Chicago Cubs outfield prospect Owen Caissie continues to succeed at Triple-A and is making a case for a much earlier-than-anticipated major league promotion. Across 26 games with Triple-A Iowa, the 21-year-old has posted a .289/.418/.433 stat line with one home run and three stolen bases. Caissie has also tallied ten extra-base hits. Over the past seven days, the number three prospect in the Chicago system has logged a .389/.542/.444 line with an impressive 6:9 BB:K ratio. Caissie may join the major league roster later this summer and be given the opportunity quite soon as Cubs outfielders Cody Bellinger (ribs) and Seiya Suzuki (oblique) have sustained serious injuries and may miss an extended period. Caissie should be rostered in all dynasty and keeper formats and should be monitored in deeper redraft leagues.

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The Toronto Blue Jays placed right-handed rookie Yariel Rodriguez (spine) on the 15-day injured list on Tuesday with thoracic-spine inflammation and recalled right-hander Zach Pop from Triple-A Buffalo in a corresponding move. Rodriguez began experiencing soreness in his back during his outing on Monday night against the Kansas City Royals in which he allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits while walking three and striking out one in 3 2/3 innings. Given the nature of the injury, fantasy managers shouldn't be surprised if the 27-year-old Cuban hurler misses more than the 15 days on the IL. Rodriguez hasn't been bad in his first four MLB starts, but he also hasn't gone past four innings pitched in any of his outings while sporting a 4.11 ERA and 1.76 WHIP with 16 K's in 15 1/3 frames. It's unclear who will take Rodriguez's spot in Toronto's rotation for at least the next two weeks.

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Cincinnati Reds starting pitching prospect Lyon Richardson delivered another strong outing on Tuesday, where he tossed five shutout innings with seven punchouts. Richardson has not allowed over two runs in his past three starts and has lowered his ERA to 2.74. The 24-year-old got a small taste of the majors last season but struggled with an 8.64 ERA and 1.92 WHIP across 16 innings. However, Richardson has never performed this well at Triple-A, suggesting that he may have taken another step forward in his development. The former second-round selection should be given another opportunity in the majors later in the summer and may be worth adding in NL-only formats when he is promoted.

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The Detroit Tigers reinstated infielder/outfielder Andy Ibanez (hamstring) from the 10-day injured list on Tuesday and optioned infielder Buddy Kennedy to Triple-A Toledo after Sunday's game in a corresponding move. Ibanez didn't play at all in the 2-1 loss on Tuesday to the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 1 of a doubleheader, but he's starting at second base and batting second in Game 2 against Cardinals left-hander Steven Matz. The 31-year-old is back from a stint on the IL due to a strained left hamstring and should see starts against left-handed pitchers moving forward. The Cuban infielder returns to a .267/.235/.267 slash line with no home runs and three RBI in just 15 at-bats in 2024. Ibanez is only an option in AL-only leagues for middle-infield depth.

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San Francisco Giants left-hander Blake Snell (groin) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Wednesday, according to the team. Snell is recovering from a Grade 2 adductor strain that put him on the injured list last week. The 31-year-old left-hander is hoping to spend the minimum 15 days on the IL, but fantasy managers should probably expect him to be out a bit longer than that, especially considering he got a late start to the 2024 season because he signed with the Giants right before the season started. Already known as a slow starter, last year's National League Cy Young winner went 0-3 with an 11.57 ERA (4.62 FIP) and 1.97 WHIP with five walks and 12 strikeouts in 11 2/3 innings in his three starts before getting hurt. Snell shouldn't be on any waiver wires, though, and could easily rebound once he's healthy given his high-end strikeout upside.

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The Texas Rangers are pushing right-hander Max Scherzer's (back, thumb) next minor-league rehab start with Double-A Frisco back a few days after he experienced some soreness in his thumb after his last outing at Triple-A Round Rock, according to general manager Chris Young. Scherzer will hopefully make his next rehab start by the end of the week. The 39-year-old's surgically repaired back has apparently held up well, though, which is the main takeaway here for fantasy managers that have been stashing the three-time Cy Young winner. In his lone rehab start with Round Rock, Scherzer allowed three earned runs while walking none and striking out four in 2 1/3 innings, so he still has a ways to go to build up his arm before making his 2024 MLB debut. Barring setbacks, Scherzer should be back in Texas' rotation at some point next month.

