The Tampa Bay Rays announced on Friday that they reinstated infielder Yandy Diaz from the restricted list and optioned infielder Coco Montes to Triple-A Durham in a corresponding move. Diaz was placed on the restricted list earlier this week due to a visa issue that prevented him from entering Canada and playing in the series against the Toronto Blue Jays. He's back with the team now and should be in the starting lineup for Friday's series opener in Miami against the Marlins and right-hander Max Meyer. For DFS purposes, it's not the greatest matchup for the 33-year-old Cuban veteran against a pitcher on the rise who he has never faced in his career. Diaz will be returning to a mediocre .238/.291/.400 slash line with a below-average .691 OPS, six home runs, 20 RBI, 15 runs and two steals on the year. He has three homers in 10 games in May but is hitting just .184 (7-for-38).

From RotoBaller

Cleveland Guardians outfielder Angel Martinez is sitting out of Friday's series opener against the hosting Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Nolan Jones will start in center field and hit in the two-hole against Reds right-hander Brady Singer. This will be the second time in the last four games that Martinez finds himself starting on the bench since the team recalled outfielder Will Brennan, who is in right field and in the nine-hole on Friday. It's bad news for fantasy managers that were using the 23-year-old Dominican in their starting lineups in AL-only leagues early in the season. The switch-hitter has only gone deep once, but he's batting .295 (28-for-95) and has added 11 RBI, 11 runs and four stolen bases. He has just one hit in his last 12 at-bats, though. Jones has gone just 4-for-26 (.154) in 12 games in May, but he has hit .714 with two RBI in seven career at-bats against Singer.

From RotoBaller

The Chicago White Sox do not expect outfielder Mike Tauchman (hamstring) to come off the 10-day injured list to rejoin the team this weekend during their three-game series at Wrigley Field against his former team, the Chicago White Sox, according to the Daily Herald's Mike McGraw. The White Sox are going to give him more time to ramp up after his second right-hamstring strain of the season. The 34-year-old veteran isn't going to be rushed back, but it's possible that he'll be back at some point next week after already playing in four minor-league rehab games. When he's healthy, Tauchman will have value in AL-only affairs as the team's likely starting right fielder against right-handed pitching. Before his second hammy injury, Tauchman had gone 4-for-10 in a small sample size in 2025 with a run scored in three games.

From RotoBaller

Cincinnati Reds outfielder TJ Friedl (wrist) is back in center field and is hitting leadoff for Friday's series opener against the visiting Cleveland Guardians at Great American Ball Park. Friedl suffered a bone bruise in his right wrist during a fall on a collision with teammate Elly De La Cruz on Tuesday and missed the last two games as a result. But the 29-year-old is back in there on Friday and will face Guardians right-hander Tanner Bibee, who he has hit .400 against with a .900 OPS in a small sample size of five career at-bats. He doesn't have a ton of power but has been a steady contributor as Cincy's starting center fielder in 2025, slashing .274/.359/.382 with three long balls, 17 RBI, 23 runs scored and eight stolen bases. Friedl is most useful for his runs and speed in deep-mixed leagues. He's hit .270 (10-for-37) in 12 games in May with two homers, five RBI and three steals.

From RotoBaller

Chicago White Sox second baseman Lenyn Sosa will take a seat for Friday's series opener at Wrigley Field against the crosstown-rival Chicago Cubs and rookie right-hander Cade Horton, who will be making his first official big-league start. Josh Rojas will start at second base for the Pale Hose and will hit eighth in the batting order. Sosa will head to the bench on Friday after starting each of the team's last eight games. The 25-year-old Venezuelan infielder has really only been valuable for volume in AL-only leagues on one of the worst teams in baseball. He's currently hitting .267/.286/.373 with three home runs, 11 RBI, 12 runs scored and one steal in 150 total at-bats. However, he has gone 8-for-21 with a homer, two doubles, an RBI and a steal with four multi-hit games in his last six contests. Rojas offers little DFS appeal with a .143 average (4-for-28) and no homers on the year.

From RotoBaller

The Chicago White Sox announced on Friday that they designated infielder Jacob Amaya for assignment and added infielder Vinny Capra to the active 26-man roster in a corresponding move. The team also acquired right-hander Miguel Castro from the Houston Astros and selected his contract from Triple-A Charlotte. Left-hander Jared Schuster was optioned to Charlotte. The 26-year-old Amaya started the year as the team's starting shortstop but now finds himself off the 40-man roster after going 6-for-62 (.097) with no homers, seven RBI, six runs scored, two steals, two walks and 15 strikeouts in 33 games for Chicago. If he clears waivers, he could return to the organization as minor-league depth. Moving forward, the Pale Hose will use Brooks Baldwin as their primary option at the 6, with prospect Chase Meidroth being another option.

