St. Louis Cardinals infielder Matt Carpenter (oblique) is currently traveling with the team during their three-game series against the Oakland Athletics, and he took infield practice in Arizona this past weekend. Carpenter was put on the 10-day injured list due to a strained right oblique ahead of April 4's game against the Miami Marlins, and it would appear that a return in late April could be in the cards. After signing a two-year deal this past offseason with the team that drafted him, the 38-year-old former All-Star made St. Louis' Opening Day roster following a strong spring that saw him hit .346 (9-for-26) with five doubles, one home run, and five RBI in 13 outings. He figures to serve as the Cards' primary designated hitter against right-handed pitching upon his eventual return, but there's no clear-cut fantasy beneficiary of his absence at this time.

New York Yankees third baseman DJ LeMahieu (foot) is with the team on their current road trip in a three-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays. Manager Aaron Boone is encouraged by the veteran infielder's progress as he recovers from a non-displaced fracture of his right foot, and he said it's "very possible" LeMahieu will go on a rehab assignment when the club returns home on Thursday. With the Yankees struggling to find a consistent answer in the leadoff spot, the 35-year-old hitting machine will be an option for that role when he returns after hitting .273 (60-for-220) with eight home runs, nine doubles, 27 runs scored, and 36 walks in 60 games post-All-Star break last year. He has a chance to return before the end of April. The switch-hitting Oswaldo Cabrera is hitting .289 with an .888 OPS, three homers, and 11 RBI in his first 12 games of the campaign and remains worth rostering in all fantasy leagues while he's running hot.

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that outfielder Jason Heyward (back) is still dealing with residual soreness in his back. There is no timetable for his return, but Heyward would have to go on a minor-league rehab assignment before being activated from the 10-day injured list because he's already missed two weeks. Until the 34-year-old veteran left-handed swinger is able to return to the big-league roster, Teoscar Hernandez should continue to regularly play right field, with Chris Taylor also seeing additional playing time for the Blue in the outfield. Heyward should play regularly against right-handed pitching when he's healthy again. The former first-rounder in 2007 by the Atlanta Braves had gone 3-for-14 with two RBI in four games this year before landing on the IL.

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 Mets designated hitter J.D. Martinez (back) is scheduled to resume swinging the bat on Monday and is still a few days away, according to manager Carlos Mendoza, of getting back into a minor-league game. Martinez hasn't played since last Saturday for Low-A St. Lucie after which he started to feel back tightness. The veteran right-handed slugger received a shot in his back last Tuesday. The Mets signed the 36-year-old late in spring training, but he didn't join the club for Opening Day as he tried to get his timing down at the plate before hurting his back. He probably won't resume his minor-league rehab assignment until later this week, but if he continues to feel good this weekend, there's a possibility that Martinez could join the Mets for his team debut sometime next week.

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve continued his torrid start to the season on Sunday, smacking a pair of homers in an 8-5 win over the Texas Rangers. Altuve went 3-for-5 on the day, adding two runs and two RBI as well as a stolen base. He is now up to a .382 AVG to go with five homers and a stolen base. The 33-year-old isn't showing any signs of aging and should continue to be an excellent five-category contributor as long as he can stay healthy.

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.

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.

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve went 3-for-4 with a walk during Thursday's blowout loss to the Kansas City Royals. The veteran infielder has been his productive self to start the season, slashing .370/.452/.648 with three home runs through 14 games. Altuve continues to be one of the best fantasy second basemen in the league and should garner plenty of counting stats at the top of the Astros lineup. He remains a must-start option for the rest of 2024 even though Houston has been a surprising disappointment overall.

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.

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.

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.

New York Mets outfielder J.D. Martinez (back) will be shut down for three to five days after receiving a cortisone shot. The veteran slugger is dealing with lower back tightness, so hopefully this shot and rest will help him. Martinez wasn't expected to join the Mets this week, but this news means his season debut will be pushed back further. The Mets should give an update on his timetable in a few days.

The New York Mets have designated pitcher Julio Teheran for assignment on Tuesday, the team announced. Teheran signed a one-year $2.5 million deal with the Mets on April 5 after he failed to make the Baltimore Orioles roster. The right-hander made one start for New York allowing four runs on six hits across 2 and 2/3 innings. Following the outing, the Mets designated the right-hander for assignment, and in his spot, New York called up right-handed pitcher Dedniel Nez.

Pittsburgh Pirates catchers Yasmani Grandal (foot) and Endy Rodriguez (elbow) are making progress from their respective injuries, while catcher Jason Delay (knee) has been shut down from all baseball activities. Grandal is going to do some baserunning in the coming days and has been participating in simulated games. Rodriguez should start a swinging progression from the left side of the plate next week. The veteran Grandal is working his way back from plantar fasciitis in his left foot but appears to be close to a rehab assignment. When the 35-year-old is ready, he'll split catching duties in Pittsburgh with Henry Davis. Rodriguez, 23, is the team's backstop of the future, but he'll be out until the 2025 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

If the Seattle Mariners decide to skip young right-hander Emerson Hancock's next turn in the starting rotation and if righty Bryan Woo (elbow) isn't ready to return from the injured list by then, newly signed left-hander Dallas Keuchel could be an option to temporarily replace Hancock. The 12-year-old veteran and former Cy Young winner threw five scoreless innings in his season debut with Triple-A Tacoma on Sunday. Levi Stoudt, Casey Lawrence and Jhonathan Diaz could also be candidates for a spot start for the M's. It would be a cool comeback for Keuchel, 36, but his upside would be limited for fantasy managers and his stay in Seattle's rotation would likely be a short one with either Hancock or Woo replacing him sooner or later.

New York Mets designated hitter J.D. Martinez (body) will not join the team for their upcoming series against the Atlanta Braves, according to manager Carlos Mendoza. The veteran slugger is reportedly dealing with general body soreness and will get the next few days off. Martinez was signed late in the offseason and seems to be getting back into game shape, but the process is taking longer than expected. While there are some injury concerns, the 36-year-old should be able to provide solid power for fantasy teams whenever he makes his debut.

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.