Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said on Saturday that right-hander Max Scherzer (back, thumb) is still in a holding pattern until his right-thumb soreness subsides. The Rangers pushed Scherzer's scheduled minor-league rehab start for Double-A Frisco on April 30 back a few days because of his thumb soreness. He traveled with the team to Kansas City on Friday but has yet to throw off a mound since being pushed back. "He's not at a point where he can play catch. Every day he's getting a bit better, but it's slower than he would like. You can't rush it. It's day to day with this thing before he gets on the mound," Bochy said. Scherzer was originally slated to return in late June/early July after having surgery on his back for a herniated disc on Dec. 15, but his timeline has accelerated and he should be able to rejoin Texas' rotation in May, barring any further setbacks.

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Texas Rangers right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (groin), who was placed on the 15-day injured list after leaving his start last Thursday with a right-groin strain, isn't expected to be on the IL for long or need a minor-league rehab assignment once he's able to return. "He's feeling pretty good. We're optimistic this will be a short little stint on the IL. We are just making sure we are covering all the bases," manager Bruce Bochy said. It's great news for the Rangers and Eovaldi's fantasy managers. The veteran hurler needs to be stashed in all fantasy formats after he's started the season with a 2-2 record with a 2.61 ERA in his seven starts. Until Eovaldi returns, there's a chance pitching prospect Jack Leiter will take his spot in Texas' starting rotation.

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Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Dean Kremer struck out six in a dominating fashion on Sunday in the 11-1 win against the Cincinnati Reds. Kremer continued racking up the strikeouts while recording his third-straight win, moving to 3-2 on the season. He pitched six scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and a walk while striking out six. Kremer holds a 3.57 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, and a 37:11 K: BB in seven starts. Since getting torched for eight runs by the Brewers on April 13, Kremer has bounced back and allowed seven runs (2.63 ERA) over his previous four starts (24 innings). The 28-year-old next projected start is against the Arizona Diamondbacks, who have had more difficulties against right-handed pitchers this season, making Kremer a solid streamer in most league formats.

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Cincinnati Reds right-hander Frankie Montas (forearm) is listed as the team's starter for Tuesday's contest against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks. It appears Montas will be activated from the injured list to make his return to Cincy's starting rotation on Tuesday. He's been on the IL since April 22 with a right-forearm issue and threw a couple of bullpen sessions last week. The fact that he didn't make any minor-league rehab starts before being thrown back into the fire should make fantasy managers hesitant to throw him back into their starting lineups immediately, especially against an Arizona offense that currently ranks 12th in baseball with a .714 OPS. The 31-year-old is attempting to bounce back from injuries the last two years and has so far gone 2-2 with the Reds with a 4.19 ERA, 1.45 WHIP and 14 K's in 19 1/3 innings over five starts.

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Seattle Mariners right-hander George Kirby (knee) has been cleared to make his next start this Wednesday to face the Twins in Minnesota. Kirby threw 88 pitches in his most recent start last Friday against the Houston Astros but dealt with a right-knee injury, which put him up in the air to make his next start. Apparently the 26-year-old's injury isn't serious enough to keep him from taking his next turn in Seattle's rotation, but fantasy managers may want to be a little extra careful when deploying him against a Twins team that just had their 12-game winning streak snapped on Sunday by the Boston Red Sox. Kirby has been good in his seven starts so far in 2024, going 3-2 with a 3.76 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 41 strikeouts in 38 1/3 innings, so fantasy managers in most single-year leagues will probably want to keep him in their starting lineups.

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Boston Red Sox right-hander Chris Martin (shoulder) hasn't pitched since last Wednesday and is a candidate to land on the injured list this week because of lingering soreness in his left shoulder. The Red Sox are concerned the injury will alter his mechanics and lead to issues with his right throwing arm. The good news is that the 37-year-old's injury isn't to his throwing arm, but nevertheless, he may be forced to miss a couple of weeks. The Red Sox have a scheduled day off on Monday, so if Martin does go on the IL, that move will likely come on Tuesday before the series opener against the Braves in Atlanta. Martin has so far gone 1-1 on the season with a 5.11 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and 13 strikeouts in 12 1/3 innings out of Boston's bullpen.