From RotoBaller

The Tampa Bay Rays have optioned second baseman Coco Montes back to Triple-A Durham on Friday. Montes was recalled from Durham earlier in the week to replace Yandy Diaz, who was on the restricted list. However, with Diaz expected to return on Friday, Montes will return to the minor leagues. Through five games in Tampa Bay this season, the 28-year-old has posted a .200 AVG with a high 30% strikeout rate. Last season, Montes made his MLB debut with the Colorado Rockies and held a similar .184 AVG across 18 games. However, through 304 career games at Triple-A, Montes has been very effective, posting a .303/.385/.521 slash line with 52 home runs and 32 stolen bases, Fantasy managers should expect Montes to have a depth role in the infield if he returns to Tampa Bay later this season.

From RotoBaller

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher/outfield prospect Dalton Rushing went 2-for-3 with a walk and three runs during his MLB debut on Thursday evening against the Athletics. Rushing hit two singles. He got the starting nod behind the dish and was in the seven-hole. This was a promising debut for the top prospect in the Dodger system. While Rushing got the start at catcher in this contest, fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status, as he could work out a role in left field, especially if Michael Conforto were to continue to struggle. At Triple-A this season, Rushing was very productive, posting a strong .308/.424/.514 slash line with five doubles and five home runs. However, given that Rushing appears to only be viewed as a catcher, his upside will be limited, serving as the clear No. 2 behind Will Smith.

From RotoBaller

Atlanta Braves catching prospect Drake Baldwin went 3-for-4 with an RBI during their victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday. Baldwin knocked an RBI single in the fifth inning, which scored Nick Allen. The young backstop has begun to earn more playing time over Sean Murphy, given his recent surge at the plate. Over his last eight contests, Baldwin has posted an incredible .684/.684/1.105 slash line with two doubles and two round-trippers. During this stretch, he has only struck out twice. However, prior to this stretch, Baldwin was operating as the clear No. 2 option behind Murphy and posted a modest .250/.323/.393 line. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status as he appears to be earning the 1A role on the depth chart. If he continues to see stable playing time, he would be a viable No. 1 catcher in standard formats.

From RotoBaller

Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that the Pittsburgh Pirates will activate first baseman Spencer Horwitz (wrist) from the injured list on Friday. Horwitz has been shelved since spring training after he underwent surgery to repair an extensor tendon in his thumb. Pittsburgh acquired him by trade last December in hopes that he'd solve their issues at first base, and he projects to be their everyday option there for the foreseeable future. The 27-year-old has only appeared in 112 games, with a bulk of that experience coming last season with the Blue Jays. He was solid for Toronto with 12 home runs, 19 doubles, 40 RBIs, and a .790 OPS over 97 contests. Horwitz didn't do anything too special during his rehab stint in the minors, but he did bat .323 with a double and a homer over 31 Triple-A at-bats.

From RotoBaller

Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in his team's 7-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox. He singled, scored twice, and struck out once. The Dominican Republic native was experiencing a slight cold spell earlier in the month, but it appears he's breaking out of it, launching three long balls over his last five outings and two multi-hit efforts in his previous three. De La Cruz crushed his eighth dinger on Thursday, getting a hold of a Bryse Wilson curveball that he sent 395 feet to left-center field. The 23-year-old is batting .256 (45-for-176), with six doubles, 31 RBI, 30 runs scored, and 14 steals. He's still striking out quite a bit (28.1%), but offers one of the better blends of power and speed amongst batters.

From RotoBaller

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Will Benson went 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBI in his team's 7-1 win against the Chicago White Sox. The former first-round pick rejoined the team a few days ago to fill in for the injured Jake Fraley (calf) in right field and has done well in his stead. In five games, Benson has more extra-base hits than singles (three), smacked his first homer, stole a base, and has drawn more walks (three) than strikeouts (two). It's encouraging to see him producing right away, particularly after he hit .187 in 2024 over 343 at-bats and struck out four times in his first outing with the Reds back in April. The 26-year-old performed well with Triple-A Louisville this season, so if he can continue getting on base, maybe he sticks even after Fraley returns. His quality of contact is looking excellent right now, albeit over a small sample.

From RotoBaller

Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. went 1-for-2 with a solo home run and two walks in Thursday's 8-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. The 26-year-old hasn't displayed much power recently, with four extra-base hits in May (two doubles, two homers), but he's still been productive. Through 13 games in the month, Guerrero Jr. is batting a white-hot .354 (17-for-48), with 11 runs, six RBI, and as many walks as strikeouts (11). Furthermore, he's recorded a hit in 17 of his last 18 appearances. The Montreal native started the year off a little sluggish, but has really turned it on -- similar to how he did in 2024 before he hit .376 with a 1.128 OPS after the All-Star break. He's up to .294 now, with eight doubles, 20 RBI, 24 runs scored, and the highest walk rate of his career (14.2%).

