The Boston Red Sox acquired infielder Zack Short from the New York Mets on Wednesday in exchange for cash considerations. Short finds a new home in the American League after the Mets designated him for assignment recently. Because the 28-year-old utility infielder is out of minor-league options, he'll join Boston's big-league roster for the time being as infield depth. The former 17th-round pick by the Chicago Cubs in 2016 out of Sacred Heart University has the ability to play shortstop, second base and third base. Before being DFA'd, Short appeared in 10 games for the Mets this year and went 1-for-9 at the plate with two walks and four strikeouts. He's a career .172/.266/.304 hitter in four big-league seasons and is off the fantasy radar.

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Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash said that third baseman Isaac Paredes was out of the starting lineup in Wednesday's loss to the Milwaukee Brewers because his body and arm are "barking a little bit." The Rays have a scheduled off day on Thursday before beginning a weekend series on Friday at home against the visiting New York Mets, so we'd expect Paredes to be back in action then. If the 25-year-old Mexican infielder is back in there on Friday, fantasy baseball managers will want to get him back into their lineups in all formats. Paredes is currently slashing a strong .291/.358/.509 with an .867 OPS, seven home runs, 17 RBI and 14 runs scored in 110 at-bats. He had a career-high 31 long balls in 2023 and also drove in a career-high 98 runs.

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Boston Red Sox first baseman/designated hitter Garrett Cooper (wrist) is dealing with a bruise and is going to be OK after being hit by a pitch on his right wrist in Tuesday's game against the visiting San Francisco Giants. Cooper was recently scooped up by Boston as a replacement at first base for the injured Triston Casas (rib). The veteran right-handed slugger went 0-for-2 with two strikeouts and the hit-by-pitch in his first game with the Red Sox on Tuesday. He began the 2024 season with the Chicago Cubs and is now hitting .256 (10-for-39) on the year with a home run, six RBI and three runs scored in his first 13 games played. It remains to be seen if he'll be back in the starting lineup on Wednesday against the Giants, but between the injuries to Casas and Masataka Yoshida (hand), Cooper should have a regular role in Beantown in the short-term.

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The Boston Red Sox are expected to sign first baseman Dominic Smith after the Tampa Bay Rays released him from his minor-league contract on Wednesday. The Red Sox are short-handed at first base with injuries to Triston Casas (rib) and the recently signed Garrett Cooper (wrist), so they will take a flier on the 28-year-old, who can also play the outfield. Cooper is expected to be fine, though, and the Red Sox also have Bobby Dalbec capable of manning the cold corner, so Smith will probably just be a left-handed bench option at first base. Smith hit .254/.326/.366 with 12 home runs in 153 games with the Washington Nationals in 2023 and had gone 21-for-80 (.263) with two homers and 11 RBI at Triple-A Durham this year before being granted his release.

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Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora said that outfielder/designated hitter Masataka Yoshida (hand) is going on the 10-day injured list on Wednesday. Yoshida underwent an MRI on his left hand after jamming it in Sunday's game against the Chicago Cubs, and apparently the results were serious enough to require giving him at least 10 days off. The Japanese left-handed slugger hasn't shown much power in his season plus of action in the big leagues, but he makes consistent contact as Boston's primary designated hitter. Before his injury, he was hitting .275/.348/.388 with two home runs, 11 RBI and 12 runs scored. Recently signed Garrett Cooper (wrist) and Bobby Dalbec figure to be the biggest beneficiaries of Yoshida's injury as possible replacements at DH for Boston moving forward.

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The Minnesota Twins announced that outfielder Byron Buxton (knee) left Wednesday's game against the Chicago White Sox with right-knee soreness after he came up limping after attempting to steal second base in the second inning. He was thrown out easily and gingerly walked off the field. Willi Castro moved to center field, while Jose Miranda entered the contest to play third base. The 30-year-old has had surgery on his right knee twice, so this certainly is daunting news for a player with an extremely long injury history. There's a good chance Buxton will land on the injured list, but we'll wait for more news on the severity of the injury. Before leaving, Buxton singled in his only at-bat. If Buxton ends up missing extended time, Manuel Margot may be the biggest beneficiary in Minnesota's outfield.

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Miami Marlins shortstop Tim Anderson (thumb) has been scratched from Wednesday's lineup against the visiting Colorado Rockies as a precautionary measure due to a mild left-thumb sprain that he suffered in Monday's game. Vidal Brujan will get another start at the 6 for the Fish and will hit eighth in the batting order against Rockies right-hander Dakota Hudson. Anderson remains day-to-day and could be back as earlier as the series finale against the Rockies on Thursday. The 30-year-old two-time All-Star is still reeling from a terrible year in his final season in 2023 with the Chicago White Sox. He's gone 21-for-95 (.221) with no home runs, five RBI and three steals in his first 29 games for Miami. Brujan is a light-hitting switch-hitter who also hasn't homered in 2024 in 40 at-bats.

