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.

Houston Astros starting pitching Ronel Blanco looks to continue his hot start to the season when he faces the Colorado Rockies in Mexico City on Saturday. Blanco has been one of the bigger surprises of the season so far, starting off with a bang by throwing a no-hitter against the Toronto Blue Jays in his season debut. He's been the Astros' best starter, posting up a 1.33 ERA with 22 K in 27 innings pitched. His xwOBA of .232 ranks in the top 6% of the league, pointing to the fact that what we're seeing may be real results and Blanco hasn't been lucky. He'll face a tough test in Mexico City. Maybe not necessarily because of his bleak opponent, but because of the altitude at Estadio Alfredo Harp Helu which sits nearly 2,000 feet higher than Coors Field. If he can keep control of his pitch mix then Blanco should keep on rolling on Saturday in what would normally be a very favorable matchup.

San Diego Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill (groin) is back in the lineup on Saturday for a tilt against Ranger Suarez and the Philadelphia Phillies. Merrill had been dealing with groin tightness and was scratched prior to Thursday's game against the Colorado Rockies. After missing two games the rookie appears to be in a better spot and his tightness has subsided. Merrill has had a solid start to the season, slashing .318/.378/.409 in 98 PA for the Padres. Expectations may need to be tempered in his return on Saturday, though, as Merrill has been much less effective against lefties. He should be avoided Saturday in DFS formats, but will have a string of right-handed matchups coming up over the next week that will make him a viable option in most fantasy formats.

The Chicago Cubs traded first baseman Garrett Cooper to the Boston Red Sox for cash considerations on Saturday. The Red Sox will be taking on the remainder of Cooper's $1.75 million salary for 2024. Cooper was designated for assignment by the Cubs earlier in the week. Boston has been decimated by injuries to start the season, including their starting first baseman Triston Casas who suffered a torn cartilage in his ribs last week. That injury spurred the need for Boston to add a first baseman to the roster and Garrett Cooper appears to be their man, at least in the immediate future. Cooper slashed .270/.341/.432 in 41 PA for the Cubs, a line that easily exceeds the production the Red Sox are seeing from Bobby Dalbec. Fantasy managers should grab Cooper off the waiver wire as he should be thrust into a starting role fairly quickly.

Chicago Cubs left-hander Justin Steele (hamstring) is moving on to the next step of his rehab and is likely to pitch for Triple-A Iowa on Wednesday, according to skipper Craig Counsell. The 28-year-old tossed 47 pitches in an extended spring game in Arizona on Friday and has seemingly come out of the outing feeling fine. The southpaw tossed 4 2/3 innings of one-run ball on Opening Day against the Texas Rangers but suffered a hamstring strain that has cost him significant time. Steele was in Cy Young contention for much of the 2023 season before struggling late in the year but still posted a 3.06 ERA and a 19.6% K-BB% on the back of an elite 5% BB% across 30 starts a season ago.