Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Justin Steele put together his most complete start of the year in Monday's loss to the division-rival Milwaukee Brewers, throwing a season-high seven innings of scoreless ball on three hits and one walk to go with a season-best eight strikeouts for a tough-luck no-decision. The three hits also marked a season-low figure for Steele, who hadn't tossed at least five scoreless innings in any of his prior five starts to Monday's strong outing. The 28-year-old southpaw has endured a trying year due to injury as well as poor results on the field overall, but his 31:7 K:BB over 32 1/3 innings should instill some optimism that a turnaround is on the horizon despite a lackluster 4.45 ERA. Steele next lines up to take the ball at home on Saturday against the visiting Cincinnati Reds, a team he's struggled against to the tune of a ghastly 8.64 ERA over 16 2/3 frames since 2022.

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Toronto Blue Jays outfielderDavis Schneiderhad a two-run home run on Memorial Day to put the game out of reach for the White Sox as Toronto won 5-1. AfterGavin Sheetshit a solo shot in the eighth inning to cut the Blue Jays lead to two, Schneider answered in the top of the ninth with his sixth blast to left field, scoringGeorge Springer and sealed the deal for Chicago. After mainly going undrafted in fantasy leagues this spring, Schneider looks to hold value sitting at the top of an under-performing but always dangerous Blue Jays lineup. Hopefully, Monday's home run will be a sign of things to come. The 25-year-old should be added to watchlists everywhere. Schneider is currently rostered in only 21% of Yahoo leagues and less than six percent of ESPN leagues.

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Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber clubbed his 10th home run of the season in Monday's loss to the hosting San Francisco Giants, adding a stolen base in the defeat. Schwarber crushed a two-run home run to right-center field off Giants left-hander Blake Snell, cutting the Phillies' deficit to 3-2 in the third inning, and he also tacked on a popup single in front of home plate in the seventh. In the month of May, the 31-year-old star slugger is slashing a strong .288/.422/.413 with two long balls, 16 RBI, 23 runs scored, and two steals over 80 at-bats as the everyday leadoff man atop Philly's loaded lineup. Keep rolling with the hot Schwarber for the remainder of the series against San Francisco, as he's batting .270 with seven big flies, 12 RBI, and 15 runs scored in 17 games for the Phils against the Giants in his career.

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Minnesota Twins closerJhoan Duranlocked down his seventh save of the season on Monday, but things were far from pretty. Duran entered the ninth with a four-run lead, two outs, and runners on second and third. Duran kept the suspense high, allowing three runs to score after hitting a batter, two hits, and a fielding error, but ultimately remained in control, gettingBobby Witt Jr.to ground out to end the game. With a save in each of his last four appearances dating back to May 22, Duran's hold on the closer spot looks firm for the playoff-hopeful Twins.

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Baltimore Orioles first basemanRyan Mountcastlehelped extend the O's winning streak to five games on Monday against the Boston Red Sox 11-3. Coming off a scorching hot series against Chicago over the weekend, which saw Mountcastle go 7-for-17 with three doubles and a .412 batting average, the former first-round pick kept the good times rolling, going 3-for-5 with an RBI, two runs scored, and his team-leading 15th double of the season. While he may be unable to match his career-high 33 HRs from 2021, Mountcastle is still on pace to pop 20+ dingers this year and should score close to 100 runs in the middle of such a stacked lineup. A sleeper pick for many fantasy managers, Mountcastleis makingthose who took the chance on him look very smart.

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Colorado Rockies outfielder Nolan Jones (back, knee) took batting practice on the field and did light outfield drills at Coors Field ahead of Monday's series opener against the Cleveland Guardians. Jones still needs to advance to running the bases without issues, but if he progresses well enough by Wednesday, the Rockies could clear him to head out on a new minor-league rehab assignment. Although he appears to be fully recovered from his strained lower back, Jones is still coming back from soreness in his left knee that halted his previous stay with Triple-A Albuquerque. The speedy 26-year-old slugger may have been slashing a dismal .170/.243/.277 with one home run, seven RBI, 11 runs scored, and two stolen bases through 26 games (94 at-bats) as Colorado's everyday left fielder before getting sidelined, but his five-category upside when healthy makes him worth stashing in all fantasy leagues.

