Toronto Blue Jays infielder Andres Gimenez (quad) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Thursday's game against the Los Angeles Angels. Gimenez made an early exit on Wednesday due to right quad tightness. The assumption is he underwent an MRI and the organization is still waiting for the results. That being said, Gimenez will sit out at least one more game, so fantasy managers should check back on his status ahead of Friday's contest. In his absence, Ernie Clement will cover second base and bat eighth versus right-hander Jose Soriano on Thursday. Fantasy managers should consider Gimenez as day-to-day until further notice.

Detroit Tigers right-hander John Brebbia (triceps) started his minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Toledo on Tuesday and went two-thirds of an inning while allowing an earned run on one hit while walking one and striking out none. Brebbia landed on the 15-day injured list in the middle of April due to a right-triceps strain but is working his way back and should be able to rejoin Detroit's major-league bullpen by the end of May. The 34-year-old veteran was eligible to return from the IL on May 4. Before injuring his arm, Brebbia had been looking sharp in his first year with Detroit in nine relief innings, allowing only an unearned run on three hits while walking five and striking out nine. Fantasy managers can continue to ignore him in all leagues, though.

Boston Red Sox right-hander Walker Buehler (shoulder) played catch at Fenway Park before the team's win over the visiting Texas Rangers on Thursday, according to manager Alex Cora. The Red Sox placed Buehler on the 15-day injured list last Friday with minor bursitis in his right shoulder. Because the 30-year-old has yet to resume throwing off a mound, it might be unlikely that he'll be activated from the IL when he's first eligible on May 14. Buehler allowed nine earned runs on 14 hits (three home runs) in 9 1/3 innings in his first two starts of the year against the Rangers and St. Louis Cardinals, but he was better in his next four starts (seven earned runs, 22 K's, eight walks) before landing on the IL. Overall, he's gone 4-1 with a 4.28 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 29 strikeouts in 33 2/3 innings over his six starts. Buehler should be back in Boston's rotation sooner than later.

San Diego Padres right-hander Yu Darvish (elbow) has been throwing bullpen sessions and recently traveled to the team's spring training complex in Arizona, where he's expected to face live hitters for the first time on Thursday. Darvish is working his way back from right-elbow inflammation that has kept him out all season so far, but barring a setback as he builds up his arm, he could return to the Padres' starting rotation at some point this month. Since the 38-year-old Japanese veteran hasn't started a minor-league rehab assignment, his return probably won't come until late May, at the earliest. The five-time All-Star is no longer in his prime and also dealt with injuries that limited him to 16 starts in 2024, but when healthy, he still has fantasy value. Darvish went 7-3 for the Friars last year with a solid 3.31 ERA and 1.06 WHIP, but also with a career-low 23.6% strikeout rate and a 6.6% walk rate.

Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Freddy Peralta (groin) threw on flat ground on Wednesday and said that he expects to make his next start, potentially on one extra day of rest. The Brewers mentioned the possibility of Peralta needing an extra day of rest earlier this week. Barring a change of plans, the 28-year-old will most likely make his next outing in Tampa against the Rays this Sunday. Peralta left his last start early on Sunday against the Chicago Cubs due to soreness in his groin, but the team never sent him for testing, signaling that the injury wasn't very serious at all. As long as the Dominican pitcher is cleared to start this weekend, fantasy managers should return him to their starting lineups in all formats. Peralta has been great so far in 2025, going 4-2 with a sharp 2.18 ERA and 1.04 WHIP while striking out 48 and walking 15 in 45 1/3 innings over his eight starts.

Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto (foot) is back behind the dish to catch left-hander Jesus Luzardo and is hitting seventh on Thursday against the hosting Tampa Bay Rays and right-hander Ryan Pepiot. Realmuto will surprisingly be back in the lineup a day after fouling a ball off his left foot and suffering a bruise in Wednesday's contest against Tampa. The 34-year-old veteran is looking for his first hit of the series against the Rays in the finale on Thursday. Realmuto hasn't done much for fantasy managers in general so far in 2025, slashing .235/.307/.374 with a below-average .681 OPS, three home runs, 12 RBI, 12 runs scored and four stolen bases in 31 games played. So far in five games in May, Realmuto has gone 4-for-18 with a homer, double, four RBI and three runs scored. He has never faced Pepiot in his big-league career.

Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Max Scherzer (thumb) completed a bullpen session on Wednesday. This was a significant step for the right-hander as he has been sidelined since his first start with a right thumb injury. He was initially placed on the 15-day IL but was recently shifted to the 60-day IL earlier in May. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his progression, but it is an excellent sign to see him facing live hitters. Currently, the 40-year-old would be eligible to return from the IL in late May. However, given the time he has missed, Fantasy managers should not expect Scherzer to return until June, as he would likely need a lengthy rehab assignment. Last summer, Scherzer was also limited by numerous injuries, but was productive when on the bump, logging a 3.95 ERA with a 1.15 WHIP. Given his unclear timetable, he should only be stashed in deeper 12+ team formats.

Baltimore Orioles right-hander Zach Eflin (lat) will "more than likely" return from the 15-day injured list this weekend to face the Los Angeles Angels in the series finale on Sunday, according to manager Brandon Hyde. The Orioles announced on Wednesday that Eflin would be returning from the IL this weekend after throwing a successful bullpen session, but now we know the exact date. Although the matchup will be an excellent one for the 31-year-old veteran -- the Angels rank 25th in MLB with a .665 team OPS -- but Eflin could be limited pitch-count wise in his first start back after throwing only 58 pitches in his only minor-league rehab start. Still, Eflin is tempting for fantasy lineups after posting a 3.00 ERA and 0.83 WHIP with eight strikeouts in 18 innings over his first three starts this year before injuring his lat.

Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager and catcher Jonah Heim will both retreat to the bench for Thursday's series finale at Fenway Park against the Boston Red Sox. Josh Smith will handle shortstop and hit leadoff, while Tucker Barnhart will do the catching and hit ninth against Red Sox right-hander Brayan Bello. Since returning from the injured list on May 3, Seager has gone 5-for-19 with a double, three RBI and four runs scored in four games played. The five-time All-Star and two-time World Series MVP has hit a respectable .281 (27-for-96) this year with four homers and nine RBI. Heim gets a breather after starting in each of the team's last 11 games. He's getting more playing time now with Kyle Higashioka (intercostal) on the IL and has taken advantage of it. Smith, who is hitting over .300 in 99 at-bats, will be a DFS sleeper on Thursday in the leadoff spot against Bello.

Minnesota Twins outfielder Harrison Bader (illness) is starting in left field and is hitting eighth for Thursday's series finale against the visiting Baltimore Orioles and right-hander Dean Kremer at Target Field. Bader will be back in action for the Twins after missing the last two games due to an illness. The 30-year-old veteran has hit well so far in his first season with Minnesota, going 27-for-94 (.287) with four home runs, four doubles, 16 RBI, two stolen bases and 14 runs scored in 33 games played. Additionally, he enters Thursday's contest riding a nine-game hitting streak in which he's gone 13-for-29 (.448) with a homer, three doubles, four RBI, a steal and seven runs scored. Bader has hits in both his career at-bats against Kremer, too, but the fact he's hitting at the bottom of the lineup isn't great news for his DFS upside on Thursday.

Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Jeff Hoffman had a rough ninth inning in Anaheim, blowing the save and taking the loss on Wednesday night. Hoffman entered the game with a 4-2 lead but gave up a walk and two singles before getting an out. He struck out Taylor Ward but gave up a three-run double to Jorge Soler that flipped the 4-2 lead into a 5-4 defeat with one swing of the bat. Hoffman was charged with three runs on three hits and took his first blown save and his first loss of the year. The loss drops his record to 3-1 on the year with seven saves in 16 games. Hoffman also gave up three runs on Tuesday night in a non-save situation, and this could be growing into a developing issue for the Blue Jays' bullpen

Detroit Tigers third baseman/shortstop/outfielder Javier Baez went 2-for-5 out of the ninth spot of the team's batting order on Wednesday night in Denver, picking up four RBI and scoring a run in the team's 8-6 extra-inning victory. Baez has re-emerged as a fantasy option this season, hitting .313 with three homers and a .364 wOBA in 29 games. He has become the team's regular center fielder over the past few weeks and has hit safely in each of his last eight games with an at-bat, going 14-for-33 (.424) with four doubles, three homers, and a .544 wOBA during that hot streak. After a few miserable seasons, this is quite the turnaround for Baez, who can be a nice boost to your fantasy team for the waiver wire while he stays so hot.

