Minnesota Twins catcher Christian Vazquez (hand) is rejoining the starting nine on Saturday afternoon when the Twins continue a series against the Atlanta Braves. The veteran catcher has been kept sidelined through most of the week since suffering this injury on Monday. However, Vazquez was able to avoid a stint on the injured list. He will catch for Minnesota right-hander Simeon Woods Richardson and bat in the eight-hole. Through his first 11 games of the regular season, Vazquez has posted an underwhelming .115/.172/.192 slash line with two doubles. He has yet to go deep. Despite his poor production at the plate, Vazquez has posted a stellar 16.7 percent whiff rate and a 17.2 percent strikeout rate. Vazquez is not worth targeting in DFS this afternoon, facing Atlanta southpaw Chris Sale.

Minnesota Twins infielder/outfielder Willi Castro (oblique) remains sidelined on Saturday due to his oblique injury. The utility man has been kept out of the starting nine since exiting Wednesday's game early. Fantasy managers should continue to keep an eye on his status leading up to Sunday's game. Before his injury, Castro held a .227/.292/.364 slash line with six doubles and one home run. He has generated a modest .286 xwOBA, .235 xBA, and a .340 xSLG, which are all slightly below the average marks of qualified hitters. With the 27-year-old sitting out, prospect Luke Keaschall will get another opportunity and start at the keystone, while Jonah Bride will cover the hot corner. The Twins are not worth targeting in DFS facing Atlanta left-hander Chris Sale.

Cleveland Guardians shortstop Gabriel Arias and outfielder Lane Thomas are not in the starting lineup on Saturday afternoon when they continue a series against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Arias has been in the starting nine in each of the last seven contests. During this stretch, he has posted a stellar .385/.429/.769 slash line with three long balls and eight RBI. Thomas has been in a bit of a slump. Over his last eight contests, the 29-year-old held a .154/.179/.192 slash line with just one extra-base hit. Fantasy managers should expect Arias and Thomas to both rejoin the starting lineup on Sunday. As a result, Brayan Rocchio and Angel Martinez will enter the starting nine and cover shortstop and center field, respectively. Neither player is worth targeting in DFS facing Pittsburgh ace Paul Skenes.

Texas Rangers infielder Josh Smith (thumb) is returning to the starting lineup on Saturday afternoon when they continue a series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Smith has been held out of the starting lineup in each of the previous four contests due to a bruised thumb. However, Smith has been cleared for action and is slated to bat third and cover first base on Saturday afternoon. Before his minor injury, the 27-year-old was enjoying an impressive start to the campaign with a .342/.432/.500 slash line with three doubles and a home run. He also flashed speed upside as he swiped three bags and held an 11:6 K:BB. Last summer, Smith held a .258/.337/.394 line with 13 long balls and 11 stolen bases. Smith remains a solid depth option in all formats. He is worth a look in DFS as well, facing Dodger right-hander Roki Sasaki, who enters Saturday with a 3.29 ERA.

The Chicago White Sox have placed left-handed pitcher Martin Perez (elbow) on the 15-day injured list due to left elbow inflammation. The 34-year-old exited Friday's contest due to soreness and will now miss at least the next two weeks of action. Before exiting, the southpaw struggled against the Boston Red Sox as he allowed five hits, four runs, and two walks in just three innings of work. However, over his first three starts of the campaign, Perez looked quite sharp as he tossed 17 innings to the tune of an impressive 1.59 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP. He struck out 18 batters and served up nine free passes. In a corresponding move, the White Sox promoted Jared Shuster from Triple-A Charlotte to provide depth on their pitching staff. Shuster could contend for starting opportunities while Perez is sidelined.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker and catcher Pedro Pages are not in the starting lineup on Saturday afternoon when the Cardinals continue a series against the New York Mets. Walker has been in the starting nine for each of their previous eight contests. During this stretch, the former 21st overall pick has held a modest .188/.188/.313 slash line with one double and a home run. Through 19 games this season, Walker has held a .239/.299/.338 slash line with two home runs and two stolen bases. Fantasy managers should expect the 22-year-old to return to the lineup on Sunday. Pages has taken over top catching duties with Ivan Herrera (knee) on the 10-day injured list. Pages has held a .207 AVG over his last eight games. As a result, Brendan Donovan, Lars Nootbaar, and Victor Scott II will cover the outfield while ... [More]

The Arizona Diamondbacks have placed left-handed pitcher A.J. Puk (elbow) on the 15-day injured list due to left elbow inflammation. The 29-year-old last appeared in a contest on April 17 and did not show any signs of an injury. Through his first eight innings of the campaign, Puk has posted a 3.38 ERA with a 1.25 WHIP. He has tallied four saves, two holds, and held a 12:2 K:BB. Puk has typically alternated save opportunities with right-hander Justin Martinez. However, with Puk hitting the injured list, fantasy managers should expect Martinez to be the clear top ninth-inning option in the desert. In addition, this will likely open eighth-inning duties for Shelby Miller and Jalen Beeks. Both relievers are viable targets in deeper formats that reward holds.