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Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Cole Irvin (5-2) was in top form against the division rival Boston Red Sox on Monday. The lefty pitched five shutout innings, matching his season-high six strikeouts, and didn't allow any extra-base hits. Irvin was in control all afternoon, improving his season record to (5-2) and lowering his ERA to a healthy 2.84. Backed by one of MLB's strongest lineups, he should continue racking up the wins for fantasy managers. While not necessarily known as a strikeout pitcher, Irvin should be able to keep his ratios low enough and may be considered a sneaky trade target for a team looking to add an experienced starter without giving up an arm and a leg. Irvin will look to build off his strong outing in his next start on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Rays.

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New York Mets relief pitcher Drew Smith (shoulder) expects to make two more rehab outings on Wednesday and Friday for Triple-A Syracuse. It puts Smith on track to return from the injured list on Saturday or Sunday during the upcoming weekend series against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks as he enters the final stages of his recovery from soreness in his right shoulder. The hard-throwing 30-year-old right-hander has been limited to 10 innings out of New York's bullpen this season, and while he owns a strong 2.70 ERA, Smith's 1.70 WHIP and 11:7 K:BB isn't the most encouraging combination. Although he'll be a welcome addition to a Mets bullpen with a scuffling Edwin Diaz, Smith doesn't project for much fantasy relevance for the remainder of the campaign outside of leagues that count holds.

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New York Yankees third baseman DJ LeMahieu (foot) is traveling to Anaheim ahead of Tuesday's series opener against the Los Angeles Angels, per manager Aaron Boone. After spending seven games in the minor leagues to rehab a non-displaced fracture in his right foot, LeMahieu is all set to be activated for his 2024 major-league debut on Tuesday following a long recovery. Boone has previously stated that LeMahieu is expected to play regularly at third base upon his return, and he may also see time at first base. The switch-hitting Oswaldo Cabrera was already ceding playing time at the hot corner lately, and he'll be the biggest loser from a fantasy perspective when LeMahieu returns. The 35-year-old veteran infielder offers a limited package at this stage of his career, but he should at least be a decent source of average and runs in New York's high-scoring offense.

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New York Mets starting pitcher Kodai Senga (shoulder, triceps) has not yet restarted a throwing program following his latest shutdown, and he won't resume playing catch until Wednesday at the earliest. Senga called it "regretful" that he's missed so much time due to a right posterior shoulder capsule strain and now triceps tightness, indicating that he plans to be even more deliberate with his rehab going forward. There remains no timeline for a return for Senga, who is unlikely to begin a minor-league rehab assignment until sometime in mid-June at best. Fantasy managers who took a late-round flier on New York's ace are probably just as frustrated at this point, let alone those who drafted him inside the top 100 before he was initially injured. Senga is still worth stashing in all leagues for his upside across the board, but he's unlikely to make an impact until closer to the All-Star break.

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San Francisco Giants manager Bob Melvin said after Monday's win over the visiting Philadelphia Phillies that first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. (hamstring) will get an MRI on Tuesday, but the infielder is likely going on the 10-day injured list. Wade exited Monday's series opener due to a strained left hamstring that he sustained while legging out a double in the fifth inning, and he needed help walking off the field before being replaced by Wilmer Flores. Monday was Wade's first game back in San Fran's lineup since Friday after he nursed a minor left hamstring issue over the weekend, so he may have aggravated the problem. The 30-year-old on-base machine has been a lineup fixture for the Giants this year, slashing a hearty .333/.470/.426 with two home runs, 17 RBI, 22 runs scored, and one stolen base over 166 plate appearances (52 games), and it'll be a big loss to their offense for however long he's sidelined.

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Houston Astros first baseman Jose Abreu was recalled from Triple-A Sugar Land on Monday. He is back in the starting lineup at first base and batting eighth against the Seattle Mariners. Joey Loperfido was optioned back to Triple-A as a corresponding move. Abreu was demoted to the minor leagues after a horrific start to the season that saw him slashing .099/.156/.113 through 22 games. The veteran slugger was also pretty dismal throughout the 2023 campaign, so a return to fantasy relevance seems unlikely at this point. Abreu will also have to battle Jon Singleton, who is starting at DH tonight, for regular playing time. As for Loperfido, the team's sixth-ranked prospect performed well in limited at-bats. He remains a player of interest in dynasty formats, but him and Abreu are both non-factors in redraft leagues at this point.

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Seattle Mariners second baseman Jorge Polanco (hamstring) was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right hamstring strain on Monday evening. Polanco, who injured the same hamstring earlier in the season, exited Sunday's game with the ailment. Infielder Ryan Bliss was recalled from Triple-A Tacoma as a corresponding move. Bliss figures to factor into the playing time battle at second base alongside Dylan Moore. Polance was slashing a dismal .195/.293/.302 across 159 at-bats this season and is officially droppable if any fantasy managers were still holding onto him.