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San Diego Padres second baseman Xander Bogaerts is out of the starting lineup on Wednesday for the series finale against the visiting Cincinnati Reds. It will be just the second time this year that Bogaerts will open the game on the bench for the Friars after starting each of the team's last 16 games. Tyler Wade will get the start at the keystone and will hit in the nine-hole against Reds right-hander Graham Ashcraft. Wade will be one to avoid in DFS contests on Wednesday's slate of action. The 31-year-old Bogaerts isn't in danger of losing playing time as the Padres' regular second baseman, but he has done very little for fantasy managers in 2024, hitting .217 (28-for-129) with only two home runs, 11 RBI, two stolen bases and 17 runs scored in 32 games this year.

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Pittsburgh Pirates outfielders Andrew McCutchen and Michael Taylor are not in the starting lineup on Wednesday against the Oakland Athletics. With both players out, Bryan Reynolds will serve as the designated hitter and bat second, while Jack Suwinski will cover center field and hit eighth against A's right-hander Ross Stripling. Connor Joe is manning left field and batting third in the order. The veteran McCutchen has gotten off to a slow start in 2024, hitting just .190 (15-for-79) with three home runs, seven RBI and one steal. Taylor has been a bit better with a .253 average (19-for-75), but he has yet to go deep with six RBI and three stolen bases. Reynolds is a daily must-start in season-long fantasy leagues, while Joe is a nice low-cost DFS play with an average just under .300 in his first 89 at-bats in 2024.

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Cincinnati Reds first baseman Christian Encarnacion-Strand (hand) is missing yet again from the team's starting lineup in the series finale against the San Diego Padres on Wednesday. Encarnacion-Strand is missing his fourth straight game after being hit by a pitch on his left hand. With a scheduled off day coming on Thursday, hopefully the 24-year-old will be able to return on Friday for a series opener against the Baltimore Orioles. On top of his injury, CES has hit just .196/.222/.314 with two home runs and 16 RBI in his first 102 at-bats of the season. Jeimer Candelario is at first base on Wednesday and is batting seventh, while Santiago Espinal gets the start at third and hits sixth against Padres right-hander Joe Musgrove. Neither Candelario nor Espinal have ever faced Musgrove in their careers.

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Kansas City Royals outfielder Hunter Renfroe will retreat to the bench on Wednesday as the team faces the Toronto Blue Jays. Adam Frazier will get the nod in right field for the Royals and will hit eighth against Blue Jays right-hander Chris Bassitt. Renfroe has gone 1-for-12 in the last four games to drop his season line to a weak .150/.218/.268 in 80 at-bats. The 32-year-old veteran right-handed slugger has added just two home runs, 10 RBI and seven runs scored for the Royals and could lose playing time moving forward unless he turns it around soon. Frazier hasn't been much better at all, though, and should be avoided in DFS formats on Wednesday. The left-handed batter is hitting .185 (12-for-65) with no homers, five RBI and one stolen base.

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Oakland Athletics outfielder/designated hitter Brent Rooker will take a seat on the bench on Wednesday versus the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates. Catcher Shea Langeliers will move to designated hitter and will bat cleanup, while Kyle McCann will do the catching while hitting seventh against Pirates right-hander Quinn Priester. The 29-year-old Rooker will get the day off after starting in each of the team's last 11 games since coming off the 10-day injured list on April 19. In those 11 contests, he's gone 8-for-38 (.211) with three home runs, two doubles, eight RBI and a stolen base. Rooker has five dingers so far in 2024 and has added 13 RBI in his 68 at-bats. Langeliers is hitting just .176 (16-for-91) but does have six long balls, which makes him attractive in DFS at the weak catcher position while in the cleanup spot against a young pitcher.

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Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Jose Siri has been hit with a three-game suspension from Major League Baseball for his role in Tuesday night's benches-clearing incident with the Milwaukee Brewers. Siri will appeal his suspension, but he's out of Wednesday's lineup anyway due to some minor soreness in his left thigh as a result of getting hit by a pitch on Tuesday. The 28-year-old was intentionally hit by a pitch from right-hander Freddy Peralta in the sixth inning before getting in a dust-up with reliever Abner Uribe in the eighth inning after he grounded out. Uribe threw the first punch before Siri retaliated. After a scheduled off day for the Rays on Thursday, Siri should return to the starting lineup on Friday for the series opener against the New York Mets while his appeal is heard.

