Minnesota Twins DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

Colorado Rockies catcher Jacob Stallings and shortstop Kyle Farmer are not in the starting nine on Wednesday evening when they continue a series against the Kansas City Royals. Stallings has started in each of the previous two games and gone 2-for-5 with a double and three RBI. Instead, Hunter Goodman will move behind the dish, which will open the DH spot for Nick Martini. Farmer has been an everyday option for the Rockies through the early part of the campaign. Through 21 games, Farmer has posted a strong .284/.319/.418 slash line with nine doubles. However, this evening, Aaron Schunk will cover shortstop, and Adael Amador will cover the keystone. Both Stallings and Farmer will likely return to the starting nine on Thursday. The Rockies are worth targeting in DFS this evening as they will face Kansas City right-hander Michael Lorenzen, who carries a high 4.57 ERA.

Minnesota Twins infielder/outfielder Willi Castro (oblique) remains out of the starting nine on Wednesday evening when the Twins continue a series against the Chicago White Sox. Castro has been dealing with an oblique injury and has yet to return to the lineup since April 16. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status as the Twins could shift him to the injured list if he does not make significant progress. Through the early part of the campaign, the utility man has held a .227/.292/.364 slash line with six doubles and one home run. He has also swiped one bag and held a 15:3 K:BB. With Castro sitting out, Brooks Lee and Luke Keaschall will continue to start at third and second base, respectively. The Twins are worth a look in DFS facing Chicago right-hander Bryse Wilson, who enters this game with a 4.50 ERA.

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Pablo Lopez (hamstring) is nearing a return to the major league rotation. He made a successful rehab start on Saturday, allowing one run on three hits with four strikeouts over 4 innings and 63 pitches. He threw a bullpen session on Tuesday and is happy with where everything is at. There is no official word yet on which day he will make his first start back, but he is eligible to be activated from the injured list on Thursday. He'll look to pick up where he left off before the injury, as he posted a 1.62 ERA and 1.02 WHIP in his first three starts of the year.

Minnesota Twins third baseman Royce Lewis (hamstring) did sprints on Monday and ran the bases again on Tuesday, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune's Bobby Nightengale. Lewis continues to make progress from a left-hamstring strain that he suffered in the middle of March in spring training, but there's still no exact timetable for his return to the Twins. The 25-year-old should at least be getting close to going on a minor-league rehab assignment, though, so he could be ready to make his season debut in early May, barring a setback with his hamstring. The oft-injured third baseman has yet to play this season, but he should be stashed in all fantasy formats for his elite power when he's healthy. Willi Castro (oblique) is also currently injured for the Twins, which has opened up playing time at the hot corner for young infielder Brooks Lee.

Atlanta Braves right-handed pitcher Scott Blewett is expected to serve as the team's opener in their match against the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday evening. The Braves acquired Blewett in a trade with the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for cash considerations on Sunday. With Spencer Strider (hamstring) returning to the injured list, the Braves will have to deploy a bullpen game this evening. Blewett is expected to only pitch a few innings and cede most of the work to Nathan Wiles, who was promoted from Triple-A Gwinnett earlier on Tuesday. Blewett has logged nine innings of work this season and performed quite well, allowing just one run and holding a solid 1.11 WHIP. Fantasy managers in deeper NL-only formats should only view Blewett as a desperation play this evening, as his ceiling will be limited due to his low projected workload.