Cleveland Guardians shortstop Gabriel Arias and outfielder Lane Thomas are not in the starting lineup on Saturday afternoon when they continue a series against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Arias has been in the starting nine in each of the last seven contests. During this stretch, he has posted a stellar .385/.429/.769 slash line with three long balls and eight RBI. Thomas has been in a bit of a slump. Over his last eight contests, the 29-year-old held a .154/.179/.192 slash line with just one extra-base hit. Fantasy managers should expect Arias and Thomas to both rejoin the starting lineup on Sunday. As a result, Brayan Rocchio and Angel Martinez will enter the starting nine and cover shortstop and center field, respectively. Neither player is worth targeting in DFS facing Pittsburgh ace Paul Skenes.

Cleveland Guardians outfielder Lane Thomas (wrist) is finally returning to the starting lineup on Wednesday against the Baltimore Orioles and right-hander Dean Kremer at Camden Yards for the first time since April 8. Thomas will start in center field and bat fifth in the lineup. The 29-year-old missed the last six games due to a bruised right wrist from a hit-by-pitch in the team's home opener. Fantasy managers may want to keep Thomas on the bench, as he has started the 2025 season going just 5-for-31 (.161) with no home runs, two RBI and one stolen base in nine games played. He's also hit just .111 in a small sample size of nine career at-bats against Kremer. Angel Martinez has shifted to right field and is batting sixth on Wednesday, with both Nolan Jones and Jhonkensy Noel starting on the bench for Cleveland.

Cleveland Guardians outfielder Lane Thomas (wrist) will remain out of the starting lineup on Tuesday evening when the Guardians face the Baltimore Orioles. Thomas exited last Tuesday's game early with a wrist injury and has not returned to the starting nine since. As a result, Angel Martinez will get the start at center field and bat in the seven-hole. Over his first eight games of the season, Thomas has posted a .167/.212/.200 slash line with one double and one stolen base. He has held a 24.2 percent strike rate with a low 3.0 percent walk rate. Under the hood, he has generated a low .199 xwOBA with a .209 xSLG, which places him in the first percentile among qualified hitters. Martinez is worth a look as a value play in DFS facing Baltimore right-hander Charlie Morton.

Cleveland Guardians outfielder Lane Thomas (wrist) remains out of the lineup for Sunday's series finale at Progressive Field against the division-rival Kansas City Royals. Thomas suffered a right-wrist contusion on Tuesday in the team's home opener when he was hit by a pitch, and he'll be missing his fifth straight game as a result on Sunday. It didn't seem to be a serious injury at the time, but fantasy managers have to be wondering if the 29-year-old will land on the injured list going into next week. The Guardians have a day off on Monday before their next game in Baltimore against the Orioles. Angel Martinez is in center field and is batting sixth on Sunday, while Jhonkensy Noel is starting in right and hitting cleanup against Royals left-hander Cole Ragans. In addition to his injury, Thomas has had a tough start to the season, batting .167 (5-for-30) with no homers, two RBI and one stolen base.

Cleveland Guardians outfielder Lane Thomas (wrist) remains out of the starting lineup for Friday's series opener at Progressive Field against the division-rival Kansas City Royals. Thomas will miss a third straight start for Cleveland after being hit by a pitch on his right wrist in the team's home opener on Tuesday. The 29-year-old has reportedly been feeling better, so hopefully he'll be able to return to the starting lineup before the end of the series against the Royals this weekend. If he cannot, the Guardians will likely consider placing him on the injured list. Thomas was struggling offensively before his wrist injury, going 5-for-30 with a double, two RBI, one stolen base and eight strikeouts in his first eight games in 2025. Jhonkensy Noel is making another start in right field on Friday and will bat fifth against Royals left-hander Kris Bubic. Noel is hitless in just two career at-bats versus Bubic.

Cleveland Guardians outfielder Lane Thomas (wrist) remains out of the starting lineup for Thursday's series finale against the division-rival Chicago White Sox at Progressive Field. Thomas was hit by a pitch on his right wrist in the team's home opener on Tuesday and will miss his second straight game with a contusion. The 29-year-old is day-to-day and should be able to return at some point this weekend against the division-rival Kansas City Royals. Along with the injury, Thomas has gotten off to a rough start with only five hits in his first 33 plate appearances for Cleveland with eight strikeouts in eight games played. Nolan Jones is in center field again and is batting fifth, while Jhonkensy is starting in right and hitting sixth on Thursday against White Sox right-hander Jonathan Cannon. Jones has a homer and two RBI in two career at-bats against Cannon, while Noel is hitless in two career at-bats against him.

