Cincinnati Reds first baseman Christian Encarnacion-Strand (hand) received a precautionary MRI exam around three hours before the game on Monday against the San Diego Padres before his anticipated availability off the bench. "He's feeling better, but we're just making sure," manager David Bell said. The reason for the caution is that Encarnacion-Strand had an old fracture in the same hand, so the Reds want to make sure his latest injury isn't related to that. The 24-year-old has missed two straight games, but it sounds like fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day for now. On top of the injury, he's hitting just .196 (20-for-102) with two homers and 16 RBI early. CEH shouldn't be dropped in fantasy formats, though. Check back to see if he's starting in the second game of the series in San Diego on Tuesday against the Padres.

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New York Mets right-hander Kodai Senga (shoulder) threw to live hitters on Monday for the first time since doctors diagnosed him with a torn posterior shoulder capsule in February. "Nasty," one of the minor-league hitters said after facing Senga, who threw all his pitches and reached the mid-90s with his fastball. The Japanese hurler said afterward that he expects to return from the injured list "right around" the day he's first eligible on May 27. President of baseball operations David Stearns pushed back slightly on that timeline, but regardless, Senga's session on Monday has to have fantasy managers that have been stashing him all this time a little giddy. After his initial diagnosis, Senga went a full month without throwing at all, so the Mets aren't going to rush their fantasy ace back by any means.

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Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said that right-hander Zac Gallen's (hamstring) bullpen session went well on Monday and he will start on Wednesday in his normal spot in the rotation against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers. Gallen was forced from his start last Friday with hamstring spasms, but the 28-year-old was never too worried that he would miss his next start, and he wasn't wrong. In traditional single-year leagues, fantasy managers will probably want to leave him in their starting lineups this week despite the tough matchup against the division-rival Dodgers. But in DFS at a high cost, you probably want to fade Gallen against one of the best offenses in the league. Through his first 32 innings in 2024, Gallen has a 3.38 ERA and 1.22 WHIP with nine walks and 35 K's.

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Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch confirmed that right-hander Matt Manning will start Game 2 of the team's doubleheader on Tuesday against the St. Louis Cardinals. Manning has fared well in his two spot start with the Tigers this year, allowing five hits (two home runs) and four earned runs while walking six and striking out 10 in 12 1/3 innings against the New York Mets and Minnesota Twins. The 26-year-old is likely to be sent back to Triple-A Toledo after serving as the team's 27th man on Tuesday, but given the matchup against a St. Louis team that could be resting some key starters in Game 2, Manning is worth a look as a streaming option in fantasy in this matchup. Through almost the first month of the 2024 season, the Cardinals hold the fourth-lowest team OPS in the big leagues at .636. Only the A's, Marlins and White Sox have been worse.

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San Diego Padres right-hander Yu Darvish (neck) is being activated from the 15-day injured list and will start on Tuesday at Petco Park against the visiting Cincinnati Reds, according to manager Mike Shildt. Darvish has been on the injured list since April 17 due to neck tightness and didn't require a minor-league rehab assignment, so fantasy managers in all fantasy formats should be pretty hesitant to throw the 37-year-old veteran right back into the fold for Tuesday's action. Darvish wasn't throwing the ball particularly well before his injury, either, as he was sporting a 4.18 ERA and 1.27 WHIP with 22 strikeouts and 10 walks in 23 2/3 innings over his five starts. The Reds rank 22nd in the league in OPS, but their lineup is dangerous and can explode at any time.

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Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith added some run support in Monday's 8-4 win against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Smith went 1-for-4, with his only hit being a solo home run while walking once. The 29-year-old is having a solid season, slashing .363/.404/.539 through 26 games. He is 37-for-102 with nine doubles, three homers, 16 runs, 22 RBI, nine walks, and 16 strikeouts. Smith remains one of the top catchers across all fantasy leagues and is a priority to start for fantasy managers.

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Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Bryce Miller had himself a day on Monday in a 2-1 win against the Atlanta Braves. Miller went seven innings while striking out 10 batters, walking one, and allowing one earned run. He is 3-2 on the season, pitching 35 innings with a 2.04 ERA while allowing 19 hits, nine runs, five homers, 12 walks, and 39 strikeouts in six starts. The 25-year-old has a 9.93 K/9 and a 3.06 BB/9, backing his success this year on the mound. His next projected start is against Houston, and the way he is pitching, fantasy managers should have him starting no matter who the opponent is.

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Since his demotion to Triple-A Memphis, St. Louis Cardinals outfield prospect Victor Scott II has struggled offensively. Scott, had a nice Grapefruit League that saw him break camp with the big-league squad, but his struggles with his bat ended up in a demotion with the Cardinals beginning to get healthier. Since his demotion, Scott's struggles have continued with four hits over 23 at-bats and two stolen bases. Scott is comparable to Billy Hamilton as he has quick speed, but the issue being that he needs to get on base to show it off. With 93 stolen bases in 2023, Scott presents as a pinch-runner now, but the sky can be the limit if he can make corrections at the plate and get on the basepaths more. For now, he will get more seasoning in Triple-A, but should be one of the first names called upon should an injury happen at the big-league level. Managers can ignore him in redraft leagues for now.

