New York Mets outfielder Starling Marte was removed during the second inning of Saturday's game against the Chicago Cubs with right knee soreness. Marte has been battling knee issues over the past few weeks so having to be removed during a game is a bit concerning for the 35-year-old after already missing multiple games earlier this month. The right-hander has been having a solid season, hitting for a 117 OPS+ and an .834 OPS in the month of June. If Marte is to miss much time with his knee issue, fantasy managers should expect Tyrone Taylor to receive more starts. With a .626 OPS and two HR in 135 AB, Taylor is a much less appealing fantasy option and fantasy managers likely shouldn't consider adding him unless desperate in a deeper league.

From RotoBaller

Toronto Blue Jays reliever Jordan Romano (elbow) was shut down from baseball activities by the team after experiencing soreness in his right elbow while throwing long toss on Friday. The shutdown is only expected to be for a few days but it marks a setback in Romano's recovery. The 31-year-old has been on the injured list since June 1st and missed the start of this season with elbow inflammation, adding to the Blue Jays' need to be cautious with any setbacks. Romano did not perform well while healthy, posting a 6.59 ERA in just over 13 innings while still leading the Blue Jays in saves with eight. In his absence, and with Yimi Garcia being placed on the injured list, Toronto has turned to Nate Pearson for their closer role. Fantasy managers in need of a closer should consider Pearson, though his 4.13 ERA isn't exactly appealing on the surface.

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St. Louis Cardinals outfielder/infielder Tommy Edman (wrist) recently spent four days in Florida ramping up baseball activities and is moving closer to starting a rehab assignment. Cardinals manager Oli Marmol is optimistic that Edman could return relatively soon. With a rehab assignment in the mix, a likely return to the Cardinals' active roster would be around the All Star game. The switch-hitter has been recovering from wrist surgery in the offseason and has yet to debut this season. When he is set to return he should be expected to start in the outfielder with rookie Masyn Winn performing well for the Cardinals. Michael Siani has been starting in centerfield for St. Louis and would be the likely candidate to move to the bench once Edman is activated. Fantasy managers should plan accordingly as soon as Edman begins his rehab assignment.

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St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar (oblique) has been taking full swings this week and is almost ready to begin taking batting practice. Cardinals manager Oli Marmol was optimistic that Nootbaar returning soon, though the outfielder will need a rehab assignment prior to joining the active roster. The lefty was hitting for a solid .742 OPS before he strained his oblique in late May. In Nootbaar's absence, Alec Burleson has been receiving more playing time in the Cardinals' outfield. When Nootbaar returns it should be expected that Burleson returns to DH more often. Fantasy managers shouldn't expect Nootbaar's return until around the All Star game, given that there will be no setbacks. In the meantime, Burleson is a fine fantasy option who is currently hitting for a 109 OPS+.

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Houston Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker (shin) is still not participating in any baseball activities after initially being expect to start baseball activities this weekend. He was also seen walking with a slight limp. Initially expected to be day-to-day, Tucker's shin has taken significantly longer to recover than the team and fantasy managers have anticipated. The lefty was in the midst of an MVP caliber season prior to fouling a ball off his shin, hitting for a 176 OPS+ on the season. He does not have a timeline to return and fantasy managers may want to set their expectations for a return to happen after the All Star break given the outfielder's inactivity. Trey Cabbage and Chas McCormick have been splitting time in right field in Tucker's absence. Fantasy managers may want to consider grabbing Cabbage off the waiver wire with his 132 wRC+ in June far outweighing McCormick's 81 wRC+.

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Toronto Blue Jays catcher Danny Jansen is not in the starting lineup for Saturday's contest against the visiting Cleveland Guardians. The 29-year-old is mired in a slump as he has collected just one base hit (a single) across his last five starts (six appearances) and 21 trips to the plate, so he will take a seat against Guardians righty Ben Lively on Saturday afternoon. Alejandro Kirk will take over and hit eighth on Saturday. A free-agent-to-be, Jansen has established himself as perhaps one of this summer's highly-touted trade targets as he has hit five homers alongside an 11.7% BB% and a .746 OPS across an injury-shortened 45 games played, production that grades out 14% superior to the league average, as per his 114 wRC+. Jansen has quietly been one of the more productive catchers in baseball in recent seasons but has had trouble staying healthy while playing in a timeshare with Kirk.

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Miami Marlins third baseman Jake Burger is not in the starting lineup for Saturday afternoon's contest against the Seattle Mariners. The 28-year-old has just one base hit over his last five games and 22 trips to the plate and will get a chance to recharge while the Marlins take on a tough Mariners righty in Logan Gilbert. It's been a tough season as the plate for the former White Sox infielder who is hitting just .216 with six home runs alongside a .598 OPS across 54 games, production that grades out 33% below the league average, as per his 67 wRC+. It's worth noting that Burger dealt with an oblique injury earlier in the season but fantasy managers are no doubt frustrated following a 34-homer season in the 2023 campaign.