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After the Milwaukee Brewers' benches-clearing brawl against the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday, pitchers Freddy Peralta (five games) and Abner Uribe (six games) and manager Pat Murphy (two games) have been suspended. Both Peralta and Uribe are appealing their suspensions and won't have to sit out immediately for the series finale against Tampa on Wednesday. Peralta is being suspended for intentionally throwing at Rays outfielder Jose Siri. The 27-year-old was ejected as a result. Since he's appealing, he should be able to make his next scheduled start on Sunday versus the Chicago Cubs. Uribe incited the benches-clearing incident when he threw a punch at Siri after he grounded out in the eighth inning. The 23-year-old reliever has three saves on the year but also a 6.75 ERA and 1.80 WHIP in 13 appearances for Milwaukee.

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Detroit Tigers pitching prospect Jackson Jobe (hamstring) was pulled from his start early on Wednesday with Double-A Erie in the middle of the fourth inning after he was seen flexing his left leg and grabbing around his hamstring after delivering a pitch. The 21-year-old right-hander entered his start on Wednesday with a 2.63 ERA and 1.17 WHIP while walking nine and striking out 19 in 13 2/3 innings over his four starts for Erie. It's unclear how serious the injury is, but it's worth keeping an eye on for the Tigers' No. 3 prospect, per MLB Pipeline. The 6-foot-2, 190-pounder has a nasty slider to pair with a mid- to upper-90s fastball. Even if his leg injury isn't serious enough to require a stint on the minor-league injured list, Jobe is probably unlikely to make his big-league debut in 2024.

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The Detroit Tigers optioned right-hander Matt Manning back to Triple-A Toledo after the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals. Manning served as the team's 27th man for the doubleheader and picked up a no-decision when he allowed four earned runs on seven hits (one home run) while walking two and striking out seven in 4 2/3 innings against St. Louis. He's now made three spot starts for Detroit this year. The 26-year-old threw 5 2/3 shutout innings in his first appearance but has now allowed eight earned runs in his last two outings despite striking out 14. We'll likely see Manning again at some point, and if any of the Tigers' regular starters are injured, he'll be the first to take their rotation spot.

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Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash said that Josh Lowe (hamstring, oblique), whose expected return last Saturday from an oblique strain was further delayed by right-hamstring tightness, will resume a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Durham on Thursday and then be evaluated on a day-to-day basis. It was a minor setback for the 26-year-old. As long as he doesn't suffer another setback, he could make his season debut with Tampa at some point this weekend or early next week. There's no reason that Lowe should be available on waiver wires after he slashed .292/.335/.500 with an .835 OPS, 20 home runs, 83 RB, 32 stolen bases and 71 runs scored in 501 plate appearances over 135 games for the Rays last year.

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St. Louis Cardinals left-hander Steven Matz (back) is set to undergo an MRI exam on Thursday after pitching through a back issue on Tuesday against the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday. Matz went just 3 1/3 innings against Detroit on Tuesday and allowed seven hits (one home run) and four earned runs while walking two and striking out only one. The Cardinals will wait for the results of the MRI before deciding what to do next with the 32-year-old veteran southpaw. Fantasy managers that have Matz rostered in deeper leagues should prepare for the possibility that he will go on the injured list. After his poor start on Tuesday, he's now 1-2 on the year with a 6.18 ERA and 1.73 WHIP while striking 17 in 27 2/3 frames over his first six starts in 2024.

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Atlanta Braves catcher Travis d'Arnaud is getting the day off in the series finale on Wednesday against the Seattle Mariners. With d'Arnaud riding pine, Chadwick Tromp will catch left-hander Chris Sale and will bat ninth for the Braves against Mariners right-hander Emerson Hancock. With Sean Murphy (oblique) on the injured list, d'Arnaud has become Atlanta's primary catcher and has thrived with the opportunity. The 35-year-old veteran is currently hitting .282 (20-for-71) with five home runs, 16 RBI and 12 runs scored in his first 25 games of the year. With a scheduled off day on Thursday before a showdown on the road in LA against the Dodgers, d'Arnaud should be back behind the dish on Friday. Tromp is one to avoid in DFS formats in the nine-hole.

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The Miami Marlins recalled rookie right-hander Roddery Munoz from Triple-A Jacksonville on Wednesday, and he will make the start against the visiting Colorado Rockies with left-hander Jesus Luzardo (elbow) on the injured list. The Marlins optioned right-hander Emmanuel Ramirez to Jacksonville in a corresponding move. Munoz made his major-league debut on April 20 in a start against the Chicago Cubs and was handed a no-decision when he allowed two earned runs on two hits (two home runs) while walking one and striking out seven in five innings. He's been pretty bad in the minors, though, sporting an 8.62 ERA with 14 walks and nine strikeouts in 15 2/3 innings with Jacksonville. The matchup is about as good as it gets for Munoz in his second career start, but the 24-year-old is as risky as they come as a deep-league streamer.

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