MLB News

Seattle Mariners infielder Jorge Polanco (knee) is dealing with soreness in his left knee and will be held out of the starting nine on Sunday afternoon. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status leading up to their next contest on Monday evening against the Houston Astros. Polanco underwent surgery on his knee last October but did not deal with too many issues during camp. However, the team will opt to exercise caution during the early part of the campaign. Instead, Dylan Moore will start at the hot corner, and Ryan Bliss will get the nod at the keystone. Through his first five games of the season, Polanco has enjoyed a strong start, posting a .450/.476/.750 slash line with two home runs and eight RBI. Polanco remains a solid depth infielder in deeper formats, given his strong start to the season.

St. Louis Cardinals catcher Ivan Herrera (foot) was removed from Sunday's contest against the Boston Red Sox. According to Katie Woo of The Athletic, the backstop needed assistance to leave the field. He was unable to put weight on his foot. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status but should not expect him to be in the starting lineup for the second half of the back-to-back on Sunday evening. Herrera has enjoyed an impressive start to the campaign, posting a .400/.455/1.100 slash line with two doubles and four round-trippers. He has brought in 11 runs and scored six times. If Herrera were to miss an extended period of time, fantasy managers should expect Pedro Pages to operate as the primary backstop in St. Louis.

Cleveland Guardians catcher Bo Naylor is not in the starting lineup on Sunday afternoon when the Guardians conclude against the Los Angeles Angels. Instead, veteran Austin Hedges will get the nod behind the dish and bat in the eight-hole. Naylor enjoyed a productive day at the plate on Saturday, going 2-for-3 with his first long ball of the campaign. Prior to this two-hit effort, Naylor went 2-for-20 through his first six games of the campaign with no extra-base hits. Fantasy managers should expect Naylor to return to the starting lineup on Tuesday afternoon when they begin a series against the Chicago White Sox. Hedges has started in just one game before Sunday and went deep in that contest. However, he should not be targeted in DFS facing Los Angeles southpaw Tyler Anderson.

The Atlanta Braves have designated catcher Chadwick Tromp for assignment to open a roster spot for Sean Murphy (rib), who was activated off the 10-day injured list on Sunday. Tromp was able to make the Opening Day roster with Murphy beginning the season on the injured list. However, he was deployed as the clear No. 2 backstop behind Drake Baldwin. During his brief taste in the majors this season, he only saw five at-bats and did not tally a hit. If he clears waivers, he will then move to Triple-A Gwinnett. Across 61 career games in the majors, Tromp has posted a .224/.235/.385 slash line with 10 doubles and five home runs. Fantasy managers in deeper two-catcher formats should continue to hold Baldwin on their roster as he still could have fantasy value operating as the No. 2 option behind Murphy.

Atlanta Braves catcher Sean Murphy (rib) was activated off the 10-day injured list on Sunday. In a corresponding move, the Braves designated Chadwick Tomp for assignment to open a spot on the roster. Murphy has been sidelined since the start of March after suffering a fractured rib. He recently participated in a rehab assignment at the Triple-A level and should be expected to operate as Atlanta's No. 1 backstop going forward. Last season, Murphy had a disappointing campaign as he posted a .193/.284/.352 line with 10 home runs. However, during the 2023 season, Murphy enjoyed an impressive start to his Atlanta tenure, holding a .251/.365/.478 slash line with 21 long balls. Murphy should be viewed as a high-end No. 2 catcher in two-catcher formats going forward.

Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Jared Triolo (undisclosed) was a late scratch on Sunday due to an undisclosed injury. He was replaced by Isiah Kiner-Falefa in the starting nine. Fantasy managers should monitor Triolo's status leading up to their next contest against the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday evening. Triolo has had a slow start to the campaign, tallying just one hit over his first six contests. During this stretch, he has held a 1:5 BB:K and scored one run. Fantasy managers should continue to expect Isiah Kiner-Falefa to have a role in the starting nine while Triolo remains sidelined. Last season, Triolo posted a modest .216/.296/.315 slash line with nine home runs and eight stolen bases. When healthy, he should only be targeted in deeper formats given his low offensive upside.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have placed relief pitcher Colin Holderman (knee) on the 15-day injured list due to a right knee sprain. In a corresponding move, the Pirates promoted right-handed pitcher Chase Shugart from Triple-A. Holderman has logged four 2/3 innings through the early part of the campaign. However, he has not found much success, allowing five earned runs and holding a 4:6 BB:K. Even with David Bednar still in Triple-A, the Pirates opted not to bring Bednar back to the major leagues. As a result, fantasy managers should expect Dennis Santana to stand alone as the clear ninth-inning option in Pittsburgh. Santana has logged four 1/3 innings of work and tallied one save, one hold with a modest 3:3 BB:K. He should only be targeted in deeper 12+ team formats when looking for saves.

