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.

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery fired seven strong innings in Wednesday's 4-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds, surrendering just two runs on seven hits and two walks with two punchouts in his second win of the season. It was arguably Montgomery's best start as a D-back to this point, though his first start back on April 19 may have been just as impressive. The 31-year-old veteran southpaw will still want to improve on his disappointing 4.70 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, and 10:6 K:BB over 23 frames (four starts) for Arizona when he takes the ball in his next scheduled appearance at home in a soft matchup against these same Reds on Monday. Cincinnati is now batting .209 as a team through 36 games, which is the worst mark in all of baseball.

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Chris Sale produced his first double-digit strikeout effort of the season in Wednesday's 5-0 victory over the visiting Boston Red Sox, throwing six scoreless innings on six hits and one walk en route to his fifth win of the year. Staked to an early four-run lead, Sale cruised through his former club with relative ease on Wednesday. After giving up five runs to the last-place Miami Marlins back on April 19, the 35-year-old seven-time All-Star has gone 4-0 with a pristine 1.50 ERA and 32:3 K:BB over his past four starts (23 innings) for the Braves. Up next, Sale sets up for a manageable home start against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday. Over their last 12 outings, the Cubs are scoring just 2.8 runs per game.

After Jorge Soler was placed on the 10-Day IL, the San Francisco Giants recalled outfielder Heliot Ramos from Triple-A Sacramento on Wednesday. Ramos was immediately slotted into the lineup for the Giants and went 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored batting out of the seventh spot in the order. The 24-year-old has seen a limited amount of action with the Giants before in parts of 2022 and 2023, but this is his first action of 2024. He hadn't done much of anything with his prior 82 plate appearances in the majors, but was hitting well for Sacramento so far this season before the call-up, slashing .296/.388/.565 with eight home runs, 21 RBI, 23 runs scored, and a pair of stolen bases in 30 games played. Hopefully he can get things going while Soler is out and perhaps make a push to stick around this time. The right-handed hitter should remain on the waiver wire for now.

The St. Louis Cardinals have recalled catcher Pedro Pages from Triple-A Memphis to work as the backup to Ivan Herrera after Willson Contreras was placed on the IL. Pages was penciled into the eighth spot in the lineup Wednesday night before the game was postponed due to rain. The game will be made up August 5, so we'll see who gets the start Thursday against the Brewers and RHP Tobias Myers. Pages offers little fantasy relevance at this point, although he's got some power as he hit 16 home runs in 2023 over 117 games at Double-A, and he posts solid BB% numbers which provide a solid OBP. The 25-year-old does have four major league plate appearances, however, whenever he does draw a start it will be his first in the big leagues.

Washington Nationals outfielder Robert Hassell III is a former first-round pick who was flipped to Washington during the trade that made Juan Soto a Padre. The talented left-hander gets good speed behind each of his swings while still making sure to keep his swing under control, perfect his timing, and put the bat on the ball. Concerns about his tendency to strike out seem to have dissipated recently. He's also a good defender, showcasing the potential to play center field for a long time thanks to his range and glovework. He has the arm strength to shift to right field as necessary. Hassell enjoyed plenty of success last week, going 12-for-24 (.500) with two homers, five RBI, one walk, and three strikeouts. He was also a thief on the basepaths, swiping three bags on three attempts. He closed out the week with a three-game stolen base streak that would ultimately be snapped on Tuesday, May 7. Nevertheless, keep an eye on Hassell as he pushes for a spot in Triple-A.

The hope is that Colorado Rockies outfielder Nolan Jones (back) will start defensive practice and resuming hitting in the cage this weekend. As he prepares to ramp up his baseball activities, Jones will "more than likely" need a brief minor-league rehab assignment before returning from a strained lower back. Following a 2023 breakout campaign, the 26-year-old left-handed hitter was slashing an icy .170/.243/.277 with one home run, five doubles, seven RBI, and two stolen bases through 94 at-bats (26 games) as Colorado's primary left fielder but remains a recommended stash with a mid-May return still a possibility. Top prospect Jordan Beck should continue receiving the lion's share of the reps in left field until Jones is ready to return, but he's hitting an empty .125 (3-for-24) over seven outings during his first stint in the major leagues.

