Cincinnati Reds first baseman Christian Encarnacion-Strand put together a strong performance at the plate during Saturday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. This was his first action since landing on the injured list in mid April due to a back issue. He was solid at the plate as he went 2-for-5 which included a three-run home run in the blowout win over the D-Backs. There is plenty of power upside here, assuming Encarnacion-Strand continues to see consistent playing time. He's worth a look in deep leagues and could see his value grow.

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Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Bryce Elder looked nearly untouchable on the mound during Saturday's game against the San Francisco Giants. Elder was nearly perfect outside of giving up a solo home run to Wilmer Flores in the fourth inning. Outside of that, Elder would throw eight innings, allowing one earned run on three hits while striking out 12 batters. It was an excellent performance on the mound and the 12 punchouts were a career-high for Elder. He'll now take a 4.08 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and 46/16 K/BB ratio into his next start against the Colorado Rockies. Elder figures to be a popular waiver wire addition with a favorable matchup versus the struggling Rockies offense coming up.

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New York Yankees outfielder/designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton (elbows) will travel to New York on Sunday or Monday and then could be cleared to begin a minor-league rehab assignment, according to manager Aaron Boone. Even though Stanton hasn't been able to play all year due to tennis elbow in both of his arms, he's expected to have a short rehab assignment as purely a DH and could return to the Yankees in mid-June. The 35-year-old five-time All-Star and former National League MVP has hit 30-plus home runs in seven of his 15 MLB seasons, including a career-best and league-high 59 long balls back in 2017. However, he hasn't accomplished the feat since 2022 and is seemingly breaking down physically towards the end of his career. Stanton will likely only be in play as a DH the rest of the year in the Bronx, which could cut into Ben Rice's playing time.

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MLB.com's Alex Stumpf reports that Pittsburgh Pirates left-hander Andrew Heaney (calf) left his start early on Saturday against the visiting Philadelphia Phillies at PNC Park with left-calf cramping. The good news is that he had a quality start for his fantasy managers in a no-decision, going six innings and giving up just one run on four hits while walking none and striking out five before departing. The lone run he allowed was to left-handed slugger Kyle Schwarber in the first inning. It's possible that the 34-year-old veteran southpaw will have to miss his next start, but if it's indeed just cramping, he should be able to avoid a stint on the 15-day injured list. Heaney lacks strikeout upside (6.4 K/9) and is due for regression (4.45 FIP), but he has been a decent fantasy streamer this year despite his low ceiling, and he now owns a 3.24 ERA through 13 starts for the Bucs.

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Athletics outfielder Denzel Clarke (shoulder) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Saturday's game against the Baltimore Orioles. Clarke was forced to exit early during Friday's game after colliding hard into the wall while attempting to make a catch. As a result, Clarke will take a seat on Saturday and it wouldn't be shocking if he sits Sunday as well. Clarke is currently considered day-to-day with a shoulder contusion. In his absence, Seth Brown will cover center field and bat fifth versus right-hander Charlie Morton on Saturday.

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Miami Marlins starting pitcher Ryan Weathers (forearm) made an early exit from Saturday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays. Weathers was taken out after only three innings due to what appeared to be a forearm injury. The organization is saying he was removed for precautionary reasons, so hopefully it's not a serious injury. The assumption is that Weathers will undergo further testing. Before exiting, Weathers tossed three innings, allowing three earned runs on nine hits with one strikeout. Fantasy managers will need to check back for another update on his status.

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Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani (elbow) will have his live bullpen session pushed back until Monday. Ohtani was supposed to throw this weekend, but with rain in the forecast the Dodgers have decided to wait until Monday. The right-hander is slowly getting closer to getting back on the mound for the Dodgers. The hope is that Ohtani can contribute on the mound at some point in the second half of the season. The Dodgers aren't going to rush back Ohtani, so fantasy managers will just need to continue waiting patiently.

