The Kansas City Royals are anticipating right-handed reliever Carlos Estevez (foot) will start a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Omaha on Tuesday. Estevez only made one appearance for the Royals before being hit in the foot by a comebacker and going on the 15-day injured list with a left-foot contusion, but he's nearing a return to the big-league bullpen and could be back with the club this week. The 33-year-old veteran had a league-high 42 saves and was an All-Star for the second time in his career in 2025 in his first year with the Royals, but his velocity was noticeably down during spring training, and he was lit up for six earned runs on four hits (one homer) while walking two and striking out none in one-third of an inning in his only appearance so far this year before going on the IL. Lucas Erceg has been up and down as the Royals' fill-in closer with Estevez on the shelf, so the veteran reliever may regain closer duties upon his return from the IL. Fantasy managers searching for saves could take a flier on Estevez in hopes that he can regain some velocity and turn things around in 2026. He's only rostered in 64% of Yahoo leagues currently.

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Houston Astros catcher Yainer Diaz (abdomen) was scratched from the lineup for Monday's series opener against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers with a left-abdominal injury, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. Christian Vazquez entered the lineup in place of Diaz to catch left-hander Steven Okert, and he was put in the nine-hole in the batting order. Diaz's status is now worth watching going into Game 2 of the series in Houston against the Dodgers on Tuesday. For now, fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day. The 27-year-old Dominican backstop is the Astros' primary catcher, and he entered Monday's action hitting .248 (25-for-101) with two home runs, five doubles, 14 RBI, and seven runs scored across his first 26 games of 2026. He's gone hitless in his last two games, but since April 19, Diaz has gone 14-for-42 (.333) with a homer, four doubles, five RBI, and three runs scored in a span of 11 games played. Vazquez would become Houston's go-to catcher if Diaz's abdominal injury is serious enough to land him on the injured list. Diaz is rostered in 56% of Yahoo leagues.

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New York Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole (elbow) is scheduled to make his fourth minor-league rehab start on Tuesday, May 5, for High-A Hudson Valley, according to MLB.com. Cole made his third rehab start on April 29, going 5 2/3 innings while throwing 60 pitches and sitting at 93-96 mph with his fastball. Overall in his three rehab starts, the 35-year-old former American League Cy Young winner has a bloated 5.02 ERA and 0.84 WHIP with 10 strikeouts and only one walk in 14 1/3 innings pitched. Cole has been hurt by the long ball (four homers allowed) while on the farm, but otherwise, he's looked good and has slowly built up his pitch count as he looks to return to the Yankees' starting rotation. He's recovering from Tommy John surgery that kept him out for the entire 2025 campaign. There's a chance that Cole's rehab outing on Tuesday could be his last before he's reinstated from the 15-day injured list. The former first overall pick will be eased back into New York's rotation after his long layoff, but he's worth stashing in all fantasy leagues to see if he can return to ace form for the second half of the season. Right now, he's only rostered in 84% of Yahoo leagues.

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Boston Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony (wrist) was forced from Monday's series opener against the Detroit Tigers early after tweaking his wrist in his first at-bat on a swing, according to Ian Browne of MLB.com. Masataka Yoshida replaced Anthony in left field. The 21-year-old Anthony should be considered day-to-day for now, but fantasy managers will want to check back for an update on his status after Boston's game against Detroit. So far in 2026, Anthony has been a disappointment for fantasy managers, as he entered Monday's contest with the Tigers with a .231/.357/.324 slash line, .681 OPS, only one home run, five RBI, 12 runs scored, and two stolen bases in 29 games across 129 plate appearances. He was one of the top prospects in all of baseball in 2025 before getting called up for his major-league debut. Before an injury ended his season early in September, Anthony was living up to expectations with a .292/.396/.463 slash line, eight home runs, 32 RBI, and four steals in his first 71 big-league games.

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Atlanta Braves outfielder Michael Harris II (quadriceps) is missing a second straight game on Monday in the series opener in Seattle against the Mariners, according to MLB.com. Harris missed a couple of games late last week with a left-quadriceps injury before returning to Saturday's contest against the Colorado Rockies as the designated hitter. Apparently, he's had a setback, though, as he's now sitting for a second straight game to begin the new week. Mauricio Dubon will start in center field for Atlanta and will hit cleanup for the Braves on Monday against Mariners right-hander Logan Gilbert. Consider Harris day-to-day for now, but if he doesn't improve soon, he could land on the 10-day injured list to allow his quad injury to fully heal. Fantasy managers are just hoping the quad injury doesn't interrupt Harris' hot hitting at the plate. Through 32 games in 2026, he's slashing .321/.354/.557 with a .911 OPS, seven home runs, 22 RBI, 13 runs scored, and two stolen bases across 113 plate appearances. Harris had his first 20-20 campaign in 2025 and has had exactly 20 stolen bases in three of his four seasons in the big leagues.

