Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich (back) remains out of the starting lineup ahead of Monday's game against the San Diego Padres. The veteran outfielder has been sidelined since being forced to exit early on Friday due to back discomfort. For the moment Yelich is considered as day-to-day, but fantasy managers shouldn't be shocked if Yelich ends up on the injured list. Sal Frelick will bat third and cover left field during Monday's game.

New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole (elbow) didn't throw at all on Monday, according to manager Aaron Boone. The right-hander continues to slowly work his way back up from an elbow injury that has sidelined him since the beginning of the season. It sounds like the plan is to have Cole rest on Monday before throwing again on Tuesday. He's expected to throw up to 75 feet during his Tuesday session. Fantasy managers will continue to need to be patient with Cole. He likely won't be back in the Yankees rotation until the end of May.

New York Yankees outfielder/designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton will start on the bench on Monday versus the Toronto Blue Jays. With Stanton starting on the pine, outfielder Aaron Judge is serving as the designated hitter and batting third, while Trent Grisham gets the start in center field and will hit ninth against Blue Jays right-hander Chris Bassett. Judge has hit .222 in nine career at-bats against Bassitt, while Grisham has hit .167 in just six career at-bats against Bassitt. The biggest takeaway for Stanton after the first 13 games of the 2024 season is that he's managed to stay healthy so far. In his 55 plate appearances to begin the year, he's gone 13-for-52 (.250) with four home runs, nine RBI and seven runs scored. As long as he stays healthy, Stanton can always provide elite power numbers in a strong Yankees lineup.

New York Yankees starter Gerrit Cole (elbow) played catch on Thursday, according to MLB.com. It was the second time the star right-hander has played catch since going on the 60-day injured list. Yankees manager Aaron Boone noted that session went well, but he did not mention when Cole will throw again. The 33-year-old is not eligible for activation until late May, though there is no guarantee he will be ready to return by then. Cole still deserves to be stashed in all formats until further notice, but it is safe to assume the Yankees will take things slow with their ace.

Atlanta Braves catcher Travis d'Arnaud is not in the team's starting lineup for Sunday's game against the Miami Marlins. It is just a regular rest day for the veteran backstop as he started the past two games behind the plate. Chadwick Tromp will take over catching duties on Sunday and bat ninth. Tromp is slashing .200/.182/.300 with no home runs to start the season and is not a recommended fantasy play for any format.

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich (back) remains out of the starting lineup ahead of Sunday's game against the Baltimore Orioles. The veteran outfielder continues to deal with back discomfort and will be held out of at least one more game. At the moment, fantasy managers should consider Yelich as day-to-day. However, Yelich could end up heading to the injured list if the issue continues to linger. Joey Wiemer will cover left field and bat eighth versus right-hander Corbin Burnes on Sunday. Fantasy managers should probably stay away from Wiemer in this tough matchup.

Pittsburgh Pirates designated hitter Andrew McCutchen will be on the bench Saturday as the Pirates continue a four-game set against the Phillies. The 37-year-old has a tough start to the season as he holds a .161/.316/.226 line with no home runs and only two RBI. Edward Olivares will instead be in the designated hitter spot and bat in the five-hole as he takes on Spencer Turnbull. Olivares has been swinging a hot bat over the first two weeks, hitting for a .314 AVG and .600 SLG with seven RBI and three home runs. Olivares is worth consideration in DFS, but he does have a difficult matchup with Spencer Turnbull, who has yet to allow an earned run and has a minuscule 0.55 WHIP.

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich (back) is not in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Baltimore Orioles. Yelich exited Friday's game early with a lower back discomfort. The 32-year-old has had a history of back issues, and the Brewers will be cautious with their star outfielder and rest him on Saturday. He is considered day-to-day, with the series finale on Sunday being his next chance to enter the lineup. Blake Perkins will replace Yelich in the lineup and is batting ninth for Saturday's contest. Perkins has been red hot recently, slashing .389/.476/.556 with a home run, four RBI, and six runs over five games. The 27-year-old can be a streamer in Saturday's slate against Orioles right-hander Dean Kramer while swinging a hot bat.

Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Daniel Bard (knee, elbow) had a setback rehabbing and will undergo season-ending right flexor tendon surgery. After recently throwing off a mound, the banged-up Bard's season suddenly ends before it even begins while also recovering from a cleanup procedure on his left knee. The 38-year-old veteran right-hander is a free agent following the 2024 campaign, and it's unlikely that he'll draw very much interest after walking more batters (49) than he struck out (47) a season ago. Bard spent seven years away from the major leagues before latching on with Colorado in 2020. Justin Lawrence and Tyler Kinley are the names to watch for fantasy purposes for saves-needy managers, but Lawrence has yielded seven runs across five appearances, and Kinley has given up eight runs over six innings thus far.

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich (back) was pulled from Friday's game against the Baltimore Orioles in the second inning. He left Friday's game with lower back discomfort. He went 1-for-1 with a single before being replaced in the bottom of the second inning. The 32-year-old has dealt with back issues in the past, and it's unclear how severe the latest injury is for Yelich. He is considered day-to-day. Yelich has been swinging a hot bat during the young season, hitting .316/.409/.737 with five home runs and two swiped bags. If Yelich were to miss time, Blake Perkins could be a candidate to handle left field.

Colorado Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon (illness) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays. Rockies' manager Bud Black said Blackmon is feeling under the weather, so they will hold him out of this contest. The expectation is that this will be a one-game absence for the veteran outfielder. In the meantime, Kris Bryant will function as the designated hitter, while Elehuris Montero covers first base versus right-hander Kevin Gausman on Friday.

The Arizona Diamondbacks have signed second baseman Kolten Wong to a minor-league deal and have assigned him to Triple-A Reno. Wong has inked a minors deal this offseason with the Orioles but failed to crack the Opening Day roster and once again hit the open market. Following a pair of production seasons at the plate with the Brewers, Wong's bat cratered in a brief stint with the Mariners in 2023, hitting just .183 with four homers, three stolen bases, and a .519 OPS across 87 games in the Pacific Northwest. The D-backs have Ketel Marte as their everyday second baseman but fellow infielder Geraldo Perdomo recently underwent knee surgery and will miss about a month's worth of action.

New York Yankees infielder DJ LeMahieu (foot) will travel with the club for its upcoming road trip to Cleveland and Toronto as he builds up toward game action. The veteran suffered a non-displaced fracture in his right foot this spring and has recently worked on taking grounders and running the bases. LeMahieu didn't have his best season at the plate in 2023, hitting .243 with 15 homers, two steals, and a .717 OPS across 136 appearances, production that graded out 1% above the league average, as per his 101 wRC+. He was scheduled to be the team's everyday third baseman and leadoff hitter prior to his injury and he will likely return to those roles upon his return to action.

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich hit his fifth home run of the season on Wednesday in a 7-2 win over the Reds. Yelich got his first start at designated hitter this season in the game, and the home run was his only hit of the day, going 1-for-4 with two RBI, a run scored, and a walk. Yelich is coming off probably his best statistical season since 2019, and looking to follow that up with another strong showing in 2024. His five home runs are one off of the league lead while hitting .316 with 11 RBI, seven runs scored, and two stolen bases. Expect the former MVP and 2x All-Star to continue to produce across multiple categories and provide fantasy managers a safe floor throughout the season.

Los Angeles Angels catcher Logan O'Hoppe, third baseman Anthony Rendon and first baseman Nolan Schanuel are all on the bench on Wednesday versus the Tampa Bay Rays and right-hander Zack Littell. Matt Thaiss is catching and batting eighth, Miguel Sano is at third base and hitting fifth, and Brandon Drury is at first base and batting in the six-hole for the Halos. Luis Rengifo is also at the keystone and hitting leadoff on Wednesday. Rengifo will gain some DFS appeal in this one while hitting atop the order. The 27-year-old Venezuelan infielder has been the odd-man out on the Angels' infield so far early this year, but he's been good when active, going 8-for-22 (.364) with two doubles, two RBI and two stolen bases in 23 plate appearances.

