Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Brandon Lowe did his best to help his team against the visiting Philadelphia Phillies at PNC Park on Friday, but it was not enough in a 10-inning, 11-9 loss. Lowe went 2-for-5 at the plate with two home runs, three RBI, and two strikeouts to raise his season average to .252 and his OPS to .915. Lowe now has four home runs in 12 games in May and 12 home runs overall in 39 games to begin his first year in the Steel City with the Bucs. The veteran left-handed-hitting second baseman came into Friday's series opener with a .247/.351/.527 slash line, an .878 OPS, 28 RBI, and 24 runs scored in 171 total plate appearances. The two-time All-Star reached the 30-homer mark for the second time in 2025 in his final year with the Tampa Bay Rays, and he's on pace to get there again in 2026 if he can stay healthy. Lowe brings above-average pop to the second base position for fantasy managers, but he also has a lengthy injury history. So far, he's been an excellent value pick for fantasy managers.

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Philadelphia Phillies outfielder/designated hitter Kyle Schwarber is on another planet right now. The veteran slugger went 3-for-5 at the plate in Friday night's 11-9 win in extra innings over the hosting Pittsburgh Pirates with two more home runs, five RBI, a walk, and a strikeout to raise his season average to .237 and his OPS to 1.010. The 33-year-old veteran is as hot as they come and now has the major-league lead with 20 home runs and has also driven in 35 in his first 45 games of the 2026 season. Schwarber is seeing the ball really well right now and has homered nine times in his last eight games despite hitting just .237 overall on the year. Strikeouts will continue to be a big part of his game, but as long as he continues to send balls over the fence with regularity, his fantasy managers won't care too much. In his last seven games, he has a 1.133 slugging percentage, and he pulls the ball in the air more than any hitter in baseball. He's a sight to behold right now.

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Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (oblique) is being shut down for a week, according to Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times. Raleigh's MRI exam came back better than the previous one, which is obviously good news, but he will be re-evaluated in another week. The 29-year-old left-handed slugger was placed on the 10-day injured list on Thursday with an oblique strain, but it sounds like he could miss minimal time. It's the best-case scenario for Raleigh and his fantasy managers. Until he's able to return, the M's will mix and match behind the plate with veteran Mitch Garver and Jhonny Pereda. On top of his injury, Raleigh's start to the 2026 has been a rough one, as he is currently slashing a dreadful .161/.243/.317 with a .560 OPS, seven home runs, 18 RBI, 16 runs scored, and two stolen bases in his first 41 games played. It's not what his fantasy managers were expecting at all after Raleigh destroyed baseballs last year and led the league with 60 home runs and 125 RBI in 159 games played in the regular season. Despite the terrible start in his sixth year in the majors, Raleigh must be stashed in all fantasy leagues.

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San Francisco Giants outfielder Heliot Ramos (quadriceps) was pulled from Friday's game early against the Athletics on the road with right-quadriceps tightness, according to the team. Before leaving the game early, Ramos went 1-for-3 at the plate with a strikeout. He was replaced in left field by infielder Casey Schmitt. Ramos apparently injured his quad in the sixth inning during a swing and was replaced in the outfield the next half inning. For now, fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day, but don't be surprised if he's held out of the starting nine for Game 2 of the series in Sacramento against the A's on Saturday. If Ramos' injury is serious enough to send him to the injured list, Drew Gilbert would likely be the primary beneficiary in San Fran's outfield going forward. The 26-year-old Puerto Rican outfielder came into Friday's contest hitting .265/.306/.426 with a .732 OPS, four home runs, 20 RBI, and 19 runs scored in 43 games played for the Gigantes.

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New York Mets right-hander Clay Holmes (leg) suffered a fractured fibula on Friday night in his outing against the crosstown-rival New York Yankees, according to Laura Albanese of Newsday. Holmes broke his leg when he was hit by a line drive off the bat of Yankees rookie outfielder Spencer Jones in the fourth inning. He actually remained in the game before being pulled in the fifth inning. The 33-year-old veteran took the loss and ended up allowing four earned runs on seven hits while walking two and striking out eight in 4 1/3 innings pitched. Manager Carlos Mendoza said that Holmes will be out for "a long time," and he could be placed on the 60-day injured list. It's literally a tough break for an injury-ravaged Mets team, especially since Holmes entered his start on Friday with a tidy 1.86 ERA and 1.01 WHIP with 37 strikeouts in 48 1/3 innings across his eight starts in 2026. Fantasy managers will be without the converted reliever for potentially a few months. It's unclear who the Mets will choose to replace him in the starting rotation going forward.

