Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Ryan Pepiot (leg) threw a 14-pitch bullpen session on Sunday, his first time throwing off a mound since he suffered a bruised lower left leg when he was hit by a comebacker during his start against the New York Mets on May 5. Manager Kevin Cash said Pepiot felt some soreness on Sunday but remains hopeful that he will return from the 15-day injured list when he's first eligible on May 21. Because he's not dealing with any sort of arm injury, the 26-year-old already confirmed that he's not going to need to go on a minor-league rehab assignment before he returns to Tampa's starting rotation. Pepiot should remain stashed in an IL spot in most fantasy leagues with his return just around the corner. He had gone 3-2 with a 3.68 ERA and 0.93 WHIP with 11 walks and 41 strikeouts in 36 2/3 frames over his first seven starts before landing on the shelf.

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Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez smacked a two-run single in the eighth inning and followed that up with another two-run single in the ninth inning during Monday night's 7-0 win over Texas Rangers. Ramirez went 2-for-4, collected four RBI, and picked up two stolen bases in the contest. The switch-hitting slugger has been under-par in the batting average department with a .235 average but has produced the power with nine long balls and 33 RBI. Ramirez's days of batting .280 and above may be over. Still, he remains a big-time fantasy contributor who looks to continue the momentum against rookie pitcher Jack Leiter on Tuesday and Jon Gray on Wednesday.

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New York Yankees relief pitcher Lou Trivino (elbow) is in the middle of a three- to four-week shutdown because of inflammation after right-elbow surgery. Manager Aaron Boone said that Trivino developed inflammation in his right elbow in late April and was shut down at that time. The 32-year-old had Tommy John surgery on May 3 of 2023 and has now experienced a setback. The good news is he's only dealing with inflammation, so it's not too big of a setback for the right-hander. As long as he doesn't have any more setbacks with his elbow this year, Trivino will most likely be working towards a return to New York's bullpen around the All-Star break this summer. Trivino split the 2022 season with the A's and Yankees, posting a 4.53 ERA, a 1.64 WHIP, 11 saves, 24 walks and 67 strikeouts in 53 2/3 relief innings.

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New York Mets left-hander David Peterson (hip) will move his minor-league rehab assignment to Double-A Binghamton this week. Peterson has looked good so far in three rehab games with Low-A St. Lucie, allowing just two hits in 8 2/3 scoreless innings. Manager Carlos Mendoza said Peterson could be ready to return from the 60-day injured list as early as May 27, the first day he's eligible to be reinstated. The 28-year-old southpaw is trying to make a return from offseason hip surgery, so he'll be making his 2024 debut whenever he gets into a game. At the moment, the Mets' starting rotation is full and healthy, so there's a chance that Peterson is sent back to the minor leagues when he comes off the injured list. The former 20th overall pick in 2017 out of Oregon went 3-8 last year with a 5.03 ERA and 1.57 WHIP with 50 walks and a career-high 128 strikeouts in 111 innings over 27 appearances (21 starts).

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"Everything's trending in the right direction" for New York Mets relief pitcher Drew Smith (shoulder) to come off the 15-day injured list early this week, according to manager Carlos Mendoza. The 30-year-old right-hander will most likely come off the injured list on Tuesday and be eligible out of the bullpen against the visiting Philadelphia Phillies. Smith had a strong 2.70 ERA and 1.70 WHIP with three holds and one save in 10 innings pitched for the Mets before he was placed on the injured list on April 27 with right-shoulder inflammation. Outside of deep holds leagues, Smith doesn't have a ton of fantasy value in a setup role in New York's bullpen. In his six-year career with the Mets, Smith holds a 3.48 ERA, a 1.70 WHIP, four saves and 190 strikeouts in 188 2/3 innings pitched.

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New York Yankees infielder DJ LeMahieu (foot) ran the bases on Sunday and will take live batting practice on Tuesday. If all goes well with that, he could soon start playing in minor-league rehab games. LeMahieu has yet to play a game in 2024 due to a non-displaced fracture in his right foot, and running full speed is probably going to be the last hurdle he needs to clear before playing in minor-league games. The 35-year-old veteran has already had a setback with his foot, so the Yankees are going to make sure he's ready before activating him from the injured list. When healthy, LeMahieu should be the team's regular third baseman while also hitting near the top of a potent Yankees lineup. The three-time All-Star is hoping to bounce back in 2024 after a disappointing .243/.327/.390 slash line in 136 games in 2023.

