Washington Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg officially retired from baseball on Saturday. He signed a seven-year, $245 million contract extension in December 2019; while some of the money will be deferred, the 35-year-old will receive $100 million over the next three years. He struggled to come back from thoracic outlet syndrome surgery he underwent in July 2021. Strasburg was limited to 31 1/3 innings from 2020-2022. The former No. 1 overall pick finishes his career with a 113-62 record, 3.24 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and 1,723 strikeouts (10.5 K's per inning) across 1,470 innings. Strasburg is a three-time All-Star who helped the Nationals win their only championship in 2019 and was named the World Series MVP.

Boston Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen (back), who closed out the Los Angeles Angels in an 8-6 victory on Friday night for his third save of the year, is dealing with a sore back but had enough to close out the game. The 36-year-old active MLB leader in saves struck one batter in his clean frame on Friday and has now tossed four scoreless and hitless innings with three saves, five walks and six strikeouts in his first four appearances of 2024. He has been perfect so far, but it looks like his back issues from spring training are still around, and his command has been worrisome despite the three saves. Keep an eye on whether Jansen will be available to pitch on Saturday against the Halos. If he's not, either Chris Martin or Josh Winckowski could be in line for a save opportunity.

New York Yankees designated hitter/outfielder Giancarlo Stanton went hitless for the third straight game in Friday's 3-0 loss to the division-rival Toronto Blue Jays, striking out twice in four at-bats. As the Yankees were shut out in their home opener for the first time since 1967, Stanton's batting average dropped to a paltry .125 with 13 K's over his first 25 plate appearances of the year. It's way too early to give up on the 34-year-old five-time All-Star in fantasy, but he's now batting just .130 (3-for-23) with two RBI in six games against Toronto dating back to last season to boot. His playing time is safe for now, but all bets might be off when Jasson Dominguez (elbow) is ready to go later in 2024. Things won't get any easier for Stanton versus Jays ace Kevin Gausman on Saturday, but the veteran slugger is 6-for-17 with a homer and three RBI in 18 PAs against the right-hander in his career and will sport some contrarian DFS appeal in a tough matchup on paper.

Baltimore Orioles closer Craig Kimbrel helped spoil the Pittsburgh Pirates' home opener in Friday's 5-2 win, preserving the victory and notching his first save of the year with two strikeouts in a clean ninth inning. It was a bit of a rocking-chair save for the 35-year-old nine-time All-Star, who sat down the sixth, seventh, and eighth hitters of Pittsburgh's lineup with relative ease. Kimbrel really struggled in spring ball, floundering to a 7.50 ERA and serving up two homers in six spring training innings, also blowing his first save chance of the year but escaping with the win in Monday's walk-off triumph over the visiting Kansas City Royals. With that said, Friday was a strong bounce-back performance. 2023 All-Star Yennier Cano has fired 4 1/3 scoreless frames and could eventually come knocking on the door for save chances of his own, but Kimbrel is a good bet to tally at least 20 saves in 2024.

Milwaukee Brewers left-hander Wade Miley (shoulder) threw three simulated innings at Citi Field last week and two more simulated innings at American Family Field on Monday and is now scheduled to start for Triple-A Nashville in a rehab game on Friday. Miley would like his next outing after that to be with the Brewers, but that will depend on clearance from the medical staff. He's eligible to be activated from the 15-day injured list as soon as April 9 in Cincinnati. The 37-year-old southpaw was delayed at the start of spring training due to shoulder soreness and was eventually diagnosed with a left-shoulder impingement. The soft-tossing lefty will have a rotation spot waiting for him, but his lack of strikeout upside makes him one to avoid in most mixed fantasy leagues, and we certainly wouldn't suggest streaming him if he makes his 2024 debut versus the Reds.

New York Mets right-hander Julio Teheran will officially make his 2024 debut with the Mets on Monday in Atlanta against the division-rival Braves, and he'll be good for 70 to 75 pitches. Teheran will also potentially be available out of the bullpen on Friday in the series opener against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks. The 33-year-old veteran was trying to win a roster spot with the Baltimore Orioles in spring training this year but was cut before Opening Day and has landed in the National League with the Mets. He'll give the team some rotation help with both Kodai Senga and Tylor Megill on the injured list due to shoulder injuries. At best, Teheran is a waiver-wire pickup for the pitching-needy in deep NL-only leagues, and he should be avoided in his first start versus Atlanta.

