Cincinnati Reds outfielder Austin Hays (foot) had another MRI exam on Wednesday morning because of persistent pain in his left food, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer's Gordon Wittenmyer. The good news is that the MRI still showed no fracture in his foot, and he's been diagnosed with a deep bone bruise. The 29-year-old will be re-evaluated on Friday. Hays has served as the team's regular left fielder this year when he's been healthy, but the problem is he's already been on the injured list several times and doesn't appear close to a return to the big leagues. The former third-rounder by the Baltimore Orioles in 2016 has slashed .303/.346/.555 with a .901 OPS, six home runs, 25 RBI, 23 runs and two steals in his 119 at-bats. In the month of June with Hays on the IL, the Reds have mostly used a combination of Will Benson and Spencer Steer in left field.

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Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Jesus Luzardo was in the early National League Cy Young conversation before allowing 20 earned runs on 21 hits (three homers) while walking five and striking out six in just 5 2/3 innings in his last two starts against the Milwaukee Brewers and Toronto Blue Jays. The 27-year-old southpaw was able to get back on track in Wednesday's 7-2 win over the visiting Chicago Cubs, giving up just one earned run on five hits while walking none and fanning 10 in six innings of work to pick up his sixth win of the season. It appears his last two starts were just a blip on the radar and he's now back on track after shutting down one of the best offenses in baseball in the Cubs. Luzardo remains a must-start in fantasy and has an excellent matchup next up on the docket next week against his former team, the Miami Marlins.

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Detroit Tigers infielder Colt Keith will make his first career start at third base and will bat seventh on Wednesday against the Baltimore Orioles and right-hander Zach Eflin at Camden Yards. Third base has been a revolving door of mediocrity for the first-place Tigers this year among the likes of Zach McKinstry, Javier Baez and Andy Ibanez. Keith has been taking ground balls at the hot corner recently and will now get his first not at the hot corner in an actual game. The move allows Spencer Torkelson to start at first base, with Kerry Carpenter moving to the designated hitter spot. Keith initially came up as a third baseman in the minors, but he moved to the keystone after shoulder surgery in 2022. He may not gain eligibility for fantasy at third, but the Tigers figure to keep his bat in the lineup as much as possible. Keith has gone 5-for-19 (.263) with a double and two RBI in seven games in May.

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Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen had just one hit in Wednesday's game at PNC Park against the visiting Miami Marlins, but it was a big one. Serving as the designated hitter in the two-hole, McCutchen hit a three-run bomb off Cal Quantrill in the sixth inning. The five-time All-Star and former MVP is in the twilight of his career but remains an everyday player for the last-place Pirates. McCutchen came into Wednesday's series finale against the Fish hitting .264/.356/.393 with a decent .749 OPS, five home runs, 22 RBI, 20 runs scored and a stolen base in 59 games played. The 38-year-old former first-rounder isn't going to provide much power or counting stats, but he extended his current hitting streak to five games with his sixth home run of the year on Wednesday.

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Minnesota Twins outfield prospect Walker Jenkins (ankle) went 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored on Tuesday for Single-A Fort Myers. However, the notable part of the performance were the two stolen bases he recorded, which should be an attestation that the ankle injury that kept him out of action until the beginning of June has fully healed. It's unclear how long the Twins' top prospect will rehab at Single-A before moving to High-A or rejoining Double-A Wichita, but given how much time he missed, it could be another week or so. Regardless, Jenkins has one of the best hit tools in the minor leagues and should hit the ground running when he gets back to Wichita, with sights on a move to Triple-A later in the year. Jenkins has moved up to No. 6 overall on MLB.com's top prospects list, and with his ceiling, should probably already be stashed away in dynasty leagues.

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The Kansas City Royals announced on Wednesday that they placed left-hander Cole Ragans (shoulder) on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to June 8) with a left rotator-cuff strain and reinstated right-handed reliever Lucas Erceg (back) from the injured list in a corresponding move. It's yet another IL stint for Ragans, who just hasn't been able to get going due to injuries in 2025. The 27-year-old southpaw returned from his previous IL stint due to a groin injury to start on June 5 and didn't look good, allowing five earned runs while walking three and striking out four in three innings against the St. Louis Cardinals. He was a first-time All-Star in 2024 as the Royals' ace, but he just hasn't looked anything like an ace so far in 2025, going 2-3 with a 5.18 ERA and 1.29 WHIP with 76 strikeouts and 16 walks in 48 2/3 frames over 10 starts. We might not see him again until after the All-Star break in mid-July.

