New York Mets third baseman Brett Baty erupted for nine total bases in Friday's 10-9 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, going 3-for-4 with two home runs and four RBI. Baty homered to deep right field in the second inning to score Jeff McNeil and Tyrone Taylor and give the Mets a temporary 3-0 lead before going yard to right field once more in the ninth to make things interesting late. It's been an up-and-down season for Baty, but the 24-year-old former top prospect is producing a respectable .271/.340/.385 triple-slash line with three long balls, two doubles, 13 RBI, and 13 runs scored over 96 at-bats (30 games) for the Mets during his second full year in the major leagues. He's only a viable fantasy option for those in NL-only leagues, holding limited upside while batting in the lower part of New York's lineup, but Baty's certainly worth watching in all leagues.

Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Cal Quantrill silenced the Pittsburgh Pirates in Friday's 3-1 victory, tossing 7 2/3 scoreless innings of three-hit ball with no walks on a season-high nine strikeouts en route to his first win of the year. Although he's not known for his bat-missing stuff, Quantrill dominated Pittsburgh for his longest start of the 2024 regular season on Friday and a big bounce-back effort after surrendering six runs in his last appearance at home versus the Houston Astros. The soft-throwing 29-year-old right-hander improved his ERA to 4.31 with a 1.29 WHIP and 26:14 K:BB over 39 2/3 frames (seven starts) this season from Colorado's rotation. Despite the strong showing, Quantrill still won't be the most exciting streaming option for fantasy purposes in his next projected start on Thursday at Coors Field against the division-rival San Francisco Giants.

Tampa Bay Rays starting pitchers Jeffrey Springs (elbow) and Drew Rasmussen (elbow) are both scheduled to throw in an extended spring game around May 20. The Rays' rotation is arguably ruined by injury more than any other in baseball, but at least two of their key arms are progressing toward a return at some point later this summer. Springs is likely closer to doing so in his recovery from Tommy John surgery, and barring any setbacks, he could be in line to rejoin Tampa Bay's rotation by July's All-Star break. Rasmussen, on the other hand, is a weaker stash in fantasy leagues because his return from a hybrid internal brace procedure last July is not expected to arrive until the final months of the year. Over his last three seasons (196 innings), Springs owns a 2.53 ERA (3.14 FIP), 1.03 WHIP, and 231:49 K:BB and can be stashed in deep competitive leagues.

Seattle Mariners starting pitcher George Kirby (knee) has been dealing with a right knee issue, manager Scott Servais said following Friday's 5-3 road loss to the division-rival Houston Astros. Servais said that it's not a major problem, but it's one that the team is monitoring. It likely explains why the M's opted to turn to their bullpen with Kirby pitching well on just 88 pitches through six innings, as the hurler had given up only one run on four hits and zero walks with three strikeouts for a no-decision on Friday. The 26-year-old right-hander's status is worth keeping an eye on ahead of his next scheduled start, which tentatively lines up for Wednesday against the surging Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Over his last four starts, Kirby holds a 1.13 ERA with a sparkling 28:2 K:BB across 24 innings, but the Twins are scoring 7.3 runs per game during their current 11-game winning streak.

Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Taj Bradley (pectoral) made his second and perhaps final minor-league rehab appearance on Friday with Triple-A Durham, throwing six scoreless innings of two-hit ball on two hits and two walks with eight strikeouts. After throwing 94 pitches in this outing, Bradley's next appearance could very well come with the big-league club as he enters the final stages of his recovery from a strained right pectoral. While the 23-year-old former top prospect mostly floundered during his first taste of major-league action with a 5.59 ERA and 1.38 WHIP over 23 starts during his rookie year last season, he struck out 129 batters and walked only 39 across 104 2/3 frames. If Bradley's next start comes with the Rays, he would likely be making his 2024 regular-season debut at home next Friday versus the division-rival New York Yankees, where a wait-and-see approach would be recommended from a fantasy perspective.