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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The Baltimore Orioles optioned outfielder Heston Kjerstad to Triple-A ahead of their three-game set against the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday. Kjerstad was one of the hottest hitters at Triple-A this season, batting an absurd .349 with 10 home runs and 30 RBI in 21 games. As a result, the Orioles decided to call him up in late April. However, the left-handed slugger didn't see the playing time he deserved upon his promotion and only started four games for Baltimore over the past three weeks. He had just two hits across 17 plate appearances in 2024. The move to send down MLB Pipeline's No. 23 prospect has likely something to do with the team wanting the young outfielder to get more consistent at-bats at the plate. In a corresponding move, the Orioles called up Kyle Stowers from Triple-A Norfolk.

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Texas Rangers rookie pitcher Jack Leiter is scheduled to start at home against the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday. Despite struggling in his first two major league starts, it appears the Rangers will give Leiter another chance to prove himself on the mound. The right-hander gave up seven earned runs on eight hits in his first start against the Detroit Tigers on April 18 and then allowed four earned runs (six runs) across four innings against the Oakland A's on May 8. It's been sort of a rough go for the Rangers' No. 6 prospect to begin his MLB career, so he should only be started in extremely deep formats on Tuesday.

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The Baltimore Orioles plan to call up outfielder Kyle Stowers from Triple-A Norfolk, according to Britt Ghiroli of The Athletic. This will be Stowers's third time up in the majors with the first two coming in 2022 and 2023. Both times, though, the outfielder struggled mightily at the plate. He is hitting just .207 with three home runs, four doubles, and 11 RBI over 48 major league games in his career so far. As a result, he isn't an add in most formats. However, keep an eye on his playing time over the next few games because he showed some power potential in 36 Triple-A games this season, hitting 11 HRs with 11 doubles and 32 RBI.

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San Francisco Giants left-hander Blake Snell (groin) expects to make another minor-league rehab start before being reinstated from the injured list to rejoin the Giants' starting rotation. Snell was dominant in his first rehab outing with Single-A San Jose on Sunday, tossing four shutout innings with seven strikeouts. He threw only 46 pitches in the contest but touched 97 mph on the radar gun and tossed an addition 15 pitches in the bullpen after being removed from the contest. It makes sense for San Francisco to give Snell another start in the minors after he got off to a late start in 2024 because of the timing of his signing. The 31-year-old reigning National League Cy Young winner also got off to a rough start in his first three games before landing on the injured list, going 0-3 with an 11.57 ERA and 1.97 WHIP with 12 K's in 11 2/3 innings.

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Seattle Mariners right-hander Bryan Woo (forearm) is listed as the team's probable starter for this Wednesday's game against the visiting Kansas City Royals. Woo was removed from the injured list last week in order to make his season debut on Friday in a strong matchup against the visiting Oakland Athletics. The 24-year-old looked good, throwing 4 1/3 scoreless inning before being removed with right-forearm tightness. It was concerning since Woo missed the first six weeks of the regular season with right-elbow inflammation, but it turns out his latest injury isn't serious enough to keep him from making his second start of 2024. Woo looked good on Friday but did only throw 62 pitches in the outing, so fantasy managers looking for streamers should consider him pretty risky on Wednesday in a shy-away matchup against KC.

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Minnesota Twins catcher/designated hitter Ryan Jeffers is tied for ninth in the American League with nine home runs. He has served in the DH role for the Twins more than anyone else, but despite that, he has yet to hit a home run as the DH. Eight of Jeffers' home runs have come on days when he's the starting catcher, and the other homer came when he was used as a pinch-hitter. It's something to watch, but Jeffers is hitting .275 as the DH with a .772 OPS and six doubles. "If it was a problem, it would be on our radar. But he's had good at-bats as the DH. He's comfortable as the DH," manager Rocco Baldelli said. "If the definition of hitting for power is hitting home runs, then no. But he's hitting the ball hard as hell all over the park, even as the DH."

