Atlanta Braves designated hitter Marcell Ozuna halted a mini slump with two more home runs in Wednesday's 5-0 win over the visiting Boston Red Sox, adding a walk in the shutout victory. Entering the day just 4-for-28 with one homer over his last eight outings, Ozuna got right back to his dominant ways first with a three-run jack in the first inning and later with a solo shot in the third frame. Over 144 trips to the dish (34 games), the 33-year-old star slugger is slashing a phenomenal .315/.396/.646 with 12 round-trippers, six doubles, an MLB-leading 38 RBI, and 23 runs scored and should continue piling up counting stats as the everyday No. 5 hitter in Atlanta's loaded lineup. A three-game weekend series with the division-rival New York Mets commences on Friday, which fantasy managers should be looking forward to. In 13 games against the Mets since 2023, Ozuna is batting a torrid .396 with six long balls, seven doubles, and 18 RBI.

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Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery fired seven strong innings in Wednesday's 4-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds, surrendering just two runs on seven hits and two walks with two punchouts in his second win of the season. It was arguably Montgomery's best start as a D-back to this point, though his first start back on April 19 may have been just as impressive. The 31-year-old veteran southpaw will still want to improve on his disappointing 4.70 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, and 10:6 K:BB over 23 frames (four starts) for Arizona when he takes the ball in his next scheduled appearance at home in a soft matchup against these same Reds on Monday. Cincinnati is now batting .209 as a team through 36 games, which is the worst mark in all of baseball.

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New York Yankees starting pitcher Carlos Rodon turned in a quality start in Wednesday's 9-4 victory over the visiting Houston Astros, tossing 6 1/3 two-run innings on seven hits (one home run) with seven strikeouts on the way to his third win of the season. Rodon got plenty of run support on Wednesday, and it was a strong bounce-back performance after he gave up six earned runs in his last start against the division-rival Baltimore Orioles. The 31-year-old two-time All-Star holds a steady 3.56 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and 43:14 K:BB across 43 innings (eight starts) for the Yankees this season, a major upgrade thus far over his disastrous debut season in the Bronx a year ago. Tuesday's stiff matchup against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field marks Rodon's next scheduled appearance, so fantasy managers may want to tread lightly for that one. Over their last 16 contests, the Twins are scoring 6.3 runs per game.

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Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Chris Sale produced his first double-digit strikeout effort of the season in Wednesday's 5-0 victory over the visiting Boston Red Sox, throwing six scoreless innings on six hits and one walk en route to his fifth win of the year. Staked to an early four-run lead, Sale cruised through his former club with relative ease on Wednesday. After giving up five runs to the last-place Miami Marlins back on April 19, the 35-year-old seven-time All-Star has gone 4-0 with a pristine 1.50 ERA and 32:3 K:BB over his past four starts (23 innings) for the Braves. Up next, Sale sets up for a manageable home start against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday. Over their last 12 outings, the Cubs are scoring just 2.8 runs per game.

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Kansas City Royals closer James McArthur tallied his eighth save of the season in Wednesday's 6-4 win over the visiting Milwaukee Brewers, recording the final two outs of the contest. It was veteran Tyler Duffey who was called upon to protect a four-run lead in the ninth inning on Wednesday, but it became a save situation for McArthur after Duffey coughed up two runs. McArthur put out the fire via two groundouts. The big 27-year-old right-hander badly needed a bounce-back outing after giving up four runs with two blown saves over his past three innings, still carrying a mediocre 4.15 ERA and 1.38 WHIP while fanning 18 and walking only three across 17 1/3 frames on the campaign. McArthur remains the favorite for saves out of KC's bullpen, and he should be rostered in most competitive fantasy leagues.

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New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge racked up a season-high eight total bases in Wednesday's 9-4 win over the visiting Houston Astros, homering and doubling with three RBI. Judge clobbered his eighth home run of the campaign in the third inning, later lining a two-run double in the sixth frame. Although the 32-year-old former American League MVP endured a sluggish start to the year, he's batting a stratospheric .385 with four bombs, four two-baggers, 11 RBI, and nine runs scored in his last 11 games since April 27. Judge looks to keep his foot on the gas during a three-game set against the division-rival Tampa Bay Rays beginning on Friday, but in 13 games against the Rays since 2023, he's hitting just .146 with two blasts and five RBI.

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New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto collected a season-high five RBI in Wednesday's 9-4 win over the visiting Houston Astros, going 3-for-5 with a home run in the victory. Soto clubbed his ninth homer of the season off Astros right-hander Spencer Arrighetti in the first inning for two runs, later driving in three more amidst the rout. The 25-year-old perennial Silver Slugger hasn't stopped raking since joining the Yankees, including spring training, now slashing a tremendous .338/.437/.586 with nine long balls, seven doubles, 33 RBI, and four stolen bases over 174 trips to the plate (38 games) in the 2024 regular season as New York's everyday right fielder. The Tampa Bay Rays are up next for Soto during a three-game series starting on Friday. In six games against the Rays since 2023, Soto is hitting just .150 (3-for-20) with one big fly, one double, and four RBI.

