The Toronto Blue Jays announced on Monday that they transferred right-handers Max Scherzer (thumb) and Erik Swanson (forearm) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL. The team also optioned left-hander Josh Walker to Triple-A Buffalo to make room on the roster for right-handers Spencer Turnbull and Jose Urena, who were signed over the weekend. A right-thumb injury has limited Scherzer to just one start in his first season with Toronto in 2025. While the 40-year-old eight-time All-Star and three-time Cy Young winner has been trending in the right direction of late while throwing off a mound, he won't be eligible to return from the IL until May 29. The future Hall of Famer will require a minor-league rehab assignment and most likely won't be back in Toronto's rotation until June, assuming he doesn't have another setback with his thumb.

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New York Yankees right-hander Clarke Schmidt (side) will make the start on Tuesday against the visiting San Diego Padres in the Bronx. Schmidt didn't make his last scheduled start on Saturday against the Tampa Bay Rays due to soreness in his left side, but the injury wasn't serious enough to land him on the injured list. Still, the 29-year-old former first-rounder will be a shaky fantasy option this week against a strong Padres club that will be getting outfielder Jackson Merrill (hamstring) back from the injured list. Schmidt also dealt with rotator-cuff tendinitis in his right shoulder and opened the 2025 campaign on the injured list. He's gotten off to an uneven start, going 0-1 with a 5.52 ERA and 1.43 WHIP in his first three starts (14 2/3 innings) while walking nine and striking out 15. Schmidt had his best outing in his last start on April 27, giving up one earned run with six K's in five innings versus the Toronto Blue Jays.

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Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider said that outfielder Daulton Varsho (back) potentially could have pushed through his lower-back tightness to play in Sunday's loss to the Cleveland Guardians, but the team didn't want to risk it so soon after he returned from offseason shoulder surgery. The Blue Jays are hoping that Varsho will return for Tuesday's series opener versus the Los Angeles Angels. The 28-year-old made his return from the injured list due to his surgically repaired shoulder last week and has only played in five games, so the Blue Jays weren't going to push him. Fantasy managers will want to check back on Tuesday to see if he's back in there. Varsho has three hits in his first 17 plate appearances, but it's a good sign that two of those hits went for home runs. When healthy, he's Toronto's everyday center fielder.

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MLB.com's Adam McCalvy reports that Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Brice Turang is absent from the team's starting lineup for Monday's series opener against the visiting Houston Astros at American Family Field. It is just another rest day for Turang after he recently dealt with an illness. Rookie Caleb Durbin will start at the keystone and will hit seventh on Monday against Astros right-hander Ronel Blanco. Turang missed a game last week due to illness but had played in the last four contests. Expect the 25-year-old to be back in action for Game 2 of the series on Tuesday. The former first-rounder has slashed a solid .315/.372/.400 with a .772 OPS, three homers, 16 RBI, 28 runs and eight steals in his first 130 at-bats. Durbin will lack much DFS upside on Monday. The 25-year-old has gone 12-for-50 (.240) with a homer and 10 RBI in his first 16 major-league games.

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Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Sal Frelick (knee) is not in the starting lineup for Monday's series opener against the visiting Houston Astros, but manager Pat Murphy said Frelick's MRI results were encouraging. "It should settle down in a day or two," Murphy said. Frelick injured his left knee and had to leave Sunday's game early against the Chicago Cubs, but it appears he will avoid a trip to the injured list for now. Fantasy managers in deeper leagues will want to check back to see if he's available to play in Game 2 of the series on Tuesday. With Frelick out on Monday, Jake Bauers will start in right field and will bat sixth against Astros right-hander Ronel Blanco. Although Frelick is hitting a strong .297 (35-for-118) in 35 games in 2025, he's lacking in counting stats with only one home run, nine RBI, seven steals and 16 runs scored in 135 plate appearances. He's not a great fantasy contributor.

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The Minnesota Twins announced on Monday that they have reinstated utility man Willi Castro (oblique) from the 10-day injured list and optioned infielder Edouard Julien to Triple-A St. Paul in a corresponding move. Castro didn't require a minor-league rehab assignment and should be back in the team's starting lineup for Tuesday's series opener against the Baltimore Orioles. The 28-year-old Puerto Rican switch-hitter suffered a mild oblique strain in the middle of April. With Julien headed down to the farm, fantasy managers should expect Castro to play mostly every day at the keystone will also bouncing around wherever needed on the diamond. He'll return to a .227/.292/.364 slash line with a .655 OPS, one home runs, five RBI, seven runs scored and a stolen base. Castro doesn't stand out for power or speed and will be a modest counting-stats contributor, but he's incredibly useful for his positional versatility.

