The Chicago Cubs placed pitchers Kyle Hendricks (back) and Drew Smyly (hip) on the 15-day injured list on Tuesday and recalled infielder Matt Mervis, right-hander Hayden Wesneski and left-hander Luke Little from Triple-A Iowa in corresponding moves. The 34-year-old Hendricks has been downright bad so far in 2024, posting a 12.00 ERA in his first five starts, but hopefully his back injury was mostly to blame. If left-hander Justin Steele (hamstring) is able to return from his IL stint before Hendricks does, which is likely, Hendricks could find himself out of a rotation spot when he's ready to return. With Hendricks out, Wesneski is a candidate to fill his rotation spot until Steele is able to return. Little will give the Cubs another left-handed arm out of the bullpen to replace Smyly.

Right-hander Kevin Gausman will be starting for the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday in the second game of their four-game series against the Kansas City Royals. Gausman struggled to begin the year with his velocity, but in his last start against the Yankees, the right-hander had success, as he went five innings and allowed just one run on four hits while striking out six. Gausman is 0-2 with an 8.16 ERA this season and will face a Royals lineup that is slashing .237/.306/.405.

Toronto Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano recorded his third save on Monday in a 5-3 victory against the Kansas City Royals. Romano allowed one hit (one homer) with one strikeout in one inning pitched. He has now recorded three saves in four games that he has appeared in while recording a 4.50 ERA with three hits (one homer), and three strikeouts in four innings pitched. He may not be flashy with the strikeouts but he is recording saves and makes for a decent option for depth across all leagues. He is worth monitoring as he came off the injured list recently with elbow inflammation and has been a high-end closer in recent seasons.

St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Keynan Middleton (forearm) has been on a two days on, one day off throwing program and has been stretched out so far to 110 feet. He's not throwing off a mound yet, though. Meanwhile, Drew Rom (biceps) did some plyometric work but didn't respond well late last week and hasn't made any progress from his injury. Middleton should be cleared to throw off a mound again soon and could then move to a short minor-league rehab assignment after that if all goes well. The 30-year-old hasn't pitched since getting hurt on March 7 during spring training, but when healthy, he could have some fantasy value in leagues that count holds. He'll be one of the team's primary setup men in front of closer Ryan Helsley.

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Dylan Cease turned in another stellar start in Monday's 3-1 win over the Rockies. Cease pitched very well in Coors Field, tossing seven innings of one-run ball on one hit and no walks with eight strikeouts. The 28-year-old has settled in with his new team nicely, going 3-1 with a 1.82 ERA, 10.62 K/9 rate, and 3.34 BB/9 rate in his first five starts. He will face a tougher matchup in his next start against the Phillies.

The Baltimore Orioles placed outfielder Austin Hays (calf) on the 10-day injured list on Monday, retroactive to Sunday. After leaving Saturday's win over the Kansas City Royals, Hays needs to miss some additional time with a strained left calf. The 28-year-old left fielder was already trending down due to a feeble .111/.200/.111 triple-slash line with just two RBI over 45 at-bats (19 games) as well as the emergence of former top prospect Colton Cowser for the O's, so fantasy managers shouldn't feel inclined to stash Hays while he's sidelined. Cowser's playing time in left field becomes even more solidified in the absence of Hays. Hitting .373 (19-for-51) with five home runs, six doubles, nine runs scored, and three stolen bases to this point, Cowser is a player with five-category upside in Baltimore's potent lineup for the foreseeable future.

San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado has been placed on the paternity list on Monday. The superstar infielder will be away from the team for one to three days due to personal matters. In a corresponding move, infielder Matthew Batten has been recalled from Triple-A El Paso. Batten will take over the active spot on the roster and figures to play in a few games until Machado returns. Eguy Rosario is starting at third base and is hitting seventh on Monday against the Colorado Rockies and left-hander Austin Gomber.

Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton appears to be getting a day off on Monday against the visiting Chicago White Sox. Austin Martin will take over in center field for the Twins and will hit ninth in the batting order against White Sox rookie right-hander Jonathan Cannon. First baseman Alex Kirilloff will also head leadoff for this one. First baseman Carlos Santana will be the designated hitter. Buxton has so far stayed healthy in 2024, but he's hitting a lowly .217 (15-for-69) with no home runs, nine RBI and no stolen bases in 20 games played. There's still time for the 30-year-old to turns things around, but fantasy managers shouldn't expect frequent running on the base paths to be Buxton's thing anymore. Martin will be a low-upside DFS sleeper in the nine-hole on Monday.

The Cincinnati Reds placed right-hander Frankie Montas (forearm) on the 15-day injured list on Monday with a right-forearm contusion and recalled right-hander Casey Legumina from Triple-A Louisville in a corresponding move. Montas heads to the IL after getting hit in the right forearm by a comebacker in Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Angels. The 31-year-old has a good chance of coming back in two weeks when he's eligible after avoiding a fracture to his arm. With Montas out of action for a few weeks, swingman Nick Martinez will become more attractive in fantasy leagues with a move to the starting rotation. In what Montas' managers are hoping is a bounce-back year, he's so far been inconsistent with a 4.19 ERA, 1.45 WHIP and 14 K's in 19 1/3 innings over five starts.

Cincinnati Reds right-hander Frankie Montas (forearm) left Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Angels early with a right-forearm bruise. X-rays on his arm showed no fracture after he was hit in the arm by a comebacker. It's good news that the 31-year-old doesn't have any kind of break in his arm, but Montas said that he's likely to miss his next start due to soreness and swelling. He recorded just two outs in Sunday's game before being hit in the arm, so he also may not be able to go very deep in his next start after taking at least one turn through the rotation off. The injured list is still a possibility if Montas isn't feeling great after missing one start. Montas has been up and down through his first five starts with the Reds in 2024, going 2-2 with a 4.19 ERA (5.33 FIP) and 1.45 WHIP with 10 walks and 14 strikeouts in 19 1/3 innings.

Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Spencer Turnbull will head to the bullpen after Wednesday's start against the Cincinnati Reds. Turnbull has had a solid start to the season with an ERA of 1.23 in 22 innings pitched. He has allowed three runs through four games with 10 hits, 22 strikeouts, and seven walks. The return of Taijuan Walker (shoulder) is expected to happen during this weekend's series against the San Diego Padres. This will allow the Phillies to monitor Turnball with his move to the bullpen. With having pitched less than 57 innings since 2019, the Phillies would like to keep their pitching rotation safe and healthy. Turnbull should be held onto in deep-leagues while adding Walker. He went 15-6 in 2023 with a 4.38 ERA in 31 starts, adding a nice depth to rosters.

Miami Marlins closer Tanner Scott picked up his second save in two days on Sunday, closing out the Chicago Cubs in a 6-3 win. Scott has gotten his season back on track in the past week, picking up three saves while allowing only two hits and two walks. Another big indicator that Scott might be returning to form is that he hasn't walked a batter in his last two appearances after walking an astronomical 12 batters in his first eight appearances. Fantasy managers should be encouraged by the results and have a little more confidence in Scott when determining lineups for next week.

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Frankie Montas (undisclosed) left Sunday's game early after being hit by a comebacker off outfielder Taylor Ward. The ball struck Montas in his pitching arm, which was why he had to leave the game. Brent Suter replaced Montas as a result. There have not been any updates on the extent of the injury, so fantasy managers will have to keep a close eye on his status before his next scheduled start. Montas was off to a great start with his new team, as he did not allow an earned run until his third start. Since then, Montas has allowed nine earned runs. Brent Suter is an option to replace Montas in the rotation if he were to have an extended absence.

Toronto Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano nailed down his second save since coming off the IL in Saturday's 5-2 win over the Padres. Romano needed just eleven pitches to dispense all three batters he faced, striking out one and not allowing a hit or a walk. The 31-year-old looks like he's sliding right back into the closer role for the Jays and doesn't have any real competition for the job, as set-up man Erik Swanson has allowed four earned runs on six hits in his inning-and-a-third since coming off the IL as well. Romano tallied 36 saves for the Jays last season. Toronto closes out the series with San Diego on Sunday before traveling to Kansas City for a four-game set with the Royals starting on Monday.

