Detroit Tigers outfielder/infielder Matt Vierling (shoulder) has joined Triple-A Toledo on the road against Triple-A Worcester, a source told Baseball America's Emily Waldon. Vierling will get a few days of conditioning and is planning to serve as the designated hitter on Sunday for the Mud Hens. The 28-year-old has missed all of the 2025 season so far after landing on the 10-day injured list at the end of March due to a strained rotator cuff in his right shoulder. When he's finally activated, he should serve as a lineup regular for Detroit between the outfield and infield. In 144 games with the Tigers in his second season with the team in 2024, Vierling set career-highs in home runs (16), doubles (28), RBI (57) and runs scored (80) while slashing .257/.312/.423 while also stealing six bases. Fantasy managers looking for outfield depth in deeper leagues should consider picking him up if he's available on the waiver wire.

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Updating a previous report, Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora said that first baseman Triston Casas (knee) suffered a significant knee injury in Friday's series opener against the visiting Minnesota Twins at Fenway Park and is currently at the hospital. The skipper said the team will know more on Saturday, but it's a safe bet that Casas will be out for a while. It's not a surprise after the 25-year-old crumbled to the ground after landing awkwardly on first base while running out a groundout. Based on the way the injury looked, a torn ligament in his knee is a possibility, but we'll have a better idea of how long Casas might be sidelined on Saturday. With Casas likely out for an extended period of time, Romy Gonzalez, who replaced Casas at first on Friday, is in line to see regular playing time for the BoSox. In addition to this serious injury, Casas came into Friday's action hitting just .184/.279/.306 with three homers and 11 RBI.

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Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Josh Lowe (back, oblique) has yet to start a minor-league rehab assignment, according to manager Kevin Cash. In addition to the strained right oblique that he suffered on Opening Day that sent him to the injured list, Lowe is nursing some back spasms that are unrelated to his oblique injury. The 27-year-old had a trigger-point injection and will be shut down for a couple of days. "We'll see how he responds," Cash said. "We were hoping he was gonna wake up feeling better this morning, but he did not...it should resolve pretty quick. That's our hope." It's more bad news for Lowe, who probably won't be able to come off the IL for another couple weeks at the earliest. With rookie Jake Mangum (groin) and Richie Palacios (knee) also sidelined, Kameron Misner has been seeing regular playing time for the Rays and is taking advantage, going 25-for-79 (.316) with three homers, 11 RBI and 14 runs scored.

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Updating a previous report, the San Diego Padres announced that initial X-rays came back negative on outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (forearm) after he was hit by a Mitch Keller pitch and exited Friday's series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Tatis has been diagnosed with a left-forearm contusion and is receiving treatment. It sounds as though he has avoided a serious injury, but he will continue to be evaluated and probably will not play in Game 2 of the series on Saturday. Fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day for now and check back on Saturday for more information on his status. The 26-year-old All-Star came into the day leading the National League with a .345 average and didn't record an official at-bat on Friday after walking in his first plate appearance. He was replaced by pinch-runner Oscar Gonzalez.

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San Francisco Giants catcher Patrick Bailey (rest) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the Colorado Rockies. Bailey is off to a terrible start to the season as he's slashing .155/.209/.226 with zero home runs and nine RBI this season. He is 1-for-14 at the plate over his last four games, so a day off looks like it's needed. Sam Huff will do the catching and bat eighth versus right-hander Antonio Senzatela on Friday. Neither player is really bringing enough to the plate right now to warrant rostering in fantasy formats.

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Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez (ankle) was forced to exit early during Friday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays. It appears Ramirez has suffered a right ankle sprain while trying to beat out a single in the third inning. This probably isn't something that should land Ramirez on the injured list, so fantasy managers shouldn't need to panic. For now, Ramirez should be considered as day-to-day, but he could be placed on the shelf if it doesn't get better in a few days. Fantasy managers should expect Ramirez to probably sit out the rest of the weekend. Will Wilson took over at third base and might see more time over there the next few days.

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Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas (knee) was removed early during Friday's game against the Detroit Tigers. Casas appeared to have suffered a knee while trying to make it to first base. This looked like an ugly injury and Casas couldn't even get off the field under his own power. The expectation is that the Red Sox will have Casas undergo further testing. However, fantasy managers should prepare for Casas to miss time because of this injury. Romy Gonzalez took over at first base and might see more time over there if Casas heads to the injured list.

