New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that infielder DJ LeMahieu (calf) could begin a minor-league rehab assignment next Tuesday. LeMahieu tweaked his calf in spring training and was forced to begin the regular season on the injured list, but he's been taking at-bats at extended spring training in Florida and appears to be ready to play in minor-league games. Boone said that the 36-year-old will need a full build-up once he starts his rehab assignment, so the oft-injured LeMahieu almost certainly won't make his 2025 debut for the Yankees in April after missing most of spring training. When LeMahieu does come off the injured list, whenever that may be, he won't be guarantee regular playing time if he's not producing. His best path to playing time in the Bronx will be at the hot corner. The two-time batting champion hit just .204 last year and was limited to 67 games due to injuries.

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St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn (back) will start a minor-league rehab assignment on Friday at Triple-A Memphis, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch If everything goes well for Winn in the minors over the weekend, it puts him on track to likely be activated from the 10-day injured list for Tuesday's game in Atlanta against the Braves when he is first eligible to return from lower-back spasms. In the meantime, Thomas Saggese will likely see most of the playing time at shortstop for the Cardinals. Winn had gotten off to a slow start at the plate before suffering from back spasms, going 10-for-45 (.222) with a home run, three RBI, eight runs scored, five walks and 16 strikeouts in his first 13 games played. As long as Winn continues to bat at the bottom of St. Louis' batting order, it will limit his fantasy upside as a middle-infield option in deep-mixed leagues.

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Baltimore Orioles right-hander Grayson Rodriguez (elbow, shoulder) was scratched from his side session on Thursday because he's dealing with more soreness in his right shoulder. The Orioles are sending him for imaging. MLB.com's Jake Rill points out that this is a separate issue from the elbow inflammation/triceps injury that landed Rodriguez on the injured list to begin the 2025 season. This is ominous news for the 25-year-old, but we'll have to wait to see what the Orioles say after they get his test results back. In addition to these injuries, Rodriguez missed the final two months of the 2024 campaign due to a right-lat strain. At the very least, fantasy managers stashing Rodriguez should expect an even lengthier absence, but hopefully this doesn't evolve into a season-ending injury. When healthy, Rodriguez is a top-of-the-rotation arm.

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Texas Rangers outfielder Wyatt Langford (oblique) is scheduled to begin a minor-league rehab assignment with Double-A Frisco on Friday, and the Rangers think he'll be ready to come off the 10-day injured list this weekend, according to The Dallas Morning News' Shawn McFarland. It appears that the 23-year-old is doing well since straining his right oblique in early April, and he may need just a few rehab at-bats before potentially rejoining the starting lineup this weekend in Texas against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The former first-rounder (fourth overall) out of the University of Florida should not be floating around on any waiver wires at this time. He missed a 20-20 season in 134 games in his rookie season by only four home runs and one stolen base, giving him plenty of fantasy upside for his power/speed combination for the first-place Rangers.

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New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (hand), who is recovering from hamate-bone surgery, could return from the 10-day injured list during the team's current homestand, which begins on Thursday against the St. Louis Cardinals and runs through Wednesday, April 23. Alvarez is scheduled to catch back-to-back nine-inning games at Double-A Binghamton on Friday and Saturday. If those games go well, manager Carlos Mendoza said the team will have "a conversation." In five minor-league games to this point, the 23-year-old backstop has one 4-for-17 with a homer and three RBI. It will be interesting to see how Alvarez fares from a power standpoint after having surgery on his left hand. He showed in 2023 that he has the ability to be one of the better power-hitting catchers by clubbing 25 round-trippers, but he came back to Earth in 2024 due to injuries and hit 11 homers in just 100 games.

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Los Angeles Angels catcher Logan O'Hoppe (illness) is back behind the plate to catch right-hander Jack Kochanowicz and is hitting fifth in Thursday's series finale against the division-rival Texas Rangers and right-hander Kumar Rocker. O'Hoppe will return to action at Globe Life Field after missing the first two games of the series while feeling under the weather. The 25-year-old backstop will try to help prevent a three-game sweep while continuing to swing a hot bat after a .327/.340/.653 start with a .993 OPS, five home runs, nine RBI and seven runs scored. With O'Hoppe returning, Travis d'Arnaud will return to the bench for the Halos. Fantasy managers will want to get O'Hoppe back in their lineups and hope that his brief absence won't interrupt his hot start. He has never faced the young Rocker in his career.

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Texas Rangers utility man Josh Smith (thumb) will sit out his third straight game in Thursday's series finale against the division-rival Los Angeles Angels at Globe Life Field. Dustin Harris will get the nod in left field and will hit sixth versus Angels right-hander Jack Kochanowicz. Smith is dealing with a bruised thumb but will be hoping to return to action this weekend at home against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers. If the 27-year-old can move past his thumb injury, he'll return to starting duties in left field in Texas with Wyatt Langford (oblique) on the injured list. Smith has been solid for those in AL-only leagues this year with his .342/.432/.500 slash line with a .932 OPS and three steals, although he has only one homer. Dustin Harris has gone 2-for-8 with a solo homer this year, and he has a hit and two RBI in three career at-bats against Kochanowicz.

