Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Chris Paddack had a strong start on Sunday, tossing eight innings of two-run ball in a 5-2 loss to the Cleveland Guardians. Paddack allowed just three hits while showing excellent command, walking none and striking out six. The only damage done to Paddack was a two-run blast off the bat of Andres Gimenez in the first inning. It was a very good sign to see the 28-year-old bounce back from a tough outing against the Yankees last time out, and fantasy managers who held onto Paddack should feel better about his outlook. That said, the righty is still a fringey option in standard leagues and should be left for streaming for now until he can show more consistency. He is a good deep league option, though.

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Yu Darvish was nearly unhittable on Sunday, throwing seven shutout innings of two-hit ball in a 9-1 win over the Atlanta Braves. This marks back-to-back Sunday Night Baseball victories for Darvish, who posted an eerily similar line last week against the Dodgers. In both outings he went seven innings and allowed zero runs, two hits, and a walk. The only difference is that he managed two more strikeouts in this one, totaling nine compared to seven last week. The dominant performance lowered his ERA to 2.08 and his WHIP to 0.90. He should be an easy start in all fantasy leagues after stellar outings against two of the best offenses in baseball and his streak of not allowing an earned run reaching 26 IP.

Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Corbin Burnes looked unhittable during Sunday's game against the Seattle Mariners. The right-hander struck out 11 batters while allowing only one run over six innings of work. Burnes matched his season-high for strikeouts, he also struck out 11 batters on Opening Day. He holds a solid 2.56 ERA so far and earned his first win since late April on Sunday.

Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel was asked with holding a three-run lead during Sunday's game against the Seattle Mariners. The veteran right-hander was removed from the closer role in early May. Hopefully for fantasy managers, Kimbrel is now getting eased back into the role. He was given a three-run lead and the bottom of the Mariners batting order on Sunday. He struck out two batters in a scoreless inning of work. It remains to be seen if Kimbrel has earned his closer role back.

Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley (side) is not in the starting lineup for Sunday's game against the San Diego Padres. It will be the sixth straight game that Riley has missed due to side inflammation. Riley has managed to avoid the injured list and is still considered day-to-day, but it is slightly concerning that he continues to miss time. In his absence, Zack Short will at third base and bat seventh against Padres starter Yu Darvish. Short is a fantasy afterthought at this point as he is slashing a paltry .172/.333/.241 through 29 at-bats in 2024.

New York Mets relief pitcher Edwin Diaz has allowed eight earned runs in his past five innings and is losing his grasp on closing duties in Queens. On Sunday, manager Carlos Mendoza did not commit to a new closer but did describe Diaz's usage as "fluid." He further stated, "He'll do whatever it takes, whether that is pitching in the seventh, the eighth, the ninth-whatever that is losing, winning." These are not encouraging words for fantasy managers, especially with Diaz's recent production. For the short term, Mendoza might give ninth-inning duties to Reed Garrett, who enters Sunday with a stellar 0.78 ERA and 1.17 WHIP, or Adam Ottavino, who carries a 2.95 ERA and 0.93 WHIP. Diaz should still be the clear lead to earn save opportunities this summer but may need to pitch in a set-up role to gain his confidence back. Both Garrett and Ottavino are solid options to add this weekend from the waiver wire if you are desperate for saves.

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith (rest) is out of the starting lineup ahead of the game against the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday. Fantasy managers don't have anything to worry about as this appears to be a routine rest day for Smith. In his absence, Austin Barnes will handle behind the plate and bat ninth on Sunday. Fantasy managers should be able to find a better streaming option considering Barnes isn't known for his ability with the bat.

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Joe Musgrove (triceps) won't be activated from the injured list ahead of Sunday's game against the Atlanta Braves. Instead, Musgrove is likely to be activated and start against the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday. The Padres were planning on bringing Musgrove back on Sunday, but a rainout on Saturday pushed back their rotation. Fantasy managers will have to wait a little longer before getting the 31-year-old back on the mound. Musgrove holds a 6.37 ERA, 1.51 WHIP, and a 36/13 K/BB ratio through eight starts this season. Hopefully some time off will help him get back on track.

Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner (hamstring) remains out of the starting lineup ahead of Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. This marks the sixth straight game that Hoerner has missed due to tightness in his hamstring. The 27-year-old is considered day-to-day, but it's a bit surprising Hoerner hasn't been placed on the injured list yet. In the meantime, Nick Madrigal will bat seventh and cover second base on Sunday.

New York Mets outfielder Starling Marte will not start on Sunday against the Marlins in Miami. It appears to just be a normal day of rest for the 35-year-old veteran. DJ Stewart is getting the start in right field for the Mets and will hit cleanup against Marlins right-hander Sixto Sanchez. Marte has stayed healthy so far this year through 183 plate appearances and is currently slashing .266/.313/.379 with four home runs, 16 RBI, eight stolen bases and 22 runs scored for the Mets. He should be back in the lineup on Monday for the series opener against the Cleveland Guardians. Stewart has some thump in his lumber with four home runs in 35 games in 2024, but he's also hitting just .203 (15-for-74) with 16 RBI, 19 walks and 19 strikeouts. He has never faced Sanchez in his career.