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The Minnesota Twins announced on Monday that they optioned infielder Edouard Julien to Triple-A St. Paul. Julien is the odd-man out with the Twins activating both Royce Lewis (hamstring) and Willi Castro (oblique) from the 10-day injured list on Monday. The 26-year-old Canadian will surely be back up with the Twins at some point this season for infield depth, but he might not get another shot at a starting role after going just 18-for-91 (.198) with two home runs, eight RBI and eight runs scored in 29 games played. In 232 games played since debuting in the big leagues in 2023, Julien has hit a mediocre .230/.336/.388 with a .725 OPS, 26 home runs, 66 RBI and nine stolen bases. He has been unable to repeat his rookie-year performance, when he clubbed 16 long balls in just 109 games. Expect Castro to see most of the playing time at the keystone going forward in Minnesota.

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San Diego Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill (hamstring) has been traveling on Monday and is believed to have arrived in New York only a short while ago, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune's Kevin Acee. The plan is for Merrill to come off the 10-day injured list and play in the second game of the series in the Bronx against the Yankees on Tuesday. Brandon Lockridge will make the start in center field on Monday and will hit ninth against Yankees left-hander Carlos Rodon, who he has never faced. In addition to traveling on Monday, it's a rainy and wet day in New York, so the Padres aren't going to risk throwing Merrill back out there in those conditions. He's been out since early April with a strained right hamstring, but he's on the cusp on returning and should be thrown back in all starting fantasy lineups immediately. The 22-year-old was on fire before his injury, slashing .378/.415/.676 with a 1.090 OPS in 37 at-bats.

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The Texas Rangers are likely going to recall outfielder Evan Carter before Tuesday's series opener in Boston against the Red Sox, according to general manager Chris Young. It remains to be seen if Carter will be in the starting lineup at Fenway Park, but he has earned a promotion back to the big leagues for the first time in 2025 after heating up at the plate recently at Triple-A Round Rock. The 22-year-old left-handed-hitting outfielder hit .221/.333/.416 with three home runs, nine RBI, six steals and 13 runs scored in 21 games at Round Rock. Although Carter hit just .188 (27-for-144) with 43 K's, five homers and 15 RBI in 45 games in 2024 and has dealt with injuries, he could get a shot as Texas' primary center fielder against right-handed pitchers moving forward after the team recently cut Leody Taveras. In just 23 regular-season games his rookie year, Carter hit .306/.413/.645 with five homers and 12 RBI.

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St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn (ankle) remains out of the team's starting lineup for Monday's series opener at Busch Stadium against the division-rival Pittsburgh Pirates. Jose Barrero will get another start at the 6 and will hit ninth versus Pirates right-hander Carmen Mlodzinski. Winn sprained his left ankle in Game 2 of a Sunday doubleheader against the New York Mets and won't be available to begin the week. However, the 23-year-old's injury isn't considered serious, so he could be back in there when the series continues on Tuesday. The former second-rounder in 2020 recently got bumped up near the top of St. Louis' batting order and has hit .333 (9-for-27) with two homers, four doubles, three RBI, a steal and eight runs scored in his last nine games. Barrero is 1-for-9 with a run scored in limited action so far in 2025 and should be avoided in DFS.

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Chicago White Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi (calf) is not in the team's starting lineup for Monday's series opener on the road against the division-rival Kansas City Royals. Michael Taylor will patrol left field and will hit eighth against Royals left-hander Cole Ragans. Benintendi was removed in the sixth inning of Sunday's game against the Houston Astros with tightness in his left calf while running the bases, so the White Sox will hold him out on Monday against a left-hander. The 30-year-old veteran is being considered day-to-day for now, so there's a chance he returns as early as Game 2 of the series in KC on Tuesday. Outside of some modest pop from the left side, Benintendi has little fantasy upside for those in deeper leagues. He's gone 19-for-85 (.224) with five homers, 12 RBI and 13 runs so far this year. Taylor represents a low-upside DFS sleeper, and he's never faced Ragans in his career.

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The Houston Astros placed designated hitter Yordan Alvarez (hand) on the 10-day injured list with right-hand inflammation on Monday, according to MLB.com's Brian McTaggart. The Astros were saying that Alvarez's right-hand injury wasn't all that serious, and they didn't send him for testing, but he'll now miss at least the next 10 days after sitting out the last two contests. Fantasy managers can only hope that the 27-year-old left-handed-hitting All-Star will be back sooner than later and get going at the plate when he does return. In 29 games in 2025, the Cuban slugger has slashed a disappointing .210/.306/.340 with a career-worst .646 OPS, three home runs and 18 RBI in 121 plate appearances. Until Alvarez is able to return, Zach Dezenzo and catcher Yainer Diaz are most likely to split playing time in the DH role for Houston. Keep Alvarez stashed everywhere.

