St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Keynan Middleton (forearm) will start his minor-league rehab assignment on Tuesday with Double-A Springfield. Middleton has yet to pitch for the Cardinals this year after he was diagnosed with a right-forearm strain in mid-March during spring training. However, the 30-year-old reliever is getting close to making his 2024 debut out of the Cardinals' bullpen if he can get through a rehab assignment without any setbacks. Typically, relievers don't need lengthy rehab assignments, but Middleton's case could be different since he's missed so much time. When healthy, he should occupy a key late-inning setup role for the Cards in front of closer Ryan Helsley, making him appealing in fantasy leagues that count holds.

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Houston Astros right-hander Jose Urquidy (forearm) allowed three runs on three hits while striking out three in 2 2/3 innings in his first minor-league rehab start with Triple-A Sugar Land on Sunday. Urquidy threw 28 of his 46 pitches for strikes and will make another rehab start this Saturday with Double-A Corpus Christi, where he's expected to throw 70 pitches. "When I finished the game, I didn't feel anything bad," said Urquidy, who was topping out at 90-93 mph. "I wasn't thinking to not put too much stress on my arm, but I think I've got more than that. I think next outing, I'm going to have more velocity for sure." The Mexican hurler went 3-3 with a 5.29 ERA in 16 games (10 starts) in 2023 and spent three months on the injured list with right-shoulder discomfort. Given all the injuries to Houston's rotation early this year, Urquidy figures to have a spot waiting for him when he's healthy enough to return.

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Houston Astros right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) has been throwing off a mound and has hit the mid-80s with his fastball while adding in some changeups. His next step will be to add in some breaking pitches to build up his pitch count and intensity in the coming weeks. McCullers didn't pitch at all in 2023 after having surgery on June 13 to fix his flexor tendon and remove a bone spur from his right elbow. He had rehabbed to the point that he was close to facing hitters in mid-May of last year, but he had another setback that ultimately led to surgery. It's positive news for the 30-year-old starter, but McCullers still has a ways to go and probably won't start a minor-league rehab assignment for around another month, so fantasy managers in shallow mixed leagues can leave him to the waiver wire for now. In a best-case scenario, McCullers won't be back with Houston until after the All-Star break.

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New York Yankees outfielder Jasson Dominguez (elbow) is scheduled to start his minor-league rehab assignment with Single-A Tampa on Tuesday. Dominguez is scheduled to serve as the designated hitter for the Tarpons for the first two weeks of his rehab assignment, according to manager Aaron Boone. He's fully expected to use the maximum of 20 days on a rehab assignment as he works his way back from Tommy John surgery before being an option to start in center field for the big-league club around the All-Star break. Once his rehab assignment is over, there's a good chance the Yankees will send him back to the minors to continue working his way back. The 21-year-old they call the Martian is eventually expected to be the team's starting center fielder in the second half this year and should be rostered in all fantasy formats while we wait.

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Houston Astros outfielder Chas McCormick (hamstring) went 2-for-5 at designated hitter in his first minor-league rehab game for Triple-A Sugar Land on Sunday. He said he tested his injured right hamstring on a double and had no issues. McCormick will continue his rehab assignment on Tuesday and Wednesday for Double-A Corpus Christi and is expected to play the outfield both days. "I felt really good," McCormick said. "I could stick in the ground and use my hamstring when I'm swinging, and that's really important. I hit a couple of balls hard and I was happy with my swing. I still feel like I need to play a couple of more games, work on some things and know where I'm at. The outfield tomorrow will be a good test." If McCormick doesn't suffer any setbacks while playing the outfield, he could return to the Astros lineup this weekend in Milwaukee. He has yet to homer in 72 big-league at-bats in 2024 and is carrying a .236/.325/.278 slash line.

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Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto (knee) is out of the starting lineup once again on Tuesday versus the New York Mets. Garrett Stubbs is behind the plate again and is batting ninth against Mets right-hander Jose Butto. Although Realmuto is missing his third straight game with a right-knee injury, manager Rob Thomson said that Realmuto's knee is feeling better and he was able to do some work on the field and in the batting cage prior to Tuesday's game. However, the 33-year-old isn't a lock to return to action on Wednesday, so fantasy managers may have to wait another day or to get him back. Stubbs is a poor DFS choice at the catching position, especially while hitting ninth. He's currently hitting just 4-for-30 (.133) on the year with no home runs and one RBI.