New York Yankees starting pitcher Max Fried continued his dominant start to the season on Wednesday, tossing seven one-run innings in a tough luck no-decision against the San Diego Padres. The Yankees did end up winning the game 4-3, but it took extra innings. Fried was electric in this one, allowing just five hits while striking out eight and walking none. He has been nothing short of brilliant in his first season in New York, going 6-0 with a 1.05 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and 47 strikeouts in 51 IP so far. The lefty has also rattled off seven straight starts where he has allowed two runs or less, and six straight quality starts. Fried has become a top-tier pitcher in fantasy and is an absolute must-start every time he is out there. His next start is likely to come on the road on Monday in a tough matchup against the Seattle Mariners.

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Sonny Gray was at his best on Wednesday, hurling seven sparkling frames in a 5-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Gray didn't allow a run in this one, and limited the Pirates to just two hits and a walk while punching out eight. Although the 35-year-old veteran has had a few bumps in the road, it has mostly been a solid season for him. Gray now owns a 4-1 record with a 3.50 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, and 47 strikeouts over 46 IP. The righty should remain a mainstay in fantasy lineups as long as he is healthy, but the occasional rough start should be expected. His next matchup is scheduled for next Tuesday in Philadelphia, and he should be started regardless of the tough opponent.

Colorado Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon had a massive day at the dish on Wednesday, going 4-for-4 with a homer, two doubles, and a walk. McMahon crushed a two-run shot in the first inning and also came around to score in the third. The 30-year-old veteran was off to an extremely slow start this year, but appears to be coming around in May, where he is 8-for-17 with two homers and five RBI. Even with that, he is still hitting just .193 with 13 runs scored, four homers, nine RBI, and a stolen base this season. McMahon is only a deep league option at this point, although he has some utility as a streamer when the Rockies play all home games in a given week.

The Toronto Blue Jays announced that second baseman Andres Gimenez (quadriceps) was pulled from Wednesday night's game early in Anaheim against the Los Angeles Angels with right-quadriceps tightness. Before hitting the showers early, Gimenez went 1-for-3 at the plate with a single and a run scored. Ernie Clement shifted from third base to second base, with Addison Barger entering the contest to play the hot corner for Toronto. The Blue Jays said that the 26-year-old Gimenez's exit was precautionary, so we're going to consider him day-to-day for now. It remains to be seen if he'll be back for Thursday's series finale against the Halos. If he's forced to miss extended time, Clement would likely play regularly at the keystone. Gimenez has gotten off to a slot start in his first year in Toronto, as he came into Wednesday's action hitting just .192 (24-for-125) with three homers, 10 RBI and nine steals.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Michael Wacha pitched seven shutout innings and earned his second win of the season in Wednesday's 2-1 victory over the White Sox. He allowed three hits and one walk while striking out five. The 33-year-old veteran has been solid as of late, as this was his sixth straight start of at least five innings while allowing three runs or less. He won't blow away hitters with his stuff, but he has gotten the job done to the tune of a 2.98 ERA and 1.15 WHIP with 34 strikeouts in 45 innings so far in 2025. He'll look to keep the momentum going in his next start, set to be against the Astros in Houston.

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Cristopher Sanchez was dominant on Wednesday, pitching six shutout innings and earning the win in a 7-0 victory against the Rays. He allowed one hit and three walks while striking out five. He's only allowed more than two runs in a start one time all season, and he now holds a 2.89 ERA with 44 strikeouts in 37 1/3 innings. Although he didn't strike out many batters in this start, he limited the damage by inducing ground balls. This isn't anything new for the left-hander, whose 58.3% ground ball rate in 2024 ranked in the top five percent of the league. He'll look to keep things going in his next outing, which is currently lined up to be against the Cardinals.

Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman has been on fire at the plate over the last few weeks. He continued his impressive stretch of play during Wednesday's game against the Miami Marlins. Freeman broke the scoreless tie with an RBI single in the sixth inning. An inning later, Freeman would clear the bases with a three-run triple. He would end his day 3-for-4 with a triple, and four RBI in the win. Freeman was unstoppable during this three-game series as he knocked in eight runs. He is in the middle of a 12-game hit streak and continues to be one of the best hitters in baseball.

Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto (foot) was taken out early during Wednesday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays. Realmuto suffered a bruised left foot when he fouled a ball off it during the seventh inning of this contest. The Phillies pulled him out of the contest and the expectation is that Realmuto will undergo additional testing. For now, fantasy managers should consider Realmuto as day-to-day until more information is released. Before exiting, Realmuto went 0-for-3 at the plate with a walk and a run scored. Rafael Marchan took over behind the plate and figures to see more playing time if Realmuto misses time.