Athletics infield prospect Max Muncy went 2-for-5 with a three-run home run during their victory over the Minnesota Twins on Thursday. Muncy would hit the three-run shot in the opening frame off Minnesota right-hander David Festa. This long ball scored Brent Rooker and infielder Jacob Wilson. Muncy was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas earlier this week. Over his first two games back in the majors, Muncy has gone 3-for-9 with four strikeouts. Muncy was able to make his MLB debut in April but posted a modest .176/.211/.279 line through his first 21 contests. With both Miguel Andujar (oblique) and Gio Urshela (hamstring) on the 10-day injured list, fantasy managers should expect the 22-year-old to see stable playing time. He remains a viable depth infielder in deeper 14+ team formats for the time being.

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Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Johan Oviedo (elbow) came out of his bullpen session on Tuesday in Bradenton feeling good and is expected to throw live batting practice this week as well. Director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk referred to Oviedo's bullpen as a "nice, monumental moment." The 27-year-old is recovering from Tommy John surgery that he had in December of 2023, which caused him to miss the entire 2024 season. He's making progress in his recovery, but Oviedo still will need a lengthy minor-league rehab assignment and surely won't be an option for the big-league pitching staff until after the All-Star break in mid-July. When Oviedo is finally deemed ready, he'll likely be eased in by the Pirates and will be a shaky fantasy asset in deeper leagues. In 32 starts in 2023, he went 9-14 with a 4.31 ERA (4.49 FIP) and 1.37 WHIP with 158 K's and 83 walks in 177 2/3 frames.

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Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson went 3-for-5 with a home run during Thursday's victory over the Minnesota Twins. Wilson went deep in the third inning off Minnesota right-hander David Festa. This was Wilson's sixth-straight tallying at least one hit. Over his last 16 contests, the rookie infielder has posted a stellar .444/.493/.667 slash line with five doubles, three home runs, nine runs, three stolen bases, and a 6:5 K:BB. Through 60 games this season, the former sixth overall pick from the 2023 MLB Draft has posted an impressive .362/.402/.523 line with eight long balls and five short balls. Under the hood, he has generated an elite .312 xBA (96th percentile) while striking out at a 6.3% rate. Given his impressive start to his career, he remains a must-start shortstop in all formats going forward.

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Pittsburgh Pirates left-handed reliever Tim Mayza (lat) had serial imaging done on his shoulder late last week by Dr. Anthony Romeo in Chicago and was cleared to start a plyometric workout program, which he will do for the next two weeks, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Colin Beazley. If Mayza avoids a setback with his strained left lat muscle, he can resume a throwing program. The 33-year-old southpaw has been sidelined since landing on the 15-day injured list back on April 19. Even if he doesn't encounter any setbacks when he resumes throwing, Mayza is unlikely to return to the Pirates' bullpen until late June or early July. When Mayza does return, he won't really be much of a fantasy option with just four career saves in eight seasons. He had a 2.89 ERA and 1.07 WHIP with eight K's in just 9 1/3 innings before his injury.

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Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Dauri Moreta (elbow) remains on a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis and is nearing a major-league return. Director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said he "would have no issues with recommending him for game readiness very soon." Moreta had a stretch where he didn't give up a run in seven of eight outings at Indy before giving up two runs and a walk without recording an out in Wednesday's game. The 29-year-old Dominican reliever has appeared in 14 rehab games (one start) with Indy and Single-A Bradenton, posting a 3.86 ERA and 1.63 WHIP with 15 strikeouts and 10 walks in 11 2/3 innings pitched. Moretta is attempting to return from Tommy John surgery, which caused him to miss all of last year. In 55 relief outings for Pittsburgh in 2023, he held a 3.72 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, one save and a 76:24 K:BB with five holds in 58 innings.

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Texas Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien went 3-for-4 with two solo home runs in Thursday's 4-3 loss to the Rays. The two home runs were his fifth and sixth of the season. Semien has gotten off to a slow start for his standards this season. Still, he showed some life on Thursday by providing some power, clutch hitting, and showed fantasy managers some signs of better days to come as we move forward into the middle part of the season. In his last seven days, Semien is slashing .611/.682/1.222, and has raised his line to .210/.298/.308 on the season with 23 RBI, 21 runs scored, and five stolen bases. He will look to keep it rolling in the Rangers' three-game series against the Washington Nationals over the weekend.

