White Sox third baseman Bryan Ramos was placed on the 10-Day Injured List with a quad strain on Friday. Ramos was removed during the seventh inning of the first game of Chicago's doubleheader against the Washington Nationals on Tuesday. Ramos had been performing decently for the White Sox, though most of his value to the team had been driven by his defense. No timetable has been set for Ramos to return but White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said on Friday that, "He wasn't 100 percent. He wasn't close to it," before stating he was probably closer to 70 percent. Danny Mendick, who the White Sox activated off the injured list in conjunction with Ramos' injury, should be expected to get the bulk of playing time while Ramos heals up. Fantasy managers looking to replace Ramos on their roster should snag Mendick if available.

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Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Felix Bautista (elbow) began playing catch on Friday. This marks the first time that Bautista has thrown since having Tommy John surgery in October and an additional surgery in February. Bautista injured his elbow in a relief appearance against the Colorado Rockies last August. As of now a return in the 2024 season has not been ruled out, though it's highly unlikely the 28-year-old will return this year. Bautista was one of the Orioles' most effective relievers in 2023, posting a 1.48 ERA in 61 innings in 2023. Fantasy managers need not worry about his status this season and instead focus on his return in the 2025 season.

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Washington Nationals outfielder Lane Thomas (knee) could be ready to start his rehab assignment this week per Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports. Thomas suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain on April 23rd and has been mixing in some running over the past week. If all goes well in Thomas' rehab stint he could return to the Nationals' lineup by the end of May. The 28-year-old was performing well below his norms before his MCL sprain, hitting for just a .503 OPS in 96 PA. Based off his expected stats he should regress positively and perform closer to his norms once he returns with a good amount of his value coming from stolen bases (11 on the season). Fantasy managers should keep an eye on his status, though he may be best as a bench option rather than a starter.

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Washington Nationals starting pitcher Cade Cavalli (elbow) is ready to begin a minor-league rehab assignment in the Florida Complex League. Cavalli has been recovering from Tommy John surgery that was performed in March 2023 and has been progressing after throwing multiple bullpen sessions over the past few weeks. Once Cavalli makes his first start, then that will start his 30-day rehab block.Only dynasty managers should be concerned with Cavalli's status as he works to return to the big leagues.

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Minnesota Twins outfielder Emmanuel Rodriguez broke out of a 19-game home run drought on Thursday evening. Through his first 28 games at Double-A this season, the 21-year-old has posted a strong .271/.466/.563 slash line with five home runs, nine stolen bases, and a 34:39 BB:K ratio. Last season, Rodriguez posted a pedestrian .240/.400/.463 line with 16 home runs. This is a great sign, as the number three prospect in the Minnesota system has been performing better against tougher competition. MLB Pipeline projects him to reach the major leagues sometime next season. However, as the 33rd-best prospect in all of baseball, he is worth paying close attention to and could even be worth stashing once he is prompted to Triple-A later this summer.

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Miami Marlins outfield prospect Jakob Marsee posted his first three-hit game of the season on Thursday evening as he tallied one double and two singles to lead Double-A Pensacola to a victory. Since being traded to Miami as part of the Luis Arraez package, Marsee has posted a strong .259/.500/.444 slash line with one long ball and a 12:6 BB:K ratio. This is a significant improvement as he posted a mere .176/.336/.318 line through 24 games with Double-A San Antonio to open the season. Marsee could push for a promotion to Triple-A if he continues this hot stretch, which could open the door for a late-season major league debut. For now, he should remain on your waiver wire in dynasty leagues, but is worth monitoring as the season progresses.

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Chicago Cubs outfield prospect Brennen Davis has launched a home run in each of his past four games entering Friday evening. Through 20 games with Triple-A Iowa, the 24-year-old has posted a .241/.411/.574 line with six long balls and a 13:18 BB:K ratio. Davis was once considered one of the top prospects in the Chicago system but has suffered numerous injuries that have kept him off the field. However, now that he is healthy, he is once again showcasing his elite talent and quickly making headlines. Davis could make a case to join the major league roster later in the summer and is worth keeping an eye on in deeper dynasty formats and can become a stash-candidate if he continues this incredible power surge.

