Miami Marlins catcher Nick Fortes (neck) was originally in the lineup for the Fish on Saturday night against AJ Smith-Shawver and the Braves, but he was removed before the game began due to neck stiffness. Fortes was batting ninth but will be replaced by Liam Hicks in that spot in the order and behind the plate. Hicks is just 2-for-14 (.143) in his five games with a walk and three strikeouts. He actually has a 50% hard-hit rate, per Statcast, but he has been hitting it hard right at people for the most part so far this season.

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Boston Red Sox outfielder Wilyer Abreu was removed from the team's starting lineup on Saturday for undisclosed reasons. Abreu was originally in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Cardinals, but after a rain delay, he was replaced by Rob Refsnyder. It's a big hit to the Red Sox lineup since Abreu has started off the season scalding hot, hitting .500 (11-for-22) with two doubles, three home runs, eight RBI, and a .650 wOBA. The Red Sox have outfield depth, but Abreu has been so productive that losing him for any length of time would be a tough blow for the team. If you've been riding his early-season production, be sure to watch closely for more word from the team on the reason he was removed from the lineup.

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Tampa Bay Rays 3B Junior Caminero is not in Tampa Bay's lineup for Saturday night in Arlington against Jacob deGrom and the Rangers. There are no reports of an injury for Caminero, so it's likely just a routine day off for the 21-year-old who has appeared in all seven games for the Rays this season. He has gone 7-for-25 (.280) with a double, two walks, and an RBI. He has yet to record a barrel, and his hard-hit rate is down from last year, but there's no cause for alarm just yet. The team will remain committed to playing him most days at the hot corner, but Curtis Mead will start in his place on Saturday.

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Tampa Bay Rays SS Taylor Walls is not in the lineup for the Rays' Saturday night matchup against Jacob deGrom and the Rangers. Walls has struggled at the plate this season, going just 2-for-17 (.118) with a stolen base. The 28-year-old switch-hitter started six of the team's seven games this season, entering the other as a defensive replacement. He'll get Saturday off while Jose Caballero draws the start in his spot. After swiping 44 bags last year, Caballero is a viable streamer or DFS value play if you're chasing stolen bases this Saturday.

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Cincinnati Reds outfielder/corner infielder is not in the team's lineup for Saturday against the Brewers. Steer was originally scheduled for a day off Friday but entered the lineup when Matt McLain (hamstring) had to be scratched. Steer entered the lineup hitting second, but he'll start Saturday's game on the bench even though there is no word of any injury. The 27-year-old righty is just 1-for-21 (.048) in the early going this season with an 0.72 wOBA. He has been struggling along with the rest of the Reds' lineup, and hopefully, the day off will reset him and help him find his groove going forward.

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Cincinnati Reds shortstop Matt McLain is back in the lineup on Saturday as the Reds take on the Brewers after being scratched Friday due to tightness in his left hamstring. He appeared later in the game as a pinch hitter and lined out deep to center field in the ninth inning. McLain will bat second as the designated hitter in a favorable matchup against Elvin Rodriguez and the Brewers. So far this season, McLain has looked excellent with three home runs, five RBI, a stolen base, and a .366 wOBA. Per Statcast, he already has four barrels and an xwOBA of .420. He's hitting the ball well and should give the Reds' struggling lineup a boost in his return on Saturday.

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Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter/starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani (elbow) completed a "light" bullpen session on Thursday and is set to throw a larger session before Saturday's contest. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status, but he does not hold a definite timeline on when he will begin to face live hitters. However, if Ohtani continues to progress without setbacks, he could be in the mix to return to the bump sometime in the first half of the campaign. The 30-year-old was only able to be deployed as a hitter during the 2024 campaign as he underwent Tommy John surgery in September 2023. In 2024, Ohtani ran away with the NL MVP Award as he established the 50-50 club. In 2023, Ohtani posted a strong 3.23 ERA with a 1.06 WHIP across 132 innings with the Angels. He struck out 167 batters. Ohtani will only see his fantasy value increase when he is cleared to rejoin the starting rotation.

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Kansas City Royals right-handed pitcher Alec Marsh (shoulder) has faced a setback in his recovery. According to Anne Rogers of MLB.com, Marsh has begun to feel soreness in his shoulder and will be shut down for the next seven to 10 days. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status, but this setback will likely push Marsh's timeline further back. Marsh has been on the 15-day injured list due to tightness in his shoulder. Last season, Marsh logged 129 innings for the Royals and held a 4.53 ERA with a 1.26 WHIP. He struck out 123 batters and held a strong 7.1 percent walk rate. He generated a modest 4.97 xERA with a .264 xBA, which were both well below the average marks. While Marsh remains out, fantasy managers should expect Michael Lorenzen to remain in the starting rotation.