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Washington Nationals outfield prospect James Wood is currently riding a seven-game hit streak entering Tuesday. During this stretch, the 21-year-old has tallied three extra-base hits with a .467/.529/.600 stat line with two stolen bases. The number two prospect in the Washington system has been dominant during the young part of the season with an overall .330/.435/.495 line with two long balls and seven stolen bases. Wood is making quite the case for an early major league promotion and is a popular stash candidate in redraft formats. With his excellent power and speed combination, Wood should be expected to make a significant impact when he is given the call.

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Updating a previous report, Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout (knee) has a torn meniscus in his left knee that will require surgery, according to general manager Perry Minasian. The procedure, which is believed to be scheduled for Friday, isn't considered season-ending. It's a silver lining for the 11-time All-Star, who has missed significant time the last several seasons due to injuries. A source familiar with Trout's injury said a four- to six-week timetable is a best-case scenario, but a true timetable won't be established until he goes under the knife later this week. The 32-year-old three-time MVP is currently tied for the major-league lead in home runs with 10, but he's also hitting just .220 (24-for-109) with 14 RBI and six stolen bases. Fantasy managers must keep him stashed in an injured-list spot for the time being. Former first overall pick Mickey Moniak is expected to start regularly in center field for the Angels with Trout sidelined.

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Cincinnati Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson (wrist) remains out of the starting lineup ahead of Tuesday's game against the San Diego Padres. Stephenson will miss his third straight game due to a lingering wrist issue. The assumption is that Stephenson is day-to-day and should return later this week. It'll be Luke Maile handling the catching duties versus right-hander Yu Darvish on Tuesday.

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Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz (rest) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Tuesday's game against the Oakland Athletics. This appears to be a routine rest day for the left-handed slugger. Cruz is slashing .094/.121/.094 against left-handed pitchers this season, so it makes sense that they'd give him the night off against southpaw Alex Wood. It'll be Alika Williams batting ninth and playing shortstop on Tuesday.

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Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Jake Flaherty put together a brilliant performance against the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday. The right-hander recorded a career-high 14 strikeouts over 6 2/3 scoreless innings during Tuesday's no-decision. Flaherty struck out seven straight batters to open up the contest. Sadly for Flaherty, the Tigers bullpen coughed up the lead in the ninth inning which cost him his first victory of the season. He'll take a 4.00 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and 50/5 K/BB ratio into his next start against the Cleveland Guardians.

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Cincinnati Reds first baseman Christian Encarnacion-Strand (wrist) remains out of the starting lineup ahead of Tuesday's game against the San Diego Padres. The 24-year-old underwent an MRI which didn't reveal any significant damage. The hope is that Encarnacion-Strand can return at some point during the week. In the meantime, Jeimer Candelario will cover first base and bat seventh versus right-hander Yu Darvish.

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Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel (back) is uncertain for Tuesday's game against the New York Yankees. The veteran reliever left Sunday's game due to back tightness. He is currently considered as day-to-day. Orioles' manager Brandon Hyde said he was unsure if Kimbrel would be available for Tuesday's game. The right-hander will likely throw pregame before the team decides on his availability. If he's out, Yennier Cano figures to remain the closer in Baltimore for at least one more night.

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Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout (knee) is expected to undergo surgery in the near future. This comes as a shock considering there was no word of Trout dealing with a serious knee issue. The timetable for his return is unknown right now, but the injury isn't expected to be season-ending. There should be more details on this situation in the coming days. Fantasy managers should prepare to be without Trout for the foreseeable future.