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Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Taj Bradley (pectoral) threw a successful 20-pitch bullpen session on Friday. This is the first time that Bradley has taken the mound since going down with right pectoral inflammation on May 6. The expectation is that he'll throw another bullpen session at some point next week. After that, Bradley should progress to facing live hitters. It doesn't sound liike he's too far away from being activated from the Injured List. Fantasy managers should continue to stash Bradley, with him possibly being able to return by the end of May.

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Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Brandon Woodruff (shoulder) reportedly felt good after throwing a 25-pitch bullpen session on Thursday. Assuming nothing changes in the next few days, Woodruff will throw another bullpen session on Monday. Afterwards, he'll likely throw a simulated game before possibly rejoining the Brewers rotation. It's unclear if he'll require a minor league rehab assignment, but that'll likely depend on how he feels after these sessions. The right-hander hasn't pitched since late April due to right shoulder inflammation. There seems to be a good chance that Woodruff will be back in the mix for the Brewers before the end of May.

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Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Matthew Boyd (knee) is reportedly feeling good physically and plans to throw off the mound on Saturday. If everything goes well, Boyd will throw a bullpen session sometime next week. This is great news considering Boyd underwent meniscus surgery on his left knee last week. The recovery timetable is about six weeks, so there's still more work to be done. It sounds like the veteran southpaw has a chance to beat that timetable, assuming everything continues to go well. There's a chance he is back in the Cubs rotation by mid-June. Boyd wasn't posting great numbers before the injury, but could be someone worth stashing in deep leagues.

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Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher River Ryan (hamstring) is making a rehab start with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Friday. Recently, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that there is a slim possibility that Ryan joins the starting rotation at some point. It's going to take some time as the Dodgers want to slowly build up Ryan. He hasn't pitched since suffering a hamstring injury on April 11. The plan is for Ryan to throw four innings during his outing on Friday. He'll likely continue to be built up from there, but could be an option for the Dodgers down the road. Fantasy managers in deep leagues that are looking for a stash option might want to consider adding Ryan.

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Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Blake Snell (elbow) was placed on the 15-day Injured List on Friday. Ugh, this sucks for fantasy managers who just got Snell back. The southpaw was scratched from his scheduled start on Friday, and now we see why that happened. Snell heads to the shelf due to loose bodies in his elbow, which is something that could sideline him for multiple months. In a corresponding move, reliever Charlie Barnes was recalled to take over the spot on the active roster. It's unclear at the moment what the Dodgers plan to do with the vacant spot going forward. Will Klein gets the nod as the opener on Friday, with the Dodgers going with a bullpen game. The Dodgers should announce a timetable for Snell soon, but fantasy managers should expect to be without Snell for at least a month or more.

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Boston Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony (wrist) said he's "in a good spot" after getting the brace/splint removed from his injured wrist and playing catch on Friday, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. However, Anthony's return from the 10-day injured list remains to be determined. It's the first time that Anthony has done any baseball activities since the Red Sox put him on the IL last week with a right-wrist sprain. It's good news for the 22-year-old former top prospect, but he could still have a ways to go before he's cleared to resume playing in games, and he'll almost certainly require a minor-league rehab assignment before rejoining the major-league roster. Anthony debuted in 2025 to much fanfare and looked the part of a top prospect, hitting .292 (75-for-257) with eight homers, 32 RBI, and four steals in 71 games before ending his season on the IL with an injury. He's now injured again and had gone 25-for-109 (.229) with a homer and five RBI in 30 contests this year before injuring his wrist. It's been a disappointing start to 2026 for Anthony, but he's a top-tier power/speed prospect and should remain stashed in all fantasy leagues. Masataka Yoshida will continue to benefit from more playing time in Beantown with Anthony out.

