Yandy Diaz Serving as DH as he Returns From Side Injury: 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. - as of Mon, 04 May 2026 16:56:06
Brewers Reinstate Jackson Chourio From the Injured List: 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. - as of Mon, 04 May 2026 16:36:28
Brandon Woodruff to Begin a Throwing Program This Week: 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. - as of Mon, 04 May 2026 15:02:06
Tyler Holton Opening Monday's Game, Ty Madden Also Called Up to Pitch: 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. - as of Mon, 04 May 2026 14:53:06
Tarik Skubal to Undergo Elbow Surgery: Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal (elbow) will undergo surgery for loose bodies in his left elbow, according to Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press. Skubal was already scratched from his scheduled start against the Boston Red Sox on Monday, and while initial reports indicated that it was a precautionary move and he would be okay, that no longer appears to be the case. Detroit's ace will land on the injured list while he recovers, and Petzold reports there's no timetable for his return. This is a brutal loss for the Tigers, who always have a chance to win whenever Skubal is on the mound. He has been dominant once again this season, posting a stellar 2.16 FIP with 9.35 K/9, 1.25 BB/9, and 0.49 HR/9 across seven starts. The organization has not yet announced who will start in his absence on Monday, but it's worth noting that the Tigers will have an open 26-man roster spot when Skubal is officially placed on the IL. - as of Mon, 04 May 2026 14:30:09
Mookie Betts Working to Increase his Swing Speed: Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts (oblique), who is currently on the 10-day injured list with a right-oblique strain, is working on increasing his swing speed, according to MLB.com. Betts is inching closer to starting a minor-league rehab assignment. He landed on the IL back on April 5, so fantasy managers are itching to get him back into their starting lineups. Betts suffered a setback late last month that has delayed him a bit in his rehab, but it appears that he's moving in the right direction again. If he's cleared to start a rehab assignment soon, Betts could be back in the big leagues at some point next week. The Dodgers have been using second-year infielder Hyeseong Kim primarily at shortstop of late with Betts sidelined. Betts, a former MVP, eight-time All-Star, and seven-time Silver Slugger winner, needs to be stashed in all fantasy leagues, but after an injury-plagued and disappointing 2025 campaign, fantasy managers may be beginning to wonder if the star athlete is beginning to break down at 33 years old. He had gone 5-for-28 (.179) with two homers, seven RBI, and seven runs in just eight games to begin the 2026 season before injuring his oblique. - as of Mon, 04 May 2026 13:27:05
Luis Garcia Jr. to Have MRI on his Wrist on Monday: Washington Nationals infielder Luis Garcia Jr. (wrist) is heading for an MRI exam on his injured wrist on Monday, manager Blake Butera told Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports. Garcia felt his right wrist while swinging on Sunday against the Milwaukee Brewers and was replaced at first base in the sixth inning by Curtis Mead. For now, the Nationals are classifying the 25-year-old's injury as wrist soreness, but we should know more soon. With a scheduled day off on Monday, perhaps Garcia will be feeling good enough to play in Tuesday's series opener against the visiting Minnesota Twins if his MRI comes back clean. Before he was pulled from Sunday's series finale against Milwaukee, Garcia went 0-for-2 at the plate, and he's now hitting just .234/.259/.336 with a .595 OPS, one home run, 16 RBI, 14 runs scored, and two stolen bases in 107 at-bats in 2026. Garcia is currently rostered in 45% of Yahoo leagues. - as of Mon, 04 May 2026 12:46:06
Christian Moore Lands on Injured List at Triple-A: The Los Angeles Angels announced on Sunday that they placed second base prospect Christian Moore (leg) on the seven-day injured list at Triple-A Salt Lake due to a leg injury. It's an injury that has kept Moore sidelined since April 25. However, general manager Perry Minasian said Moore's injury isn't very serious and shouldn't keep him out for long. The 23-year-old former eighth overall pick in 2024 out of Tennessee made his way up to the big leagues quickly last year and made his major-league debut for the Halos, slashing just .198/.284/.370 with a .655 OPS, seven home runs, 16 RBI, 20 runs scored, three steals, 19 walks, and 62 strikeouts in 53 games and 184 plate appearances. Moore has above-average pop for a second baseman, but it was clear he wasn't ready for an everyday role in the majors just yet. Before his leg injury with the Bees, Moore had gone 16-for-73 (.219) with two home runs, 13 RBI, 20 runs scored, and four stolen bases in 21 games played. The most encouraging thing is that Moore has more walks than strikeouts. A return to the majors in 2026 should be inevitable, depending on Moore's health. - as of Mon, 04 May 2026 11:03:06
Jung Hoo Lee Remains a Solid Batting Average and On-Base Percentage Specialist: San Francisco Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee has been hitting well over the past few weeks after a slow start, improving his slash line to .281/.331/.413 on the season with two home runs, 11 RBI, and 14 runs scored. Lee has moved around a bit in the batting order, as the Giants' offense desperately has been searching for answers, as they rank last in runs scored on the season with 106. Lee remains a points league specialist, as he demonstrates excellent plate discipline with a solid on-base percentage. In category formats, he is a strong contributor to batting average or on-base percentage, which is about it, as the Giants' offense isn't producing tons of opportunities for runs or RBI at the moment, and Lee is not one to hit home runs, as he has hit only 12 in 908 plate appearances at the MLB level. - as of Mon, 04 May 2026 10:10:05