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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Minnesota Twins right-hander Chris Paddack was the latest starting pitcher to shut down the Baltimore Orioles in Thursday's series finale at Camden Yards in a 4-0 shutout victory. Paddack picked up his second win of the season by tossing seven shutout innings with three hits allowed, one walk and three strikeouts. With the strong effort, Paddack lowered his ERA on the season to 4.05 through nine starts. In the process, the Twins stayed hot by sweeping the struggling O's and winning their 11th straight game after a slow start in April. Fantasy managers would have liked more punchouts from Paddack, but they'll take the strong start nonetheless. Keep in mind that nine of the 23 runs that Paddack has allowed so far in 2025 came in his first start back on March 31 against the Chicago White Sox. He's allowed four earned runs in 19 1/3 innings over three starts in May.

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San Diego Padres right-hander Yu Darvish (elbow) made his first minor-league rehab start on Wednesday with Triple-A El Paso and worked four innings, allowing two earned runs on two hits (one homer) while walking one and striking out four. Although Darvish was hit with the loss for the Chihuahuas against Triple-A Las Vegas, all in all, it was a solid first rehab outing for the 38-year-old veteran. He was sitting at 94.5 mph on the radar gun with his four-seam fastball as he works his way back from inflammation in his right elbow that he began experiencing in spring training in mid-March. Darvish is expected to need a couple more rehab outings before he's a candidate to come off the injured list, meaning he could make his 2025 debut for the Friars by the end of May. When healthy, the Japanese All-Star will be an option for the back end of fantasy rotations in mixed leagues.

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Chicago White Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi (calf) will be re-evaluated in a week or two. "If it's up to me, I'd be back right now," Benintendi said on Wednesday. "But there's obviously a long way to go, so there's certain steps I've got to take." Benintendi was placed on the 10-day injured list on May 7 with a left-calf strain and has a ways to go before rejoining the big-league roster. When the 30-year-old is cleared to resume baseball activities, he'll eventually need to go on a minor-league rehab assignment as well, so we may not see him again until early June. The former seventh overall pick by the Boston Red Sox in 2015 out of Arkansas still has some power (five homers in 85 at-bats) but he does little else for fantasy managers and is likely on the waiver wire in most mixed leagues. Michael Taylor should continue to see extra playing time in Chicago until Benintendi is ready to return.

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Atlanta Braves right-hander AJ Smith-Shawver continued to look good in his start in Thursday's series finale against the division-rival Washington Nationals. Smith-Shawver picked up his third win of the year by allowing an unearned run on two hits while walking two and striking out six in six solid innings of work at Truist Park in the 5-2 win. The 22-year-old has quickly become a must-start in fantasy in 2025 in his third season in the big leagues dropping his ERA on the year to 2.33. In 19 2/3 innings in the month of May, he has allowed just one earned run with a 0.47 ERA. Smith-Shawver is lined up for a rematch against the Nationals on the road in D.C. early next week, where he should be in all starting fantasy lineups as one of the best rising young arms in baseball.

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Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker said that right-hander Spencer Strider (hamstring) will come off the 15-day injured list and start during next week's series against the division-rival Washington Nationals that starts next Monday. There was some concern that Strider's velocity was down in the low-90s during his simulated game on Wednesday, but the 26-year-old said he was more focused on throwing strikes and working on his secondary pitches, so it's really nothing to be concerned about. Strider will have a solid matchup for just his second start of the season against the Nats in D.C., but the Braves could choose to ease him back into the starting rotation since he didn't go on a minor-league rehab start. He threw 65 total pitches during his sim game on Wednesday. An All-Star in 2023, Strider should be rostered in all fantasy leagues.

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Tampa Bay Rays shortstop prospect Carson Williams continues to struggle mightily at Triple-A. The former first-round draft pick had a two-homer game on May 7, but since then, he's gone 2-for-18 (.111) with 10 strikeouts. Forthe season, the Rays' top prospect (MLB No. 24) is hitting .175 with an ugly 39.9 percent strikeout rate, and if not for a solid 14.2 percent walk rate, his .297 OBP would look even worse. On the bright side, the 21-year-old has five home runs and seven stolen bases, but for a player who was potentially going to get a call-up to the majors later this season, that probably won't cut it. Hopefully the youngster can heat up with the weather, but for now, it looks like he'll remain at Triple-A, so there's no reason for redraft managers to stash him.

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Cincinnati Reds corner infielder Jeimer Candelario (back) played catch on the field on Thursday at Great American Ball Park before the series finale against the visiting Chicago White Sox as he begins to ramp up his throwing progression, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer's Charlie Goldsmith. Candelario is recovering from a lumbar spine strain after landing on the injured list in late April, and the 31-year-old veteran isn't exactly close to a return. It's good news that he's beginning to throw again, but he'll eventually need to go on a minor-league rehab assignment and might not be ready to return to the big-league roster until late May or early June. With Candelario, Christian Encarnacion-Strand (back) and Noelvi Marte (oblique) all on the shelf, Santiago Espinal has been afforded everyday playing time for the Reds.

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The Minneapolis Star Tribune's Bobby Nightengale reports that Minnesota Twins right-hander Zebby Matthews is expected to be recalled from Triple-A St. Paul to start on Sunday versus the Milwaukee Brewers on the road for his first outing in 2025. It comes after the Twins announced on Thursday that they sent right-hander Simeon Woods-Richardson to St. Paul. The 24-year-old Matthews has looked good for the Saints this year in the minors, posting a 1.93 ERA with 38 strikeouts and nine walks in 32 2/3 innings over his seven starts, and the red-hot Twins are hoping he can keep that up in his second go-around in the big leagues. Matthews struggled in his MLB debut in 2024, going 1-4 with a 6.69 ERA and 1.65 WHIP with 43 K's and 11 walks in 37 2/3 frames over nine starts. The Brewers have been a solid matchup for starters this year, and Matthews is certainly worth a look in deep-mixed leagues.

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Minnesota Twins shortstop Carlos Correa (head) is in the league's concussion protocol after a scary third-inning collision with teammate Byron Buxton in Thursday's series finale against the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards. Correa backpedaled into shallow center field before Buxton slammed into the back of him and jarred his head and neck drastically. The 30-year-old veteran appeared to absorb the worst of the impact, although Buxton was also removed from the game. Correa went 0-for-1 in the game before Brooks Lee shifted from second base to shortstop to replace him. It's a pretty good bet that Correa will be out for Friday's series opener against the Milwaukee Brewers, and he could be headed for the seven-day concussion list. Lee, a former first-round pick, figures to see most of the starts at the 6 for however long Correa is out.

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Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton (head) was forced to leave Thursday's series finale against the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards after a scary collision in the third inning with teammate Carlos Correa in shallow center field, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune's Bobby Nightengale. The good news for Buxton's fantasy managers is that he went 1-for-2 with a solo home run before departing and being placed in MLB's concussion protocol. It's a good bet that the 31-year-old won't play in Friday's series opener against the Milwaukee Brewers, and if he does have a concussion, he'll be placed on the seven-day concussion injured list. DaShawn Keirsey Jr. moved from left field to center field after Buxton's injury. With Harrison Bader (groin) injured on Wednesday, Keirsey could be in line for regular playing time moving forward.

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