Cincinnati Reds left-hander Brandon Williamson (shoulder) made his second minor-league rehab start on Sunday with Triple-A Louisville and allowed an earned run, five hits and one walk with four strikeouts over 3 2/3 innings (56 pitches. In his first rehab start on May 14 with High-A Dayton, Williamson threw three scoreless innings with one hit, no walks and four strikeouts while throwing 38 pitches. Barring any setbacks, the 26-year-old is getting very close to rejoining the Reds and could be back with the team before the end of May. The former second-round pick by the Seattle Mariners in 2019 out of Texas Christian University made his major-league debut in 2023 and went 5-5 with a 4.46 ERA and 1.28 WHIP with 39 walks and 98 strikeouts in 117 innings over 23 starts. When he returns, it remains to be seen if he'll have a rotation spot waiting for him in Cincy.

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Chicago White Sox starting pitcher prospectDrew Thorpewas dominant through his first six starts in 2024. In 35 2/3 innings with Double-A Birmingham, he had allowed just 21 hits, four runs (1.01 ERA), and nine walks while collecting 33 strikeouts. However, in his seventh start, he gave up three runs in the first inning against Pensacola Blue Wahoos and was pulled after just two outs. Fortunately, Thorpe bounced back on Saturday against the Chattanooga Lookouts, throwing 5 2/3 shutout innings, collecting seven strikeouts, and allowing just two hits and two walks. Overall, the 23-year-old right-hander has a 1.50 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, and 3.08 K/BB through his first eight appearances. Thorpe is a likely candidate to pitch in majors this season, making him a solid prospect stash in redraft formats.

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The Tampa Bay Rays officially reinstated infielder Brandon Lowe (oblique) from the 10-day injured list. Lowe last appeared in a game on April 7 before he landed on the IL with an oblique injury. As a result, expect the Rays to give the slugger some days off here and there in the coming days since he's been out for more than one month. The second baseman, though, should eventually see an everyday role when a right-hander starts on the mound. He was hitting .185 at the plate with one home run and four RBI in eight games before his injury.

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The Cleveland Guardians designated outfielder Ramon Laureano for assignment before the team's series opener against the New York Mets. Laureano was off to a rough start in 2024, hitting just .143 with one home run and four RBI across 31 games. The 29-year-old outfielder also had just two hits over his last 31 plate appearances. He should now have the opportunity to sign with any team as a free agent. Johnathan Rodriguez will take his place on the active roster after the team called him up on Monday.

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The Tampa Bay Rays placed Zach Eflin (back) on the 15-day injured list before the team's three-game set against the Boston Red Sox. Eflin likely injured his back in his most recent outing on May 18 against the Toronto Blue Jays, where he gave up four runs on nine hits with three strikeouts across six innings. The right-hander has struggled in the early part of the season, giving up at least three earned runs in four of his last five outings. He will now head to the IL with a 4.12 ERA and 44 strikeouts across 10 starts.

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The New York Mets officially activated pitcher Tylor Megill (shoulder) from the 15-day injured list. Megill went on the IL in late March with a shoulder strain after tossing four innings of one-run ball against the Milwaukee Brewers on March 31. Monday will mark his second start of the season, and his first since that March 31 outing. In his first start back, expect the right-hander to be on somewhat of a pitch count. However, he could be a nice streaming option against the Cleveland Guardians. He threw 5 1/3 scoreless innings with six strikeouts in his last rehab start in Triple-A. To activate him, the Mets optioned pitcher Grant Hartwig to Triple-A Syracuse.

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Toronto Blue Jays outfielder George Springer will bat sixth against the Chicago White Sox on Monday. Springer started the season as the Blue Jays' leadoff hitter, but his recent struggles at the plate have pushed him down in the order. He will bat sixth for the third straight game, where he has seen some success. The 34-year-old went 1-for-2 with one double, one RBI, and two walks in Sunday's 5-2 win. Hitting the veteran lower in the order should result in more RBI opportunities, and Toronto is hoping it helps him turn a corner on offense. He is batting just .201 with three home runs and eight RBI this season.

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San Diego Padres second baseman Xander Bogaerts left Game 1 of Monday's doubleheader against the Atlanta Braves early after injuring what appeared to be his shoulder on a diving attempt in the bottom of the third inning. Bogaerts immediately favored his shoulder before trainers took him off the field. With a quick turnaround, it's safe to say that the veteran will likely not be available for Game 2. Tyler Wade took his spot at second base in the third inning, and he could see more playing time if Bogaerts misses an extended time.

