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Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler delivered another strong performance in Thursday's victory over the visiting Texas Rangers, striking out five batters and allowing just two runs on five hits and two walks over seven innings for his sixth win of the campaign. Wheeler has been a quality-start machine in 2024, with Thursday's showing already being his eighth out of 11 appearances this year. The early favorite to bring home his first National League Cy Young Award, the 33-year-old All-Star right-hander owns an outstanding 2.53 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, and 76:21 K:BB over 67 2/3 frames as Philly's ace this season. Wheeler's next act is slated to arrive during Tuesday's scheduled start against the San Francisco Giants at the pitcher-friendly Oracle Park, where he'll once again be one of the top fantasy plays on the slate.

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Chicago White Sox manager Chris Getz said during Thursday's game against the visiting Baltimore Orioles that designated hitter Eloy Jimenez (hamstring) is expected to miss "a month or so." It specifies Jimenez's return timetable after manager Pedro Grifol stated earlier on Thursday that an extended absence was in store for the outfielder as he recovers from a strained left hamstring, which he sustained in Monday's contest against the Toronto Blue Jays. The oft-injured 27-year-old slugger may have stolen a career-high three bases across 36 games as Chicago's everyday DH before going down, but he was slashing a career-worst .231/.288/.381 with five home runs, five doubles, and 12 RBI through 134 at-bats. Jimenez isn't the strongest stash in most fantasy leagues.

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Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Kevin Gausman shined in Thursday's victory on the road over the Detroit Tigers, fanning a season-high 10 batters while throwing six innings of one-run ball on three hits and two walks for his third win of the campaign. It was almost certainly Gausman's finest effort of the season, as it was his first double-digit strikeout performance this year. The 33-year-old strikeout machine missed some time during spring training due to injury, and while he has work to do to improve on his lackluster 4.47 ERA and 1.43 WHIP through 10 starts, Gausman's superb 53:13 K:BB is a reason for optimism. Tuesday's matchup against the last-place Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field marks Gausman's next projected start, a prime opportunity for Toronto's ace to right the ship further.

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San Francisco Giants manager Bob Melvin says it's unlikely that outfielder Michael Conforto (hamstring) will be activated from the 10-day injured list in time for the club's series that starts on Friday against the New York Mets. After hitting the IL back on May 12, Conforto has ramped up his running progression but likely hasn't progressed quickly enough in his rehab from a strained right hamstring to return to the Giants when first eligible this weekend. The 31-year-old former New York Met was slashing a respectable .280/.331/.490 with seven home runs, seven doubles, and 20 RBI in 38 games (143 at-bats) as San Fran's everyday left fielder before getting hurt, and he's a decent stash in the majority of fantasy leagues. In Conforto's absence, former first-rounder Heliot Ramos is worth a look in NL-only formats while hitting .296 (16-for-54) with two homers, nine RBI, and one stolen base over 14 outings this year.

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Washington Nationals outfield prospect James Wood (lower body) left Thursday's Triple-A Rochester game due to lower-body soreness. There was some hope amongst fantasy managers that Wood's exit in the fifth inning was call-up related, but the outfielder's departure unfortunately came due to an injury. Not much else is known about the setback at the moment, and more information should become available sometime following Thursday's contest. It sounds like an issue that leaves Wood day-to-day, though. The speedy 21-year-old slugger is Washington's No. 1 prospect and the No. 5 prospect in all of baseball for 2024, per MLB Pipeline, and he's tearing up the minor-league competition while slashing .355/.465/.596 with nine home runs, 13 doubles, 31 RBI, and 10 stolen bases through 202 plate appearances (45 games) this season.

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The Texas Rangers transferred starting pitcher Cody Bradford (back/rib) to the 60-day injured list on Thursday. Not much of a surprise here, as Bradford said on Sunday that he was shut down from throwing again because he wasn't recovering quickly enough between sessions. The 26-year-old upstart left-hander had gone 3-0 with a 1.40 ERA and 0.62 WHIP while striking out 17 and walking just two over three starts (19 1/3 innings) out of Texas' rotation before going down, ranking among the American League's leaders in wins, opponent average, and ERA at the time of his injury, but he's becoming a tougher stash in fantasy without a clear timeline for a return. With six starters now sitting on the shelf, the Rangers will have to dig into their bullpen as well as their farm system for pitching help until they get healthier.

