Chicago White Sox outfield prospect Zach DeLoach was called up from Triple-A Charlotte on Wednesday after Eloy Jimenez was placed on the 10-Day IL. DeLoach started in right field for the White Sox in Wednesday's 9-2 loss to Toronto, going 0-for-3 with a walk in his MLB debut. The 25-year-old was hitting .263 at Triple-A with two home runs and eight stolen bases in 38 games. Last season, the left-handed hitter batted .286 with 23 home runs over 138 games. The former second-round MLB draft pick has had no worse than an 11.2% BB% at any stop in the minors, posting a strong .375 OBP in his minor league career. This is already the second time Jimenez has missed time this season, and based on his injury history, it's probably not the last. With the Sox going nowhere and Jimenez a free agent at the end of the year, DeLoach has a chance to stick around if he can perform.

Atlanta Braves pitching prospect AJ Smith-Shawver will be recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett to make his 2024 debut on Thursday against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. The 21-year-old right-hander is the Braves' top prospect, per MLB Pipeline, and he could have a shot to stick around as Atlanta's No. 5 starter if he impresses in the series finale. He's worth a speculative pickup in redraft fantasy leagues for his upside and high-end prospect pedigree, but he also hasn't looked very good in the minors this year, posting a 6.10 ERA and 1.52 WHIP with 17 walks and 35 strikeouts in 31 innings over eight starts for Gwinnett. Smith-Shawver made six appearances in his MLB debut in 2023 and had a 4.26 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and a 20:11 K:BB in 25 1/3 frames. He has an electric pitch mix but is still a work in progress. The young righty will face a Cubs team that ranks 17th in OPS (.691) that has the ninth-most strikeouts in the league.

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Max Fried threw his second complete game of the season in Wednesday's victory on the road over the Chicago Cubs, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits with a season-high nine strikeouts en route to his fourth win of the year. Fried needed 105 pitches to go the distance in Wednesday's masterful performance, carrying a bid for a perfect game into the sixth inning before Ian Happ's leadoff double broke it up. Even though it's been an up-and-down campaign for the 30-year-old star left-hander, he owns a strong 3.38 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and 48:20 K:BB with a career-best .197 average against through 10 starts overall (58 2/3 frames) for the Braves in 2024. Monday's series opener at home against the division-rival Washington Nationals marks Fried's next projected start. He gave up two runs over 9 1/3 innings (two starts) with a 9:1 K:BB against Washington in 2023.

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Garrett Mitchell (finger) will begin taking swings off a tee ahead of Friday's series opener against the Boston Red Sox. The next major steps would be for Mitchell to first log at-bats in the Arizona Complex League and then head out on a minor-league rehab assignment as he progresses from a fractured left index finger. Mitchell's goal is to return to the Brewers during a series against the Los Angeles Angels that begins on June 17. The speedy 25-year-old was in line to be Milwaukee's starting center fielder and leadoff hitter in 2024, and he could still slot into those roles upon his activation from the 60-day injured list. In 47 career major-league games, Mitchell is slashing a formidable .278/.343/.452 with five home runs, five doubles, 16 RBI, and nine stolen bases over 126 ABs. He's a decent stash in NL-only fantasy leagues with most of the club's outfielders struggling besides Christian Yelich.

Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Adbert Alzolay (forearm) will be shut down from throwing for at least two weeks, manager Craig Counsell said on Wednesday. No surprise here, as Alzolay has gone for a second opinion on his strained right flexor. The Cubs will follow a conservative treatment plan for the 29-year-old right-hander, and while surgery is not off the table, they'll know more after his down time. After posting a poor 4.67 ERA with 13 strikeouts, six walks, and six home runs allowed in 18 games over 17 1/3 innings out of Chicago's bullpen this year and getting removed from the closer's role, Alzolay looks like a drop in shallow fantasy leagues and a weak stash in deeper formats. Hector Neris owns a 2.50 ERA with six saves across 18 frames and is the current favorite for ninth-inning work in the Windy City.

New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (thumb) is scheduled to take batting practice when the club opens a homestand that begins on Friday, and he has been catching pitches with a splint inside his mitt. Alvarez is progressing well and perhaps ahead of schedule as he recuperates from ligament surgery in his left thumb, and he's still on course for a mid-to-late June return to the Mets. The 22-year-old slugging backstop was hitting just .236 (13-for-55) with one home run as New York's primary catcher before heading to the sidelines, but he did have four doubles and one stolen base over 16 games and is worth stashing in all fantasy leagues for his power upside at the catcher position. As long as Alvarez remains on the shelf, veterans Omar Narvaez and Tomas Nido will continue sharing work in a platoon for at-bats behind the dish.

Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner (hamstring) was taking grounders ahead of Wednesday's game versus the visiting Texas Rangers. Turner has been taking batting practice and also ran arcs in the outfield on Wednesday, which typically preludes running the bases, but he'll get a "pullback day" on Thursday before resuming his ramp-up during the club's weekend series against the Colorado Rockies. Although there's no timeline yet for Turner's return from a strained left hamstring, he could potentially begin a minor-league rehab assignment before the end of May and rejoin Philly's lineup as early as June 8 for the start of the Phillies' two-game series against the division-rival New York Mets in London. Edmundo Sosa is worth a look in deep mixed or NL-only leagues in the interim, slashing .296/.406/.481 with one home run, eight RBI, 13 runs scored, and two stolen bases over 65 plate appearances this year.

