Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen is not in the starting lineup for Wednesday's contest against the Milwaukee Brewers and right-hander Bryse Wilson. The veteran homered as part of a two-hit effort on Tuesday but will give way to Connor Joe to leadoff and man left field on Wednesday. Interestingly, McCutchen's splits lean heavily towards righties so far this season as he's hitting .295 with all three of his homers coming off of southpaws while he is just 1-for-16 (.063) with three walks in 20 plate appearances against lefties. He is seeing semi-regular playing time this season, appearing in 16 of the team's 24 games but isn't doing a ton for fantasy managers with a .233 average and 30.9% K% on the young season.

The San Francisco Giants placed left-hander Blake Snell (groin) on the 15-day injured list on Wednesday (retroactive to April 23) with a left-adductor strain and recalled right-hander Landen Roupp from Triple-A Sacramento in a corresponding move. Snell was scratched from his next start on Wednesday against the New York Mets and will now miss at least the next two weeks. The 31-year-old reigning National League Cy Young winner hasn't had a good year so far in 2024 after signing with the Giants just before the start of the regular season. In his three starts so far, he's 0-3 with an 11.57 ERA, 1.97 WHIP, five walks and 12 strikeouts in 11 2/3 innings. Fantasy managers need to keep Snell stashed in an IL start everywhere, but expecting him to bounce back to his Cy Young form from a year ago after he returns may be foolish.

Washington Nationals outfielder Lane Thomas (knee), who is undergoing an MRI exam on his left knee on Wednesday, is considered very likely to land on the injured list, according to sources. As a result, rookie infielder Trey Lipscomb is in Washington on Wednesday in case the team puts Thomas on the IL. Lipscomb hit .224 in 14 games after his first big-league call-up but was optioned back to the minors on April 15 when Nick Senzel returned from his injury. Thomas was injured in Tuesday's loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers while stealing second base in the fifth inning and may have to miss at least 10 days as a result. We should know more about how long he'll be out once the results of his MRI are released. In addition to his injury, Thomas has gone just 16-for-87 (.184) at the plate this year with two home runs, but he also has 11 stolen bases for fantasy managers.

Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said that right-hander Ryne Nelson (elbow) will throw a bullpen session at Salt River Fields on Wednesday, and it sounds like it could be close to the minimum 15 days on the injured list for him. Nelson was hit by a comebacker on his elbow and was put on the 15-day injured list last week, but he appears to be making good progress and could be ready to return when he's eligible on May 4. The 26-year-old former second-round pick in 2019 out of Oregon should have a starting rotation spot waiting for him in Arizona when he's ready. In his first four starts this year in his third major-league season, Nelson has gone 1-2 with a 4.60 ERA and 1.53 WHIP with five walks and 13 strikeouts covering 15 2/3 frames.

Arizona Cardinals closer Paul Sewald (oblique) is back in Arizona working with the medical team to determine whether he will need another minor-league rehab assignment or if he's ready to rejoin the D-backs. Manager Torey Lovullo said Sewald is "getting extremely close" to returning from the 15-day injured list. The 33-year-old made his first rehab appearance on Tuesday with Triple-A Reno and gave up an unearned run on two hits while walking one and striking out two, and that may be all he needs before returning to Arizona's bullpen. He has yet to pitch in the big leagues in 2024 due to a strained left oblique, but when he's back, he will operate as the team's full-time closer. Make sure he's not available for some reason on the waiver wire in your fantasy league.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Alec Burleson is out of the lineup on Wednesday with the team facing left-hander Jordan Montgomery and the Arizona Cardinals. It's no surprise, as Burleson will continue to ride the pine when the Cardinals face a southpaw. With the 25-year-old out and Jordan Walker being optioned to Triple-A Memphis, Brendan Donovan is in left field and hitting leadoff, while rookie Michael Siani gets the nod in center field and will bat ninth. With Walker in the minors for a bit, Burleson's fantasy stock in deeper leagues is going up, as he should play more regularly against right-handers now. The former second-round pick in 2020 out of East Carolina is still searching for his first home run in 2024 while batting .255 (13-for-51) with two RBI and two runs scored.

