New York Mets designated hitter J.D. Martinez smashed his second home run of the season in Wednesday's loss on the road to the division-rival Philadelphia Phillies, but it wasn't enough as his team fell in the blowout defeat. Martinez smacked his second homer of the year to make the score 10-3 in the eighth inning. Even though the 36-year-old veteran slugger isn't setting off fantasy fireworks to this point, he's slashing a serviceable .295/.338/.459 with two bombs, four doubles, and six RBI over 61 at-bats (18 games) in his first year with the Mets. He might have a decent chance to pop for a big day the plate in Thursday's series finale against Philadelphia and right-hander Taijuan Walker, since Martinez is 7-for-14 with a homer, a double, and three RBI in 14 plate appearances against Walker in his career.

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Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers cranked his fifth home run of the year in Wednesday's loss to the division-rival Tampa Bay Rays, but it wasn't enough to lift his team to victory. Devers lined one over the wall in center field for a 431-foot solo homer off Rays right-hander Phil Maton in the sixth inning. The 27-year-old All-Star slugger is slashing a robust .281/.383/.488 with five round-trippers and 10 doubles through 32 outings (121 at-bats) as Boston's everyday third baseman this season, but he's not getting the job done for fantasy managers in the RBI department (15) after plating 100 for the BoSox a season ago. Each of Devers' five blasts have come against right-handed pitching in 2024, and he'll get righty Zack Littell in Thursday's series finale against Tampa with a chance to deliver more counting stats.

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Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez dominated in Wednesday's victory over the division-rival Oakland Athletics, tossing seven two-hit innings of scoreless ball on two walks with eight punchouts. Staked to an early-two run lead, Valdez cruised past Oakland on Wednesday for his second straight quality start and third win of the campaign. The 30-year-old fantasy mainstay now sports a rock-solid 2.95 ERA and 1.20 WHIP while fanning 31 and walking 11 over six starts (36 2/3 innings) for Houston this year. Valdez is slated to get the ball next during Monday's series opener against the visiting Los Angeles Angels. In three appearances versus the Angels since 2023, Valdez is 2-0 with a 2.53 ERA and a sublime 32:3 K:BB across 21 1/3 frames and will be locked-in fantasy starter.

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New York Yankees starting pitcher Marcus Stroman posted a scoreless outing in Wednesday's victory on the road over the Minnesota Twins, firing six inning of two-hit ball with three walks while fanning three. After surrendering four runs in 5 2/3 innings during his previous start against the Houston Astros, Stroman rebounded with his first scoreless showing since April 5. While the soft-throwing 33-year-old right-hander holds a respectable 3.33 ERA with 42 strikeouts through 48 2/3 frames this season, he's also walked 25 and recorded a troublesome 1.42 WHIP over nine starts. He'll get a pretty good matchup at home against the Seattle Mariners in his next scheduled appearance during Monday's series opener, when Stroman will be worth deploying in the majority of fantasy leagues on the heels of this strong performance.

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Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki went yard in Wednesday's win over the Atlanta Braves on the road, adding a double in the victory. Suzuki's homer came as an insurance run in the eighth inning off Braves right-hander Jesse Chavez, traveling 433 feet to deep center. It's been a great first quarter of the year for the 29-year-old slugger, who's slashing .280/.337/.488 with four big flies, 15 RBI, 15 runs scored, and one stolen base across 92 plate appearances (20 games) as Chicago's everyday right fielder. A four-game series with the division-rival Pittsburgh Pirates is on deck starting on Thursday. Over 15 games versus the Pirates since 2023, Suzuki is hitting .323 with one tater, seven doubles, 12 RBI, and 12 runs scored and will be a set-and-forget fantasy option.

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Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Pablo Lopez did his part to keep his team in the game during Wednesday's defeat to the visiting New York Yankees, registering a quality start with 6 1/3 innings of three-run ball on a season-high 10 hits and no walks while fanning a season-low three batters. Lopez only threw two clean innings on Wednesday, but he did a great job of limiting the damage for his third straight quality start to begin the month of May. The 28-year-old fantasy stalwart takes a solid 3.93 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and 58:8 K:BB over 50 1/3 innings (nine starts) for the Twins into his next scheduled appearance during Monday's series opener against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. Although it's a favorable matchup on paper, Lopez yielded five runs across four innings in one start against Washington a year ago.

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New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge powered his team to victory on the road on Wednesday against the Minnesota Twins, rapping a home run with three doubles and two RBI in the win. Judge first clobbered a 469-foot homer off Twins right-hander Pablo Lopez before doubling in each of his next three at-bats, with the third scoring Juan Soto in the seventh inning. The 32-year-old fantasy superstar appears to have put his early-season swoon to bed at this point, now batting an absurd .444 with five long balls, seven doubles, 11 RBI, and 11 runs scored over his last 10 outings. He'll draw a tough matchup during Thursday's series finale against Minnesota with Joe Ryan taking the bump, as Judge is just 1-for-7 with one walk in his eight career plate appearances against Ryan.

