Houston Astros infield/outfield prospect Shay Whitcomb went 3-for-5 with two home runs, five RBI, and two runs scored on Wednesday for Triple-A Sugar Land. The 26-year-old has been on a tear recently, with five home runs in his last three games and four straight multi-hit performances. With 13 home runs, he stands alone atop the minor league home run leaderboard, and with a .277/.362/.613 slash line, it shouldn't be long before he gets another shot in the majors. In 20 games in the big leagueslast year, the right-handed hitter had better-than-league-average strikeout and walk rates along with a solid 83.3 percent contact rate, but it didn't translateto production as he hit .220 (.278 xBA) with a .272 wOBA (.342 xwOBA) and 76 wRC+. Look for the results to be a bit better next time he gets a chance, and the 6-foot-1 slugger would be worthyof a roster spot in most 12-team leagues when that happens.

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Baltimore Orioles pitching prospect Chayce McDermott is being called up from Triple-A Norfolk to make a spot start in Game 2 of a doubleheader on Wednesday against the visiting Minnesota Twins. It will be McDermott's second major-league start after making his big-league debut on July 24 of last year, when he allowed three earned runs with two walks and three strikeouts in four innings in a no-decision against the Miami Marlins. The 26-year-old is considered the team's No. 4 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, but he's thrown only 9 2/3 innings for the Tides in the minors due to a strained right lat that sidelined him to begin the 2025 campaign. McDermott went four innings and threw 65 pitches in his last start for Norfolk, so fantasy managers should expect him to have a short leash in his first MLB appearance this year.

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Seattle Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford (undisclosed) has been scratched from the starting lineup for Wednesday's series finale against the visiting New York Yankees at T-Mobile Park, according to Seattle Sports' Shannon Drayer. It's unclear why exactly Crawford is being scratched, but Drayer notes that he looked fine in the clubhouse and was seen playing catch early. Leo Rivas is drawing into the starting lineup at shortstop and will hit ninth against Yankees right-hander Will Warren. Miles Mastrobuoni is also hitting out of the leadoff spot. Fantasy managers need to pull Crawford from their starting lineups on Wednesday and check back for an update on a possible injury or illness that he may be dealing with. The 30-year-old Crawford has hit a solid .271 in 140 at-bats this year but with just three homers, 18 RBI, 18 runs and two steals.

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The Athletic's Fabian Ardaya reports that the Los Angeles Dodgers are calling up prized catching prospect Dalton Rushing from Triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday, according to sources. Rushing will get his first big-league promotion after tearing up the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League to the tune of a .308/.424/.514 slash line with a .938 OPS, five home runs, 17 RBI and 23 runs scored in 31 games played. The 24-year-old backstop has also appeared in eight games at first base and made a start in left field. Will Smith is locked in as L.A.'s starting catcher, so Rushing's primary path to playing time will likely be in the outfield with both Teoscar Hernandez (groin) and Tommy Edman (ankle) currently on the injured list. The 5-foot-11, 220-pounder is a well-rounded hitter with a short swing from the left side, giving him solid power at the catching position and strong on-base skills.

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Tampa Bay Rays pitching prospect Ian Seymour allowed two earned runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out nine in his latest startat Triple-A Durham this past Saturday. The southpaw leads Triple-A pitchers in strikeouts with 55 on the season, good for a 32.5 percent strikeoutrate. Paired with good command -- walking batters at just a 5.9 percent rate -- the 26-year-old boasts a 26.6 percent K-BB% with a 1.96 ERA and 1.09 WHIP through seven starts (eight appearances, 41 1/3 IP). Owning a 2.42 career ERA in the minors with ever-presentstrikeout stuff (career 31.2 percent), the lefty appears to be closer than ever to a major league debut. Managers looking for ratio help shouldconsider picking up the Rays' 19th-ranked prospect whenever he gets the call.

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New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto will get his first day off of the season on Wednesday against the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates with a left-hander on the mound. Jose Azocar will replace him in right field and will bat ninth against Pirates left-hander Bailey Falter. Given all the expectations surrounding Soto, the 26-year-old Dominican has been a disappointment from a fantasy standpoint with a .255 average (40-for-157), but he still has a .380 on-base percentage and .845 OPS in 192 plate appearances, adding eight home runs, 20 RBI and 31 runs scored. He's been heating up of late, too, going 13-for-45 (.289) with five home runs, two doubles, an RBI and 10 runs scored in 12 games in the month of May. Azocar has five hits in his first 17 at-bats with the Mets this year but will be a low-upside DFS option in the nine-hole for the Mets against a pitcher he has never faced.

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Colorado Rockies infielder Alan Trejo will retreat to the bench for Wednesday's series finale against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. Kyle Farmer will start at shortstop and will hit second against Rangers left-hander Patrick Corbin. Trejo will get a day of rest after starting each of the team's last four games at the 6. The 28-year-old has become Colorado's preferred option at shortstop of late with Ezequiel Tovar (hip) still on the injured list. He's hitting just .175 (7-for-40), though with no home runs, one RBI and three runs scored, making him unattractive in mixed fantasy leagues. Farmer has been similarly unattractive in most fantasy leagues in 2025, slashing .236/.274/.327 with no home runs, nine RBI and three runs scored in 110 at-bats for the worst team in baseball. Farmer is in a good lineup spot for fantasy production, but he's hit .176 with a .476 OPS and two RBI in 17 career at-bats against Corbin.

