Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki (oblique) has been activated from the 10-day injured list ahead of Friday's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He has been out since mid-April due to an oblique issue. Suzuki is not in the Cubs' lineup on Friday after appearing in two straight rehab games. This appears to be a travel day or rest day for Suzuki, so the expectation is that he'll play on Saturday. In the meantime, Mike Tauchman will cover right field and bat second versus right-hander Jared Jones on Friday.

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San Francisco Giants shortstop Nick Ahmed (wrist) has been placed on the 10-day injured list on Friday. This news comes after Ahmed was hit by a 108-mph line drive during Thursday's game. The team is calling it a left wrist sprain, so hopefully Ahmed won't miss significant time. Casey Schmitt has been recalled from Triple-A to take the spot on the active roster. Both Schmitt and Tyler Fitzgerald figure to see increased playing time with Ahmed sidelined.

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Houston Astros outfielder Joey Loperfido (rest) remains out of the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the Detroit Tigers. The rookie outfielder has missed three of the last four games. This doesn't appear to be injured related, so it's uncertain why the Astros are keeping him on the bench. Jake Meyers will cover center field and bat ninth versus right-hander Casey Mize on Friday.

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Pittsburgh Pirates third base Ke'Bryan Hayes (rest) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the Chicago Cubs. Fantasy managers don't need to worry as this appears to be a routine day off for Hayes. In his absence, Jared Triolo will cover third base and bat seventh versus right-hander Javier Assad on Friday. Fantasy managers should adjust their lineups accordingly.

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Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson (knee) has been placed on the injured list ahead of Friday's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The veteran infielder sat out of Wednesday's game due to knee soreness. It sounds like Swanson has been dealing with a lingering knee issue for quite some time. The team has decided to place him on the injured list and give him some time to recover. Nico Hoerner figures to see more time at shortstop while Nick Madrigal and Miles Miles Mastrobuoni get some action at second base.

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Minnesota Twins second baseman Edouard Julien and outfielders Max Kepler and Alex Kirilloff are not in the starting lineup on Friday with the team facing Toronto Blue Jays left-hander Yusei Kikuchi. The Twins typically sit a lot of their left-handed hitters when they face a southpaw, so this isn't really anything new. Kyle Farmer is starting at second base and is hitting seventh, Manuel Margot is in right field and is batting fifth, and Ryan Jeffers is serving as the designated hitter and is batting leadoff for the Twins. Jeffers is hitless in four career at-bats against Kikuchi, but he's been one of the hottest hitters in baseball the last couple weeks and is hitting .306/.389/.631 with a 1.020 OPS, eight home runs, 29 RBI and 20 runs scored in 111 total at-bats. He'll be a prime DFS target against a southpaw.

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Cleveland Guardians catcher Bo Naylor and second baseman Andres Gimenez are both out of the starting lineup on Friday against the Chicago White Sox. Gabriel Arias will fill in at the keystone for Gimenez and bat eighth, while Austin Hedges is doing the catching and is batting in the nine-hole against White Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet. Neither Arias nor Hedges should be much of a consideration in DFS for Friday's lineups. Naylor is off to a slow start, unlike his brother, in 2024, as he's hitting just .189/.280/.295 with three home runs and nine RBI in his first 30 games. Gimenez is slashing .248/.316/.333 with one long ball, 19 RBI, five stolen bases and 19 runs scored in 141 at-bats as Cleveland's regular second baseman. Both Naylor and Gimenez should be back in action on Saturday.

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Toronto Blue Jays rookie right-hander Yariel Rodriguez (back) is playing catch up to 90 feet as he rehabs from thoracic spine inflammation that caused him to land on the 15-day injured list on April 30. Rodriguez will continue to ramp up his arm as he recovers from his back injury, but he almost certainly won't be coming off the injured list when he's eligible on May 14. The 27-year-old Cuban made his first four big-league starts with Toronto before getting hurt, allowing eight runs (seven earned) on 19 hits (two home runs) while walking eight and striking out 16 for a 4.11 ERA (4.53 FIP) and 1.76 WHIP. Rodriguez is much more intriguing in the long term in fantasy than in 2024 as the Blue Jays look to ease him into a starter's workload. Expect them to play it safe with Rodriguez when he returns from his back injury.

