The Cincinnati Reds are calling up their 24th-ranked prospect, outfielder Jacob Hurtubise, after TJ Friedl was placed on the 10-Day IL with a fractured left thumb. When Hurtubise gets into a game, it will be his MLB debut. The 26-year-old had a breakout season in 2023, hitting .330 between Double-A and Triple-A. While he does not hit for much power, with just seven homers over 342 at-bats last season, the left-handed hitter has so much speed that he ended up with nearly as many triples (10) as he had doubles (11). The speed helped him swipe 45 bags last season as well. The performance earned him an invite to the Arizona Fall League, where he hit .267 with 11 stolen bases. So far in 2024, Hurtubise is hitting just .241 but in only 29 at-bats. The speed is enticing but he's probably not viable for fantasy as he's likely more of a bench bat and outfield depth rather than everyday starter.

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Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman went yard twice in Monday's extra-inning loss to the division-rival Toronto Blue Jays, accounting for all of the team's offense in the defeat. Rutschman tagged Blue Jays right-hander Jose Berrios for two solo shots on Monday, with the first coming in the fourth inning and the second on his next at-bat in the sixth. The 26-year-old former No. 1 overall pick continues establishing himself as a fantasy force at the catcher position, hitting safely in 20 of his last 22 games with a .333 average, seven homers, 18 RBI, and one stolen base during this stretch. Rutschman gets two more cracks at the Jays in this series, and fantasy managers should be looking forward to them. In 31 games versus the Jays in his career, Rutschman is now batting a superb .341 (42-for-123) with seven taters, 10 doubles, 22 RBI, and 22 runs scored.

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Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Brandon Lowe (oblique) is still feeling "something" in his oblique and is seeing a specialist on Tuesday, and the club will know more after that visit. Despite going deep during Sunday's minor-league assignment with Triple-A Durham while playing the whole game at second base, Lowe is still dealing with discomfort in his strained right oblique. It puts his return timetable suddenly in a state of uncertainty, as the infielder appeared to be poised for a return to the major-league roster sometime this week. Before going down, Lowe hit just 5-for-27 (.185) with one home run, one double, and four RBI through eight games and doesn't need to be stashed outside of deeper fantasy leagues. Amed Rosario and Richie Palacios are handling the bulk of the reps at the keystone for now, with the former being the preferred option from a fantasy perspective.

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Texas Rangers starting pitcher Cody Bradford (back, rib) threw on flat ground on Monday. Bradford is progressing from both a lower-back strain as well as a stress fracture on his rib, but he still has several hurdles to clear in his throwing program before rejoining Texas' injury-riddled rotation. There's a still a chance at a return before the end of May for Bradford, but he'll likely require at least one minor-league rehab appearance before doing so. The 26-year-old upstart left-hander was returning first-round fantasy value before hitting the injured list, garnering a 1.40 ERA, 0.62 WHIP, and 17:2 K:BB with wins in each of his three starts (19 1/3 innings) this year, so he's well worth a stash in all leagues. Top prospect Jack Leiter is one of the names filling in for the Rangers at the moment, but he's given up 11 runs in 7 2/3 innings (two starts) and will be hard to trust in Tuesday's home start versus the Cleveland Guardians.

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Seattle Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford (oblique) is set to start a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Tacoma on Tuesday. Crawford has been participating in full pregame workouts, and the rehab assignment will be the final step in his recovery from a strained right oblique. Barring any setbacks, he'll likely be activated when the club begins a road trip starting on Friday against the Baltimore Orioles. After hitting just .196 (13-for-86) with two home runs, nine RBI, and 13 runs scored as Seattle's primary leadoff hitter this season, the 29-year-old on-base machine will only be a viable fantasy option in deep mixed and AL-only leagues when he returns. Utility man Josh Rojas has taken over as the preferred leadoff man against right-handed pitching, slashing a potent .385/.439/.596 with five extra-base hits, four RBI, and three stolen bases over his last 15 games (52 at-bats), and he's worth holding until Crawford is cleared.

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Chicago White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said on Monday outfielder Luis Robert (hip) will hopefully start playing games in Arizona by the end of this week. Sidelined by a right hip flexor strain, Robert could soon get into rookie-level outings before heading out on a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte sometime shortly thereafter. It puts the speedy 26-year-old slugger on track to rejoin Chicago's outfield in late May if all continues to go well in his recovery. Robert went 6-for-28 with two home runs, four RBI, and one stolen base in seven games before going down. In the meantime, veteran Tommy Pham is batting .293 with two homers, eight RBI, nine runs scored, and one steal over 58 at-bats this year for the ChiSox and is a serviceable stopgap solution for Robert's fantasy managers.