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New York Mets outfielder Harrison Bader and second baseman Jeff McNeil are both sitting out of Tuesday's contest against the visiting division-rival Philadelphia Phillies. With both players starting on the bench, Tyrone Taylor will start in center field and bat seventh, while Joey Wendle will man the keystone and bat eighth against Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola. Bader has gone 7-for-30 (.233) in 10 games in the month of May and is slashing a mediocre .265/.314/.319 with a homer, seven RBI and five steals in 113 at-bats on the year. McNeil is hitting just .230 on the season and has hit .191 (8-for-42) in 11 games so far in May. Neither Taylor nor Wendle will be very attractive DFS plays on Tuesday in a tough matchup against Nola. Taylor is hitting .400 with an RBI against Nola in his career, but in just five at-bats, while Wendle is hitting .250 with an RBI in 12 at-bats against Nola.

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Chicago Cubs outfielder David Peralta opted out of his minor-league deal with the Cubs and became a free agent. Peralta chose to sign a minor-league deal with Chicago in the offseason after having surgery on the flexor tendon in his left elbow last October. The 36-year-old veteran left-handed hitter was batting just .217 (15-for-69) with two home runs, eight RBI and 10 runs scored in 20 games for Triple-A Iowa before opting out of his deal. Peralta will now be hoping he can latch on with another team where he'll have a better shot at making it back to the Show. The Venezuelan outfielder also underwhelmed last year in 133 games with the Los Angeles Dodgers, slashing .259/.294/.381 with seven home runs, 55 RBI, four stolen bases and 47 runs scored in 422 plate appearances. For now, Peralta is well off the fantasy radar.

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Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno went 1-2 in the batter's box on Monday with three walks and his first home run of the season. In 33 games this season, Moreno has a .248/.350/.356 line with a stellar 15:14 BB:K ratio. The 24-year-old launched only seven home runs last season and looks to settle in around that number again this campaign. However, while Moreno lacks in power, he possesses excellent contact skills and a strong eye at the plate. Currently, Moreno has a 12.0% K rate and 12.8 % walk rate, which places him in the top 96th and 86th percentile of all qualified hitters. He remains a solid contributor for batting average in standard leagues and should remain rostered in most formats.

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San Diego Padres shortstop/outfielder went 2-3 at the plate on Monday with a home run. The rookie tallied a solo shot in the seventh inning, which was his third of the season. Through his first 41 games at the major league level, the 21-year-old has a strong .291/.342/.403 line with six stolen bases. Merrill has played in all but one game this season for the Padres and has several strong underlying metrics, such as a 45.5% hard-hit rate and .453 xSLG, which are both significantly above average. The former first-round selection has settled right in at the major league level and should be rostered in all standard formats.

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Seattle Mariners outfielder Luke Raley went 3-4 in the batter's box with a long ball, two singles, and three RBI in Monday's victory over the Kansas City Royals. In the second frame, Raley launched his third home run of the season, which scored Cal Raleigh. Then, in the third inning, he knocked an RBI single, which scored Jorge Polanco. He capped things off with another single in the eighth frame and then swiped his second bag of the season. Through 31 games, the 29-year-old has a solid .266/.310/.392 line. Raley is on the strong side of a platoon and is worth considering in deeper mixed leagues due to his ability to hit for power and potentially steal double-digit bases.

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Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto got knocked around early for four runs in 5 2/3 innings pitched in Monday's 6-4 win over the San Francisco Giants. He did not factor into the decision. The 25-year-old finished the night with six strikeouts and two walks before being chased with two runners on and two outs in the sixth inning. It was Yamamoto's worst start since Opening Day against the San Diego Padres, where he allowed five runs in one inning pitched. Most of the damage off Yamamoto was done early on a second-inning three-run home run by San Francisco Giants rookie Luis Matos. On Sunday, Yamamoto will look to get back on track and take advantage of a young Cincinnati Reds team whose offense ranks sixth in the league in strikeouts.

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Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds went 5-5 at the plate in Monday's victory with a home run and a double. Reynolds laced a double in the third inning to score Andrew McCutchen and then hit a solo shot to pad the Pittsburgh lead in the ninth. This perfect outing brings Reynolds to a solid .256/.351/.427 line with five total long balls through 42 games this season. The 29-year-old is a consistent fantasy contributor, and his strong underlying metrics suggest he could be in store for another successful season. He currently has a .266 xBA and .458 xSLG, which are both above average among qualified hitters. The former Vanderbilt Commodore should always remain in your fantasy lineup and be considered in DFS.

