Miami Marlins catcher Christian Bethancourt was placed on the bereavement list on Saturday and will be out of the lineup for the next three days. In a corresponding move, the Marlins promoted backstop Jhonny Pereda from Triple-A Jacksonville. Bethancourt has struggled through his first 31 games of the season, posting a .162/.208/.250 line with just one home run and three doubles. Nick Fortes is starting at catcher Saturday afternoon, batting in the nine-hole, and should be expected to see the majority of starts will Bethancourt is away. Fortes has posted a modest .173 AVG with two long balls across 41 games this season. Fortes is best to fade in DFS as he has struggled to show consistency this season and is projected to face Michael Lorenzen, who enters Saturday with a 3.35 ERA.

Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter Justin Turner and outfielder Kevin Kiermaier are both starting on the bench for Monday's contest in Chicago against the White Sox. Turner has lost playing time of late, with this being the third time in the last five games that he finds himself on the bench to start. Kiermaier, meanwhile, will ride the pine for the second straight day. Daniel Vogelbach is serving as the DH and will hit fifth, while Daulton Varsho starts in center field and bats sixth against White Sox right-handed rookie Nick Nastrini. Davis Schneider is in left field and is batting leadoff for the Jays. Turner has had a disastrous month of May, hitting .102 (6-for-59) without a home run to drop his season line to .222/.301/.359. Kiermaier hasn't been much better in 2024, hitting .226 (.21-for-93) with only one homer and seven RBI.

The San Francisco Giants have signed relief pitcher Drew Pomeranz to a one-year deal. The veteran southpaw was released by the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday. Pomeranz struggled to the tune of a 6.00 ERA in eight appearances for Triple-A Oklahoma City. The 35-year-old hasn't pitched in the majors since 2021 due to multiple injuries. This is a low-risk signing for the Giants to see if Pomeranz has anything left in the tank.

Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Yasmani Grandal (groin) is back behind the plate and is batting eighth for the Pirates on Friday in their series opener against the visiting Atlanta Braves and left-hander Ray Kerr, who will be making his first career spot start. The switch-hitting Grandal has a hit in his only career at-bat against Kerr. The 35-year-old backstop missed two games this week with left-groin soreness but is ready for the weekend series in Pittsburgh. As long as former first-rounder Henry Davis remains in the minors to work on his swing, Grandal will continue to split the catching duties with Joey Bart. Grandal is a pretty low-upside DFS play at the catcher position on Friday, though, and he's batting just .214 (9-for-42) with two homers and eight RBI after getting a late start to the 2024 season due to injury.

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler delivered another strong performance in Thursday's victory over the visiting Texas Rangers, striking out five batters and allowing just two runs on five hits and two walks over seven innings for his sixth win of the campaign. Wheeler has been a quality-start machine in 2024, with Thursday's showing already being his eighth out of 11 appearances this year. The early favorite to bring home his first National League Cy Young Award, the 33-year-old All-Star right-hander owns an outstanding 2.53 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, and 76:21 K:BB over 67 2/3 frames as Philly's ace this season. Wheeler's next act is slated to arrive during Tuesday's scheduled start against the San Francisco Giants at the pitcher-friendly Oracle Park, where he'll once again be one of the top fantasy plays on the slate.

Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Luis Garcia was tasked with holding a one-run lead in the ninth inning of Wednesday's game against the Houston Astros. The right-hander blew the lead during the seventh inning of Tuesday's game. Despite that, Garcia was given another chance and worked a perfect ninth inning to earn his third save of the season. Garcia has been busy pitching in four of the last five games. The Angels bullpen situation is a little messy with Carlos Estevez as the primary closer, but Adam Cimber and Garcia are in the mix as well.

Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Yasmani Grandal (groin), outfielder Jack Suwinski and first baseman Rowdy Tellez are all sitting on Wednesday with the team facing San Francisco Giants left-hander Blake Snell, who is making his first start off the injured list. Joey Bart will do the catching and bat seventh, Michael Taylor is in center field and hitting ninth, and Connor Joe is at first base and batting third against Snell. Grandal left Tuesday's game against the Giants late with left-groin soreness. The Pirates have catcher Grant Koch on the taxi squad, so there's a chance the 35-year-old veteran could land on the injured list. With ... [More]

New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Tuesday that lefty reliever Brooks Raley (elbow) has opted to undergo an elbow operation that will likely end his season. The 35-year-old, who was an anchor for the team's bullpen, was placed on the 15-day injured list on April 21. Mendoza said it is unclear if Raley will undergo Tommy John surgery or an internal brace procedure, which carries a shorter recovery timeline but would still likely leave Raley out for the rest of the 2024 season. Jake Diekman is currently the only lefty reliever in the Mets' bullpen, who has posted a respectable 3.86 ERA and 12.67 K/9 rate but has struggled with walks at a 7.71 BB/9 rate.

Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Daniel Hudson locked down Monday's win over the division-rival Arizona Diamondbacks, striking out two batters in a clean ninth inning for his third save. Hudson needed 20 pitches to retire the side in order and stymie Arizona's late comeback attempt, but he got the job done in Monday's save situation. The 37-year-old veteran right-hander has flourished out of LA's bullpen this season, posting a 2.70 ERA and 0.75 WHIP while fanning 22 and walking only one with three saves over 20 innings of work. While save opportunities have been few and far between for the Dodgers as of late, Hudson should be viewed as the temporary favorite for ninth-inning work until star closer Evan Phillips (hamstring) returns from his minor-league rehab assignment.

Atlanta Braves designated hitter Marcell Ozuna launched two home runs during Monday's doubleheader with the San Diego Padres, clubbing two solo shots across the two outings. Ozuna clobbered a Dylan Cease slider in the third inning of Game 1, later tagging Padres right-hander Randy Vasquez for another solo jack in the fifth inning of Game 2. Well on his way to the third All-Star nod of his career, the 33-year-old veteran slugger is slashing a prolific .327/.405./642 with 14 long balls, nine doubles, 43 RBI, and 27 runs scored through 185 plate appearances (44 games) as Atlanta's everyday DH in the heart of their lineup. Next up for Ozuna is a three-game set against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, and he's batting .333 (9-for-27) with one round-tripper and five RBI in his last eight games against the Cubs on the road.

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler registered his seventh quality start of the season in Friday's victory over the division-rival Washington Nationals, allowing two runs on three hits and three walks while striking out six over 7 1/3 innings for his fifth win of the campaign. After being tagged for six runs in his last start against the last-place Miami Marlins, Wheeler bounced back and looked to be at his best on Friday. Through 10 starts, the 33-year-old All-Star right-hander is up to an excellent 2.52 ERA and 0.97 WHIP with 71 punchouts and 19 walks over 60 2/3 innings of work this year. Wheeler has a tough assignment on deck in the form of the defending-champion Texas Rangers during his next start at home that's scheduled for Thursday, but he's a matchup-proof fantasy bet when it comes to lineup decisions.

Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter Justin Turner (illness) is back in the lineup on Friday, serving as the DH and batting cleanup against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays and left-hander Tyler Alexander. Turner missed a few games this week while feeling under the weather, but he's back in there for the start of a series against the Rays. The 39-year-old veteran should be returned to starting fantasy lineups in redraft leagues. He's gone hitless in his last 16 plate appearances over four games but does have two home runs and five RBI in five career at-bats against Alexander. On the year, Turner has slashed .246/.317/.405 with four home runs, 16 RBI and 17 runs scored in 126 at-bats.

Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter Justin Turner (illness) is not in the team's starting lineup on Wednesday against the Baltimore Orioles. Turner was under the weather on Tuesday and was scheduled to sit out, but the contest in Baltimore was postponed due to inclement weather. However, the 39-year-old veteran is still feeling bad on Wednesday and will not play. The Blue Jays have a scheduled day off on Thursday, so perhaps Turner is feeling good enough to play on Friday in the series opener against the Tampa Bay Rays. The left-handed hitting Daniel Vogelbach is serving as the DH on Wednesday and will hit seventh against Orioles right-hander Kyle Bradish. On the year to this point, Turner is slashing a modest .250/.321/.411 with four home runs, 16 RBI and 17 runs scored in his first 36 games with Toronto.

Pittsburgh Pirates backstop Yasmani Grandal launched his second home run in just seven games with his new club on Monday. The 35-year-old looks to be settling in quite nicely in the Steel City with an impressive .545 SLG through his first week as a Pirate. Grandal was on the 15-day injured list to open the season with plantar fasciitis but is now looking like his past self. Grandal began splitting catching duties with Joey Bart, but he has now started each of the past four games, suggesting he has a slight lead for the starting role. Grandal is worth adding in NL-only formats for the time being but could force his way into mixed leagues if his power surge continues.

