Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez made his return to the mound during Sunday's game against the Colorado Rockies. The left-hander looked sharp during his return after missing time due to elbow inflammation. Valdez went five innings, struck out six batters, and walked none in the victory. He only threw 71 pitches during this game, which is around what Houston wanted. Valdez didn't have a rehab stint, so the Astros will likely ease him back to full speed.

Chicago Cubs outfielder Mike Tauchman delivered a clutch hit during Sunday's game against the Boston Red Sox. The Cubs trailed 4-1 in the eighth inning, but Tauchman had an answer for that. After two singles, Tauchman came up and blasted a three-run home run to tie up the ballgame. Unfortunately for Cubs fans, the Red Sox would win this game in the bottom of the ninth. Tauchman is slashing .294/.429/.500 with three homers, 10 RBI this season.

Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Jose Alvarado shut down the San Diego Padres on Sunday, helping the team to an 8-6 win. Alvarado was sharp in this one, striking out a pair while not allowing a baserunner in his inning of work. The lefty remains the only Philly with more than one save and appears to be the go-to guy in the ninth inning. He should be rostered in any league where saves matter.

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Dane Dunning had his best start of the season on Sunday, picking up the win in a 4-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. Dunning was on a mission in this one, racking up 10 strikeouts over 5 innings of two-run ball (one earned). The righty allowed just three hits, and maybe most importantly didn't walk a single batter. Considering he had walked at least two in every other start this season, this was clearly a big part of his success. Dunning remains a deeper-league option with some streamer appeal in standard-sized leagues, but he has shown an improved ability to get strikeouts this year, which is something to watch for in his coming starts.

Baltimore Orioles first baseman Ryan Mountcastle went 3-for-4 with a home run, two RBI and a stolen base in Sunday's 7-6 loss to the Oakland Athletics. The 27-year-old has homered in back-to-back games for the first time this season. Mountcastle is enjoying solid production at the plate as he is slashing .319/.379/.527 with four homers, 14 RBI and 16 runs. He may not be the most electrifying fantasy asset, but he is worthy of a roster spot in all formats given his strong start and placement in one of the best offenses in baseball.

Oakland Athletics starter Paul Blackburn allowed six runs on seven hits in four innings of work during Sunday's 7-6 win over the Baltimore Orioles. He struck out five batters while issuing one walk. The long ball killed Blackburn in this one as he gave up three home runs in the contest. The 30-year-old started the season with three straight scoreless outings and garnered streaming appeal in the process, but he has now given up 13 runs over his last three appearances. Blackburn will face the Miami Marlins in his next projected start, which is an appealing matchup, but he is tough to trust right now.

Toronto Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano picked up his fourth save of the season in Sunday's 3-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. He struck out two of the three batters he faced. The 31-year-old had a late start to the season due to injuries, but he is back and locked into the ninth-inning role for Toronto. Romano is a perfect 4-for-4 on save opportunities thus far to go along with a 3.18 ERA. He has been one of the best fantasy closers over the past few seasons and should continue to be a valuable asset.

Los Angeles Angels third baseman Miguel Sano (knee) is still banged up after being pulled from Wednesday's game due to left knee soreness. The right-handed slugger was able to play on Friday but then sat out on Saturday. Sano had an MRI on his knee, which revealed inflammation in his left knee. The organization is currently considering Sano as day-to-day right now. Luis Rengifo figures to see additional playing time until Sano is ready again.

The Miami Marlins placed outfielder Avisail Garcia (hamstring) on the 10-day injured list on Sunday with a left-hamstring strain, according to a source. In a corresponding move, outfielder Dane Myers was recalled from Triple-A Jacksonville. The team also selected the contract of right-hander Emmanuel Ramirez from Jacksonville and designated left-hander Kent Emanuel for assignment. Garcia was pulled from Saturday's contest against the Washington Nationals with his hammy injury and will now miss at least the next 10 days. At this stage of his career, the 32-year-old isn't much of a fantasy asset in mixed leagues. He's currently hitting .240 (12-for-50) with two home runs and two RBI. Myers immediately jumps into Miami's starting lineup on Sunday and will start in right field and hit seventh against Nationals left-hander Patrick Corbin.

Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz (finger) is back at first base and is hitting in his customary leadoff spot for the Rays on Sunday versus the Chicago White Sox and right-hander Erick Fedde. Diaz left Friday's contest early after being hit on the left pinkie finger with a pitch, and he sat out on Saturday as a precaution. But now that he's back on the field, fantasy managers will want to get the 32-year-old veteran back into their starting lineups in all formats. He's hitting just .241 (26-for-108) on the season so far, but he's been better recently, batting .324 in his last nine ball games. Diaz will be looking for his first home run since going deep on Opening Day. He's never faced Fedde in his career.