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Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Rhys Hoskins left Monday's game versus the division-rival Pittsburgh Pirates after sustaining an apparent lower-body injury while running to first base in the second inning. General manager Matt Arnold says that Hoskins is being evaluated by the training staff after the infielder pulled up lame and was replaced by Blake Perkins, but his injury appears to be a hamstring issue and not his knee. The Brewers should have an official diagnosis sometime following the game, but it's fair to expect Hoskins to at least get the day off for the second game of the series against Pittsburgh on Tuesday. Consider him day-to-day until more is known. The 31-year-old slugger is enjoying a strong comeback season after missing all of last year with a torn ACL, slashing .233/.340/.474 with nine home runs, five doubles, and 27 RBI through 133 at-bats. Jake Bauers is the next man up at the cold corner on Milwaukee's depth chart.

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New York Mets right-hander Kodai Senga (shoulder) said that if his bullpen session on Wednesday goes well, he could be back in game action "sooner than later." Senga's progress was halted as he wants to work through mechanical issues before facing hitters for a third time. He doesn't want to aggravate his shoulder or create any other physical issues by going forward with mechanics that don't feel right to him, so he'll throw bullpen sessions this week until he feels more comfortable. It's not what fantasy managers wanted to hear, but the good news is the 31-year-old hasn't actually suffered a physical setback related to his shoulder strain. Senga is on the 60-day injured list and has yet to pitch in 2024, but he should be rostered in all fantasy formats. Don't expect Senga to make his debut this year until at least early June.

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Oakland Athletics outfielder Brent Rooker has been red-hot at the plate in May. Rooker is coming off winning the American League Player of the Week award and crushed a two-run home run on Sunday against the Seattle Mariners at an exit velocity of 113.4 mph, marking the hardest-hit ball of his career. He now has 10 home runs on the season after a two-hit day. In 10 games so far in May, Rooker has gone 17-for-38 (.447) with five home runs. He leads the majors with 14 RBI. "This is the maturation of Brent," manager Mark Kotsay said. "It's a follow-up of last year and the success he had. The at-bats he had off Castillo were great. He's seeing the ball really well and taking a great swing." Fantasy managers would be foolish to remove a hitter this hot from their starting lineups.

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Oakland Athletics second baseman Zack Gelof (oblique) has joined the A's for their series in Houston against the Astros this week and could be activated for the series in Houston. Gelof could be activated from the 10-day injured list and return to the starting lineup for Tuesday's game, so fantasy managers should be ready to get Gelof back into their lineups in deeper leagues. The 24-year-old played in back-to-back minor-league rehab games for Triple-A Las Vegas on Saturday and Sunday and apparently got the green light to return to the big leagues. When he's back, he should return to starting duties at the keystone for Oakland. A strained left oblique is what sent Gelof to the injured list. Fantasy managers that have Gelof rostered in deeper leagues will be hoping he can improve on his current .196/.260/.337 slash line through his first 92 at-bats in 2024.

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Oakland Athletics manager Mark Kotsay revealed after Sunday's loss to the Seattle Mariners that left-hander Alex Wood (shoulder) has been dealing with a shoulder issue for some time now, which appeared to worsen on Sunday. Wood's sinker averaged 88.6 mph, over two mph slower than his season average. He was pulled after just two innings in which the Mariners scored five runs and generated a ton of hard contact. Six of Seattle's 10 balls put in play against Wood registered an exit velocity of 100.2 mph or higher. Kotsay said the team will send Wood for further evaluations, and Wood is unsure if he will make his next scheduled start this weekend against the Kansas City Royals. If Wood were to miss time, the A's would likely turn to an in-house option with either Kyle Muller or Mitch Spence, both of whom are currently long relievers out of the bullpen.

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The Oakland Athletics placed right-hander Paul Blackburn on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to May 11) on Monday with a stress reaction of the fifth metatarsal of his right foot and recalled left-hander Easton Lucas from Triple-A Las Vegas in a corresponding move. Blackburn will be in a walking boot for at least two weeks, so he's not going to be ready to return to the A's when he's eligible. Before injuring his foot, the 30-year-old Blackburn went 3-2 with a 4.11 ERA (4.18 FIP) and 1.15 WHIP with 13 walks and 36 strikeouts in 46 innings over his eight starts. With a career 6.9 K/9 in 399 big-league innings, Blackburn has a low fantasy ceiling when he's healthy, especially while pitching for the A's. His turn in the rotation, which comes up next on Thursday against the Houston Astros, could be taken by Joey Estes.

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The Baltimore Orioles reinstated outfielder Austin Hays (calf) from the 10-day injured list on Monday and designated outfielder Ryan McKenna for assignment in a corresponding move. Despite being activated from the IL, Hays was not included in the team's starting lineup on Monday against the visiting Toronto Blue Jays. The 28-year-old is back in the big leagues, but he's probably going to struggle to find consistent playing time as long as rookie Colton Cowser continues to play well and Cedric Mullins and Anthony Santander stay healthy. He's also going to need to pick up the pace offensively if he wants to pick up more playing time. Before going on the IL with his calf injury on April 22, Hays was hitting just .111/.200/.111 in his first 50 plate appearances of the season. Because he's mostly only going to see action against left-handed pitching, Hays has become more of an AL-only asset in fantasy formats.