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said his "hope" is that outfielder Jason Heyward (back) will return from the injured list when he's eligible next week, but the skipper isn't sure of Heyward's exact timeline yet. Heyward also didn't sound too concerned about his back injury and said it stiffened up on days he was coming off the bench, so the Dodgers decided him going on the IL would be best to make sure it doesn't linger. The 34-year-old is eligible to come back next Saturday, April 13. Until Heyward is able to return, Teoscar Hernandez is likely going to continue playing right field, with utility man Chris Taylor filling in on the other side in left field. In the first four games in 2024, Heyward has gone just 3-for-14 (.214) with two RBI and three runs scored for the Blue.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder/designated hitter Andrew McCutchen is taking the day off on Thursday against the Washington Nationals. With McCutchen getting a breather, outfielder Connor Joe will serve as the team's DH on Thursday and bat fifth, with Jack Suwinski getting the start in left field and hitting cleanup against Nationals right-hander Josiah Gray. Suwinski is hitting .333 in his career in just six at-bats against Gray with a solo home runs, so he could be a sneaky low-cost DFS play as he draws into Pittsburgh's lineup. Joe is hitless in his six career at-bats versus Gray. The 37-year-old McCutchen is off to a slow start this year after a nice bounce-back performance in 2023 in his return to the Bucs. He's currently 3-for-16 (.188) with two RBI and nine strikeouts in 21 plate appearances over his first four games.

St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter Matt Carpenter has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a right oblique strain. Catcher Pedro Pages has been called from Triple-A Memphis in a corresponding move. The veteran returned to the organization where he enjoyed his most productive seasons for the 2024 campaign and is 3-for-10 (.300) with a run scored through his first 11 plate appearances on the young season. After a resurgent season with the Yankees in 2022, Carpenter hit just .176 with five homers across 76 appearances with the Padres in the 2023 season. Alec Burleson is likely to handle everyday designated hitter duties in Carpenter's absence.

St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Lance Lynn is looking to build on a strong start to this season when he takes on the visiting Miami Marlins on Thursday. The veteran tossed four scoreless innings with just one walk against five strikeouts in his return to St. Louis against the Dodgers on March 30, an encouraging sign after he struggled in the 2023 season. Lynn limped to a 5.73 ERA across 32 starts between the Chicago White Sox and the Dodgers in the 2023 campaign, the first season in which he posted an ERA above 5.00. He is a strong bounce-back candidate as he had posted four straight seasons with an ERA of 4.00 or below while he will look to get deeper into the ball game on Thursday.

New York Mets designated hitter J.D. Martinez will head to a minor-league affiliate, and there's a possibility that he joins the team in Atlanta for the start of a series against the division-rival Braves early next week. Martinez wasn't included on the team's Opening Day roster after signing with the club late in spring training. The 36-year-old veteran slugger stayed behind in extended spring training to get his swing right, but it appears he's getting close to making his debut with the team. To start the year, D.J. Stewart has been serving as the Mets' primary designated hitter, but Martinez will eventually take over those duties to give first baseman Pete Alonso more protection in the lineup. If you're looking to add a little more thump to your fantasy team and Martinez is available, pick him up and stash him now.

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi fired seven scoreless innings on four hits and one walk in Wednesday's 4-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays, collecting his first win of the season. Eovaldi produced solid results in Texas' Opening Day walk-off triumph over the Chicago Cubs, and he was even better against the Rays. Until Jacob deGrom (elbow) and Max Scherzer (back) are ready to go in 2024, the Rangers are going to rely on Eovaldi as the ace of their pitching rotation. The 2023 All-Star right-hander will be an elite fantasy option when the defending World Series champions host the Oakland Athletics for the start of a three-game set next Tuesday, as Eovaldi is 2-0 with 17 shutout innings and 23 strikeouts in three appearances against the A's since 2022.

Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton said on Tuesday that catcher Yasmani Grandal (foot) is "still a ways away" from returning. Grandal was held to two spring training games before being diagnosed with plantar fasciitis in his foot and is just beginning his running progression, per Shelton. The 35-year-old switch-hitting backstop signed a one-year deal with the Bucs this past offseason to serve as catching depth and a veteran presence, but he won't be on any fantasy radars any time soon. His All-Star days likely well behind him, Grandal slashed a poor .234/.309/.339 with eight home runs, 14 doubles, and 33 RBI through 405 plate appearances for the Chicago White Sox in 2023. With Jason Delay (knee) and Endy Rodriguez (elbow) also out of action, Pittsburgh will rely on former No. 1 overall pick Henry Davis and the newly-acquired Joey Bart for playing time behind the dish for the time being.