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Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman (quadriceps) tweaked his quadriceps muscle in Tuesday night's loss to the division-rival San Diego Padres, manager Dave Roberts said. "He's managing it." Despite the injury, Freeman is at first base and will hit third in Wednesday's series finale at Petco against Padres right-hander Randy Vasquez. The 35-year-old veteran could get a day off this weekend, but for now, he's going to stay in the starting lineup despite having played in every game since April 11. The eight-time All-Star and former MVP has been great for the Blue in his 16th MLB season, leading the National League with a .349 average (74-for-212) with nine home runs, a league-high 21 doubles, 41 RBI and 36 runs scored in 57 games played. Freeman is a must-start in fantasy, but his xBA of .314 means he's been a bit fortunate to have such a high average through the first couple of months.

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Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop/outfield prospect Konnor Griffin continued to hit in his first game at High-A Greensboro on Tuesday, going 2-for-5 with two doubles, an RBI, and a run scored. He was also caught stealing third base in his first attempt at that level. The Pirates' second-ranked prospect (MLB No. 34) put together an outstanding start to the season at High-A Bradenton, slashing .338/.396/.536 with nine home runs and 26 steals over 50 games before his promotion. The 2024 ninth-overall draft pick is getting his first taste of professional baseball this season and is off to an impressive start. The 19-year-old has all the tools to get him through the minors quickly, and at this rate could see some at-bats at Double-A by season's end. Dynasty fantasy managers should have a real close eye on this one.

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Colorado Rockies third base/outfield prospect Charlie Condon continued his strong start to the 2025 campaign with a 4-for-5 day at the plate for High-A Spokane. All four hits were singles, and the performance pushed his batting average at High-A to .373 (33-for-94) with four doubles, two home runs, and a .506 OBP thanks to a 16:15 BB:K. The 2024 third-overall draft pick got a late start to the season due to a broken wrist that he suffered in spring training, but he looks fully recovered. Look for the Rockies to give him a shot to test his mettle at Double-A in the coming weeks.

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Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson (hamstring) remains out of the starting lineup for Wednesday's contest against the division-rival Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim. Max Schuemann will start at shortstop and bat ninth for the A's against Angels right-hander Kyle Hendricks. Wilson was scratched from Tuesday's loss against the Angels with a tight left hamstring and will miss another game as he recovers. For now, he's considered day-to-day. Hopefully, the 23-year-old is able to return to action in Friday's series opener against the Kansas City Royals after a scheduled off day on Thursday for travel. Wilson is second in baseball, behind only Aaron Judge, with a .366 batting average, but his xBA of .311 suggests that he's due for plenty of regression in that department the rest of the way. He's added eight homers, 38 RBI, 36 runs and five steals in 64 games with a contact-first approach at the plate.

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New York Yankees outfielder/designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton (elbows) went 2-for-3 with three RBI and a walk as the DH in his first minor-league rehab game with Double-A Somerset on Tuesday. Because of tennis elbow in both of his arms, this was Stanton's first game action of any kind in 2025. The 35-year-old veteran power hitter is working his way back, though, and because he's expected to just be a full-time DH when he returns to the big leagues for the rest of the year, he's not expected to require a lengthy rehab assignment. It's quite possible the five-time All-Star and former MVP will come off the injured list and rejoin the Yankees by next week. When that happens, it's unclear how frequently Stanton will be in the Yankees' lineup, but his power stroke alone will make him worth adding off the waiver wire if he's available and you need pop.

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The Athletic's Matt Gelb writes that the plan is for Philadelphia Phillies infielder Otto Kemp to play mostly first base moving forward. The Phillies want Alec Bohm back at third base. With Bryce Harper (wrist) currently on the 10-day injured list, Kemp got the start at first base in Wednesday's series finale against the visiting Chicago Cubs and hit eighth in the batting order. The first four of Kemp's starts at the big-league level came at the hot corner, but he'll shift across the diamond for now with Harper sidelined. The 25-year-old is considered the team's No. 24 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, and was hitting .313/.416/.594 with a 1.010 OPS, 14 home runs, 55 RBI, 49 runs scored and 11 stolen bases in 58 games for Triple-A Lehigh Valley at the time of his call-up. He's gone 3-for-14 with a run scored, a walk and five K's in his first four MLB games.

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The Pittsburgh Pirates announced that catcher Joey Bart (concussion) is starting a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis on Wednesday. Bart is on the seven-day injured list with a concussion that he sustained on May 28, but he's been cleared from the league's concussion protocol and will resume playing in minor-league games this week. As long as the 28-year-old backstop doesn't suffer any setbacks, it's possible he could be back this weekend for a series at Wrigley Field versus the Chicago Cubs. When he's activated from the IL, Bart will return to being Pittsburgh's primary catcher. The former first-rounder will return to a .240/.347/.308 slash line with a .655 OPS, one homer, 11 RBI, seven runs scored and a steal in 44 games played. Henry Davis has been doing most of the catching for the Bucs with Bart sidelined.