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Texas Rangers right-hander Dane Dunning will move to the bullpen to make room in the rotation for the return of Max Scherzer, according to skipper Bruce Bochy. The Rangers will go with a five-man rotation consisting of Nathan Eovaldi, Scherzer, Michael Lorenzen, Jon Gray, and Andrew Heaney for the time being. Dunning sports a 4.73 ERA in 12 starts spanning 59 innings on the season but he also owns a 3.89 xFIP and a 3.96 SIERA while his 26.7% K% stands as a career-high, even with an 11.6% BB% that is a career-worst figure. Fantasy managers can safely cut bait for the time being as Dunning is likely bound for a multi-inning, middle-relief role but he could factor into the rotation should a member of the team's rotation scuffle moving forward.

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Miami Marlins left-hander Braxton Garrett is experiencing elbow discomfort and will not make Sunday's start against the visiting Seattle Mariners. He is currently under evaluation on Saturday. The 26-year-old's season got off to a late start due to a shoulder issue and it appears an elbow ailment could potentially cause him to miss additional time. Garrett has endured an up-and-down season that has seen him pitch to a 5.35 ERA across seven starts but his 3.39 xFIP, 3.32 SIERA, and quality 18.6% K-BB% all suggest he has been much better than his surface ERA indicates. Fantasy managers have been frustrated by the way 2024 has gone on the heels of a 3.66 ERA and 19.3% K-BB% in 2023 but the prudent move is to exercise some patience and keep an eye on the southpaw's status in the coming days.

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San Francisco Giants outfielder/first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. (hamstring) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sacramento on Sunday. The 30-year-old currently resides on the 10-day injured list and has not appeared in a big-league contest since May 27. Wade had been off to a nice start to his season as he was hitting .333 with a pair of homers alongside an .896 OPS across 52 appearances but a bloated .436 BABIP was due for significant regression while his .093 isolated power was well below his career .169 mark. Nonetheless, he still walked in a whopping 19.9% trips to the plate, a figure just slightly below his 21.1% K% on the season. The lefty-swinging Wade is an intriguing streaming option when he gets into the lineup against right-handed pitching.

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St. Louis Cardinals left-hander Steven Matz (back) has suffered a setback in his rehab process and will be shut down for at least two weeks. He will essentially be forced to restart his throwing progression. The veteran woke up feeling tightness after his latest rehab start in which he tossed three-plus scoreless innings on June 16. Matz has been on the 15-day injured list with low back soreness and has not appeared with the Cards since April 30. It's been a difficult season from both a health and performance standpoint for the 33-year-old who owns a 6.18 ERA across six big-league starts, striking out just 13.4% of the hitters he has faced. Add in an 8.7% BB% and Matz's 4.7% K-BB% is a career-low, albeit in a small sample size. He remains off the fantasy radar for the time being.

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St. Louis Cardinals catcher Ivan Herrera (back) was placed on the 10-day injured list on Saturday, June 22, with lower back tightness. The 24-year-old backstop has been out of the lineup for the past two games and will now remain sidelined for at least the next week. As a result, the Cardinals promoted Nick Raposo from Triple-A Memphis to fill the empty roster spot. Herrera has performed very well through 54 games this season with a .279/.340/.378 slash line with 19 RBI, three long balls, and four swiped bags. Pedro Pages will now see the majority of starts behind the dish while Herrera remains sidelined but could revert back to the bench as Willison Contreras (forearm) is projected to return from the injured list on June 24. Pages is worth a look in DFS this weekend and could be a popular streaming option in NL-only formats as he has launched two home runs in his previous seven games.

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San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Blake Snell (groin) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sacramento on Sunday, June 23. Snell was placed on the 15-day injured list on June 5 with a left groin strain. However, he has not faced any setbacks and is now ready to begin the final step of his recovery process. The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner has had a rough start to the season after battling numerous injuries. Currently, he sits with a poor 9.51 ERA, 1.94 WHIP, and a 14:31 BB:K ratio. Despite the inflated ratios, he still holds an above-average 26.1 % K rate and 31.4% whiff rate, which is a good sign moving forward. Snell should remain rostered in all formats and could be a solid piece to your rotation in the second half of the summer.

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Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno (thumb) was placed on the 10-day injured list on Saturday, June 22. Moreno left Friday's game early after suffering a thumb injury. Fortunately, the x-rays came back negative, but Arizona is leaning on the side of caution for their young backstop and is sitting him for at least the next 10 days. In a corresponding move, the Diamondbacks promoted Jose Herrera from Triple-A to serve as the backup catcher to now-starter Tucker Barnhart. Fantasy managers should not be too concerned about Moreno's status, as it looks like he avoided a major injury. Through 61 games this season, the 24-year-old has struggled with a .230 AVG which is a significant drop compared to his .284 and .319 AVG he held the previous two seasons. Barnhart is worth adding in NL-only formats for the time being, as he should be in line to start most games and could be a sneaky play in DFS throughout the next week.