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Washington Nationals outfield prospect James Wood smacked two home runs on Wednesday for Triple-A Rochester, extending his hit streak to five games. The home runs were his third and fourth of the season and first since a two-homer game back on April 11. The 21-year-old is making a push for a call-up to the big league club after a sensational spring training and is now slashing .339/.444/.529 at Triple-A with eight stolen bases. Expect to see baseball's 12th-ranked prospect in D.C. by the end of June, but possibly sooner, and not only should he already be on dynasty squads, managers that have an open bench spot could start thinking about stashing him in season-long formats.

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After Jorge Soler was placed on the 10-Day IL, the San Francisco Giants recalled outfielder Heliot Ramos from Triple-A Sacramento on Wednesday. Ramos was immediately slotted into the lineup for the Giants and went 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored batting out of the seventh spot in the order. The 24-year-old has seen a limited amount of action with the Giants before in parts of 2022 and 2023, but this is his first action of 2024. He hadn't done much of anything with his prior 82 plate appearances in the majors, but was hitting well for Sacramento so far this season before the call-up, slashing .296/.388/.565 with eight home runs, 21 RBI, 23 runs scored, and a pair of stolen bases in 30 games played. Hopefully he can get things going while Soler is out and perhaps make a push to stick around this time. The right-handed hitter should remain on the waiver wire for now.

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The Cincinnati Reds promoted pitching prospect Rhett Lowder to Double-A Chattanooga on Wednesday. Lowder was the Reds' first-round draft pick from 2023 and has quickly become a highly-ranked prospect. The righty is the Reds' highest-rated pitching prospect and is ranked 30th overall by MLB.com. Lowder was having a great season so far at High-A, going 2-0 with a 2.49 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and a 22.5% K-BB% over five starts. With his type of stuff there's a chance the 22-year-old sees the big leagues this season, albeit much later in the season, so he should certainly be on dynasty managers' radar.

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Seattle Mariners outfielder Lazaro Montes was once a highly regarded international prospect who ultimately signed with the club in 2022. He possesses solid discipline and awareness at the plate, but he really makes his mark in the power department, slugging homers left and right. On the other hand, his defense is holding him back and will likely require him to play left field, first base, or designated hitter long-term. Montes went on a tear last week, hitting 10-for-22 (.454) with three homers, 14 RBI, four walks, and three strikeouts. These statistics are amazing, and even if Montes can't quite replicate them again going forward, he has certainly shown the Mariners organization that he could be a superstar hitter someday. For now, don't be surprised if Montes earns a promotion to Double-A.

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Los Angeles Angels closer Carlos Estevez nailed down his sixth save of the season in Wednesday's 5-4 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates, slamming the door with two strikeouts in a clean ninth inning. Working on back-to-back days, Estevez continued his encouraging start to the month of May with another scoreless appearance after yielding seven runs with two blown saves across 7 2/3 innings during a rough April. The 31-year-old right-hander owns a dodgy 5.06 ERA through 10 2/3 frames on the season as a whole, but he's remarkably walked zero while striking out 13 over 11 appearances. Estevez is an unrestricted free agent next year, so the 14-23 Halos could opt to move the veteran reliever at the trade deadline later this summer. He'll be an obvious sell-high candidate in fantasy as we get closer to July.

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Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Chris Bassitt delivered an outstanding performance in Wednesday's 5-3 victory on the road over the Philadelphia Phillies, striking out six and allowing just two runs on three hits and two walks for his third win of the season. That's back-to-back quality starts now for Bassitt, who was hammered for seven runs at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers in his prior appearance on April 26. The 35-year-old veteran right-hander still has work to do to enhance his 5.06 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, and 40:20 K:BB through 42 2/3 frames (eight starts) for the Jays this season, but he's certainly trending the right direction. Tuesday's scheduled start against the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards unfortunately looks like a nightmarish spot for Bassitt, who went 0-2 and gave up 12 runs across nine innings (two starts) against Baltimore a year ago.

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Chicago White Sox closer Michael Kopech locked down Wednesday's 4-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays, firing a scoreless ninth inning to secure the victory. Kopech got Randy Arozarena to fly out before giving up a single to Harold Ramirez, but the hurler managed to induce a game-ending double play out of Isaac Paredes. It's been a mixed bag from the hard-throwing 28-year-old right-hander as a reliever for the last-place ChiSox this season, but he does have three saves as well as a serviceable 3.93 ERA and 1.25 WHIP while fanning 25 and walking 10 over 18 1/3 frames as Chicago's preferred ninth-inning weapon. Rookie righty Jordan Leasure and veteran John Brebbia are also in the mix for save opportunities on the South Side, making Kopech a fringe hold in fantasy leagues for saves desperados.