Baltimore Orioles outfielder Austin Hays (calf) was removed from Saturday's game in Kansas City with calf tightness. Hayes was replaced in the seventh inning by Colton Cowser. It was later announced that he had injured his calf, which was why Hays was pulled from the game. The 28-year-old went 1-for-3 with a walk and a run before exiting. The severity of Hays' injury is unknown, and he is considered day-to-day. Hays has struggled this season, hitting .111 (5-for-45) with two RBI over 19 games. Cowser has surpassed Hays on the outfield depth chart, and fantasy managers can leave Hays on the waiver wire in most leagues even if he avoids a trip to the injured list.

Miami Marlins closer Tanner Scott picked up his third save of the season in Saturday's 3-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs. Scott gave up two singles to start the ninth but then retired the next three batter to avoid damage and seal the win without giving up a run. The 29-year-old hasn't gotten many opportunities for closes this season with the Marlins reeling, but he is now three-for-four in close situations and has a 3.72 ERA. Scott will look to pick up at least one more save this weekend with game two of the Saturday doubleheader happening tonight and the series finale against the Cubs happening on Sunday.

New York Yankees starting pitcher Nestor Cortes struck out nine in seven shutout innings on Saturday in the Yankees 2-0 extra innings loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. Cortes didn't walk a single batter but gave up six hits. It was the lefty's second-best start of the season but he unfortunately didn't record a win with New York's offense putting up a bagel on the scoreboard. Through five starts, Cortes now has a 3.41 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP. The 29-year-old should continue his dominant ways in his next scheduled start on Thursday when the Yankees host the Oakland A's, who are hitting lefties for just a .637 OPS.

The Detroit Tigers placed infielder Gio Urshela (hamstring) on the 10-day injured list on Saturday with a right-hamstring strain and recalled infielder Buddy Kennedy from Triple-A Toledo in a corresponding move. Urshela was removed from Friday night's win over the Minnesota Twins with right-hamstring tightness after running to first base and will now miss at least the next 10 days. Kennedy will provide infield depth for the Tigers in the meantime, but Matt Vierling is the most likely candidate to see most of the playing time at the hot corner in Detroit until Urshela is able to return. Vierling is at third and batting fifth on Saturday against Twins right-hander Bailey Ober. Although Urshela doesn't have a homer this year, he was hitting .298 (17-for-57) with six RBI at the time of his injury on Friday night.

Baltimore Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said before Friday's game against the Kansas City Royals that starting pitcher John Means (forearm) still needs to get stretched out more in his minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Norfolk. Means' fourth rehab start on Wednesday compounded on his recent struggles, as he was blown up for five earned runs in one-third of an inning. He's now given up 15 runs (five homers) and five walks in 7 1/3 innings in the minors, so the O's likely want to see him sharpen things up before considering activating him from the injured list. The 30-year-old left-hander is working his way back from a strained left forearm and should still be able to rejoin Baltimore's rotation in late April or early May. After posting a 2.66 ERA (5.24 FIP) and 0.71 WHIP with 10 K's over 23 2/3 frames (four starts) late last season, Means is someone to consider stashing in mixed fantasy leagues.

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitching Spencer Turnbull took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and recorded a win in the Phillies 7-0 victory on Friday night. Turnbull struck out six and only yielded one hit to Gavin Sheets to end his no-hit bid. The righty bounced back from a so-so start in his last outing against the Pittsburgh Pirates and continued a very strong start to his 2024 campaign. Turnbull now has a 1.23 ERA in four starts and is posting up a 0.77 WHIP. Fantasy managers are certainly going to be interested in adding Turnbull if he's available on the waiver wire. By expected stats we can expect some negative regression to come his way, but at a 3.39 xERA the negative regression won't hit him too hard. Turnbull is worth the addition to your roster, even if it's just stashing him for a little longer. His next start will be Wednesday at Great American Ballpark against the Cincinnati Reds.