Chicago White Sox closer Michael Kopech locked down Wednesday's 4-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays, firing a scoreless ninth inning to secure the victory. Kopech got Randy Arozarena to fly out before giving up a single to Harold Ramirez, but the hurler managed to induce a game-ending double play out of Isaac Paredes. It's been a mixed bag from the hard-throwing 28-year-old right-hander as a reliever for the last-place ChiSox this season, but he does have three saves as well as a serviceable 3.93 ERA and 1.25 WHIP while fanning 25 and walking 10 over 18 1/3 frames as Chicago's preferred ninth-inning weapon. Rookie righty Jordan Leasure and veteran John Brebbia are also in the mix for save opportunities on the South Side, making Kopech a fringe hold in fantasy leagues for saves desperados.

Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Chris Bassitt delivered an outstanding performance in Wednesday's 5-3 victory on the road over the Philadelphia Phillies, striking out six and allowing just two runs on three hits and two walks for his third win of the season. That's back-to-back quality starts now for Bassitt, who was hammered for seven runs at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers in his prior appearance on April 26. The 35-year-old veteran right-hander still has work to do to enhance his 5.06 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, and 40:20 K:BB through 42 2/3 frames (eight starts) for the Jays this season, but he's certainly trending in the right direction. Tuesday's scheduled start against the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards unfortunately looks like a nightmarish spot for Bassitt, who went 0-2 and gave up 12 runs across nine innings (two starts) against Baltimore a year ago.

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Garrett Whitlock (oblique) is scheduled to throw live batting practice ahead of Friday's series opener against the visiting Washington Nationals. If all goes well, Whitlock could make a minor-league rehab start five days later on May 15 and potentially be back with the Red Sox by May 20. Before suffering a strained left oblique, the 27-year-old right-hander registered an outstanding 1.96 ERA (3.31 FIP) and 1.14 WHIP while striking out 17 and walking seven in four starts (18 1/3 innings) out of Boston's rotation this season, and he remains a strong stash in all fantasy leagues. Swingman Cooper Criswell has filled in well during Whitlock's absence, compiling a 1.74 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and 16:4 K:BB through 20 2/3 frames (four starts), and he'll be a prime streaming candidate for Sunday's series finale against a middling Nats lineup.

The hope is that Colorado Rockies outfielder Nolan Jones (back) will start defensive practice and resuming hitting in the cage this weekend. As he prepares to ramp up his baseball activities, Jones will "more than likely" need a brief minor-league rehab assignment before returning from a strained lower back. Following a 2023 breakout campaign, the 26-year-old left-handed hitter was slashing an icy .170/.243/.277 with one home run, five doubles, seven RBI, and two stolen bases through 94 at-bats (26 games) as Colorado's primary left fielder but remains a recommended stash with a mid-May return still a possibility. Top prospect Jordan Beck should continue receiving the lion's share of the reps in left field until Jones is ready to return, but he's hitting an empty .125 (3-for-24) over seven outings during his first stint in the major leagues.

Tampa Bay Rays closer Pete Fairbanks (arm) is set to make another minor-league rehab appearance on Friday. After throwing a scoreless inning for Triple-A Durham on Tuesday, Fairbanks is scheduled for another outing in the minors before returning from a nerve-related issue and rejoining Tampa Bay's bullpen. Barring any setbacks, the Rays could activate the hard-throwing 30-year-old right-hander from the injured list following that assignment. Although he's given up seven earned runs and walked eight over seven innings this year, Fairbanks has three saves as well as a respectable 3.72 FIP and should reclaim the closing gig upon his return. Until then, Jason Adam should remain the favorite for saves and is worth holding in the majority of fantasy leagues.

Oakland Athletics infielders Aledmys Diaz (calf) and Zack Gelof (oblique) will both join Triple-A Las Vegas this weekend to begin their respective minor-league rehab assignments. Diaz was cleared for a rehab assignment after successfully running the bases on Wednesday. The 33-year-old veteran utilityman is on the 60-day injured list and has yet to play in 2024. He won't be eligible to return until late May, so he'll take his time on his rehab assignment. When he's back from the injured list, he won't be guaranteed to see regular playing time for the A's. Gelof, who was the team's starter at second before his injury, is the more attractive fantasy asset in deeper leagues despite starting the year with a .196/.260/.337 slash line with three home runs, seven RBI and four stolen bases in his first 92 at-bats.