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Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Corbin Burnes (elbow) has been transferred to the 60-day injured list on Saturday. This is a procedural move to open up a spot on the 40-man roster with Burnes being done for the season. Burnes is set to undergo Tommy John surgery which will likely sidelined him until the second half of the 2026 season. A tough blow considering Burnes signed a six-year, $210 million deal with the D-Backs this past offseason. The D-Backs will use the extra spot on the 40-man roster for catcher Aramis Garcia. If they haven't already, fantasy managers can safely drop Burnes with him being done for the rest of the season.

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San Diego Padres outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. is absent from the starting lineup ahead of Saturday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers. This is a rare off day for Tatis who has played in basically every game since early April. Fantasy managers shouldn't be worried as this appears to be a regular rest day, so Tatis should be back in there on Sunday. In his absence, Brandon Lockridge will bat ninth and cover right field versus left-hander Jose Quintana on Saturday.

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New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (toe) is back in the starting lineup ahead of Saturday's game against the Colorado Rockies. Lindor will make his way back into the starting lineup after not starting in each of the last two games due to a fractured toe. He was able to come off the bench as a pinch-hitter during Friday's contest. Lindor will return to his spot at shortstop and bat leadoff against right-hander German Marquez on Saturday. Fantasy managers should make sure to get Lindor back in their lineups ahead of first pitch.

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The Rockies announced that they have placed outfielder Mickey Moniak on the bereavement list and recalled fellow outfielder Sean Bouchard from Triple-A Albuquerque. Moniak went 2-for-3 with a home run in the Rockies' loss to the Mets on Friday, but this season has been a struggle for the former No. 1 overall pick. He's hitting .220/.269/.409 with six HRs in 171 plate appearances. Bouchard has picked up 72 plate appearances in the majors this year and logged an ugly .169/.250/.246 line with one HR.

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Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll is not in the lineup for their game against the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday. The Diamondbacks started Randal Grichuk in right field in Carroll's place against right-hander Nick Martinez. This is the second straight game the Diamondbacks have sat Carroll, who did make a pinch-hit appearance in the first of those contests. That game was suspended due to weather on Friday before finishing with a 4-3 Reds win on Saturday. Carroll should be back Sunday against Reds righty Brady Singer.

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Chicago Cubs right-hander Jameson Taillon (6-3) picked up his sixth win of the season on Saturday with a stellar outing against the Detroit Tigers. Taillon tossed seven innings of one-run, three-hit ball and tallied five strikeouts against one walk to record his fifth consecutive quality start. Thanks to his recent run of success, the 33-year-old's ERA is down to 3.54 over 76 1/3 innings. Taillon isn't a great strikeout option (only 58 on the season), but he has done well to offset that by issuing just 14 walks. He'll take the mound against one of his former teams, the Pittsburgh Pirates, on Thursday. The Pirates have scored the second-fewest runs in the majors, making it a favorable matchup for Taillon.

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Chicago Cubs first baseman Michael Busch swatted one of the team's five home runs in a 6-1 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Saturday. Busch's 10th homer, a two-run, 414-foot shot off right-hander Keider Montero, gave the Cubs a 3-0 lead in the top of the fifth inning. He finished the day 1-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout, extending his hitting streak to eight games. The lefty-swinging Busch is not a fantasy-relevant option versus southpaws, but he's a terror against righties. He's now slashing an excellent .276/.377/.521 line with 38 RBI across 223 plate appearances. He'll take on another righty, Jack Flaherty, on Sunday.

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New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe (elbow) is not in the lineup for their game against the Boston Red Sox on Saturday. Volpe exited the Yankees' win early on Friday after Red Sox right-hander Walker Buehler hit him in the left elbow with a pitch in the second inning. Manager Aaron Boone said after the game that Volpe's X-rays and CT scan came back negative, but he'll sit Saturday in favor of No. 9 hitter Oswald Peraza. Volpe has played in 61 of the Yankees' 62 contests this season, and the hope is that he will return Sunday. The 24-year-old is off to an encouraging start this season with a .241/.321/.445 line, eight home runs, 37 RBI, and seven steals over 252 plate appearances.

