The Cleveland Guardians transferred right-hander Gavin Williams (elbow) to the 60-day injured list on Thursday to make room on the 40-man roster for right-hander Darren McCaughan, who was acquired in a trade. Williams resumed throwing a week ago while recovering from a right-elbow injury, but he still has a ways to go before he's an option to rejoin the team's major-league starting rotation. When the 24-year-old is healthy, though, he should have a rotation spot waiting for him in Cleveland after he went 3-5 with a 3.29 ERA (4.05 FIP) and 1.26 WHIP while walking 37 and striking out 81 in 82 innings over his first 16 major-league starts in 2023. If Williams can reduce his number of walks when he returns, he could be a major contributor in all fantasy leagues.

From RotoBaller

The Cleveland Guardians acquired right-hander Darren McCaughan from the Miami Marlins on Thursday in exchange for cash considerations. The move comes after the Marlins designated McCaughan for assignment after he allowed eight earned runs on nine hits (three home runs) while walking three and striking out only two in 4 2/3 innings against the Oakland Athletics in his lone appearance on Saturday. The 28-year-old will now give the Guardians both starting and relieving depth in the minors after they sent him to Triple-A Columbus. McCaughan has a 9.16 career ERA (8.65 FIP) and 1.82 WHIP with 10 walks and 14 strikeouts in 18 2/3 innings over six appearances (one start) in his three years in the big leagues. He remains far off the fantasy radar.

From RotoBaller

Houston Astros right-hander Jose Urquidy (forearm) is scheduled to make his first minor-league rehab start for Triple-A Sugar Land on Sunday. Manager Joe Espada said the plan is for Urquidy to go around four innings or 60 to 65 pitches. Urquidy is finally ready to start pitching in games again after being out since the middle of March in spring training with a right-forearm strain. Given how long the 29-year-old has been out, we should expect him to make multiple rehab outings in the minors before the Astros even consider activating him from the injured list. Urquidy, who missed a large chunk of last season as well due to injury, won't even be guaranteed a starting rotation spot when he's cleared to rejoin the big-league club.

From RotoBaller

Updating a previous report, San Francisco Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee (foot) was absent from the team's starting lineup on Thursday against the Colorado Rockies in the series finale after fouling a ball off his foot in the win on Wednesday night. Manager Bob Melvin said Lee is getting treatment and the team will see how he feels on Friday before the start of the series opener versus the visiting Cincinnati Reds. Fantasy managers need to consider the 25-year-old as day-to-day for now and check back to see if he's active on Friday. Austin Slater got the nod in center field for the Gigantes on Thursday and was hitting sixth in the order. Lee is currently in the midst of a modest six-game hitting streak in May, going 9-for-29 (.310) in the span with a double and an RBI. He's provided a decent batting average and on-base percentage so far in his first year in the big leagues but with little power (two homers).

From RotoBaller

With right-hander Cristian Javier (neck) returning from the injured list to start on Saturday against the Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros manager Joe Espada said it's undecided how the starting rotation will adjust. A six-man rotation is still a possibility. Right-hander Hunter Brown, who was on turn to go this Saturday, could be available out of the bullpen this weekend. The 25-year-old last pitched on Sunday but is the logical candidate to lose out with Javier returning, as he's so far posted an ugly 8.89 ERA and 2.19 WHIP with 18 walks and 29 strikeouts in 27 1/3 innings over his first seven starts of the year to go along with an 0-4 record. If Brown doesn't pitch out of the bullpen this weekend, he could get the start against the Oakland Athletics on Monday. Either way, Brown's fantasy value, which was already on life support, is taking another hit with the return of Javier.

From RotoBaller

Houston Astros right-hander Cristian Javier (neck) will start on Saturday against the Detroit Tigers in the Motor City, with lefty Framber Valdez starting the series opener on Friday and right-hander Justin Verlander going on Sunday. While it's a solid matchup for Javier, fantasy baseball managers need to remember that Javier has been out almost a month with a neck injury. In his lone minor-league rehab start with Double-A Corpus Christi, Javier gave up three runs in just 3 1/3 innings (68 pitches), so he's also probably not going to go very deep in his first start back in Detroit on Saturday. Even though he might be a shaky starting option this weekend, Javier deserves to be rostered in all fantasy formats after starting the year 2-0 with a 1.54 ERA and 1.11 WHIP with 18 strikeouts in 23 1/3 innings over his first four starts.

From RotoBaller

New York Yankees catcher Jose Trevino will take a seat in favor of Austin Wells for the second straight day on Thursday against the visiting Houston Astros. Wells is catching right-hander Marcus Stroman and will hit eighth in the batting order against Astros right-hander Ronel Blanco. Wells will be making his 21st start of the season, while Trevino has started 18 games for the Yankees, so it's basically been a pretty even timeshare behind the dish in the Bronx for the two. The 31-year-old Trevino has been better offensively, hitting .281 (18-for-64) with two homers and 11 RBI, while Wells enters Thursday's game slashing just .200/.333/.317 with a homer and three RBI in 60 at-bats. Those setting DFS lineups on Thursday should look elsewhere at the catching position than Wells.