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Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Pavin Smith will take a seat on Saturday afternoon, facing Washington southpaw Mitchell Parker. Fantasy managers should expect Smith to return to the starting nine on Sunday afternoon when they face Washington right-hander Brad Lord. Smith has typically hit the bench when facing left-handed pitchers. Instead, Randal Grichuk will get the starting nod as a designated hitter. Through the first seven contests of the regular season, Smith has held a .313/.450/.500 slash line with three doubles and a 4:9 BB:K. Last season, Smith was very productive against right-handed pitching, as he posted a strong .282/.356/.564 line. Grichuk is worth a look as an option in DFS competitions, facing Parker, who held a 4.29 ERA last season.

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Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman and first baseman Ryan O'Hearn are not in the starting lineup on Saturday afternoon when they face the Kansas City Royals. Rutschman will receive a maintenance day as he has started in each of the first eight games of the regular season. During the start of the campaign, Rutschman has held a .258/.343/.484 line with one double and two round trippers. He will cede catching duties to Gary Sanchez this afternoon. O'Hearn has not tallied a hit in each of his past two contests and will leave the designated hitter spot open for Gunnar Henderson. Ramon Urias will enter the lineup and cover the hot corner as well. Fantasy managers should expect Rutschman to return to the lineup on Sunday, facing southpaw Kris Bubic. However, O'Hearn will likely continue to ride pine as he typically sits against left-handed pitching.

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New York Yankees infielder Oswaldo Cabrera is not in the starting lineup on Saturday afternoon when the Yankees continue a series against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Instead, the Yankees will give Oswald Peraza the starting nod at the hot corner. Fantasy managers should expect Cabrera to return to the starting lineup on Sunday afternoon. Cabrera has started in six of the first seven games of the regular season. He has seen time at the hot corner and the outfield. Across the opening week, Cabrera has held a .316/.381/.316 slash line with no extra-base hits. He has brought in four runs and scored twice. This afternoon. Peraza will bat in the eight-hole and is worth a look as a budget play in DFS batting in a potent Yankee lineup facing Pittsburgh left-hander Bailey Falter.

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Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo will bat at the top of the order on Saturday afternoon against the Washington Nationals. With Ketel Marte (hamstring) hitting the 10-day injured list, the Diamondbacks will move Perdomo up to the top of the batting order. This is surprising as Corbin Carroll has also seen time as a leadoff hitter this season and throughout his career. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor Perdomo's deployment as he could have increased short-term value batting in the leadoff spot. Through the early part of the campaign, Perdomo has posted a strong .379/.375/.552 slash line with two doubles and one home run across eight contests. This afternoon, he carries value in DFS formats facing Washington southpaw Mitchell Parker.

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New York Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger (back) remains out of the starting lineup on Saturday when the Yankees continue a series against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Bellinger was unable to play in the series opener due to back stiffness. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status leading up to Sunday's contest. As a result, Trent Grisham will remain in the starting lineup and cover center field. He will bat ninth. The Yankees acquired Bellinger in the offseason via trade from the Chicago Cubs. Through his first six games in the Bronx, Bellinger has tallied five total hits, with one home run and six RBI. Grisham has tallied four hits over his past two contests and holds an overall .462 AVG through the opening week of the campaign. He is a sneaky value play in DFS facing Pittsburgh southpaw Bailey Falter.

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San Diego Padres outfielders Gavin Sheets and Jason Heyward are not in the starting lineup on Saturday afternoon, as the Chicago Cubs will send left-handed pitcher Matthew Boyd to the mound. Fantasy managers should expect both Sheets and Heyward to return to the starting lineup on Sunday when they face scheduled starter right-handed pitcher Ben Brown. Instead, the Padres will have Yuli Gurriel serve as the designated hitter for Sheets and Brandon Lockridge to cover left field in favor of Heyward. Sheets has enjoyed an impressive start to the campaign, hitting a .421 AVG with five RBI across seven contests. Both Gurriel and Lockridge are not worth targeting in DFS facing Boyd, who tossed five shutout frames in his season debut.