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Cincinnati Reds left-hander Alex Young (back) has allowed just one unearned run over eight relief appearances and 8 1/3 innings during his minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Louisville. Young also pitched on back-to-back days on Saturday and Sunday and worked a scoreless inning in both games. The 30-year-old southpaw reliever begin his rehab assignment on May 2 after being out all year to this point in the majors due to lower-back disc degeneration. It explains why the reliever has been extended on his rehab assignment, but he has to be getting close to returning to Cincinnati's bullpen at this point. When healthy, Young gives the Reds another lefty arm in their bullpen. In his first year with the Reds in 2023, Young had a 4-2 record, 3.86 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, his first career save, 20 walks and 50 strikeouts in 53 2/3 innings pitched.

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Cincinnati Reds outfielder Spencer Steer (ankle) was limited to a pinch-hitting appearance in Sunday's 3-2 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers and drew a walk in the seventh inning before being lifted for a pinch-runner. After the game, manager David Bell revealed that Steer has been dealing with a sore ankle. "He was available for an at-bat. He should be back fully 100 percent on Tuesday," Bell said. It sounds as though Steer will be back in the starting lineup for Tuesday's series opener against the visiting San Diego Padres, but fantasy managers will want to check back to make sure before returning him to starting lineups. The 26-year-old hasn't homered since May 1 and is batting just .167 (9-for-54) with 10 RBI in 16 games in the month of May to drop his season slash line to .224/.337/.373. Steer isn't swinging it well right now, but his combination of power and speed makes him attractive in all fantasy leagues.

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Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr. (hip) is expected to play in live games at the team's spring training complex in Glendale, Ariz., at some point this week. "We anticipate some game action later this week," general manager Chris Getz said. "He seems to have turned the corner and is trending well." The White Sox are bringing Robert along slowly as he deals with an injury similar to the one that caused him to miss more than three months in 2021. Once the 26-year-old begins playing in games, he'll be much closer to a return to Chicago's lineup, but the White Sox aren't going to rush the oft-injured outfielder back. There is no current timetable for his return, but the Cuban slugger should be stashed in an injured list spot in all fantasy formats. Robert was a first-time All-Star in 2023 but was hitting .214 (6-for-28) with two homers and four RBI in seven games at the time of his injury.

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Cincinnati Reds right-hander Emilio Pagan (triceps) showed some discomfort after throwing a pitch to Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Jason Heyward in his outing on Sunday in the bottom of the ninth inning in a 3-2 loss. Pagan was removed from the game and replaced by Alexis Diaz, and he complained of trouble with his right triceps, although he said he felt no issues until his last pitch. After undergoing tests, the Reds are optimistic the injury isn't serious, but Pagan will be seen by team doctors on Monday. The 33-year-old didn't allow a run in his inning of work on Sunday while also not allowing a hit while walking none and striking out none. In his first 19 1/3 relief innings for the Reds this year, Pagan has recorded a 4.19 ERA and 1.34 WHIP with seven walks and 25 strikeouts in 21 appearances out of the bullpen.

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Texas Rangers outfielder Adolis Garcia (forearm), who was scratched from Sunday's lineup against the Los Angeles Angels due to a right-forearm injury that he suffered during a collision with Marcus Semien on Saturday, could be available for Tuesday's series opener against the Philadelphia Phillies after tests didn't show any structural damage in his arm. The Rangers have a scheduled off day on Monday, which is great news for the 31-year-old slugger. Like many of the Texas hitters, Garcia has struggled in May, batting .188 (13-for-69) with three home runs, 10 RBI and 24 strikeouts in 74 plate appearances over 17 games. However, fantasy managers will need to return Garcia to their starting lineups if he's back in the fold on Tuesday. In 175 total at-bats in 2024, he's hitting .251/.297/.491 with 11 home runs, 35 RBI, four stolen bases and 24 runs scored for the reigning champs.

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Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung (wrist) is doing all baseball activities except hitting and seems hopeful that he will beat a report over the weekend saying that he will be out until early July. Jung is currently swinging a light stick and hasn't had any issues with it, but he hasn't tested his broken right wrist by swinging a bat yet. Monday marks seven weeks since Jung was hit by a pitch, and he had surgery on his wrist two days later. If he's cleared to swing a bat in the next week, there's a chance he could be back with the Rangers in late June. While Jung has had his share of injuries early in his career, he has had a history of being a quick healer, so fantasy managers will have to hope for the best. When healthy, the 26-year-old right-handed slugger is the Rangers' everyday third baseman and is a must-start in all fantasy lineups.

