Atlanta Braves right-hander Spencer Strider (elbow) will make a third minor-league start for Triple-A Gwinnett on Thursday at Triple-A Norfolk, according to MLB.com's Mark Bowman. Even though Strider looked like his old dominant self during his latest rehab start, he will make one more minor-league appearance before the Braves reinstate him from the injured list following an internal-brace procedure around a year ago. In his two rehab outings for Gwinnett, the 26-year-old has allowed just one earned run on two hits while walking three and striking out 14 batters in 8 1/3 innings. He was especially dominating in his last outing on Friday in which he got up to 74 pitches. As long as Strider doesn't suffer a setback next Thursday, he should be ready to make his 2025 debut in the majors, and fantasy managers will want to throw him into their starting lineups right away.

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Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani (elbow) incorporated sliders during a bullpen session in Philadelphia on Saturday that manager Dave Roberts called "positive." Ohtani threw 26 pitches before the team's 3-2 win over the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park as he gets closer to fully recovering from right-elbow surgery he had back on Sept. 19 of 2023. It was the 30-year-old right-hander's second bullpen session after pausing his mound sessions on Feb. 25 to ramp up for Opening Day as a hitter. There's no timetable for when the three-time MVP will be ready to make his 2025 debut on the mound for the Blue, but when he does, the Dodgers are expected to use a six-man rotation, which will give him extra rest. Although Ohtani is more attractive in fantasy as a hitter after his record-breaking season in 2024, he still has plenty of upside for his arm after going 38-19 with a 3.01 ERA and 608 K's in 481 2/3 innings as a pitcher.

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New York Mets catcher Luis Torrens (forearm) was scratched from Saturday's lineup against the visiting Toronto Blue Jays at Citi Field, and the team is saying he's dealing with a bruised right forearm. Hayden Senger got the start behind the dish with Torrens injured and went 0-for-2 at the plate with a strikeout. However, the 28-year-old Torrens entered the game late as a pinch-hitter and picked up a base hit, so his injury must not be all that serious. It's good news, but it still wouldn't be a surprise to see the Mets hold Torrens out of the starting lineup for Sunday's series finale against Toronto. Based on the fact that the Venezuelan was able to pinch-hit, he should be ready to go for the start of next series on Monday at home against the division-rival Miami Marlins. Torrens came into Saturday's game with five hits in his first 19 at-bats of the year with a homer and two RBI as the primary catcher with Francisco Alvarez (hand) on the injured list.

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Updating a previous report, Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider said that outfielder George Springer (back) suffered lower-back spasms after crashing into the wall in Saturday's 3-2 loss to the New York Mets. The Blue Jays don't have plans for an MRI exam or further tests on Springer, but he'll be re-evaluated on Sunday. After crashing into the wall in the ninth inning at Citi Field, the 35-year-old walked off the field with trainer Jose Ministral and Schneider, and Nathan Lukes took over in right field. The fact that he's not undergoing further tests is a sign that Springer avoided a serious injury, but it would be a surprise to see him in the starting lineup for the series finale against the Mets. Perhaps he'll be ready for the start of a series in Boston versus the division-rival Red Sox at Fenway Park on Monday. Springer was 0-for-4 with three strikeouts on Saturday before leaving, so it was a rough day for the veteran.

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Kansas City Royals star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Saturday's 8-1 loss to the Baltimore Orioles. Witt provided the Royals only run by smashing a shot off Tomoyuki Sugano over the left field wall during the bottom of the sixth inning. His homer had an exit velocity of 105.2 mph at a distance of 399 feet. It was Witt's first home run of the season. Overall, the 24-year-old is slashing .242/.324/.394 with a homer, four RBI, five runs, and three stolen bases over the eight games of the season. Witt has collected a hit in seven of his last eight games and will look to build on Saturday's performance in the series finale against the Orioles on Sunday.

