) on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to May 11) on Monday with lower-back tightness and reinstated left-hander A.J. Puk (shoulder) in a corresponding move. Anderson will head to the shelf after missing the last two games with back tightness, but if his injury isn't that serious, he could come off the 10-day IL in just over a week. The 30-year-old former 17th overall pick of the Chicago White So in 2013 has fallen on hard times the last two years after being an All-Star in both 2021 and 2022. He hit .245/.286/.296 with only one homer in 2023 and is currently batting .197 (24-for-122) with no homers, six RBI and three steals in 36 games for the Fish. Until Anderson is able to return from his back ailment, Vidal Brujan is fully expected to take over as the team's regular shortstop.

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Updating a previous report, Toronto Blue Jays outfielder George Springer (illness) and Kevin Kiermaier (illness) and designated hitter Justin Turner (illness) are both out sick on Monday against the Baltimore Orioles. Springer missed Friday and Saturday while being sick but was able to return on Sunday before going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. It appears he's still not feeling great and will sit out another game. Turner is sick and in a slump of late, so a day off second consecutive day off should do him well. Kiermaier will miss his fourth straight game. Cavan Biggio is in right field and batting eighth, Daniel Vogelbach is the DH and is hitting fifth, while Daulton Varsho is in center field and batting second against Orioles right-hander Corbin Burnes. Davis Schneider is in left field and is batting leadoff for Toronto. It's a tough matchup for all of Toronto's hitters in the series opener against Burnes.

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Toronto Blue Jays catcher Danny Jansen (back) is experiencing back spasms, according to manager John Schneider. Jansen is getting treatment and the hope is that he can be available off the bench, if needed, on Monday against the Baltimore Orioles on the road. Alejandro Kirk will do the catching for Toronto on Monday and will hit sixth in the batting order against Orioles right-hander Corbin Burnes. Jansen will miss his second straight game after he was held out of Sunday's series finale against the Minnesota Twins. The 29-year-old should be considered day-to-day. Fantasy managers in deeper leagues will want to check back on Tuesday to see if Jansen is back in action. Jansen got a late start to the 2024 season due to a fractured wrist but has made up for lost time by going 17-for-54 (.315) with four home runs and seven RBI in his first 18 games.

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Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto (knee) is out of the starting lineup for Monday's series opener against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Realmuto will be missing his second straight game after missing Sunday's contest with a sore right knee. With Realmuto still resting up, Garrett Stubbs will make a second straight start to catch left-hander Cristopher Sanchez while batting ninth against Mets left-hander Sean Manaea. Realmuto's knee injury isn't considered serious, so fantasy managers should treat him as day-to-day and check back on Tuesday to see if he's feeling good enough to play. When active, he's a must-start, top-tier fantasy catching option. Stubbs has never faced Manaea in his career and will be a low-upside DFS play. He's gone just 3-for-26 (.115) on the year with no home runs.

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Philadelphia Phillies outfielder/designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (back) remains out of the starting lineup on Monday against the New York Mets for the series opener in what will be his third straight missed game. The 31-year-old All-Star slugger was pulled from Friday's game early with lower-back soreness and remains out for the Phils to kick off the new week. The good news is his injury isn't considered very serious, and he's hoping to return to action on Tuesday for the second game of the series at Citi Field. Nick Castellanos is at DH on Monday and is hitting cleanup, while Whit Merrifield is in left field and batting leadoff against Mets left-hander Sean Manaea. Merrifield has four hits in eight career at-bats against Manaea and plays as a low-cost DFD sleeper on Monday against a lefty.

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Cincinnati Reds pitching prospect Rhett Lowder made his first start for Double-A Chattanooga on Saturday against the Tennessee Smokies. The 22-year-old right-hander struck out five batters over five innings, allowing six hits, three runs, and a walk along the way. Despite having thrown more than 80 pitches in only one of his six starts this season, he finished with 76 pitches (50 strikes). The Reds' decision to promote Lowder after just five professional appearances shows how confident they are in his abilities. According to MLB.com, Lowder is expected to make his major league debut later this year.

