Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Hyeseong Kim was all over the score sheet on Thursday, helping dismantle the Athletics in a 19-2 win. Kim had a fantastic all-around day, going 3-for-3 with a double, two walks, four runs scored, two RBI, and a stolen base. The 26-year-old has continued hitting the ball well after starting the season hot in the minors, slashing .429/.467/.571 with a homer and three steals in 28 at-bats. Although it is unlikely that Kim will continue to hit at this level, he might be able to sustain a decent batting average and steal a good amount of bases, which certainly has its value. He is also hitting in a loaded Dodgers lineup, which should help his counting stats. Don't expect anything crazy, but grabbing Kim in deeper leagues isn't the worst idea if average and speed are big needs.

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Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani had another huge day at the plate on Thursday, going 2-for-5 with a pair of homers and six RBI in a 19-2 demolition of the Athletics. Ohtani hit a three-run blast in the third and a two-run shot in the fourth, helping to put this game out of reach early. He has been scorching hot at the dish in May, going 19-for-53 with eight homers and 18 RBI. So much for the early-season "slump" he had. Ohtani is now up to a .310 AVG, 48 runs, 15 homers, 28 RBI, and 10 steals on the season. The 15 homers tie him with Aaron Judge and Kyle Schwarber for the league lead. He is well on his way to a fourth MVP.

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Texas Rangers first baseman Jake Burger did all the damage on Thursday, smoking a solo homer in a 1-0 win over the Houston Astros. Burger finished the day 2-for-3, as he was one of two hitters to reach base for the Rangers in this one. The 29-year-old had a dreadful start to his season, getting sent to the minors in early May, but has gotten a hit in each of his four games since being called back up. His overall numbers still don't look good, as he holds a .214 AVG with 14 runs, four homers, and 15 RBI over 112 at-bats, but Burger is extremely streaky and could go on a home run binge at any point. He is worth picking up in any category leagues as he will likely provide you plenty of power at some point.

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Texas Rangers relief pitcher Shawn Armstrong slammed the door on the Houston Astros on Thursday, picking up his second save in a 1-0 win. Armstrong was tasked with finishing off Jacob deGrom's masterpiece, and succeeded in doing so by pitching around a two-out walk. With Chris Martin and Luke Jackson both nursing minor injuries, Armstrong has reaped the benefits by picking up the last two Rangers saves. The 34-year-old has performed well this year, so it is possible that manager Bruce Bochy decides to stick with Armstrong even when those two return. He's worthy of a speculative pick-up in deeper leagues where saves are valuable, just to see where this situation goes.

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Houston Astros starting pitcher Hunter Brown was dealt a tough-luck loss on Thursday against the Texas Rangers, tossing eight one-run innings in a 1-0 defeat. Brown actually threw a complete game in this one, albeit only eight innings. He allowed just three hits, didn't walk a batter, and struck out nine. The only damage came on a Jake Burger solo shot in the sixth, in what was the only offense of the day for either team. Although the result is unfortunate, Brown continues to show that his breakout is for real. The 26-year-old now has a 6-2 record with a 1.43 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, and 67 strikeouts over 56 IP. He also has quality starts in eight of his nine starts this year and has been a model of consistency. Brown should be considered a premier pitcher in fantasy, and his owners have to be feeling good after drafting him outside of the top 100 picks.

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Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jacob deGrom tossed a gem on Thursday, shutting out the Houston Astros for eight innings and picking up his fourth win of the season in a 1-0 victory. The righty was dominant in this one, allowing just five hits and a walk while punching out seven. He threw a season-high 96 pitches, and the velocity on his fastball and slider were both up, two signs that he is beginning to feel like his old self. Even with deGrom returning from Tommy John surgery, he has been one of the best pitchers in the majors this year. He has a 4-1 record to go with a 2.29 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, and 53 strikeouts in 51 IP. The 36-year-old might not be the most dominant pitcher in the league like he once was, but he is still one of the best when he takes the mound.