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Houston Astros outfielder Joey Loperfido is starting in left field and is batting seventh in his major-league debut on Tuesday against the visiting Cleveland Guardians and right-hander Carlos Carrasco. Loperfido, the Astros' No. 6 prospect per MLB Pipeline, could see a decent amount of at-bats between first base and the outfield after the team optioned struggling first baseman Jose Abreu to the minors. The 24-year-old left-handed hitter was a former seventh-round pick in 2021 out of Duke and got the promotion to the majors after hitting .287 (29-for-101) with 13 home runs, 27 RBI and five steals in 25 games for Triple-A Sugar Land. Fantasy managers in deep-mixed leagues may want to hold off spending a bunch of waiver money on the youngster, but his power numbers at Sugar Land make him tempting as the Astros look to turn around their slow start in 2024.

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Boston Red Sox middle infielder Vaughn Grissom (hamstring, illness) isn't coming off the 10-day injured list on Tuesday because he has the flu. Grissom was expected to be activated from the IL for the game against the visiting San Francisco Giants, but he's being delayed while under the weather. Whenever he eventually joins the Red Sox, the 23-year-old former 11th-round selection by the Atlanta Braves in 2019 should be the team's regular second baseman in Beantown. Given Grissom's power/speed abilities, fantasy managers should be looking to pick him up off the waiver wire if he's still available. In 64 major-league games with the Braves in 2022 and 2023, Grissom hit .287/.339/.407 with five home runs, 27 RBI and five stolen bases.

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Boston Red Sox outfielder/designated hitter Masataka Yoshida (hand), who is out of the lineup on Tuesday against the visiting San Francisco Giants, is going for an MRI exam on his injured left hand on Wednesday. Yoshida is active on Tuesday but is unlikely to play. The 30-year-old jammed his hand in the game on Sunday against the Chicago Cubs and could miss additional time, depending on the results of his MRI. With Yoshida out on Tuesday, Tyler O'Neill is serving as the designated hitter and batting third, while Rob Refsnyder is in left field and hitting fifth against Giants right-hander Logan Webb. Yoshida, who has basically been the team's full-time DH, is hitting a decent .275 (22-for-80) but with only two home runs and 11 RBI to this point through the first month of the season.

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Boston Red Sox right-hander Nick Pivetta (elbow) is expected to make a minor-league rehab start on Thursday, and barring any setbacks in that outing, the expectation is that he'll be ready to return to the Red Sox's starting rotation afterwards. Pivetta threw 50 pitches during a live batting practice session on Saturday and is expected to only need one rehab start before the Red Sox feel comfortable reinstating him from the injured list. If the 31-year-old doesn't have any setbacks on Thursday in the minors, he could make his next big-league start against the Atlanta Braves in their two-game series next week. That would be a matchup to fade Pivetta in fantasy, but the Canadian pitcher deserves to be rostered in pretty much all leagues after he started off the year with a 0.82 ERA and 0.82 WHIP with 13 K's in 11 innings in his first two starts before getting hurt.

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New York Mets outfielder Harrison Bader is getting the day off on Tuesday as the team takes on the visiting Chicago Cubs. Tyrone Taylor will replace him in center field and will hit sixth in the batting order against Cubs right-hander Javier Assad. Bader has cooled off in his last 26 plate appearances, going 3-for-26 with one RBI and four strikeouts in his last seven games to drop his season slash line to .265/.291/.325 in 86 plate appearances. The former third-rounder of the St. Louis Cardinals in 2015 out of Florida has just one home run on the year to go with seven RBI, five runs scored and 10 runs scored. Taylor is hitting .279 (17-for-61) with two home runs, 13 RBI and two steals on the year but will be a low-upside DFS sleeper toward the bottom of New York's batting order.

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As expected, the New York Mets activated outfielder Starling Marte from the bereavement list on Tuesday and optioned infielder Mark Vientos to Triple-A Syracuse in a corresponding move. However, Marte won't make the start on Tuesday versus the visiting Chicago Cubs, with DJ Stewart in right field and batting seventh against Cubs right-hander Javier Assad. The 35-year-old Marte will miss his fourth straight game but should be back in the lineup on Wednesday for the Mets. He's managed to stay healthy so far this year and is hitting a strong .288 (30-for-104) with four home runs, 12 RBI, six stolen bases and 16 runs scored in his first 25 games. Stewart has never faced Assad in his career and is hitting just .200 so far with three home runs for the Mets.

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