Houston Astros right-hander Hunter Brown will start a game against the Milwaukee Brewers this weekend, according to manager Joe Espada. The Astros are officially moving to a six-man starting rotation. Brown is most likely to start the series opener against Milwaukee on Friday, but fantasy managers in most leagues are going to want to avoid him after he has opened the 2024 season by going 0-4 with a 7.79 ERA (5.08 FIP) and 2.01 WHIP with 18 walks and 36 strikeouts in 32 1/3 innings over eight appearances (seven starts). Brown looked better in a long-relief role over the weekend for the Astros, so hopefully he can carry that momentum over to his eighth start of the season. If Brown struggles again this weekend against the Brew Crew, he could find himself right back in the bullpen.

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New York Mets shortstop prospect Luisangel Acuna went 2-for-5 with a walk, two runs scored, and two stolen bases on Sunday for Triple-A Syracuse. The pair of singles extended the 22-year-old's hit streak to nine games, although he isn't exactly knocking the cover off the ball during the streak with a .273 average and no home runs. The right-handed hitter has four doubles, three triples, and two home runs on the season, but even the last nine games could only bring his season batting average to .233. It's part of the reason that Acuna dropped 22 spots on MLB.com's most recently updated Top-100 prospects list, going from 58 to 80. The speed is still there though, totaling 13 stolen bases through 34 games.

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Updating a previous report, Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Rhys Hoskins (hamstring) said that he will undergo an MRI exam on Tuesday after leaving Monday's 8-6 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates with a hamstring injury. We'll have a better idea of how much time Hoskins might have to miss once his MRI results are known, but fantasy baseball managers should be preparing for a potential trip to the injured list. Before hitting the showers early on Monday, Hoskins singled in his only at-bat to raise his batting average to .233 with an .814 in his first year in Milwaukee. The former fifth-round pick of the Philadelphia Phillies in 2014 out of Sacramento State has provided plenty of power (nine home runs) and run production (27 RBI) after missing all of 2023 with a torn ACL in his knee. Check back on Tuesday for Hoskins' MRI results.

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Philadelphia Phillies outfielder/designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (back) will return to the starting lineup on Tuesday against the New York Met on the road at Citi Field, according to manager Rob Thomson. Schwarber was pulled late in Friday's win over the Miami Marlins with back soreness and was held out of the starting lineup on Monday for the third straight game, although he did come in to strike out as a pinch-hitter late in Monday's contest. The 31-year-old left-handed slugger's injury was never considered serious, but they wanted to hold him out for a few games as a precaution. After striking out in his pinch-hitting appearance on Monday, Schwarber is now hitting .216 on the year with a .718 OPS, nine home runs and 25 RBI in 40 games. He's leading baseball with 59 strikeouts and is going to be a drain on your team's batting average, but you can't argue with his elite power.

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Chicago Cubs third baseman Christopher Morel (toe) left the team's game on Monday early against the Atlanta Braves with a toe injury on his left foot after he fouled a ball off his foot late in the contest. Morel also injured his right knee on Saturday against the Pittsburgh Pirates and is dealing with some bumps and bruises, so it wouldn't be a surprise at all to see him sit out of Tuesday's game in Atlanta. The 24-year-old walked off with a trainer and was seen wincing after fouling a ball off his foot. Before leaving late in Monday's game, Morel went 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts to drop his season average to .223 and his OPS to .747. If Morel needs more than just one day off because of his bumps and bruises, both Miles Mastrobuoni and Nick Madrigal would be candidates to mix in at the hot corner for the Cubbies.

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Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash said that the team used relief pitcher Jason Adam to close out the 5-3 win over the Boston Red Sox on Monday because closer Pete Fairbanks (finger) was unavailable due to a small cut on his right index finger. The hope is that Fairbanks will be good to go on Tuesday for the second game of the series in Boston. Adam came on and pitched a hitless and scoreless ninth inning on Monday with a walk and three strikeouts to pick up his third save of the year, but there's a good chance Fairbanks will be available for a save situation on Tuesday if it arises. The 30-year-old Fairbanks recently returned from the injured list due to a nerve issue in his right arm. It's been a tough start to the year for him after starting 0-2 with a 7.88 ERA, a 2.00 WHIP, three saves and 11 strikeouts in eight innings pitched.

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Atlanta Braves right-hander Reynaldo Lopez (back) was pulled from his start early on Monday against the visiting Chicago Cubs due to back tightness. Before leaving, Lopez threw five scoreless innings with two hits allowed while walking two and striking out four to lower his season ERA to a sparkling 1.34. The 30-year-old did not get a decision in his latest strong performance before leaving early due to an injury. For now, fantasy managers should consider Lopez to be day-to-day, and the Braves currently don't think that his injury is serious enough to keep him from making his next scheduled start. Lopez has been a revelation for the Braves and for fantasy managers in deeper leagues that took a chance on him after he hadn't started a game since 2022 with the Chicago White Sox.

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Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley's (side) MRI exam on Monday showed only inflammation in his side and he's considered day-to-day. Riley was pulled from Sunday's loss to the New York Mets with an injury to his left side and didn't play in the series opener on Monday versus the Chicago Cubs as a result. The 27-year-old shouldn't need a trip to the 10-day injured list after his MRI exam came back negative, but there's no guarantee that he'll be back in the starting lineup for the second game of the series against Chicago on Tuesday. With Riley out on Monday, Zack Short got the start at third base and was hitting ninth in the batting order. Riley is hitting .245 (36-for-147) on the year with three home runs and 18 RBI but has been hot so far in May, going 10-for-32 (.313) with a homer and four RBI in nine games.

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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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