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Miami Marlins left-handed pitching prospect Robby Snelling (elbow) will go for further evaluation next week, manager Clayton McCullough told Christina De Nicola of MLB.com. After making his MLB debut last week, Snelling was placed on the 15-day injured list with a UCL sprain in his left elbow, and it's unclear exactly when he might be able to rejoin the Marlins' starting rotation. In his MLB debut on May 8 against the Washington Nationals, the highly-touted pitching prospect allowed three earned runs in five innings while walking four and striking out two to take the loss. Fantasy managers stashing him in dynasty and deeper fantasy leagues might want to prepare for an extended absence, and there's also the possibility that the 22-year-old needs surgery. Left-hander Braxton Garrett took Snelling's spot in the rotation in Miami, but he flopped in his season debut with five earned runs allowed and five walks in just 1 1/3 innings against the Minnesota Twins on Thursday.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers are scratching left-hander Blake Snell (undisclosed) from his scheduled start in the series opener on Friday night against the crosstown-rival Los Angeles Angels, according to Katie Woo of The Athletic. The Dodgers will roll with a bullpen game instead and will use right-hander Will Klein as the "opener." It's unclear why Snell is being scratched, but fantasy managers have to be concerned after the 33-year-old veteran southpaw just made his 2026 season debut due to left-shoulder issues, dating back to last year. In his season debut last weekend against the Atlanta Braves, the two-time Cy Young winner didn't look great, either, giving up five runs (four earned) on six hits while walking two and striking out five in just three innings of work. We'll consider him day-to-day for now and provide an update on his status once we know exactly why the Dodgers scratched him. Snell has been a high-risk, high-reward fantasy starter with high strikeout upside. He has dealt with shoulder problems since joining L.A. last season.

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Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (hamstring) is taking batting practice on the field with the team on Friday, according to Mark Bowman of MLB.com. Manager Walt Weiss said that Acuna likely won't be activated from the 10-day injured list until he can play the outfield. Bowman guesses that won't be until next Friday, May 22. Acuna has been recovering nicely from a Grade 1 left-hamstring strain that landed him on the IL earlier this month, but the Braves have been careful not to rush him back. It sounds as though fantasy managers will have to wait another week before the 28-year-old former MVP and five-time All-Star is back in the everyday lineup in Atlanta. Despite a lackluster start by his standards in 2026, Acuna should be rostered everywhere. He's currently hitting .252/.362/.378 with a .740 OPS, two home runs, nine RBI, seven stolen bases, and 17 runs scored. Acuna has elite five-category skills while at the same time being a high-risk commodity because of injuries.

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Baltimore Orioles right-handed closer Ryan Helsley (elbow) played catch on Friday for the first time since landing on the 15-day injured list, and he is feeling much better, according to Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports. Helsley landed on the shelf on May 1. It's good news that he's throwing, but he still has some boxes to check and will most likely need a short minor-league rehab assignment before he can rejoin the back end of Baltimore's bullpen. The 31-year-old former fifth-round pick by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2015 out of Northeastern State University is a two-time All-Star who led the league with 49 saves in 2024. Helsley also had 21 saves for St. Louis last year before being traded to the New York Mets and falling apart in 22 appearances. He was bouncing back in Baltimore before his elbow injury, striking out 15 while picking up seven saves in his first 10 2/3 innings. Keep him stashed in all fantasy leagues, as he should immediately take over closing duties upon his return. In the meantime, Rico Garcia has proven to be an elite short-term source of saves for fantasy managers.

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Detroit Tigers second baseman Gleyber Torres (oblique) is "trending toward a rehab assignment," manager A.J. Hinch told Evan Woodbery of MLive.com. Torres' rehab assignment is likely to be brief, too, so he could be back for fantasy managers as early as next week. The 29-year-old Venezuelan infielder will return to everyday duties at the keystone in Motown when he finishes a brief rehab assignment. Before his oblique injury, he was slashing .259/.289/.328 with a .716 OPS, two home runs, 11 RBI, and 18 runs scored in 116 at-bats. Torres is eligible to come off the 10-day injured list on Friday, but he's not quite ready. Once he's back, Hao-Yu Lee will return to a utility role for the Tigers. Torres is rostered in only 54% of Yahoo leagues and isn't a big-time fantasy asset because of his minimal power and speed contributions. He's more attractive in leagues that count on-base percentage.

