Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Javier Assad stifled the Atlanta Braves for six sharp innings of four-hit baseball on Wednesday. Assad got the win, bringing his record to 4-0 while lowering his ERA to a sparkling 1.49, good for fourth-best in MLB. He had all of his pitches working Wednesday, tying a season-high seven strikeouts while allowing only one walk. Alongside lefty Shota Imanaga, Assad has given the Cubs one of the best 1-2 punches in all of baseball, with neither pitcher allowing more than two earned runs in a game all season. Assad looks to keep the streak intact with another start against these Braves in Atlanta on Tuesday.

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Seattle Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford (oblique, hand) exited Wednesday's minor-league rehab game at Triple-A Tacoma after getting hit in the hand by a pitch. Making his first appearance on his rehab assignment on Wednesday, Crawford was hit in the right hand and immediately needed to come out of the contest in the fifth inning. The M's expected Crawford to be ready to rejoin the major-league roster by the time Friday's series opener against the Baltimore Orioles rolled around, but the 29-year-old's return from a strained right oblique may be delayed depending on the severity of this setback with his hand. Look for Seattle to provide for clarity on Crawford's status sometime following the game, and the infielder should be considered day-to-day until more is known.

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Washington Nationals outfield prospect James Wood is a former second-round pick who was flipped from the Padres as part of the return package for Juan Soto. At 6-foot-7, he's a big-bodied prospect capable of producing impressive power. He's also a very good runner, both on the basepaths and as a defender in the outfield. He rounds out his profile with a solid hit tool, reliable glovework, and a strong arm. Wood has legitimate five-tool potential, though he needs to cut down on strikeouts. He went down on strikes 173 times in 2023. Last week, Wood went 10-for-22 with five homers, 12 RBI, four walks, and four strikeouts. He also stole a base. The Nationals have plenty of young talent in their farm system, but Wood might be the best of the bunch. He should make his MLB debut sometime this season.

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Atlanta Braves pitching prospect Hurston Waldrep threw eight innings in a 2-1 victory for Double-A Mississippi on Wednesday. The righty allowed six hits and one run but did not walk a batter while striking out a season-high eight. The 22-year-old was selected in the first round of the 2023 Draft and is currently listed as the Braves second-ranked prospect per MLB.com (No. 75 in MLB). Waldrep is 2-3 with a 3.32 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, and a 14:33 BB:K in 38 IP so far in 2024. Look for Waldrep to make it to Triple-A at some point this season, and depending on the health of the Braves rotation, it's within the realm of possibility to see him make a couple starts in Atlanta by season's end.

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The Milwaukee Brewers promoted outfield prospect Chris Roller to the major league club on Wednesday. In a corresponding move, the Brewers optioned Oliver Dunn to the minors. The 27-year-old made his major league debut Wednesday night when he entered the game in the sixth inning as a pinch-hitter, ultimately striking out in a six-pitch at-bat. The right-handed hitter did a lot of that in his 56 Triple-A at-bats this season, striking out at a 36.2% clip (21 times compared to two walks), while batting .250 with zero home runs and one stolen base. Roller was drafted in 2017, so it's nice when you see a player's perseverance pay off, but as far as fantasy is concerned, he is off the radar for now.

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San Francisco Giants outfield prospect Hunter Bishop was promoted to Triple-A Sacramento on Tuesday. The 25-year-old was the 10th overall draft pick in 2019, but between 2020 being wiped out due to COVID and other injuries including Tommy John surgery that caused him to miss all of 2023, Bishop's path to Triple-A has taken some time. In 2022 he hit .235 with 13 home runs and 20 stolen bases over 85 games at High-A. Prior to his promotion, the left-handed hitter was slashing .242/.314/.358 at Double-A, with two home runs and five stolen bases. With aspirations of making it to the majors, hopefully he can somehow cut down on the strikeout rate at Triple-A (31.4% K% at Double-A). Although no longer ranked within the Giants Top-30 prospects, Bishop once had the profile to make him a top draft pick, so he should at least be on the radar for dynasty managers.

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San Diego Padres right-hander Joe Musgrove (elbow) is aiming to return from the 15-day injured list this weekend to start on Sunday in Atlanta against the Braves. Musgrove threw a bullpen session on Monday and was expected to throw another one on Wednesday, and it looks like he's shown enough to convince the Padres that he doesn't need to go on a minor-league rehab assignment before returning to the starting rotation. The 31-year-old veteran went on the injured list on May 5 with right-elbow inflammation and was 3-3 with an elevated 6.37 ERA and 1.51 WHIP with 36 strikeouts in 41 innings over his eight starts to begin 2024. Although Musgrove looked much better in his last outing against the Cincinnati Reds, fantasy managers will be rolling the dice if they go with him in his first start off the IL on Sunday against the strong offense of the Braves.

