Texas Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien had a great day at the dish on Thursday, leading the team to a 9-7 win over the Detroit Tigers. Semien went 3-for-6 with a homer and a double while scoring a pair of runs and knocking in one. With the big performance, the 33-year-old bumps up his slash line to .286/.355/.464 on the season. He also has 16 runs scored, three homers, 17 RBI, and a stolen base. While the counting numbers are great, his power and speed have left a little to be desired so far, but those should pick up as the season goes on.

San Francisco Giants right-hander Alex Cobb (shoulder, elbow, hip) said after the game on Thursday night that he had an MRI exam come back clean and that he will throw on flat ground on Friday. The news comes after it was reported earlier on Thursday that Cobb developed "mild shoulder inflammation" in his right arm two days after his latest bullpen session. The 36-year-old veteran has now dealt with elbow and shoulder issues while initially rehabbing from offseason hip surgery. It's good news that his shoulder injury isn't anything serious, but he's going to need at least several weeks to ramp his arm back up before he becomes a realistic option for the Giants' starting rotation in 2024. Injury issues aside, there's not a ton of fantasy upside with Cobb at this point in his career.

Texas Rangers relief pitcher Kirby Yates closed out the Detroit Tigers on Thursday in a 9-7 win. Yates got the final four outs of this one, allowing just a hit while striking out one. It was the 37-year-old's second save of the season, with his first coming on Monday. He has been used as Texas' highest-leverage pitcher for the past few weeks and is likely to continue in that role, which will presumably give him the best chance at saves in the Rangers bullpen. He should be added in any leagues where saves matter.

The Texas Rangers are now hoping that right-hander Max Scherzer (back) can return from the injured list in early May after originally believed to be out until maybe late June. Scherzer threw 25 pitches during a live batting practice session on Monday and is expected to throw 40 pitches in a another live BP session on Friday. If he comes out of Friday's session all good, he could embark on a minor-league rehab assignment after that. Scherzer said he's still a bit cautious about his return from surgery to fix a herniated disc in his back, but this is still a very positive development for the Rangers and fantasy managers that have been stashing Scherzer since the regular season started. Don't expect ace-like numbers from the 39-year-old at this point in his career, but when healthy, Scherzer can still act as a solid mid-rotation fantasy starter.

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Walker Buehler (elbow) was only able to throw 68 pitches in 2 2/3 innings during Thursday's minor-league rehab start with Triple-A Oklahoma City. Buehler allowed two runs on four hits and four walks with three strikeouts, so he wasn't particularly sharp in this one. More importantly, the Dodgers' goal was for him to reach the 90-pitch range, which means his highly-anticipated 2024 regular-season debut and comeback from Tommy John surgery could be delayed by another outing in the minors. Look for LA to make a decision in the next few days as to whether or not the 29-year-old All-Star right-hander's next appearance will come with the big-league club, as No. 13 prospect Landon Knack could get another turn in the rotation. When we last saw him back during the 2022 campaign, Buehler logged a 4.02 ERA (3.80 FIP), 1.29 WHIP, and 58:17 K:BB over 65 frames (12 starts).

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Blake Snell could be poised to kick-start his 2024 season when he takes the hill in Friday's start versus the division-rival Arizona Diamondbacks. After a long stay in free agency this past offseason, Snell's Giants tenure is off to a rocky start with a 12.86 ERA and 1.85 WHIP while striking out nine hitters and walking four in seven innings (two starts). The 31-year-old reigning National League Cy Young Award winner has plenty of experience dealing with Arizona from his time in the NL West with the San Diego Padres, however, and Snell is 4-1 with a pristine 1.27 ERA and 61:14 K:BB over 42 2/3 frames (seven starts) versus the D-backs dating back to 2021. With the club's current roster batting a career .135 (14-for-104) versus Snell, the hard-throwing left-hander looks like a great fantasy play in both season-long and DFS formats on Friday's full slate.