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Cincinnati Reds reliever Alexis Diaz (hamstring) might not return to the closer role when activated from the injured list, per Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Diaz struggled with command issues this spring and was placed on the injured list with hamstring inflammation. The 28-year-old began a rehab assignment on Friday and pitched a scoreless inning for Triple-A Louisville but walked two of the first three batters he faced. It's unclear if Diaz will return as the Reds closer right away once activated as the Reds are expected to ease him back into action. "I think he would want to put him in the right spots early and maybe not throw him to the wolves right away," said Reds pitching coach Derek Johnson. "But you never know. Just trying to get him back here is the most important part." The Reds will likely continue to use a bullpen by committee for saves with Emilio Pagan, Tony Santillan, Graham Ashcraft, and Scott Barlow until Diaz is healthy and ready to reclaim the closer role.

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Colorado Rockies left-hander Austin Gomber (shoulder) won't pitch for another two to three weeks, per Rockies manager Bud Black. Gomber was scratched from an injury rehab start with Triple-A Albuquerque on Wednesday due to shoulder inflammation and has been shut down from throwing. The 31-year-old is on the 10-day injured list and likely won't return to Colorado's rotation until at least May. He owned a 4.75 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, and 116:38 K:BB across 165 innings in 2024. With Gomber on the injured list, the Rockies promoted top pitching prospect Chase Dollander on Friday, and he is set to make his MLB debut on Sunday against the Athletics. Dollander has a ton of upside and is worth taking a chance on in fantasy leagues with 12 teams or more after posting a 2.59 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and 169:47 K:BB with High-A Spokane and Double-A Hartford in 2024.

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Los Angeles Angels third baseman Yoan Moncada (thumb) is expected to miss Sunday's game against the Cleveland Guardians. According to Angels manager Ron Washington, Moncada isn't likely to return to the lineup until Tuesday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays. The 29-year-old aggravated a thumb injury during Friday's game against the Guardians and was not in the lineup for Saturday's contest. He has been dealing with a thumb injury and missed the last two weeks of spring training. Moncada is considered day-to-day. The Angels are off Monday, and the extra rest day could set Moncada's return to the lineup on Tuesday. Luis Rengifo will shift from second base to the hot corner, and Kyren Paris will pick up a few starts at the keystone with Moncada sidelined.

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Cincinnati Reds infielder Matt McLain (hamstring) could be out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers. "We might not play him tomorrow (Sunday) to be a bit of a worry wart," said Reds manager Terry Francona. "I want him to be able to play and not try to have to go 85 or 90 percent. I don't think that's fair to him. He's willing to do it. I don't think that's right." McLain was a late scratch on Friday with a hamstring issue, and the Reds are being cautious with their infielder and have kept him out of the lineup for the last two games. McLain doesn't appear to be dealing with a serious injury and is considered day-to-day. The 25-year-old is slashing .214/.290/.571 with three home runs, five RBI, and a stolen base over eight games. Santiago Espinal would continue to handle second base duties until McLain is ready to return. Espinal can be used as a streamer in deep-league formats after hitting .500 (4-for-8) over his last two games.

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Toronto Blue Jays outfielder George Springer (undisclosed) exited Saturday's game versus the New York Mets early after crashing into the wall during the eighth inning. Springer was chasing down a ball hit by Jesse Winker and collided into the right field wall awkwardly. The 35-year-old finished the play but appeared in a lot of pain. He was helped off the field by trainers and replaced in the game by Nathan Lukes. Springer went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in Saturday's 3-2 loss. The Blue Jays will provide more updates on Springer's status; he is considered day-to-day for now. Springer was off to a hot start this season, hitting .379 (11-for-29) with a home run, five RBI, and a stolen base over nine games. Lukes would see an uptick in playing time if Springer were to miss any time, but it is mainly an option in deep-league formats.

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Chicago Cubs catcher Carson Kelly came ready to play during Saturday's game against the San Diego Padres. Kelly batted ninth in the lineup, but that didn't stop him from having a big day at the plate. He started off the scoring with a single in the first inning. Later, Kelly blasted a three-run home run to give the Cubs some more insurance runs. He finished his day at the plate 2-for-3 with a homer, walk, and four RBI. He'll likely continue splitting time behind the plate with Miguel Amaya, but he's making a case for more starts.

