Texas Rangers firstbase prospect Blaine Crim is being called up from Triple-A Round Rock for his major league debut. Crim was the PCL Player of the Week earlier this season and is slashing .313/.365/.565 with seven home runs and 25 RBI. The seven home runs are tied for the league lead, and the RBIs are the sixth-most in the PCL. In 2023 and 2024 at Triple-A, theformer 19th-round draft pick has slashed .283/.378/.487 with 42 home runs, a 17.8 percent strikeout rate, and a 12.1 percent walk rate over 267 games. The 5-foot-10 slugger has also been durable, playingin at least 132 minor league games in three consecutive seasons. His first test will be a hard one, though, as the Rangers take on the Mariners' Bryan Woo, who owns a 3.09 ERA and 0.97 WHIP on the season, but worse in his road starts (4.26 ERA). Crim is probably left to the waiver wire in redraft leagues as his stay could be a short one, but he'll certainly be a cheap DFS play who could surprise with a home run.

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San Diego Padres catching prospect Ethan Salas has been out of action for Double-A San Antonio since April 17 due to back spasms. The Padres' second-ranked prospect "has returned to both swinging a bat and throwing from behind the plate," so he appears to be nearing a return. Through 10 games played this season, the 18-year-old has gone 6-for-32 (.188) with just one extra-base hit, but has stolen two bases and owns a 6:5 BB:K in 41 plate appearances. As the youngest player at Double-A, it's not a surprise to see some early struggles at the plate, but look for him to gain some momentumlater in the year. MLB's 30th-ranked prospect is still a couple of years away from a debut, but he remains a talent that dynasty managers should be keeping an eye on.

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Pittsburgh Pirates pitching prospect Bubba Chandler was dominant again in Thursday's start for Triple-A Indianapolis, yielding just one run on three hits and one walk while striking out nine batters over five innings pitched. The righty's pitch count hit 71, and he also hit 100.4 mph on the radar gun. Through six starts, Pittsburgh's top prospect owns a 1.42 ERA, 0.67 WHIP, and a 31.9 percent K-BB% over 25 1/3 IP. MLB's 14th-ranked prospect is ready for a tougher test in the big leagues. Looking ahead, if they would like to have him debut at home, the fifth spot in the rotation would have a turn against Atlanta on May 11, or they could wait for a seven-game home stand against the Reds and the Brewers that begins on May 19. Regardless, the 6-foot-3 hurler is the top pitching stash for fantasy managers who can spare a bench spot or have an available NA spot.

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Philadelphia Phillies pitching prospect Andrew Painter made his fourth start of the season on Thursday, allowing three earned runs on three hits (two HR) and no walks while striking out two over four innings of work for Single-A Clearwater. The righty threw only 42 pitches, one shy of his season-high, but 31 of them went for strikes. The team has indicated that they intend to have him debut in the majors sometime in July, so expect to see his pitch-counts begin to rise over the next severalstarts, and with Double-A being the highest level the 6-foot-7 hurler has achieved to this point, one would expect a move beyond Single-A soon as well for that timeline to hold. The former first-round draft pick would be a stash candidate as he gets closer to a debut, so interested managers should continue to monitor his progression, as any hiccups would cause a delay in when he arrives in the big leagues.

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Washington Nationals relief pitcher Kyle Finnegan bounced back nicely on Thursday after blowing a save earlier in the week. On Thursday, Finnegan took the mound with a two-run lead against the Philadelphia Phillies in the ninth inning. He retired the first two batters before giving up a two-out triple to Johan Rojas. He was able to work around the damage and earn his 10th save of the season. He holds a 2.92 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, and 13/7 K/BB ratio over 12 2/3 innings this season. Finnegan is worth rostering in most fantasy formats where saves matter.

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Washington Nationals starting pitcher Brad Lord posting arguably his best outing of the season versus the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday. Lord kept the Phillies silenced through the first four innings of this contest. He was tagged for a few runs after that, but Lord finished his day with five innings, two earned runs on six hits, while striking out four batters. He earned his first career win and needed only 69 pitches to do it. He'll take a 4.43 ERA, 1.66 WHIP, and 17/10 K/BB ratio into his next outing against the Cleveland Guardians. Fantasy managers might want to see him do it again before considering grabbing Lord off the waiver wire.