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San Francisco Giants designated hitter Jorge Soler (shoulder) began a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Sacramento on Wednesday. Soler is slated to play in two games in the minors and will likely be back with the Giants on Friday for the series opener against the division-rival Colorado Rockies if everything goes well there. Before hitting the injured list with a strained right shoulder, the 32-year-old slugger slashed a disappointing .202/.294/.361 with five homers, four doubles, and eight RBI through 119 at-bats (34 games) as San Fran's everyday DH. Despite those shortcomings, Soler would have a great opportunity to jump-start his season while facing off with a Rockies team that entered Tuesday's action ranked last in team ERA (5.16) and WHIP (1.53) in 2024.

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Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Javier Assad stifled the Atlanta Braves for six sharp innings of four-hit baseball on Wednesday. Assad got the win, bringing his record to 4-0 while lowering his ERA to a sparkling 1.49, good for fourth-best in MLB. He had all of his pitches working Wednesday, tying a season-high seven strikeouts while allowing only one walk. Alongside lefty Shota Imanaga, Assad has given the Cubs one of the best 1-2 punches in all of baseball, with neither pitcher allowing more than two earned runs in a game all season. Assad looks to keep the streak intact with another start against these Braves in Atlanta on Tuesday.

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Seattle Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford (oblique, hand) exited Wednesday's minor-league rehab game at Triple-A Tacoma after getting hit in the hand by a pitch. Making his first appearance on his rehab assignment on Wednesday, Crawford was hit in the right hand and immediately needed to come out of the contest in the fifth inning. The M's expected Crawford to be ready to rejoin the major-league roster by the time Friday's series opener against the Baltimore Orioles rolled around, but the 29-year-old's return from a strained right oblique may be delayed depending on the severity of this setback with his hand. Look for Seattle to provide for clarity on Crawford's status sometime following the game, and the infielder should be considered day-to-day until more is known.

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Washington Nationals outfield prospect James Wood is a former second-round pick who was flipped from the Padres as part of the return package for Juan Soto. At 6-foot-7, he's a big-bodied prospect capable of producing impressive power. He's also a very good runner, both on the basepaths and as a defender in the outfield. He rounds out his profile with a solid hit tool, reliable glovework, and a strong arm. Wood has legitimate five-tool potential, though he needs to cut down on strikeouts. He went down on strikes 173 times in 2023. Last week, Wood went 10-for-22 with five homers, 12 RBI, four walks, and four strikeouts. He also stole a base. The Nationals have plenty of young talent in their farm system, but Wood might be the best of the bunch. He should make his MLB debut sometime this season.

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Atlanta Braves pitching prospect Hurston Waldrep threw eight innings in a 2-1 victory for Double-A Mississippi on Wednesday. The righty allowed six hits and one run but did not walk a batter while striking out a season-high eight. The 22-year-old was selected in the first round of the 2023 Draft and is currently listed as the Braves second-ranked prospect per MLB.com (No. 75 in MLB). Waldrep is 2-3 with a 3.32 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, and a 14:33 BB:K in 38 IP so far in 2024. Look for Waldrep to make it to Triple-A at some point this season, and depending on the health of the Braves rotation, it's within the realm of possibility to see him make a couple starts in Atlanta by season's end.

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The Milwaukee Brewers promoted outfield prospect Chris Roller to the major league club on Wednesday. In a corresponding move, the Brewers optioned Oliver Dunn to the minors. The 27-year-old made his major league debut Wednesday night when he entered the game in the sixth inning as a pinch-hitter, ultimately striking out in a six-pitch at-bat. The right-handed hitter did a lot of that in his 56 Triple-A at-bats this season, striking out at a 36.2% clip (21 times compared to two walks), while batting .250 with zero home runs and one stolen base. Roller was drafted in 2017, so it's nice when you see a player's perseverance pay off, but as far as fantasy is concerned, he is off the radar for now.

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San Francisco Giants outfield prospect Hunter Bishop was promoted to Triple-A Sacramento on Tuesday. The 25-year-old was the 10th overall draft pick in 2019, but between 2020 being wiped out due to COVID and other injuries including Tommy John surgery that caused him to miss all of 2023, Bishop's path to Triple-A has taken some time. In 2022 he hit .235 with 13 home runs and 20 stolen bases over 85 games at High-A. Prior to his promotion, the left-handed hitter was slashing .242/.314/.358 at Double-A, with two home runs and five stolen bases. With aspirations of making it to the majors, hopefully he can somehow cut down on the strikeout rate at Triple-A (31.4% K% at Double-A). Although no longer ranked within the Giants Top-30 prospects, Bishop once had the profile to make him a top draft pick, so he should at least be on the radar for dynasty managers.