San Francisco Giants left-hander Blake Snell (groin) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Thursday and then start a minor-league rehab assignment with Single-A San Jose on Sunday, according to manager Bob Melvin. Snell started facing live hitters on Tuesday and is ready to take the next step by pitching in a minor-league game later this weekend. The 31-year-old is recovering from an adductor strain and figures to pitch in more than one rehab game after starting the year late given the timing of his signing with the Giants. In his first three starts with the Giants, Snell lost all three starts while allowing 15 earned runs on 18 hits (two home runs) while walking five and striking out 12 in 11 2/3 innings. It's not the start his fantasy managers were hoping for, but Snell is also a notoriously slow starter and needs to be rostered in all leagues for his high-strikeout upside.

The San Francisco Giants placed outfielder Jorge Soler (shoulder) on the 10-day injured list on Wednesday with a right-shoulder strain and recalled outfielder Heliot Ramos from Triple-A Sacramento in a corresponding move. Soler missed the team's last three games with his shoulder injury and will now be forced to miss at least another week. The 32-year-old right-handed slugger boasts elite power but has gone just 24-for-119 (.202) with five home runs, eight RBI and 14 runs scored in his first 34 games in San Francisco. Ramos, 24, is serving as the designated hitter on Wednesday night and is hitting seventh in the batting order. He has yet to make an impact at the big-league level for the Giants but was swinging a hot bat in the minors and will be worth a look off the waiver wire in NL-only leagues now that he could see some playing time over the next week for the Gigantes.

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernandez was a one-man wrecking crew during Wednesday's game against the Miami Marlins. Hernandez went 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBI in the win. He opened the first frame with an RBI single and blasted a two-run homer in the sixth inning. It was the only three runs the Dodgers scored in this game but it was enough to win them the contest. Hernandez has 10 home runs this season and has four long balls over his last six games.

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.

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Gavin Stone made easy work of the Miami Marlins lineup on Wednesday. The right-hander threw seven strong innings while allowing only one run in the win. Stone gave up a solo blast to Bryan De La Cruz in the fourth inning, but he was excellent outside of that. The 25-year-old holds a 3.55 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and 27/13 K/BB ratio across 38 innings this season. He'll get a tougher matchup versus the San Francisco Giants during his next start.

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Dylan Cease was impressive on the mound during Wednesday's game against the Chicago Cubs. The 28-year-old struck out a season-high 12 batters over seven shutout innings during the win. Cease only allowed one hit and a pair of walks during Wednesday's outing. He holds a 2.19 ERA, 0.75 WHIP and 60/16 K/BB ratio across 49 1/3 innings this season. He'll get a favorable matchup against the Colorado Rockies during his next start.

Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker said that catcher Sean Murphy (oblique) has advanced to hitting in the batting cages after hitting off a tee twice last week. Murphy is inching closer to a return from the Grade 1 left-oblique strain that he suffered in the season opener. The 29-year-old is going to need to go on a minor-league rehab assignment before he returns to the Braves, too, so fantasy baseball managers are going to need to wait a little longer before they get the catcher back. The former third-round pick of the Oakland Athletics in 2016 out of Wright State was a first-time All-Star in 2023 in his first season with the Braves and should remain stashed in all fantasy leagues as one of the better offensive catchers in baseball when healthy. Veteran Travis d'Arnaud will continue to serve as the team's starter behind the plate until Murphy returns.

Cincinnati Reds manager David Bell said that a new fracture was revealed in first baseman Christian Encarnacion-Strand's right hand, and he'll miss a month to six weeks as he heals. Encarnacion-Strand was hit by a pitch on his right hand at the end of April, but initial tests didn't reveal the fracture. Not only is the 24-year-old now out for the foreseeable future, but he has started the 2024 season ice-cold at the plate, slashing just .190/.220/.293 with two home runs and 16 RBI in 116 at-bats. Despite the disappointing start to his sophomore season, CES should stay rostered in the majority of mixed fantasy leagues. Jeimer Candelario should slide over to first base the majority of time Encarnacion-Strand is out, allowing Santiago Espinal to see more playing time at third base.