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Seattle Mariners infield prospect Ryan Bliss was selected from Triple-A Tacoma and will make his MLB debut on Monday night against the Houston Astros. Bliss, the team's 11th-ranked prospect, is starting at second base and batting eighth against Astros left-hander Framber Valdez. The 24-year-old will likely back up Dylan Moore at second base with Jorge Polanco (hamstring) shelved, but there is an outside chance he could see regular at-bats. Bliss was slashing .247/.382/.445 with seven homers, 35 RBI and 28 stolen bases at the time of his promotion. He has sneaky power and great speed, but he is not an immediate pickup in most formats as playing time and contact skills hamper the potential.

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Miami Marlins starter Edward Cabrera (shoulder) played catch from 60 feet on Monday as he continues to recover from his second shoulder injury of the season. The 26-year-old was shut down from throwing after a bullpen session on May 17, but he is starting to ramp things back up. Injuries have defined Cabrera's 2024 season so far as he has only been able to make five starts. He owns a 7.17 ERA, 1.59 WHIP and 31:14 K:BB across those appearances. Fantasy managers in redraft leagues can probably leave Cabrera on the waiver wire as there is still no timetable for his return. Hopefully the former top prospect can reach his full potential before it is too late.

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Houston Astros starter Cristian Javier (forearm) has been placed on the 15-day injured list with right forearm discomfort. Javier saw his velocity plummet in his most recent start and missed his scheduled bullpen session on Sunday morning. It has been a frustrating season for a number of Astros pitchers and Javier is no exception. He previously missed 18 days on the injured list back in April with neck discomfort. The 27-year-old was fantastic to start the 2024 season but surrendered 11 runs across 11 1/3 innings after returning from his previous ailment. It remains to be seen how much time Javier will miss, although the team does not seem to think the injury is overly significant. Hunter Brown will start Tuesday's game in place of Javier and Eric Lauer could come back to the big leagues if the Astros want to stick with a six-man rotation.

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Baltimore Orioles outfielder Kyle Stowers was 3-for-4 with two doubles, four RBI and a run scored during Monday's 11-3 win over the Boston Red Sox. It was the first multi-hit effort of the season for Stowers, who was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk a few weeks ago. The 26-year-old has fared well across his first nine games of MLB action this season as he is now 6-for-16 (.375 BA) with five RBI. The small sample size is probably doing some heavy lifting here however, as Stowers was batting .207 across 48 games at the major league level coming into the season. There is a path to fantasy viability if he continues to get steady playing time, but he is probably best left on the waiver wire for the time being.

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Toronto Blue Jays starter Chris Bassitt tossed five scoreless innings during Monday's 5-1 win over the Chicago White Sox. He struck out seven batters, gave up five hits and did not issue a walk. It was a solid performance from the veteran right-hander, especially since he almost missed today's start due to a battle with neck spasms. His neck was clearly bothering him throughout Monday's outing and ultimately resulted in an early departure from the game. Bassitt now owns a 4.03 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 56:25 K:BB after the gritty effort. There is no word yet on whether the 35-year-old will make his next scheduled start but it is a situation to monitor for fantasy managers.

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Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Joe Ryan allowed one run on four hits across seven innings of work during Monday's 6-5 win over the Kansas City Royals. He struck out nine batters and did not issue a walk. The Twins bullpen made things closer than they should have been in this one, but Ryan still thankfully came away with the win. The 27-year-old has now produced a quality start in six of his last seven outings. Ryan is quickly becoming a must-start option every time he takes the mound as he now owns a 2.96 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 73/9 K/BB through 11 starts this season. His next projected outing is scheduled for Saturday on the road against the Houston Astros. Fantasy managers should fire him up again with confidence.

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Toronto Blue Jays infield prospect Orelvis Martinez has been struggling at the plate over the last two weeks in Triple-A Buffalo. In 43 plate appearances, he's gone 4-for-37 with only three walks and 16 strikeouts. Interestingly, each of his four hits has been for extra bases (two doubles and two home runs). While he's had trouble making contact, he's been noticeably unlucky when he puts the ball in play. During this stretch, Martinez has a .100 BABIP. The league average BABIP is generally around .300, suggesting that some of his woes resulted from misfortune. Despite this recent slump, he's still having a solid year. In 192 plate appearances, Martinez is slashing .240/.325/.515 with 10 doubles, 12 home runs, and 36 RBI.

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