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San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Robbie Ray (elbow) will continue his rehab assignment with Triple-A Sacramento on Sunday. Ray has remained on the 60-day injured list since February as he underwent Tommy John surgery last May. Ray has made four starts in the Arizona Complex League and has held a 5.14 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and a perfect 0:15 BB:K ratio. The 32-year-old southpaw won the 2021 AL Cy Young Award as he posted a 2.84 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and 52:248 BB:K ratio in 193 frames. Then, in 2022, he held a 3.71 and 1.19 WHIP with 212 punchouts in 189 innings. Unfortunately, he was only able to log three innings in 2023 before being shut down. Ray is worth a look in all leagues once he returns, as he should have high-upside strikeout potential during the remainder of the summer.

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Texas Rangers starting pitcher Max Scherzer (back/thumb) will make his 2024 debut on Sunday, June 23, against the Kansas City Royals. The 39-year-old was initially scheduled to make his debut on Saturday, June 22, but instead, he will take one extra day to prepare for his season debut. Scherzer has been on the 60-day injured list since May 15 after undergoing back surgery in the offseason and was on pace to make his season debut much earlier but had to remain sidelined for some more time as he dealt with a thumb injury during the early part of the season. The three-time Cy Young winner has looked quite sharp in his two rehab starts, where he logged eight innings with 13 punchouts and 0.92 WHIP. The right-hander should be rostered in all leagues as he should provide solid strikeout numbers during the summer and should be in line to receive several win opportunities pitching behind a competing Rangers team.

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San Francisco Giants outfielder Luis Matos is being recalled from Triple-A Sacramento in a corresponding move that put outfielder Mike Yastrzemski (oblique) on the injured list. Matos had a brief stint in the majors early this season and held a .224/.247/.329 slash line with two home runs, 20 RBI, and a 3:10 BB:K ratio in 21 games. In 44 games at Triple-A this season, Matos posted a solid .250/.324/.467 line with 15 doubles, eight long balls, 31 RBI, and five swiped bags. Since June 11, in the minors, Matos has been riding a stellar .375/.419/.925 line with five home runs, which resulted in his promotion. The 22-year-old outfielder is worth a look in deeper leagues as he should receive plenty of opportunities as Yastrzemski remains sidelined.

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Atlanta Braves left-hander A.J. Minter (hip) is starting a minor-league rehab assignment on Saturday night with High-A Rome. Minter will finally return to pitching in games after landing on the injured list in late May with left-hip inflammation. Barring a setback down on the farm, Minter shouldn't need a very long rehab assignment before rejoining the back end of Atlanta's bullpen in the big leagues. When he's back with the Braves, Minter will reclaim his role as the team's primary setup man ahead of closer Raisel Iglesias. Before hitting the injured list, Minter was 5-3 this year with a 2.95 ERA (4.88 FIP), a 0.98 WHIP, one save, 23 strikeouts and six walks in 21 1/3 innings out of the bullpen. He's not going to be much of an option for saves as long as Iglesias stays healthy, but Minter is valuable in holds leagues when he's available.

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After an off day on Friday, St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (elbow) is back in the starting lineup on Saturday to face the visiting San Francisco Giants and right-hander Jordan Hicks. Arenado left Wednesday's game early after being hit by a pitch in his left elbow and sat out of Thursday's game at Rickwood Field as a precaution. Now that he's back after a one-game absence, Arenado will look to stay rather hot in the month of June. In 17 games since June 1, he's hitting .270 (17-for-63) with a homer, three doubles, six RBI, one stolen base and four runs scored. Overall in 70 games in 2024, the eight-time All-Star has been rather mediocre at the plate, slashing .260/.315/.375 with six long balls, 32 RBI and 26 runs scored in 298 trips to the plate. Arenado has a hit in his only career at-bat against Hicks.

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The Miami Marlins placed left-hander Jesus Luzardo (back) on the 15-day injured list on Saturday with a back injury. The Marlins were hoping Luzardo could start on Saturday against the visiting Seattle Mariners, but they have instead placed him on the IL once it was clear he was going to be unable to toe the rubber. Right-hander Shaun Anderson will make the spot start on Saturday instead. Luzardo was pulled from his last outing on June 16 against the Washington Nationals early after only 77 pitches after his back injury caused diminished velocity. With the All-Star break right around the corner in mid-July, it remains to be seen if Luzardo will return to Miami's rotation before that. A career-low 21.2% strikeout rate has led to an up-and down year for Luzardo, as he's currently 3-6 with a 5.00 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 58:22 K:BB in 66 2/3 innings over 12 starts.

From RotoBaller