The Los Angeles Dodgers placed outfielder Jason Heyward (back) on the 10-day injured list on Wednesday with lower-back tightness and recalled outfielder Taylor Trammell from the minors in a corresponding move. Heyward had missed the last two games with the injury and will now miss at least another 10 days. It's believed to be a minor back injury, though, so the 34-year-old veteran outfielder could return to the Dodgers when he's eligible. In addition to his injury, Heyward has gotten off to a slow start in 2024, going 3-for-14 (.214) with two RBI and three runs scored in his first four games. Trammell was just claimed off waivers from the Mariners on Tuesday but will likely just be outfield bench depth in the short term with Heyward injured. Teoscar Hernandez is back in right field again on Wednesday, with Chris Taylor starting in left field for the Dodgers.

The New York Mets signed free-agent right-hander Julio Teheran to a major-league deal on Wednesday, and club officials believe that he'll be capable of starting Monday's series opener against the division-rival Atlanta Braves. With Kodai Senga (shoulder) and Tylor Megill (shoulder) both on the injured list with shoulder injuries, the Mets are desperate for rotation help in the early going. The 33-year-old Teheran was competing for a roster spot with the Baltimore Orioles, so apparently he's stretched out enough to come right in and make a start for the Mets early next week. He had a 4.40 ERA and 1.13 WHIP in 71 2/3 innings for the Milwaukee Brewers last year but should be avoided in all fantasy formats for what is expected to be his first start of 2024 against the Braves.

New York Yankees outfielder/designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton will start on the bench on Wednesday for the series finale against the Arizona Diamondbacks. With Stanton getting a breather, Aaron Judge will serve as the DH and bat third, while Trent Grisham will get the start in center field and hit in the nine-hole against Diamondbacks right-hander Merrill Kelly. Stanton has gotten off to a slow start at the plate for the Yankees in the first five games of the 2024 season, going just 3-for-20 (.150) with a solo home run, a double, two runs scored and 11 strikeouts in his first 21 plate appearances. Judge will be looking for his first career hit against Kelly (he's had just two at-bats against him), while Grisham is currently hitting .182 in 22 career at-bats against Kelly.

The Atlanta Braves signed relief pitcher Jackson Stephens and catcher Sandy Leon to minor-league deals Tuesday, per The Athletic's David O'Brien. Stephens elected free agency in March after being outrighted to Triple-A Gwinnett by the Braves and served as a decent reliever for the Braves from 2022 through 2023. Leon should serve as catcher depth for the organization with Sean Murphy (oblique) on the injured list with an oblique injury but will not contribute much offensively. Neither of these players should factor into the fantasy landscape at this time.

Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper broke out of his slump in a big way in Tuesday's 9-4 win over the Reds. Harper went 3-for-4 with two solo home runs and a grand slam. The 31-year-old had gone hitless in his first 13 plate appearances but got in the hit column in a very loud way. This is a great sign for fantasy managers, although Harper deserves some leeway given his career success. Hopefully, this big game can kickstart his offensive season.

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said on Monday that second baseman DJ LeMahieu (foot) is progressing, and that he will be reimaged on or around April 12. "It does seem like he's doing a lot better over the last five days or so," Boone said. LeMahieu was diagnosed with a non-displaced fracture on the top of his right foot following an MRI on March 29. While an April return is possible, LeMahieu's progress will be determined by his pain tolerance after he was able to hit in the batting cages last Friday. In the veteran infielder's absence, super-utility man Oswaldo Cabrera has taken baseball by storm by hitting 8-for-20 (.400) with a 1.179 OPS, two home runs, one doubles, and seven RBI in his first five games. Cabrera will handle the bulk of the reps at third base until LeMahieu is cleared, and he's pushing for an everyday role.

Former American League Cy Young winner Dallas Keuchel is signing a minor-league deal with the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday. The plan will be for the veteran left-hander to report to Triple-A Tacoma. The 36-year-old southpaw won the Cy Young award all the way back in 2015 with the Houston Astros and hasn't made an All-Star team since 2017. Last year in 10 appearances (six starts) for the Minnesota Twins, Keuchel went 2-1 with a 5.97 ERA (4.56 FIP) and 1.67 WHIP with 18 walks and 25 strikeouts in 37 2/3 innings pitched. There's no guarantee that he'll make it back to the big leagues in Seattle, so fantasy managers in all leagues can probably leave Keuchel to the waiver wire. In his 12 big-league seasons, Keuchel has fanned just 6.9 hitters per nine innings, too, so there will be very little upside if he's making starts for the M's in 2024.