X-rays came back negative on Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz's hand on Friday night after he was hit by a pitch on his hand in the eighth inning and forced to exit the game early against the Chicago White Sox. It doesn't mean that he won't miss the next few days, though, so fantasy managers will need to check back on Saturday to see if he's absent from the starting lineup. Before getting hit by a pitch, the 32-year-old went 1-for-2 with his fifth double of the season, two walks and a strikeout, and he's now hitting .241 on the year with a .618 OPS. Niko Goodrum replaced Diaz as a pinch-runner and then at first base to close out the game. If Diaz misses a few games or is forced to the injured list, Goodrum and Austin Shenton could split time at the cold corner in Tampa.

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Frankie Montas (forearm) is expected to throw off a mound this weekend, according to manager David Bell. Montas is progressing in his recovery from a right forearm contusion and is eligible to come off the 15-day injured list on May 7, but it's unknown if he'll need a brief rehab assignment before rejoining Cincy's rotation. The 31-year-old former ace carries an uninspiring 4.19 ERA (5.26 FIP), 1.44 WHIP, and 14:10 K:BB across 19 1/3 innings (five starts), and fantasy managers in shallow mixed leagues might be able to find stronger options as a stash. Veteran swingman Nick Martinez should receive at least two more starts for the Reds until Montas becomes available again, but he has just a 5.48 ERA and 1.39 WHIP with 17 punchouts in 23 frames (five appearances) and won't be a convincing streamer in Tuesday's scheduled road start against the San Diego Padres.

Arizona Diamondbacks closer Paul Sewald (oblique) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Saturday, and the team will likely have him appear in another rehab game if all goes well there. There was some optimism that Sewald's next appearance would come for the major-league club, but it sounds like fantasy managers will have to wait a few more days before the hurler is reinstated from the 15-day injured list due to a strained left oblique. Look for the 33-year-old right-hander to re-enter Arizona's bullpen and reclaim his closing gig sometime during Week 5 of fantasy baseball, which begins on Monday with a three-game series versus the division-rival Los Angeles Dodgers. Righty Kevin Ginkel owns a solid 3.48 ERA (2.85 FIP), 1.16 WHIP, and 11:2 K:BB with four saves through 10 1/3 innings, but fantasy managers should be trying to make other arrangements for saves before he reverts to a setup role upon Sewald's return.

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Blake Snell (groin) resumed playing catch on flat ground on Friday, which is a good sign for a player who is dealing with a multi-week absence due to a strained left groin. Snell believes he can rejoin San Fran's rotation right around May 7, when he's first eligible for activation from the 15-day injured list. The 31-year-old reigning National League Cy Young Award winner has obviously been a massive fantasy bust with an 11.57 ERA, 1.97 WHIP, and 12:5 K:BB through 11 2/3 innings (three starts), but his elite strikeout upside when healthy means he can't be jettisoned to any waiver wires. In the interim, former second-round pick Sean Hjelle may be needed as a starter for the Giants and has a 5.79 ERA and 0.85 WHIP with two punchouts and one walk in 4 2/3 frames this year. He'd line up for a decent matchup with the Boston Red Sox at some point next week in this case.

There is no timetable yet on Seattle Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford (oblique), but general manager Justin Hollander said the team doesn't anticipate him being ready by the time he's eligible to be activated from the injured list. In a best-case scenario, it sounds like Crawford will be out at least two to three weeks with a Grade 1 right-oblique strain. The Mariners aren't going to rush the 29-year-old shortstop back with an injury that isn't easy to come back from, even if it's the least-severe variety. It's been a rough year so far for Crawford, as he's hit just .198 (17-for-86) with two home runs, nine RBI and 13 runs scored in his first 22 games. Until he's able to return, Dylan Moore should see most of the playing time at the 6 and will have elevated short-term fantasy value in deeper leagues.

Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz (hand) was hit by a pitch in the eighth inning and was subsequently removed. Niko Goodrum pinch-ran for the 32-year-old after he was hit. Diaz took a 99 mph fastball from White Sox pitcher Michael Kopech to his hand as the Rays worked to dig themselves out of a 7-3 hole. Diaz had put together a decent day at the plate before exiting, going 1-2 with two walks. If Diaz is to miss any time, then the beneficiaries of his absence will be Austin Shenton and Goodrum. Shenton has slashed .143/.217/.238 on the season, and Goodrum has slashed .167/.286/.452. Neither option is great from a fantasy perspective, but Shenton has generally been the starter when Diaz gets rest. Prioritize Shenton if you're looking directly for a replacement from the Rays, but there are likely better options you can snag off the waiver wire.

