San Francisco Giants left-hander Robbie Ray (8-1) collected his National League-leading eighth win of the season Thursday in a 3-2 decision against the San Diego Padres. Ray fired seven innings of two-run ball with four hits allowed, nine strikeouts, and a walk to continue his fantastic start to the 2025 campaign. After two injury-wrecked seasons in a row, the former AL Cy Young winner looks back in peak form this year. Ray has posted a sparkling 2.44 ERA with 87 strikeouts against 31 walks over 77 1/3 frames. Now riding a streak of eight consecutive quality starts, the 33-year-old will head to Coors Field to face the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday. He threw seven scoreless innings against the Rockies on May 2.

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San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado smacked the 350th home run of his career in the team's 3-2 loss to the San Francisco Giants on Thursday. It's an important milestone for Machado, who became the 10th third baseman in history to reach the 350-HR mark. His 391-foot blast off left-hander Robbie Ray in the third inning knocked in the Padres' only runs of the game. Machado also singled during a 2-for-4 afternoon, continuing another highly productive season for the six-time All-Star. Set to turn 33 next month, Machado is hitting a robust .317/.382/.498 with eight homers, 31 RBI, and eight steals over 254 plate appearances. Machado's numbers are bolstered by rock-solid underlying metrics, including a .398 xwOBA. He'll take on Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Chad Patrick on Friday.

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Pittsburgh Pirates right-handed reliever Colin Holderman (thumb) has taken a "pause of healing," according to Todd Tomczyk. Holderman remains on the injured list while he deals with right-thumb tenosynovitis. He received a cortisone injection last week but has yet to resume throwing. The Pirates will re-evaluate him on Friday. The 29-year-old landed on the IL back on May 29. We don't have a concrete timetable on when Holderman might rejoin Pittsburgh's bullpen, but because of the fact that he was shut down from throwing, he's likely at least several weeks away from a return. Before getting injured, Holderman appeared in 14 games in relief and allowed 15 earned runs on 20 hits (three homers) while walking 11 and fanning 11 in 15 innings. He should remain on waiver wires in pretty much all leagues.

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Athletics first baseman Tyler Soderstrom led the offensive charge in Thursday's 14-3 blowout win in Sacramento over the visiting Minnesota Twins. Soderstrom went 2-for-5 in the contest with a grand slam and a two-run home run for a total of six RBI on the day. The 23-year-old left-handed slugger and former first-rounder is having a breakout campaign in 2025 in his third year in the big leagues, and he's a big reason why the A's have a top-five OPS as a team. Thursday's impressive performance was Soderstrom's fourth multi-home run game of the year, and it was nice to see after he has recently slowed down his offensive pace. Soderstrom came into Thursday's game with a .254/.332/.462 OPS with a .794 OPS, 12 homers and 36 RBI in 63 games. With an xBA of .275 thanks to strong batted-ball metrics, Soderstrom is likely to continue doing damage for fantasy managers.

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Athletics right-handed reliever Jose Leclerc (lat) is playing catch three times a week, but the team expects a "long recovery process" before he returns to action, according to MLB.com. Leclerc was placed on the 60-day injured list on April 23 with a right-lat strain and isn't expected to return to the team until the second half of the season. Before he went down with injury, the 31-year-old veteran struggled in a late-inning setup role in his first year with the team, holding a 6.00 ERA and 2.00 WHIP with eight strikeouts and five walks in just nine innings pitched out of the bullpen. Leclerc racked up 41 saves in his first eight major-league seasons with the Texas Rangers before joining the A's this season, so he should at least be a setup option again in Sacramento when he returns after the All-Star break.

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Athletics right-hander Luis Medina (elbow) was throwing from 105 feet as of June 2, according to MLB.com. Medina is progressing nicely after having Tommy John surgery in August of 2024, but he is still likely to miss most, if not all, of the 2025 season. The 26-year-old resumed throwing in the middle of last month but still has a long ways to go in his recovery from a right-elbow strain. If Medina is able to return later this year, it might only be on a minor-league rehab assignment, or in a bullpen role for the A's. Either way, he's not going to be a realistic fantasy option for the rest of the year. In his first two major-league seasons with the A's in 2023 and 2024, Medina went 5-14 with a 5.35 ERA (4.67 FIP) and 1.53 WHIP with 138 strikeouts and 77 walks in 31 outings (25 starts) over 149 2/3 frames.

