Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher Pete Fairbanks was activated on Saturday from the 15-day injured list and tossed a scoreless frame in his return. Fairbanks entered the game in the ninth inning with a 7-2 lead and proceeded to retire three consecutive batters with one strikeout. This is an excellent sign for his fantasy value as he looks to have a clear hold on ninth inning duties. Before suffering a nerve issue in his right arm, the 30-year-old had a high 9.00 ERA and 2.29 WHIP through seven innings. However, he has done very well in limiting hard contact with a 15.0% hard-hit rate and a perfect 0.0% barrel rate, which is a good sign for Fairbanks going forward. He remains a top option for saves on a Rays team that hopes to compete this summer.

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Kansas City Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino will be receiving the day off on Sunday as the Royals look to clinch a series victory in a four-game set against the Los Angeles Angels. After getting off to a slow start to the season, the 26-year-old has been turning things around the past few weeks with a .350/.370/.600 line since April 30. As a result, Salvador Perez will shift to first base, which opens catching duties for Freddy Fermin, who will bat in the five-hole. Fermin has posted an excellent 11.1% K rate and a modest .241/.302/.328 line with one long ball through 20 games. He could be worth consideration in DFS as he faces southpaw Patrick Sandoval, who enters Sunday with a 4.85 ERA and 1.49 WHIP.

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Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Kyle Freeland (elbow) was seen playing catch for the third straight day on May 11 but manager Bud Black expressed that the team is being very patient with him. Freeland has yet to step on the mound since going on the 15-day injured list on April 19 and remains at least a week away from doing so. The 30-year-old southpaw has not faced any setbacks in the first steps of his recovery but does not seem remotely close to a rehab assignment. Black did state how Freeland may travel with the team on their upcoming road trip to continue doing team workouts. Through four starts this season, Freeland has a 13.21 ERA and 2.55 WHIP. The 30-year-old may not return to a major league game until mid-June, which makes him not worth rostering in any fantasy format.

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Colorado Rockies outfielder Kris Bryant (back) was seen taking batting practice multiple times and running the bases this week. This suggests that he is quickly approaching his rehab assignment, which is tentatively scheduled to begin on Tuesday, May 14. Manager Bud Black said that the plan is for Bryant to rejoin the major league roster next weekend when they travel to San Francisco for a three-game set opening on Friday. Bryant struggled at the plate at the beginning of the season with a poor .149/.273/.255 line through 13 games. Last season, in 80 games, he also disappointed with a .233/.313/.367 line. The 32-year-old has been battling injuries for the past few seasons and should remain on your waiver wire for the time being.

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Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder James Outman is not in the starting lineup for Sunday's game against the San Diego Padres. Outman had started five of the Dodgers last six games. The 26-year-old was a surprising source of offense last season, but he is batting a dismal .114 with one home run across his last 15 contests. Enrique Hernandez will start in left field and bat seventh in Outman's absence. Hernandez has also struggled at the plate this season and is 1-for-8 in his career against Padres starter Yu Darvish. He is not a recommended DFS play for Sunday's slate.

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Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Peter Lambert is being removed from the starting rotation per manager Bud Black. Southpaw Ty Blanch is slated to replace him. Lambert has posted a hefty 7.61 ERA and 1.69 WHIP through 23 innings this season with 20 total strikeouts. Lamber has started just three games this season with a 16.39 ERA and 2.46 WHIP. Blanch has typically been in a bullpen role throughout the majority of this season but has started one game. In his one start on April 24, he tossed five innings of four-run ball against the San Diego Padres. Blanch should be left on your waiver wire and should only be deployed in NL-only formats in favorable matchups.

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San Francisco Giants outfield prospect Luis Matos is likely being called up to the majors after he was pulled from his game at Triple-A Sacramento on Saturday night. Reports have also noted that Matos is in the Giants clubhouse on Sunday. Michael Conforto (hamstring) strained his right hamstring in Saturday's game against the Cincinnati Reds and may require an IL stint once the results of his MRI come back. Matos is the likely replacement on the roster if Conforto misses time. Matos had some fantasy hype coming into the season but has had an underwhelming start to the year. He is slashing .218/.308/.355 with three homers, 17 RBI and three steals through 31 games in the minors.