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New York Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole (elbow) said that he's on track to start throwing in August after speaking on Monday for the first time since undergoing season-ending Tommy John surgery. In addition to having TJ surgery, the 34-year-old veteran and former Cy Young winner had an internal-brace procedure done to fix the UCL in his right elbow. There is no target date in mind for Cole to pitch next season, and we probably won't have a better idea of that until he resumes throwing off the mound, which might not come at all this year. The six-time All-Star won the American League Cy Young award in 2023 but then only made it through 17 starts (95 innings) for the Yankees last year, going 8-5 with a 3.41 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 99:29 K:BB. There's no guarantee that Cole will be ready for the start of the 2026 season, which will put a cloud over his fantasy value.

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The Chicago Cubs placed left-hander Shota Imanaga (hamstring) on the 15-day injured list on Monday with a left-hamstring strain, according to 670 The Score's Bruce Levine. Imanaga lands on the shelf after injuring his hamstring during his start on Sunday against the Milwaukee Brewers when he sprinted to cover first base on a ground ball in the infield. Because we don't exactly know how bad the 31-year-old southpaw's hamstring strain is, we don't have a clear idea of how much time he'll need to miss. Fantasy managers will obviously be hoping it's a minimal IL stay, and Imanaga will be first eligible to return on May 20. The Cubs have multiple options to fill Imanaga's starting-rotation spot in the meantime, with the most intriguing option being right-handed prospect Cade Horton. Veteran Chris Flexen and left-hander Jordan Wicks are other options.

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New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe (shoulder) is back at shortstop and is hitting sixth in Monday's series opener against the visiting San Diego Padres and right-hander Nick Pivetta in the Bronx. Volpe dove for a ball in the hole on Saturday against the Tampa Bay Rays and felt a pop in his left shoulder. He stayed down on the ground before being looked at by a trainer, but he eventually remained in the game. An MRI exam and X-rays showed no structural damage. The Yankees held the 24-year-old out as a precaution on Sunday, but he's back in there to begin the week against the Padres. While likely being less than 100 percent on Monday against a pitcher that has been pretty dominant early this year, fantasy managers may want to fade Volpe in this one. He enters Monday's game hitting .233/.326/.442 with five homers, 19 RBI, 16 runs and four steals in 120 at-bats.

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Los Angeles Dodgers rookie infielder Hyeseong Kim is making his first career start in Monday's series opener against the hosting Miami Marlins, starting at second base and batting in the nine-hole against Marlins right-hander Sandy Alcantara. Kim was called up from Triple-A Oklahoma City on Saturday and appeared as a defensive replacement in his first MLB appearance on Saturday against the Atlanta Braves. The 26-year-old South Korean native appeared as a pinch-runner in Sunday's loss to Atlanta and stole his first career base. He'll be looking for his first career hit on Monday in Miami. Manager Dave Roberts plans to have Kim mostly come off the bench until Tommy Edman (ankle) is back from the injured list, but he'll get the occasional start. Speed and defense are his primary calling cards, making him a poor DFS bet in his first career start.

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Atlanta Braves closer Raisel Iglesias secured the victory in the team's 4-3 win over the Dodgers on Sunday. The first batterreached on an infield single, but Iglesias struck out the next three batters to slam the door and end the threat, logging his sixth save of the season in the process. The righty wasn't as effective as the Braves or fantasy managers had expected earlier this year, but looks to be getting back on track lately, with three straight scoreless appearances in which he's allowed just two hits and no walks while striking out six over three innings pitched. The ERA isn't pretty at 4.85, but the 35-year-old owns a 1.00 WHIP and a strong 25.5 percent K-BB% now, and with the Braves righting the ship after an 0-7 start to the season, there should be plenty more save chances in the future for the 6-foot-2 hurler.

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Miami Marlins catcher Agustin Ramirez is sitting on Monday. The 23-year-old had been designated hitter on days when he wasn't catching since his recent call-up, but has gone ice-cold after a torrid start. The right-handed hitter went 9-for-19 (.474) with seven extra-base hits over his first five games, but has since gone 1-for-24 (.042). Nick Fortes, who recently returned from injury, will catch and bat eighth, while Connor Norby will start at DH and bat fifth. Fortes doesn't offer much with the bat, and Norby is mired in a 2-for-21 (.095) slump of his own, so DFS players may want to look elsewhere for offense tonight. Ramirez managers will want to get him out of the lineup if they have another option is available.

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WashingtonNationals closer Kyle Finnegan sat down the Reds in order during the ninth inning of Sunday's 4-1 victory, striking out two on the way to earning his 11th save of the season. After racking up 38 saves lastseason for the Nats, the righty is well on his way to that number again thisyear, while also helping fantasy managers' ratios with a 2.63 ERA and 15 strikeouts in 13 2/3 IP. If he can clean up the walks, the 33-year-old could also have a solid WHIP, but for now it stands at 1.39. On a team with the second-highest bullpen ERA, Finnegan has been a bright spot and has no competition for saves at the moment, so fantasy managers are getting a great return on investment from the 6-foot-2 hurler.

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