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San Diego Padres right-hander Joe Musgrove (elbow) is aiming to return from the 15-day injured list this weekend to start on Sunday in Atlanta against the Braves. Musgrove threw a bullpen session on Monday and was expected to throw another one on Wednesday, and it looks like he's shown enough to convince the Padres that he doesn't need to go on a minor-league rehab assignment before returning to the starting rotation. The 31-year-old veteran went on the injured list on May 5 with right-elbow inflammation and was 3-3 with an elevated 6.37 ERA and 1.51 WHIP with 36 strikeouts in 41 innings over his eight starts to begin 2024. Although Musgrove looked much better in his last outing against the Cincinnati Reds, fantasy managers will be rolling the dice if they go with him in his first start off the IL on Sunday against the strong offense of the Braves.

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Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Gavin Williams (elbow) successfully threw a 50-pitch bullpen session on Wednesday. Williams said he didn't feel any lingering effects following his first bullpen session since receiving an anti-inflammatory injection, and he's scheduled to throw his next bullpen on Friday. The 24-year-old former top prospect is working his way back from discomfort in his right elbow after being shut down in late April, and it remains unclear when he'll resume his rehab assignment at this point. Williams should still be an option in Cleveland's rotation sometime in June, and fantasy managers who can afford the stash should be holding the right-hander after he posted a 3.29 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, and 81:37 K:BB across 82 innings (16 starts) for the Guards in his rookie season in 2023. In the meantime, veterans Carlos Carrasco and Ben Lively will keep battling to hold down spots in the rotation.

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Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Jeffrey Springs (elbow) threw a two-inning live batting practice session on Wednesday and will next pitch in a Rookie-level Florida Complex League game on Monday. It'll be big step forward in Springs' recovery from last April's Tommy John surgery when the hurler returns to game action on Monday, and considering his rehab assignment is on the verge of beginning, there's a chance he'll be built back up and ready to rejoin Tampa Bay's injury-depleted rotation before the end of June. Over his last three seasons (196 innings), the 31-year-old left-hander owns an outstanding 2.53 ERA (3.14 FIP), 1.03 WHIP, and 231:49 K:BB and can be stashed in deep competitive leagues. Veteran right-hander Zack Littell is functioning as a starter for the Rays for the time being, and he's worthy of streaming consideration when facing a favorable matchup.

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Atlanta Braves catcher Sean Murphy (oblique) is scheduled to begin a minor-league rehab assignment next week, which could start as early as Monday. This is a very encouraging development for the Braves, who lost Murphy to a strained left oblique all the way back on Opening Day. The 29-year-old All-Star backstop has remained sidelined with the injury far longer than it was originally anticipated, but he's back on course to get back behind the dish for Atlanta sometime in late May if all goes well. Fantasy managers who have been streaming Travis d'Arnaud probably should start making other arrangements, but with the veteran slashing a strong .260/.342/.510 with five home runs, 10 doubles, and 16 RBI over 100 at-bats this year, he remains a hold in two-catcher leagues until Murphy returns.

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Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash said that second baseman Brandon Lowe's (oblique) visit with a specialist on Tuesday brought "good news," as the infielder's imaging showed he's healing and heading in the right direction. It's just an issue of pain tolerance as Lowe recuperates from a strained right oblique, but he'll return to St. Petersburg for what the Rays hope to be a short stay. Lowe will then resume swinging and return to minor-league rehab games, and the 29-year-old righty masher still appears to be on track to return to Tampa Bay sometime in late May if all goes well. Before going down, Lowe went 5-for-27 with one home run and four RBI in eight games this year and is only a modest fantasy stash. In his absence, Amed Rosario and Richie Palacios have formed a platoon for at-bats at second base.

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Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Reynaldo Lopez (back) is listed as the probable starter for Sunday's matchup against the visiting San Diego Padres. After exiting Monday's appearance against the Chicago Cubs following 71 pitches due to back tightness, Lopez is good to go for his next scheduled start and won't need to miss any time. The hard-throwing 30-year-old right-hander has been a pleasant surprise out of Atlanta's rotation over seven starts in 2024, compiling a 1.34 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 40:16 K:BB in 40 1/3 innings thus far during his first season with the Braves. With that said, Lopez owns a 3.72 xERA on Baseball Savant and could be in for some regression at some point. The Padres entered Wednesday's action ranking fifth in the major leagues in both average (.255) and runs scored (211) covering 45 games.

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