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Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Matthew Boyd was excellent on the mound during Saturday's game against the San Diego Padres. The left-hander seemingly had no issues as he tossed six scoreless innings, allowing five hits, one walk, and striking out five batters in the win. I don't think too many people had Boyd throwing 11 scoreless innings to start the season on their 2025 bingo cards. The 34-year-old has been incredible to start the season, but will run into a tough matchup against the Los Angeles Dodgers in his next start. It's understandable if fantasy managers are hesitant to add Boyd ahead of this start.

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Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) is scheduled to meet with doctors in Los Angeles in the next few days. After that, Acuna should begin a running program, which is the next step in his recovery process. Once the running program is over, Acuna can start a rehab assignment and hopefully rejoin the Braves lineup after that. There is still no timetable on his return, so fantasy managers will need to continue to be patient. Right now, the hope is that Acuna can get back to contributing in the Braves lineup by the middle of May.

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Baltimore Orioles infielder Jackson Holliday continued his hot stretch at the plate during Saturday's game against the Kansas City Royals. It was a good day for Holliday who went 3-for-4 at the plate with two singles, a triple, and two RBI in the win. The 21-year-old finally appears to be putting it all together at the big league level. So far, he's 10-for-30 with one homer, four RBI, and one steal to begin the season. He's worth rostering in most standard 12-team formats right now.

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Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez had his swing-and-miss stuff going during Saturday's game against the Washington Nationals. Rodriguez would have a tough start to the ballgame where he allowed three runs in the first inning. After that, Rodriguez settled down nicely as he recorded 12 strikeouts across five innings of work. He allowed four earned runs on the day which would end up putting him on the hook for the loss. Fantasy managers were still able to get a positive result due to the double digit punchouts. It has been a mixed bag for the veteran southpaw early in the season. We'll see what he can do against the Milwaukee Brewers during his next start.

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New York Yankees outfielder Trent Grisham had his power bat working for him during Saturday's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Grisham took left-hander Bailey Falter deep in the third inning. He followed that up with a three-run shot off Falter in the fifth inning. Grisham has been on fire lately considering he's 6-for-11 at the plate across his last three games. During that span, Grisham has three homers and seven RBI, so fantasy managers should play him while he's hot at the plate.

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Los Angeles Angels infielder Yoan Moncada (thumb) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Saturday's game against the Cleveland Guardians. Moncada will take a seat after aggravating his thumb injury during Friday's contest. Right now, Moncada will only miss one game, but it wouldn't be shocking to see him end up on the injured list. Luis Rengifo will cover third base, while Kyren Paris takes over at second base against right-hander Tanner Bibee on Saturday. It's unclear when Moncada will get back in the lineup, but he's really only an asset in AL-only formats right now.

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Cincinnati Reds infielder/outfielder Matt McLain (hamstring) has been scratched from the starting lineup ahead of Saturday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers. McLain was a late scratch on Friday due to a hamstring issue. He appeared in the game as a pinch-hitter, so the assumption was he'd be ready to return on Saturday. McLain was penciled in as the designated hitter, but has now been scratched from Saturday's lineup. Hopefully, McLain will only need one more day off before getting back in the lineup. Blake Dunn will cover center field and bat right-hander Elvin Rodriguez. Fantasy managers should adjust their lineups accordingly ahead of first pitch.

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Los Angeles Angels infielder Luis Rengifo (hamstring) is back in the starting lineup ahead of Saturday's game against the Cleveland Guardians. There was some concern that Rengifo would miss this game after exiting early on Friday due to hamstring tightness. Luckily, Rengifo only appears to have exited for precautionary reasons and will still suit up for this game. The Angels are without Yoan Moncada (thumb), so Rengifo will cover third base and bat second against right-hander Tanner Bibee. Fantasy managers can safely get Rengifo back into their lineups.

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Seattle Mariners first baseman Luke Raley (rest) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Saturday's game against the San Francisco Giants. Raley has struggled against left-handed pitching in his career, so he'll take a seat against southpaw Robbie Ray on Saturday. In his absence, Cal Raleigh will slide over to the designated hitter spot while Mitch Garver does the catching. There's a good chance that Raley only plays in a platoon role for the Mariners this season. That being said, it might be difficult for Raley to hold fantasy value outside of AL-only formats.

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