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Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Ryan Pepiot (leg) could come off the injured list to rejoin the team's starting rotation on either Tuesday or Wednesday for a matchup at home against the visiting Boston Red Sox. Pepiot threw a bullpen session on Tuesday and will likely throw another one before the Rays clear him to come off the 15-day injured list early next week. The 26-year-old was put on the shelf after taking a line drive off his leg in his last outing on May 5 against the New York Mets, when he allowed three earned runs in two innings before being pulled early. Since giving up a season-high six earned runs in 5 2/3 innings in his first start of the year to the Texas Rangers, Pepiot has cleaned things up and currently sports a 3.68 ERA and 0.93 WHIP with 41 strikeouts in 36 2/3 innings over seven starts. He's valuable at least as a back-end starter in most fantasy formats.

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Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Garrett Mitchell (finger) is scheduled to start swinging a bat on the team's current road trip, likely in Boston next weekend from May 24-26, according to manager Pat Murphy. The Brewers have said that Mitchell could return around June 1, so the 25-year-old has from now until then to progress in his rehab and go out on a minor-league rehab assignment. The former first-rounder out of UCLA suffered a fractured finger in spring training action and has been unable to play at all in 2024 to this point. He played in just 19 major-league games last year due to a season-ending shoulder injury, too, so Mitchell has had some bad luck with injuries early in his career. In 47 major-league games since 2022 with the Brew Crew, Mitchell has hit .278/.343/.452 with five homers, 16 RBI and nine stolen bases. Milwaukee has a crowded outfield picture as things stand now, so Mitchell's role is to be determined once he makes his 2024 debut.

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Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Brandon Lowe (oblique) is restarting a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Durham on Saturday and could return from the injured list to rejoin the Rays on Monday against the Boston Red Sox. Lowe played in four rehab games with Durham before suffering a setback, but he's back on track and should be back in the big leagues unless he suffers another setback this weekend. The 29-year-old left-handed hitter originally landed on the injured list on April 12 with a strained right oblique. At least against right-handed pitching, Lowe will return to second base duties for the Rays when he's ready to be reinstated. The former third-round selection in 2015 out of Maryland was an All-Star in 2019 and had a career-high 39 dingers in 2021, but he's had trouble staying healthy and has played in over 100 games in two of his six MLB seasons.

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Chicago Cubs middle infielder Nico Hoerner (hamstring) was still feeling his hamstring issue on Thursday and was held out of the lineup again in Friday's loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates. He's still being considered day-to-day and is hoping to avoid a stint on the injured list. Manager Craig Counsell said, "If it's still lingering, then it's on the table." Hoerner has now missed four straight games and could land on the IL if he's unable to play in either of the final two games in the weekend series against Pittsburgh. Regular shortstop Dansby Swanson (knee) is also on the IL, so the Cubs have been getting by with Miles Mastrobuoni at shortstop and Nick Madrigal at second base. Hoerner, a former first-rounder in 2018 out of Stanford, deserves to be stashed in most fantasy leagues if he is placed on the IL. He's currently hitting .269/.361/.391 with two homers, 12 RBI and five steals in 2024.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers optioned outfielder James Outman to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Friday to make room on the active roster for outfielder Jason Heyward (back), who was activated from the 10-day injured list. Outman impressed with 23 home runs, 70 RBI and 16 stolen bases in his first full big-league season in 2023 with the Blue, but he hasn't been able to replicate that so far in 2024, slashing .147/.250/.266 with three homers, 10 RBI and two stolen bases in 36 games. Rookie sensation Andy Pages basically took over the strong side of a platoon with Outman in center field before Outman's demotion on Friday. The demotion is good news for fantasy managers that swooped on Pages quickly. The 27-year-old Outman will now need to make some adjustments in the minors before he'll get another opportunity against right-handed pitching in the big leagues.

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Boston Red Sox rookie outfielder/infielder Ceddanne Rafaela is sitting out on Friday on the road in St. Louis against the Cardinals. Rafaela has played as the team's center fielder and shortstop so far in just his second year in the big leagues, showing just how athletic he is on the diamond. He's not as advanced at the plate, though, and is hitting just .201 (30-for-149) with four home runs, 23 RBI, four stolen bases and 18 runs scored. Rafaela has been a bit better in May with a .234 average (11-for-47) with two homers and six RBI in 14 games played. With Rafaela getting a day of rest in the series opener at Busch Stadium, David Hamilton is getting the start at shortstop and will hit in the nine-hole against Cardinals right-hander Kyle Gibson. Hamilton isn't a recommended DFS play at the position.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers activated outfielder Jason Heyward (back) from the injured list on Friday and optioned outfielder James Outman to the minors in a corresponding move. Heyward is right back in the starting lineup on Friday, playing in right field and batting eighth against Cincinnati Reds right-hander Frankie Montas. The 34-year-old left-handed hitter landed on the injured list all the way back on April 3 with lower-back tightness and had some setbacks during his recovery. He was hitless in six at-bats with Triple-A Oklahoma City on a two-game minor-league rehab assignment and had gone just 3-for-14 with two RBI for the Dodgers to open the season before landing on the shelf. Fantasy managers in deeper leagues should expect Heyward to be on the strong side of a platoon in right field now that he's healthy.