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Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Bryson Stott brought the late-inning heroics in the Monday night 5-4 win by hitting a game-tying solo home run against New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz. Stott also included an infield single to make that three games in a row with a multi-hit effort. He is now sporting a .270 batting average with three home runs, 23 RBI, and 10 stolen bases over 36 games. In the past week, he's been doing it all for fantasy managers with 10 hits, nine runs batted in, and four stolen bases. Look for Stott to keep it rolling with three more games on tap against the Mets and three against the Nationals to cap off the week.

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New York Mets left-handed reliever Brooks Raley (elbow) will meet with Dr. Keith Meister on Tuesday to make a firmer decision on his inflamed left elbow. Raley is concerned about bone spurs and possible ligament damage in his elbow, which means his 2024 season is very much in jeopardy. Manager Carlos Mendoza said late last week that Raley is "not close" to throwing and could be shut down for the foreseeable future if Meister doesn't like what he sees on Tuesday. The 35-year-old veteran southpaw was placed on the 15-day injured list on April 21 and was initially expected to return as soon as he was eligible. In a worst-case scenario, Raley would need Tommy John surgery or an internal-brace procedure, which would keep him out for the rest of this year and the start of 2025. It would be a pretty big blow for New York's bullpen.

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New York Mets right-hander Tylor Megill (shoulder) tossed 5 1/3 scoreless innings for Triple-A Syracuse on Sunday in yet another strong minor-league rehab outing. In his four rehab starts, Megill has given up just one run on nine hits over 16 innings and has struck out 23 with just one walk. The Mets will now decide whether to reinstate him from the 15-day injured list this week. Even though the 28-year-old has looked good on his rehab assignment, manager Carlos Mendoza has been hesitant to say that Megill will be handed a rotation spot upon his return. Megill has been on the IL since April 1 with a shoulder strain but has been building up as a starter as he rehabs. A multi-inning relief role would put Megill off the fantasy radar in deep leagues. He was hit with the loss in his lone start this year in 2024 on March 31 against the Brewers, when he allowed an earned run in four innings of work.

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Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Shota Imanaga has done it again in Monday's 2-0 loss to the Atlanta Braves. The lefty tossed five more shut-out innings against a powerful Braves lineup with eight strikeouts, seven hits allowed, and three walks. He did not factor into the decision. This would generally be a top stat line for any other starting pitcher this season, but not for Imanaga. It's only the third time he didn't make it past six innings in the young season and the first time he has walked three batters in a game. He wasn't as efficient with his pitch count, which is the reason for his shorter outing, but with no runs allowed, he lowered his earned run average to an absurd 0.96 ERA with a 0.94 WHIP. Although his insane run is impossible to sustain, you can feel great as a fantasy manager knowing his next matchup this weekend against a Pittsburgh Pirates lineup that is batting .220 against lefties on the season.

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Texas Rangers outfielder Evan Carter (back) said his MRI exam showed only inflammation in his lower back. He will get a cortisone injection on Tuesday and hopes to return to the lineup in a few days. Ultimately, it's good news for Carter, who hasn't played since last Friday, but fantasy managers may still be without him for a few more days. And if Carter still doesn't feel good by then, the Rangers will surely consider placing him on the injured list. With Carter out on Monday, Ezequiel Duran drew the start in left field and hit eighth in the order, going 0-for-3 with a strikeout to drop his season average to .297 in the 7-0 loss to the Cleveland Guardians. The 21-year-old Carter is an everyday player when healthy despite hitting just .216 (27-for-125) to begin his first full season in the big leagues. Carter has added five homers, 15 RBI, two steals and 23 runs scored in his first 37 games in 2024.

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Boston Red Sox right-hander Garrett Whitlock (oblique) will make his first and possibly only minor-league rehab start with Triple-A Worcester on Wednesday morning. Manager Alex Cora said that if all goes well for Whitlock on Wednesday, he'll only need one rehab start. In addition, the skipper reiterated that Whitlock is a starting pitcher moving forward The 27-year-old is getting close to a return from the 15-day injured list and should be rostered in most fantasy leagues after getting off to a 1-0 start with a 1.96 ERA (3.30 FIP) and 1.14 WHIP with seven walks and 17 strikeouts in 18 1/3 innings over his first four starts this year before going on the injured list. Whitlock is attempting to return from a left-oblique strain that has kept him out for almost a month. When he's back, Cooper Criswell is the most in jeopardy of losing his rotation spot in Beantown.