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Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Gavin Williams (elbow) successfully threw a 50-pitch bullpen session on Wednesday. Williams said he didn't feel any lingering effects following his first bullpen session since receiving an anti-inflammatory injection, and he's scheduled to throw his next bullpen on Friday. The 24-year-old former top prospect is working his way back from discomfort in his right elbow after being shut down in late April, and it remains unclear when he'll resume his rehab assignment at this point. Williams should still be an option in Cleveland's rotation sometime in June, and fantasy managers who can afford the stash should be holding the right-hander after he posted a 3.29 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, and 81:37 K:BB across 82 innings (16 starts) for the Guards in his rookie season in 2023. In the meantime, veterans Carlos Carrasco and Ben Lively will keep battling to hold down spots in the rotation.

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Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Jeffrey Springs (elbow) threw a two-inning live batting practice session on Wednesday and will next pitch in a Rookie-level Florida Complex League game on Monday. It'll be big step forward in Springs' recovery from last April's Tommy John surgery when the hurler returns to game action on Monday, and considering his rehab assignment is on the verge of beginning, there's a chance he'll be built back up and ready to rejoin Tampa Bay's injury-depleted rotation before the end of June. Over his last three seasons (196 innings), the 31-year-old left-hander owns an outstanding 2.53 ERA (3.14 FIP), 1.03 WHIP, and 231:49 K:BB and can be stashed in deep competitive leagues. Veteran right-hander Zack Littell is functioning as a starter for the Rays for the time being, and he's worthy of streaming consideration when facing a favorable matchup.

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Atlanta Braves catcher Sean Murphy (oblique) is scheduled to begin a minor-league rehab assignment next week, which could start as early as Monday. This is a very encouraging development for the Braves, who lost Murphy to a strained left oblique all the way back on Opening Day. The 29-year-old All-Star backstop has remained sidelined with the injury far longer than it was originally anticipated, but he's back on course to get back behind the dish for Atlanta sometime in late May if all goes well. Fantasy managers who have been streaming Travis d'Arnaud probably should start making other arrangements, but with the veteran slashing a strong .260/.342/.510 with five home runs, 10 doubles, and 16 RBI over 100 at-bats this year, he remains a hold in two-catcher leagues until Murphy returns.

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Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash said that second baseman Brandon Lowe's (oblique) visit with a specialist on Tuesday brought "good news," as the infielder's imaging showed he's healing and heading in the right direction. It's just an issue of pain tolerance as Lowe recuperates from a strained right oblique, but he'll return to St. Petersburg for what the Rays hope to be a short stay. Lowe will then resume swinging and return to minor-league rehab games, and the 29-year-old righty masher still appears to be on track to return to Tampa Bay sometime in late May if all goes well. Before going down, Lowe went 5-for-27 with one home run and four RBI in eight games this year and is only a modest fantasy stash. In his absence, Amed Rosario and Richie Palacios have formed a platoon for at-bats at second base.

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Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Reynaldo Lopez (back) is listed as the probable starter for Sunday's matchup against the visiting San Diego Padres. After exiting Monday's appearance against the Chicago Cubs following 71 pitches due to back tightness, Lopez is good to go for his next scheduled start and won't need to miss any time. The hard-throwing 30-year-old right-hander has been a pleasant surprise out of Atlanta's rotation over seven starts in 2024, compiling a 1.34 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 40:16 K:BB in 40 1/3 innings thus far during his first season with the Braves. With that said, Lopez owns a 3.72 xERA on Baseball Savant and could be in for some regression at some point. The Padres entered Wednesday's action ranking fifth in the major leagues in both average (.255) and runs scored (211) covering 45 games.

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Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Garrett Whitlock (oblique) looked sharp in Wednesday's minor-league rehab start with Triple-A Worcester, throwing 4 2/3 scoreless innings with five strikeouts while allowing just two hits and one walk. After throwing 40 of his 61 pitches for strikes on Wednesday, Whitlock should be good to go for a return to Boston's rotation as early as Monday's series opener against the division-rival Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. The 27-year-old right-hander recorded a 1.96 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, and 17:4 K:BB through four starts (18 1/3 innings) before suffering a strained left oblique, and he should probably be rostered in the majority of leagues with his return on the horizon. Fantasy managers might want to take a wait-and-see approach before activating Whitlock if he faces the Rays in his first start back, considering the hurler gave up nine runs over 9 2/3 frames (two starts) against Tampa last year.

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Colorado Rockies outfielder Jordan Beck belted his first major-league home run in Wednesday's blowout win over the division-rival San Diego Padres, totaling five RBI during a three-hit afternoon. Filling in for the injured Nolan Jones (back) at the moment, Beck hit a two-run double off Padres right-hander Michael King in the second inning before homering in the sixth for two more RBI to get the rout fully underway. The 23-year-old top prospect is still hitting just .235 (12-for-51) with the aforementioned long ball, two doubles, six RBI, and one stolen base across 15 games since his promotion on April 30, so he'll likely need to find more success at the plate in order to avoid being optioned back to the minor leagues when Jones or Kris Bryant (back) rejoin Colorado's outfield in the near future.