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Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. stayed hot in Wednesday's 6-4 win over the visiting Milwaukee Brewers, going 2-for-3 with a home run and a double while scoring three runs. After doubling in the first inning, Witt greeted Brewers right-hander Joel Payamps with a solo shot to deep left center in the eighth frame. The 23-year-old former top prospect has been spectacular all year long, but over his last 15 games since April 23, he's batting .377 with the aforementioned homer, 12 RBI, 16 runs scored, and nine stolen bases. A four-game set against the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim starting on Thursday is on tap for Witt. In nine games against the Angels in his career, Witt is surprisingly hitting just .237 with three taters, 10 RBI, three runs scored, and zero steals.

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Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Garrett Whitlock (oblique) is scheduled to throw live batting practice ahead of Friday's series opener against the visiting Washington Nationals. If all goes well, Whitlock could make a minor-league rehab start five days later on May 15 and potentially be back with the Red Sox by May 20. Before suffering a strained left oblique, the 27-year-old right-hander registered an outstanding 1.96 ERA (3.31 FIP) and 1.14 WHIP while striking out 17 and walking seven in four starts (18 1/3 innings) out of Boston's rotation this season, and he remains a strong stash in all fantasy leagues. Swingman Cooper Criswell has filled in well during Whitlock's absence, compiling a 1.74 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and 16:4 K:BB through 20 2/3 frames (four starts), and he'll be a prime streaming candidate for Sunday's series finale against a middling Nats lineup.

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The hope is that Colorado Rockies outfielder Nolan Jones (back) will start defensive practice and resuming hitting in the cage this weekend. As he prepares to ramp up his baseball activities, Jones will "more than likely" need a brief minor-league rehab assignment before returning from a strained lower back. Following a 2023 breakout campaign, the 26-year-old left-handed hitter was slashing an icy .170/.243/.277 with one home run, five doubles, seven RBI, and two stolen bases through 94 at-bats (26 games) as Colorado's primary left fielder but remains a recommended stash with a mid-May return still a possibility. Top prospect Jordan Beck should continue receiving the lion's share of the reps in left field until Jones is ready to return, but he's hitting an empty .125 (3-for-24) over seven outings during his first stint in the major leagues.

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Tampa Bay Rays closer Pete Fairbanks (arm) is set to make another minor-league rehab appearance on Friday. After throwing a scoreless inning for Triple-A Durham on Tuesday, Fairbanks is scheduled for another outing in the minors before returning from a nerve-related issue and rejoining Tampa Bay's bullpen. Barring any setbacks, the Rays could activate the hard-throwing 30-year-old right-hander from the injured list following that assignment. Although he's given up seven earned runs and walked eight over seven innings this year, Fairbanks has three saves as well as a respectable 3.72 FIP and should reclaim the closing gig upon his return. Until then, Jason Adam should remain the favorite for saves and is worth holding in the majority of fantasy leagues.

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Oakland Athletics top prospect Jacob Wilson has been promoted to Triple-A Las Vegas after hitting .455/.473/.705 with an absurd 1.178 OPS, 16 extra-base hits (three home runs), 19 RBI, two stolen bases and 18 runs scored in 22 games for Double-A Midland. The 22-year-old former sixth overall pick last year out of Grand Canyon University has risen up the A's minor-league system quickly and is now just one step away from making his big-league debut. The 6-foot-2, 190-pounder is the son of former big-league shortstop Jack Wilson. What he lacks in power and exit velocities, Wilson makes up for with his elite contact skills and low strikeout rates. For now, he should be stashed in dynasty/keeper leagues, but he could become a waiver-wire pickup later in the year in single-year leagues if he's called up to Oakland.

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New York Yankees right-handed reliever Tommy Kahnle (shoulder) started a minor-league rehab assignment on Wednesday with Single-A Tampa. Kahnle has yet to make his debut in 2024 with the Yankees due to a right-shoulder injury that he's been dealing with late last year. Because of the long layoff, the 34-year-old is likely to have a lengthy rehab stint in the minors before the Yankees consider adding him back to their bullpen mix. The former fifth-round pick in 2010 out of Lynn University is a veteran of nine MLB seasons and had a strong 2.66 ERA, a 1.11 WHIP, a career-high-tying two saves, 19 walks and 48 strikeouts in 40 2/3 relief innings in 2023 in his return to the Bronx. If healthy, Kahnle can give New York's bullpen a big boost when he's able to return.

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