


Boston Red Sox catcher Connor Wong and outfielder Rob Refsnyder are both out of the starting lineup on Saturday versus the visiting Detroit Tigers. Reese McGuire will do the catching for Boston and will bat seventh, while Enmanuel Valdez will serve as the designated hitter and bat fifth against Tigers right-hander Reese Olson. Wong has been a revelation for fantasy managers this year with a .329/.371/.473 slash line with an .844 OPS, five homers and 19 RBI, but his xBA of just .259 signals that regression is likely coming for the backstop. Still, fantasy managers need to keep riding him while he's hot. Refsnyder has also swung a hot bat so far in 2024, going 29-for-87 (333), and the 33-year-old should continue to play regularly with Tyler O'Neill (knee) and Masataka Yoshida (thumb) both on the injured list. O'Neill could be returning next week, though.


Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Liam Hendriks (elbow) was able to throw fastballs and breaking pitches off the front of a mound on Thursday as he progresses in his throwing program after having Tommy John surgery. The 35-year-old Australian reliever overcame a cancer diagnosis to return to the Chicago White Sox in 2023, but he only ended up appearing in five games before undergoing elbow surgery. The three-time All-Star has 116 career saves in the big leagues over 13 seasons, so he'll bring veteran experience to the back end of Boston's bullpen when he's eventually cleared, but there's no current timetable for his return, and he's unlikely to join the team until the second half of the season. For now, Hendriks can be left to the waiver wire in most fantasy leagues, and there's no guarantee he'll be a candidate for saves in Boston as long as Kenley Jansen remains healthy.


Seattle Mariners manager Scott Servais said that right-hander Bryan Woo (arm) was dealing with some "arm stuff" early in the week and didn't throw his typical mid-week bullpen session before his start on Friday night against the visiting Los Angeles Angels, which is why the team kept him on a shorter pitch count. The 24-year-old is expected to make his next scheduled start in an excellent matchup in Oakland against the A's. Despite throwing only 66 pitches on Friday, Woo tossed six scoreless innings with three hits allowed while walking one and striking out two in a no-decision. Woo now has a shiny 1.30 ERA and 0.58 WHIP with 28 K's and only two walks in 27 2/3 frames over his first five starts in 2024 and needs to be started next week against the A's. Seattle understandably continues to monitor Woo's pitch count after he got a late start to the year due to injury.


Baltimore Orioles infielder Jordan Westburg (hand) is back at third base and is batting seventh for the O's on Saturday against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays and right-hander Taj Bradley. Westburg draws back into Baltimore's starting lineup after missing the last two games with a hand injury after he was hit by a pitch on Tuesday against the Boston Red Sox. The 25-year-old will be looking to extend his hitting streak to six games now that he's back in there. The former 30th overall pick in 2020 out of Mississippi State has gone 8-for-18 (.444) with a homer, two doubles, five RBI, two walks and five strikeouts during his modest five-game hitting streak. His lineup spot doesn't scream daily upside, but Westburg has been solid with the bat in 2024, slashing .291/.351/.508 with an .859 OPS, eight homers, 34 RBI and five swipes in a loaded Orioles lineup.


Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Josh Lowe (oblique) went 2-for-4 with a run scored and two strikeouts while playing right field in a minor-league rehab game on Friday for Triple-A Durham. Lowe is going to play in a couple more games for the Bulls this weekend but is aiming to come off the 10-day injured list to join the Rays on Tuesday for their game against the Miami Marlins. The 26-year-old left-handed slugger is on the injured list for the second time this season already with a mild right-oblique strain but has progressed nicely and is on the cusp of returning for fantasy managers. When Lowe is back in the fold, Jonny DeLuca will return to being more of a bench option. Lowe has gotten off to a slow start in 2024 but needs to remain rostered in all fantasy formats after hitting 20 bombs, driving in 83 and stealing 32 bags in 2023.
