Minnesota Twins outfielder Max Kepler is taking a seat on Monday with the team facing left-hander Mitchell Parker and the Washington Nationals. With Kepler getting a day off, Manuel Margot will draw into the starting lineup, playing right field and batting third for the Twins. The 31-year-old lefty-swinging Kepler has been solid in limited plate appearances against southpaws this year, but he's hit just .221 against them in over 1,000 career plate appearances. The German outfielder is hitting .303 (30-for-99) with three home runs, 17 RBI and 13 runs scored so far this year, but the underlying numbers show that he's due some regression in the average department eventually. Margot is hitting just .195 (17-for-87) this year with a homer and nine RBI, but he could be worth considering as a DFS sleeper against a young lefty out of the three-hole.

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Seattle Mariners manager Scott Servais said that second baseman Jorge Polanco (hamstring) will be available off the bench, if needed, against the New York Yankees in the Bronx. Josh Rojas is making another start at second base and will bat leadoff for the M's versus Yankees right-hander Marcus Stroman. Polanco is missing a fourth straight game due to a right-hamstring issue, but it appears he's getting close to a return and should avoid a trip to the injured list. The 30-year-old Dominican veteran has had a rough start to his first year in Seattle, as he's currently slashing .192/.298/.308 with five homers, 13 RBI and 15 runs scored in 146 at-bats. Rojas has exceeded expectations offensively for the M's but has come back down to Earth a bit in his last five games with just one hit and seven strikeouts in his 21 plate appearances.

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Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley (side) is sitting out the second game of Monday's doubleheader against the visiting San Diego Padres. Riley also missed the Game 1 loss and now has not played in over a week due to intercostal inflammation on his left side. If the 27-year-old is forced to miss anymore time, it's likely he'll eventually land on the injured list. Riley is hoping to swing a bat soon, so he's technically still considered day-to-day. When healthy, he's the Braves' starting third baseman and is a must-start in all fantasy lineups when he's in the lineup. The former 41st overall pick in 2015 is currently hitting .245/.319/.388 on the year with three home runs, 18 RBI and 22 runs scored in 147 at-bats. Zack Short is making another start at third in Game 2 on Monday and is hitting in the nine-hole after going 0-for-3 with a strikeout in Game 1 to drop his average to .143.

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Atlanta Braves catcher Travis d'Arnaud (head) is back behind the plate and is batting fifth for the second game of a doubleheader on Monday against the visiting San Diego Padres and right-hander Randy Vasquez. It will be d'Arnaud's first game since he was removed from Friday's game against San Diego early as a precaution after he dealt with dizziness from being hit by a foul tip. The good news is that the 35-year-old veteran avoided a concussion and a trip to the seven-day concussion list. His fantasy value remains high with Sean Murphy (oblique) still working his way back from an injury. d'Arnaud is also hitting .255/.336/.500 with an .836 OPS, five home runs, 16 RBI and 15 runs scored in his 102 at-bats so far in 2024. He's never faced Vasquez in his career.

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San Diego Padres second baseman Xander Bogaerts (shoulder) was removed from the first game of Monday's doubleheader against the Atlanta Braves with a left-shoulder injury, but preliminary imaging came back negative. It's good news for now, but the Padres are awaiting further results. Even if Bogaerts avoids a serious injury, he's out of Game 2 of the double dip in Atlanta on Monday and could miss more time heading into Tuesday's series opener against the Reds in Cincinnati. The 31-year-old injured his shoulder while diving for a ball up the middle. For now, fantasy managers will want to consider him day-to-day until further notice. Luis Arraez is at second base and batting leadoff in Game 2 of the doubleheader. Before getting hurt on Monday, Bogaerts went hitless in his lone at-bat to drop his season average to a weak .219. Both Arraez and Tyler Wade are options to play the keystone if Bogaerts misses extended time.

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New York Mets designated hitter J.D. Martinez (illness) is back at DH and is batting cleanup for the Mets on Monday against the Cleveland Guardians and right-hander Ben Lively. Martinez was held out of Sunday's lineup in the series finale against the Miami Marlins due to flu-like symptoms but is feeling good enough to return to action against a pitcher he's never faced in his career. The 36-year-old right-handed slugger got a late start to the 2024 campaign after signing with the Mets late. He opened the year playing in minor leagues to get his timing at the plate down, and it seems to have worked, as he's currently hitting .315/.359/.466 with two home runs in his first 21 games of the season. Fantasy managers will want to get the veteran DH back in their starting lineups to begin the week.