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Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Merrill Kelly (undisclosed) was unable to make it through his full start during Friday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies. The right-hander was pulled out of the contest ahead of the sixth inning. Kelly went to warm up for the inning, but reportedly experienced some cramping, so he exited with the trainer. Before that, Kelly was sharp as he allowed only one run across five innings of work. There should be another update on his status shortly. If he's fine, Kelly will make his next start against the New York Mets next week.

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Miami Marlins infielder Otto Lopez (ankle) was removed early during Friday's game against the Athletics. Lopez was pulled out in the second inning due to right ankle discomfort. The severity of the injury is unknown, but Lopez will likely undergo further testing to determine the severity of the issue. Javier Sonaja took over at second base with Lopez exiting early. Sonaja could see increased playing time if Lopez does miss time. Fantasy managers should expect another update on Lopez soon, but for now consider him as day-to-day.

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San Diego Padres outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (forearm) was forced to exit early during Friday's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The 26-year-old was hit in the forearm by a pitch from Mitch Keller in the third inning. Tatis appeared to be obvious pain and was immediately removed from the game. The assumption is that Tatis will undergo further testing to determine the severity of the injury. For now, Tatis should be considered day-to-day, but fantasy managers should get another update on his status soon. Oscar Gonzalez took over in right field with Tatis exiting early. Gonzalez could see more playing time in the future if Tatis is forced to miss time from this issue.

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Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez (leg) left Friday's game early in the third inning against the Toronto Blue Jays with an apparent right-leg injury after he went into the first-base bag awkwardly while trying to avoid a throw from right-hander Chris Bassitt. Before departing, J-Ram went 2-for-2 with a stolen base. Gabriel Arias shifted from second base to third base, while Daniel Schneemann entered the game to play second base for Cleveland. The good news is that the 32-year-old Ramirez walked off the field under his own power, but that doesn't mean it isn't a significant injury. Fantasy managers will want to check back for more information on Ramirez's status, but don't expect him to be in the lineup for Game 2 of the series on Saturday. If J-Ram's injury requires an injured-list stint, both Arias and Schneemann would become everyday players on the infield for the Guardians.

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Baltimore Orioles general manager Mike Elias said that outfielder Tyler O'Neill (neck) and infielder Jordan Westburg (hamstring) are more "days away" than "weeks away" from returning from the injured list. The Orioles are talking about whether either player needs to go on a minor-league rehab assignment before being activated from the IL. The oft-injured O'Neill is eligible to return this Sunday and should return to a regular role in the Orioles outfield despite starting the season with a .215/.284/.385 slash line with two homers and 10 RBI in 75 plate appearances. Ramon Laureano will return to the bench when O'Neill returns. Westburg can come off the IL as soon as next Wednesday. The 26-year-old was also struggling at the plate with a .217 average, four home runs and six RBI, but he should resume his regular role at third upon his return, especially with Ramon Urias (hamstring) currently injured.

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Baltimore Orioles right-handed reliever Andrew Kittredge (knee) will start a minor-league rehab assignment on Sunday at High-A Aberdeen. Kittredge is ready to pitch in minor-league games after having arthroscopic surgery on his left knee back in spring training. Because of the long layoff, the Orioles probably will not be in any rush to bring the 35-year-old back off the injured list. However, barring a setback with his surgically-repaired knee, Kittredge should make his 2025 debut sometime in May. Felix Bautista is the club's unquestioned closer when healthy, but Kittredge figures to be a high-leverage, late-inning setup man for Baltimore when he returns. He was a first-time All-Star back with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2021 and has 16 career saves in eight MLB seasons. Kittredge had a 2.80 ERA and 1.13 WHIP with a save and 67 K's in 70 2/3 innings last year with St. Louis.

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Baltimore Orioles right-hander Zach Eflin (lat) will start his minor-league rehab assignment with High-A Aberdeen on Sunday, according to MASN's Roch Kubatko. If things go well for Eflin on Sunday, the 31-year-old veteran hurler could be back in Baltimore's starting rotation late next week, potentially on May 10 in what would be a nice matchup against the Los Angeles Angels. He has been out since early April with a strained right lat, and when he's ready, the O's will have a rotation spot waiting for him. It will be a nice reinforcement for the team's rotation with Grayson Rodriguez (elbow, lat) potentially out until the second half of the season. Eflin looked good in his first three starts before getting hurt, allowing six earned runs on 14 hits while walking one and striking out eight in 18 innings. He's worth a look as a back-end starter in deep-mixed leagues if he's available on the waiver wire.