Colorado Rockies first baseman Kris Bryant (back) will remain with Triple-A Albuquerque on a rehab assignment through Sunday. He will make his fifth appearance in Triple-A on Sunday and is expected to join the Rockies for their three-game series against the Oakland A's, starting on Tuesday. The 31-year-old has been sidelined for over a month due to a lower back strain. He struggled to start the season, slashing .149/.273/.255 over 13 games before being placed on the injured list. The veteran has been unable to stay healthy and hasn't played 100 games or more since 2021. Fantasy managers might want to see how Bryant performs before activating him to their starting lineups. Still, the former Chicago Cub is mainly an option in deep-league formats for now until he turns it around at the plate.

Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras' three-run homer off Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander proved to be the game-winning hit in Saturday's 4-2 win. Contreras battled Verlander for 12 pitches before the 13th pitch in the at-bat, which resulted in his seventh homer of the season. He enters Sunday's play second in the majors with a .350 batting average, while his 37 RBI has him tied for third in what has become a breakout campaign. Contreras is one of the top catchers in fantasy baseball and managers should continue to roll with him in all league formats.

Seattle Mariners reliever Andres Munoz allowed a run on one hit while striking out two to earn the save during Saturday's 4-3 win over the Baltimore Orioles. Munoz entered the ninth inning to protect a two-run lead. He allowed a solo home run to Gunnar Henderson but was able to shake it off and strike out Adley Rutschman to end the game. The homer to Henderson was Munoz's first earned run over his last 11 innings. He owns a 1.86 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, and a 26:7 K: BB across 19 1/3 innings in 2024. Munoz is one of the relief pitchers in baseball, and fantasy managers should continue to roll with him in all league formats.

New York Mets closerEdwin Diazsquandered a four-run lead in the ninth inning of Saturday's 10-9 loss in ten innings at the Miami Marlins. Diaz gave up an RBI single toJazz Chisholmbefore allowing a game-tying three-run homer toJosh Bell, who tied the game. After the game, Diaz told SNY that his "confidence is down" and that he would be open to relinquishing the closer's role until he can regain his form. Diaz has five saves this season, but his ERA has zoomed to 5.50 after allowing four home runs in his last 8 1/3 innings. Reed Garrett and Adam Ottavino would be next line to handle closer duties for the Mets until Diaz gets back on track.

Miami Marlins first baseman Josh Bell went 3-for-5 with a home run and four RBI in Saturday's 10-9 victory over the New York Mets. With runners on first and second base, Bell took Mets closer Edwin Diaz deep in the bottom of the ninth inning to tie the game 9-9. The Marlins scored another run in the 10th inning to eventually win the game. The 31-year-old is starting to heat up at the plate and has multi-hit efforts in four of his last five games. He is slashing .229/.315/.366 with six home runs, 24 RBI, and 20 runs over 47 games in 2024. Fantasy managers can use Bell as a streamer in most leagues while he's swinging a hot bat.

Veteran lefthander Garrett Cleavinger earned his third save on Saturday, closing out the Toronto Blue Jays in a 5-4 victory. Closer Pete Fairbanks is back from the IL, but Cleavinger got the call to face the lefty portion of the Toronto lineup. He has been excellent for the Rays this year, going 3-0 with the aforementioned three saves, four holds, a 1.53 ERA, and a 1.25 WHIP in 17 innings in 2024. Fairbanks should get the bulk of the save opportunities, but Cleavinger could vulture some when the Rays have to face lefties in the ninth, or when Fairbanks needs a night off.

Veteran ace Kevin Gausman threw six strong innings on Saturday afternoon against the Tampa Bay Rays. Gausman surrendered three earned runs on eight hits while striking out six, leaving with a 4-3 lead. However, Nate Pearson gave up a two-run homer to outfielder Jonny DeLuca to ruin the win for Gausman. Gausman remains at 2-3 with a 4.89 ERA and 1.51 WHIP, with 43 strikeouts in 42 innings. He only went three innings in his last start, giving up six earned runs. He will make his next start this coming week at Detroit on Thursday.

Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Taijuan Walker will throw a "light" bullpen session on Sunday. Walker injured his toe after being hit by a comebacker on Thursday night. Manager Rob Thomson sounded optimistic that Walker would make his next start. The team will see how Walker feels tomorrow after the bullpen session and make any further determinations from there. Walker is 3-0 with a 4.91 ERA, a 1.41 WHIP, and 16 strikeouts in 22 innings pitched this season. Walker is currently scheduled to pitch Wednesday against the Texas Rangers. If he cannot make that start, look for veteran Spencer Turnbull to make it.

New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto had a monster day on Saturday in the Yankees' 6-1 win over the Chicago White Sox. Soto blasted two home runs, both solo shots off White Sox starter Brad Keller, and tallied three RBI in the midst of going 4-4 with a walk. The lefty's big day raised his OPS to a team high .975, just a couple ticks above teammate Aaron Judge. After coming over in a trade from the San Diego Padres in the offseason, Soto is proving the trade package was worth the cost. The 25-year-old stated on Thursday that he would be open to contract talks with the Yankees during the season if they approached his agent Scott Boras. It would likely be a smart decision for the Yankees to do so. Soto will look to continue his MVP-caliber season on Sunday against scheduled White Sox starter Chris Flexen.