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Texas Rangers right-handers Dane Dunning () and Nathan Eovaldi (groin) were scheduled to throw bullpen sessions on Friday. If all goes well with Dunning's bullpen, he could return from the injured list next week to pitch against the Philadelphia Phillies. Dunning was put on the 15-day injured list on May 8 with a strained right rotator cuff, but he also threw a bullpen on Tuesday and is approaching his return to the starting rotation. He's been up and down so far this year and would make for an extremely shaky streaming option without going on a minor-league rehab assignment if he faces the Phillies next week. Eovaldi's bullpen will mark his first time throwing off the mound since suffering a right-groin strain on May 3. The 34-year-old isn't going to come off the IL when eligible on Saturday, but the hard-throwing right-hander deserves to be stashed in all fantasy leagues after his strong start to 2024.

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Houston Astros outfielder/designated hitter Yordan Alvarez is getting a day off on Friday in the series opener in Milwaukee against the Brewers. With Alvarez out, Yainer Diaz will serve as the team's designated hitter and will bat fifth against Brewers right-hander Freddy Peralta. Alvarez has been disappointing by his standards and has gone just 13-for-56 (.232) with one home run, two RBI and 15 strikeouts in 62 plate appearances in the first 15 games in the month of May. We'd expect the 26-year-old left-handed slugger to turn things around sooner than later at the plate, and he'll get a day off to clear his head on Friday. Diaz, 25, makes for a decent DFS play in the five-hole against a pitcher he's never faced in his career. In 159 at-bats so far in 2024, Diaz is slashing .270/.302/.390 with three home runs and 21 RBI for the 'Stros.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers placed third baseman Max Muncy (oblique) on the 10-day injured list on Friday with a right-oblique strain. Muncy didn't play the series opener on Thursday against the Cincinnati Reds, and now we know why. Given the nature of the injury and the fact that Muncy is on the wrong side of 30, he's almost certainly going to miss more than 10 days as he tries to recover from this injury. Muncy isn't helping fantasy teams at all with his batting average, but his power and run production make him worth stashing in all fantasy formats. He currently has nine home runs and 28 RBI in 167 plate appearances in 2024. The Dodgers called up infielder Miguel Vargas from the minors on Friday, and both he and Enrique Hernandez could share playing time at the hot corner for the next several weeks with Muncy out.

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Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said that outfielder Evan Carter (back) will be available off the bench on Friday versus the Los Angeles Angels. Carter is dealing with lower-back inflammation and has not played since May 10, but it's a good sign that he's at least available to play later in the series opener against the Angels. The 21-year-old lefty swinger received a cortisone injection in his back on Monday and could be ready to rejoin the starting lineup this weekend on either Saturday or Sunday. After an impressive showing in his rookie season in 2023 while helping the Rangers win their first championship, Carter is struggling in his first full campaign, batting .216/.303/.416 with five homers and 15 RBI in 142 plate appearances. Carter's upside makes him stash-worthy in all leagues, though. Ezequiel Duran is starting in left field again and will bat seventh against Angels left-hander Tyler Anderson.

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Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Joc Pederson (rest) has been scratched from the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the Detroit Tigers. Manager Torey Lovullo said that Pederson is fine and that he just decided he would rather use him off the bench. The assumption is that the D-Backs decided to play matchups with left-handed Tarik Skubal on the mound for Detroit. Jake McCarthy will start in his place in right field while Randal Grichuk will function as the team's designated hitter on Friday. Fantasy managers should adjust their lineups accordingly.

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Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Garrett Whitlock (elbow) is scheduled to undergo additional testing on Monday. This is frustrating after Whitlock looked strong during his latest minor league rehab outing on Wednesday. The plan was for Whitlock to return to the team next week, but that looks like it has changed. The 27-year-old will now have more testing done due to elbow soreness. Fantasy managers will need to be patient as the team should provide another update following his evaluation.

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