New York Mets designated hitter J.D. Martinez will retreat to the bench on Sunday for the series finale against the visiting St. Louis Cardinals. Martinez didn't make his 2024 debut with the Mets until Friday night after signing with the club late in spring training and then suffering a back injury while getting ramped up at extended spring training. The 36-year-old veteran right-handed went 3-for-8 in his first two games with an RBI, but he also struck out five times. The Mets plan on easing Martinez back into the fold, so it shouldn't be a surprise that he's on the bench in only his third game back. With Martinez starting on the bench, DJ Stewart will serve as the team's designated hitter and bat cleanup against Cardinals right-hander Lance Lynn. The 30-year-old lefty hitter isn't a bad low-cost DFS option on Sunday in the cleanup spot. He's hitting .200 (9-for-45) on the year with three homers and 11 RBI.

Minnesota Twins first baseman Carlos Santana went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, four RBI, and three runs scored in Saturday's 16-5 win over the Angels. The veteran was also hit by a pitch in the contest. The 38-year-old is experiencing a power surge of late, with all three of Santana's home runs coming in the last three games. The former All-Star hit 24 home runs last season, so the pop is certainly still there, but even after the recent resurgence, he's still slashing a paltry .181/.269/.325 on the year and is probably best left on the waiver wire.

Minnesota Twins outfielder Max Kepler hit his first home run of the season in Saturday's 16-5 blowout win over the Angels. The 31-year-old was 2-for-4 with a walk, two RBI, and two runs scored in the contest. Since returning from injury just over a week ago, Kepler has gone 8-for-19 (.421) with seven RBI, four runs scored, and a 2:2 BB:K over six games. After blasting 24 home runs last season, fantasy managers were hoping for more from the lefty, but hopefully they'll start coming in bunches as he's still putting the bat on the ball at an above-average rate (81.1% Contact%). His HR/FB% has taken a step back though, just 5.6% compared to 16.1% from last season, and a Barrel% of 6.5% compared to last season's 12.2%. If you are buying into the hot streak he's on over the past week, the outfielder is available in 85% of Yahoo leagues.

Chicago White Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi went 3-for-5 with two home runs and six RBI during Saturday's 8-7 extra-inning win over the Tampa Bay Rays. Benintendi blasted a three-run homer in the bottom of the fourth inning to tie the game 3-3. He later logged an RBI single in the bottom of the sixth inning to put the Sox up 6-4. Benintendi blasted the walk-off two-run shot in the bottom of the tenth inning, sending the White Sox to victory. The 29-year-old is slashing .191/.224/.277 with two home runs and 10 RBI over 24 games in 2024. Despite the breakout performance, Benintendi is mainly an option in deep-league formats.

Los Angeles Dodgers closer Evan Phillips earned his eighth save Saturday afternoon in a game against the Toronto Blue Jays. Phillips surrendered a hit and unearned run in the ninth inning to go along with two strikeouts. In 12 games this year, the veteran relief pitcher has eight saves, a .77 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and 15 strikeouts in 11 innings. He is striking out 29.5% of batters while limiting opponents to an 83.7 MPH average exit velocity, which is the 96th percentile in all of MLB. Phillips has surrendered only one earned run in nine April appearances. Continue to use him with confidence in all fantasy formats.

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow (hand) exited Saturday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays with cramping in his hand. Glasnow had a dominant start, notching nine strikeouts in six innings while giving up only one run on two hits. At 95 pitches on the day it would have been likely that he'd exit after pitching six innings anyways. Given the 30-year-old's past history with injuries this should be something to keep an eye on, but hand cramps should be easier for him to overcome and the right-hander should be considered day-to-day. If Glasnow isn't forced to miss any time, his next scheduled start is slated for next Saturday at home against the Atlanta Braves.

New York Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton is back in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers. The slugger was given a rest day for Friday's game but still notched a go-ahead RBI double in extra-innings in the Yankees' 7-6 loss to the Brewers. Stanton has had a solid start to the season slashing .232/.284/.476 with five HR and 13 RBI. He'll get a matchup against Brewers right-hander Joe Ross, who Stanton is 2-10 against with a HR. With Stanton hitting for an .829 OPS against righties (compared to .658 vs lefties) he should be a viable option in DFS formats.

Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz (hand) is not in the Rays lineup on Saturday night's game against the Chicago White Sox. Diaz was hit by a pitch in the 8th inning on Friday night and was subsequently removed. X-rays showed up as negative on his left hand so the veteran avoided major damage. Diaz should be available to use today if needed and may be used for a pinch hit opportunity. He should be avoided in all DFS formats for Saturday, but fantasy managers can breathe a sigh of relief that he won't be missing any time. His next potential start could come tomorrow against White Sox starter Erick Fedde.

Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Aaron Civale will look for a bounce-back effort on Saturday when he takes on the Chicago White Sox on the road. Civale was touched up for five earned runs on eight hits and a hefty five walks while striking out five across just 4 2/3 innings in his last start against the Yankees. The rough outing was a rare one as the 28-year-old had allowed just seven runs across his first four starts of the season and he allowed two runs or fewer across his first three starts of the campaign. Civale will enter Saturday's contest sporting a 3.90 ERA and a healthy 19% K-BB% on the back of an increased 26.7% K% across 27 2/3 innings of work.