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Houston Astros left-hander Framber Valdez (6-4) had a smash spot on Thursday against the Pittsburgh Pirates and made the most of it. He worked seven innings, allowed four hits, two earned runs, walked three, and struck out 11 batters. The 11 strike outs were the most he's had in any start this season, and he lowered his season WHIP to 1.06 and ERA to 3.07. Valdez has now logged six consecutive quality starts and remains one of the top arms to deploy every week for fantasy managers. Next up for Valdez is another dream matchup against the Chicago White Sox, scheduled for next Wednesday. Fantasy managers can roll him out with confidence next week, as the White Sox have a bottom-five offense in all of MLB.

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Chicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ was seeing the ball well on Thursday, as he blasted his fourth home run, his 13th double, and went 3-for-6 on the evening. The long ball came in the sixth inning with one on and one out to help extend the Cubs' lead to 5-0, and help them eventually win 7-1 over the Washington Nationals. Happ missed a few weeks in May due to an oblique injury, but has not missed a beat since his return, picking up right where he left off in April. On the season, Happ is now slashing .259/.348/.373 with four home runs, 25 RBI, and 38 runs scored. Happ continues to bat in the leadoff spot against right-handed pitchers, and it's paying dividends for him in the runs department, batting behind Kyle Tucker and Seiya Suzuki, both of whom have been tearing the cover off the ball this season.

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Kansas City Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino had a monster day Thursday in a doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals. Between the two games, he went 5-for-10 with three RBI as the Royals split the doubleheader. The Royals slugger has been on a tear the last month of the season, as he slashed .330/.375/.464 in May, and has followed that up in June, slashing .444/.474/.500 in four games. After a slow start to the season, Pasquantino has raised his slash line to .267/.319/.403 with eight home runs, 36 RBI, and 23 runs scored. He should continue to heat up as the season goes on, as he is hitting in the middle of the Royals' lineup, who just got better after calling up Jac Caglianone. This should continue to provide the left-handed slugger with plenty of opportunities to drive in and score runs.

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According to Bryan Hoch, beat writer for the New York Yankees, the Yankees are building up Marcus Stroman (knee) as a starting pitcher, Aaron Boone said. Stroman threw live batting practice again on Thursday, felt good, and could begin a rehab assignment soon. The news is positive for Stroman and the Yankees, as he hasn't pitched since mid-April due to a knee injury. That also means that he will likely require an extended rehab assignment, making a post-All-Star break return realistic. Even then, Stroman was off to a terrible start this season with an 11.57 ERA and a mediocre 4.31 ERA in 2024. Fantasy managers will want to keep him on the waiver wire and only consider Stroman when he returns and has a few good starts in a row.

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St. Louis Cardinals left-handed pitcher Matthew Liberatore (fatigue) is dealing with some fatigue following his start on Thursday. Liberatore got the nod in the second game of their doubleheader on Thursday against the Royals. The 25-year-old left the game after logging four innings of work. He allowed eight hits and seven runs and only struck out two. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status leading up to his next start in case he needs additional rest before taking the bump. Entering this game, the southpaw held a solid 3.08 ERA with an impressive 1.06 WHIP across 64 1/3 innings. He struck out 56 batters and showed elite control, allowing just nine free passes. If the 25-year-old were to be in danger of missing his next start, the Cardinals could opt for a bullpen game or promote right-hander Michael McGreevy from Triple-A, who has found success as a spot starter in the big leagues.

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Washington Nationals infield prospect Brady House went 3-for-5 with a home run during their contest against Triple-A Worcester on Thursday evening. This performance extended House's current hitting streak to seven games. This was also his second long ball over his past three games and third over his last seven contests. During this seven-game stretch, the No. 3-ranked prospect in D.C. has posted a stellar .400/.471/.800 slash line. Through 57 total games with Triple-A this season, House has looked quite comfortable, posting a .296/.351/.527 slash line with 14 doubles, 12 home runs, and a 63:19 K:BB. This is an excellent sign as House held a modest .250/.280/.375 line during his first taste of Triple-A last season. House is a strong stash candidate in all 12-team leagues, as he could be called up to the big leagues very soon.

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Los Angeles Angels second base prospect Christian Moore went 3-for-5 with a home run and two runs during their contest against Triple-A Round Rock on Thursday evening. This outing snapped an 11-game power skid for Moore. The 22-year-old is considered the top prospect in the Los Angeles system on MLB.com and the No. 59-ranked prospect in the sport. Moore opened the campaign with Double-A but needed only 34 games to prove he was ready for Triple-A. During this stint, Moore posted a .234/.342/.323 line. However, through his first 15 contests with Triple-A, Moore has held a .333/.414/.467 line with two doubles and two home runs. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his development as he remains on track to make his MLB debut this season.