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Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Joey Votto (ankle) continues to ramp up his baseball activity and is said to be making good progress with hitting, fielding and throwing. His next steps will be live at-bats and then to play in minor-league rehab games. Votto made it clear that he wants to be 100 percent healthy before he returns. It sounds like it won't be until June when we might see the 40-year-old Canadian back in the big leagues with Toronto. When Votto is finally ready to return, he'll be a designated hitter option, at best, against right-handed pitching for the Blue Jays. The six-time All-Star has been hampered by injuries in recent years as he ages and is probably in the final season of his career. In 65 games in his final campaign with the Cincinnati Reds in 2023, Votto hit just .202 (42-for-208), but he did have 14 home runs and 38 RBI.

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Toronto Blue Jays right-handed reliever Yimi Garcia (back) is available to pitch out of the bullpen for Friday's game against the visiting Minnesota Twins, according to manager John Schneider. Because of a back injury, Garcia has not appeared in a game for the Blue Jays since April 28, but he should get into a game at some point this weekend. The 33-year-old isn't as attractive in fantasy now that regular closer Jordan Romano is back in the fold at the back end of the bullpen, but Garcia has still been excellent this year. He's currently sporting a microscopic 0.68 ERA and 0.53 WHIP with only three walks and 16 strikeouts in 13 1/3 relief innings pitched. Garcia has also recorded two saves, both those both came early in the year when Romano was hurt.

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Toronto Blue Jays right-handed reliever Chad Green (shoulder) threw a bullpen session on Friday, which was his first time throwing off a mound since he was placed on the injured list back on April 20 with a right-shoulder strain. As long as the 32-year-old veteran doesn't encounter any setbacks along the way, he should certainly be back in Toronto's bullpen by the end of the month. The former 11th-round pick by the Detroit Tigers in 2013 out of Louisville isn't as attractive in fantasy now that regular closer Jordan Romano is back and healthy, but Green still plays a key role as a late-inning setup man and can carry fantasy value in holds leagues when he's active. Before his injury, he was 1-0 with two saves, a 2.35 ERA, a 1.04 WHIP and seven strikeouts in 7 2/3 relief innings.

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Toronto Blue Jays outfielders Kevin Kiermaier (illness) and George Springer (illness) are both out of Friday's lineup against the visiting Minnesota Twins because they are sick, according to manager John Schneider. Daulton Varsho is starting in center field and is batting second, while Cavan Biggio is in right field and is hitting seventh against Twins right-hander Joe Ryan. Davis Schneider is in left field and is batting leadoff for the Jays. With Springer under the weather and struggling offensively for much of the year so far, it's possible Schneider sees more time in the leadoff spot, even when Springer gets over his illness. Fantasy baseball managers will need to check back on Saturday to see if either Kiermaier or Springer are feeling well enough to get back on the field for the second game of the weekend series.

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Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Bryson Stott and outfielder Brandon Marsh find themselves on the bench for Friday's contest against Miami Marlins left-hander Trevor Rogers. Cristian Pache is in left field for the Phillies and is batting in the eight-hole, while Whit Merrifield will play second base and bat sixth against Rogers. Stott is carrying a .250/.344/.389 slash line with three homers, 19 RBI, eight steals and 19 runs in 108 at-bats so far in 2024. Marsh will be out for the first time since May 1. The 26-year-old is batting .254 (30-for-118) with six homers, 20 RBI, five steals and 13 runs this year. Merrifield is the more realistic DFS sleeper target on Friday. He's never faced Rogers in his career and is hitting .237 (14-for-59) on the year with two homers, four RBI and four stolen bases.

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Washington Nationals third baseman Nick Senzel is not in the team's starting lineup on Friday for the start of a series at Fenway Park against the Boston Red Sox. Rookie Trey Lipscomb will handle third base duties and will hit eighth against Red Sox right-hander Tanner Houck. Senzel does have five home runs and 11 RBI in his first 70 at-bats of the year after getting hurt just before Opening Day and missing some time, but frequent strikeouts aren't helping his overall fantasy cause. The 28-year-old former second overall pick of the Cincinnati Reds in 2016 out of Tennessee is batting just .214 (15-for-70) with eight walks and 26 strikeouts. He's going to need to do more the rest of the way to hold Lipscomb or others off at the hot corner for regular playing time. Lipscomb has gone 22-for-90 (.244) with a homer, six RBI and six steals in his first 27 MLB games.