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Minnesota Twins right-hander Michael Tonkin (shoulder) is scheduled to make a minor-league rehab appearance on Friday with Low-A Fort Myers. Tonkin is recovering from a strained right shoulder that landed him on the 15-day injured list to begin the 2025 regular season. The 35-year-old veteran is working his way back, though, and should be able to make his season debut before the end of April, barring a setback on his rehab assignment. He spent the 2024 season with the Twins, New York Mets and New York Yankees, posting a combined 3.63 ERA, a 1.26 WHIP, a career-high two saves, a career-high 85 strikeouts and 30 walks in 79 1/3 relief innings. Tonkin lacks the velocity to be much of a strikeout artist out of the bullpen, making him pretty much useless in fantasy.

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Minnesota Twins third baseman Royce Lewis (hamstring) is expected to do some light baserunning on Thursday, according to The Athletic's Aaron Gleeman. Lewis will attempt to do some running for the first time since suffering a strained left hamstring in the middle of March in spring training. The 25-year-old oft-injured third baseman still has no timetable for a return to make his 2025 season debut with the Twins, but it's good news that he's been able to take batting practice on the field and do defensive drills. He's developed a reputation as a slow healer, so the Twins aren't going to rush him back. Lewis deserves to be stashed in all fantasy formats for his high-end power, but we wouldn't be banking on him returning before early May. With Willi Castro (oblique) and Carlos Correa (wrist) getting injured this week, Brooks Lee has seen time at the hot corner and could continue to play regularly.

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Pittsburgh Pirates right-handed reliever David Bednar had another scoreless outing and picked up his third hold in his appearance with Triple-A Indianapolis on Wednesday night, tossing a shutout inning with one hit allowed, no walks and two strikeouts. After allowing four runs (three earned) and four hits in just one inning of work for the Pirates to start the year before being demoted to the minors, the 30-year-old veteran has now posted five scoreless innings with seven strikeouts and no walks for Indy. Bednar had a rough 2024 campaign, too, posting a bloated 5.77 ERA (4.80 FIP), a 1.42 WHIP, 23 saves, 58 strikeouts and 28 walks in 57 2/3 innings pitched. He appears to be regaining confidence in the minors, but it remains to be seen if he'll be able to regain the closer's role in Pittsburgh from Dennis Santana whenever he rejoins the big-league roster.

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Minnesota Twins right-hander Pablo Lopez (hamstring), who threw a 31-pitch bullpen session on Wednesday, is scheduled to make a minor-league rehab start on Saturday for Triple-A St. Paul. Lopez is on the 15-day injured list currently with a right-hamstring injury but is quickly progressing and might be cleared to rejoin Minnesota's starting rotation if he can get through Saturday's rehab start without any issues. It's possible fantasy managers will be able to use Lopez for a great matchup next week against the division-rival Chicago White Sox. The 29-year-old Venezuelan hurler was off to a good start before his hamstring injury, allowing six runs (three earned) on 15 hits while walking two and striking out 14 in 16 2/3 innings over his three starts. Lopez should be stashed in all fantasy leagues.

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MLB.com's Adam McCalvy reports that the Milwaukee Brewers are calling up infield prospect Caleb Durbin from Triple-A Nashville on Thursday in order to try and generate more production from third base at the major-league level. Infielder Oliver Dunn was optioned to Nashville in a corresponding move. The 25-year-old Durbin was acquired from the New York Yankees in the Devin Williams trade in the offseason, and he's considered Milwaukee's No. 21 prospect, per MLB Pipeline. Dunn and Vinny Capra weren't getting it done offensively at third with a combined .429 OPS and .188 on-base percentage. Durbin slashed .278/.316/.482 with two homers, three RBI and three steals in 13 games for Nashville. He has 113 steals in 294 minor-league games and will be a waiver-wire option for fantasy managers in deep-mixed leagues that are seeking some speed. Durbin will be making his major-league debut.

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The Cincinnati Reds announced on Thursday that they recalled infielder Noelvi Marte from Triple-A Louisville and placed infielder Christian Encarnacion-Strand (back) on the 10-day injured list in a corresponding move with lower-back inflammation. It didn't take long for Marte to rejoin the big-league roster after he was just optioned to Louisville on Tuesday. The 23-year-old Dominican only saw action in three games before being optioned and went 1-for-6 with a steal and a walk. Jeimer Candelario started at first base on Thursday against the Seattle Mariners, with Santiago Espinal manning third base. Even though Encarnacion-Strand is on the shelf, Marte's opportunities could be limited with the Reds with Spencer Steer (shoulder) getting close to playing first base, which would shift Candelario back to third. At best, Marte is a stash candidate in NL-only leagues for the time being.