St. Louis Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras (hand) is back in the team's lineup on Wednesday, serving as the designated hitter and batting second against Arizona Diamondbacks left-hander Jordan Montgomery. Ivan Herrera is doing the catching and is hitting fifth. Left-hand soreness caused the Cardinals to lift Contreras from Tuesday's game early, but manager Oliver Marmol said the decision to pull Contreras had more to do with the lopsided score. Still, the 31-year-old veteran's hand issue is something to keep an eye on. It hasn't affected him at the plate so far, as he's currently hitting .292 (19-for-65) with three home runs and eight RBI in 19 games. He's gone hitless in eight career at-bats against Montgomery, but fantasy managers in single-year leagues need to get him back into their lineups.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker has been optioned to Triple-A Memphis on Wednesday. The former 21st overall pick in 2020 will head to the farm after opening the 2024 campaign with a weak .155/.239/.259 slash line with no home runs, four RBI, six walks and 18 strikeouts in 67 plate appearances over 20 games for the Red Birds. The 21-year-old will surely be back in St. Louis at some point, but he's going to need to work on some things in the minors first. Brendan Donovan is in left field and hitting leadoff on Wednesday, while rookie Michael Siani is in center field and batting ninth against Arizona Diamondbacks left-hander Jordan Montgomery. With Walker now in the minors, Alec Burleson and Ivan Herrera could see some more playing time in the outfield moving forward.

Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll is starting in center field but has been moved to the seven-hole on Wednesday for the matchup against the St. Louis Cardinals and right-hander Kyle Gibson. The 23-year-old will be down near the bottom of the D-backs' lineup for the first time this year as manager Torey Lovullo looks to get last year's National League Rookie of the Year going at the plate. After making his first All-Star team and leading Arizona to the World Series last fall, Carroll has come out cold at the plate in 2024, slashing .215/.324/.269 with a homer, five RBI and eight stolen bases in his first 23 games. While the drop in the batting order is likely just a temporary thing to try and help Carroll get going offensively, it's not what fantasy managers want to see. Outfielder Pavin Smith is hitting leadoff after driving in six on Tuesday.

Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell said that X-rays on outfielder Cody Bellinger (rib) were negative, but the team has to see how he is on Wednesday before they can determine how long he might be out. Bellinger left Tuesday's game early with a right-rib contusion not long after he ran into the wall in center field at Wrigley Field tracking a ball down. Fantasy managers will want to check back to see if Bellinger is in the lineup against the Houston Astros on Wednesday, but most likely he will not be, and he could miss more time beyond that. For now, consider the 28-year-old lefty hitter to be day-to-day. Rookie outfielder Alexander Canario replaced Bellinger in center field on Tuesday night and could see more playing time there moving forward if Bellinger is forced to miss time.

Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Justin Lawrence secured his first save of the season in Tuesday's victory against the San Diego Padres. Lawrence allowed a hit in the frame, but no runs, walks or strikeouts. Lawrence has struggled with a 6.23 ERA on the season, but could be the top option for a Rockies team that is unlikely to see many save opportunities this season. Between his struggles, team and home ballpark, Lawrence can be ignored in most formats at the moment.

Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman/outfielder Pavin Smith started as the designated hitter on Tuesday versus the St. Louis Cardinals and had himself a big game. Smith went 2-for-5 with two runs, a home run and six RBI. His home run was a grand slam against Zack Thompson in the top of the sixth inning. Smith was recalled on April 19 and was 0-for-5 entering Tuesday's contest. Smith has shown power in the past, but that is about it and without regular playing time, he can remain on the waiver wire.