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Athletics left-hander Ken Waldichuk (elbow) threw a live batting practice session on Wednesday at Sutter Health Park and is scheduled to move to simulated games next, according to MLB.com. Waldichuk had Tommy John surgery in May of last year and is still working his way back from that procedure. He's currently on the 60-day injured list but could make his 2025 season debut at some point in July if he can avoid a setback as he continues to ramp up his arm. The 27-year-old southpaw still will need to go on a minor-league rehab assignment. The former fifth-round pick by the New York Yankees in 2019 out of Saint Mary's College made 42 appearances (29 starts) in his first two MLB seasons in 2022 and 2023 and went 6-11 with a 5.28 ERA, 1.49 WHIP and 165:81 K:BB in 175 2/3 innings. Fantasy managers in mixed leagues can continue to ignore him for now.

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Athletics left-hander Brady Basso (shoulder) threw a live batting practice session on Wednesday and will start a minor-league rehab assignment on Sunday with Single-A Stockton, according to MLB.com's Martin Gallegos. Basso is currently on the 60-day injured list with a strained left shoulder, but barring a setback on his rehab assignment, he could be an option for the big-league pitching staff in mid-June. The 27-year-old southpaw only made two appearances in spring training before injuring his shoulder, so he'll be making his 2025 debut whenever he gets into a game for the A's. The former 16th-rounder made his MLB debut last year and had a 4.03 ERA and 1.25 WHIP with 19 K's and five free passes in seven games (four starts) over 22 1/3 innings. For now, Basso is a watch candidate in AL-only leagues.

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St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker (wrist) received an anti-inflammatory shot in his painful left wrist and will be given a few days off without swinging to allow the shot to take effect, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Derrick Goold. Walker was bothered by more pain in his wrist when swinging on Monday, but the good news is he's not dealing with any structural damage. Still, the 23-year-old former top prospect will not be ready to come off the 10-day injured list when he's eligible on Sunday, and he'll probably be hoping to return later this month, barring another setback. Walker has the third-fastest swing in baseball and an average exit velocity of 92.4%, yet he still hasn't been able to figure out big-league pitching and was hitting .215/.273/.310 at the time of his injury with only three homers and a strikeout rate of 33.1%. He may not receive regular playing time when he returns unless he picks it up.

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Chicago Cubs right-handed reliever Porter Hodge (hip, oblique) threw a bullpen session on Wednesday, according to the Chicago Sun-Times' Maddie Lee. A strained oblique landed Hodge on the 15-day injured list three weeks ago, but the 24-year-old is now trying to overcome a hip impingement. It's good news that he's throwing again, but he's likely to need a minor-league rehab assignment and probably isn't looking at a return from the IL for another couple of weeks, barring a setback. Before his injury, the former 13th-round selection in 2019 went 2-1 with a 5.12 ERA (4.16 FIP), a 1.50 WHIP, two saves, 19 strikeouts and 11 walks in 19 1/3 relief innings. Right-hander Daniel Palencia as taken over closing duties in Chicago of late, but Hodge should factor into a late-inning setup role when he's fully recovered from his hip and oblique injuries.

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San Diego Padres first baseman Luis Arraez (knee) is being considered day-to-day by manager Mike Shildt after he was pulled from Thursday's 3-2 loss to the division-rival San Francisco Giants due to posterior knee soreness. Arraez injured his knee running to first base in the sixth inning and was replaced in the bottom of the frame by Jake Cronenworth, who shifted over from second base. Before leaving, the 28-year-old two-time batting champion went 1-for-3 at the plate with a single and a run scored. Fantasy managers will want to check back to see if Arraez is able to play in Friday's series opener against the Milwaukee Brewers. Cronenworth would likely see most of the action at first if Arraez ends up missing more time, with Jose Iglesias and Tyler Wade being options at the keystone. While Arraez still squares the ball up better than anyone in the league with his short stroke, he is a liability everywhere else in fantasy.

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Chicago White Sox catching prospect Kyle Teel was scratched from the lineup at Triple-A Charlotte on Thursday and is expected to join the big-league club for his major-league debut, according to MassLive's Chris Cotillo. The White Sox already have catching prospect Edgar Quero at the major-league level, but Teel, the former 14th overall pick by the Boston Red Sox in 2023 out of Virginia, recently began taking ground balls at first base at Charlotte. Teel was hitting .295/.394/.492 with eight home runs and 30 RBI in 183 at-bats with Charlotte this year before his call-up. The team's No. 2 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, should play regularly between first base and catcher in the big leagues, making him worth a waiver-wire pickup in mixed fantasy leagues. Teel could be making his major-league debut in Friday's series opener against the division-rival Kansas City Royals.