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Seattle Mariners catching prospectHarry Fordwent 4-for-4 with a triple and a stolen base against the Northwest Arkansas Naturals on Sunday night. After a decent April, wherein he slashed .218/.371/.410 with six doubles and three home runs in 97 plate appearances, the 21-year-old catcher has been outstanding in May. Through 67 plate appearances this month, he's hitting .340/.478/.528 with three doubles, two triples, and one homer. Overall, Ford has displayed excellent power and advanced plate discipline for a player his age. Through 35 games, he only has three more strikeouts (32) than walks (29). Ford is ranked #28 on MLB's top-100 prospects list and is expected to make his MLB debut sometime next year.

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Cincinnati Reds left-hander Brandon Williamson (shoulder) made his second minor-league rehab start on Sunday with Triple-A Louisville and allowed an earned run, five hits and one walk with four strikeouts over 3 2/3 innings (56 pitches. In his first rehab start on May 14 with High-A Dayton, Williamson threw three scoreless innings with one hit, no walks and four strikeouts while throwing 38 pitches. Barring any setbacks, the 26-year-old is getting very close to rejoining the Reds and could be back with the team before the end of May. The former second-round pick by the Seattle Mariners in 2019 out of Texas Christian University made his major-league debut in 2023 and went 5-5 with a 4.46 ERA and 1.28 WHIP with 39 walks and 98 strikeouts in 117 innings over 23 starts. When he returns, it remains to be seen if he'll have a rotation spot waiting for him in Cincy.

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Chicago White Sox starting pitcher prospectDrew Thorpewas dominant through his first six starts in 2024. In 35 2/3 innings with Double-A Birmingham, he had allowed just 21 hits, four runs (1.01 ERA), and nine walks while collecting 33 strikeouts. However, in his seventh start, he gave up three runs in the first inning against Pensacola Blue Wahoos and was pulled after just two outs. Fortunately, Thorpe bounced back on Saturday against the Chattanooga Lookouts, throwing 5 2/3 shutout innings, collecting seven strikeouts, and allowing just two hits and two walks. Overall, the 23-year-old right-hander has a 1.50 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, and 3.08 K/BB through his first eight appearances. Thorpe is a likely candidate to pitch in majors this season, making him a solid prospect stash in redraft formats.

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The Tampa Bay Rays officially reinstated infielder Brandon Lowe (oblique) from the 10-day injured list. Lowe last appeared in a game on April 7 before he landed on the IL with an oblique injury. As a result, expect the Rays to give the slugger some days off here and there in the coming days since he's been out for more than one month. The second baseman, though, should eventually see an everyday role when a right-hander starts on the mound. He was hitting .185 at the plate with one home run and four RBI in eight games before his injury.

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The Cleveland Guardians designated outfielder Ramon Laureano for assignment before the team's series opener against the New York Mets. Laureano was off to a rough start in 2024, hitting just .143 with one home run and four RBI across 31 games. The 29-year-old outfielder also had just two hits over his last 31 plate appearances. He should now have the opportunity to sign with any team as a free agent. Johnathan Rodriguez will take his place on the active roster after the team called him up on Monday.

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The Tampa Bay Rays placed Zach Eflin (back) on the 15-day injured list before the team's three-game set against the Boston Red Sox. Eflin likely injured his back in his most recent outing on May 18 against the Toronto Blue Jays, where he gave up four runs on nine hits with three strikeouts across six innings. The right-hander has struggled in the early part of the season, giving up at least three earned runs in four of his last five outings. He will now head to the IL with a 4.12 ERA and 44 strikeouts across 10 starts.

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The New York Mets officially activated pitcher Tylor Megill (shoulder) from the 15-day injured list. Megill went on the IL in late March with a shoulder strain after tossing four innings of one-run ball against the Milwaukee Brewers on March 31. Monday will mark his second start of the season, and his first since that March 31 outing. In his first start back, expect the right-hander to be on somewhat of a pitch count. However, he could be a nice streaming option against the Cleveland Guardians. He threw 5 1/3 scoreless innings with six strikeouts in his last rehab start in Triple-A. To activate him, the Mets optioned pitcher Grant Hartwig to Triple-A Syracuse.

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Toronto Blue Jays outfielder George Springer will bat sixth against the Chicago White Sox on Monday. Springer started the season as the Blue Jays' leadoff hitter, but his recent struggles at the plate have pushed him down in the order. He will bat sixth for the third straight game, where he has seen some success. The 34-year-old went 1-for-2 with one double, one RBI, and two walks in Sunday's 5-2 win. Hitting the veteran lower in the order should result in more RBI opportunities, and Toronto is hoping it helps him turn a corner on offense. He is batting just .201 with three home runs and eight RBI this season.