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Kansas City Royals left-hander Cole Ragans (calf) is slated to make his next start on Monday against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers. Ragans dealt with cramping in his left calf in his most recent start last Tuesday against the Toronto Blue Jays after throwing 6 2/3 innings. It was obviously just a minor injury, and the 26-year-old southpaw is ready to go for his next turn through KC's rotation. With a two-start week on tap, fantasy managers are going to want to lock Ragans into their starting lineups this week despite coming off an injury in his last start. He's set to face the Los Angeles Angels this Saturday. Ragans is currently 2-2 with a 3.44 ERA and 1.36 WHIP while walking 13 and striking out 46 in 36 2/3 innings over his first seven starts of the season.

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New York Yankees infielder DJ LeMahieu (foot) hit a little bit over the weekend on Saturday and Sunday, according to manager Aaron Boone, but the skipper wasn't ready to say whether LeMahieu is close to going on a minor-league rehab assignment. "I don't know if he's that close to being ready for rehab," Boone said. It's good news that LeMahieu is doing baseball activities, but the 35-year-old veteran still doesn't appear close to coming off the injured list to make his 2024 debut. He was originally shut down late in April after more swelling in his injured foot. When healthy, LeMahieu is expected to be the team's starter at third base while hitting at the top of the batting order, but fantasy managers are running out of patience. Until LeMahieu is able to return, Oswaldo Cabrera will continue to see most of the playing time at the hot corner in the Bronx.

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Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander James Paxton recorded his fourth win of the season against the Atlanta Braves on Sunday in a 5-1 victory. Paxton went 6 innings, allowing one run on five hits and two walks while striking out three. He has now recorded back-to-back wins in two starts. The 35-year-old has pitched 32 innings in six starts, holding a 3.06 ERA with a 5.01 K/9 and 6.68 BB/9 rate. His next projected start is against the San Diego Padres, who had already given him troubles earlier this season. Despite surrendering eight walks in last start against the Padres, Paxton has pitched well enough recently to be used as a streamer in most league formats.

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Oakland Athletics outfielder Esteury Ruiz (wrist) is going for an MRI exam on Monday on his left wrist after the way he landed on a diving catch in the outfield in Saturday's game against the Miami Marlins. Manager Mark Kotsay wouldn't say if Ruiz was unavailable for the series finale against Miami on Sunday. The 25-year-old never ended up appearing in Sunday's 12-3 loss, and there's a good chance he won't be available for the series opener on Monday against the division-rival Texas Rangers, either. How much additional time the speedster will miss will depend on the results of his MRI. Since being sent down to the minors early in the year, Ruiz has returned to hit just .229 (8-for-35) with two home runs, six RBI and three stolen bases in 15 games. As long as he's playing regularly for Oakland, he's valuable in fantasy for his wheels.

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Miami Marlins outfielder Nick Gordon had a day at the plate in Sunday's 12-3 victory against the Oakland A's. Gordon went 4-for-4 with one homer, two runs, and three RBI with one walk. The 28-year-old has had a rough start to the season, hitting .207 (17-for-82) with three doubles, four homers, eight runs, 15 RBI, four walks, and 17 strikeouts in 31 games this season. On Monday, Miami will start a three-game road trip against the Los Angeles Dodgers, bringing more challenges for the struggling team. Gordon does frequent the starting lineup but is mainly an option in NL-Only or deep-league formats.

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Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Jose Caballero went nuts on the basepaths on Sunday, swiping four bags in a 7-6 win over the New York Mets. Caballero didn't actually get a hit in this one, going 0-for-2 with three walks and three runs scored to go with the four steals. He now has 13 stolen bases on the season, putting him fourth in the majors in that category. For his speed alone, he should be rostered in most category leagues.

