Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw (shoulder) threw his second bullpen session on Tuesday. Manager Dave Roberts said the session consisted of 20 pitches (all four-seam fastballs), and that Kershaw's left shoulder continues to feel good. His next steps will be ramping up in bullpens and mixing in breaking pitches. The skipper said it's all been "really encouraging" so far. The 36-year-old future Hall of Famer is recovering from left-shoulder surgery last November and is slowly ramping up as he attempts to return to LA's starting rotation after the All-Star break. Kershaw has been injury-prone in recent years, but when he's been healthy, he's been fantasy relevant with the best offense in baseball backing him.

Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez is getting a breather on Wednesday against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers. Freddy Fermin will do the catching for right-hander Brady Singer and will bat eighth in the order against Brewers right-hander Joe Ross. It's a regular day of rest for Perez in a day game after a night game. The 33-year-old backstop has been one of the hottest hitters in baseball to start the 2024 season, as he's slashing .326/.387/.558 with a .945 OPS, eight home runs, a league-leading 31 RBI and 15 runs scored in 129 at-bats. Perez should be back in action for the Royals for the series opener in Los Angeles on Thursday against the Angels. Fermin is batting just .218 (12-for-55) with a homer and two RBI and is low-upside streamer in DFS in the eight-hole on Wednesday.

St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt is out of the team's starting lineup on Wednesday for the series finale against the visiting New York Mets. Alec Burleson will get the start at first base and will hit fifth against Mets left-hander Jose Quintana. Goldschmidt is hitting .545 with a 1.651 OPS, three home runs and 11 RBI in 22 career at-bats against Quintana in his career, but the slugging 36-year-old right-hander has also gone hitless so far in the month of May and could use a day off to clear his head. Goldy, like many of St. Louis' hitters, has been ice-cold to start the year and is currently slashing just .195/.287/.263 with two home runs and 11 RBI in 133 at-bats. Burleson went 3-for-5 with a home run on Tuesday but is also hitting just .188 (3-for-16) with a homer and four RBI against lefties this year.

Chicago Cubs outfielder Cody Bellinger (ribs) went 3-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 3-2 win over the San Diego Padres. Bellinger was activated from the injured list on Tuesday after missing the last two weeks with a fractured ribcage. The 28-year-old didn't miss a beat on his return, collecting three hits and blasting a solo shot off Randy Vasquez in the bottom of the fourth inning to give the Cubs a 1-0 lead. Before landing on the injured list in mid-April, Bellinger was on an eight-game hitting streak entering Tuesday's contest. He extended his hitting streak to nine games and is slashing .382/.447/.794 with four home runs, eight RBI, and six runs during that span. Overall, Bellinger is slashing .250/.337/.489 with six home runs and 11 RBI across 101 plate appearances in 2024. Bellinger appears over his rib injury and should be started in all leagues.

San Diego Padres outfielder Jurickson Profar went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's 3-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs. Profar blasted a two-run shot off Shota Imanaga in the eighth inning to put the Padres on the scoreboard and tie the game 2-2. His home run traveled 385 feet with an exit velocity of 103.4 mph. The 31-year-old has been on absolute fire at the plate recently, hitting .429 (21-for-49) with four home runs, 12 RBI, 12 runs, and a stolen base over his last 13 games. Profar is slashing .338/.420/.538 with six home runs, 27 RBI, 22 runs, and two stolen bases across 150 plate appearances in 2024. Fantasy managers should continue to roll with Profar in most leagues while he's swinging a hot bat.

New York Mets relief pitcher Adam Ottavino was called upon to close out Tuesday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals. The veteran right-hander is normally a set-up pitcher, but was asked to close with Edwin Diaz being unavailable for this game. Ottavino gave up a home run and got some traffic on the bases. Despite that, he was able to strike out the final two batters and record his first save of the season. It's unlikely that Ottavino gets many more saves in the future with Diaz being the primary option.