Milwaukee Brewers middle infielder Brice Turang went 1-for-2 with a walk and two stolen bases on Tuesday versus the Pittsburgh Pirates. Turang's two stolen bases lifts his total to 12 on the season. He is also hitting a respectable .319 with two homers and nine RBI. Turang is unlikely to help much in the power department, but he has been playing every day and so far, has held his own. His true value comes in the speed department and managers looking to improve in that category should consider Turang. He is now tied with Elly De La Cruz for the league lead in stolen bases and will look to take sole control of the lead on Wednesday versus the Pirates.

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Steven Matz got rocked in Tuesday's loss versus the Arizona Diamondbacks. The left-hander tossed 4 1/3 innings and got hit hard for six hits, seven runs and three walks. He also had four strikeouts on the evening. Matz has really struggled to open the 2024 campaign and has allowed 16 runs (13 earned runs) over his last three outings. He has also failed to get past 5 1/3 innings on the season. Matz has a lot that needs to be figured out and can be avoided in all formats, even with a favorable matchup against the Detroit Tigers to begin next week.

Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Ben Lively put together a strong outing against the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday. It was his second outing of the season and both have come against the Red Sox. On Tuesday, Lively tossed 6 1/3 innings and allowed five hits, one run, zero walks and struck out seven on the evening. The 32-year-old has now allowed just three runs with 14 strikeouts and one walk over 11 1/3 innings. The Guardians always seem to have a pitcher factory churning and Lively could be the latest diamond in the rough for the franchise. It is still very early and both his starts have come against a injury plagued Red Sox lineup, but if Lively can toss another gem against the Atlanta Braves on Sunday, he will be worth rostering in most formats.

Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Yency Almonte recorded his first save of the season in Tuesday's victory against the Houston Astros. Almonte got the final four outs of the contest with one strikeout and no hits or walks allowed. The Cubs bullpen has been a bit of a mess in the early goings with closer Adbert Alzolay struggling to open the season, but managers should not expect Almonte to be the new closer with Alzolay still in the picture and Mark Leiter Jr. and Hector Neris ahead of him. Almonte can safely remain on the waiver wire.

Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Erick Fedde suffered a tough luck no-decision on Tuesday versus the Minnesota Twins. Fedde tossed six innings for a quality start and allowed three hits, one run, no walks and struck out a career-high 11 batters. Unfortunately for Fedde, his hard work went to waste as the White Sox bullpen blew a big lead and eventually the game. Despite the White Sox having a very tough season, Fedde has been one of the lone bright spots and boasts a respectable 2.73 ERA with a 1.14 WHIP in his first five starts. Fedde won't get many wins for managers, but he can help in other categories. He is worth a look with his next matchup coming against the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday.

Detroit Tigers closer Jason Foley stayed perfect in Tuesday's 4-2 win over the Rays, earning his seventh save. Foley came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth inning up by two and delivered a 1-2-3 performance with a strikeout. The 28-year-old has had a spotless start to the season, converting all of his save opportunities with a 2-0 record and a 0.00 ERA, a 9.00 K/9 rate, and a 4.91 BB/9 rate. The walk rate is higher than fantasy managers would prefer, but everything else has been fantastic.

Kansas City Royals relief pitcher James McArthur picked up his fifth save of the season in Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Blue Jays. McArthur came in to pitch the top of the eighth inning up by one. He got the first out on a groundout, allowed a walk, and induced a double play to end the inning. He started the ninth inning with a groundout, allowed a single, and got consecutive ground-ball outs to end the game. The 27-year-old has emerged as a useful fantasy option on a surprisingly competitive team and has now converted all but one save opportunity with a 3.09 ERA, a 9.26 K/9 rate, and a 1.54 BB/9 rate.

Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh continued his strong offensive start to the season in Tuesday's 4-0 win over the Rangers. Raleigh went 2-for-4 with a single, a two-run home run, and two strikeouts. The 27-year-old has hit for power as expected but has also provided average, slashing .271/.350/.529 with six HR and 13 RBI in 80 plate appearances. It remains to be seen if he can keep the average up with a 30.0% strikeout rate, but fantasy managers will enjoy it as long as it lasts.