Detroit Tigers outfielder Riley Greene is not in the starting nine on Sunday afternoon when the Tigers conclude a series with the Chicago White Sox. Greene has started in each of the first eight contests of the regular season. Through this start, Greene has been swinging a hot bat, posting a .361/.361/.722 slash line with four doubles and three home runs. Instead, the Tigers will give Kerry Carpenter the starting nod in left field. Fantasy managers should expect Greene to return to the starting nine on Monday afternoon when the team kicks off a series against the New York Yankees. Carpenter and the Detroit offense are worth targeting in DFS facing Chicago southpaw Martin Perez, who posted a high 4.53 ERA last season.

Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras is not in the starting lineup on Sunday when the Brewers conclude a series against the Cincinnati Reds. Contreras has started in each of the first nine games of the regular season. Instead, the Brewers will give catching duties to Eric Haase. He will bat in the nine-hole. This is a much-needed off day for Contreras as he has had a difficult start to the regular season. Through his first nine games, he has posted an underwhelming .097/.263/.097 line with just three hits and a 7:9 BB:K. Last summer, the 27-year-old was the most valuable catcher in fantasy as he posted a stellar .281/.365/.466 slash line with 23 home runs and nine stolen bases. Haase has tallied two hits, including a home run in his first three games, and is worth a look as a budget option in DFS facing right-hander Carson Spiers.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have placed starting pitcher Blake Snell (shoulder) on the 15-day injured list due to left shoulder inflammation. The Dodgers recalled right-handed pitcher Matt Sauer from Triple-A Oklahoma City in a corresponding move. Snell has had a difficult start to his Dodger tenure, holding an underwhelming 8:4 BB:K across his first nine innings of work. In his last start against the Atlanta Braves, Snell allowed five runs (none earned) and served up four walks while striking out just two batters. The Dodgers did not provide a definitive timeline for his recovery. However, with Snell sidelined, fantasy managers should expect the Dodgers to either stretch out their bullpen arms or potentially promote another arm from the minor leagues. Currently, the Dodgers only have four healthy starters in their rotation, with Shohei Ohtani (elbow) still increasing his workload and Tony Gonsolin (back) on the 15-day IL. However, Gonsolin has recently begun a rehab assignment, which could open the door for him to return to the majors later next week.

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Trevor Williams has been moved up to start Sunday's contest against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Williams was expected to start during their upcoming series against the reigning champion Los Angeles Dodgers next week. However, with Michael Soroka (biceps) on the injured list, the Nationals will have to shift their starting pitchers. Williams made his first start of the season on April 1 against the Toronto Blue Jays. In this start, Williams allowed 10 hits and three earned runs across five innings of work. Last season, the 32-year-old held a strong 2.03 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP across 66 innings of work. However, he generated a much higher 3.17 xERA, which suggests he should see regression this summer. He should not be targeted in DFS facing a potent Arizona lineup.

New York Yankees first baseman Ben Rice and utility player Oswaldo Cabrera are not in the starting lineup when they conclude a three-game set against the Pittsburgh Pirates. With southpaw Andrew Heaney getting the starting nod for the Pirates, Rice will retreat to the bench. Cabrera was also held out of action on Saturday. As a result, Aaron Judge will shift to the designated hitter spot, and Oswald Peraza will get another start at the hot corner. With Judge shifted to DH, Trent Grisham will be able to stay in the lineup even with Cody Bellinger (back) returning to action. Rice has enjoyed an impressive start to the campaign, posting a .320/.433/.640 slash line with two home runs. Cabrera has held a strong .316 AVG but appears to be losing time to Peraza. Both players will likely return tomorrow afternoon, facing right-hander Casey Mize.

Chicago White Sox outfielder Mike Tauchman (hamstring) was activated off the injured list on Sunday and will be given the starting nod in right field in their contest against the Detroit Tigers. Tauchman will bat in the leadoff spot. The 34-year-old suffered this injury during spring training and is set to make his White Sox debut this afternoon. Tauchman has spent the past two seasons playing for the Chicago Cubs. Last season, Tauchman appeared in 109 contests for the Cubs and posted a .248/.357/.366 slash line with 12 doubles and seven round-trippers. He tallied 29 RBI and scored 50 runs. He drew walks at an elite 13.4 percent rate, which is likely why the White Sox are providing him the opportunity to bat at the top of the order. He is worth a look in DFS as a value play facing rookie right-hander Jackson Jobe, who struggled in his first start of the campaign.