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Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Alek Manoah got rocked in his first start of the season against the Washington Nationals on Sunday. Manoah allowed seven runs (six earned) in just four innings, giving up six hits and walking four while striking out six. He showed glimpses of his former self, but overall it was a lackluster performance for the big righty. The Jays have already committed to Manoah for at least one more start, but he will have to be much better to instill confidence that they can keep rolling with him. Fantasy managers should not consider starting Manoah until he can consistently deliver good outings, and he can be dropped outside of the deepest of leagues.

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Baltimore Orioles' CF Anthony Santander had five RBIs going 3-for-4 with a home run in a 11-1 win over Cincinnati on Sunday, May. 5.

Baltimore Orioles outfielder Anthony Santander had a big day at the dish in Sunday's 11-1 drubbing of the Cincinnati Reds. Santander finished the day 3-for-4 with a homer, two runs scored, and five RBI. The 29-year-old put the finishing touches on the offensive outburst, hitting a three-run homer in the ninth. Santander desperately needed the big game, as his triple slash line heading in was a dreadful .200/.276/.392 with only five homers. It's been a step back this year for the veteran, but a day like today could wake him up and turn him back into the four-category contributor that fantasy managers expected when they drafted him.

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Houston Astros closer Josh Hader was charged with the loss in a 5-4 defeat at the hands of the Seattle Mariners on Sunday. Hader gave up a homer in the ninth inning of a tie game to Cal Raleigh to take his third loss of the year. The lefty appeared to be figuring things out heading into this one, with no earned runs allowed in his last four innings pitched, but he can't seem to find his consistency this season. His ERA rises to 6.14 and his WHIP to 1.43, although he does have 24 strikeouts in 14 IP. He also still only has three saves, which has to be the biggest disappointment for fantasy managers.

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Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani continued his ridiculous pace on Sunday, smacking a pair of homers in a 5-1 win over the Atlanta Braves. Ohtani went 4-for-4 with the aforementioned two homers, two runs scored, and three RBI. The big performance makes the two-time MVP's stat line even more incredible, with a .364 AVG, 30 R, 10 HR, 25 RBI, and seven SB rounding out the five-category beast's contributions. Ohtani could end the year with some ridiculous numbers if he can keep up a pace anywhere close to his current one, something that just might be possible for someone of his caliber.

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Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal dominated the New York Yankees on Sunday, striking out 12 while allowing just two runs over six innings. Skubal allowed just six hits and didn't walk a batter in this one, taking a tough-luck no-decision. The 27-year-old has been brilliant this season, going 4-0 with a 1.90 ERA and 0.77 WHIP along with 53 strikeouts in 42 IP. He is a frontrunner for the A.L. Cy Young and should be considered a fantasy ace.

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San Francisco Giants starting pitcher prospect Mason Black will make his major league debut on Monday against the Philadelphia Phillies. Black, San Francisco's No. 7 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, has performed well at Triple-A this season, pitching to a 1.01 ERA and 0.90 WHIP to go with 29 strikeouts in 26 IP. With Blake Snell (groin) still on the mend, Black could see at least a few turns through the rotation. If he can perform well, the Giants could keep him around even when Snell returns. He shouldn't be in fantasy lineups for Monday's start, but adding him in deeper leagues and sticking him on the bench to see what happens isn't a bad idea.

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San Francisco Giants outfielder Jorge Soler (shoulder) was unavailable on Sunday due to a "shoulder thing", according to manager Bob Melvin. Soler was out of the starting lineup today, but the shoulder injury is a new development. It explains why the slugger wasn't used in the ninth inning with the Giants down one run. The injury doesn't sound like a major concern, but fantasy managers should check Soler's status before tomorrow's game and remove him from lineups if he isn't starting. With the Giants having seven games next week, including a weekend series against the Colorado Rockies, this would be an inopportune time for Soler to miss.

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