

Colorado Rockies outfielder Nolan Jones (back) was removed from Sunday's game early with back stiffness. Jones missed two games earlier this week with the same injury and was only able to play in one game before the injury popped up again. It is worrying that the back issues appear to be lingering, with manager Bud Black saying that the team will determine whether an IL stint is necessary before the team's next game on Tuesday. Perhaps this offers a reason for Jones' brutal start to the season, but fantasy managers won't be any happier with that explanation.


Boston Red Sox outfielder Masataka Yoshida (hand) was removed from Sunday's game in the sixth inning after jamming his hand in his first at-bat of the game. Manager Alex Cora said after the game that the team wasn't sure what the extent of the injury was and X-rays hadn't been taken yet. Yoshida is off to a pretty good start to the year with a .274/.357/.403 slash line, although his two homers and zero steals don't make him much of a roto league option in fantasy. An update on his status should come sometime on Monday.


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.


Oakland A's outfielder Esteury Ruiz (wrist) exited Saturday's game against the Miami Marlins after injuring his wrist while diving for a hit in the sixth inning. He left the game with the trainers and was replaced by Seth Brown. Ruiz is considered day-to-day and will undergo further evaluation on his injured wrist. The 25-year-old went 1-for-3 with a run and an RBI before exiting. He was starting to heat up at the plate, hitting .300 (3-for-10) with three runs, three RBI, and two stolen bases over his last five games. Brown would see an uptick in playing time if Ruiz were to miss any games. The 31-year-old is off the fantasy radar in most formats after slashing .180/.232/.281 across 31 games in 2024.


Seattle Mariners right-hander George Kirby (knee) had an MRI on his right knee on Saturday as a precaution. Mariners manager Scott Servais is optimistic Kirby won't miss any time and will make his next start Thursday against the Minnesota Twins. The 26-year-old was pulled from Friday's outing against the Houston Astros after just 88 pitches. Kirby's knee injury doesn't sound serious, and the MRI results should confirm the severity of his issue. He owns a 3.76 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and a 41:4 K:BB across 38 1/3 innings in 2024. Fantasy managers should continue to roll with Kirby as long as he's cleared for his next scheduled start on Thursday.
