The Atlanta Braves have recalled outfielder Alex Verdugo from Triple-A Gwinnett. In a corresponding move, the Braves have optioned outfielder Bryan De La Cruz to Triple-A. The Braves inked Verdugo to a minor-league contract earlier in the spring, and he will now make his Atlanta debut. During the first nine games of the Triple-A regular season, Verdugo held a .207/.303/.448 slash line with two long balls. Verdugo had a disappointing campaign in the Bronx last season as he held a .233/.291/.356 line with 13 long balls, which was a stark decline from the .264/.323/.431 line he held during the 2023 campaign. De La Cruz tallied just one extra-base hit during the first 16 games of the MLB season and will look to turn the corner at Triple-A. Verdugo should see ample opportunities in the starting nine with Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) still sidelined.

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The Tampa Bay Rays have activated infielder/outfielder Richie Palacios (finger) off the 10-day injured list prior to their contest against the New York Yankees on Thursday. In a corresponding move, the Rays optioned infielder Coco Montes to Triple-A Durham. The 27-year-old hit the injured list at the start of the campaign due to a fractured finger. Fantasy managers should expect Palacios to see most of his time in the outfield, as Brandon Lowe is the everyday second baseman in Tampa Bay. Last summer, Palacios appeared in 92 games in Tampa Bay and held a .223/.346/.318 slash line with eight doubles and five long balls. He swiped 19 bags and held a 67:45 K:BB. Under the hood, he generated a modest .325 xwOBA. Fantasy managers looking for speed in deeper formats should consider adding Palacios.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers have optioned right-handed pitcher Bobby Miller to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Thursday. The 26-year-old was promoted prior to Wednesday's contest to make a spot-start against the Colorado Rockies. In this outing, Miller tossed three innings of six-run ball. He allowed eight hits, one walk, and struck out seven. While Miller flashed elite strikeout upside, he was unable to limit the Colorado bats. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status with Triple-A, as he will likely be in the mix to return to the Dodgers later in the summer. Sending Miller back to Triple-A will likely open a spot on the roster for relief pitcher Evan Phillips (shoulder), who is on the verge of returning to the major leagues. Last season, Miller struggled in the majors as well, as he logged 56 innings to the tune of an 8.52 ERA with a 1.77 WHIP. Fantasy managers should not consider stashing Miller while he is with Oklahoma City.

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Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers is sitting out of Thursday's series finale against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field. Jhonny Pereda will do the catching for left-hander JP Sears and will back seventh against White Sox right-hander Davis Martin. Langeliers will get a much-needed day of rest after starting the team's last eight games. The 27-year-old offers plenty of power at the weak catching position in fantasy, but he's probably never going to be much of a batting-average asset. He has gotten off to a .237/.338/.492 start in 2025 with an .830 OPS, four home runs, 10 RBI and 10 runs scored for the A's. Expect him to be back for Friday's series opener against the Milwaukee Brewers. Pereda will appear in just his 25th MLB game after debuting with the Miami Marlins in 2024. He has two hits in 10 at-bats in four games so far this year and will be a weak DFS play on Thursday.

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Athletics outfielder Brent Rooker is making the start in left field and is batting cleanup for the A's against the Chicago White Sox and right-hander Davis Martin in Thursday's series finale. The A's recently moved Rooker to left field for the first time all season, suggesting they may be getting close to calling up prospect Nick Kurtz after his red-hot start in the minors. The 30-year-old Rooker didn't play the field after May last year due to a forearm injury that required offseason surgery, but he's healthy enough to play the field now and could regain eligibility in the outfield for fantasy managers in 2025. He's off to a slow start offensively, slashing .208/.256/.403 with a .659 OPS, but he does have four home runs, a double, a triple, eight RBI and 10 runs scored in his first 18 games. Rooker hit a combined 69 home runs the last two years, making him a strong power source in fantasy.

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Chicago White Sox middle-infield prospect Chase Meidroth is starting at second base and is batting leadoff for Thursday's series finale against the visiting Athletics and left-hander J.P. Sears. Meidroth received his first big-league promotion last week, but this is the first time that he will hit higher than fifth in the batting order for the Pale Hose. In his first five major-league games, the 23-year-old has gone 4-for-14 with three runs scored, four walks and two strikeouts. The team's No. 8 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, might be best utilized in deep fantasy leagues for his on-base skills, especially if he sticks near the top of the order going forward. The 5-foot-10, 190-pounder has a compact swing from the right side and high-level bat-to-ball skills, helping him avoid punchouts. Because he lacks power and is playing for one of the worst teams in baseball, he won't move the needle all that much in shallow-mixed leagues.