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San Diego Padres starting pitching prospect Robby Snelling has tossed six innings in consecutive outings for the first time in his professional career. Snelling has done well in Double-A this season with a 3.44 ERA and 1.29 WHIP but has flashed at times by allowing just one run in four out of his seven starts. The 20-year-old southpaw showcased his elite strikeout potential with a 118:34 K:BB ratio last season across Single, High, and Double-A but has fallen a bit short through the young part of this season with a 30:14 K:BB ratio. Snelling is considered the top left-handed pitching prospect on MLB Pipeline and is projected to reach the majors next season. Despite his drop in strikeouts, he remains one of the best prospects in baseball and a valuable asset in all dynasty formats.

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Milwaukee Brewers starting pitching prospect Jacob Misiorowski has begun to find his footing at Double-A after posting a 3.44 ERA through the first month. Since May, the top prospect in Milwaukee is riding a near-perfect 0.71 ERA with 16 punchouts through 12 innings. While he has only allowed six hits, he has given up 12 free passes, which has raised his WHIP to 1.42. The 22-year-old has elite strikeout potential but still has to significantly lower the 8.5 BB/9 he has had since May 1 if he wants to reach Triple-A this summer. Misiorowski is projected to reach the majors in 2025, according to MLB Pipeline, but remains a coveted asset in dynasty leagues as a top-five right-handed pitching prospect.

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Seattle Mariners outfield prospect Lazaro Montes has been one of the best hitters in the minor leagues this season and is currently entering Thursday evening with an eight-game hitting streak. Since the start of May, the 19-year-old has a stellar .403/.506/.672 slash line with four home runs and a 14:14 BB:K ratio. Overall through 38 games with Single-A Modesto, Montes has a .336/.441/.557 line with seven home runs and a 27:29 BB:K ratio. With his impressive production in only his second professional season, Montes should be moving up to High-A fairly soon. Even though he is still several seasons away from the major leagues, dynasty managers should monitor him closely as he is developing into one of the game's most talented prospects.

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Seattle Mariners shortstop prospect Cole Young has begun to find his footing at Double-A this month after getting out to a slow start in April. Since May 1, the top prospect in Seattle is riding a strong .283/.368/.483 slash line with three home runs, three stolen bases, and a 7:10 K:BB ratio. In April, he hit for a poor .235 AVG with zero home runs. The 20-year-old spent all of the last season with Single and High-A and posted an overall .277/.399/.448 line and should be expected to continue to progress through the Seattle system fairly quickly. The former first-round selection is projected to reach the majors in 2025 but is worth stashing in dynasty leagues as he should finish the season with Triple-A Tacoma.

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San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado went 1-for-5 with two RBI during Thursday's 6-4 win over the Cincinnati Reds. The 31-year-old has not had the best year at the plate in 2024 and has not hit a home run since May 3. Machado owns a .230/.279/.361 slash line with five homers, 27 RBI and two stolen bases across 48 games. We may be watching Machado's decline happen in real time as he is on pace for some of the worst numbers of his career. Despite the slow start, he is still a top-10 fantasy option at third base due to the lack of depth at the position.

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Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Tyler Wells (elbow) has been cleared to resume throwing. Wells has been sidelined since the middle of April after experiencing right elbow inflammation. The 29-year-old may be on the road to recovery, but his return is still likely several weeks away. He produced a solid season in 2023 with a 7-6 record, 3.64 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 117:34 K:BB across 25 appearances. He is not worth stashing in the majority of fantasy leagues but could offer some value to fantasy managers later in the season when he is back on the mound.

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Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr. (hip) will start a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte on Tuesday. The talented 26-year-old recently started appearing in game action again in the Arizona Complex League. Robert has been out since April 6 with a hip-flexor strain and has dealt with injuries in the past. He is still worthy of a stash in all fantasy formats as he possesses significant upside even with the unappealing team around him. Robert will surely need a few rehab appearances to get back into the swing of things, but the expectation is that he will return to the team in early June.

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Atlanta Braves pitching prospect AJ Smith-Shawver looked good in his season debut on Thursday as he tossed 4 1/3 scoreless innings in a 3-0 win over the Chicago Cubs. He struck out four batters while walking two. The 21-year-old is the Braves' top prospect and has a legitimate chance at sticking in the team's starting rotation. Despite the impressive outing, Smith-Shawver has struggled at Triple-A Gwinnett this season to the tune of a 6.10 ERA and 1.52 WHIP across eight starts. He tentatively lines up to face the Washington Nationals in his next start and would be a solid streaming option for that contest. Nevertheless, fantasy managers may want to temper expectations a little bit as there are sure to be some growing pains in store.

