Detroit Tigers second baseman Gleyber Torres (leg) is back in the starting nine for Friday's contest against the division-rival Cleveland Guardians and right-hander Slade Cecconi at Comerica Park, serving a the designated hitter and batting in the two-hole. Torres is back a day after being pulled early from Thursday's series opener against Cleveland in the third innings with right lower-leg discomfort. The former Yankee already spent time on the injured list this year with a hamstring injury, so fantasy managers have to be stoked he avoided another trip to the IL. The 28-year-old middle infielder has been a steady presence for the first-place Tigers at the keystone in his first year in Detroit, but he has only one hit in his last 12 at-bats. Torres will look to get back on track against Cecconi, a pitcher he has never faced in his career.

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New York Mets infielders Luisangel Acuna and Jeff McNeil are both sitting out Friday's series opener against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers with left-hander Clayton Kershaw on the mound. Brett Baty is starting at second base and batting eighth for the Mets. Acuna has only been in the lineup twice in the team's last six games, with each of his last four starts actually coming against left-handed pitchers. The 23-year-old is hitting a decent .267 (31-for-116) on the year with 10 stolen bases, but he's still searching for his first homer. McNeil got a late start in 2025 due to injury and has gone 13-for-58 (.245) with two homers and eight RBI in his first 21 games played. Baty won't be a great DFS sleeper on Friday. He's gone 2-for-11 against southpaws so far in 2025 and has never faced Kershaw in his career.

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Boston Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman (leg) injured himself in Game 1 of a doubleheader on Friday at Fenway Park against the Baltimore Orioles due to what appeared to be a leg injury. Bregman tweaked his leg while rounding first base on a single, but the good news is he was able to walk off the field under his own power. Fantasy managers are going to want to check back after the team puts the 31-year-old through testing, but there's a high probability that he could need a stint on the injured list after immediately calling for the attention of a trainer. Before leaving, Bregman went 1-for-2 with a walk. Nick Sogard moved from first to third base to replace him. Bregman has been one of the team's most consistent hitters in 2025, so losing him for any amount of time would be bad news. If Boston leaves Rafael Devers at DH, Sogard and Abraham Toro would be candidates for playing time at third if Bregman misses additional time.

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Miami Marlins right-hander Eury Perez (elbow) made his first minor-league rehab start with Triple-A Jacksonville on Thursday and allowed two earned runs on three hits (one homer) while walking three and striking out seven in 3 1/3 innings in a no-decision against Triple-A Memphis. Perez, who is on the comeback trail from Tommy John surgery, moved up to Triple-A after posting a 2.70 ERA and 1.20 WHIP with 12 strikeouts and three walks in five rehab starts at Single-A Jupiter. The 22-year-old has looked good so far on his rehab assignment, but he'll still need at least a handful of more starts in the minors before he's an option to be activated from the 60-day injured list to make his 2025 debut. Perez will be a much more attractive fantasy option going into the 2026 season, but it's hard to ignore the Dominican's strong debut season in 2023, when he struck out 108 with a 3.15 ERA in his first 19 starts.

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Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno is out of the starting lineup for Friday's series finale in St. Louis against the Cardinals. Jose Herrera will do the catching for right-hander Zac Gallen and will bat in the nine-hole against Cardinals right-hander Miles Mikolas. Moreno will get the night off after starting behind the dish in the team's last three games. When he returns to the field on Saturday, he'll be carrying a modest five-game hitting streak (8-for-19 with two home runs). Overall this year, Moreno is slashing .266/.333/.383 with three home runs, six doubles, 13 RBI, 22 runs scored and a stolen base in 141 plate appearances as Arizona's primary catcher. Herrera doesn't really move the needle as far as being a DFS sleeper in the nine-hole against a pitcher he's never faced. The 28-year-old has gone 10-for-50 (.200) on the year with a homer and five RBI.

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The Cincinnati Reds announced on Friday that they signed free-agent infielder/outfielder Garrett Hampson to an undisclosed one-year MLB deal on Friday. In a corresponding move, outfielder Rece Hinds was optioned to Triple-A Louisville, and right-hander Carson Spiers (shoulder) was also transferred to the 60-day injured list. The Arizona Diamondbacks cut Hampson after he went 5-for-30 (.167) with no homers, nine walks and 10 strikeouts in 18 games this year. The 30-year-old veteran will now move to the National League Central, where he'll serve in a utility role between the outfield and infield. The former third-rounder by the Colorado Rockies in 2016 out of Long Beach State can continue being ignored by those in mixed fantasy leagues. He has a .239/.302/.358 career slash line in eight MLB seasons and has never had more than 11 homers in a single season.