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Chicago Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya is not in the starting lineup when the Cubs continue a series against the San Diego Padres on Saturday afternoon. Instead, Carson Kelly will be behind the dish and bat in the nine-hole. Amaya has been given the starting nod in six of their first 10 regular-season contests. During the start of the season, Amaya has held a .250/.250/.417 line with four doubles (six hits) and seven RBI. Fantasy managers should expect Amaya to return to the starting nine on Sunday afternoon. Kelly has enjoyed an impressive start to his Cubs tenure. On March 31, the veteran backstop hit for the cycle and brought in five RBI. This afternoon, Kelly will have a tough matchup against San Diego right-hander Nick Pivetta, who did not allow a run in his first outing of the campaign.

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The Arizona Diamondbacks are promoting infield prospect Tim Tawa to the major leagues. In a corresponding move, the team is placing second baseman Ketel Marte (hamstring) on the 10-day injured list. Tawa has enjoyed an impressive start to the Triple-A regular season and is being rewarded with an early promotion. Through the first six games of the Triple-A regular season, the 25-year-old has posted a stellar .391/.462/.957 line with two doubles and three home runs. Last season, Tawa made his Triple-A debut and held a strong .304/.376/.616 line with 10 doubles and 11 long balls across 37 contests. The Stanford is worth picking up in deeper formats for the time being, as he could carve out a role at the keystone while Marte is sidelined. Garrett Hampson could also see opportunities, but given how well Tawa has been swinging a bat, the team may opt to ride the hot hand.

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Minnesota Twins infielder Brooks Lee (back) has made good progress in his recovery and will begin participating in scrimmage games. Lee has been on the injured list since the start of the regular season due to a lumbar strain. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his progress, but it appears the 24-year-old could be approaching a rehab assignment. Last season, the Cal Poly product made his MLB debut and held a .221/.265/.320 slash line across 50 contests. He went deep three times and added six doubles. The former eighth overall selection from the 2022 MLB Draft has posted a cumulative .266/.330/.500 line with 15 doubles and 13 home runs across 63 contests. While Lee remains sidelined, fantasy managers should expect Jose Miranda and Willi Castro to continue seeing most opportunities at the hot corner.

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Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte (hamstring) was placed on the 10-day injured list with a strained left hamstring. Marte was pulled from Friday's contest after he was seen limping off the field. As a result, Marte will miss at least the next 10 days of action. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status as he begins his recovery process. Through the early part of the campaign, the 31-year-old has posted a .346/.469/.462 slash line with nine total hits. Last season, Marte enjoyed an impressive campaign as he tallied 23 doubles with 36 home runs and held a .292/.372/.560 slash line. In a corresponding move, the Diamondbacks promoted infield prospect Tim Tawa from Triple-A Reno. While Marte is sidelined, fantasy managers should expect Garrett Hampson or Tawa to see time at the keystone.

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St. Louis Cardinals catcher Ivan Herrera is retreating to the bench for Saturday's game at Fenway Park against the hosting Boston Red Sox. Pedro Pages will be behind the plate to catch right-hander Andre Pallante and will hit seventh against Red Sox right-hander Richard Fitts. Herrera has already proven that he's the team's primary backstop this week -- Willson Contreras has moved to first base -- by hitting four home runs and driving in nine runs in the last two games. The 24-year-old backstop put on an offensive display in Wednesday's 12-5 win over the Los Angeles Angels by clubbing three home runs. He'll get a little breather on Saturday after opening the 2025 campaign on fire with eight hits in 20 at-bats, including two doubles and a league-high 11 RBI in six games. Pages has swung the bat well, too, going 4-for-10 with a homer, a double and three RBI in his first 10 plate appearances.

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Detroit Tigers second baseman Gleyber Torres (oblique) took swings off a tee in the batting cage on Saturday morning and said he felt great, according to MLive's Evan Woodbery. There's no timeline for Torres to return from the injured list, but he said, "I'm getting close. I really feel way better." When he initially injured his oblique, Torres was hoping to avoid an IL stint. Although the 28-year-old is eligible to come off the IL on Tuesday, it's unlikely that will happen. Still, it's good news that he's feeling better, which means he could return to Detroit's starting lineup sooner than later. In his first two games with the Tigers before getting hurt, he went 3-for-7 with a solo homer, two runs scored, and a walk. Until Torres is able to return, Detroit figures to continue using Colt Keith at the keystone, opening up regular playing time for Spencer Torkelson at first base.

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