From RotoBaller

The Atlanta Braves acquired infielder Zack Short from the Boston Red Sox on Thursday in exchange for cash considerations. The move comes after the Braves shipped veteran infielder Luis Guillorme to the Los Angeles Angels for cash considerations on the same day. The 28-year-old Short will be on his third MLB team of the year after starting the season with the New York Mets. In 12 games with the Mets and Red Sox this year, he's gone 1-for-16 with two walks and eight strikeouts. Short will operate in a utility bench role in Atlanta and may not stick around for long there, either. The former 17th-round pick by the Chicago Cubs in 2016 out of Sacred Heart has hit just .169/.262/.299 with 13 home runs, 55 RBI and eight stolen bases in 189 career games played in the majors since debuting in 2021.

From RotoBaller

Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Johan Oviedo (elbow) is coming close to the six-month mark in his rehab from Tommy John surgery, which is when he might get final clearance to resume throwing. The clearance could come next week and would be another step toward getting Oviedo ready to pitch next season. The 26-year-old underwent Tommy John surgery in early December of last year and will not be available to pitch for the Pirates at all in 2024. The Cuban right-hander made a career-high 32 starts for the Bucs in 2023 and went 9-14 with a 4.31 ERA (4.49 FIP) and 1.37 WHIP with 83 walks and 158 strikeouts in 177 2/3 innings pitched. Unsurprisingly, consistency was an issue for Oviedo in his first full season as a starter in the big leagues, and he's going to need to show better command when he returns in 2025 to have any shot at fantasy relevance in single-season leagues.

From RotoBaller

Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Ian Gibaut (arm) had anterior interosseous nerve-release surgery on his right arm on Thursday, but manager David Bell said the hope is that he's still able to return this season. Gibaut had been dealing with right-arm issues since late February and will now be out even longer. The 30-year-old is currently on the 60-day injured list and won't be able to rejoin Cincinnati's bullpen until some point in the second half of the season. The former 11th-round pick by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2015 out of Tulane was a key part of the Reds' bullpen last year, going 8-4 with a 3.33 ERA (4.07 FIP) and 1.28 WHIP with a career-high three saves, 28 walks and a career-high 69 strikeouts in 75 2/3 innings over 74 relief appearances.

From RotoBaller

Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Daniel Duarte (elbow) will miss the rest of the 2024 season after having UCL revision reconstruction on his elbow on Tuesday in Dallas. The typical recovery timeline for these injuries is 14 to 16 months. The 27-year-old right-hander is not only going to miss the rest of this year, but he'll also most likely be sidelined into the second half of 2025 as well. The Mexican hurler only made two appearances out of Minnesota's bullpen this year and allowed one earned run on two hits while walking one and striking out three in four innings. In his three MLB seasons to this point, Duarte has a 3.99 ERA (6.10 FIP), a 1.38 WHIP, one save, 24 walks and 28 strikeouts in 38 1/3 relief innings for the Twins and Cincinnati Reds.

From RotoBaller

Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Jason Delay (knee) caught pitcher Bailey Falter's bullpen session on Wednesday, the first time he has done that since having knee surgery last month. He didn't have any issues and has also been playing catch up to 120 feet and taking swings off a tee. There are discussions of moving Delay's rehab to the team's Florida complex, which could happen soon. The 29-year-old underwent surgery in the middle of April to fix the meniscus in his right knee. He's making progress, but Delay has a ways to go in his recovery and might not be back with the team as a backup option before the All-Star break. In his one game played in 2024 before his knee injury, Delay went hitless in three at-bats with an RBI and a walk.

From RotoBaller

San Francisco Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee and third baseman Matt Chapman are both receiving the day off for Thursday's series finale in Colorado against the Rockies. Austin Slater is starting in center field and is batting sixth, while Wilmer Flores is manning the hot corner and is batting cleanup against Rockies right-hander Cal Quantrill. Lee is currently riding a six-game hitting streak but will take a seat for the first time since April 24. Chapman has cooled off at the plate after a hot start in the first month of the season. It's his first day of rest since April 20. Flores is hitless in four career at-bats against Quantrill and is hitting just .213 (19-for-89) on the year with one home run and 13 RBI in 32 games, but he'll be a DFS sleeper on Thursday in the cleanup spot at hitter-friendly Coors Field.

From RotoBaller

Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Ryan Pepiot (leg) was placed on the 15-day injured list on Wednesday with a lower left-leg contusion after getting hit by a comebacker in Sunday's outing against the New York Mets, but he played catch on Wednesday and said multiple times he expects he'll be ready when he's eligible to return. X-rays and a CT scan showed no fracture in Pepiot's left leg, but follow-up imaging showed there was more of a bruise on his bone than anticipated, and the Rays decided to play it safe. The 26-year-old will be able to return to the team on May 21, so fantasy managers should expect him back by then. In his first seven starts (36 2/3 innings) for the Rays, Pepiot has gone 3-2 with a solid 3.68 ERA and 0.93 WHIP with 41 strikeouts. Keep him stashed with a quick return expected.