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The Arizona Diamondbacks announced on Friday that they reinstated right-handed reliever Justin Martinez (shoulder) from the 15-day injured list and optioned right-hander Christian Montes De Oca to Triple-A Reno in a corresponding move. Martinez last pitched in the big leagues on April 30 but was shut down with inflammation in his right shoulder. With lefty A.J. Puk (elbow) still on the shelf, the 23-year-old high-leverage relief arm should see most of the team's save opportunities moving forward now that he's back. He tossed two scoreless innings on his minor-league rehab assignment, with the most important news being the fact that he reached 101.1 mph with his sinker at Triple-A Reno. Even if the D-backs ease Martinez back into closing situations after his IL stint, he should eventually be the favorite for saves, at least until Puk is able to return.

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Houston Astros right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. appeared in the fifth inning of a major-league game in Thursday's win over the Seattle Mariners for the first time since Oct. 23 of 2022. He also reached 94.3 mph on the 91st pitch while acknowledging that he had "more in the tank." McCullers struck out eight batters in 4 1/3 innings and generated 14 whiffs -- he had 15 whiffs in his first three starts combined. The velocity on his sinker also crept up to 92.1 mph on Thursday. The 31-year-old threw three pitches over 93 mph in his first three starts but threw seven of them to beat the M's. McCullers' stuff is starting to improve, but now he'll look for more efficiency to go deeper into games following his long layoff of big-league action due to injuries. Walks have been an issue so far, and he now has a 6.57 ERA and 2.03 WHIP in 12 1/3 frames in his first major-league action since 2022.

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"Hopefully we could get him (back) somewhere in the month of July," Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown said when asked about the status of right-hander Spencer Arrighetti (thumb), who fractured his right thumb back on April 9. Arrighetti is out of his cast and has started to strengthen his hand with gripping exercises, according to manager Joe Espada, but the 25-year-old hurler still has a ways to go to be able to rejoin a banged-up Astros starting rotation. Houston is also without Hayden Wesneski, who is undergoing season-ending Tommy John surgery, and Ronel Blanco (elbow). At some point, Arrighetti will likely be shifted to the 60-day injured list to open up a roster spot. The former sixth-rounder in 2021 made 28 starts in his rookie season in 2024 and was up and down with a 4.53 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and 171:65 K:BB in 145 innings, but he should have a rotation spot waiting for him this summer.

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Cincinnati Reds right-handed pitching prospect Rhett Lowder (forearm, side) was seen grabbing at his left side after following through with his delivery during his minor-league rehab outing with Triple-A Louisville in the second inning on Thursday and was removed from the game after being checked by a trainer. The 23-year-old, who is recovering from a strained right forearm, tossed a scoreless first inning before injuring his side in just his second rehab start. In addition to his new injury, Lowder has allowed 11 runs (10 earned) in 7 1/3 innings during his rehab assignment. It's unclear how serious his side injury is, but it's most likely going to extend his timetable for a return to the big leagues. The former seventh overall pick in 2023 out of Wake Forest is the team's No. 2 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, and impressed with a 1.17 ERA and 1.27 WHIP in his first six MLB starts as a rookie in 2024.

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Cleveland Guardians right-hander Slade Cecconi will make another start in Friday's series opener against the division-rival Detroit Tigers in Motown. Cecconi will stick in the starting rotation in Cleveland for a second turn after an impressive debut with the team last Saturday against the Cincinnati Reds in which he gave up three earned runs on five hits (one homer) while walking none and striking out eight in five innings pitched. The 25-year-old got a late start in 2025 due to a strained left oblique, but he could stick around as a starter for the Guardians until Ben Lively (elbow) comes off the 15-day injured list. Cecconi will have a tough matchup as he looks for a second strong outing, making him a risky fantasy streamer on Friday. The first-place Tigers currently have the sixth-best OPS (.744) in the big leagues entering action this weekend.

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MASN's Roch Kubatko reports that left-hander Trevor Rogers has been called up by the Baltimore Orioles from Triple-A Norfolk to serve as their 27th man for a doubleheader against the division-rival Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Friday, and he will likely serve as the spot starter in Game 2. Fantasy managers shouldn't consider the 27-year-old southpaw as a very tempting streaming option against Boston, especially since he could be deployed as the bulk reliever after opening the 2025 campaign on the injured list with a knee injury. The former 13th overall pick by the Miami Marlins in 2017 struggled last year after being acquire in a trade with Miami and was demoted to the minors. Rogers hasn't been good in five starts with Double-A Chesapeake and Norfolk, either, sporting a 7.71 ERA and 1.65 WHIP with 18 strikeouts and seven walks in 16 1/3 innings.

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Toronto Blue Jays left-hander Eric Lauer will make another start in Friday's series opener against the division-rival Tampa Bay Rays at George M. Steinbrenner Field. It will be Lauer's second straight start after he allowed an earned run while walking none and striking out five in a no-decision over three innings his last time out on May 17 against the Detroit Tigers. Before that, he served in a bulk-relief role on May 11 and picked up his first win of the year by striking out five Seattle Mariners in 4 2/3 innings of work. The 29-year-old southpaw has been sharp in his four appearances with Toronto this year, giving up just three earned runs on seven hits while walking three and fanning 14 in 12 frames. Lengthy might be an issue for Lauer again in just his second start of the season, but the matchup is friendly against a Rays team with an OPS (.673) that ranks 24th in MLB.