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It's "possible" that Baltimore Orioles right-hander Grayson Rodriguez (elbow) returns from the injured list this weekend, according to manager Brandon Hyde. Pitcher Cole Irvin is already scheduled to start on Wednesday, the first day that Rodriguez is eligible to return from the injured list, but the team's rotation after their scheduled off day on Thursday has yet to be announced. If the 24-year-old Rodriguez does return this weekend, his first start off the injured list would be a solid matchup against the Seattle Mariners. Rodriguez threw a 30-pitch bullpen session on Sunday and didn't suffer any setbacks. He's been out since the start of May with right-shoulder inflammation, and it appears that the Orioles aren't going to send him on a minor-league rehab assignment before he returns. Rodriguez went 4-1 with a 3.71 ERA and 1.41 WHIP with 37 K's in 34 innings over his first six starts of the year.

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San Francisco Giants catcher Patrick Bailey (illness) will meet with a team doctor later on Monday, and the Giants are trying to figure out if he's just dealing with a cold or if his illness is related to his recent concussion. Manager Bob Melvin said the team is going to be very careful with Bailey, who is out of the starting lineup again on Monday against the visiting division-rival Los Angeles Dodgers. For now, fantasy managers should consider the 24-year-old backstop as day-to-day and check back on Tuesday to see if he's back in the lineup. Blake Sabol is doing the catching again on Monday and will hit seventh against Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Bailey has been one of the Giants' better hitters this year, as he's currently slashing .280/.340/.451 with three home runs and 11 RBI in 82 at-bats. When he's healthy, he'll continue to see more of the starts at catcher over Sabol.

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The San Francisco Giants placed outfielder Jung Hoo Lee (shoulder) on the 10-day injured list on Monday with a left-shoulder dislocation and recalled catcher Jakson Reetz from Triple-A Sacramento in a corresponding move. Lee dislocated his left shoulder when he crashed into the outfield wall in Sunday's contest against the Cincinnati Reds and will now miss at least the next 10 days. Given the severity of his injury, Lee should be expected to miss more than the 10 days on the IL. The 25-year-old Japanese outfielder has hit .262/.310/.331 with two home runs, eight RBI, two stolen bases and 15 runs scored in his first 145 major-league at-bats. So far, Lee has not been a great source of counting stats in fantasy leagues. In his absence, rookie Luis Matos and Tyler Fitzgerald are likely to platoon in center field, with Matos on the strong side while facing most right-handers.

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San Diego Padres shortstop Ha-Seong Kim (wrist) is back at shortstop and is hitting ninth for the Friars on Monday at Petco Park for the series opener against the visiting Colorado Rockies and right-hander Dakota Hudson. Kim had to be removed from Sunday's win over the division-rival Los Angeles Dodgers after he was hit by a pitch on his left wrist. Thankfully, the 28-year-old middle infielder's X-rays came back negative and now he's back in the starting lineup a day later. After a career year in 2023 in which he hit ..260/.351/.398 with 17 home runs, 60 RBI and 38 stolen bases in 152 games, he's disappointed so far with a .208/.316/.362 slash line with five home runs, 21 RBI and eight stolen bases in 43 games. Kim is an everyday player and remains fantasy relevant, mostly for his speed on the base paths, but hitting at the bottom of SD's batting order is bad for his upside.

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Texas Rangers right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (groin) did some flat-ground throwing on Monday and could throw off a mound this weekend. It's good to see Eovaldi making some progress from his strained right groin, but fantasy baseball managers should not expect him to come off the injured list when he's first eligible on Saturday. Even if Eovaldi takes a bit longer to return from the injured list, he should be stashed in most fantasy baseball leagues. Before hitting the shelf, he was 2-2 with a 2.61 ERA (3.55 FIP) and 1.16 WHIP with 19 walks and 44 strikeouts in 41 1/3 innings over his seven starts. The two-time All-Star will not be rushed back into the Rangers' starting rotation given his lengthy history of injuries in the big leagues.

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Texas Rangers right-hander Dane Dunning (shoulder) threw from 90 feet on flat ground on Monday in the outfield and said that he felt good while his arm is feeling stronger. Dunning is trying to work his way back to Texas' starting rotation after landing on the 15-day injured list with a right rotator-cuff strain. It remains to be seen if the 29-year-old will be ready to return from the injured list when he's eligible to come back on May 21. In his seven starts covering 37 1/3 innings so far this year, Dunning has gone 3-2 with a 4.10 ERA (4.88 FIP) and 1.15 WHIP with 17 walks and 43 strikeouts. He's tied for the fourth-highest hard-hit percentage in the league at 48.9 but also ranks 13th in the league with a 31 percent whiff rate.

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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.

From RotoBaller