New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto came ready to hit in Thursday's series finale against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks, going 2-for-3 with two solo home runs and a walk in the team's 4-2 loss. Soto accounted for all of New York's offense in this one and is now up to five home runs on the season with a .252 batting average and .822 OPS. The 26-year-old's first homer came off starter Zac Gallen in the sixth inning, and his second round-tripper came in the eighth inning off reliever Kevin Ginkel to bring the Mets to within one run at the time. It's been a pretty disappointing start to Soto's tenure in New York, but the four-time All-Star's fantasy managers will be hoping that this big game is a springboard to more consistent performances. In addition to his five homers, Soto has 14 RBI, 23 runs scored and two stolen bases in his 32 games played.

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New York Mets left-handed reliever A.J. Minter (lat), who was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Thursday, is looking for a September return, at best, and could be out for the rest of the 2025 season, according to MLB.com's Anthony DiComo. Minter is dealing with a pretty serious left-lat strain and will merely be hoping to be ready for a potential postseason run if the Mets make the playoffs. It's a big blow to the back end of the Mets' bullpen. The 31-year-old veteran southpaw had allowed only two earned runs while walking five and striking out 14 in 11 innings in his 13 relief appearances before getting injured. As things currently stand, Genesis Cabrera is the Mets' only left-handed arm in their bullpen with Brooks Raley and Danny Young also on the injured list.

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The New York Mets transferred right-hander Frankie Montas (lat) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Thursday, according to MLB.com's Anthony DiComo. It's merely a procedural move and won't affect Montas' timetable for return. He is not eligible to come off the IL until June. The 32-year-old veteran has been out all season to this point after suffering a high-grade right-lat strain early in spring training. When Montas is eventually ready after embarking on a lengthy minor-league rehab assignment, he should have a starting-rotation spot waiting for him in New York after signing a two-year, $34 million deal last December. The Dominican hurler only threw 1 1/3 innings in 2023 due to injury and was very mediocre with a 4.84 ERA and 1.37 WHIP in his 30 starts with the Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers last year, so fantasy managers may want to temper expectations when he returns.

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The Cincinnati Reds announced on Thursday that they recalled right-hander Luis Mey from Triple-A Louisville after optioning struggling right-handed reliever Alexis Diaz to Louisville after his rough outing on Wednesday. Mey, who is the team's No. 20 prospect per MLB Pipeline, made his major-league debut in Thursday's 9-1 win over the division-rival St. Louis Cardinals and tossed a clean ninth inning with one strikeout. The hard-throwing 23-year-old got the call to the Show after allowing four earned runs on seven hits while walking seven and striking out 10 in nine relief innings at Louisville. Mey regularly hits triple digits with his fastball and has been likened to a right-handed Aroldis Chapman because of the gas he's able to throw. There's opportunity at the back end of Cincy's bullpen with Diaz struggling, but Mey is going to have to show better control if he wants to stick around with the Reds.

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X-rays came back negative on Atlanta Braves right-hander AJ Smith-Shawver (elbow) after he was struck by a line drive during his start on Tuesday against the Colorado Rockies. Before leaving after 5 1/3 innings at Coors Field on Tuesday, Smith-Shawver allowed two earned runs on four hits (one homer) while walking one and striking out five batters. Since the 22-year-old was able to avoid any fractures or breaks in his right arm, fantasy managers should expect him to be able to make his fifth start of the year next Monday against the Cincinnati Reds. At worst, the Braves might push Smith-Shawver back a few days next week, depending on how his arm is feeling. The former seventh-round selection in 2021 has gone 1-2 on the season so far with a 4.26 ERA (4.24 FIP) and 1.68 WHIP with 22 strikeouts and nine walks in his 19 innings.

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The San Francisco Giants announced on Thursday that they placed middle infielder Tyler Fitzgerald (rib) on the 10-day injured list with a left-rib fracture and recalled infielder Brett Wisely from Triple-A Sacramento in a corresponding move. Fitzgerald missed some time last weekend due to a chest injury but was able to return to action for a two-game series in San Diego against the Padres on Tuesday and Wednesday. Apparently he's still hurt and will most likely miss more than 10 days with a rib fracture. The 27-year-old had been productive in his first 81 at-bats of the year, hitting .284 with two home runs, seven RBI, five steals and 14 runs scored. MLB.com's Justice delos Santos doesn't think it would be shocking to see Christian Koss get the majority of the starts at second base for the Giants while Fitzgerald is sidelined. Koss is 5-for-23 with no homers and an RBI in his first 12 big-league games this year.

