Colorado Rockies outfielder Nolan Jones (illness) is back in the team's starting lineup on Friday against the visiting Washington Nationals and rookie left-hander DJ Herz, playing left field and batting sixth in the order. Fantasy managers will now have Jones back after he missed the last two games due to an illness. The 26-year-old left-handed hitter broke out with a 20-20 campaign in 2023 in his first year in Colorado, but this year couldn't have started any worse for Jones. Not only has he missed significant time due to injury, but he hasn't swung the bat well at all when he's been on the field. Jones is currently hitting .194 (21-for-108) with a homer, five doubles, nine RBI, three steals and 39 strikeouts in 126 plate appearances. On the bright side for Friday's matchup is the fact that Jones has looked slightly better against lefties this year.

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Colorado Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon (hamstring) remains out of the starting lineup on Friday against the visiting Washington Nationals. Sean Bouchard will make another start in right field and will hit sixth against Nationals rookie left-hander DJ Herz. Blackmon will be out of the lineup for the third straight game due to right-hamstring tightness. If he is unable to make an appearance in the weekend series against the Nats, there's a good chance Blackmon will need to go on the injured list. The veteran outfielder has lost a lot of his power and only has three home runs on the year while batting .266 (59-for-222) with 26 RBI, five stolen bases and 34 runs scored. Bouchard will be a deep DFS sleeper at the bottom of the Rockies' lineup. In 81 at-bats, he has 16 hits for an average under the Mendoza Line with one dinger, seven RBI and four thefts.

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Miami Marlins left-hander Jesus Luzardo (back) will not end up making his next scheduled start on Saturday against the visiting Seattle Mariners, according to sources. Luzardo dealt with back tightness in his last start against the Washington Nationals on June 16, when he allowed two earned runs on five hits (two homers) while walking three and striking out two in a loss in five innings pitched. The 26-year-old showed diminished velocity due to the injury and threw only 77 pitches. If Luzardo isn't able to pitch in a series against the Philadelphia Phillies next week, he'll be a strong candidate to land on the injured list. The Peruvian left-hander has gone 3-6 on the year with an uneven 5.00 ERA and 1.24 WHIP while also recording a career-low 21.2% strikeout rate in 66 2/3 innings over his 12 starts for the Marlins.

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Cincinnati Reds manager David Bell said on Friday that catcher Tyler Stephenson (undisclosed) is dealing with an undisclosed injury and is listed as day-to-day. Stephenson is not in the starting lineup on Friday against the visiting Boston Red Sox. Instead, Luke Maile will be the backstop and will bat ninth against Red Sox right-hander Kutter Crawford. The Reds called up minor-league catcher Austin Wynns for Friday's game for extra catching insurance with Stephenson banged up. Friday's game will be the second straight missed game for the 27-year-old Stephenson. We should have more information on what exactly is bothering the Reds' starting catcher, but for now, fantasy managers need to keep him out of their lineups. Stephenson is currently slashing .245/.324/.399 with six homers, 22 RBI and 27 runs scored for the Reds in 188 at-bats in 2024.

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Miami Marlins outfielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. (hamstring) is back in center field and is batting leadoff for the Fish in Friday's contest against the visiting Seattle Mariners and right-hander George Kirby. The Marlins scratched Chisholm from Wednesday's lineup due to right-hamstring tightness, but he's feeling better after a scheduled day off on Thursday and is back in the lineup to start the weekend series against the M's. The 26-year-old needs to be returned to all starting fantasy lineups, even in the tough matchup against Kirby. The native of the Bahamas will bring a seven-game hitting streak into Friday's game. During that streak, he's gone 11-for-23 (.478) with a homer, triple, five RBI, three walks, a steal and three runs scored to raise his season slash line to .266/.333/.446 with 10 homers, 36 RBI and 13 stolen bases.

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Toronto Blue Jays rookie infielder Spencer Horwitz is not in the team's starting lineup on Friday against the Cleveland Guardians. Fellow rookie Orelvis Martinez will make his major-league debut at second base and will bat eighth against Guardians right-hander Carlos Carrasco. Horwitz, the team's No. 16 prospect per MLB Pipeline, made five straight starts after initially being called up but has now found himself on the bench in three of the last seven games. The 26-year-old former 24th-round pick in 2019 out of Radford University has gotten off to a strong start in his first 34 big-league at-bats, hitting .353, although he still has yet to leave the yard and has driven in only three runs. Horwitz is currently in the midst of a four-game hitting streak in which he's gone 5-for-15 with a double and RBI.

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Toronto Blue Jays infield prospect Orelvis Martinez is making his major-league debut on Friday against the Cleveland Guardians and right-hander Carlos Carrasco, starting at second base and batting eighth. The Blue Jays' No. 2 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, will be playing for the first time since he was called up from the minors earlier this week. The 22-year-old Dominican has impressive pop for a middle infielder, but he has a tendency to swing and miss a lot and could rack up the strikeouts in the early going in the big leagues. Martinez got the call to Toronto by hitting .260/.343/.523 with an .867 OPS, 16 homers, 46 RBI and 46 runs scored in 63 games for Triple-A Buffalo this year. The power is enticing in fantasy, but it doesn't look like he's going to be playing regularly and could be sent back to the farm at any time.