From RotoBaller

Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Jacob Waguespack (shoulder) suffered a right-shoulder injury in his last outing with Triple-A Durham that isn't expected to require a significant stint on the shelf. Instead of leaving him on the minor-league injured list, the Rays recalled him and placed him on the 15-day IL on Monday. If Waguespack were to suffer a setback, it would required him to be moved to the 60-day IL to clear a spot on the 40-man roster. This way, if he's eventually put on the 60-day IL, he will be eligible to return after serving the minimum 60 days. The 30-year-old made four appearances (one starts) for the Rays before his injury and allowed seven runs (six earned) on 13 hits (one homer) while walking 10 and striking out 11 in just 10 innings.

From RotoBaller

The Los Angeles Angels acquired infielder Luis Guillorme from the Atlanta Braves on Thursday in exchange for cash considerations, according to sources. The 29-year-old had signed a one-year, $1.1 million deal with the Braves in the offseason. Guillorme only appeared in nine games for Atlanta, going 3-for-20 (.150) with three RBI in 21 plate appearances. A backup infielder with the Braves, Guillorme will now have a much better shot at playing time in Anaheim, mainly at third base with Anthony Rendon (hamstring) out until at least late June and probably longer. Guillorme can provide infield versatility and gives the Halos a nice contact hitter from the left side, but his fantasy impact will likely be limited to AL-only leagues, depending on how much he actually plays. He's a career .258/.341/.331 hitter with only five homers, 51 RBI and four steals in seven big-league seasons.

From RotoBaller

Arizona Diamondbacks left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez (shoulder) got good news from his MRI exam on Wednesday. His tests showed healing, and it appears that he's close to starting a throwing program, according to manager Torey Lovullo. Rodriguez is probably still a month or so away from a potential return, though. The 31-year-old veteran southpaw was shut down in mid-April with left-shoulder tightness and has yet to make his 2024 debut with the Diamondbacks at this point. E-Rod is making some progress, but he still has a ways to go and can be left to the waiver wire in standard 12-team fantasy leagues for the time being. He had a career-best 3.30 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in his final season with the Detroit Tigers last year, but the underlying numbers show that Rodriguez was a bit fortunate. Along with his injury concerns, Rodriguez is a streamer, at best, in deep-mixed leagues when he returns.

From RotoBaller

To make room on the roster for infielder Luis Guillorme on Thursday, the Los Angeles Angels transferred third baseman Anthony Rendon (hamstring) to the 60-day injured list. It means that Rendon won't be eligible to come off the IL until June 21. The 33-year-old oft-injured veteran is on the shelf yet again with the Halos after suffering a high-grade partial tear of his left hamstring almost three weeks ago. We'll know more about a specific timetable for Rendon's potential return in another few weeks, but he's unlikely to be ready to come back when he's eligible to come off the IL on June 21. Luis Rengifo, Brandon Drury, Ehire Adrianza and Cole Tucker have all been options at third base for the Angels since Rendon's injury, and now Guillorme could get his shot after being acquired from the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday.

From RotoBaller

Toronto Blue Jays pitching prospect Ricky Tiedemann (elbow) has resumed throwing from flat ground at the team's spring training complex in Dunedin, Fla., and it could be a couple more weeks until he's back throwing off a mound. It's good news for the Blue Jays' top pitching prospect and the No. 25 overall prospect in baseball, per MLB Pipeline. However, fantasy managers that are stashing Tiedemann in single-year leagues may never get to use him in 2024. There's no timeline for the 21-year-old left-hander's return to game action in the minors, and given the fact that he also dealt with an arm issue in 2023, Toronto certainly is going to slow-play their best pitching prospect. Before his elbow injury, Tiedemann was struggling to the tune of a 5.63 ERA with nine walks and 10 strikeouts in his three starts for Triple-A Buffalo.

From RotoBaller

Washington Nationals outfield prospect James Wood is currently slashing a ridiculous .339/.444/.529 with a .973 OPS, 11 doubles, 14 RBI, 23 walks, 30 strikeouts, eight stolen bases and four home runs with Triple-A Rochester. The club's No. 2 prospect and No. 12 in all of baseball, per MLB Pipeline, hit two of his four homers on Wednesday. It's looking like Wood has nothing left to prove in the minors, but Washington has a plan for him and they plan on sticking to it. Despite his electric start this year, the Nats have more boxes for the 21-year-old to check before he makes his big-league debut. "He needs to get a bunch of at-bats," Martinez said. "He needs to learn some different things." The team's active 26-man roster is in a bit of a crunch at the major-league level right now, too. Wood is going to get his chance eventually this year, though, and he should be stashed in all fantasy leagues if you have the room.

From RotoBaller