Houston Astros right-handed reliever Ryan Pressly (back), who hasn't pitched since last Friday, is dealing with soreness in his lower back, according to manager Joe Espada. Pressly played catch on Wednesday, and Espada said he "felt OK" and termed it "nothing worrisome right now." For now, the 35-year-old will remain with the team, but it remains to be seen if he'll be available out of the team's bullpen on Wednesday against the New York Yankees. Pressly's back issues could have contributed to his slow start in 2024, as he's currently sporting a 5.27 ERA and 1.68 WHIP while walking five and striking out 21 in 13 2/3 innings of relief. However, he hasn't allowed a run in his last five innings while walking one and striking out nine and will remain a key late-inning setup man in front of closer Josh Hader if he's healthy enough to pitch.

Houston Astros outfielder Chas McCormick (hamstring) could start a minor-league rehab assignment this weekend. McCormick has recovered quickly after landing on the injured list with hamstring soreness last week. If the 29-year-old gets out of a short rehab assignment without any setbacks, he could return to the Astros early next week. Mauricio Dubon has seen more playing time in Houston's outfield since McCormick landed on the shelf. McCormick is going to need to do more with the bat when he returns to assure himself regular playing time. In 21 games before his hamstring injury, he was hitting .236/.325/.278 with no home runs, eight RBI, two stolen bases and six runs scored in 83 plate appearances. He's coming off his best season as a pro in 2023, when he hit .273 with 22 homers, 70 RBI and 19 swipes.

San Francisco Giants left-hander Blake Snell (groin) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Thursday and then start a minor-league rehab assignment with Single-A San Jose on Sunday, according to manager Bob Melvin. Snell started facing live hitters on Tuesday and is ready to take the next step by pitching in a minor-league game later this weekend. The 31-year-old is recovering from an adductor strain and figures to pitch in more than one rehab game after starting the year late given the timing of his signing with the Giants. In his first three starts with the Giants, Snell lost all three starts while allowing 15 earned runs on 18 hits (two home runs) while walking five and striking out 12 in 11 2/3 innings. It's not the start his fantasy managers were hoping for, but Snell is also a notoriously slow starter and needs to be rostered in all leagues for his high-strikeout upside.

The San Francisco Giants placed outfielder Jorge Soler (shoulder) on the 10-day injured list on Wednesday with a right-shoulder strain and recalled outfielder Heliot Ramos from Triple-A Sacramento in a corresponding move. Soler missed the team's last three games with his shoulder injury and will now be forced to miss at least another week. The 32-year-old right-handed slugger boasts elite power but has gone just 24-for-119 (.202) with five home runs, eight RBI and 14 runs scored in his first 34 games in San Francisco. Ramos, 24, is serving as the designated hitter on Wednesday night and is hitting seventh in the batting order. He has yet to make an impact at the big-league level for the Giants but was swinging a hot bat in the minors and will be worth a look off the waiver wire in NL-only leagues now that he could see some playing time over the next week for the Gigantes.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Jose Urquidy (forearm) is scheduled to begin a minor league rehab assignment with Triple-A Sugar Land this weekend. The right-hander has been sidelined since spring training due to inflammation in his forearm. The expectation is that Urquidy is going to need a few rehab starts before rejoining the Astros rotation. Possibly, Urquidy is able to rejoin the Astros rotation by the end of May. Fantasy managers will have to stay tuned for more updates over the next week or two.

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernandez was a one-man wrecking crew during Wednesday's game against the Miami Marlins. Hernandez went 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBI in the win. He opened the first frame with an RBI single and blasted a two-run homer in the sixth inning. It was the only three runs the Dodgers scored in this game but it was enough to win them the contest. Hernandez has 10 home runs this season and has four long balls over his last six games.

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Dylan Cease was impressive on the mound during Wednesday's game against the Chicago Cubs. The 28-year-old struck out a season-high 12 batters over seven shutout innings during the win. Cease only allowed one hit and a pair of walks during Wednesday's outing. He holds a 2.19 ERA, 0.75 WHIP and 60/16 K/BB ratio across 49 1/3 innings this season. He'll get a favorable matchup against the Colorado Rockies during his next start.

Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker said that catcher Sean Murphy (oblique) has advanced to hitting in the batting cages after hitting off a tee twice last week. Murphy is inching closer to a return from the Grade 1 left-oblique strain that he suffered in the season opener. The 29-year-old is going to need to go on a minor-league rehab assignment before he returns to the Braves, too, so fantasy baseball managers are going to need to wait a little longer before they get the catcher back. The former third-round pick of the Oakland Athletics in 2016 out of Wright State was a first-time All-Star in 2023 in his first season with the Braves and should remain stashed in all fantasy leagues as one of the better offensive catchers in baseball when healthy. Veteran Travis d'Arnaud will continue to serve as the team's starter behind the plate until Murphy returns.

