Baltimore Orioles outfielder Austin Hays will start on the bench again on Wednesday against the Boston Red Sox with Colton Cowser starting in left field and hitting seventh against Red Sox right-hander Kutter Crawford. Hays has now started on the bench for Baltimore in three of the last five games and continues to lose playing time to Cowser. The 28-year-old has gone just 2-for-26 (.077) with no home runs, two RBI and seven strikeouts in his first nine games after making the All-Star team for the first time in his career in 2023. Meanwhile, Cowser has gone 7-for-15 (.467) with no homers and five RBI in his first nine games. Hays' fantasy stock is clearly on the decline early in 2024, and he's probably going to have to hit his way back into the lineup if Cowser remains healthy.

Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Brandon Lowe (oblique), who is out of the starting lineup again on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Angels, is getting an MRI exam on his right oblique. Manager Kevin Cash said it's "fair to say he will miss some time." It's an injury that Lowe has already been dealing with early this year, and it's looking like he's now going to go on the injured list in the near future. Fantasy managers will need to prepare for a potential absence of around 10 days to two weeks. Given the 29-year-old's lengthy injury history, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him miss more time than that, especially given the nature of his ailment. Curtis Mead is starting at second and batting fifth on Wednesday against Angels right-hander Jose Soriano and has hit .292 (7-for-24) in the early going for the Rays. He's certainly worth a waiver-wire pickup in AL-only leagues if he's available.

Washington Nationals right-handed reliever Hunter Harvey (hand) said his left hand is feeling much better and that he might be fine to pitch on Wednesday against the San Francisco Giants. Harvey said he lost all feeling in his and for 40 minutes last night after getting hit by a comebacker off the bat of outfielder Mike Yastrzemski in the eighth inning. Once the feeling in his hand came back and X-rays were negative, Harvey knew he'd be fine. The 29-year-old late-inning reliever was still able to record the hold against San Fran in the team's victory on Tuesday night and he's now up to four holds on the year. It looks like he's in the clear, even if he doesn't appear in the contest on Wednesday. Despite being the eighth-inning setup man for now, Harvey is valuable in holds leagues and as a handcuff to closer Kyle Finnegan.

Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Brandon Lowe is once again not in the starting lineup for Wednesday's contest against Jose Soriano and the Los Angeles Angels. The infielder has recently dealt with an oblique issue that has popped up for a second time in recent days as he last appeared on Sunday at Colorado. The 29-year-old's side issue could be the reason for a slow start as he's hitting just .185 (5-for-27) with a homer, a double, and two walks across 30 trips to the plate. However, he's long been a safe option at second base as he hit 21 home runs with seven stolen bases alongside a healthy 11.5% BB% in 109 games last season. Curtis Mead is manning the keystone and will hit fifth on Wednesday afternoon.

Washington Nationals right-handed reliever Hunter Harvey (forearm) was pulled from his outing in the eighth inning on Tuesday night when he was struck in the left forearm/wrist area by a comebacker off the bat of San Francisco Giants outfielder Mike Yastrzemski. Despite only getting two outs in the inning while allowing a hit and striking out one, Harvey was able to pick up his fourth hold of the season before Kyle Finnegan came in for 1 1/3 frames to lock down his fourth save of the 2024 campaign. The 29-year-old was in obvious pain and will probably undergo an X-ray on his arm, but the good news is that the injury was to his non-throwing arm. For holds alone, Harvey is worth rostering in fantasy baseball leagues, but if Finnegan falters at all this year, he'll be the first in line for save chances in D.C. If he's forced to miss time after Tuesday's injury, Tanner Rainey would become the team's primary setup man.

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Frankie Montas fell to 2-1 in Tuesday's 9-5 loss to the Brewers. Montas pitched five innings, allowing five runs (three earned) on six hits and a walk with four strikeouts. It was the first lackluster outing of the season for the 31-year-old, who has looked great overall with a 2.16 ERA, 13 strikeouts, and four walks in 16 2/3 IP. He will get a great chance to rebound in his next projected start at the White Sox.