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Minnesota Twins first baseman Ty France (foot) left Game 1 of the team's doubleheader against the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday early with a left-foot contusion, the team announced. France left the game after grounding out in the fifth inning and was replaced by Kody Clemens at first base. Before leaving, France went hitless in three at-bats in the eventual 6-3 victory. It's unclear how serious the 30-year-old veteran's injury is, but he'll almost certainly sit out the second game of the twin bill on Wednesday. There's also a good chance he won't be ready to return for Thursday's series finale with the O's. Heading into Wednesday's doubleheader, France was hitting .260/.325/.373 with a below-average .699 OPS, three homers and 21 RBI in 41 games. A long-term injury for France could push Clemens and Jonah Bride into a platoon at first base.

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New York Yankees first baseman Paul Goldschmidt and catcher Austin Wells are not in the starting lineup for Wednesday's series finale against the hosting Seattle Mariners. Ben Rice will start at first base and bat second, while J.C. Escarra will do the catching and hit eighth against Mariners right-hander Luis Castillo. Goldy, who is having a resurgent season in his first year in the Bronx, will take the day off after starting each of the team's last six games. He's currently tied for third in all of baseball with 55 hits and ranks fourth with a .344 average, adding four homers, 21 RBI and 26 runs scored. Wells is batting just .214 (27-for-126) but is tied for third among all catchers with his eight home runs. His 28 RBI are tied for most with Seattle's Cal Raleigh at catcher. Neither Rice nor Escarra have ever faced Castillo in their career. Rice is a sneaky DFS power option with nine homers and 20 RBI on the year.

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San Francisco Giants catcher Patrick Bailey is taking the day off in Thursday's series finale against the division-rival Arizona Diamondbacks with left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez on the mound. Sam Huff will do the catching for right-hander Jordan Hicks and will bat seventh in the batting order. Bailey has had a rough go in the 2025 season to this point and is still searching for his first home run. The 25-year-old switch-hitting backstop has gone 20-for-112 (.179) with 12 RBI, 11 runs scored and a 40:7 K:BB in 38 games. He's gone 7-for-35 (.200) with two doubles, three RBI and 11 strikeouts in the last two weeks over 11 games. DFS managers should have better sleeper options than Huff at catcher. Huff has been just as bad as Bailey in 37 at-bats, hitting .189 with a homer and three RBI. The 27-year-old has never faced E-Rod in his career.

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Seattle Mariners executive vice president and general manager of baseball operations Justin Hollander announced on Wednesday that the team placed right-hander Bryce Miller (elbow) on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to May 12) with right-elbow inflammation and recalled left-hander Jhonathan Diaz from Triple-A Tacoma in a corresponding move. It helps explain why Miller was torched for seven runs on eight hits while walking two over five innings of work in his last outing on Sunday against the Toronto Blue Jays. The 26-year-old received a cortisone shot in his elbow on Tuesday, and the M's are optimistic he'll be able to return from the IL when eligible on May 27. It's possible that Diaz, 28, could take Miller's spot in the rotation and start this weekend in San Diego against the Padres. In his one relief appearance for Seattle this year, Diaz threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings with a strikeout against the Tigers.

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Washington Nationals pitching prospect Travis Sykora (hip) has been activated from the injured list and is slated to start for Single-A Fredericksburg on Wednesday. The former third-overall draft pick made two rehab starts with the team's Florida Complex League affiliate, allowing one earned run on one hit and one walk while striking out a whopping 14 batters in only five innings of work. The 6-foot-6 hurler displayed tremendous strikeout stuff last year as well in his first taste of professional baseball, posting a 2.33 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and a 39.2 percent strikeout rate (31.0 percent K-BB%) in 20 starts (85 IP). If all goes well, expect the righty to get a bump to High-A or even Double-A later this year. Washington's top-ranked prospect has an ETA of 2027 per MLB.com, but looks like he's got the potential to arrive sooner than that.

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Philadelphia Phillies pitching prospect Mick Abel allowed just one earned run in his latest start, yielding three hits and two walks whilestriking out nine over seven innings of work. The former first-round draft pick started the season well, pitching to a 3.80 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, and an 18.5 percent K-BB% over his first four starts, but has taken it up a notch over his last four, posting a 1.44 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and a 15.0 percent K-BB% during that time. It is a vast improvement over lastseason's 6.46 ERA, 1.81 WHIP, and 7.6 percent K-BB% that the righty logged in 24 starts, all at Triple-A. The 6-foot-5 hurler looks to be on the doorstep to the majors, so if he continues to pitch well, look for a call-up later thisseason. He isn't a must-stash, but with his big frame and pitch-mix, he has the ability to be a solid big-league starter from the get-go, so fantasy managers shouldkeep a watchful eye out for news of a promotion.