The San Francisco Giants announced on Thursday that starting pitcher Alex Cobb (hip, shoulder) is now dealing with mild shoulder irritation amid his recovery from offseason surgery on his left hip. Cobb says his arm is just still a little "cranky" as he ramps back up, but he doesn't believe his timetable has changed much. It's still yet another minor setback for Cobb, who just resumed throwing on Monday following a brief shutdown due to a mild flexor strain in his right elbow. The 36-year-old right-hander was an All-Star in 2023 and should still be able to return at some point in the month of May. Until Cobb is ready to re-enter San Fran's rotation, swingman Jordan Hicks should remain locked in as a starter for the Giants. Hicks features a 1.57 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and 18:6 K:BB through 23 innings (four starts) and is a must-roster fantasy player ahead of Sunday's scheduled start versus the division-rival Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Chicago Cubs activated starting pitcher Jameson Taillon (back) from the 15-day injured list on Thursday, optioning right-hander Hayden Wesneski to Triple-A Iowa in a corresponding move. Taillon was set to make his 2024 regular-season debut before Thursday's series opener versus the Miami Marlins was postponed, so he'll instead get the ball in Friday's contest against Miami. While the Cubs hope the 32-year-old right-hander gives their rotation a lift in the absence of ace Justin Steele (hamstring), he isn't the most attractive option from a fantasy perspective after recording a career-worst 4.84 ERA with just 140 strikeouts over 154 1/3 innings (30 appearances) during his debut season in the Windy City last year. Friday still presents a good matchup at home against the 4-15 Marlins, however, and Taillon's 0.54 ERA in 16 2/3 career frames (three starts) versus the Fish is his best mark against any specific club.

Chicago Cubs third baseman Patrick Wisdom (back) was activated off of the 10-day injured list on Thursday evening. The 32-year-old slugger recently embarked on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Iowa and will be back with the big club ahead of Friday's series opener against the Miami Marlins. Wisdom is a boom-or-bust bat that combines serious home run power with undesirable strikeout numbers. The Cubs infield is already crowded with Christopher Morel and the recently surging Michael Busch, so it is unclear exactly where Wisdom fits in. He would have slightly more value if he found an everyday role, but until then, he is a waiver-wire option for fantasy managers needing power in deeper leagues.

New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor had a dreadful start to the 2024 season, but signs of life are finally starting to show. The 30-year-old kicked off his campaign mired in a remarkable 1-for-31 slump. Thankfully, since April 7 he has managed to bat .261 with one home run, eight runs scored and a 5/3 BB/K. His production is still a far cry from the 31 homer, 31 stolen base season he produced in 2023, but Lindor is simply too talented to not turn things around. Fantasy managers should expect him to hit a true hot streak soon.

Boston Red Sox outfielder Tyler O'Neill (concussion) told reporters on Thursday that he hopes to be activated off of the 7-day injured list on Tuesday when he is first eligible. O'Neill was diagnosed with a concussion on Thursday and admitted he has been dealing with dizziness and lightheadedness, but he still seemed confident about a quick return. There is no guarantee that O'Neill will be back for Tuesday's series opener against the Cleveland Guardians as head injuries are notoriously finicky. Nevertheless, it seems like fantasy managers will not have to wait too long to get one of the hottest early hitters back in their lineups. He should remain rostered in all formats until that time.

Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Aroldis Chapman was hit with a two-game suspension and fine for his actions during Monday's game against the New York Mets. The veteran fireballer got into an altercation with one of the umpires and was ejected from the game in the eighth inning. Chapman is permitted to appeal the suspension, but there is no word yet whether he will. The 36-year-old has pitched well in a set-up role this season, although he was tagged with the loss on Monday after giving up three runs. He is worth rostering in any leagues that track holds as a scoring category as he has five holds and one save through nine appearances in 2024.

It was announced on Wednesday night that Los Angeles Angels right-handed reliever Robert Stephenson (elbow) would miss the rest of the 2024 season, and now we know why. The Angels revealed on Thursday that Stephenson will undergo elbow surgery, although the exact nature of the elbow surgery isn't known. If it's Tommy John surgery, the 31-year-old probably won't be able to return until next summer at some point. The Halos signed Stephenson in the offseason hoping that he could be a strong late-inning bridge to closer Carlos Estevez, but instead, Stephenson wasn't able to appear in a single big-league game in 2024. The former 27th overall pick in 2011 by the Cincinnati Reds had one of the best cut fastballs in baseball in 2023.

Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers' (knee) MRI exam showed only a bone bruise, and the Red Sox don't expect him to need a trip to the injured list. Devers was pulled from Tuesday's game against the Cleveland Guardians early with left-knee discomfort and served as the club's designated hitter on Wednesday and went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts before being held out for the series finale on Thursday while he had an MRI exam. There's thankfully nothing structurally wrong with the 27-year-old's knee, but fantasy managers will need to check back on Friday to see if he's back in there for the series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Devers has started slow in 2024 and is currently hitting just .188 (9-for-48) with two homers and five RBI.

The New York Yankees claimed outfielder Taylor Trammell off waivers from the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday. To make room on their 40-man roster, the Yankees designated infielder Kevin Smith for assignment. The Dodgers dumped Trammell off their 40-man roster earlier this week after going hitless with three strikeouts in six plate appearances with them over five games. The former 35th overall pick by the Cincinnati Reds in 2016 out of high school just has not been able to figure out major-league pitching in 121 games, batting .165 (51-for-310) with 15 home runs, 39 RBI and four stolen bases. For now, he'll ride the pine in the Bronx while providing outfield depth behind Aaron Judge, Juan Soto, Giancarlo Stanton, Alex Verdugo and Trent Grisham.

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout went hitless in three at-bats with a strikeout in Thursday's 2-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, he still managed to do some damage on the basepaths with a walk, a run scored and two stolen bases. Trout is already up to five stolen bases on the season, which ties the amount of steals he had in the previous three seasons combined. This was also his first multi-steal game since May of 2018. As long as he stays healthy, the three-time MVP could once again be a big threat in the stolen-base department for fantasy managers. In addition to his five stolen bases, Trout is now hitting .270 with a 1.019 OPS, a league-leading eight home runs, 11 RBI and 13 runs scored. The 32-year-old appears to be back after a frustrating injury-riddled season in 2023.

Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. is not in the team's starting lineup for the start of a series on Thursday against the division-rival San Francisco Giants on the road. The 30-year-old will take a seat for a day of rest, with outfielder Jake McCarthy playing left field and batting ninth and Randal Grichuk in right field and hitting eighth versus Giants right-hander Logan Webb. McCarthy is hitting .375 with an RBI in 16 career at-bats against Webb but will have limited DFS upside in the nine-hole. Meanwhile, Grichuk has one hit in his 10 career at-bats against Webb. Gurriel has five home runs and 20 RBI already this year in 18 games played, but he has just one hit (a homer) in his last 16 at-bats over four games, so he could use a little breather here.

Chicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ's hitting struggles continued Wednesday as he went hitless. Happ had five plate appearances with only one walk. This makes it six games out of his last 10 where he has not recorded a hit. After a solid start to the season, the Chicago Cubs outfielder has hit a wall. He is now batting .247 (18-for-73) on the season with 14 runs, 12 RBI, and one homer. Happ will have a favorable matchup on Thursday evening with left-hander A.J. Pukon the mound for Miami.

The Boston Red Sox on Thursday placed outfielder Tyler O'Neill (head) on the seven-day injured list (retroactive to April 16) and reinstated outfielder Rob Refsnyder (toe) from the 10-day injured list in a corresponding move. O'Neill had cleared the league's concussion protocol after colliding with third baseman Rafael Devers in the outfield on Monday, but he hadn't played since and required eight stitches to close up a cut on his forehead. It's a bummer for O'Neill's fantasy managers that he wasn't able to return this weekend, but based on the fact that he had cleared concussion protocols this week, his stay on the seven-day IL should be a short one. Keep him stashed everywhere after his hot start to the year. Refsnyder isn't on the fantasy radar in mixed leagues and will serve as outfield depth behind Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu.UPDATE: O'Neill has been diagnosed with a mild concussion.

Boston Red Sox right-hander Nick Pivetta (elbow) is throwing at 120 feet on Thursday and Friday and is scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Saturday. Pivetta is on the 15-day injured list due to a right-elbow sprain, and while he's making progress in his throwing program, he still has a ways to go and will eventually need to go on a minor-league rehab assignment before returning to Boston's starting rotation. Fantasy managers definitely shouldn't expect the 31-year-old to make it back before the calendar flips to May, but Pivetta should be stashed after looking excellent in his first two starts of 2024. He allowed just one earned run on eight hits (one home run) while walking one and striking out 13 in 11 innings pitched for a 0.82 ERA.