From RotoBaller

Cincinnati Reds second baseman Matt McLain went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, a double, and an additional run scored during Thursday's 7-1 win over the White Sox. McLain has gotten off to a slow start in 2025, slashing .182/.308/.341, but the 25-year-old seems to be turning a corner. In his last nine games, McLain is 8-for-32 with a pair of home runs, six runs scored, and four stolen bases. He's now up to six home runs on the season. McLain missed all of 2024 with a shoulder injury, and he may have needed some additional time to get back into the swing of things. In 2023, during his rookie season, he slashed .290/.357/.507 in 403 plate appearances, so the production is in there, it's just taking more time for fantasy managers than they had hoped for when drafting him. McLain is a strong buy-low candidate, and those who have held on, hopefully, this recent stretch can show a sign of better things to come.

From RotoBaller

Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy was seeing the baseball well Thursday night as he went 3-for-4 with four RBI, one home run, and two runs scored and helped the Dodgers win comfortably, 19-2. Muncy got the party going for the Dodgers in this contest, hitting the first home run of the evening and putting them ahead 3-1 in the first inning. Muncy has now homered in back-to-back contests, and over his last seven games, he's gone 9-for-27 with nine RBI. The third baseman has gotten off to a brutally slow start, slashing .207/.323/.341, but he has turned it around of late. During this stretch, he has been wearing prescription glasses to help improve his vision at the plate, as he was recently diagnosed with astigmatism. Regardless of the reason behind his recent hot stretch, he is starting to find a groove and would be worth a waiver wire pickup for those looking for a corner infielder.

From RotoBaller

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder James Outman hit his second long ball of the season on Thursday night in the sixth inning off Mitch Spence to extend the Dodgers' lead to 16-2. During an evening in which the Dodgers' offense exploded and hit five home runs, Outman joined the party later in the game and finished his evening going 2-for-4 with three runs scored, one RBI, and one walk. Outman has cracked the Dodgers' lineup due to injuries to Teoscar Hernandez and Tommy Edman, and thus far through eight games has a .143/.250/.429 slash line with two home runs, five runs scored, and four RBI. Fantasy managers can lean on Outman as a fill-in for injuries or a streamer if he has a hot bat, but he would not be a recommended play for the long haul. Next up for Outman and the Dodgers is a three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels.

From RotoBaller

The Los Angeles Dodgers' shortstop Mookie Betts went 1-for-1 on Thursday with two walks, three runs scored, and two RBI. The Dodgers jumped on top of the Athletics early in this contest, scoring 15 runs in the first four innings and holding on to win 19-2. After the fourth inning, the Dodgers' manager, Dave Roberts, entered some of his bench players, and Miguel Rojas entered the game for Betts, which prevented Betts from stuffing the stat line even more last night. Nonetheless, Betts is slashing .269/.352/.429 on the season with six home runs, 36 runs scored, 28 RBI, and four stolen bases in 179 plate appearances. The 32-year-old showed some signs of doubt early in the season when he was losing all of that weight and didn't make the trip with the team to Japan, but has settled in nicely to start the season, and fantasy managers should not question whether to start Betts or not. He is a set-and-forget kind of guy. Next up for the Dodgers is a three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels.

From RotoBaller

Arizona Diamondbacks right-handed pitching prospect Cristian Mena turned in his best start of the Triple-A campaign on Thursday against Sugar Land. The right-hander logged five 1/3 innings of work and did not allow a run. He served up just two hits and one walk. He struck out seven batters. This was a strong bounce-back outing for Mena as he posted a high 8.53 ERA with a 1.74 WHIP over his last 19 innings (four starts). During this stretch, the No. 13-ranked prospect in the Arizona system held a 24:8 K:BB and allowed five long balls. Mena was given a brief taste of the majors this season and logged three 2/3 shutout innings. If Mena continues to find his footing at Reno, he should be in the mix to have a more extended stint in the majors.

From RotoBaller

Philadelphia Phillies outfield prospect Justin Crawford went 2-for-5 with a home run and a stolen base during Thursday's contest against Triple-A Syracuse. This was Crawford's first long ball of the Triple-A regular season. This outing also extended his current hitting streak to three games. During this stretch, he has tallied at least one extra-base hit in each contest. Through 36 games this season, Crawford has been swinging a hot bat at Triple-A, holding a stellar .316/.379/.428 slash line with 10 doubles and two triples. Crawford has swiped 13 bags and held a 35:16 K:BB. The former 17th overall pick should be in the mix to make his MLB debut in the coming weeks given his impressive start to the season.

From RotoBaller

Milwaukee Brewers pitching prospect Jacob Misiorowski threw seven innings, allowing only one run on four hits and one walk while striking out five against Triple-A Memphis on Thursday. He did not factor into the decision. Following up on a dominant outing in his last start with a season-best 11 strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings, the right-hander has lowered his season ERA to 1.46 to go with a 0.89 WHIP. He's also been more efficient with his pitch count as he needed just 86 pitches for seven frames. An encouraging sign for the 23-year-old is his continued improvement in limiting walks. While his 11% walk rate is still not a strength, it's a notable improvement from 14.4% last season. The flame-thrower continued to light up the radar gun, as he sat at 98.3 MPH on the fastball and maxed out at a blistering 103 MPH. MLB.com's number 72 overall prospect should be expected to be promoted at some point this summer and is worth stashing in standard leagues.

From RotoBaller