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The Atlanta Braves announced on Monday that they reinstated catcher Sean Murphy (hip) from the 10-day injured list and designated catcher Jonah Heim for assignment in a corresponding move. Murphy is making his 2026 season debut in Monday's series opener against the hosting Seattle Mariners and right-hander Logan Gilbert, doing the catching for rookie right-hander JR Ritchie and batting seventh in the order. The 31-year-old veteran backstop should be rostered in more than the 1% of Yahoo leagues he's currently rostered in, as he should play regularly for Atlanta between catcher and designated hitter. He went just 8-for-43 (.186) with no home runs, four RBI, four walks, and 12 strikeouts during his 13-game minor-league rehab assignment, so fantasy managers might want to temper expectations for Murphy early on. Murphy is still worth taking a chance on in hopes he can rediscover his power stroke after having offseason hip surgery. He had 82 total home runs in his last five seasons.

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Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena (hamstring) could start a minor-league rehab assignment this weekend, according to The Athletic's Chandler Rome. Pena appears close to rejoining the Astros after being shut down in the middle of April with a Grade 1 right-hamstring strain. It's been an injury-plagued 2026 season for Pena so far, as he recovered from a fractured finger just in time for Opening Day in late March. The 28-year-old Dominican shortstop will return to starting duties at the 6 for Houston when he's activated, making him worth stashing everywhere. He's currently rostered in 81% of Yahoo fantasy baseball leagues. In 43 at-bats before tweaking his hamstring, Pena had 11 hits (no homers), no RBI, five runs scored, and an RBI. When he returns, veteran Carlos Correa is expected to shift back to the hot corner, which will make regular playing time harder to come by for Isaac Paredes. Pena was a first-time All-Star in 2025, slashing .304/.363/.477 with an .840 OPS, 17 homers, 62 RBI, 20 stolen bases, and 68 runs scored in 125 games.

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Philadelphia Phillies right-handed closer Jhoan Duran (oblique), who has been out since April 11 with a strained muscle in his left side, will come off the 15-day injured list on Tuesday "unless something weird happens," interim manager Don Mattingly told Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer. The Phillies will clear Duran to rejoin the back end of their big-league bullpen early this week after he looked good during a bullpen session over the weekend. Fantasy managers need to keep in mind that Duran will be skipping a minor-league rehab assignment, but they should still put him back into their starting lineups for Tuesday's series opener at home against the Athletics. Duran is one of the better closers in the league, and he was sporting a 1.35 ERA with eight strikeouts, no walks, and five saves for the Phillies in 6 2/3 innings before landing on the IL. Right-hander Brad Keller, who served as Philly's fill-in closer with Duran sidelined, will revert to a high-leverage setup role now that Duran is returning.

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Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (side) continues to sit out of Monday's series opener against the Atlanta Braves due to right-side tightness, according to MLB.com. Mitch Garver will do the catching for right-hander Logan Gilbert and will bat eighth for the M's against right-handed rookie JR Ritchie in the first game of the series in Seattle. Raleigh complained of side tightness on Friday and was scratched from the lineup against the Kansas City Royals on Saturday. The 29-year-old left-handed slugger also sat out of Sunday's series finale. The Mariners were concerned enough to send Raleigh for an MRI exam, but he said on Sunday that he's feeling better. We can't rule out an injured-list stint for the All-Star catcher yet, but for now, consider him to be day-to-day. Raleigh was a first-time All-Star in 2025, when he led the league in home runs (60) and RBI (125). He has homered seven times already in 33 games this year, but he's also struggled to a .186 average (24-for-129) with 16 walks and 43 strikeouts across 147 plate appearances. Check back on Tuesday to see if Raleigh can return to the starting nine in Seattle.