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Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona said that infielder/outfielder Spencer Steer (shoulder) is getting close to being ready to play first base. "It won't be very long," Francona said. Steer is out of the starting lineup for Thursday's series finale against the visiting Seattle Mariners. Outfielder Austin Hays is serving as the designated hitter and is batting cleanup against Mariners right-hander Emerson Hancock. A right-shoulder injury has limited Steer to DH duties early this year, and he's hit just .120 (6-for-50) with a home run and three RBI in the early going. Fantasy managers will be hoping that the 27-year-old will come around offensively as his shoulder gets closer to 100%. With Christian Encarnacion-Strand (back) now on the injured list, using Steer at first base would allow the Reds to move Jeimer Candelario back to third base.

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Cincinnati Reds second baseman Matt McLain is not in the team's starting lineup for Thursday's series finale against the visiting Seattle Mariners at Great American Ball Park. Gavin Lux is starting at the keystone and will hit fifth against Mariners right-hander Emerson Hancock. McLain recently returned from the injured list and went 1-for-6 with an RBI, two runs scored, three walks and a strikeout in his first two games back. The Reds will give the 25-year-old former first-rounder a breather before a weekend series in Baltimore against the Orioles that starts on Friday. As long as he stays healthy, McLain will operate as Cincy's primary second baseman and should be relevant in mixed fantasy leagues for his power/speed combination. Lux, also a former first-rounder, is off to a .276 (16-for-58) start for the Reds but is still searching for his first home run.

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Washington Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz and first baseman Josh Bell are out of the starting lineup for Thursday's series finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Riley Adams is behind the dish and is batting eighth, while Nathaniel Lowe is starting at first base and is hitting cleanup for the Nats against Pirates left-hander Andrew Heaney. James Wood is the designated hitter and is batting second. Ruiz is getting his second day off of the season after starting strong with a .317 average (20-for-63) with two homers and 11 RBI. The 26-year-old should be back for Friday's series opener in Denver against the Colorado Rockies. Bell will get the day off against a lefty after going just 3-for-27 with a homer in the last seven games. Adams has gone hitless in just two career at-bats against Heaney, while Lowe has two hits in both of his at-bats against Heaney.

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The Cincinnati Reds announced on Thursday that they placed infielder Christian Encarnacion-Strand (back) on the 10-day injured list with lower-back inflammation and recalled infielder Noelvi Marte from Triple-A Louisville in a corresponding move. With Encarnacion out, Jeimer Candelario will move to first base and Santiago Espinal will start at the hot corner on Thursday against the visiting Seattle Mariners. Although Encarnacion-Strand had an RBI double on Wednesday, he started the season going 9-for-57 (.158) with two home runs, five RBI and 13 strikeouts in 15 games played. Hopefully, he'll look better when he gets over his back injury, but it's unclear if he'll have a short stay on the IL. Espinal figures to benefit the most from a playing-time perspective at third base, but Marte could share starts with him at the hot corner.

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Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Joey Bart (back) is back behind the plate and catching left-hander Andrew Heaney and will bat cleanup in Thursday's series finale against the visiting Washington Nationals and right-hander Trevor Williams at PNC Park. Bart will return to action after missing the last five games due to lower-back soreness. With the 28-year-old backstop returning, Henry Davis will head to the bench. As long as his back injury doesn't bother him again, Bart will move forward as the Bucs' primary catcher, especially after starting the season strong at the plate. Before tweaking his back, Bart had gone 11-for-40 (.275) with a home run, five RBI, four runs scored and a stolen base. The former first-rounder has gone hitless in just two career at-bats against Williams.

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After starting the 2025 season as the regular designated hitter due to right-triceps soreness, Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds is making his first start in right field and will hit second in Thursday's series finale against the Washington Nationals and right-hander Trevor Williams. With Reynolds feeling good enough to return to the field, it should open up more at-bats for veteran outfielder Andrew McCutchen at DH moving forward. Fantasy managers will certainly be hoping that the Reynolds returning to the outfield means that he's getting healthier. His sore triceps might have played a big part in his underwhelming start to the season, as he enters Thursday's contest with a .203/.268/.338 slash line, two home runs, eight RBI and seven runs scored in his first 74 at-bats. The 30-year-old switch-hitter has hit .250 in eight career at-bats against Williams.

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The Miami Marlins announced on Thursday that they reinstated infield prospect Connor Norby (oblique) from the 10-day injured list and optioned infielder Graham Pauley to Triple-A Jacksonville in a corresponding move. Norby is making the start at third base and is batting second in his 2025 debut against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks and left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez. The 24-year-old suffered a left-oblique strain at the end of spring training, which kept him out for the first couple weeks of the regular season. But now that he's healthy, Norby will settle in as Miami's starting third baseman, and he could be valuable in mixed fantasy leagues for his power. He went 4-for-8 with a home run in three rehab games with Jacksonville. The former second-rounder made his big-league debut last year with the Orioles and Marlins ad hit nine home runs in only 45 games played.