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Boston Red Sox outfielder Rob Refsnyder (hamstring) is back in the starting lineup on Friday against the visiting Washington Nationals and left-hander Patrick Corbin, serving as the designated hitter and batting second in the order. Refsnyder will return for Boston after leaving Sunday's game against the Minnesota Twins with left-hamstring soreness. Although the 33-year-old South Korean isn't high on the fantasy radar in any formats, he's facing a really good matchup and has hit .351/.467/.622 with a 1.088 OPS, a homer, eight RBI, a stolen base and seven runs scored in his first 37 at-bats. Refnsyder is known for hitting left-handers well in his career, too, so he should certainly be on the DFS radar in his return to the lineup after missing this week's series against the Atlanta Braves. He has one hit in three career at-bats against Corbin.

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Boston Red Sox outfielder Masataka Yoshida (thumb) got a third opinion on his left-thumb injury on Thursday and told two Japanese media members that he won't need surgery. Yoshida received good news after being placed on the injured list with a strained left thumb, and avoiding surgery will be huge in terms of a quicker return to Boston's lineup. The 30-year-old is eligible to come off the IL now, but he's not close to a return. We'll give you updates on Yoshida's progress with his injured thumb as he progresses. In the meantime, the contact artist and primary DH for the Red Sox should be stashed in most fantasy formats. At the time of his unfortunate thumb injury, he was hitting a strong .275/.348/.388 with two home runs, 11 RBI and 12 runs scored in 80 at-bats. Rob Refsnyder will likely be the biggest beneficiary for Boston until Yoshida is able to return.

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Toronto Blue Jays outfielders George Springer and Kevin Kiermaier are taking the day off on Friday for the series opener against the visiting Minnesota Twins. Davis Schneider is starting in left field and is hitting leadoff, while Daulton Varsho is in center field and batting No. 2 against Twins right-hander Joe Ryan. Cavan Biggio is in right field and hitting seventh. Springer will get his first day off since April 30. He's hitting just .206 (29-for-141) on the year with three homers, six RBI and six stolen bases. Kiermaier has one homer, seven RBI and two steals while hitting .224 (15-for-67). Varsho will be the most attractive fantasy option for regular leagues and in DFS on Friday night, while Schneider also takes on some added value while batting atop Toronto's order.

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Detroit Tigers outfielder Mark Canha (illness) is back in the starting lineup on Friday as the designated hitter and is batting third against the visiting Houston Astros and left-hander Framber Valdez. Canha missed two games earlier this week while battling an upper-respiratory illness, but he's obviously feeling better now and is back in there for the series opener this weekend in Detroit. The 35-year-old veteran outfielder/designated hitter is batting .248 (29-for-117) on the year with five home runs and 16 RBI in his 34 games played. Canha has had decent success against left-handed pitchers in his career and shouldn't be ignored in this one in DFS now that he's past his illness. In his 14 career at-bats against Valdez, he's hitting .286 with one RBI as well.

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Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Jose Siri is on the bench again on Friday for the Rays for the start of a series against the visiting division-rival New York Yankees. It's the third time in the last four games that Siri has been on the bench, and he's been losing playing time to Jonny DeLuca, who is in center field and batting sixth on Friday against Yankees right-hander Clarke Schmidt. It hasn't helped Siri's cause that he's slashing just .170/.255/.277 with two home runs, seven RBI, six stolen bases and 11 runs scored in his first 94 at-bats this year. The return of Josh Lowe to Tampa's outfield recently has been another factor working against Siri as the 28-year-old continues to lose playing time. DeLuca's fantasy stock is rising, meanwhile, as he's gone 7-for-20 (.350) with a homer, 10 RBI and two steals in his first six games with the team in 2024.

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St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar went 1-for-5 with a solo home run to drive in the team's lone run in Thursday's 7-1 loss to the division-rival Milwaukee Brewers in the series opener. Nootbaar has now homered in back-to-back games but is still hitting only .184/.290/.356 with three home runs, nine RBI, two stolen bases and eight runs scored in 87 at-bats after getting a late start in 2024 due to an injury. In his last 10 games, he's hit .184 (7-for-38) with five extra-base hits. It's nice to see Nootbaar display some power recently, and it could be a sign that he's finally starting to get his timing down at the plate after his first 24 games played. At least until Tommy Edman (wrist) makes his season debut, Nootbaar should be a lineup regular for the Red Birds.

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