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Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr. extended his hitting streak to six games during Thursday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers. Robert wasted no time as he knocked in an RBI with a single in the first inning. He would later slap a bases-clearing double to center field in the seventh inning. Robert finished his day 2-for-4 with four RBI and a stolen base in the blowout win. The slugging outfielder has 13 steals already, which is the most in the American League. Robert has shown the ability to be a star in this league earlier in his career, so hopefully he's back to being that kind of hitter. Robert should be rostered in most fantasy formats going forward.

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Athletics starting pitcher Jeffrey Springs was impressive on the mound during Thursday's game against the Texas Rangers. Springs had seemingly no issues on the mound outside of a jam in the fifth inning that he escaped with no damage. He finished his day with six innings, two hits allowed, while striking out one batter in the win. Somehow, Springs was able to pitch this well while only striking out one batter throughout the entire outing. The A's decided to pull him from the contest after 68 pitches, but he probably could've pitched longer. His next start will come against the Seattle Mariners next week. Springs is worth a look in deep leagues, but the lack of strikeouts does limit his value.

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Texas Rangers first baseman Jake Burger has been optioned to Triple-A Round Rock on Thursday. The organization is hopeful that Burger can reset in the minors after an awful start to the season. Burger is slashing .190/.231/.330 with three homers and 12 RBI this season in Texas. He has shown the ability to play at the MLB level considering he smacked 29 long balls last season. Hopefully, Burger will be back in the majors shortly after getting his swing back in the minors. In a corresponding move, Blaine Crim has been recalled to take his spot on the roster. Crim has put together good numbers in the minors throughout the last few seasons. He has posted 20 homers or more in four straight seasons in the minor leagues. He could be worth a look in deep leagues, assuming he gets regular at-bats in Texas.

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Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Shelby Miller was tasked with closing down the game in the ninth inning against the New York Mets on Thursday. Miller didn't have any issues as he threw a scoreless inning to hold a two-run lead in the ninth and earn his first save of the season. He only needed eight pitches in this one, but he also faced the bottom of the batting order. Miller hasn't allowed a run this season and has struck out 15 batters across 13.2 scoreless frames this season. The expectation is that he'll be in mix for saves alongside Kevin Ginkel and Ryan Thompson. The D-Backs are without Justin Martinez (shoulder) and A.J. Puk (elbow), so Miller could be worth a look as a possible source for saves.

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Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. extended his career-best hitting streak to 22 games on Thursday by going 1-for-3 with his third home run of the season, three RBI, two walks and a strikeout in an 8-2 win to seal the series sweep over the Tampa Bay Rays. Witt's home run was to the opposite field off of starter Shane Baz to extend the team's lead. The 24-year-old All-Star is one of the best all-around players in the game and is certainly proving it early on in 2025. He's now hitting .322 on the season with an .896 OPS, .400 on-base percentage, 15 RBI, 20 runs scored and nine stolen bases in 140 plate appearances. Witt and the Royals will now head to Baltimore to face the Orioles for a three-game series starting on Friday. He will be up against right-hander Dean Kremer as he looks to extend his impressive hitting streak to 23 games.

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Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki flexed his muscles in Thursday's 8-3 win over the hosting Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park to help spoil right-hander Paul Skenes' day. Serving as the designated hitter and batting out of the three-hole, Suzuki went 2-for-4 with two home runs, three RBI and a walk to improve his season average to .295 and his OPS to .995. He took Skenes deep in the fifth inning to break a 2-2 tie as part of a three-homer inning for the Cubbies. The 30-year-old's second dinger was a two-run shot in the fifth inning to give him his second two-homer game of his career. Suzuki has been hot when healthy and now has three home runs in his last three games. He is now slashing a robust .295/.365/.625 with nine home runs and 28 RBI through his first 28 contests. Suzuki is obviously a must-start in all fantasy leagues.