Cleveland Guardians outfielder Lane Thomas (wrist) is out of the starting lineup for Wednesday's game against the division-rival Chicago White Sox at Progressive Field after suffering a bruised right wrist when he was hit by a pitch in the team's home opener on Tuesday. X-rays came back negative on Thomas' wrist, so fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day for now. Check back to see if he's able to return to the lineup for the series finale against Chicago on Thursday. Nolan Jones will move to center field and bat sixth, while Jhonkensy Noel is starting in right field and hitting fifth on Wednesday against White Sox right-hander Sean Burke. Thomas has gone just 5-for-30 (.167) in the early going with two RBI and a steal, so perhaps the day off will do him well. Noel has similarly struggled with only one hit and an RBI in his first 17 at-bats of 2025. He's hitless in just one career at-bat against Burke.

Cleveland Guardians outfielder Lane Thomas (wrist) left the team's home opener on Tuesday against the division-rival Chicago White Sox after he was hit by a pitch near/on his right wrist. Thomas was checked out by a trainer and manager Stephen Vogt and stayed in the game, but he was removed after one batter before Daniel Schneemann pinch-ran for him. Before departing, the 29-year-old went 0-for-1 with a strikeout. Cleveland will most likely put Thomas through some tests to determine the severity of his injury, but even if he avoids a fracture, there's a good chance we won't see him on Wednesday at Progressive Field. If Thomas is forced to miss extended time, Schneemann could see regular playing time in center field. It's been a tough start to 2025 for Thomas, as he came into Tuesday's game hitting .172 (5-for-29) with seven strikeouts in seven games.UPDATE: Thomas was diagnosed with a right-wrist contusion, so consider him day-to-day.

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal writes that the Cleveland Guardians are open to trade offers for first baseman Josh Naylor and outfielder Lane Thomas, both of whom are entering their walk years. Naylor is projected to earn $12 million in salary arbitration, while Thomas is at $8.3 million. Cleveland has concerns in their outfield, but they just landed Thomas in a midseason trade in 2024. Naylor, on the other hand, has emerged as one of the team's most valuable position players while also being a leader in the clubhouse. If Naylor were dealt, Kyle Manzardo would be the obvious replacement for Naylor at first base in Cleveland. The small-market organization has already lost left-hander Matthew Boyd to free agency, and right-handers Shane Bieber and Alex Cobb could be next. Naylor had a career year for the Guards in 2024, but his struggles against left-handed pitching remains an issue.

Cleveland Guardians outfielder Lane Thomas went 1-for-4 with a three-run shot in Game 1 of the ALDS. Thomas broke the game open early by hitting a three-run blast in the first inning to score third baseman Jose Ramirez and first baseman Josh Naylor to cap off an impressive five-run inning. The 29-year-old was able to carry his power surge into the postseason after tallying seven round-trippers with a .560 SLG during the final month of the regular season. Thomas should continue to bat in the five-hole of a deep Guardians lineup, which should present him with several RBI opportunities. However, Thomas is best to fade in DFS on Monday as he will face Detroit ace Tarik Skubal, who is coming off a six-inning shutout in the AL Wild Card Series.

Cleveland Guardians outfielder Lane Thomas had a big day at the plate on Wednesday as his team beat the Chicago White Sox 6-4. Batting fifth, Thomas went 3-for-4 (three singles) with four RBI and one run scored. Thomas has had a mediocre season (.246 AVG, .718 OPS) but has been super hot as of late. In his last 15 games, he is slashing .370/.408/.652 with three homers and 14 RBI. This is great news for the Guardians, as they are looking to keep their lineup potent, heading into what promises to be a tight postseason race and postseason. Thomas is rostered in 64% of Yahoo Fantasy leagues and is worth adding in most leagues while he's swinging a hot bat.

Cleveland Guardians outfielder Lane Thomas and shortstop Brayan Rocchio are both starting on the bench for Wednesday's series finale against the division-rival Kansas City Royals at Progressive Field. Rookie Jhonkensy Noel will start in right field and bat seventh, while Daniel Schneemann will play shortstop and hit eighth for the Guards against Royals veteran right-hander Michael Wacha. Thomas hasn't really impressed Cleveland since they acquired him from the Washington Nationals at the trade deadline in late July, as he's gone 11-for-76 (.145) with four doubles, three RBI and 34 strikeouts in 25 games so far. Since Aug. 21, he's gone 4-for-21 (.191) with a double, two RBI and 10 strikeouts in eight games played. Six of Noel's 12 home runs in his rookie season have come in the month of August, while he's hitting .255 (14-for-55) overall in the month in 19 games played.

The Cleveland Guardians acquired outfielder Lane Thomas from the Washington Nationals on Monday in exchange for left-hander Alex Clemmey, shortstop Rafael Ramirez and third baseman Jose Tena, according to a source. It's a big get for the Guardians as they look to lock down the American League Central and make a deep run in this year's postseason. Thomas, 28, will bring much-needed thump and speed to a Cleveland lineup that has struggled to put runs on the board early in the second half of the season. Through 77 contests with the Nats in 2024, Thomas has hit .253 (76-for-300) with eight homers, 40 RBI, a career-high 28 stolen bases and 42 runs scored in 341 trips to the plate. He should play regularly in right field and will see a slight boost in his fantasy value with the move to the AL. Will Brennan's stock will take the biggest hit in Cleveland.