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Miami Marlins pitching prospect Robby Snelling tossed six innings of one-run ball in his outing against Double-A Columbus on Wednesday. Snelling allowed just four hits, one walk, and struck out six batters. This was a nice bounce-back outing for Snelling as he allowed eight hits and four runs (three earned) in his last start against Double-A Montgomery. Last summer, Snelling spent most of the campaign at the Double-A level before earning a brief taste of Triple-A. Across 109 1/3 innings at Double-A, the southpaw held a 5.35 ERA with a 1.53 WHIP. Fantasy managers should monitor his progression at Double-A, as he should be in the mix for an early promotion to Triple-A Jacksonville. If the 21-year-old continues to produce well, he may be in contention for a late-season MLB debut.

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Chicago Cubs pitching prospect Cade Horton continued his strong start to the Triple-A regular season on Wednesday during their match against St. Paul. In this start, Horton tossed five innings of one-run ball and allowed just one hit. He served up three free passes and struck out six. Over his first 12 1/3 innings of work (three starts), the former seventh overall pick has held a strong 1.46 ERA with a 1.22 WHIP. He has allowed just five hits but has struggled with his command as he has held a 10:18 BB:K. Last summer, the Oklahoma product flashed elite upside at Double-A but could never find his footing during his brief taste of Triple-A as he battled numerous injuries. However, the right-hander is fully healthy and is settling in quite well with the Iowa Cubs. With Justin Steele (elbow) out for the season, Horton should play a role in the rotation in the second half.

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Chicago Cubs outfield prospect Owen Caissie went 2-for-6 with a home run during their contest against Triple-A St. Paul on Wednesday. This was Caissie's first round-tripper since the Triple-A season-opener on March 28. This was also his first multi-hit contest since April 3. Through the first nine games of the Iowa Cubs' regular season, the No. 3-ranked prospect in the system held a solid .243/.333/.486 slash line with a 4:15 BB:K. Last summer, the former second-round selection spent his entire season with Triple-A Iowa and held a solid .278/.375/.472 slash line. Given his strong play last season at Triple-A and hot start to this campaign, he should be in the mix for an early-2025 MLB debut. However, he may need to wait for an injury as the Cubs' outfield is currently quite deep and does not have an open spot for Caissie.

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Seattle Mariners relief pitcher Andres Munoz has already racked up seven saves in his team's nine wins this season. He pitched a clean ninth inning against the Reds in Cincinnati to secure the 5-3 win. He didn't give up a hit or run but did need 19 pitches to get through the inning. The 26-year-old righty has appeared in nine games for the Mariners this year, allowing only five hits and racking up 12 strikeouts in nine scoreless innings. He'll continue to be one of the top closers in baseball since his team plays so many close games, and he is so effective closing them out. The Mariners finish their series in Cincy on Thursday afternoon.

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Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman helped power the team to an 8-7 win over the Rockies on Wednesday night by going 2-for-3 with a walk, a double, and his third homer of the year. He sent an 0-1 sinker from German Marquez over the right center field wall to give the Dodgers a 2-1 lead and spur them on to a seven-run first inning. In his nine games this season, Freeman is hitting .333 with three home runs and a .486 wOBA. His hard-hit rate and barrel rate are both up this year after a slight decline last year, and the 35-year-old remains an elite run-producer in the middle of a stacked Dodgers' lineup.

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Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Justin Slaten slammed the door on the Rays in the ninth to earn his second save of the season. Slaten got the call from manager Alex Cora with Aroldis Chapman unavailable after pitching three of the last four nights. He retired the heart of the Rays order with a one-run lead, getting Junior Caminero to fly out to center field before striking out Christopher Morel and Jose Caballero to end the game. Slaten had one rough outing against the Orioles, giving up four runs without retiring an out. However, aside from that outing, he has not allowed a run in his eight games, earning a save in both of his chances and retiring the side in order in each of his last four innings. He will continue to sneak a save whenever Chapman isn't available, but Chapman is still Boston's closer of choice for now.

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St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Ryan Helsley held on to the Cardinals' 4-1 lead in their series finale win over the Astros on Wednesday to earn his third save of the season. He did issue a walk but stranded Isaac Paredes at first base after retiring Christian Walker and Yainer Diaz to end the game. Helsley hasn't been completely clean with either a walk or a hit allowed in all but one of his seven games. However, he has only given up a run in one of those outings and converted three of his four save opportunities on the season. After getting back to .500 with their win on Wednesday, the Cardinals head to New York for a four-game set with the Mets starting on Thursday night.

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