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Houston Astros right-hander Hunter Brown (shoulder) could throw a bullpen session this weekend, according to Chandler Rome of The Athletic. Brown is currently on the 15-day injured list due to a Grade 2 right-shoulder strain, but he's making progress in his recovery after he resumed throwing on flat ground over a week ago. Once he progresses to throwing bullpens, Brown will then look to face live hitters before likely going on a minor-league rehab assignment. He still has plenty of boxes to check, and barring a setback, he's expected to return to Houston's starting rotation by early to mid-June. In the meantime, Brown should continue to be stashed in an IL spot in all fantasy baseball leagues as a true No. 1 starter when he's healthy. The 27-year-old former fifth-rounder in 2019 out of Wayne State was a first-time All-Star in 2025, going 12-9 with a 2.43 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and 206:57 K:BB in 185 1/3 innings across 31 starts. He picked up where he left off this year in two starts before his shoulder strain, allowing only an earned run on five hits with six walks and 17 K's in 10 2/3 frames.

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Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Brice Turang (illness) is back in the starting lineup and is hitting third for the Brew Crew for Monday's series opener against the division-rival St. Louis Cardinals and right-hander Kyle Leahy at Busch Stadium, according to MLB.com. Turang is back in action to begin the new week after he was held out of Sunday's series finale against the Washington Commanders due to an illness. He'll have more protection in the batting order in his return, too, with star outfielder Jackson Chourio (hand, foot) making his season debut and batting in the two-hole. Even though Turang is hitless in four career at-bats against Leahy, fantasy managers should return him to their starting lineups on Monday. The former 21st overall pick in 2018 is off to a great start at the plate in 2026, entering Monday's slate with a .291 average (32-for-110) with a league-leading .428 on-base percentage, four home runs, 20 RBI, 27 runs scored, and seven stolen bases in 30 games played.

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Toronto Blue Jays outfielder/designated hitter George Springer (foot) remains out of the starting lineup for Monday's series opener against the division-rival Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field, per MLB.com. Outfielder Daulton Varsho will serve as the DH and hit sixth, while Myles Straw will get the start in center field and hit seventh versus Rays right-hander Nick Martinez. Yohendrick Pinango is starting in left field and batting leadoff. After just recently returning from a stint on the injured list due to a fractured toe, Springer fouled a ball off his left foot in Saturday's game against the Minnesota Twins. Springer didn't play in the series finale on Sunday, but the good news is that he doesn't have any new damage in his foot and is considered day-to-day. Fantasy managers will want to check back on Tuesday to see if Springer is ready to go. After a late-career resurgence for Springer in 2025, he's been injured so far in 2026 and is currently hitting just .212 (14-for-66) with two homers, seven RBI, four runs scored, and a stolen base in his 13th year in the Show.

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Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz (side) will serve as the designated hitter and will bat cleanup for the Rays in his return on Monday in the series opener against the division-rival Toronto Blue Jays and left-hander Eric Lauer at Tropicana Field, according to MLB.com. Fantasy managers will want to get Diaz back into their starting lineups after he was held out of the last two games due to left-side tightness that bothered him in Friday's contest against the San Francisco Giants. The 34-year-old Cuban veteran has continued to be a hitting machine in the early going in 2026, as he enters the new week with a .333/.422/.504 slash line, .926 OPS, five home runs, 21 RBI, 19 runs scored, and a stolen base in 117 total at-bats for the Rays. He's gone 9-for-27 (.333) with two of his five home runs against southpaws, and he's hitting .250 with a 1.000 OPS, a home run, and three RBI in eight career at-bats versus Lauer.

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The Milwaukee Brewers announced on Monday before the series opener against the division-rival St. Louis Cardinals that they reinstated first baseman Andrew Vaughn (hand) from the 10-day injured list. It's unclear if Vaughn will be right back in the team's starting lineup on Monday at Busch Stadium against Cardinals right-hander Kyle Leahy. The 28-year-old former third overall pick by the Chicago White Sox in 2019 out of Cal appeared in just one game this year (he went 1-for-4 at the plate with an RBI) before landing on the IL with a fractured left hamate bone when he was hit by a pitch on his hand. Vaughn required surgery, but he's now back with the club and should start regularly at first base for the Brew Crew. His return will likely push the left-handed-hitting Jake Bauers to designated hitter and the outfield. The Brewers and fantasy managers are hoping that Vaughn can continue to hit like he did late last year after they picked him up from Chicago, when he went 68-for-221 (.308) with nine home runs and 46 RBI in 64 regular-season games. Vaughn is rostered in only 34% of Yahoo leagues right now.