Chicago White Sox relief pitcher Michael Kopech picked up his second save of the season in Tuesday's 7-5 win over the Guardians. Kopech came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth inning up by two and struck out the side. He stayed in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and delivered another 1-2-3 inning with a strikeout to end the game. The 27-year-old has pitched well overall since moving to the bullpen, converting both of his save opportunities with a 2.45 ERA, 12 strikeouts, and five walks in 7 1/3 innings pitched. Walks are still an issue and the White Sox may not offer many save opportunities, but Kopech seems like the bullpen arm to roster in fantasy leagues at this time given his performance.

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Martin Perez twirled eight innings of one-run ball on six hits and no walks in Tuesday's 5-3 loss to the visiting Detroit Tigers, striking out seven hitters en route to a tough-luck no-decision. It looked like Perez was well on his way to earning a win on Tuesday, but closer David Bednar couldn't shut the door in the ninth inning after Perez threw 100 pitches. While the 33-year-old crafty lefty isn't known for having dominant stuff, he's quietly off to a fast start during his first year in Pittsburgh, garnering a 1.89 ERA and 1.21 WHIP with 15 strikeouts through 19 innings to begin the season. Next up for Perez is a scheduled start against the struggling New York Mets on Monday, when he'll be worth considering as a fantasy streamer. In three appearances against the Mets since 2022, Perez is 2-0 with a 2.31 ERA and seven K's across 11 2/3 innings.

Robbie Grossman will be leading off and playing right field for the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday in Chicago's road game against the Cleveland Guardians. Grossman has struggled this season as he has yet to record a hit in 11 at-bats while striking out three times but has walked twice. Grossman signed a minor-league deal with the White Sox and had his contract selected after hitting .400 with two home runs and five RBI in Triple-A.

Baltimore Orioles infielder Jordan Westburg and outfielder Austin Hays are not in the starting lineup against the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday. With the two resting in Beantown, Tony Kemp is playing second base and batting ninth, while Colton Cowser starts in left field and is hitting seventh in the lineup against Red Sox right-hander Brayan Bello. This will be Westburg's first game off of the season, and he could use the break, as he's started off the year hitting just .194 in his first 34 plate appearances in 2024. Hays has also started slow, going just 2-for-26 (.077) in his first eight games played. Cowser has never faced Bello in his career, while Kemp has one hit in his two at-bats against him. Cowser is the better upside sleeper play in DFS and is off to a .455 (5-for-11) start in 2024.

Toronto Blue Jays relievers Jordan Romano (elbow) and Erik Swanson (forearm) are both expected to pitch on Thursday with Triple-A Buffalo, and they should both be active soon after that as long as they don't suffer setbacks. Romano dealt with right-elbow inflammation in spring training and began the year on the injured list, but he's close to being ready to make his 2024 debut as Toronto's closer. Swanson is another key late-inning arm for the Blue Jays and should be one of the team's top setup men in front of Romano in the ninth inning again this year. Chad Green has been filling in as the team's closer with Romano and Swanson sidelined, but he'll go back to a setup role once Romano is activated. The 30-year-old Romano needs to be rostered in all fantasy leagues with his return imminent.

Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Gregory Soto earned his first save of the season in Monday's 5-3 extra-innings win over the Cardinals. Soto came in to pitch the bottom of the 10th inning up by two with an automatic runner on second. He got the first out on a fly-out, allowed a single, and ended the game with back-to-back strikeouts. It was the 29-year-old's first save opportunity this season, but he has served as a closer in the past and has yet to allow a run this season with five strikeouts and no walks in 3 2/3 innings pitched. The Phillies have yet to see consistent results from their end-of-game bullpen options, so fantasy managers should keep an eye out to see if Soto finds himself in more high-leverage opportunities.

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Spencer Turnbull looked sharp once again in Monday's 5-3 extra-innings win over the Cardinals. Turnbull pitched six scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and a walk with six strikeouts. He also hit a batter. The 31-year-old has yet to allow a run in his first two starts and has 13 strikeouts and just one walk in 13 IP. Turnbull is currently rostered in 25% of leagues, but that could start to rise if he continues to pitch well. He will face a test in his next projected start against a strong Pirates lineup.