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Alex Cobb (hip, shoulder) has been held back from throwing activities the last few days as he's still experiencing soreness in his shoulder. He is scheduled to see Dr. Ken Akizuki Friday night. Cobb had been working his way back from a hip surgery he had in October and started to experience some setbacks after throwing a bullpen session a few weeks ago. The 36-year-old won't be eligible to come off the injured list until late May, but these setbacks may push his return further into June. This isn't the news the Giants wanted to hear after needing to put newly acquired Blake Snell on the 15-day injured list this week. Cobb will have a rotation spot available for him when he returns, but fantasy managers and Giants fans will need to exercise patience for a couple more months for that moment.

San Francisco Giants second baseman Thairo Estrada (hamstring) is not in the Giants' lineup for their Friday night tilt against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Estrada was removed from Wednesday's game against the Mets after dealing with hamstring tightness. As of now, Estrada is considered day-to-day. The 28-year-old is slashing .232/.253/.400 on the year so his impact to the Giants and fantasy managers' lineups may be fairly negligible. Tyler Fitzgerald is getting the start in his place and will bat eighth. Should Estrada return this weekend he would see Martin Perez on Saturday and Pirates rookie Jared Jones on Sunday.

Toronto Blue Jays right-handed reliever Chad Green (shoulder) is rehabbing for three to seven more days, at which point the team is hopeful that he can resume throwing. Green is recovering from a teres major strain in his right shoulder after landing on the injured list. The 32-year-old veteran hurler is probably at least several weeks away from being able to return to Toronto's bullpen. Green opened the 2024 season with increased fantasy importance because of injuries to both Jordan Romano and Erik Swanson. He took advantage of the short-term opportunity for save chances in Toronto, recording two saves with a 2.35 ERA and 1.04 WHIP while walking two and striking out seven in 7 2/3 frames. When Green returns from the IL, he'll return to a late-inning setup role in front of Romano.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo continued his stellar work on the mound during Friday's game against the Detroit Tigers. The right-hander threw seven shutout innings while striking out nine batters in the win. Lugo only gave up three singles during this game and a pair of walks. He holds a 1.66 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and a 23/9 K/BB ratio across six starts. He'll look to continue his strong campaign against the Toronto Blue Jays next week.

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that right-hander Walker Buehler (elbow) will make another minor-league rehab start with Triple-A Oklahoma City next Tuesday. If all goes well, Buehler will then be activated to make his 2024 debut with the Dodgers. The 29-year-old hasn't pitched in a major-league game since 2022, but he got up to 86 pitches in 4 1/4 innings in his latest rehab start on Wednesday at Oklahoma City despite giving up five runs (three earned). His numbers on his rehab start have been nothing to write home about -- a 4.86 ERA, 1.68 WHIP, 16 strikeouts and nine walks in 16 2/3 innings -- but the most important thing is that he's healthy. Buehler could have some ups and downs early on with LA, but if he can show any of his pre-injury form in 2024, he has the potential to be a huge fantasy asset down the stretch.

Milwaukee Brewers veteran left-hander Wade Miley (elbow) needs Tommy John surgery and will spend the next 10 to 12 months rehabbing and then decide whether to continue his career. It's a tough break for the 37-year-old southpaw and the Brewers. Fantasy baseball managers that were stashing Miley in deeper leagues can now officially let go. "I've always said I want to go out on my own [terms]," Miley said. "I still feel like I've got more in the tank." While it sounds like the 14-year veteran wants to give it a shot to come back at some point in 2025, it's fair to wonder if he's already thrown his final pitch in the big leagues. Even if Miley rehabs for a comeback next season, he'll be off the radar in most fantasy formats. The former 43rd overall pick by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2008 out of Southeastern Louisiana gave up five earned runs with four walks and two K's in his two starts in 2024.

St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Miles Mikolas will look to get straightened out when he takes the ball for a road contest against the New York Mets. The 35-year-old was knocked around for nine hits, including three homers, leading to five earned runs allowed in just 4 1/3 innings in a losing effort against the Brewers his last time out. It was the second consecutive outing and third of five on the season in which the veteran has allowed five earned runs in less than five innings this season. The rough outing raised his ERA to 6.49 through five starts, although his 4.05 xFIP, 4.28 SIERA, and solid 6% BB% suggest positive regression is likely moving forward.

Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Chris Bassitt will be looking to get back into the win column for the third time this season on Friday versus the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers. The veteran took a tough-luck loss his last time out after tossing 5 1/3 innings of two-run ball but also allowed six hits and three walks against the Padres his last time out. While the 35-year-old owns a solid 3.90 ERA on the season, he also sports a 4.77 FIP and a 4.47 SIERA that both suggest some regression could be on the horizon. Of course, there's at least a decent chance of that happening on Friday against a Dodgers offense that ranks second in baseball with a .348 wOBA on the season.

The Chicago White Sox have selected veteran outfielder Tommy Pham from Triple-A Charlotte. Fellow outfielder Kevin Pillar has been designated for assignment in order to clear a spot on the active roster. The White Sox agreed to a minors pact with Pham just a week ago and are bringing him up after he appeared in four games with Charlotte. Pham had a nice season in 2023, hitting .256 with 16 home runs and 22 stolen bases alongside a .774 OPS across 129 games between the Mets and Diamondbacks. Pham interestingly had to settle for a minors pact despite the quality season as he could once again become fantasy-relevant if his power and speed remain in his age-36 season.

Detroit Tigers catcher Carson Kelly (rib cage) has been scratched from Friday's starting lineup against the visiting Kansas City Royals with left rib-cage soreness. He will be available off the bench, however. In his place, Jake Rogers will start behind the plate and will bat eighth against Royals right-hander Seth Lugo. The fact that Kelly is available off the bench means that his injury probably isn't very serious, so the 29-year-old backstop could have a chance to return for Saturday's contest. The former second-round pick of the St. Louis Cardinals in 2012 is hitting just .205 (9-for-44) on the year with a homer and six RBI for Detroit. Rogers has been even worse, going 6-for-45 (.133) with a homer and two RBI, so DFS gamers should look elsewhere at the catcher position on Friday.

Kansas City Royals outfielder Hunter Renfroe finds himself on the bench again on Friday against the Detroit Tigers. This will be the second straight game that Renfroe will be starting on the bench. In his absence, the left-handed-hitting Adam Frazier will make the start in right field for the Royals and will hit eighth against Tigers right-hander Reese Olson. The 32-year-old Renfroe has hit just .149 (10-for-67) with two home runs, 10 RBI, five walks and 16 strikeouts in his first 72 plate appearances in 2024 and is quickly losing playing time in Kansas City's outfield rotation. Frazier, also 32, hasn't been much better, going 11-for-55 (.200) with no homers, four RBI and one stolen base in 22 games. He's never faced Olson in his career.

Atlanta Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies (toe) was activated from the 10-day injured list on Friday after he needed only the 10 days to recover from a fractured right big toe. Albies will be back in Atlanta's starting lineup on Friday for the series finale against the visiting Cleveland Guardians and left-hander Logan Allen, and fantasy managers will want to get him back into all starting lineup this weekend. The 27-year-old switch-hitter was hitting a strong .317/.386/.492 with two home runs and two stolen bases in 15 games played before injuring his toe and remains one of the better fantasy second baseman in a potent Braves lineup. Luis Guillorme and David Fletcher were splitting time at the keystone with Albies out. Fletcher was sent to the minors on Thursday.

San Diego Padres outfielder Jurickson Profar went 2-for-4 with a home run and a walk in Thursday's loss against the Colorado Rockies. Porfar took Nick Mears deep in the top of the seventh inning for his third homer of the season. The veteran has quietly been having a nice season for the Padres with a .295 batting average and 18 RBI. Profar should eventually regress, but he is worth riding while his bat is hot. For now, Profar is worth rostering, but managers would be wise to test the trade market and try to sell-high on the veteran. Profar will look to stay warm versus the division rival San Francisco Giants and Kyle Harrison on Friday evening.

Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Luis Castillo put together a strong performance versus the Texas Rangers to pick up his second victory of the season on Thursday. Castillo tossed six innings and allowed four hits, two runs, two walks and struck out six on the evening. Castillo has steadily improved as the season has gone on and managers could put to rest any worries from his early season outings. The 31-year-old remains one of the top pitchers in the game and managers can expect to have an ace in most of his starts moving forward. Next up is a matchup versus the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday. Even against a good lineup, Castillo is pretty much a must-start.