

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Chris Sale has been surprisingly reliable on the mound this season. The left-hander has rejuvenated his career since joining the Braves. On Wednesday, Sale recorded a season-high nine strikeouts while allowing one run over five innings of work in the win over the Seattle Mariners. Sale has allowed three or fewer runs in five of his six starts to open the season. He'll take his 3.44 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 42/7 K/BB ratio into his next start versus the Boston Red Sox.


Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo continued his hot stretch on the mound during Wednesday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays. The right-hander went seven innings, allowing one earned run, and struck out eight batters in the win. Lugo has now struck out 17 batters over his last two starts. He has been solid on the mound throughout most of his starts. Fantasy managers in need of pitching help should consider Lugo as an option.


Milwaukee Brewers infielder Willy Adames has been crushing the ball over the last few days. On Wednesday, Adames went 2-for-4 with a pair of home runs and four RBI in the win over the Tampa Bay Rays. Adames now has three homers and eight RBI over the last two games. There was some thought that Adames would hit lower in the batting order this season. However, he has been batting cleanup or higher over the last few weeks. Adames now has 21 RBI over 30 games this season.


New York Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo (rest) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Wednesday's game against the Chicago Cubs. This appears to be a routine rest day for Nimmo against a left-handed starting pitcher. The Mets will play matchups here and start Tyrone Taylor, Starling Marte, and Harrison Bader versus lefty Shota Imanaga. Fantasy managers will need to adjust their lineups accordingly.


Oakland Athletics second baseman Zack Gelof (oblique) is back to baseball activities and took ground balls at second base and played catch on Wednesday. However, there is still no timetable for his return from the 10-day injured list from a strained left oblique. Given the nature of his injury, fantasy managers in deeper leagues shouldn't expect the 24-year-old infielder to return when he's eligible. After a promising rookie campaign in 2023 in which he hit .267 (72-for-270) with 14 home runs, 32 RBI and 14 stolen bases in 69 games, Gelof hasn't looked as good so far in 24 contests in his sophomore season. So far, he's gone 18-for-92 (.196) with three homers, seven RBI and four stolen bases. Until he's able to return, Max Schuemann and Abraham Toro could split playing time at the keystone in Oakland.