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Miles Mikolas looked sharp during the first four innings of Tuesday's game against the New York Mets. After that, the Mets jumped on him for six earned runs on six hits during the fifth inning. Mikolas was pulled out of the game before he could even record an out in the inning. The veteran right-hander was decent last time out but has struggled during a majority of his starts this season. It appears that time has finally caught up to Mikolas who has been fairly reliable throughout his big league career. Fantasy managers probably want to stay away from Mikolas until he gets back on track.

Washington Nationals right-hander Trevor Williams (4-0) allowed two hits while striking out eight across five scoreless innings in Tuesday's 3-0 win over the Baltimore Orioles. Williams picked up his fourth win of the season. The 32-year-old threw 77 pitches, landing 53 for strikes. He struck out a season-high eight batters and has not allowed a home run in his previous seven starts, helping the Nationals go over .500 for the first time since 2021. Williams owns a 1.96 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and a 30:12 K: BB across 36 2/3 innings in 2024. The veteran will look to continue his strong season and can be used as a streamer at his next start on Monday on the road against the Chicago White Sox.

St. Louis Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras (forearm) said he will have surgery on his fractured left forearm in the coming days. Doctors have told him that he will likely miss six to eight weeks, but Contreras said he hopes to return to the team by the All-Star game in mid-July. The 31-year-old veteran backstop was hit by the swing of Mets designated hitter J.D. Martinez on Tuesday night and was in obvious pain. With Contreras now out for the foreseeable future, Ivan Herrera's fantasy stock just skyrocketed as St. Louis' primary catcher. The team is likely to recall Pedro Pages from Triple-A Memphis when they officially put Contreras on the injured list. Contreras entered Tuesday's game hitting .274 (29-for-106) with six home runs, 12 RBI and two steals. He needs to remain stashed in all fantasy formats while he's out.

Atlanta Braves closer Raisel Iglesias picked up his ninth save of the season in Tuesday's 4-2 win over the Red Sox. Iglesias came in to pitch the top of the ninth inning up by two and shut the door with a 1-2-3 outing with a strikeout. The 34-year-old veteran has not racked up the strikeouts fantasy managers would expect but has converted all but two save opportunities with a 1.88 ERA. He should continue to serve as a higher-end fantasy option in his current role with a great offense supporting him.

New York Yankees outfielder Alex Verdugo played his part in Tuesday's 10-3 win over the Astros. Verdugo went 3-for-5 with two singles, a three-run home run, and four RBI. The 27-year-old has brought more pop than expected and is slashing .275/.362/.450 with five HR and 17 RBI in 141 plate appearances. His fantasy value would be boosted if he continues to hit for power and average in a strong lineup.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander did not have his good stuff in Tuesday's 10-3 loss to the Yankees. Verlander pitched five innings, allowing seven runs on eight hits (including three home runs) and three walks with two strikeouts. The veteran pitched well in his first three starts but this one brought his ERA all the way up to 4.43, and his 6.04 K/9 rate and 4.03 BB/9 rate leave room for improvement. Verlander should have an opportunity to find it in his next scheduled start, which is a favorable matchup at the Tigers.

Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper extended his home-run streak to three consecutive games in Tuesday's 10-1 rout of the Blue Jays. Harper went 3-for-3 with two singles, a grand slam, and a walk. The 31-year-old has started to find his offensive stride and is now slashing .263/.389/.534 with nine HR and 28 RBI in 144 plate appearances. Hopefully, he can continue to extend his hot streak in the coming days.

Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Jose Berrios hit his first snag of the season in Tuesday's 10-1 loss to the Phillies. Berrios pitched 3 2/3 innings, allowing eight runs on seven hits (including two home runs) and two walks with seven strikeouts. He also hit two batters. Despite the rough outing, the 29-year-old has pitched well this season with a 4-3 record, a 2.85 ERA, a 7.23 K/9 rate, and a 2.85 BB/9 rate. Things won't get easier for him in his next scheduled start at the Orioles, but hopefully, Berrios can pitch more in line with his season numbers.