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Detroit Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson swatted his first home run of the season on Mother's Day and followed up with his second dinger in Monday's 6-5 win over the Miami Marlins. Despite the Tiger's winning record, it's been a tough go for the 24-year-old first basemen this season, sporting a .225 batting average with only two home runs and 16 RBI. With a career batting average of .222, don't expect too much improvement in that department during the season, but after slugging 31 homers in 2023, one can only hope the last two days mean he finally found his power stroke and can keep it up moving forward. Torkelson has a great outlook over the next two days, with southpaws Ryan Weathers (4.54 ERA) and Trevor Rogers (6.57 ERA) toeing the rubber.

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San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Jordan Hicks worked around a tough matchup in Monday's 6-4 extra-innings loss to the Dodgers. Hicks pitched five innings, allowing two runs on seven hits (including a solo home run) and no walks with four strikeouts. The 27-year-old has re-adjusted to a starting role quite well with a 3-1 record and a 2.44 ERA in nine starts and 48 IP. His next start should be much more favorable in a home matchup against the Rockies.

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Atlanta Braves relief pitcher A.J. Minter picked up his first save of the season in Monday's 2-0 win over the Cubs. Minter entered the game to pitch the top of the ninth inning up by two. He allowed a leadoff single and a walk but induced a ground-ball double play and ended the game with a flyout. Raisel Iglesias had pitched in two of the team's last three games, so Minter got the nod to close this one out. Minter has had closing experience in the past but has only converted one of four opportunities this season with a 3.57 ERA in 17 2/3 innings of work. He is worth a look in deeper roto leagues and saves-plus-holds leagues, but his fantasy value will remain limited overall if Iglesias is healthy.

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Houston Astros third basemen Alex Bregman torched Oakland A's pitching, going 3-for-3 with two home runs, four RBI, and three runs scored. He started his big day with a solo home run in the fourth inning, another solo shot in the seventh, and then capped off his night with a two-run double as the Astros beat the A's 9-2. It's been an underwhelming start to the season, with his slash line at .218/.288/.327 and his demotion to the seventh spot in the batting order. Hopefully, Bregman will look to carry the momentum from Monday into the following three games against the A's pitching staff to finally get out of the early season funk he has been in.

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Seattle Mariners closer Andres Munoz earned his sixth save of the season in Monday's 6-2 win over the Royals. Munoz entered the game in the top of the eighth inning up by two with two outs and a runner on second. He ended the inning with a strikeout and stayed on to pitch the ninth, delivering a 1-2-3 inning with two more strikeouts. The save count hasn't been as high as fantasy managers were hoping for, but the 25-year-old has pitched very well, converting all but one save opportunity with a 1.62 ERA, an 11.34 K/9 rate, and a 3.78 BB/9 rate in 16 2/3 innings of work.

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Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Jose Alvarado picked up his eighth save of the season in Monday's 5-4 extra-innings win over the Mets. Alvarado came in to pitch the bottom of the 10th inning up by one with an automatic runner on second and shut the door with a 1-2-3 outing. The 28-year-old has pitched well overall this season and has seen the majority of save opportunities for the Phillies, converting all of them with a 3.57 ERA, an 8.15 K/9 rate, and a 3.57 BB/9 rate. While other Phillies relievers offer fantasy value in deeper leagues and saves-plus-holds leagues, Alvarado is the pitcher to roster in conventional fantasy leagues at this time.

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Seattle Mariners starting pitcher George Kirby got things back on track in Monday's 6-2 win over the Royals. Kirby turned in seven scoreless innings, allowing just three hits and no walks with six strikeouts. He also hit two batters. The 26-year-old is now 4-3 with a 3.58 ERA, a 9.12 K/9 rate, and a 0.89 BB/9 rate in nine starts and 50 1/3 IP. He will face a tougher matchup in his next scheduled start at the Orioles, but fantasy managers should feel comfortable starting him unless they have the luxury of better alternatives.

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