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Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki was among the team's offensive standouts in a 6-1 win over the Detroit Tigers on Saturday. Suzuki slugged a pair of solo home runs, one off left-hander Tyler Holton and another against righty Chase Lee, to finish the afternoon 2-for-4. He hadn't homered in a 10-game span dating back to May 25. The 30-year-old now has 16 HRs to go with a terrific .269/.332/.536 line and 55 RBI through 268 plate appearances. Suzuki is well on his way to eclipsing his career-high marks in HR (21) and RBI (74). He'll take on Tigers righty Jack Flaherty on Sunday. Suzuki has struggled against Flaherty over a small sample, having gone 0-for-5 with four strikeouts and a walk.

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Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Tony Gonsolin (elbow) has been placed on the 15-day injured list with discomfort in his pitching elbow, the team announced. It's an ominous-sounding injury for Gonsolin, who missed all of last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. He returned this year to make seven starts and post a 3-2 record with a 5.00 ERA (5.22 xERA), 38 strikeouts, and 18 walks in 36 innings before landing back on the shelf. It's the latest setback for a Dodgers rotation that has been riddled with injuries. Before Gonsolin went down, they were already missing fellow starting options in Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki, Tyler Glasnow, and Gavin Stone, among others. The Dodgers still have Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Clayton Kershaw, Dustin May, and Justin Wrobleski in their rotation, but it's unclear who will take over for Gonsolin.

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The Dodgers announced that they have activated right-handed relievers Kirby Yates (hamstring) and Michael Kopech (shoulder) from the injured list. In other moves, the team designated righty Chris Stratton for assignment and placed RHP Tony Gonsolin (elbow) on the 15-day IL with discomfort in his pitching elbow. Yates, whom the Dodgers signed to a one-year, $13 million contract in free agency, last pitched May 17. He was charged with a loss to the Los Angeles Angels in that game after yielding three earned runs in one-third of an inning. Overall, Yates has a 4.34 ERA (with a much more palatable 2.91 xERA) and 31:6 K:BB in 18 2/3 frames. The 38-year-old was a good source of holds before his injury, picking up eight, and may be a candidate for saves with lefty Tanner Scott off to a shaky start. Scott has blown five of his 16 save opportunities. Kopech, meanwhile, is finally in line to make his season debut after battling multiple injuries since the spring. He had forearm issues and then dealt with a shoulder impingement. The hard-throwing 29-year-old racked up 67 2/3 innings of 3.46 ERA ball with 88:34 K:BB between the White Sox and Dodgers last season.

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Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout (knee) is progressing toward a return to right field, per Michael Huntley of the Orange County Register. After successfully taking outfield drills Friday, Trout will do so again Saturday, according to manager Ron Washington. The 33-year-old missed almost all of May with a bone bruise in his left knee. Since returning May 30, he has been the Angels' designated hitter, leaving Jorge Soler to handle right. Ideally, the Angels would rather deploy the defensively questionable Soler at DH. Trout has gone 10-of-25 since coming off the injured list, raising his line to .221/.302/.481 with 10 homers and 23 RBI in 149 trips to the plate. Trout's .399 xwOBA suggests he has deserved far better than his bottom-line production thus far. He'll face Seattle Mariners right-hander Luis Castillo on Saturday. Trout is 2-for-8 with an HR, four strikeouts, and a walk against Castillo.

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San Francisco Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee is not in the lineup for their meeting with the Atlanta Braves on Saturday. Daniel Johnson will take over in center field for Lee and occupy the leadoff spot for the Giants against right-hander Bryce Elder. A consistent presence near the top of San Francisco's lineup, Lee has gotten off to a nice start in his second year in the majors. The former KBO star is hitting .277/.331/.438 with six home runs, 32 RBI, and six stolen bases in 63 games and 266 plate appearances. Assuming Lee isn't sitting Saturday for an injury-related reason, he figures to draw back into the lineup Sunday against righty Spencer Strider.

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