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Cleveland Guardians right-hander Slade Cecconi (oblique) threw 68 pitches (48 strikes) in his third minor-league rehab start with Triple-A Columbus on Sunday and gave up two runs on six hits while striking out three and walking none in 5 2/3 innings. The 25-year-old has given up seven runs on 12 hits while walking two and striking out 10 in 13 innings in his three rehab outings. Cecconi is recovering from a left-oblique strain that landed him on the 15-day injured list back on March 27 for the start of the 2025 season. He's expected to return this month, but he's not guaranteed to have a rotation spot waiting for him in Cleveland, which means he could return to Columbus to serve as big-league rotation depth. The former first-rounder has posted a bloated 6.06 ERA and 1.35 WHIP with 84 K's and 21 walks in 104 innings in his first two big-league seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

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Cleveland Guardians outfielder Lane Thomas (wrist) started his minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Columbus on Tuesday, May 13. He will play in at least a week of rehab games before the team decides whether to activate him. In his first game with Columbus on Tuesday, the 29-year-old went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts while serving as the designated hitter. He is recovering from a right-wrist bone bruise that he suffered when he was hit by a pitch early in the season. Thomas was placed on the 10-day IL back on April 22, but he could return to the Guardians in mid- to late May, barring a setback with his wrist. He might need to pick it up offensively to avoid falling into a platoon in center field with Angel Martinez when he returns, as he hit just .156 (7-for-45) with no homers and two RBI early on before getting hurt.

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Miami Marlins third baseman Connor Norby extended his team-leading hitting streak to eight games by going 2-for-4 with a triple and a solo home run in Tuesday's 5-4 loss to the Chicago Cubs. "Throughout the last week, my process has been really good, but the biggest thing and biggest emphasis they've had with me is just swinging at good pitches," Norby said. Both of the 24-year-old's homers this year have gone to the pull side. In his rookie season in 2024, just four of his nine long balls were pulled. During his current hitting streak, Norby is hitting .357 (10-for-28) with two doubles, a triple, a homer, three RBI, two walks and six strikeouts. He has hit safely in 15 of 22 games since his return from the injured list from a left-oblique strain. Norby is on the rise and is now hitting .269/.313/.436 on the year with four steals, six RBI and 14 runs scored as Miami's regular third baseman.

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Texas Rangers outfielder Kevin Pillar (back) is scheduled to begin his minor-league rehab assignment with Double-A Frisco on Wednesday. Pillar is on the 10-day injured list due to inflammation in his lower back. The 36-year-old veteran has been out for the last week, but now that he's been cleared to play in minor-league games, he could rejoin the big-league roster sooner than later, possibly by this weekend or early next week. When he is cleared to come off the IL, expect Pillar to serve as a bench outfielder for the Rangers, leaving him little fantasy appeal in AL-only leagues. Before getting injured, the 13-year MLB veteran had gone 9-for-38 (.237) with no homers, two doubles, an RBI, three steals and six runs scored in limited playing time over 18 games.

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Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno will take the day off in Wednesday's series finale against the division-rival San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. Jose Herrera is doing the catching for left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez and will hit ninth against Giants right-hander Jordan Hicks. Moreno has never hit more than seven home runs in a season, so fantasy managers have come to expect limited production from the 25-year-old backstop, even though he did hit .284 in 2023. Through 35 games this season, he's sporting a .239/.308/.294 slash line with a homer, nine RBI and 16 runs scored in 120 plate appearances. Fantasy managers playing DFS will want to avoid Herrera out of the nine-hole. The 28-year-old Venezuelan has gone 9-for-44 (.205) this year with a homer and five RBI. He's hitless in his lone at-bat against Hicks.

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Cincinnati Reds rookie right-hander Chase Petty is set to make another start this Saturday at home against the visiting Cleveland Guardians. Petty was called up from Triple-A Louisville last weekend and made his second career MLB start on Sunday against the Houston Astros on the road, allowing four earned runs on six hits (one homer) while walking six and striking out four in just three innings for his second loss. While the matchup against the Guardians isn't terrible, it will come at a hitter-friendly ballpark in Cincy, and fantasy managers looking for a streamer probably won't be ecstatic to use an inexperienced hurler that hasn't fared well in his first two MLB starts. The 22-year-old former first-rounder has allowed 13 earned runs on 13 hits (three homers) while walking eight and striking out seven in 5 1/3 innings in his first two starts against St. Louis and Houston.

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Milwaukee Brewers infielder Joey Ortiz is on the bench again for Wednesday's series finale against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Andruw Monasterio is starting at shortstop and batting eighth against Guardians right-hander Gavin Williams. Ortiz has been on the bench in two of the last three games against right-handed pitchers. The 26-year-old could continue to lose playing time with the Brew Crew if he doesn't pick it up offensively soon. Through his first 139 at-bats in 2025, Ortiz has struggled to a .173/.228/.223 slash line with a home run, six RBI, four steals, 15 runs, nine walks and 23 strikeouts in 151 plate appearances. Monasterios is hitless in his three at-bats this year and has never faced Williams in his career. In the eight-hole on Wednesday, DFS managers should be ignoring him.

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