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Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung (wrist) played some catch on Wednesday before the team's game against the visiting Cleveland Guardians. It's the first baseball activity that Jung has done since he had surgery on April 2 to fix a fractured right wrist. It's good progress for the 26-year-old right-handed slugger, but it's just the start for Jung as he looks to overcome his wrist injury. Once he's able to hit live pitching, then Jung could be close to going on a minor-league rehab assignment. Barring any setbacks along the way in his rehab from wrist surgery, Jung could be an option to return as Texas' starting third baseman around the middle of June. The former eighth overall pick in 2019 out of Texas Tech was an All-Star in his first full season last year in Texas, hitting .266 (127-for-478) with 23 homers and 70 RBI in 122 games. Jung has developed a reputation for being injury-prone early in his career, but he should still be rostered in all fantasy formats while he recovers.

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Texas Rangers rookie outfielder Wyatt Langford (hamstring) ran the arc of the infielder before Wednesday's game against the visiting Cleveland Guardians. It comes after Langford said on Monday that he has been able to run at around 85-90 percent intensity as he rehabs from a strained right hamstring that was expected to keep him out for three to four weeks. The 22-year-old fourth overall pick last year out of Florida began swinging a bat last Friday, but the Rangers aren't going to rush their prized outfield prospect back too soon. In his first 31 major-league games before going on the injured list, Langford went 26-for-116 (.224) with a home run, 11 RBI, a stolen base and 13 runs scored. Despite his slow start, Langford's sky-high upside makes him stash-worthy in all fantasy formats.

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The Chicago White Sox acquired outfielder Corey Julks from the Houston Astros on Wednesday in exchange for right-hander Luis Rodriguez. The White Sox then optioned Julks to Triple-A Charlotte, recalled outfielder Dominic Fletcher from Charlotte and designated outfielder Rafael Ortega for assignment. While Julks will head to the minors, he's now in a better situation in Chicago to have a shot at playing time at the big-league level later this year. The 28-year-old former eighth-round pick by the Astros in 2017 out of the University of Houston made his major-league debut in 2023 and went 73-for-298 (.245) with six home runs, 33 RBI and 15 stolen bases in 93 games. In 31 games for Triple-A Sugar Land before the trade, he was hitting .266/.358/.444 with an .802 OPS, five homers, 15 RBI and six steals. If he surfaces with Chicago this summer, he'll be worth grabbing in AL-only leagues for his speed.

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Washington Nationals outfielder Lane Thomas (knee) is doing some baserunning on Wednesday for the first time since suffering a Grade 2 sprain of his left MCL three weeks ago. Thomas isn't running at 100 percent yet, but it didn't look like he was at much less than full speed on Wednesday. It sounds as though Thomas is getting very close to embarking on a minor-league rehab assignment, although the Nationals could want to see him play in at least a handful of games given his long layoff. Still, the 28-year-old could return from the injured list before the end of May, barring any setbacks. Thomas was hitting just .184 (16-for-87) with two homers and 10 RBI before his injury, but he also contributed 11 stolen bases in just 22 games and was a 20-20 player in 2023. He should not be floating around on the waiver wire in any fantasy league.

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The plan is for New York Yankees infielder DJ LeMahieu (foot) to start a minor-league rehab assignment on Thursday or Friday with Double-A Somerset. LeMahieu will need a decent amount of games in the minors since he hasn't played in nearly two months. However, he did get some more live at-bats at the team's spring training complex on Wednesday. The 35-year-old veteran has yet to play in 2024 due to an injured right foot that just hasn't healed completely. LeMahieu had already started a rehab assignment late in April before playing in just one game before he was shut down. But he's ramped up his baseball activities of late and could finally be on the cusp of making his season debut with the Bombers. When LeMahieu finally returns, he'll likely be eased into playing time at third base in the Bronx. The three-time All-Star will be looking to bounce back after a disappointing 2023 season in which he hit only .243 (121-for-497) with 15 home runs and 44 RBI.

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San Diego Padres right-hander Joe Musgrove (elbow) threw a light bullpen session on Monday, marking the first time he'd done so since he was placed on the 15-day injured list after his May 1 start due to right-elbow inflammation. Musgrove is scheduled for another bullpen on Wednesday, with manager Mike Shildt noting that if all goes well, Musgrove is trending toward making his return during the team's series from May 17-20 in Atlanta against the Braves. Musgrove has had a tough season to this point, sporting a 6.37 ERA in eight starts, but his most recent outing was his sharpest, when he gave up just two runs and struck out nine in six innings of work against the Cincinnati Reds. The 31-year-old veteran still has time to turn things around and should be plucked off the waiver wire if he's available in your league, although starting him this weekend if he returns to face the Braves would be a risky proposition.

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