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San Francisco Giants first base prospect Bryce Eldridge went 1-for-5 with a grand slam during their contest against Triple-A Sugar Land on Thursday evening. This was Eldridge's second game at Triple-A this season and only 10th of his career, as he logged eight games with Triple-A Sacramento last summer. After reaching base three times in his first game with Sacramento on Wednesday, Eldridge followed that by hitting his first long ball of his second Triple-A stint on Thursday. The top prospect in the San Francisco system opened the season with Double-A and held a .280/.350/.512 line with eight doubles, seven home runs, and a 39:13 K:BB. Last summer, Eldridge quickly progressed through the minor leagues and is approaching his MLB debut. If he continues to find success at Triple-A, he could reach the majors before the All-Star Break.

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Kansas City Royals third baseman/utility man Maikel Garcia had a monster game in the second half of the team's doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals, going 2-for-3 with a homer, a double, two walks, three runs scored, two RBI, and two steals. Garcia did it all in this one and was a big reason why the Royals pulled out a 7-5 victory. It has been a tremendous season for the 25-year-old so far, who appears to be putting his tools together and breaking out. He now has a .311 AVG and .852 OPS to go with 28 runs, six homers, 29 RBI, and 13 swipes in 222 at-bats. With an everyday job secured, Garcia could be a very valuable five-category contributor in fantasy. He should be rostered everywhere at this point.

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Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Taylor Walls finished off a big comeback effort on Thursday, as the Rays scored three in the bottom of the ninth to steal a win from the Texas Rangers in a 4-3 victory. Walls' hit actually didn't leave the infield, but some sloppy defense from the Rangers allowed Junior Caminero to score from second and end the game. The 28-year-old finished the game 2-for-4, giving him his first multi-hit game since May 8. Walls is definitely not known for his bat, and that has been evident this season. He now has a .193 AVG, .507 OPS, 17 runs, one homer, 12 RBI, and seven swipes in 135 at-bats this year. There is no need to roster Walls in any fantasy format.

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San Francisco Giants closer Camilo Doval slammed the door on the San Diego Padres on Thursday, tossing a scoreless ninth inning to preserve a 3-2 win. Doval allowed two singles and a hard-hit flyout, but struck out Jake Cronenworth to finish off the Padres. The 27-year-old is coming off a tough outing against these same Padres where he allowed two runs and blew his third save of the season, so it was good to see him bounce back. Doval is now 8-for-11 in save chances this year and has put up a terrific 1.61 ERA and 0.96 WHIP to go along with 25 strikeouts in 28 IP. He has been able to put a tough 2024 behind him and should remain the Giants' closer as long as he keeps getting the job done. Doval should be rostered in all formats.

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Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong continued his breakout campaign on Thursday, launching a two-run homer in the first inning to give the Cubs a lead they wouldn't lose in a 7-1 victory over the Washington Nationals. The 23-year-old phenom has been a revelation for the Cubs and is showing no signs of slowing down. He now has a .275 AVG, .869 OPS, 49 runs, 16 homers, 53 RBI, and 21 steals in 244 at-bats, and has played gold glove-caliber defense to boot. Crow-Armstrong is among the best five-category contributors in the game right now and has seen his fantasy stock rise more than any other player this season. Those who drafted him are reaping the rewards in a big way.

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St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras clutched up in the bottom of the tenth on Thursday, delivering an RBI single that gave the Cards a 6-5 win in Game 1 of their doubleheader against the Kansas City Royals. Contreras also doubled, walked, and scored a run to round out a nice game at the plate. It hasn't been a great season for the veteran backstop, but he has held his own. The 33-year-old now holds a .250 AVG and .719 OPS to go with 28 runs, six homers, and 36 RBI. Contreras remains a must-start player in fantasy, even with the mediocre statline, since he holds catcher eligibility.

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Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suarez came up big on Thursday, smacking a two-run double in the top of the ninth to put the D-backs up 11-10 on the Atlanta Braves, a lead they would hold onto for the win. Suarez capped off a seven-run ninth inning for the snakes in the biggest comeback of the season thus far. The 33-year-old also added a single and a walk in a productive day at the plate. For the season, Suarez is batting .232 with a .815 OPS, 38 runs, 16 homers, and 46 RBI. While he doesn't provide much average or speed, his counting stats and power have been elite this season. Suarez is a must-start third baseman who can go deep at any time.

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