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With Milwaukee Brewers pitching prospect Jacob Misiorowski joining the team's starting rotation, manager Pat Murphy said that right-hander Aaron Civale will move to the bullpen for now. Civale could return to Milwaukee's rotation again at some point this year, but for now he'll pitch in a relief role, which pretty much kills what little fantasy value he might have had. The 29-year-old has missed time with injury this year and had made only five starts for the Brew Crew, going 1-2 with a 4.91 ERA (5.53 FIP) and 1.36 WHIP with 19 strikeouts and seven walks in 22 innings pitched. With right-hander Brandon Woodruff (elbow) expected to return soon, too, Civale's next chance to start could be a while if Misiorowski lives up to his potential in his first taste of big-league action. At best, Civale is a back-end rotation option in deep fantasy leagues when he's starting.

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Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith reports that Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Max Scherzer (thumb) is cleared for his first rehab start this Friday with Triple-A Buffalo. The 40-year-old has been bothered by thumb inflammation that he picked up in late March, but his most recent bullpen session was presumably successful. Nicholson-Smith noted that Scherzer will likely toss around 60-65 pitches in the matchup for the Bisons. It's fantastic news for the veteran, and a step in the right direction as he works his way back to Toronto's rotation from an ailing thumb. He figures to need at least one additional rehab outing before rejoining the big-league roster.

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St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan (toe) is out of the starting lineup for Wednesday's series finale against the visiting Toronto Blue Jays at Busch Stadium. Nolan Gorman is starting at the keystone and will hit seventh against Blue Jays left-hander Eric Lauer. Donovan was pulled from Tuesday's loss to Toronto with discomfort in his left big toe, but he said he's not too worried about it. It's possible the 28-year-old could return for Thursday's series opener against the division-rival Milwaukee Brewers on the road. Donovan ranks 11th in all of baseball with his .310 average (77-for-248), but his fantasy upside is limited because of his lack of speed and power. He's added only four home runs, 26 RBI, 35 runs scored and three stolen bases for the Cards in 64 games so far in 2025. Donovan hit a career-best 14 long balls in 2024 and hasn't had over five steals in his three MLB seasons.UPDATE: The Cardinals are awaiting MRI results on Donovan's toe.

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Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich (wrist) is out of the starting lineup for the second straight day on Wednesday against the visiting Atlanta Braves with renewed swelling in his right wrist, according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. It is from being hit by a pitch in Philadelphia on the team's last road trip. It sounds like a minor injury, so fantasy managers should consider Yelich day-to-day for now. His next chance to play will be in Thursday's series opener against the division-rival St. Louis Cardinals. Jake Bauers is making the start in left field on Wednesday and will bat cleanup against Braves right-hander Spencer Schwellenbach. Since returning from his initial wrist injury, Yelich has hit .240 with a home run. Overall in 2025, he's hitting .233 (56-for-240) with 13 homers, 41 RBI, 34 runs and 10 steals. We'll keep a close eye on how the 33-year-old's wrist injury affects his performance moving forward.

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Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan won't be in Wednesday's lineup when his team closes out its series against the visiting Cincinnati Reds. The Oregon State alum will again take a seat with left-handed hurler Nick Lodolo getting the nod, marking the second time he's sat against a southpaw in a week. He hasn't necessarily been bad against them, batting .260 (20-for-77) with four doubles on the season. However, Kwan was 0-for-7 over the last two contests as the Reds ran out lefties to the mound. The benching could be in response to his slight slump, as he has just six hits in 27 June at-bats (.222). Teammate Lane Thomas will occupy the leadoff spot, with fellow outfielder Nolan Jones handling left-field duties.

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Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong will not be in Wednesday's lineup for their final game of a road series with the Philadelphia Phillies. It's a routine day off for the burgeoning fantasy superstar, his first of the year through 67 games. Switch-hitting teammate Vidal Brujan will hold down center field and bat ninth in his stead. The 23-year-old has been sensational in 2025, setting career-highs in virtually every statistic, sans steals. Still, in that regard, he's just six off his mark from last season. In addition to his stellar defensive work and prowess on the base paths, he's sporting modest gains in average exit velocity (90.1 MPH) and hard-hit rate (43.0%).

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Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Brandon Marsh (elbow) is out of the team's lineup for Wednesday's series finale with the Chicago Cubs. Teammate Johan Rojas will work center field in his stead -- batting ninth. The 27-year-old exited Tuesday's contest in the sixth inning after hyperextending his elbow on a slide. Fortunately, the team believes he'll be available off the bench for Wednesday's rubber match, and it appears he has a chance to return to the field as early as this weekend. The lefty looked to be heating up before the injury, recording a hit in three straight appearances with back-to-back two-hit efforts. He was 5-for-7 over that stretch (.714) with an extra-base hit (double) and a steal.

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