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Chicago Cubs right-hander Jameson Taillon (back) will likely make his next start on Tuesday against the Atlanta Braves. The 32-year-old was originally supposed to start this past Friday, but a stiff back prevented him from taking the mound. He was also potentially going to start Sunday's series finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates, but he needed a few more days to get right. Taillon has pitched great when healthy in 2024, as he owns a 3-0 record to go along with a sparkling 1.13 ERA and 0.88 WHIP through four starts. He is locked into a rotation spot for the Cubs and can be treated as a top-70 starting pitcher for the remainder of the season.

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Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Grayson Rodriguez (shoulder) felt good after throwing a 30-pitch bullpen session on Sunday. The talented right-hander has been sidelined for a couple weeks with right-shoulder inflammation, but he is getting closer to a return. It is unclear what is next on the schedule for Rodriguez as the Orioles have not announced if a minor-league rehab start will be required. Nevertheless, the former first-round pick is eligible to return this upcoming Wednesday and he should be back around that time frame. Rodriguez should still be rostered in all formats as he owns a 4-1 record with a 3.71 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and 37:12 K:BB through six starts this season.

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Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (back) is not in the starting lineup for Sunday's game against the San Diego Padres. Ohtani was removed from Saturday's game with back tightness and is likely getting the day off to recuperate. Ohtani has been unbelievable at the plate this season, slashing a robust .352/.423/.667 with 11 home runs, 27 RBI, 33 runs scored and nine steals. It does not seem to be a significant ailment for the 29-year-old superstar, so hopefully he is back in the lineup on Monday. Will Smith will take over the DH duties against the Padres while Austin Barnes starts behind the plate.

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Texas Rangers outfielder Evan Carter (back) is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Colorado Rockies. The 21-year-old was scratched from Saturday's lineup with stiffness in his lower back and is still not ready to return. Carter has experienced some growing pains in his rookie season as he is slashing .216/.303/.416 with five home runs, 15 RBI, 23 runs scored and two steals. Robbie Grossman will start in left field and bat sixth in Carter's absence. Grossman is an uninspiring DFS play on Sunday as he is batting .200 with no homers in 75 at-bats in 2024. He has also never recorded a hit at Coors Field in his career.

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Baltimore Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins is not in the team's starting lineup for Sunday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. It is the second game in a row that Mullins has missed, which is likely due to his middling performance at the plate. The veteran speedster is slashing a disappointing .192/.244/.367 with a 33:8 K:BB, but he does have six home runs, 18 RBI and six steals. Managers in deeper leagues can hang onto Mullins a little longer, but he enters droppable territory if playing time becomes a significant concern. Colton Cowser is starting in centerfield and batting seventh with Mullins out. Cowser is also trying to bust a slump as he is batting .149 with no homers across his last 15 games.

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St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Matthew Liberatore will start Monday's game against the Los Angeles Angels, according to manager Oliver Marmol. Liberatore is primarily used as a reliever, but he has started one other game this season. He went 3 2/3 innings in that outing against the Chicago White Sox, giving up one run on three hits with five strikeouts. The 24-year-old was once a top pitching prospect in the Cardinals season and has a five-pitch mix. His leash may not be overly long in Monday's start, but he is an alright streaming option against a Trout-less Angels offense.

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St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado is getting his first day off of the season on Sunday in the series finale against the division-rival Milwaukee Brewers. In the first 39 games of the season, Arenado, much like the rest of St. Louis' lineup, has struggled with a career-low .703 OPS. The 33-year-old eight-time All-Star is slashing .270/.331/.372 with two home runs, nine doubles, 20 RBI and 14 runs scored in 166 plate appearances. In the first three games of the series against the Brewers, had one hit in 12 at-bats with three strikeouts. Fantasy managers will be hoping Arenado's first day off of the year can get him going. Brendan Donovan is starting at third base on Sunday and is hitting seventh against Brewers right-hander Bryse Wilson. Donovan is hitting .429 with two RBI in seven career at-bats against Wilson.