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Milwaukee Brewers first baseman/outfielder Jake Bauers increased his hit streak to four games on Monday by knocking a single and a grand slam. On the season, the 28-year-old has a solid .244/.326/.476 line with four home runs, four stolen bases, and 21 RBI. Since the start of May, he has been riding an impressive .346/.500/.727 line with a strong 5:9 BB:K ratio. Bauers has only been in the lineup against right-handed pitchers so far this season which does hinder his fantasy value. Nonetheless, in deeper mixed leagues and NL-only formats, fantasy managers looking for a strong source of power should consider adding Bauers to their team.

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Pittsburgh Pirates backstop Yasmani Grandal launched his second home run in just seven games with his new club on Monday. The 35-year-old looks to be settling in quite nicely in the Steel City with an impressive .545 SLG through his first week as a Pirate. Grandal was on the 15-day injured list to open the season with plantar fasciitis but is now looking like his past self. Grandal began splitting catching duties with Joey Bart, but he has now started each of the past four games, suggesting he has a slight lead for the starting role. Grandal is worth adding in NL-only formats for the time being but could force his way into mixed leagues if his power surge continues.

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Los Angeles Dodgers infielder/outfielder Mookie Betts blasted his 50th career leadoff home run in Monday's 6-4 extra-inning win over the San Francisco Giants. Including the dinger, Betts finished the night 2-for-5 with an RBI and scored two runs. The RBI was his first recorded in over a week which is hardly something to worry about when his season stat line includes seven home runs and 28 RBI with a ridiculous .341 batting average. Betts will continue his MVP campaign against the Giants and Cincinnati Reds this week. Logan Webb is on the mound Wednesday whom Betts has torched in his career with a .346 batting average and two home runs.

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San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Jordan Hicks continued his remarkable season allowing only two runs in five innings while recording four strikeouts and zero walks. The right-hander picked up a no-decision in an extra-inning 6-4 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Hicks hasn't allowed more than three runs in nine straight starts to begin the season. One has to wonder if the pitch-to-contact method is the reason for his breakout campaign. Where things sit on Monday, he's averaging only 0.81 strikeouts per inning. Last season, he averaged 1.25 strikeouts per inning. Fantasy managers will certainly take the hit in strikeouts for the 3-1 record, 2.44 ERA, and 1.15 WHIP Hicks will be taking into his next matchup against the Colorado Rockies.

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Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Zach Eflin was awarded a win in Monday's 5-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox after allowing three runs in five innings of work with two strikeouts and no walks. Eflin left the game with a one-run lead, and luckily for fantasy managers, the Tampa Bay bullpen finished the contest with four shutout innings. It was Eflin's second game in a row that he hasn't been able to whiff more than three batters, but it's the third game in a row in which he didn't allow a walk. Taking the good with the bad, Eflin will carry his 3.91 ERA into his next matchup against a Toronto Blue Jays offense that roughed up Eflin for six runs, including three home runs, on Opening Day.

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Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Kevin Newman went 4-for-5 with two doubles, two singles, and two RBI in Monday night's walk-off win vs. the Cincinnati Reds. That makes it three games in a row that Newman has collected multiple hits; the two RBI have been his first since April 26. The right-handed hitting shortstop did have a poor .216 batting average on the season, but the four hits, one of them being the game-winning walk-off single, bumped that batting average to a more respectable .253. Despite the four-hit performance, Newman only has two home runs and 10 runs batted in on the season, batting out of the number nine spot in the Diamondbacks' batting order. This makes him someone you can avoid for your fantasy outside of deep-league formats team unless his hot streak proves to be sustainable.

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Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Corbin Burnes threw six one-run innings while recording only two strikeouts and allowing two walks. He picked up a no-decision in the 3-2 extra-inning loss to the Toronto Blue Jays, as the only run support the Orioles could manage were a pair of solo shots off the bat of catcher Adley Rutschman. He was pulled after six innings with only 85 pitches thrown, his lowest since his Opening Day gem against the Los Angeles Angels. Burnes' next matchup on Sunday against the Seattle Mariners should garner a higher strikeout total on Sunday as the Mariners hitters lead the league in that category this season.

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