The Boston Red Sox reinstated right-hander Nick Pivetta (elbow) from the 15-day injured list on Wednesday and optioned right-hander Naoyuki Uwasawa to Triple-A Worcester in a corresponding move. The Red Sox also reinstated infielder/outfielder Romy Gonzalez (wrist) from the 10-day IL and designated infielder Zack Short for assignment. Pivetta will immediately return to Boston's starting rotation and will toe the rubber on Wednesday against the Atlanta Braves. The 31-year-old has been out since April 9 due to a right-elbow flexor strain. Pivetta threw only 62 pitches in his only minor-league rehab start and should be considered a poor streaming option in his first game back against the potent Braves lineup. It doesn't mean he shouldn't be rostered everywhere after starting with a 0.82 ERA and 0.82 WHIP with 13 K's in his first two starts in 2024, though.

Los Angeles Angels infielder Brandon Drury (hamstring) left Wednesday's win against the Pittsburgh Pirates early with left-hamstring tightness. Drury was replaced after six inning at first base by Nolan Schanuel. The 31-year-old went 2-for-3 with two doubles, an RBI and a run scored in the eventual 5-4 win. Drury also missed several games last month with a hamstring injury, so it should be a pretty big concern that he might have to go on the injured list with his latest hamstring issue. Coming into Wednesday's game, Drury had been cold at the plate all year with a .158 average (16-for-101) with just one home run and five RBI. If Drury is forced to miss additional time with his hamstring injury, Ehire Adrianza and Cole Tucker could continue to find themselves in the lineup for the Halos on the infield.

The Texas Rangers placed right-hander Dane Dunning (shoulder) on the 15-day injured list on Wednesday with a right rotator-cuff strain. In additional moves, the Rangers outfielder Robbie Grossman was added to the active roster after being acquired in a trade with the Chicago White Sox, right-handers Jack Leiter and Owen White were recalled from Triple-A Round Rock and infielder Jonathan Ornelas was optioned to Round Rock. Manager Bruce Bochy said the 29-year-old Dunning isn't expected to have a lengthy stay on the sidelines. If Leiter looks better in his second MLB start in the second game of a doubleheader against the A's on Wednesday, he could stick around in Texas. Dunning is 3-2 so far this year with a 4.10 ERA (4.89 FIP) and 1.15 WHIP with 17 walks and 43 K's in 37 1/3 innings over seven starts. He's had a strong 31% whiff rate but also has the fourth-worst hard-hit rate at 60.5%.

Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno (illness) is back behind the plate and is batting seventh on Wednesday against the Cincinnati Reds and right-hander Graham Ashcraft. Moreno had the day off on Sunday against the San Diego Padres and also sat out the series opener on Tuesday against the Reds while being under the weather, but the 24-year-old backstop is feeling good enough to play on Wednesday. Moreno has yet to clear the fences so far in 2024 and is currently hitting .241/.340/.322 with five doubles, one triple, 14 RBI and nine runs scored in 100 plate appearances over 29 games played. He has gone hitless in just two career at-bats against Ashcraft.

The Texas Rangers acquired outfielder Robbie Grossman from the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday in exchange for right-hander Anthony Hoopii-Tuionetoa, according to the Rangers. The 34-year-old switch-hitting veteran will return to the Rangers after he hit .238/.340/.394 with 10 home runs and 49 RBI in 115 regular-season games with the World Series champions last year. In 25 games with the White Sox this year, Grossman had gone 15-for-71 (.211) with no home runs, four RBI and two stolen bases in 85 plate appearances. Grossman isn't going to hit for average but has solid on-base skills and will give the Rangers another bat off the bench for the time being with rookie Wyatt Langford (oblique) currently on the 10-day injured list.

Detroit Tigers outfielder Mark Canha (illness) is out of the starting lineup again on Wednesday against the Cleveland Guardians due to an upper respiratory infection. "He's not feeling well. It hasn't been a great road trip health-wise (for the team), so we're kind of quarantining him at this point to get him away from the rest of us until further notice," manager A.J. Hinch said. It will be the second straight game missed for the 35-year-old, who is hitting .248 (29-for-117) so far in 2024 with five home runs, 16 RBI and 17 runs scored for the Tigers. Check back on Friday to see if Canha is feeling good enough to play in the series opener against the Houston Astros after a scheduled off day on Thursday. Colt Keith will serve as the designated hitter and will bat fifth on Wednesday against Guardians right-hander Tanner Bibee.