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Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, a stolen base, and two runs scored in Thursday's 5-2 loss to the Braves. This was the dual-threat's sixth home run and ninth stolen base of the year to go along with a .317/.379/.548 slash line in 32 games. The speedster didn't let his 10-game trip to the injured list with a hip flexor strain slow him down, with four of his stolen bases coming after he was activated on April 24th. He's one of the few players in the game who has legitimate 20 home run and 40 stolen base upside.

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Atlanta Braves relief pitcher Raisel Iglesias recorded his seventh save of the season in a 5-2 win over the Nationals on Thursday. He allowed one hit in a scoreless ninth inning. This broke a streak of three straight appearances where he allowed at least one run. The 35-year-old has an unsightly 5.71 ERA and 1.40 WHIP on the year, which is a far cry from the 1.95 ERA and 0.74 WHIP he posted in 2024. He still has plenty of job security as the Braves closer, but he may not be the elite option anymore that he's shown to be in the past.

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Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Blake Treinen (forearm) is going to start playing catch in the next few days, according to manager Dave Roberts. Treinen is reportedly pain-free, which is good news for the right-hander. He last pitched in a game on April 13 and is expected to return sometime in mid-June. Before suffering his forearm strain, he recorded two saves with 10 strikeouts and three walks in eight innings.

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Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Nick Martinez threw seven shutout frames and earned the win in a 7-1 victory over the White Sox on Thursday. He allowed two hits and struck out three. This was a nice rebound after allowing 10 hits in his previous outing, and this was his fourth straight start of at least six innings pitched. The veteran now has a 3.66 ERA on the season with 40 strikeouts and 11 walks in 51 innings. He won't blow you away with strikeout totals, but he's proven to be an innings-eater with decent enough ratios to be rostered in fantasy. He's lined up for a nice matchup in his next time out against the Pirates in Pittsburgh.

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Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Landon Knack is the front-runner to be the Dodgers' fifth starter, according to manager Dave Roberts. Despite posting a 5.89 ERA and 1.53 WHIP this season, he will get the opportunity to stick in the rotation with Roki Sasaki landing on the injured list. His one good start of the season came on May 7 when he threw five shutout innings against the Marlins, and he'll look to find that level of success again in his next start, which will likely be against the Diamondbacks.

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Athletics outfielder JJ Bleday is out of Thursday's lineup against the Dodgers. Seth Brown is starting in center field instead. This is just a rare day off for the 27-year-old, who has played in 41 of the A's 43 games this season. He is slashing .216/.308/.399 with six home runs, 18 RBI, and 26 runs on the year. He remains a fine option in five-outfielder leagues thanks to his everyday playing time and counting stat accumulation.

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Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith will take the day off for Thursday's series finale against the visiting Athletics. Top prospect Dalton Rushing will do the catching for right-handed opener Matt Sauer for the first start of his career and will hit seventh against A's right-hander Osvaldo Bido. Fantasy managers that have Smith rostered shouldn't be worried that Rushing is going to steal playing time away from him, as Smith should continue to see the vast majority of playing time behind the dish in L.A. The 30-year-old two-time All-Star has been one of the best fantasy catchers yet again through his first 111 at-bats in 2025, slashing .324/.435/.477 with a .912 OPS, three home runs, 21 RBI, 14 runs scored and two stolen bases in one of the best lineups in baseball. Smith should be back behind the dish for Friday's series opener against the crosstown-rival Los Angeles Angels.

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Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez (hand) remains on the 10-day injured list and is out of the team's starting lineup for Thursday's divisional contest against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. Catcher Victor Caratini will serve as the DH and will hit sixth against Rangers right-hander Jacob deGrom. Although Alvarez was able to hit in the batting cage before Thursday's game, the Astros will keep the 27-year-old All-Star on the IL for another day as a precaution. He should be able to return to Houston's starting lineup at some point this weekend during the four-game set against Texas, though. When he does return, fantasy managers are hoping that the muscle strain in his hand is in the rearview mirror and he can start producing at the plate after a rough start with a .210/.306/.340 slash line in his first 100 at-bats in 2025.