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Cincinnati Reds infielder Jeimer Candelario (back) said there's no current timetable for his return from a lumbar spine strain in his back. "We're waiting on it to get better," Candelario said. "Sometimes, you want to force things and do things. But this is a part of the game. You want to be able to help the team win, but you've got to do it the right way." The Reds put Candelario on the 10-day injured list on Wednesday, and it appears that the 31-year-old switch-hitter could be out for a while. His back issues could also help explain why he has hit just .113/.198/.213 with two home runs, two doubles and 10 RBI in 22 games played. Christian Encarnacion-Strand (back) is also on the IL, which has created regular opportunities for Noelvi Marte, who has taken advantage. Marte came into Thursday's game hitting .315 with three homers, 16 RBI and four stolen bases in 54 at-bats.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers transferred right-handed reliever Blake Treinen (forearm) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Thursday, according to The Athletic's Fabian Ardaya. Righty reliever Michael Kopech (shoulder) to the 60-day IL. In other moves, the Dodgers claimed J.P. Feyereisen off waivers from the Arizona Diamondbacks and acquired right-hander Ryan Loutos from the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for cash considerations. Treinen, 36, has yet to resume throwing after suffering a sprained right forearm in mid-April and now won't be able to come off the IL until the middle of June. Kopech, 29, hasn't pitched yet in 2025 due to right-forearm inflammation and a right-shoulder impingement. He's likely to return before Treinen does and has built up to 30 pitches during bullpen sessions.

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The Athletics are calling up right-handed pitching prospect Gunnar Hoglund from Triple-A Las Vegas, sources tell ESPN's Jeff Passan. Hoglund was twice a first-round pick and is ranked as the team's No. 14 prospect, per MLB Pipeline. The 25-year-old gets his first big-league call-up after going 1-2 with a 2.43 ERA and 1.04 WHIP with 30 strikeouts and seven walks in 29 2/3 innings in his six starts for the Aviators. In deeper fantasy leagues and dynasty/keeper formats, Hoglund is worth a look as long as he's inserted into the A's starting rotation. He stands at 6-foot-4, 220 pounds and is primarily a fastball-slider pitcher, and he mixes in a low-80s changeup. Hoglund is three years removed from Tommy John surgery and could end up settling in as a solid back-of-the-rotation arm for the A's this year.

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Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw (knee, toe) made his third minor-league rehab start with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday against Triple-A El Paso and went five innings, giving up three earned runs on four hits (two homers) while walking one and striking out four for a no-decision. The 37-year-old future Hall of Famer worked three innings in each of his first two rehab starts, so it was nice to see him stretch out a bit more and get up to 66 pitches. All three of the runs and two homers he allowed came in his fifth and final inning after he had thrown four scoreless frames to start the outing. Kershaw is going to be in play for the Dodgers in the first half of the 2025 season, but he isn't eligible to come off the injured list until May 17. The three-time Cy Young winner can still be effective in the right matchups, but he's also more volatile than ever, and the Dodgers could closely monitor his workload.

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The New York Yankees claimed outfielder Bryan De La Cruz off waivers from the Atlanta Braves on Thursday and optioned him to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. To make room for De La Cruz on the 40-man roster, the Yankees moved outfielder/designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton (elbows) to the 60-day injured list. De La Cruz began the 2025 season with Atlanta and went 9-for-47 (.191) with a double, one stolen base, one run, three walks and 18 strikeouts in 16 games for the Braves. The 28-year-old Dominican will now head to the American League East and will serve as minor-league outfield depth for the Yankees to start. If De La Cruz makes it back to the big leagues in the Bronx, he'll most likely be operating in a reserve outfield role off the bench.

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Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto will start Thursday's contest against the division-rival Washington Nationals on the bench. Rafael Marchan will do the catching for right-hander Taijuan Walker and will hit ninth against Nationals right-hander Brad Lord. Realmuto will get a day to rest after going 6-for-20 with a homer, double and RBI in 21 plate appearances over the last week in five games. Although the three-time All-Star catcher does have four stolen bases already, he's been a bit of a disappointment for fantasy managers otherwise, slashing .237/.308/.361 with a .669 OPS, only two home runs, eight RBI and nine runs scored in the first month of the 2025 season. Marchan will be a DFS sleeper to avoid at the catching position in the nine hole against a pitcher he's never faced. He has two hits in his 16 at-bats as the backup catcher.

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The New York Yankees transferred outfielder/designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton (elbows) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Thursday to make room for outfielder Bryan De La Cruz on the 40-man roster after he was claimed off waivers from the Atlanta Braves. It's merely a procedural move and won't really change Stanton's timetable to make his 2025 debut. The 35-year-old veteran power hitter is dealing with tennis elbow in both of his arms and still doesn't have a specific timeline for his potential return to the big-league roster. The good news is that he recently started taking batting practice, but Stanton has yet to be cleared for a minor-league rehab assignment, meaning we probably won't see him until at least June. In the meantime, the left-handed-hitting Ben Rice will continue to benefit as the Yankees' primary DH.