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Cincinnati Reds outfielder TJ Friedl (hamstring) is back in center field and is batting leadoff for the Reds on Friday against the visiting Boston Red Sox and right-hander Kutter Crawford. Friedl was removed from Monday's game with a tight hamstring and was held out the last two games as well. However, the left-handed-hitting 28-year-old outfielder is now ready to go this weekend and returns to the top spot in the batting order. He's already missed a lot of time due to injuries this year, which has made it difficult for him to get settled offensively. Friedl is currently hitting just .214 (18-for-84) with four home runs, 15 RBI and six stolen bases, but he has a good track record against right-handed pitching and could easily bounce back the rest of the year if he can stay on the field consistently. Friedl has never faced Crawford in his career.

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The Cleveland Guardians recalled infield prospect Angel Martinez from Triple-A Columbus on Friday and placed infielder Gabriel Arias on the family medical emergency list in a corresponding move. Martinez gets his first major-league call-up after tearing it up at Columbus in 17 games with a .333/.438/.550 slash line with a .988 OPS, three home runs, four doubles, 11 RBI and two stolen bases in 74 plate appearances. The 22-year-old Dominican prospect can play second base, shortstop and third base and will likely serve as a utility infielder for as long as Arias is away from the team. Martinez is listed by MLB Pipeline as Cleveland's No. 9 prospect, but he probably won't be worth picking up in the majority of fantasy leagues right now since he could go right back to Columbus once Arias returns.

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Cincinnati Reds infielder Jeimer Candelario (undisclosed) is back in the team's starting lineup on Friday against the visiting Boston Red Sox and right-hander Kutter Crawford, serving as the designated hitter and batting third. Santiago Espinal will handle third-base duties and will bat seventh. Candelario missed the last game due to undisclosed tendonitis, but he's feeling better now and will be available this weekend. The 30-year-old switch-hitter returns to a .251/.307/.482 with 12 home runs, 35 RBI, three steals and 27 runs scored in 247 at-bats in his first year in Cincinnati. In his only career at-bat against Crawford, Candelario recorded a hit. Candelario is hitting .338 (23-for-68) in June with six homers, four doubles and 15 RBI. Get him back into your starting fantasy lineups.

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New York Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres (groin) is sitting out of the starting lineup for the start of a series on Friday against the visiting Atlanta Braves. Torres left Thursday's series finale against the division-rival Baltimore Orioles early as a precaution with right-groin soreness and will now miss at least one game. The 27-year-old's injury doesn't sound serious, so fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day for now. With Torres out, Oswaldo Cabrera will make the start at the keystone and bat ninth against Braves tough left-hander Chris Sale. Torres has been one of the bigger disappointments for the first-place Yankees this year, hitting a career-low .221 (61-for-276) with seven home runs, 28 RBI and four stolen bases in 77 games played. Cabrera should be avoided in DFS lineups at the bottom of the order in a tough matchup.

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New York Yankees outfielder Alex Verdugo will take the day off on Friday with the team facing the visiting Atlanta Braves and left-hander Chris Sale. Verdugo will be replaced by Jahmai Jones, who will start in left field and bat fifth for the Yankees against Braves left-hander Chris Sale. Verdugo is hitting just .211 (15-for-71) with two of his nine home runs, 10 walks and 13 strikeouts in 84 plate appearances against southpaws in 2024. He's also gone 5-for-29 (.172) with a homer, double, four RBI and three strikeouts in his last seven games, so he could use a day off. Jones has only played in 21 games in his first year in the Bronx and is hitting .188 (3-for-16) with a homer, RBI and stolen base. DFS managers will probably want to avoid Jones against Sale on Friday's slate.

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Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Brandon Marsh will take a seat for Friday's series opener against the visiting Diamondbacks with a left-hander on the mound. He'll be replaced by Cristian Pache in center field, while Pache will hit eighth against Diamondbacks lefty Jordan Montgomery. It will be the first day off for Marsh since he returned from the injured list after starting the last five games. Marsh typically finds himself on the bench against left-handed pitchers and is batting just .128 (5-for-39) with 21 strikeouts against southpaws this season. Against righties, though, he's been solid with a .300 average (42-for-140) with all six of his home runs. Pache isn't recommended as a DFS sleeper near the bottom of the lineup. He's gone just 14-for-66 (.212) on the year with no home runs and is hitless in three career at-bats against Montgomery.