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The Atlanta Braves announced on Friday that they designated infielder Orlando Arcia for assignment to make room on the active roster for outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) in his return from the injured list. Arcia went from being the team's starting shortstop on Opening Day to losing the gig to the light-hitting Nick Allen, and now he finds himself off the 40-man roster entirely. If nobody claims the 30-year-old on waivers, he'll be free to sign with any team. The Venezuelan infielder was a first-time All-Star in 2023 with Atlanta but has fallen off a cliff offensively the last two seasons. He hit .218/.271/.354 in 157 games last year but matched his career-high with 17 homers. In just 14 games in 2025, Arcia went 6-for-31 (.194) with no homers, one walk and eight strikeouts before quickly finding himself on the bench in favor of Allen.

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Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports that Detroit Tigers outfielder Matt Vierling (shoulder) has an outside chance at rejoining the team this weekend from his stint on the injured list. The St. Louis native has been sidelined since the second game of spring training with a strained rotator cuff. Vierling and teammates Parker Meadows and Wenceel Perez were all sent to Single-A Lakeland to play a game Wednesday after rain spoiled Tuesday's Triple-A Toledo outing. To get his team to full strength sooner rather than later, manager A.J. Hinch opted to get the players reps any way he could. McCosky notes that the 28-year-old could be activated on Sunday with Detroit set to line up against lefty Logan Allen and the Guardians. Whether that happens is unclear, but it appears Vierling should return soon.

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The Minnesota Twins announced on Friday that they reinstated infielder Carlos Correa (concussion) from the seven-day concussion injured list. Minnesota's lineup for the series opener on Friday against the division-rival Kansas City Royals at Target Field has not been released yet, but fantasy managers should expect Correa to be back in there at shortstop to face left-hander Noah Cameron. In a corresponding move, the Twins sent Ryan Fitzgerald back to Triple-A St. Paul. The 30-year-old Correa has done very little for fantasy managers so far in 2025 with a .236 average (35-for-148) with only two home runs, 13 RBI and 14 runs scored. However, the Puerto Rican shortstop is hitting .417 (5-for-12) in the last 14 days before his head injury suffered in a collision with Byron Buxton last week. Fantasy managers are hoping Correa can pick up where he left off in the month of May.

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Per the team, the Kansas City Royals have designated outfielder Hunter Renfroe for assignment. Infielder Nick Loftin was recalled from Triple-A Omaha in a corresponding move. The former first-round pick has been dreadful this season, batting .182 (18-for-99) with six doubles, five runs scored, four RBI, and no home runs (35 appearances). Kansas City will now have the week to decide what is next for the veteran. If Renfroe ends up in the minors, it will be his first trip there since 2018, during his time with the San Diego Padres. He hasn't posted a double-digit barrel rate since 2022, having plateaued around 6% over the prior three seasons after regularly achieving 10% or higher through the first seven years of his career.

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Washington Nationals outfielder Jacob Young (shoulder) has been placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to May 20, with an AC sprain in his left shoulder. The former seventh-round pick picked up the injury last Saturday when he slammed into the outfield wall in the team's 10-6 win against the Baltimore Orioles. Dylan Crews (oblique) is also on the IL, so prospect Robert Hassell III should have every opportunity for everyday playing time moving forward, especially after an impressive MLB debut on Thursday. Young's season line is uninspiring (.227/.309/.282), but he's exhibiting a solid eye at the plate (15% strikeout rate) and is vastly underperforming his .279 xBA. Look for him to get some better BABIP luck when he returns.

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The Washington Nationals are promoting outfield prospect Daylen Lile to the major leagues. In a corresponding move, the Nationals are placing outfielder Jacob Young (shoulder) on the 10-day injured list with a left shoulder AC sprain. Earlier this week, the Nationals also promoted another top outfield prospect, Robert Hassell III, to the major leagues. Lile opened the 2025 season with Double-A but needed just 21 games to prove he was ready for the Triple-A level. Through his first 18 games at Triple-A Rochester, the No. 9-ranked prospect in the system has posted a strong .361/.432/.514 slash line with four doubles, one home run, and three stolen bases. Fantasy managers should monitor his playing time as he could work out a starting role with both Young and Dylan Crews (oblique) on the IL. For now, he should be rostered in deeper NL-only formats.

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Baltimore Orioles outfielder Ramon Laureano (ankle) is sitting out for the first game of Friday's doubleheader with the Boston Red Sox. The 30-year-old tweaked his ankle in Baltimore's outing with the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday and has yet to appear in a game since. It seemed that he was heating up, too, notching three multi-hit efforts over the last four games before the injury. Teammate Heston Kjerstad is occupying right field for the matinee, batting eighth for the club. Initial reports indicated that Laureano's injury was not serious, described as "very mild and minor," and he was expected to return in a few days. He may suit up for the second game on Friday, though that isn't a guarantee.

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