St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt and shortstop Masyn Winn are both getting a breather on Wednesday against the visiting Philadelphia Phillies. Alec Burleson is playing first base and batting sixth, while Brandon Crawford is at the 6 and is hitting seventh against Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola. The 36-year-old Goldschmidt could use the break after putting up a weak .544 OPS to begin the 2024 season. Meanwhile, Winn has been consistent so far in his first full season as the Cardinals' starting shortstop, going 11-for-33 (.333) with a double, triple, three RBI and a stolen base in 11 games. Neither Burleson nor Crawford will be very strong DFS plays against Nola. Burleson is hitting .167 with an RBI in six at-bats against Nola, while Crawford is hitting .200 with three RBI in 15 career at-bats.

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich continued his stellar offensive start in Tuesday's 9-5 win over the Reds. Yelich went 2-for-4 with a single, a double, three RBI, and a walk. The 32-year-old has done it all at the plate so far this season, slashing .324/.410/.706 with four home runs, six runs scored, nine RBI, and two stolen bases in 40 plate appearances. Yelich had a nice 2023 season after several disappointing ones, so seeing him pick up where he left off is encouraging.

Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Daniel Bard (knee) was expected to throw off a mound on Tuesday. The Rockies have been careful with Bard, whose platelet-rich plasma shots in his right forearm are a bigger concern than the cleanup operation on his left knee in February. Bard didn't participate in spring training, so he won't be available for the Rocks until May at the earliest. Even though the 38-year-old right-hander struggled to a 4.56 ERA (6.13 FIP), 1.70 WHIP, and an unfathomable 47:49 K:BB through 49 1/3 innings last season, he still might end up receiving the bulk of the save chances when he returns to the mound later this year. Justin Lawrence (9.82 ERA) and Tyler Kinley (13.50 ERA) remain the nominal favorites for saves out of Colorado's bullpen right now, but neither of the two right-handers have separated much in terms of seizing the closing gig to this point.

New York Yankees third baseman DJ LeMahieu (foot) has taken on-field batting practice and said on Saturday that he was encouraged by his progress. LeMahieu has also been fielding ground balls hit directly at him, and he has been running with approximately 90% effort, per MLB.com. Manager Aaron Boone also said on Tuesday that LeMahieu has started taking side to side grounders. LeMahieu is trying to overcome a non-displaced fracture of his right foot, and he will need a brief minor-league rehab assignment before returning to the Yankees. The 35-year-old contact-hitting infielder still has a chance to return before April's end, and he's a candidate to lead off in the Bronx after a strong 2023 second half saw him slash .273/.377/.432 with eight home runs, 17 RBI, and 27 runs scored over his final 220 at-bats of the year. In the interim, Jon Berti and Oswaldo Cabrera will share reps at the hot corner.

Milwaukee Brewers left-hander Wade Miley (shoulder) is scheduled to come off the injured list to make his season debut on Wednesday night versus the Reds on the road in Cincinnati. Miley threw 55 pitches for Triple-A Nashville in his final minor-league rehab start and gave up one run on two hits while walking two and striking out three. The 37-year-old southpaw's first start in the big leagues this year with Milwaukee will be an abbreviated start, which means that fantasy baseball managers looking for a low-cost streaming option on Wednesday should avoid him, especially in the difficult matchup in a hitter-friendly ballpark. Miley isn't your typical swing-and-miss pitcher. Instead, he relies on generating soft contact and keeping hitters off balance. Injuries have been an issue as he ages, too, so he's mostly a fantasy option in NL-only leagues.