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Kansas City Royals first baseman/outfielder Jac Caglianone achieved a big milestone during Thursday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals. Caglianone slapped a ball down the first base line for his first career MLB hit. It was an RBI-double and his lone hit in the game as he went 1-for-4 in the loss. The top prospect is 1-for-9 over his first two games, but no one should be surprised if it takes time for him to get adjusted to the MLB level. Caglianone has all the skills to be a star at the big league level, so he should be rostered in basically all fantasy formats right now.

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Chicago Cubs catcher Carson Kelly is out of the starting lineup ahead of Thursday's game against the Washington Nationals. This appears to be a routine rest day for Kelly who has started the first two games of this series. During that span, Kelly has gone 2-for-9 with two runs scored. In his absence, Reese McGuire will take over behind the plate and bat ninth versus right-hander Jake Irvin. Fantasy managers should adjust their lineups ahead of first pitch.

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New York Yankees infielder DJ LeMahieu is out of the starting lineup ahead of Thursday's game against the Cleveland Guardians. LeMahieu will make his way to the bench after starting in each of the last four games. During that span, LeMahieu registered five hits, three RBI, and two walks. The veteran slugger doesn't offer much value outside of some AL-only formats at this point in his career. Oswald Peraza will take over at second base and bat ninth versus right-hander Slade Cecconi on Thursday.

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Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Spencer Horwitz is out of the starting lineup ahead of Thursday's game against the Houston Astros. This is a rare off day for Horwitz who has started in every game since May 20. Horwitz has good power potential, but hasn't done much at the plate this season. He's slashing .230/.299/.328 with one home run and five RBI this season. That being said, Horwitz isn't someone worth rostering in most fantasy formats. Jared Triolo will cover first base and bat eighth versus left-hander Framber Valdez on Thursday.

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Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers (side) was forced to exit early during Thursday's game against the Minnesota Twins. It's not exactly clear what's wrong with Langeliers, but he appears to have suffered a side or oblique injury during Thursday's contest. The expectation is that Langeliers will undergo further testing, so fantasy managers should get another update on his status. He went 1-for-4 with a double and a pair of strikeouts before leaving the game. Logan Davidson took over at the designated hitter spot for the rest of the contest.

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Texas Rangers starting pitcher Kumar Rocker has been optioned to Triple-A Round Rock on Thursday. Well this is unfortunate news, Rocker was activated off the injured list on Wednesday. He took the mound against the Tampa Bay Rays, but it didn't exactly go well for Rocker. The right-hander was hit around for five earned runs on six hits over 3 innings of work. The move to option Rocker isn't shocking given he holds a 8.87 ERA, and 1.84 WHIP across six starts this season. In a corresponding move, right-handed reliever Chris Martin (shoulder) has been activated off the injured list and will take over the spot on the roster. Martin figures to be in the mix for saves in Texas.

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Chicago Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga (hamstring) threw 39 pitches over two innings during a live batting practice session on Wednesday, according to the Chicago Sun-Times' Maddie Lee. It's the first time that Imanaga has faced hitters since he landed on the 15-day injured list in early May with a left-hamstring strain. The Cubs are bringing the 31-year-old Japanese southpaw along slowly, but if he doesn't suffer any setbacks as he continues to ramp up, he should be back in Chicago's starting rotation by late June. Because of how much time he's missed at this point, it seems likely that Imanaga will need at least a short minor-league rehab assignment. There's no reason why he should be floating around on any waiver wires, so pick him up immediately if he's available. Imanaga was an All-Star in his first MLB season in 2024 and had a 2.82 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 34:14 K:BB in eight starts this year before going down.

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Cleveland Guardians right-hander Shane Bieber (elbow) has been scratched from his minor-league rehab start on Friday for Double-A Akron after reporting right-elbow soreness after throwing a bullpen session the other day, according to MLB.com's Zack Meisel. Bieber met with team doctors and will consult with Dr. Keith Meister to figure out the next step. The 30-year-old's first rehab start came in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League, where Bieber threw 2 1/3 scoreless innings. It's unclear exactly what this means for Bieber, but it's not great news after he made only two starts in 2024 before undergoing Tommy John surgery. Even without a setback with his surgically-repaired right elbow, the two-time All-Star and former American League Cy Young winner was looking at a 2025 debut in the second half of the season. Any setbacks at this juncture could result in Bieber missing all of this year. Stay tuned.

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