Sunday's contest at Truist Park between the Miami Marlins and Atlanta Braves was postponed due to inclement weather, pushing right-hander Sandy Alcantara back. Alcantara also will not start in Monday's series opener against the division-rival New York Mets at Citi Field, as he and his wife expecting a baby girl. He will fly back to Miami on Sunday and will be placed on the paternity list on Monday. The 29-year-old will be away from the team for a few days and won't be able to take his next turn in the starting rotation until later this week, most likely for a series with the division-rival Washington Nationals back in Miami next weekend. Miami's starter for Monday's game in New York is TBD at the moment. The Dominican hurler has a 3.72 ERA and 0.93 WHIP with 11 strikeouts and four walks in 9 2/3 innings in his first two starts after missing all of the 2024 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Toronto Blue Jays outfielder George Springer (back) is absent from Sunday's starting lineup at Citi Field against the hosting New York Mets. It's not a surprise that Springer isn't in there after crashing into the wall in the ninth inning in Saturday's loss and being removed due to lower-back spasms. The good news is that the 35-year-old veteran didn't require any testing after getting hurt on Saturday and was able to do pre-game workouts on Sunday in New York. It's possible he'll be able to return to the lineup for Monday's series opener in Boston against the division-rival Red Sox at Fenway Park, but fantasy managers will want to check back in on that. The four-time All-Star went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts on Saturday, but he's hitting .379 (11-for-29) in the early going with a homer, two doubles, a triple and five RBI. Anthony Santander is in right and Alejandro Kirk is the DH on Sunday versus Mets left-hander David Peterson.

Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto and third baseman Alec Bohm are both getting a day of rest for Sunday's series finale against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers at Citizens Bank Park. Rafael Marchan is behind the plate and is batting ninth, while Edmundo Sosa is starting at third and batting seventh against Dodgers right-hander Tyler Glasnow. Both Realmuto and Bohm will get two days off with the Phillies' next game not coming until Tuesday at the division-rival Atlanta Braves. Realmuto has picked things up offensively the last five games, going 5-for-16 with an RBI, two runs and a stolen base. The 28-year-old Bohm will be out for the first time this year after starting the season just 7-for-35 with a double, three RBI, one walk and five strikeouts in eight games. Neither Sosa nor Marchan have ever faced Glasnow in their careers.

Washington Nationals outfielder Jacob Young is out of the lineup again on Sunday against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks at Nationals Park. Dylan Crews will slide over to center field again and hit ninth, while Alex Call is making another start in right field and will bat seventh against Arizona right-hander Corbin Burnes. The Nationals have held Young out of the lineup the last two days while he works to clean up his hitting mechanics after starting the 2025 season with a .067/.263/.133 slash line with a double, two runs scored, a stolen base, three walks and two strikeouts in his first seven games. Manager Dave Martinez said that the 25-year-old will return to the starting lineup for Monday's series opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers, but fantasy managers in deeper leagues may want to keep him benched until he shows signs of breaking out of his early-season slump.

Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung (neck) went 1-for-3 as the designated hitter with a two-RBI single in a minor-league rehab game with Double-A Frisco on Saturday, and the plan is for him to play third base on Sunday and then travel with the team to Chicago for their series that starts on Monday at Wrigley Field against the Cubs. The 27-year-old is eligible to come off the injured list on Monday, so if he get through Sunday's rehab game without any setbacks, he could be activated and return to the starting lineup against the Cubbies. Jung deal with neck stiffness at the tail end of spring training but opened the year on the Opening Day roster before aggravating his neck after just two games. He went 3-for-7 with an RBI and a strikeout before landing on the IL, but it appears he could be returning soon. Jung has proven extremely injury-prone, but the power upside keeps him interesting in all fantasy formats.

The Athletic's Jen McCaffrey reports that Boston Red Sox right-hander Hunter Dobbins will start Game 2 of the team's doubleheader on Sunday evening at Fenway Park against the visiting St. Louis Cardinals, which will be his major-league debut. Manager Alex Cora said everyone else in the starting rotation will remain on turn, with Richard Fitts going on Monday against the division-rival Toronto Blue Jays after Saturday's game against St. Louis was rained out. The 25-year-old Dobbins will most likely be sent to Triple-A Worcester after serving as the team's 27th man on Sunday. In his first start for the WooSox last Tuesday, Dobbins allowed five earned runs on three long balls while walking three and striking out two in just 3 2/3 innings of work. In his first major-league appearances, fantasy managers should stay away.

Atlanta Braves infielder Nick Allen will retreat to the bench for Sunday's series finale at Truist Park against the division-rival Miami Marlins, with Orlando Arcia starting at shortstop and batting eighth against Marlins right-hander Sandy Alcantara. Allen made four straight starts at the 6 for Atlanta, going 4-for-14 with a double, RBI, two stolen bases and a run scored. Meanwhile, Arcia has gone 2-for-13 with five strikeouts in his first four games of the 2025 season. Arcia was expected to be the team's starting shortstop, but it appears Allen is getting a legitimate shot to take over everyday duties in the early going. While he's hitting .400 with a 1.600 OPS with a homer and two RBI in five career at-bats versus Alcantara, it won't be an easy matchup and Arcia should be avoided in DFS lineups. It will be telling who the Braves go with on Tuesday for the start of a series against the division-rival Philadelphia Phillies.