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Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto (knee) is getting a breather on Sunday in the series finale against the Marlins in Miami after manager Rob Thomson said that Realmuto came to the ballpark and said his knee is a little banged up. Thomson said he's not worried but wanted to give the veteran starter a rest day. With Realmuto out, Garrett Stubbs will do the catching and will hit ninth of the Phils against Marlins left-hander Braxton Garrett. Fantasy managers will want to check back on Monday for the series opener against the New York Mets to see if Realmuto is back in there. Those setting DFS lineups should probably ignore Stubbs as a deep sleeper at the catcher position. He's gone 3-for-22 (.136) in 2024 with no home runs and one stolen base.

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Philadelphia Phillies outfielder/designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (back) is not in the team's starting lineup on Mother's Day on Sunday against the Miami Marlins. Schwarber was pulled from Friday's win over the Marlins early with back soreness and was held out on Saturday. The 31-year-old left-handed slugger said he's hoping to return on either Monday or Tuesday against the New York Mets, so it doesn't appear to be a serious injury. Still, fantasy managers won't have him available for the series finale in Miami on Sunday. Bryce Harper is the DH and will hit third on Sunday, with Alec Bohm starting at first and batting second against Marlins left-hander Braxton Garrett. Whit Merrifield is at the hot corner and is serving as the Phils' leadoff hitter. Schwarber continues to hit for a low average (.217) while providing high-end pop for his fantasy managers when he's in the lineup.

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Toronto Blue Jays outfielder George Springer (illness) is in right field and is hitting in his usual leadoff spot on Sunday against the visiting Minnesota Twins and right-hander Bailey Ober. However, Kevin Kiermaier (illness) will miss his third straight game. With Kiermaier still out, Daulton Varsho is making yet another start in center field and will hit in the two-hole for Toronto. Springer will return to the lineup with a .206/.280/.298 slash line with three home runs, six RBI, six stolen bases and 13 runs scored in 157 plate appearances over 36 games. The four-time All-Star and the rest of Toronto's offense will hope to get going on Sunday on Mother's Day in Toronto. In eight career at-bats against Ober, Springer is hitting .250.

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Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve is getting the day off on Mother's Day on Sunday in Detroit against the Tigers. With Altuve on the bench, Mauricio Dubon will start at second base and hit ninth in the batting order against Tigers right-hander Jack Flaherty. This will be Altuve's first day off of the season. The 34-year-old eight-time All-Star has been great this year so far with a .317/.379/.503 slash line with an .882 OPS, a league-leading 51 hits, seven home runs, 13 RBI, seven stolen bases and 26 runs scored for the Astros in 39 games played. However, he's slowed down of late, going 3-for-21 with seven strikeouts in his last five games. Dubon is hitting .274 (23-for-84) on the year but with only one home run. The 29-year-old will be a low-upside sleeper in DFS in the nine-hole for Houston in a tough matchup.

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The Boston Red Sox reinstated right-hander Brayan Bello (lat) from the 15-day injured list on Sunday and optioned right-hander Josh Winckowski to Triple-A Worcester after Saturday's game in a corresponding move. Bello will return to the mound on Mother's Day to start on Sunday versus the visiting Washington Nationals. The 24-year-old was initially put on the injured list on April 24 with right-lat tightness. In his lone minor-league rehab start for Double-A Portland on Tuesday, Bello gave up three runs (two earned) on four hits while walking two and striking out five in just 2 2/3 innings. Bello went 3-1 with a solid 3.04 ERA and 1.05 WHIP in his five starts before going on the shelf and he'll have a good matchup against the Nationals, but the fact he only went 2 2/3 frames in his lone rehab start probably makes him a low-upside fantasy play in his first start back on Sunday.

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Chicago Cubs third baseman Christopher Morel (knee) is back at third base and is batting cleanup for the Cubbies on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Pirates and left-hander Bailey Falter. Morell was forced to leave Saturday's contest early in the fifth inning with right-knee soreness after sliding into second base on a stolen-base attempt. It was clearly nothing serious, though, so fantasy managers can get the 24-year-old back into their starting lineups for a good matchup against Falter. Morel is hitting just .220 (31-for-141) on the year, but he also has eight home runs, 25 RBI, four stolen bases and 21 runs scored in the middle of Chicago's batting order. He's hit .250 (6-for-24) with two of his home runs against left-handed pitching.

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