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Brandon Marsh (knee) remains out of the starting lineup on Saturday, when the Phillies continue a series against the Miami Marlins. Marsh suffered this knee injury on Wednesday. Initially, this injury was not viewed as serious, but it appears Marsh could hit the injured list if he remains sidelined. Fantasy managers should monitor his status leading up to Sunday's contest. Through the first 15 games of the campaign, Marsh tallied just one hit (a single) and held a 12:7 K:BB. Under the hood, he generated a low .259 xwOBA with a .287 xSLG. With Marsh sitting out again, Johan Rojas will get the starting nod in center field. Rojas is worth a look as a value play in DFS facing Miami right-hander Cal Quantrill, who enters Saturday carrying a 5.79 ERA.

Baltimore Orioles first baseman Ryan Mountcastle is not in the starting nine on Saturday afternoon when the Orioles continue a series against the Cincinnati Reds. Mountcastle has been in the starting lineup in each of the past seven contests. During this stretch, he has held a modest .167/.200/.333 line. He will get a chance to recover and will likely rejoin the lineup on Sunday. Instead, the Orioles will give Ryan O'Hearn the starting nod at first base. He will bat in the cleanup spot. Mountcastle has held an overall .242/.227/.339 slash line. However, he has generated an elite 55.3 percent hard-hit, which suggests he should see positive regression. O'Hearn is not worth targeting in DFS this afternoon as he will face Cincinnati ace, Hunter Greene.

Detroit Tigers right-handed pitcher John Brebbia (triceps) was placed on the 15-day injured list due to a right triceps strain. In a corresponding move, the Tigers promoted left-handed pitcher Bailey Horn from Triple-A Toledo. Brebbia has enjoyed a strong start to the campaign. Pitching out of the bullpen, the right-hander has logged nine innings to the tune of a 1.00 ERA and a 0.89 WHIP. He has held a 9:5 K:BB and allowed just three total hits. The Tigers have typically deployed Brebbia in the eighth and ninth innings in high-leverage situations. With Brebbia sidelined, fantasy managers should expect Tommy Kahnle to continue to operate as the go-to option for saves while Will Vest and Tyler Holton operate as the setup options.

Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez will get his first day off the season on Saturday afternoon when the Mariners continue a series against the Toronto Blue Jays. Rodriguez has gone just 1-for-16 over his last four contests with a 20.0 percent strikeout rate. Fantasy managers should expect the star outfielder to return to the starting nine on Sunday. Through the first 20 games of the campaign, the former top prospect has held an underwhelming .179/.304/.359 slash line with three home runs. However, a look under the hood suggests Rodriguez should see significant positive regression throughout the season. He has generated a strong .352 xwOBA with a 93.7 mph average exit velocity and a 75.3 mph bat speed, which are all well above the average marks. With Rodriguez sitting out, Luke Raley will cover center field, and Miles Mastrobuoni will enter the starting nine. The Mariners are a viable stack in DFS facing Toronto right-hander Jose Berrios.

The Kansas City Royals have optioned outfielder MJ Melendez to Triple-A Omaha. This transaction opened a spot on the roster for Mark Canha (hip), who was activated off the injured list in a corresponding move. Melendez has had a rough start to the campaign and will look to find his footing in the minor leagues. Through the first 16 contests, Melendez has posted a .085/.173/.170 slash line with just one double and one home run. He has held a low 5.8 percent walk rate and a high 38.5 percent strikeout rate, which placed him in the first percentile among qualified hitters. In addition, Melendez generated a weak .224 xwOBA. With Melendez heading to Triple-A, fantasy managers should expect Jonathan India, Mark Canha, and Drew Waters to share time in left field.

The Kansas City Royals have activated outfielder Mark Canha (hip) from the injured list. In a corresponding move, the Royals optioned outfielder MJ Melendez to Triple-A Omaha. Canha has been sidelined since April 9 due to a left abductor strain. Before the injury, Canha was swinging a hot bat in Kansas City, as he held a stellar .357/.471/.500 line with two doubles across the first seven games of the campaign. Under the hood, Canha generated a stellar .299 xBA, which suggests he could see stable production. Last season, the 36-year-old spent time with the Tigers and Giants and held a .242/.344/.346 line across 125 contests. With Melendez being sent to Triple-A, fantasy managers should expect Canha to have a consistent role in the starting nine, either seeing time in left field or at the DH spot.