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Chicago Cubs pitcher Ben Brown allowed one hit over four scoreless innings during Thursday's 3-0 loss to the Atlanta Braves. The rookie right-hander struck out six batters while issuing two walks. It was an impressive showing for the 24-year-old in his fifth start (and 12th appearance) of the season. Brown has been a solid option for the Cubs this year as evidenced by his 3.20 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 45:15 K:BB through 39 1/3 innings. He will most likely line up for a start against the Milwaukee Brewers early next week and is worth a speculative add in deeper leagues.

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Chicago White Sox designated hitter Eloy Jimenez (hamstring) will miss an extended amount of time with his most recent injury, according to manager Pedro Grifol. The 27-year-old was placed on the 10-day injured list on Wednesday with a left hamstring strain. Jimenez heading to the shelf is a familiar sight for fantasy managers throughout the years as the former top prospect has dealt with a multitude of injuries over his MLB career. He has not hit over 20 home runs in a season since his rookie year in 2019. At this point, there is no real reason to keep Jimenez on any fantasy rosters with an extended absence looming.

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Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos put on a power display as the Phillies completed a sweep of the defending World Series-champion Texas Rangers on Thursday, going 2-for-4 with a solo home run to raise his batting average on the year to just .206. Castellanos' solo home run in the seventh inning gave the team an insurance run at 5-2 late in the game. The 32-year-old veteran two-time All-Star came into the day hitting just .200 on the year, and his long ball on Thursday was just his fifth in 51 games played. Castellanos definitely isn't the higher-average hitter he was earlier in his career, but he still figures to be a pretty good buy-low candidate in fantasy circles who will also continue to get plenty of RBI opportunities in a potent Phillies lineup. His homer on Thursday was the first time clearing the fences since May 12.

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Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes had high expectations going into his third major-league start at home on Thursday against the visiting San Francisco Giants after throwing six shutout and hitless innings with a career-high 11 strikeouts in his last outing on the road at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs over the weekend. The best pitching prospect since Stephen Strasburg only allowed one earned run on six hits against the Gigantes in six innings of work on Thursday, but he struck out only three and walked one for a no-decision when the Pirates bullpen blew another lead. Despite not missing as many bats in this one, the 21-year-old flamethrower was still impressive working out of trouble and now has a strong 2.25 ERA in three starts. He needs to be in all fantasy lineups for his next scheduled outing next Wednesday in a cushy matchup against the Detroit Tigers.

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The Detroit Tigers optioned right-hander Alex Lange to Triple-A Toledo on Thursday and recalled right-hander Mason Englert from Toledo in a corresponding move. The move to demote Lange to the minors comes a day after he gave up four earned runs in one inning of work in the team's loss to the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday. The 28-year-old opened the year as Detroit's closer but will now try to figure some things out in the minors after going 0-3 so far in 2024 with a career-worst 4.34 ERA (3.94 FIP), a 1.77 WHIP, two saves, 17 walks and 21 strikeouts in 18 2/3 innings out of the bullpen. Lange had a career-high 26 saves for the Tigers last year but has fallen on hard times so far this year, mainly for his inability to control the strike zone. He should be back in Detroit eventually, but he's not guaranteed to win the closer role back from Jason Foley.

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New York Yankees right-hander Luis Gil was absolutely outstanding in his sixth win of the season on Thursday against the visiting Seattle Mariners, holding them to just one hit over 6 1/3 shutout innings while walking two and striking out eight to lower his season ERA to a very stingy 2.11. The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal said on Thursday that his guess is that the Yankees are likely to "back off" Gil in order to have him as a factor for the playoffs once ace Gerrit Cole (elbow) makes his season debut. Gil isn't necessarily on an innings limit this year, but it is his first full season since having Tommy John surgery in 2022. The 25-year-old has now struck out 22 hitters in his last two starts covering 12 1/3 innings. Cole still has a ways to go before he's back in the Yankees' starting rotation, and fantasy managers should continue to roll Gil out there during his brilliant season. He's scheduled to face the Angels in his next outing next Wednesday.

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