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Toronto Blue Jays catcher Danny Jansen is hitting in the two-hole on Monday against the visiting Chicago White Sox and right-hander Erick Fedde. The Blue Jays have recently been using Davis Schneider in the leadoff spot instead of veteran George Springer to try and jump-start their struggling offense, so perhaps Jansen will get more looks in the No. 2 spot moving forward as well. The 29-year-old backstop will hit higher than fifth for the first time this year, but he's earned a move up the batting order by slashing .313/.384/.625 with a 1.009 OPS, four home runs and seven RBI in his first 64 at-bats of the year. For as long as Jansen's move up the lineup lasts, he'll be more attractive in all fantasy formats. Jansen got a late start to the season due to an injury. He has a career .228 batting average but has decent pop for a catcher sharing playing time with Alejandro Kirk.

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New York Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo put the finishing touches on Sunday's win over the division-rival Miami Marlins, mashing a two-run home run in the ninth inning. Nimmo got a hold of an Anthony Bender changeup for a few insurance runs and his seventh homer of the campaign late on Sunday. Although the 31-year-old veteran is still batting just .217 (34-for-157) this season, he's got seven big flies, eight doubles, 29 RBI, and 29 walks for a .777 OPS through 43 outings. Nimmo moved to the third spot in New York's lineup in Saturday's game against Miami, and if his numbers begin progressing toward his .297 xBA and .556 xSLG on Baseball Savant, Nimmo could become a high-end four-category fantasy contributor. The Cleveland Guardians are on tap, but Nimmo went just 3-for-14 with one round-tripper in three games against the Guardians last year.

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Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Jose Soriano delivered the longest start of his career in Sunday's victory over the division-rival Texas Rangers, hurling a career-high 7 2/3 innings and giving up one run on five hits and two walks while striking out five batters and walking two. Picking up his second win of the season on Sunday, Soriano started the game with three spotless innings in this difficult assignment against the defending champions. Whether it be as a starter or a reliever, the 25-year-old right-hander has proven to be a serviceable commodity for the Halos to this point with a 3.30 ERA (4.10 FIP), 1.23 WHIP, and 43:22 K:BB through 46 1/3 frames (eight starts) in 2024. Soriano will carry some streaming appeal in fantasy ahead of his next scheduled start at home on Saturday, when Anaheim hosts the Cleveland Guardians.

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Tampa Bay Rays infielder Isaac Paredes smashed his ninth home run of the season in Sunday's loss to the division-rival Toronto Blue Jays, but his team still fell 5-2 in the defeat. Paredes' ninth-inning two-run homer off Jays right-hander Zach Pop helped force Toronto to summon closer Jordan Romano to finish off the game, keeping Paredes' on-base streak alive. Over his current 18-game on-base streak, the 25-year-old former top prospect is batting a scorching .375 (24-for-64) with three homers, four doubles, 10 RBI, 11 walks, and eight runs scored as Tampa's everyday third baseman. Look for Paredes to stay productive in an upcoming three-game series against the visiting Boston Red Sox beginning on Monday, as he's hitting .271 with three long balls, seven RBI, and six runs scored in 13 games against the Boston since 2023.

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Toronto Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano safeguarded Sunday's win over the division-rival Tampa Bay Rays, recording the final out for his seventh save of the year. After Isaac Paredes got to Zach Pop for a two-run home run, it became a save situation for Romano to handle. He needed just four pitches (all sliders) to put away Jonny DeLuca and wrap things up in the ninth inning. The 31-year-old two-time All-Star stopper has endured a rocky start to the season after also missing the early stages with an elbow problem, posting a 4.91 ERA and 1.36 WHIP over 11 innings thus far, but he's converted seven of his eight save opportunities with a 10:3 K:BB for the Jays and remains Toronto's favorite for ninth-inning work moving ahead.

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Cleveland Guardians outfielder Will Brennan blasted a walk-off three-run home run to cap off Sunday's win over the division-rival Minnesota Twins, going deep for the fifth time this year. In a wild ninth inning, Brennan sent a Jhoan Duran first-pitch curveball 363 feet to right field for the game-winning jack. Despite Sunday's heroics, the 26-year-old lefty-hitting right fielder is still slashing a weak .231/.283/.396 with five homers, 18 RBI, and two stolen bases in 134 at-bats (42 games) for the Guardians this season and is only a viable fantasy option in deep mixed or AL-only fantasy leagues. With Steven Kwan (hamstring) nearing a minor-league rehab assignment, Brennan could become a part-time player in Cleveland's outfield in the near future.

From RotoBaller