The Miami Marlins reinstated left-hander Braxton Garrett (shoulder) from the 15-day injured list on Wednesday and placed right-hander Edward Cabrera (shoulder) on the 15-day IL in a corresponding move with a right-shoulder impingement. Garrett, who hasn't pitch in the big leagues yet in 2024, is expected to make his first start of the year on Sunday against the division-rival Philadelphia Phillies. The 26-year-old has returned from a shoulder impingement of his own. Even though Sunday's matchup against the Phils isn't the best he could have for his first start back, Garrett is worth rostering in most mixed leagues now that he's healthy. Garrett looked good on his minor-league rehab assignment and went 9-7 last year with a 3.66 ERA and 1.15 WHIP with a career-high 156 K's in 159 2/3 innings over 31 outings (30 starts).

The Miami Marlins placed right-hander Edward Cabrera (shoulder) on the injured list on Wednesday with a right-shoulder impingement. Cabrera was pulled from his outing early on Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Dodgers after allowing a grand slam in just two innings of work, and now he'll be forced to miss at least several weeks. It's the second time he's gone on the IL in the last three months, and walks have also continued to be a major issue for the 26-year-old. In his five starts this year, Cabrera has a rough 7.17 ERA (4.18 FIP) and 1.59 WHIP with 14 walks and 31 strikeouts in 21 1/3 innings pitched. The strikeout upside is evident, but until Cabrera can stay healthy and show a better command of his pitches, fantasy managers in mixed leagues should look for better options. The good news for the Marlins is that left-hander Braxton Garrett (shoulder) has been activated and is ready to make his 2024 debut.

The Cincinnati Reds placed infielder Christian Encarnacion-Strand (hand) on the 10-day injured list on Wednesday with a right ulnar styloid fracture and signed infielder Mike Ford to a one-year major-league contract in a corresponding move. Left-hander Brandon Williamson (shoulder) was also moved to the 60-day injured list. Encarnacion-Strand fractured his right hand when he was hit by a pitch late last month and missed four games as a result. With the 24-year-old out for at least the next 10 days, Ford and Jeimer Candelario should be options to fill in at first base for the Reds moving forward. Candelario is getting the start at the cold corner on Wednesday against the Arizona Diamondbacks, with Santiago Espinal at third base. In addition to his injury, it's been a bad start for CES, as he's hitting just .190 (22-for-116) with two homers and 16 RBI.

Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno (illness) is back behind the plate and is batting seventh on Wednesday against the Cincinnati Reds and right-hander Graham Ashcraft. Moreno had the day off on Sunday against the San Diego Padres and also sat out the series opener on Tuesday against the Reds while being under the weather, but the 24-year-old backstop is feeling good enough to play on Wednesday. Moreno has yet to clear the fences so far in 2024 and is currently hitting .241/.340/.322 with five doubles, one triple, 14 RBI and nine runs scored in 100 plate appearances over 29 games played. He has gone hitless in just two career at-bats against Ashcraft.

Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson (knee) "tweaked something in his right knee (and) has been bugging him a little bit," according to manager Craig Counsell, which is why Swanson is out of the starting lineup for Wednesday's series finale against the visiting San Diego Padres. Counsell said Swanson hurt his knee on a slide in the game on April 25 against the Houston Astros. With a scheduled off day on Thursday, the Cubs are hoping to get Swanson back for the series opener on Friday in Pittsburgh against the Pirates. Check back to see if the 30-year-old Swanson is back in there on Friday. With him resting on Wednesday, Nico Hoerner is starting at the 6 and batting leadoff, while Miles Mastrobuoni will play second and hit seventh against Padres right-hander Dylan Cease.