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Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Josh Lowe made his return to the lineup during Thursday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays. Lowe has been sidelined since injuring his oblique on Opening Day. He returned with a bang during Thursday's game. He finished the day going 3-for-5 with two singles and a solo home run off right-hander Kevin Gausman in the fifth inning. When healthy, Lowe has the ability to be a legitimate threat in this lineup. That being said, Lowe is worth rostering in most 12-team formats going forward.

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Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing will make his big league debut against the Athletics on Thursday. Rushing was called up on Wednesday, but didn't enter the contest. The 24-year-old will be behind the plate and bat seventh versus right-hander Osvaldo Bido on Thursday. Rushing is a top prospect, but isn't likely to have a ton of fantasy value right away. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has already said that Rushing is likely only going to start twice a week. Will Smith remains the primary catcher in Los Angeles, but he'll receive an off day on Thursday. Fantasy managers in deep leagues can take a look at Rushing, but he won't be a great option right away.

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Houston Astros outfielder Cam Smith is out of the starting lineup once again ahead of Thursday's game against the Texas Rangers. Smith finds himself on the bench for the second straight game after starting four straight games prior to this. The right-handed slugger has struggled early with a .214/.313/.347 slash line with three homers and 11 RBI this season. Possibly, the Astros send Smith back to Triple-A if they decide he isn't going to play everyday. For now, Zach Dezenzo will start in right field and bat seventh versus right-hander Jacob deGrom on Thursday. Smith isn't worth rostering in most formats at the moment until he gets back on track.

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The Minnesota Twins sent right-hander Simeon Woods Richardson to Triple-A St. Paul on Thursday. Right-hander Zebby Matthews is expected to be recalled from St. Paul to take Woods-Richardson's spot in the starting rotation, with his first start of the year expected to come in Sunday's series finale in Milwaukee against the Brewers. Woods-Richardson loses his rotation spot in the big leagues after starting the year going 2-2 with a 5.02 ERA (5.28 FIP), 1.54 WHIP and 35:14 K:BB in 37 2/3 innings over eight appearances (seven starts). The 24-year-old had his worst outing of the year in Game 2 of Wednesday's doubleheader against the Baltimore Orioles, allowing six earned runs on eight hits (two homers) while walking two and striking out four in four innings in a no-decision Woods-Richardson should get another shot with the Twins later this season, but for now they'll go with Matthews.

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Tampa Bay Rays infielder Brandon Lowe has been off to a slow start this season, but put together a nice game on Thursday. Lowe kicked off the scoring with a two-run home run off right-hander Kevin Gausman in the opening frame. The left-handed slugger would strike again in the ninth inning as he blasted another two-run homer to help add on some insurance runs. He finished the day 3-for-5 with two homers, a double, and four RBI in the win. Lowe isn't a great fantasy option, but is worth a look in deep leagues because of his power ability.

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Three-time All-Star infielder Matt Carpenter officially announced his retirement on Sports Spectrum's Get in the Game podcast with former teammate Scott Linebrink on Wednesday. "I had quite a thrill being able to don the St. Louis Cardinals logo for many years," Carpenter said. The 39-year-old left-handed hitter spent 14 years in the big leagues, with 12 of them coming with the St. Louis Cardinals, who drafted him in the 13th round in 2009 out of TCU. He will finish his MLB career with three trips to the All-Star game and a Silver Slugger award while slashing .259/.366/.449 with an .814 OPS, 179 home runs, 659 RBI and 28 stolen bases in 1,511 regular-season games played. Carpenter made all three of his All-Star appearances in a four-year span from 2013-16, and he finished fourth in the National League All-Star voting back in 2013.

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