San Diego Padres second baseman Jake Cronenworth (ribs) is progressing well in his recovery and is optimistic that he could return to action earlier than expected. The infielder was placed on the 10-day injured list on April 11 due to a rib fracture. His initial timeline suggested he would miss at least 4-to-6 weeks. However, the infielder has begun taking groundballs and dry swings, which could open the door for an earlier return. Fantasy managers should continue to keep an eye on his progression as he slowly increases his workload. Before the injury, Cronenworth held a .257/.409/.486 slash line with two doubles and two home runs across 12 contests. He drew walks at an elite 18.2 percent rate. While the 31-year-old remains out, Jose Iglesias should see most of the work at the keystone.

Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Liam Hendriks (elbow) is expected to be activated off the 15-day injured list prior to Saturday's contest against the Chicago White Sox. Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com noted that Hunter Dobbins is likely heading back to Triple-A in a corresponding move. Hendriks signed a two-year deal with the Red Sox before the 2024 campaign but has yet to make an appearance for them. He underwent Tommy John in 2023 and then hit the 15-day IL at the start of the 2205 campaign due to elbow inflammation. He has made three rehab appearances and fired three shutout frames. He has struck out five batters, served up two walks, and has allowed just one hit. Even though Aroldis Chapman and Justin Slaten have been the go-to options in the ninth inning, fantasy managers should expect Hendriks to see save situations throughout the campaign.

Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Martin Perez (forearm) is set to undergo an MRI on Saturday. The southpaw was lifted from Saturday's contest in the third inning after feeling soreness in his forearm. Before exiting the contest, Perez allowed five hits, two walks, and four earned runs. Despite his struggles on Friday, Perez was enjoying an impressive start to the young season. In his first three outings, the left-hander tossed 17 innings to the tune of a 1.59 ERA and an impressive 1.06 WHIP. He struck out 18 batters and served up nine walks. However, he already began to see some regression on Friday as he has generated a hefty 6.54 xERA and a .293 xBA. If the 34-year-old were to miss time, fantasy managers should expect the White Sox to promote a pitcher from Triple-A to fill his spot in the rotation.

Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Brock Stewart (hamstring) is expected to return to action on Sunday against the Atlanta Braves. Stewart has been on the 15-day injured list through the early part of the campaign with a hamstring injury. He suffered this injury during a spring training contest in March. Stewart has made two rehab outings with Low-A for Myers and is on the verge of returning to the major leagues. In his rehab appearances, Stewart tossed one 2/3 shutout innings while striking out five batters. Last summer, Stewart struggled in Minnesota, posting a 5.17 ERA with a 1.42 WHIP across 15 2/3 innings of work. However, in 2023, the right-hander was a dominant high-leverage arm as he held a near-perfect 0.65 ERA with a 1.08 WHIP. He could be a viable source for holds if he is given high-leverage opportunities.

Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Tyler Anderson tossed six shutout frames on Friday, earning his second win of the season in a 2-0 victory over the San Francisco Giants. Anderson held the Giants to just three hits and two walks while striking out six. The lefty has rolled off two consecutive scoreless outings and has allowed four total hits over his last three starts (16 IP). While that is unlikely to continue, it might be worth riding the wave while Anderson is hot. He has had stretches like this one in the past, and he can certainly be helpful when he's pitching like this. Just know that it could all come crashing down at any time.

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Logan Webb was brilliant in defeat on Friday, allowing one run over six innings in a tough 2-0 loss against the Los Angeles Angels. Webb struck out 12 while allowing just four hits and walking none in this one. His changeup was electric in this one, generating 11 whiffs on 14 swings. The 28-year-old has been excellent this season, pitching to a 2.40 ERA and 1.03 WHIP with 38 strikeouts in 30 IP. While his numbers will likely regress a bit, it looks like Webb will once again be a stable rotation piece in fantasy that provides good ratios and strikeouts.

New York Yankees starting pitcher Carlos Rodon had his best start of the season on Friday, shutting out the Tampa Bay Rays for six innings in a 1-0 win. Rodon was very sharp in this one, allowing just two hits while striking out nine. Although it was mostly good for the lefty, he did walk four and had now walked 16 in just 29 innings so far this year. That's not ideal, but if he's limiting hits and striking batters out like in this one, it might not matter. All in all, it was a strong bounce-back effort for Rodon, and fantasy managers should feel better about the 32-year-old after this one.