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Kansas City Royals left-hander Cole Ragans (groin) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Friday afternoon, and as long as that goes well, he could be ready to return to KC's starting rotation on Monday at home against the division-rival Chicago White Sox. Ragans has avoided being placed on the injured list, but a mild left-groin strain caused him to be skipped from his last start in the rotation on Wednesday versus the Tampa Bay Rays. Pitching prospect Noah Cameron looked good in his MLB debut in a spot start on Wednesday, but he was already sent back to Triple-A Omaha, so it appears that the 27-year-old Ragans will be ready to go for Monday's series opener against the White Sox. He has a disappointing 4.40 ERA through his first six starts but has also contributed 46 strikeouts in 30 2/3 frames. If Ragans is good to go on Monday, fantasy managers will want to start him in all formats.

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Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez (hip) was forced to leave Thursday's game early against the Tampa Bay Rays due to left-hip soreness, according to the team. Before leaving, Perez went 1-for-3 at the plate with a double and an RBI. He was replaced at designated hitter by Cavan Biggio. Perez will most certainly go for more testing, but fantasy managers shouldn't expect him to be active for Friday's series opener in Baltimore against the Orioles. If the Venezuelan backstop's injury causes him to go on the injured list and miss extended time, Freddy Fermin would see more starts behind the dish for the Royals. Perez has been pretty quiet offensively in the first month of the 2025 season, as he entered Thursday's series finale in Tampa with a .235/.279/.374 slash line with only two home runs, 15 RBI and eight runs scored in 30 games.

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Chicago Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga (leg) is feeling "good" after suffering from leg cramps in his outing on Tuesday against the Pittsburgh Pirates, according to manager Craig Counsell. Imanaga will have a "normal day" on Thursday with a focus on more hydration. The Cubs are hopeful it's a "one-time thing," says Counsell. The 31-year-old Japanese southpaw still threw five shutout innings with six hits, one walk and three strikeouts to pick up his third win of the season on Tuesday at PNC Park. Fantasy managers should expect Imanaga to make his next scheduled start this Sunday at American Family Field against the division-rival Milwaukee Brewers. Despite an injury scare on Tuesday, Imanaga should be left in starting lineups this weekend in a tough matchup. He's now 3-1 with a 2.77 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 30 strikeouts in his 39 innings over seven starts in 2025.

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The Arizona Diamondbacks announced on Thursday that they placed right-handed reliever Justin Martinez (shoulder) on the 15-day injured list with right-shoulder inflammation and selected the contract of left-hander Jose Castillo from Triple-A Reno in a corresponding move. The D-backs also moved left-hander A.J. Puk (elbow) to the 60-day IL. Martinez downplayed his recent drop in velocity, but Arizona was concerned enough after the 23-year-old gave up three earned runs on two hits (one homer) while walking four and striking out none in just one inning in his last two appearances after not allowing a single run with 11 K's and two walks in his first 10 innings in 2025. Hopefully, Martinez will have a minimum stay on the IL. But with both Martinez and Puk now on the shelf, Ryan Thompson, Shelby Miller, Jalen Beeks and Kevin Ginkel could all be part of a closer committee. Thompson picked up the save on Wednesday.

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The Arizona Diamondbacks transferred left-handed reliever A.J. Puk (elbow) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list on Thursday, according to the team. Puk is on the shelf with a left-elbow flexor strain, although he won't need to go under the knife. Still, the 30-year-old southpaw is facing an extended absence, and Arizona's bullpen could be in trouble with right-hander Justin Martinez (shoulder) landing on the IL on Thursday. Fantasy managers may want to expect a closer-by-committee setup in the desert now with sav options including Ryan Thompson (he picked up the save on Wednesday, Shelby Miller and Kevin Ginkel. Puk will surely be in the mix for save chances again when he's fully healthy, but that might not be until sometime in June. He had a 3.38 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, four saves and 12 strikeouts in eight innings before his injury.

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The Texas Rangers have placed catcher Kyle Higashioka (ribs) on the 10-day injured list on Thursday with a mild left-intercostal strain. Higashioka was held out of action on Wednesday due to a reported hamstring injury, but it appears the backstop also has an upper-body injury as well. Fantasy managers should keep an eye on his status while he remains sidelined. Before his injury, Higashioka was splitting catching duties with Jonah Heim. Across 17 games this season, Higashioka posted a .254/.279/.390 slash line with five doubles and one home run. Under the hood, he generated a modest .310 xwOBA but only struck out at a 16.4 percent rate. While he remains sidelined, fantasy managers should expect Heim to see the vast majority of opportunities behind the dish.

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Miami Marlins catcher Nick Fortes (oblique) is set to join Triple-A Jacksonville on Thursday and begin his rehab assignment. The 28-year-old has been held out of action due to a Grade 1 hamstring since the start of April. Fantasy managers should keep an eye on his progression during his rehab assignment, as Fortes may need a few games to increase his workload before returning to the major league roster. Before his injury, Fortes was enjoying a strong start to the campaign as he held a .300/.333/.500 slash line with two doubles, one triple, and three RBI. The Ole Miss product has generated an impressive .365 xwOBA and a 62.5 percent hard-hit rate, which are both well above the average marks. However, Fortes may not be given a full-time role in the big leagues when he returns, as prospect Agustin Ramirez has taken control over the starting catching duties.

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