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Detroit Tigers outfielder/designated hitter Kerry Carpenter will take a seat for Thursday's series opener against the hosting Los Angeles Angels and left-hander Yusei Kikuchi. With Carpenter out, Riley Greene will serve as the DH and bat third, with Justyn-Henry Malloy starting in right field and batting leadoff for the first-place Tigers. Carpenter has gone 3-for-21 with two home runs, a double and three RBI in six games over the last week, and he's hitting .250 (6-for-24) with two of his seven home runs against left-handers this year. Make sure you remove him from your starting lineups on Thursday. Greene has never faced Kikuchi and has gone 8-for-39 with no homers, two walks and 18 K's against lefties in 2025. Malloy is hitless in just two career at-bats against Kikuchi and has gone only 10-for-53 (.189) with a homer, eight RBI and nine runs scored in the early going this year.

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San Francisco Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee is out of the team's starting lineup with a left-hander on the mound on Thursday against the division-rival Colorado Rockies. With Lee getting a day off against a southpaw, Luis Matos will make the start in center field and will hit sixth against Rockies left-hander Kyle Freeland. Lee has been outstanding for the Giants through the first month of the 2025 season and is currently in the midst of a modest seven-game hitting streak in which he's gone 9-for-27 with a double, three RBI and three runs scored in 29 plate appearances. Overall, the Japanese outfielder has a strong .319/.375/.526 slash line with a .901 OPS, three homers, 18 RBI, 23 runs, three stolen bases, a league-leading 11 doubles and 11 walks in 30 games. Matos is hitting .158 (6-for-38) with a homer and has hit .333 in just six career at-bats against Freeland.

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Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout (knee) is absent from Thursday's lineup in the series opener against the visiting Detroit Tigers. Jorge Soler is starting in right field and is batting third, while catcher Logan O'Hoppe will serve as the designated hitter and bat fifth against Tigers right-hander Casey Mize. Travis d'Arnaud is catching and in the six-hole. The Angels pulled Trout as a precaution in Wednesday's game after he dealt with some soreness in his left knee, so it's not all that much of a surprise that he's not playing a day later. As far as we know, the 33-year-old All-Star isn't dealing with any structural damage and is just considered day-to-day for now. But given all of his injury issues in recent seasons, it wouldn't be a surprise if he finds his way to the injured list. Trout is hitting just .179 in 106 at-bats so far, but he has contributed nine homers, 18 RBI and 14 runs scored in 29 games played.

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Boston Red Sox rookie second baseman Kristian Campbell (rib) has been scratched from Thursday's starting lineup against the division-rival Toronto Blue Jays with right-rib discomfort, according to MassLive's Christopher Smith. David Hamilton will take over at the keystone and will hit eighth against Blue Jays right-hander Jose Berrios. For now, fantasy managers should consider Campbell day-to-day and check back to see if he's available to play in Friday's series opener against the Minnesota Twins at Fenway Park. The 22-year-old former fourth-rounder has held his own in his first MLB season to this point, hitting .301 (31-for-103) with four home runs, 12 RBI, 18 runs and two stolen bases. Hamilton offers limited DFS upside and has gone just 2-for-30 this year with a homer, two RBI and two steals. He has hit .143 in just seven career at-bats against Berrios.

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Boston Red Sox right-hander Walker Buehler (shoulder) didn't bounce back well from his last start and is currently back in Boston getting testing done on his right shoulder. As of right now, the Red Sox are saying that Buehler is dealing with shoulder soreness, but he could be a candidate to land on the 15-day injured list, depending on what his tests reveal. The 30-year-old veteran gave up three earned runs on seven hits (one homer) while walking one and striking out three in six innings in a win against the Cleveland Guardians in his last outing on April 26. It's unclear if he'll need a stint on the IL, but at the very least he won't make his next scheduled start on Friday against the Minnesota Twins, with Brayan Bello now set to take the mound in the series opener. Through his first six starts in Boston, Buehler has gone 4-1 with a 4.28 ERA and 1.22 WHIP with 29 K's and nine walks in 33 2/3 innings pitched.

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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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