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San Diego Padres second baseman Xander Bogaerts left Game 1 of Monday's doubleheader against the Atlanta Braves early after injuring what appeared to be his shoulder on a diving attempt in the bottom of the third inning. Bogaerts immediately favored his shoulder before trainers took him off the field. With a quick turnaround, it's safe to say that the veteran will likely not be available for Game 2. Tyler Wade took his spot at second base in the third inning, and he could see more playing time if Bogaerts misses an extended time.

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Cincinnati Reds left-hander Alex Young (back) has allowed just one unearned run over eight relief appearances and 8 1/3 innings during his minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Louisville. Young also pitched on back-to-back days on Saturday and Sunday and worked a scoreless inning in both games. The 30-year-old southpaw reliever begin his rehab assignment on May 2 after being out all year to this point in the majors due to lower-back disc degeneration. It explains why the reliever has been extended on his rehab assignment, but he has to be getting close to returning to Cincinnati's bullpen at this point. When healthy, Young gives the Reds another lefty arm in their bullpen. In his first year with the Reds in 2023, Young had a 4-2 record, 3.86 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, his first career save, 20 walks and 50 strikeouts in 53 2/3 innings pitched.

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Cincinnati Reds outfielder Spencer Steer (ankle) was limited to a pinch-hitting appearance in Sunday's 3-2 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers and drew a walk in the seventh inning before being lifted for a pinch-runner. After the game, manager David Bell revealed that Steer has been dealing with a sore ankle. "He was available for an at-bat. He should be back fully 100 percent on Tuesday," Bell said. It sounds as though Steer will be back in the starting lineup for Tuesday's series opener against the visiting San Diego Padres, but fantasy managers will want to check back to make sure before returning him to starting lineups. The 26-year-old hasn't homered since May 1 and is batting just .167 (9-for-54) with 10 RBI in 16 games in the month of May to drop his season slash line to .224/.337/.373. Steer isn't swinging it well right now, but his combination of power and speed makes him attractive in all fantasy leagues.

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Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr. (hip) is expected to play in live games at the team's spring training complex in Glendale, Ariz., at some point this week. "We anticipate some game action later this week," general manager Chris Getz said. "He seems to have turned the corner and is trending well." The White Sox are bringing Robert along slowly as he deals with an injury similar to the one that caused him to miss more than three months in 2021. Once the 26-year-old begins playing in games, he'll be much closer to a return to Chicago's lineup, but the White Sox aren't going to rush the oft-injured outfielder back. There is no current timetable for his return, but the Cuban slugger should be stashed in an injured list spot in all fantasy formats. Robert was a first-time All-Star in 2023 but was hitting .214 (6-for-28) with two homers and four RBI in seven games at the time of his injury.

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Cincinnati Reds right-hander Emilio Pagan (triceps) showed some discomfort after throwing a pitch to Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Jason Heyward in his outing on Sunday in the bottom of the ninth inning in a 3-2 loss. Pagan was removed from the game and replaced by Alexis Diaz, and he complained of trouble with his right triceps, although he said he felt no issues until his last pitch. After undergoing tests, the Reds are optimistic the injury isn't serious, but Pagan will be seen by team doctors on Monday. The 33-year-old didn't allow a run in his inning of work on Sunday while also not allowing a hit while walking none and striking out none. In his first 19 1/3 relief innings for the Reds this year, Pagan has recorded a 4.19 ERA and 1.34 WHIP with seven walks and 25 strikeouts in 21 appearances out of the bullpen.

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Texas Rangers outfielder Adolis Garcia (forearm), who was scratched from Sunday's lineup against the Los Angeles Angels due to a right-forearm injury that he suffered during a collision with Marcus Semien on Saturday, could be available for Tuesday's series opener against the Philadelphia Phillies after tests didn't show any structural damage in his arm. The Rangers have a scheduled off day on Monday, which is great news for the 31-year-old slugger. Like many of the Texas hitters, Garcia has struggled in May, batting .188 (13-for-69) with three home runs, 10 RBI and 24 strikeouts in 74 plate appearances over 17 games. However, fantasy managers will need to return Garcia to their starting lineups if he's back in the fold on Tuesday. In 175 total at-bats in 2024, he's hitting .251/.297/.491 with 11 home runs, 35 RBI, four stolen bases and 24 runs scored for the reigning champs.

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