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Chicago White Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi will retreat to the bench on Friday for a contest against the Detroit Tigers in Motown. The White Sox have been easing Benintendi back into their lineup since he returned from an Achilles injury. The 29-year-old left-handed hitter has had a tough time offensively this year in the Windy City, as he's currently slashing just .206/.248/.309 with five home runs, 20 RBI, two steals and 15 runs scored in 204 at-bats. Veteran Tommy Pham is starting in left field on Friday and will bat leadoff for the Pale Hose against Tigers right-hander Jack Flaherty, who has had a career resurgence in 2024. Since returning from an injury of his own, Pham has gone 5-for-20 (.250) with a double and an RBI in six games since June 14. He's never faced Flaherty in his career but is worth a look as a DFS sleeper in the leadoff spot.

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Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte is getting a day of rest in Friday's contest in Philadelphia against the Phillies. Rookie infielder Blaze Alexander will take his place at second base and will bat in the eight-hole against Phillies right-hander Taijuan Walker. As far as we know, it looks like Marte is just getting a day to rest after serving as the designated hitter for Arizona on Thursday. The 30-year-old Dominican switch-hitter is a must-start in all fantasy leagues when he's active, as he's hit a productive .280 (81-for-289) with 15 home runs, 42 RBI, three steals and 50 runs scored this year. Marte has been even better in June, going 21-for-63 (.333) with five long balls, three doubles, 13 RBI, 10 walks and two steals in 17 games. Alexander has swung the bat well in his first 51 MLB games, but he'll have limited upside in the eight-hole for DFS managers.

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The St. Louis Cardinals activated right-hander Giovanny Gallegos (shoulder) from the 15-day injured list on Friday and optioned right-hander Adam Kloffenstein to Triple-A Memphis in a corresponding move. Rookie outfielder Victor Scott II was also returned to Memphis after serving as the 27th player for Thursday's contest against the San Francisco Giants at Rickwood Field. The two teams are off on Friday before resuming the series on Saturday, at which point the 32-year-old Gallegos will be back in St. Louis' bullpen. He's been sidelined since early May due to a right-shoulder impingement. Gallegos has been a key late-inning man for the Cardinals in the past, but he wasn't pitching well before his injury and didn't look great on his minor-league rehab assignment, either. He's returning to a 12.00 ERA and 2.33 WHIP with 13 K's and a save in nine innings pitched this year.

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Minnesota Twins outfielder Max Kepler (neck) is expected to avoid the injured list after leaving Thursday's game early due to neck spasms. Kepler felt his neck tighten up when he was in the on-deck circle in the first inning. He then tried to bunt for a base hit and attempted a head-first slide into first base before being pulled. "It's a little stiff when I look to my right, but the docs and trainers said it's just muscular and it should clear up within a couple days," said Kepler, who will travel with the Twins to Oakland for their upcoming road trip. Fantasy managers will have to check back later to see if Kepler is back in the starting lineup for Friday's series opener against the A's and right-hander Joey Estes. The 31-year-old left-handed hitter remains a decent source of power in deeper fantasy leagues when he's active against right-handed pitching.

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The New York Mets have tweaked their starting rotation slightly, moving right-hander Luis Severino up to Sunday's contest at Wrigley Field against the Cubs, with left-hander David Peterson being pushed back. Severino will now get a better matchup, as he was previously slated to start against the first-place New York Yankees on Tuesday. Peterson will now likely start early next week in a tougher matchup against the Bombers. Severino allowed a season-high six earned runs on eight hits while walking one and striking out one in 6 1/3 innings his last time out against the Rangers. Overall, he's been serviceable with a 3.52 ERA and 1.19 WHIP in 84 1/3 innings and 14 starts, but he's also carrying a career-low 17.4% strikeout rate. Peterson is a perfect 3-0 with a 3.97 ERA and 1.41 WHIP with only 12 K's in 22 2/3 innings over his four starts for the Mets in 2024.

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The Kansas City Royals reinstated outfielder Hunter Renfroe (toe) from the injured list on Friday and optioned catcher Austin Nola to Triple-A Omaha in a corresponding move. Renfroe spent the minimum 10 days on the injured list while dealing with a bruised toe. The 32-year-old veteran slugger should be back in the starting lineup for Friday's contest against the Twins in Minnesota. Fantasy baseball managers in deeper leagues will be hoping he can pick up where he left off prior to his toe injury, as Renfroe had gone 7-for-18 with two home runs, two doubles and six RBI in six games before landing on the IL. Overall, though, Renfroe has mostly struggled in 2024, batting an even .200 (34-for-170) with only six home runs, 26 RBI and 22 runs scored for the Royals.

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Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen plans on playing beyond the 2024 season. "In my mind, this isn't my last year," McCutchen said. "As long as my body holds up and I'm not embarrassing myself out there, I wanna keep going." It was uncertain if he'd even return to Pittsburgh after last season when the 37-year-old veteran had season-ending surgery on his Achilles. But McCutchen has been healthy this year and has bounced back, as he currently leads the team in home runs with 10. His chase rate (97th percentile) remains elite, and he's also in the 78th percentile in walk rate. His expected slugging percentage is in the 90th percentile. Since moving to the leadoff spot in April, McCutchen has a .279 average in 41 games, with only former batting champion Luis Arraez (.340) being better in the National League. He ranks fourth in baseball among leadoff men with an .837 OPS.

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