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Washington Nationals outfielder Jesse Winker (back) left the game early in the fifth inning on Sunday against the Boston Red Sox due to back spasms. Winker felt it before the contest and it got worse after he dove for a line drive in the outfield early in the game. Before leaving, Winker was hitless in his two at-bats and was replaced in left field by Ildemaro Vargas. The 30-year-old veteran left-handed hitter is now slashing .235/.350/.386 on the year with four home runs, 18 RBI, four stolen bases and 19 runs scored in 132 at-bats. At the very least, it's unlikely that Winker will be in action on Monday for the series opener against the Chicago White Sox. If the Nationals don't elect to call up top prospect James Wood from the minors, more playing time will go to Victor Robles if Winker needs a trip to the injured list.

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Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton (knee) ran the bases at Target Field on Saturday and will do so again when the team returns there on Tuesday, according to athletic trainer Frank Paparesta. It's a sign that the soreness in his surgically repaired right knee has stopped, and that Buxton is nearing readiness for a return from the injured list. He's eligible to be activated for Tuesday's game against the New York Yankees, and the Twins are "cautiously optimistic" that they can do so. It's a bit of a surprise that Buxton won't need a minor-league rehab assignment, but fantasy managers won't be complaining if the 30-year-old veteran is able to return to the Twins lineup this week. The oft-injured outfielder continues to struggle to stay on the field for large stretches and will return to a .250/.300/.391 slash line with a homer, 11 RBI, one steal and 12 runs scored when he returns.

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San Francisco Giants manager Bob Melvin said that outfielder Jung Hoo Lee (shoulder) suffered a separated left shoulder in Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Reds in the first inning and will go for an MRI exam. Even if Lee's MRI exam doesn't show any structural damage in his shoulder, the 25-year-old first-year outfielder could be set for an extended absence. Fantasy baseball managers should prepare for a worst-case scenario and for Lee to require a stint on the injured list. With Michael Conforto (hamstring) going on the injured list on Sunday, Luis Matos was recalled from Triple-A Sacramento. If Lee misses extended time, Matos, Heliot Ramos and Tyler Fitzgerald could all see more playing time in San Fran's outfield. Fitzgerald replaced Lee in center field on Sunday and went 1-for-5 with a run scored and a strikeout.

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San Francisco Giants catcher Patrick Bailey (illness) was scratched from Sunday's series finale against the Cincinnati Reds due to a viral illness, according to the team. Bailey recently came off the seven-day concussion injured list, but his absence from Sunday's game wasn't in any way a setback with his head. Fantasy managers will want to check back to see if the 24-year-old backstop is feeling good enough to play in the series opener on Monday against the division-rival Los Angeles Dodgers. If Bailey misses any more time this week, Blake Sabol will benefit from more playing time behind the dish for the Gigantes. So far in 2024, Bailey is hitting a strong .280/.340/.451 with three home runs, 11 RBI, a stolen base and 10 runs scored in 26 games played.

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Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley (side) isn't too concerned about being removed from Sunday night's loss to the division-rival New York Mets early as a precaution with left-side tightness and considers himself day-to-day. Riley started feeling tightness in his side during batting practice before Sunday's contest and was eventually removed in the fourth inning after going 1-for-2. The 27-year-old doesn't know if he'll go for an MRI exam on Monday, but there's a very good chance he won't be in the starting lineup for the series opener on Monday against the Chicago Cubs. Fantasy managers will have to make a tough decision whether to keep him in their lineups in weekly leagues, but you shouldn't rule out a trip to the injured list.

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San Diego Padres starting pitcher Yu Darvish blanked the division rival Los Angeles Dodgers in Sunday's victory. The veteran tossed seven scoreless innings and allowed two hits, one walk and struck out seven. It was an impressive start for the 37-year-old against one of the toughest offenses in the league. Darvish has been putting together a strong season over his first eight starts and owns a 3-1 record to go along with a 2.43 ERA and 0.97 WHIP with 37 strikeouts in 40 2/3 innings. He should be rostered in all formats, but draws a tough matchup against the Atlanta Braves this weekend.

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Minnesota Twins first baseman Carlos Santana went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer in Sunday's victory against the Toronto Blue Jays. The homer would be the seventh of the season for the veteran. Santana has shown up with power this season as he also has 21 RBI. The issue for Santana has been that he is only hitting .212, but he has been hitting the ball hard with an average exit velocity of 90.7 MPH. Managers in deeper leagues should consider Santana if power is needed, but with the expectation that he will sink managers batting average along the way.

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