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Toronto Blue Jays outfielder George Springer and designated hitter Justin Turner are both sitting out on Monday for the series opener against the Orioles in Baltimore. With both veterans resting, Cavan Biggio is in right field and is hitting eighth, while Daniel Vogelbach is the DH and is batting fifth against Orioles right-hander Corbin Burnes. Davis Schneider is in left field and is hitting leadoff for the Blue Jays. Springer missed Friday and Saturday against the Minnesota Twins but returned on Sunday to go 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. The 34-year-old has struggled so far in 2024 with a .200 average (29-for-145), three homers and six stolen bases. Turner has one hit in his last 22 at-bats in his last five starts, so he'll be on the bench for the second straight game. None of Toronto's replacements on Monday will be particularly attractive in DFS against Burnes.

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Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Isaac Paredes will retreat to the bench on Monday for the series opener at Fenway Park against the division-rival Boston Red Sox. With Paredes riding pine, Amed Rosario will take over at the hot corner for Tampa and hit fifth in the batting order against Red Sox right-hander Kutter Crawford. There's a chance Paredes is being checked for a concussion after getting hit in the helmet by a pitch on Sunday against the New York Yankees, even though the 25-year-old stayed in for the rest of the game on Mother's Day. Unless we hear otherwise, it's just a planned day of rest. Paredes is hitting an even .300 (42-for-140) this year with eight homers and 22 RBI. Rosario is hitting .375 in eight career at-bats against Crawford, who has pitched extremely well so far in 2024.

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Toronto Blue Jays infield prospect Orelvis Martinez was 1-for-3 with a three-run homer and a walk on Sunday against the Worcester Red Sox. Over the previous five games, he had managed only one hit and three walks in 17 plate appearances. Despite a cold spell, Martinez has been excellent in Triple-A. Through 36 games with the Buffalo Bisons, he's hitting .277/.362/.569 with 10 home runs, 30 RBI, and 31 runs scored. Positionally, he spent his first 22 starts at second base. However, two of his last six starts have seen him at third. It may be that Martinez is taking reps at the hot corner in preparation for his major league debut. According to MLB.com, that debut should come sometime this year.

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Pittsburgh Pirates second base prospect Termarr Johnson continues to face early-season struggles in High-A. He's 3-for-29 in May, good for a .103 batting average. Despite the low average, Johnson has still shown tremendous plate discipline. He's drawn 12 walks, resulting in a .395 on-base percentage in May. In addition, he's only struck out six times. A significant contributor to his low batting average is his .130 BABIP. Although Johnson hasn't been making solid contact, he's suffered from exceptionally bad luck so far. At just 19 years old, he has ample time to develop, with his MLB debut not expected until 2025.

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New York Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo (intercostal) will return to the lineup on Monday and hit leadoff against the Philadelphia Phillies and left-hander Cristopher Sanchez. Nimmo left Saturday's game early with right-intercostal irritation, and that injury also prevented him from starting on Sunday. However, the outfielder was feeling good enough to come off the bench and hit a walk-off two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning. He appears to be healthy heading into the Mets' four-game set against the Phillies and will slide right back into the top spot in the batting order for New York. He is hitting .234 with six home runs and 27 RBI in 38 games this season.

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Boston Red Sox outfielder Wilyer Abreu sat out the team's 3-2 win against the Washington Nationals on Sunday with a left-handed pitcher on the mound. But Abreu will return to the lineup and bat second in Monday's series opener against the Tampa Bay Rays. The 24-year-old hasn't seen many opportunities in the two-hole for Boston this season, only hitting there twice over the past 18 games. However, this is now his second consecutive start batting in that spot. That should lead to more run-scoring chances, considering both Tyler O'Neill and Rafael Devers are batting behind him. The young outfielder could also start all four games in this series with the Rays throwing out all right-handed pitchers. He is hitting .282 with three home runs, nine doubles, and 14 RBI in 34 games this season.

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