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The Colorado Rockies are placing right-hander Chase Dollander (elbow) on the 15-day injured list on Friday with a right-elbow strain, according to Thomas Harding of MLB.com. The Rockies are making the move after they pulled Dollander from his outing on Thursday early against the Pittsburgh Pirates due to right-arm tightness. It's now confirmed that he is dealing with an elbow strain, which means he'll almost certainly be sidelined beyond two weeks. It's unfortunate for the 24-year-old former ninth overall pick out of Tennessee in 2023, especially since he had made strides from his first MLB campaign. Through his first 10 appearances (three starts) in 2026, Dollander was sporting a 3.89 ERA (4.18 FIP), 1.29 WHIP, and 47:18 K:BB in 44 innings while mostly working as a bulk reliever. In Dollander's absence, Tanner Gordon is the most likely candidate to take his spot in Colorado's starting rotation. Dollander isn't a must-hold in shallow mixed fantasy leagues while he recovers, as he's only rostered in a third of Yahoo leagues.

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After undergoing an MRI exam and a CT scan on Thursday, New York Yankees left-hander Max Fried (elbow) will be placed on the 15-day injured list after initial findings showed a left-elbow bone bruise, according to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. Repeat imaging will be taken again in a few weeks (or when asymptomatic) to further determine when Fried can resume throwing. We'll have a more specific timetable on his potential return at that time. The 32-year-old southpaw avoided any structural damage, but a quick return from the IL should not be expected, and depending on when he can resume throwing, Fried may be fighting an uphill battle to return before the All-Star break in mid-July. It's a big injury blow for the Yankees' pitching staff and for fantasy managers, as the three-time All-Star has been a must-start in all lineups. Until right-hander Gerrit Cole (elbow) can make his season debut, the Yankees may turn to pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez in the short term. Fried must be stashed in an IL spot in all fantasy leagues.

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The Los Angeles Angels announced on Friday that right-hander Grayson Rodriguez (shoulder) will come off the 15-day injured list to make his debut with the team in Sunday's series finale against the crosstown-rival Los Angeles Dodgers. It will be a boost for the Halos' starting rotation, but fantasy managers in mixed leagues will probably want to take a wait-and-see approach with a pitcher who will be making his first appearance in the big leagues since 2024 with the Baltimore Orioles due to multiple arm-related injuries. Rodriguez was not ready for the start of the 2026 campaign due to right-shoulder inflammation that began back in spring training. In his two minor-league rehab starts, the former top pitching prospect allowed three earned runs while walking two and striking out 18 over 9 2/3 innings pitched. If healthy, G-Rod will be a staple in the Angels' starting rotation, but there are major concerns as to whether he can return to his pre-injury form as a high-end rotation arm. Rodriguez is currently rostered in 16% of Yahoo leagues. DFS managers should be looking to avoid him against the first-place Dodgers.

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Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton (hip) remains sidelined for Friday's series opener against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers at Target Field, according to MLB.com. Ryan Kreidler will make another start in center field for the Twins and will bat eighth against Brewers right-hander Coleman Crow. After hitting two home runs on Wednesday night, the Twins scratched Buxton from Thursday's series finale against the Miami Marlins due to hip-flexor soreness. It's bad timing for Buxton to be dealing with a physical ailment, as he has been a beast at the plate over his last 15 games, slashing .320/.382/.860 with eight home runs, 13 RBI, 12 runs scored, and even three stolen bases during that span. Fantasy managers can only hope it's a minor injury that won't land him on the injured list. For now, Buxton is being considered day-to-day. Check back to see if he's available to play in Game 2 of the series against Milwaukee on Saturday. The 32-year-old veteran and two-time All-Star is currently hitting .260 (44-for-169) on the year while providing plenty of power production with 15 homers, 23 RBI, and 33 runs scored.

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