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Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Diego Cartaya is struggling to open the season in Double-A Tulsa. Cartaya, 22, was once one of the top prospects in all of baseball, but his struggles in 2023 lowered his ranking and thus far, he is hitting just .119 in his first 12 games for Tulsa. He also has one homer and six RBI over that span. It's still a very small sample size, but Cartaya is coming off a season that he hit .189 for in 2023. Cartaya shows plenty of power, but he has had issues making contact with off-speed pitches and has been very aggressive at the plate. He will need to improve his plate discipline to take the next step as a hitter and with Will Smith entrenched as the Dodgers catcher for the long-term and prospect Dalton Rushing also in the system, the Dodgers are certain to do what it takes to correct Cartaya's issues. He is only worth a look in dynasty leagues for now.

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Kansas City Royals catcher prospect Blake Mitchell has been off to a solid start for Single-A Columbia. Mitchell, 19, is hitting .273 with two homers and six RBI. Mitchell was drafted out of high school with the eighth overall pick in the 2023 draft and has become the Royals No. 1 prospect. As one of the better hitting prospects behind the dish and at such a young age, Mitchell has the potential to offer plenty of power. However, to make a big leap, Mitchell will have to learn to be less aggressive at the plate. If Mitchell can improve his plate discipline and continue to tap into his raw power, he can have a bright future as the Royals catcher after Salvador Perez hangs it up. For now, he is a name for dynasty managers to monitor as he is years away from a potential big-league debut.

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Cincinnati Reds third base prospect Cam Collier had an impressive month of April for High-A Dayton. The 19-year-old hit .296 with seven home runs, 25 RBI and a .617 slugging percentage. The son of former big-leaguer Lou Collier, Cam was the Reds first-round selection in the 2022 draft. Collier improved during the second half of last season as he started driving more balls that were grounders earlier in the season. At such a young age, Collier's improving at a fast rate and more power should continue to come his body fills out and he continues to make improvements at the plate. He is a few years away from making an impact at the big-league level, but managers in dynasty leagues should consider rostering Collier as his value will only continue to get higher as the season goes on.

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Reds' SP Nick Lodolo recorded 11 strikeouts in 7 innings collecting the win in a 5-2 win over San Diego on Monday, Apr. 29.

Mariners' SP Bryce Miller recorded 10 strikeouts in 7 innings in a 2-1 win over the Braves on Monday, Apr. 29.

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Max Fried continued to impress in Monday's 2-1 loss to the Mariners. Coming off a complete-game shutout, Fried pitched six no-hit innings, allowing two walks and seven strikeouts. The 30-year-old got off to an extremely rough start to the season but is now 2-0 with a 4.02 ERA, a 7.18 K/9 rate, and a 3.16 BB/9 rate in six starts and 31 1/3 IP. He will be tested in his next projected start at the Dodgers. While it is a tough matchup, Fried's recent success may convince fantasy managers to roll with him.

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Seattle Mariners catcher/designated hitter Mitch Garver played the hero in Monday's 2-1 win over the Braves. Garver went 1-for-3 with a walk-off, two-run home run, a walk, and two strikeouts. It was a nice moment, but the 33-year-old has struggled offensively with his new team, slashing .150/.266/.313 with three HR and seven RBI in 94 plate appearances. Garver has been a reliable source of power throughout his fantasy career, so hopefully this can help get him going.

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Washington Nationals outfielder Jacob Young continued to showcase his speed in Monday's 7-2 win over the Marlins. Young went 1-for-4 with a single and two stolen bases. The 24-year-old is now slashing .328/.368/.391 with no home runs, 16 runs scored, seven RBI, and 12 stolen bases in 70 plate appearances. He may not provide much power, but Young's speed makes him worth a look in deeper roto leagues.

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Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Nate Pearson managed to secure his first save of the season in Monday's 6-5 win over the Royals. Pearson came in to pitch the top of the ninth inning up by one. He allowed a leadoff single, got the first two outs on a groundout and a line-out, allowed another single, and stranded the tying run at third with a strikeout. Closer Jordan Romano had pitched in each of the last two days, so Pearson was called upon. The former prospect has a 1.80 ERA in 10 innings of work this season, but his fantasy value will remain limited until he can routinely earn high-leverage situations.

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Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Ryan Pepiot continued to string together strong starts in Monday's 1-0 win over the Brewers. Pepiot pitched six innings, allowing just two hits and no walks with seven strikeouts. The 26-year-old has looked good in his first starts with his new team, going 3-2 with a 3.12 ERA, a 9.87 K/9 rate, and a 2.60 BB/9 rate in six starts and 34 2/3 IP. He will look to keep things going in his next projected start against the middling Mets.

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New York Mets shortstop prospect Luisangel Acuna hit his second home run of the season on Sunday for Triple-A Syracuse. The 22-year-old went 2-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored, while the home run was his first since the first game of the season. Not known as much for his power as his older brother, he does still have some wheels, swiping 57 bags last season, and is up to eight so far in 2024. MLB's 59th-ranked prospect overall is inching closer to the bigs, but with Francisco Lindor blocking him at short it's uncertain where he would fit in. Managers in need of steals will need to be ready once he earns the promotion.

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