New York Mets left-handed reliever Brooks Raley (elbow) will meet with Dr. Keith Meister on Tuesday to make a firmer decision on his inflamed left elbow. Raley is concerned about bone spurs and possible ligament damage in his elbow, which means his 2024 season is very much in jeopardy. Manager Carlos Mendoza said late last week that Raley is "not close" to throwing and could be shut down for the foreseeable future if Meister doesn't like what he sees on Tuesday. The 35-year-old veteran southpaw was placed on the 15-day injured list on April 21 and was initially expected to return as soon as he was eligible. In a worst-case scenario, Raley would need Tommy John surgery or an internal-brace procedure, which would keep him out for the rest of this year and the start of 2025. It would be a pretty big blow for New York's bullpen.

Updating a previous report, Toronto Blue Jays outfielder George Springer (illness) and Kevin Kiermaier (illness) and designated hitter Justin Turner (illness) are both out sick on Monday against the Baltimore Orioles. Springer missed Friday and Saturday while being sick but was able to return on Sunday before going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. It appears he's still not feeling great and will sit out another game. Turner is sick and in a slump of late, so a day off second consecutive day off should do him well. Kiermaier will miss his fourth straight game. Cavan Biggio is in right field and batting eighth, Daniel Vogelbach is the DH and is hitting fifth, while Daulton Varsho is in center field and batting second against Orioles right-hander Corbin Burnes. ... [More]

Toronto Blue Jays outfielder George Springer and designated hitter Justin Turner are both sitting out on Monday for the series opener against the Orioles in Baltimore. With both veterans resting, Cavan Biggio is in right field and is hitting eighth, while Daniel Vogelbach is the DH and is batting fifth against Orioles right-hander Corbin Burnes. Davis Schneider is in left field and is hitting leadoff for the Blue Jays. Springer missed Friday and Saturday against the Minnesota Twins but returned on Sunday to go 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. The 34-year-old has struggled so far in 2024 with a .200 average (29-for-145), three homers and six stolen bases. Turner has one hit in his last 22 at-bats in his last five starts, so he'll be on the bench for the second straight game. None of Toronto's replacements on Monday will be particularly attractive in DFS against Burnes.

New York Mets left-hander Brooks Raley (elbow) is "not close" to throwing, according to manager Carlos Mendoza. Raley is going to see another doctor this week in hopes that he can be cleared to throw. It's obviously bad news for a pitcher that was originally placed on the 15-day injured list on April 21, especially since he was expected to return from the IL when he was first eligible. The 35-year-old southpaw reliever probably won't return until at least June now, depending on how things go when he's cleared to resume throwing. The former sixth-round selection of the Chicago Cubs in 2009 out of Texas A&M was a key weapon out of the Mets' bullpen in 2023 with three saves, a 2.80 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and 61 strikeouts in 54 2/3 innings out of the bullpen. Raley hadn't allowed a run in seven innings with nine K's in eight appearances this year before getting hurt.

Atlanta Braves designated hitter Marcell Ozuna halted a mini slump with two more home runs in Wednesday's 5-0 win over the visiting Boston Red Sox, adding a walk in the shutout victory. Entering the day just 4-for-28 with one homer over his last eight outings, Ozuna got right back to his dominant ways first with a three-run jack in the first inning and later with a solo shot in the third frame. Over 144 trips to the dish (34 games), the 33-year-old star slugger is slashing a phenomenal .315/.396/.646 with 12 round-trippers, six doubles, an MLB-leading 38 RBI, and 23 runs scored and should continue piling up counting stats as the everyday No. 5 hitter in Atlanta's loaded lineup. A three-game weekend series with the division-rival New York Mets commences on Friday, which fantasy managers should be looking forward to. In 13 games against the Mets since 2023, Ozuna is batting a torrid .396 with six long balls, seven doubles, and 18 RBI.

Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Daniel Hudson was called upon to close out Wednesday's game against the Miami Marlins. The right-hander tossed on scoreless inning on only 12 pitches to record his second save of the season. Hudson blew a save on Friday but redeemed himself during this outing. The expectation is that the Dodgers are planning to use closer-by-committee until Evan Phillips (hamstring) is able to return. Blake Treinen and Alex Vesia should also be in the mix alongside Hudson.