Updating a previous report, Los Angeles Angels shortstop Zach Neto (elbow) said he has some concern about his right elbow because he's had issues with it before, but the training staff told him they didn't think the injury he suffered in Wednesday's win over the Houston Astros was serious. Neto will get some more tests on his elbow when the team returns home to Anaheim to start a series on Friday against the Cleveland Guardians. The 23-year-old left Wednesday's game in the bottom of the fifth inning after making an errant throw to first base. He went 0-for-2 at the plate with a strikeout before departing. This could very well require a trip to the injured list for Neto, so his fantasy managers in deeper leagues need to be prepared. Both Kyren Paris and Cole Tucker could see playing time at short for the Halos if Neto's injury is more serious than the training staff thinks it is.

Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Josh Lowe (side) was taken out of Wednesday's game against the visiting Boston Red Sox early in the second inning due to right-side tightness. Lowe is considered day-to-day for now. As of right now, it doesn't seem like a serious injury for the 26-year-old left-handed hitter, but fantasy managers will want to check back on Friday to see is Lowe is ready to go for the series opener against the visiting Kansas City Royals. The Rays have a scheduled day off on Thursday. Before departing, Lowe was hitless in his only plate appearances with a strikeout. He was replaced by Jonny DeLuca in the outfield, and DeLuca could start to see more consistent playing time in Tampa's outfield if Lowe's injury turns out to be more serious than initially indicated. Lowe didn't debut this year until May 6 due to injury but should be rostered in all fantasy leagues after hitting 20 homers, driving in 83 and stealing 32 bases in 2023.UPDATE: Unsurprisingly, manager Kevin Cash said Lowe will get an MRI exam and that it's "not ideal."

Boston Red Sox right-hander Garrett Whitlock (elbow) will have his medical visit with Dr. Jeff Dugas next Wednesday, at which point it will be decided if he will have surgery. While on a minor-league rehab assignment to recover from a left-oblique strain, Whitlock suffered a right-elbow sprain last Wednesday with Triple-A Worcester and may now be forced to miss the rest of the 2024 season if he has to go under the knife. If the 27-year-old needs surgery to fix damage to his right UCL, he'll not only miss the rest of this year, but he probably won't be ready to go for Boston to start next year, either. It would be a serious blow for Boston's pitching depth, as the former 18th-round pick of the New York Yankees in 2017 out of Alabama was 1-0 with a stingy 1.96 ERA and 1.14 WHIP with 17 strikeouts in 18 1/3 innings in 2024 in his four starts.

Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Luis Garcia was tasked with holding a one-run lead in the ninth inning of Wednesday's game against the Houston Astros. The right-hander blew the lead during the seventh inning of Tuesday's game. Despite that, Garcia was given another chance and worked a perfect ninth inning to earn his third save of the season. Garcia has been busy pitching in four of the last five games. The Angels bullpen situation is a little messy with Carlos Estevez as the primary closer, but Adam Cimber and Garcia are in the mix as well.

Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Tyler Anderson was able to put together a solid outing during Wednesday's game against the Houston Astros. The left-hander allowed only one run over eight innings of work during Wednesday's victory. Anderson did allow six hits, but he was able to limit the damage. He now holds a 5-4 record with a 2.52 ERA to begin the season.

Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Kyle Freeland (elbow) was able to throw a successful bullpen session on Wednesday. This was the first time that Freeland was able to throw since landing on the injured list due to a left elbow strain. The expectation is that Freeland will throw a few more bullpen sessions before going on a rehab assignment. There isn't a clear timetable for his return, but a return in middle or late June is possible.

Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher John Means (elbow) has been removed early during Wednesday's outing against the St. Louis Cardinals. The left-hander saw a decrease in velocity during his three innings before being taken out of the contest. The team is calling it left elbow discomfort, so the expectation is that Means will undergo further testing to determine the severity of the issue. Fantasy managers will need to check back for another update on his status.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Cole Ragans looked impressive during Wednesday's outing against the Detroit Tigers. The left-hander recorded 12 strikeouts over six scoreless innings during Wednesday's win. Ragans allowed only one hit while walking three batters during this outing. He'll carry a 3.34 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, and 76/12 K/BB ratio across 11 starts this season. His next start will be against the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday.

Boston Red Sox first baseman Garrett Cooper (shoulder) has been scratched ahead of Wednesday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays. The right-handed slugger was in the original lineup, but has been pulled out due to right shoulder discomfort. Now, Dominic Smith will cover first base and bat sixth versus right-hander Ryan Pepiot. Fantasy managers should adjust their lineups accordingly.

Seattle Mariners second baseman Jorge Polanco (hamstring) is returning to second base and will bat seventh for the M's on Wednesday against the New York Yankees and left-hander Nestor Cortes in the Bronx. Polanco returns to action for Seattle after missing over a week with a right-hamstring injury. The 30-year-old veteran switch-hitter has struggled to get things going at the plate in his first year with the team in 2024, as he's hitting .192/.298/.308 with five home runs, 13 RBI, one stolen base and 15 runs scored in 146 at-bats. Polanco has been better in May, though, going 11-for-46 (.239) with a homer and three RBI in 11 games. His fantasy managers will be hoping he can pick up where he's left off this month after missing the last week. Polanco has two hits and an RBI in 10 career at-bats off of Cortes.

Toronto Blue Jays catcher Danny Jansen is being rested on Wednesday versus the visiting Chicago White Sox. Alejandro Kirk will do the catching for right-hander Chris Bassitt and will bat seventh in the batting order against White Sox rookie right-hander Nick Nastrini, who is making only his third career start. Jansen got a late start to the 2024 season due to a fracture in his hand, but it hasn't slowed him down at all, as he's currently slashing .319/.390/.653 with a 1.043 OPS, five home runs, 12 RBI and 14 runs scored in his first 72 at-bats. He's been even better so far in May, going 16-for-46 (.348) with three homers and 10 RBI. Jansen has earned more playing time over Kirk early in the year as Toronto's primary backstop. Kirk, meanwhile, is under the Mendoza Line at .198 with a homer and 12 RBI in 81 at-bats.