Los Angeles Dodgers closer Evan Phillips picked up his fourth save of the season in Monday's 4-2 win over the Twins. Phillips entered the game to pitch the bottom of the ninth inning up by two and delivered a 1-2-3 outing with a strikeout. The 29-year-old has been excellent to start the season, converting all four save opportunities with a 1.59 ERA and an 11.52 K/9 rate. Even more encouraging, Phillips has seen the majority of save opportunities for the Dodgers. Hopefully, the team will continue to treat him as a more traditional closer to the benefit of fantasy managers.

Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Erik Swanson (forearm) began a minor-league rehab assignment on Sunday, throwing one clean inning for Single-A Dunedin. Swanson struck out two batters and threw 10 of his 11 pitches for strikes. Once Swanson gets one or two more appearances under his belt, he'll be ready to return to Toronto's bullpen. The 30-year-old right-hander had his spring training cut short after two appearances due to inflammation in his right elbow, but he should be activated from the 10-day injured list in mid-April. If he's available before star closer Jordan Romano (elbow), Swanson could be thrust into high-leverage situations right off the bat after earning a 2.97 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 75:21 K:BB over 66 innings a year ago. In the meantime, Chad Green and Yimi Garcia will form a committee for ninth-inning work for the Jays and remain worth holding in most fantasy leagues.

New York Yankees starting pitcher Nestor Cortes put together his best start of the young season in Monday's 7-0 victory over the visiting Miami Marlins, tossing eight scoreless innings on two hits with six strikeouts. Cortes navigated the 1-10 Marlins with relative ease, scattering two Bryan De La Cruz singles and receiving plenty of run support en route to his first win of the campaign. After a couple of so-so performances in tough matchups to begin the year, the 29-year-old Cuban left-hander now carries a solid 3.50 ERA and 1.06 WHIP with 13 punchouts over his first 18 frames of work. Cortes looks to stay on track in his next scheduled start in a favorable spot on Sunday versus the lefty-heavy Cleveland Guardians, a team he owns a 2.19 ERA and 14 K's in 12 1/3 innings against since 2022. He should be rostered in all fantasy leagues ahead of that one.

Fantasy managers might be worried about right-hander Kevin Gausman after his disastrous first start of the season against the New York Yankees on Saturday in which he allowed six runs (five earned) in just 1 1/3 innings, but Gausman isn't too worried after the velocity on all of his pitches was down three to five mph. The 33-year-old All-Star blamed it more on the cold weather in the Bronx more than anything, and fantasy managers must remember that Gausman got a late start to the 2024 season due to right-shoulder fatigue that he dealt with in spring training. "It's just about locating a little bit better," said manager John Schneider. Gausman's velocity was down early in the year in 2023, too, so this shouldn't be a sign of bad things to come in 2024 for Toronto's ace.

San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado (elbow) said there is no definitive target date for his return to being 100 percent recovered from offseason elbow surgery. It's been 220 days he last played third base in a game and 187 days since the extensor tendon in his right elbow was fixed. Manager Mike Shildt said the end of April was a "loose" goal, but "there's not really a timetable on it," Machado said. The All-Star third baseman said his shoulder isn't 100 percent, and he entered Sunday's finale against the Giants hitting just .190 with a .673 OPS. The 31-year-old has been told by doctors that he might not feel 100 percent until next year. Fantasy managers shouldn't panic yet, but it's fair to wonder if Machado's slow start this year at the plate is related to his elbow injury.

Chicago White Sox outfielder Robbie Grossman will get a chance to serve as the team's leadoff hitter with both Luis Robert Jr. (hip) and Eloy Jimenez (groin) on the injured list. The White Sox brought Grossman up from Triple-A Charlotte on Friday, and he's started two of the three games since. The 34-year-old veteran switch-hitter went 0-for-5 in the leadoff spot on Sunday in the loss to the Kansas City Royals, but manager Pedro Grifol said that Grossman will get more opportunities there. Andrew Benintendi will be the biggest loser fantasy-wise after being dropped to the fifth spot in the order on Sunday. Grossman can be a decent source of runs and on-base percentage now that he'll be hitting leadoff and playing often with Robert and Jimenez sidelined, making him worth a pickup at least in AL-only fantasy leagues.