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Baltimore Orioles general manager Mike Elias said that right-hander Grayson Rodriguez (elbow, lat) will have re-imaging in a few weeks, and if the results come back positive, he could potentially resume throwing before the end of May. Elias still expects Rodriguez to return before the end of the year. Rodriguez has yet to pitch in 2025, initially due to inflammation in his right forearm that landed him on the 15-day injured list to begin the season. The 25-year-old was then moved to the 60-day IL du to a mild right-lat strain. He has a long ways to go to rejoin Baltimore's starting rotation and won't be guaranteed to be ready before the All-Star break in mid-July, even if he doesn't encounter anymore setbacks. Rodriguez is worth stashing in all fantasy formats, but it's going to be a while before we see him back in the big leagues.

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San Diego Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill (hamstring) is "towards the finish line" of his rehab, according to manager Mike Shildt. Merrill has spent a couple days at the team's spring training complex in Arizona this week taking live at-bats, and it's unclear if he'll require a minor-league rehab assignment before being activated from the 10-day injured list. The 22-year-old landed on the IL on April 8 with a right-hamstring strain but is knocking on the door to return to the big-league roster, possibly by the end of the weekend series in Pittsburgh against the Pirates if he doesn't need a rehab assignment. If he doesn't rejoin the Padres this weekend, it could come next week in the Bronx against the New York Yankees. Merrill was a first-time All-Star in his rookie season in 2024 and was squaring the ball up regularly before his injury in 10 games, going 14-for-37 with three homers and 10 RBI.

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The San Diego Padres announced on Friday that they reinstated outfielder Brandon Lockridge (hamstring) from the 10-day injured list and optioned outfield prospect Tirso Ornelas to Triple-A El Paso in a corresponding move. Lockridge didn't require a minor-league rehab assignment despite being out since mid-April with a strained left hamstring. The 28-year-od is not in the starting lineup for Friday's series opener in Pittsburgh against the Pirates and will most likely just be a short-side platoon option for the Friars in left field when they face left-handed pitching. Lockridge went just 6-for-31 (.194) with no home runs, an RBI, three runs and three RBI in a bench role before getting injured. Ornelas, the club's No. 11 prospect per MLB Pipeline, will head back to the farm for more development after going 1-for-14 with an RBI in his first seven big-league games.

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San Diego Padres second baseman Jake Cronenworth (rib) has been cleared for all baseball activities and was sent to the team's spring training complex in Arizona for live at-bats, starting on Thursday, May 1. Cronenworth's non-displaced right-rib fracture won't fully heal for another few weeks, but he could return from the 10-day injured list before it does. The 31-year-old was placed on the IL back on April 11 for an injury that occurred when he was hit by a pitch in Chicago against the Cubs early in the season. If Cronenworth is required to go on a minor-league rehab assignment, which is likely, he probably won't be back with the big-league roster for another few weeks. When healthy, he'll return to regular duties at second base, which will push veteran Jose Iglesias back to a bench role. Cronenworth was hitting .257 (9-for-35) with two homers, five RBI and seven runs before going on the IL.

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Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani (elbow) threw his first bullpen session last Saturday since going on paternity leave last week. Ohtani threw 31 pitches, according to manager Dave Roberts, and is still only throwing four-seamers, two-seamers and splitters. He will not face live hitters until he begins working in all of his pitches. But Roberts said that Ohtani is expected to resume throwing light side sessions on Wednesdays, followed by a full bullpen every Saturday. The timeline for the 30-year-old to return to the mound remains indefinite, although the Dodgers had previously been aiming for sometime in May. He's recovering from a right UCL repair he had in September of 2023, and he didn't have a full offseason to build up on the mound due to left-labrum surgery last November. Ohtani will likely be eased into a starting role when he eventually returns as a pitcher, but he'll be fantasy relevant in all leagues.

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Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that right-handed reliever Michael Kopech (shoulder) has started facing live hitters in Arizona and is expected to begin a minor-league rehab assignment next week. Kopech has been dealing with arm issues since late last season and he landed on the injured list to begin the 2025 regular season due to right-forearm inflammation. A shoulder impingement has slowed him down of late, but he's making good progress now and could be on the verge of making his season debut as long as he doesn't have setbacks during his rehab assignment. The 29-year-old should return to the Dodgers' bullpen, barring a setback, by the end of May. Kopech was great in his 24 relief innings in the regular season last year after being acquired from the White Sox, posting a 1.13 ERA, 0.79 WHIP, six saves and 29 K's, but he'll be more of a setup man in 2025 in the Dodgers' revamped bullpen.

From RotoBaller