Washington Nationals outfielder Lane Thomas had a big night at the plate in his team's 11-5 win over the Colorado Rockies on Friday. Thomas went 3-for-6 with a double, a triple, two runs, and four RBI to help power his team to the win. The veteran outfielder is now hitting .238 with five doubles, two triples, eight homers, 25 runs, 28 RBI, and 16 steals over 181 at-bats this season. He has been red-hot at the plate of late, batting .300 with four homers and 10 RBI over his past seven games. Fantasy gamers should consider Thomas for their starting lineups while he's on a hot streak.

Washington Nationals outfielder Lane Thomas went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Thursday's loss against the Atlanta Braves. The home run would be the fourth of the season for Thomas. The outfielder missed some time earlier in the season with a sprained MCL and has hit .250 with two homers, six RBI and four stolen bases since his return last week. Thomas has a breakout campaign in 2023, while showcasing both power and speed and that hasn't stopped this season. Although he is still shaking off some rust, Thomas remains a viable option in most formats.

Washington Nationals outfielder Lane Thomas filled up the box score in Wednesday's win over the division-rival Atlanta Braves, going 3-for-4 with a three-run home run, a double, a walk, two runs scored, and two stolen bases in the victory. Before making an awesome sliding catch in right field to retire Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies in the fifth inning, Thomas hammered a three-run homer to left field to give the Nationals a 3-1 lead in the top of the frame. Although the speedy 28-year-old right fielder is still slashing a poor .210/.273/.330 with three big flies, 13 RBI, and nine runs scored over 100 at-bats overall this year, he's stolen 13 bases across 25 outings overall and gone 5-for-13 with four-extra base hits since returning from the injured list. The buy-low window in fantasy appears to be swiftly closing.

The Washington Nationals reinstated outfielder Lane Thomas (knee) from the 10-day injured list on Monday and designated outfielder Victor Robles for assignment in a corresponding move. Thomas is back in right field on Monday and is batting in the two-hole against Atlanta Braves veteran right-hander Charlie Morton in his first game back. The 28-year-old will return for the first time since late April due to a Grade 2 MCL sprain and should be thrown back into starting fantasy lineups because of his impressive power/speed combination. Ignore the fact that he hit only .184/.250/.253 with two home runs to begin the year, as he also had 11 stolen bases in 87 at-bats. The former fifth-rounder by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2014 needs to be rostered everywhere and will play regularly for the Nats now that he's healthy again.

Washington Nationals outfielder Lane Thomas (knee) will continue rehabbing his knee in the minor leagues and will be re-evaluated after the weekend, per Nationals manager Dave Martinez. Thomas is currently with Double-A Harrisburg but could also make his way to Triple-A Rochester. The righty has been recovering from a sprained MCL for the past month. Washington's offense is in need of some offensive firepower, scoring over three runs just three times in their past nine games. Thomas had been performing well below his norms prior to his injury, but if he returns to his .783 OPS from 2023 it'd be a great help to a desperate Nationals offense. Fantasy managers should be prepare for his return in the next week or so under the assumption that no setbacks happen over the weekend.

Washington Nationals outfielder Lane Thomas (knee) is getting ready to return and could be reinstated from the injured list as early as Friday night's series opener against the visiting Seattle Mariners. The Nationals have managed just a .503 OPS in 22 games since Thomas sprained the MCL in his left knee a month ago, so they will certainly welcome his return. In the course of his career in D.C., Thomas has a .747 OPS. He spent the last three days on a minor-league rehab assignment with Double-A Harrisburg, where he went 2-for-9 with a double, walk, two strikeouts and a stolen base. Most importantly, he played a full nine innings on Thursday night. If Thomas doesn't return to the big-league lineup on Friday, it will likely come later this weekend or early next week. The 28-year-old will be an everyday hitter near the top of the lineup when he returns, and he shouldn't be floating around any waiver wires in fantasy.

Washington Nationals outfielder Lane Thomas (knee) will begin a minor-league rehab assignment with Double-A Harrisburg on Tuesday, and if all goes well, he'll play again on Wednesday. The team will then decide if Thomas is ready to come off the injured list or if he needs more time on his rehab assignment. If the Nationals are happy with what they see from the 28-year-old on Tuesday and Wednesday, he could return to the big-league lineup on Friday for the series opener against the Seattle Mariners. Thomas has been out almost a month with a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his left knee, but he should be rostered in all fantasy formats despite going 16-for-87 (.184) before his injury. He already has 11 stolen bases in 22 games in 2024 after being a 20-20 man in 2023.