Arizona Diamondbacks closer Paul Sewald (oblique) saw his first action of the season in Tuesday's 6-2 win over the Reds. Sewald was activated from the 15-day injured list earlier in the day after recovering from an oblique strain. He pitched the bottom of the ninth inning up by five and allowed a solo home run with a strikeout. The result wasn't great, but the encouraging thing is that Sewald is now a fantasy-relevant closer once again. He accumulated 34 saves last season with a 32.1% strikeout rate, so he should be slotted right back into fantasy manager's lineups.

Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Jakob Junis (head, shoulder) was moved to the 60-day injured list on Monday, meaning he won't be eligible to come back until June 2 now, at the earliest. Junis' comeback from a right-shoulder injury in early April was interrupted when he was stretchered off the field on April 22 after being hit in the neck by a batting practice ball. He was alert and responsive when he was sent to a local hospital and was able to resume playing catch by April 26. It's a tough break for the 31-year-old veteran, who allowed just one earned run on three hits while walking one and striking out four in a four-inning no-decision in his lone start of the year on April 2 against the Minnesota Twins. When healthy, Junis should be a candidate to return to Milwaukee's starting rotation next month.

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Dylan Cease is enjoying an excellent start to his 2024 regular season, and he'll try to keep the good times rolling in Wednesday's scheduled start on the road against the Chicago Cubs. Through seven starts this year, Cease boasts a 2.55 ERA (2.50 FIP) and 0.80 WHIP while striking out 48, walking 14, and leading MLB with just 4.3 hits per nine innings over 42 1/3 frames. After spending the first five years of his major-league career with the Chicago White Sox on the South Side, Cease has plenty of experience dealing with the Cubs. In four appearances against the Cubs since 2021, the hard-throwing 28-year-old right-hander is 3-0 with an outstanding 1.50 ERA and 33:11 K:BB across 24 innings. Chicago's current roster is batting just 4-for-46 (.087) versus Cease, who looks like a great fantasy play across the board on Wednesday.

Texas Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien collected a season-high five RBI in Tuesday's 15-8 win over the division-rival Oakland Athletics, also smacking a solo home run in the victory. It was a massive day at the plate for Semien, who went 4-for-5 with an RBI single plus a two-run double as part of a 10-run blitz in the second frame by the Rangers, and he added another run-scoring single in the fourth for good measure. The 33-year-old All-Star infielder is now slashing a solid .266/.314/.449 with six homers, nine doubles, 27 RBI, and 27 runs scored in 158 at-bats as Texas' everyday leadoff man. Before a tasty three-game weekend set against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field begins on Friday, Semien gets two more cracks at his former Athletics team in Wednesday's doubleheader. In 18 games versus Oakland since 2023, Semien is batting .329 with four long balls, 15 RBI, and three stolen bases.

Detroit Tigers third baseman Gio Urshela (hamstring) ran the bases and took batting practice ahead of Tuesday's game against the division-rival Cleveland Guardians, and he will do so again on Wednesday. If all goes well, Urshela could begin a minor-league rehab assignment sometime soon after the Tigers return home on Friday for the start of a three-game series with the Houston Astros. Although the 32-year-old defensive-minded infielder was hitting .298 (17-for-57) before going on the 10-day injured list due to a strained right hamstring, he has only six RBI, two extra-base hits, and four runs scored through 18 games (57 at-bats) as Detroit's primary third baseman and doesn't need to be stashed in most fantasy leagues. Matt Vierling is worth a look in AL-only formats in the meantime, however, slashing .286/.321/.510 with two home runs, one double, two triples, and seven RBI over his last 49 ABs (15 games).

Colorado Rockies infielder/outfielder Kris Bryant (back) has been increasing his baseball activities, according to manager Bud Black. Despite the positive news, there is still not a clear timetable for Bryant's return from a strained lower back. Before hitting the injured list, the 32-year-old former All-Star was slashing a weak .149/.273/.255 with one home run, two doubles, six RBI, and three runs scored through 55 plate appearances (13 games) while splitting work at first base and in right field for the Rockies. He's not a recommended stash in shallow fantasy leagues at this point. With Bryant sidelined, veteran Charlie Blackmon is spending more time in right field while Elehuris Montero functions as Colorado's primary first baseman. Both players have a sub-.600 OPS and aren't worth streaming at this time.