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Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Quinn Priester (wrist) has been returned from his minor-league rehab assignment and remains on the 15-day injured list after struggling with his command and velocity in three rehab starts, according to Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The 25-year-old former 18th overall pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2019 will have to wait even longer before making his 2026 season debut. In his three rehab starts for Triple-A Nashville, Priester has allowed nine earned runs on seven hits (one homer) while walking eight and striking out five in just five innings pitched. He hasn't recorded more than seven outs in any of his three starts. It's unclear how long Priester will be held out before being allowed to restart his rehab assignment, but at this point, he probably won't be ready to rejoin Milwaukee's starting rotation until June. It's good news for both Logan Henderson and Brandon Sproat, with both Priester and Brandon Woodruff (shoulder) on the IL. Priester is rostered in only 22% of Yahoo leagues, and fantasy managers shouldn't feel obligated to continue holding him while he works out his issues in the minors.

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The Milwaukee Brewers announced on Monday that they reinstated outfielder Jackson Chourio (hand, foot) from the 10-day injured list. It's unclear yet if Chourio is in the team's starting lineup for Monday's series opener at Busch Stadium against the division-rival St. Louis Cardinals and right-hander Kyle Leahy. Chourio fouled a ball off his foot during a minor-league rehab game with Triple-A Nashville on Saturday, but X-rays came back negative, and he's now back with Milwaukee for his 2026 season debut. The star outfielder initially landed on the IL before Opening Day due to a left-hand fracture that he suffered in the World Baseball Classic back in March. The 22-year-old Venezuelan will be a lineup regular for the Brew Crew now that he's back, and he's a must-start in fantasy lineups in traditional leagues now that he's back. Chourio has been a starter from Day 1 in the majors, and he's slashed .272/.317/.463 with a .781 OPS, 42 home runs, 157 RBI, 43 stolen bases, and 168 runs scored in his two years with the Brewers.

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New York Yankees first baseman Ben Rice (hand) is not in the starting lineup for Monday's game against the Baltimore Orioles. Paul Goldschmidt will bat sixth and play first base in his absence. Rice suffered a left-hand contusion while fielding a pickoff throw at first base on Sunday. After the game, he downplayed his injury, which would seem to indicate that there's a strong chance he'll return to the lineup on Tuesday. He has been absolutely dominant at the plate this season, slashing .343/.455/.759 with 12 home runs, 27 RBI, a 17.2% walk rate, a 23.9% strikeout rate, and 224 wRC+. Managers will hope his absence is short-lived, as he ranks #5 among first basemen in RotoBaller's latest fantasy baseball rankings.

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Detroit Tigers second baseman Gleyber Torres (side) is not in the starting lineup for Monday's game against the Boston Red Sox. Rookie second baseman Hao-Yu Lee will start in his absence, batting seventh. Torres has been sidelined ever since exiting early on Saturday, when he was diagnosed with left side tightness. His power has taken a step back this year, but he's still slashing .259/.389/.328 with two homers, two doubles, and 11 RBI. He also owns a 17.4% walk rate. Because of his ability to get on base, managers will hope that Torres' absence doesn't last long. The good news is that the Tigers haven't placed him on the injured list, so he shouldn't miss too much additional time.

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Milwaukee Brewers right-handed pitcher Brandon Woodruff (right shoulder inflammation) will begin his throwing program near the end of the team's current road trip, according to MLB.com's injury tracker. The Brewers are on the road in St. Louis for the next three days before returning home on Friday. Woodruff last pitched on April 30, but he exited after just 1.1 innings and was subsequently placed on the injured list. An MRI revealed shoulder inflammation but no structural damage, so it seems like his IL stint could be on the shorter side. Milwaukee won't rush him back, but they'd certainly prefer him to rejoin the rotation as soon as he's healthy enough to do so. Through six starts this season, he owns a 3.09 xERA with 7.5 K/9, 2.1 BB/9, and 1.2 HR/9. The results have been solid, but his career-low 29.9% ground ball rate shows room for improvement. We expect to see him back on the Brewers' mound in approximately two weeks, barring a setback.

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Detroit Tigers relief pitcher Tyler Holton will serve as the opener for Monday's game against the Boston Red Sox, according to Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic. It will be the second day in a row where Holton opens the game on the mound for the Tigers. This time, he's filling in for Tarik Skubal (elbow), who was a late scratch and will ultimately undergo surgery for loose bodies in his elbow. Holton went two-thirds of an inning on Sunday, tallying one strikeout and one hit. He has been one of baseball's top multi-inning relievers in years past, but he's been roughed up to the tune of a 5.27 ERA so far in 2026. With Skubal landing on the injured list, Detroit called up right-hander Ty Madden, who could enter the game after Holton is done. Madden last pitched in the majors in 2024, and he missed all of last season due to a shoulder injury. Through 21 Triple-A innings this year, he has posted a 4.71 ERA with 9.0 K/9 and 5.1 BB/9.

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