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MLB.com's Todd Zolecki reports that Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Brandon Marsh (knee) is out of Thursday's series finale against the visiting San Francisco Giants after tweaking his right knee while trying to field a weird hop in center field during Wednesday night's loss. Marsh will be examined by team doctors on Thursday. It remains to be seen if he'll be available for a series against the division-rival Miami Marlins in Philadelphia that starts on Friday. The 27-year-old has had a rough start to the 2025 campaign, as he's currently in an 0-for-31 slump at the plate and is now dealing with a knee injury. It's possible an injured-list stint is coming for Marsh, which would be good news for Johan Rojas, who is starting in center field and batting ninth on Thursday against the Gigantes. Marsh has just four hits (one homer), five RBI and 16 strikeouts in his first 51 plate appearances this year.

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The Chicago White Sox announced on Thursday that they reinstated outfielder Andrew Benintendi (groin) from the 10-day injured list and optioned outfielder Greg Jones to Triple-A Charlotte in a corresponding move. Benintendi rejoins the White Sox's major-league roster while skipping a minor-league rehab assignment, but he was not included in the starting lineup for Thursday's series finale against the Athletics. The 30-year-old veteran should be back in the starting lineup in left field for Friday's series opener in Boston against the Red Sox. Benintendi got off to a strong start before his left-groin strain, going 9-for-31 (.290) with two home runs, six RBI and five runs scored. Despite the good start, fantasy managers shouldn't be tricked into thinking the former first-rounder is a must-start outfielder in mixed leagues.

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San Francisco Giants first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. will take a seat against a left-hander in Thursday's series finale against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Casey Schmitt will start at first and bat fifth against Phillies southpaw Cristopher Sanchez. Wade just hasn't been able to find it at the plate early in the 2025 season despite San Fran's hot start, as he's hitting just .102 (5-for-49) with a homer, three doubles, a triple, seven RBI, eight walks and 20 strikeouts in 59 plate appearances. The 31-year-old could probably use a day off heading into a weekend series in Anaheim against the Los Angeles Angels. Schmitt hasn't fared a whole lot better and will be a low-upside DFS play on Thursday. The 26-year-old has gone 4-for-19 with no homers, two RBI and a run scored as a bench option for the Giants. He has never faced Sanchez in his career.

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San Francisco Giants infielder Wilmer Flores and outfielder Jung Hoo Lee will take a seat on Thursday afternoon as the Giants will face Philadelphia southpaw Cristopher Sanchez. Flores has enjoyed an impressive start to the campaign, holding a .242/.286/.515 slash line with 16 total hits and six long balls. He tallied 23 RBI and scored 11 runs. Lee has also been swinging a hot bat as he has slashed a strong .338/.395/.647 line with 10 doubles and three round-trippers across the first 17 contests of the regular season. Fantasy managers should expect both Flores and Lee to likely rejoin the starting nine on Friday evening when they face the Angels. However, the Angels are scheduled to send out lefty Tyler Anderson, which could keep Lee out of the lineup. Instead, Luis Matos will cover center field, and Casey Schmidt will cover first base. The Giants should be faded in DFS facing Sanchez, who enters Thursday with a strong 3.12 ERA.

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Baltimore Orioles outfielder Tyler O'Neill (neck) remains out of the starting nine on Thursday against the Cleveland Guardians. O'Neill was held out of the starting lineup on Wednesday due to neck discomfort. Fantasy managers should continue to keep an eye on his status leading up to their contest against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday evening. With O'Neill sitting out, Ryan O'Hearn will cover right field and bat in the four-hole. During his first 15 games in Baltimore, O'Neill has enjoyed an impressive start, holding a .265/.339/.490 slash line with three doubles and two round-trippers. Under the hood, he has generated a strong .370 xwOBA with an elite 18.4 percent barrel rate. O'Hearn is worth a look in DFS facing right-hander Tanner Bibee, who enters Thursday with a 4.40 ERA.

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The Toronto Blue Jays have optioned infielder/outfielder Davis Schneider to Triple-A Buffalo. Through the first 10 games of the campaign, Schneider has posted an underwhelming .067/.333/.067 slash line with just one hit. Under the hood, he has generated a low .266 xwOBA with a .099 xBA. However, he was able to draw walks at an impressive 23.8 percent rate. Last season, Schneider appeared in a career-high 135 MLB contests with the Blue Jays and posted a .191/.282/.343 line with 13 home runs and six stolen bases. Schneider will likely return to the majors later in the summer, as he has had previous success at the Triple-A level. While he remains in the minor leagues, Alan Roden should continue to see opportunities in left field.

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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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