After the St. Louis Cardinals' game against the visiting Atlanta Braves was postponed on Tuesday due to rain, third baseman Nolan Arenado (forearm) is back in the starting lineup on Wednesday to face right-hander Reynaldo Lopez in Game 1 of a doubleheader. The 33-year-old All-Star has been beat up lately with forearm and elbow injuries, but he's back in action on Wednesday. However, there's a good chance Arenado will be held out for Game 2 against Atlanta. He's also hitting sixth in the batting order, which is the lowest he's hit in St. Louis' lineup in his four years with the team. The former second-rounder by the Colorado Rockies in 2009 has been struggling offensively in 2024 and enters Wednesday's double dip with a .257/.315/.371 slash line with only six home runs, 32 RBI and 26 runs scored in his 272 at-bats. Arenado has never faced Lopez in his career.

Seattle Mariners outfielder Luke Raley (undisclosed) has been scratched from the team's starting lineup on Wednesday for the series finale against the Tampa Bay Rays due to undisclosed reasons. Dylan Moore will move from second base to take Raley's spot in left field, and he will hit eighth against Rays right-hander Ryan Pepiot. Rookie Ryan Bliss will draw into the lineup at second base for the M's and will hit out of the nine-hole. Fantasy managers will want to check back later for an explanation as to why the 29-year-old left-handed-hitting Raley was taken out of Wednesday's lineup. Raley has been a key contributor for Seattle this year, hitting .253 (50-for-198) with nine home runs, 22 RBI, five stolen bases and 28 runs scored.UPDATE: Raley is dealing with a sore shoulder and was scratched when it didn't loosen up in the cage before Wednesday's game.

Minnesota Twins right-handed pitching prospect David Festa will be called up from the minors to make his major-league debut on Thursday against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The 24-year-old has one of the highest strikeout rates in the minors, which will immediately make him attractive to fantasy managers now that he's set to make his big-league debut. The team's No. 5 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, will temporarily take Chris Paddack's (forearm) spot in the starting rotation. Festa, a former 13th-round pick in 2021, has become the team's top pitching prospect after going 3-2 with a 3.77 ERA with 87 K's and 24 walks in 59 2/3 innings for Triple-A St. Paul this year. The 6-foot-6, 185-pounder features three above-average pitches with a fastball, slider and changeup that can all generate swings and misses.

Cincinnati Reds third baseman Jeimer Candelario (knee) is out of Wednesday's lineup against the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates due to knee tendonitis, and manager David Bell said it's progressively not getting better. Candelario is still able to play, but Bell said the team is "going to take a closer look at it this morning to make sure that he can keep going." The Reds have an off day on Thursday and they could utilize Candelario as the designated hitter this weekend to keep him in the lineup as he manages his knee issue. With Candelario out on Wednesday, Santiago Espinal is starting at third and batting seventh against Pirates right-hander Luis L. Ortiz. If Candelario's knee doesn't improve and he lands on the injured list, infield prospect Noelvi Marte will be another option to take over at the hot corner after being called up.

New York Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole was obliterated by the New York Mets in his start on Tuesday and said he intentionally dialed back his velocity because he threw 28 pitches in the first inning and was struggling with his command. Cole said he's healthy, which should ease the concerns of Yankees fans and fantasy managers after the forgettable outing in which he allowed six runs on seven hits (four home runs) while walking four and striking out none in four innings of work. It was just the 33-year-old's second start in 2024 after missing most of the first half due to a right-elbow injury, so Cole is understandably not yet in midseason form despite looking excellent on his minor-league rehab assignment. Last year's American League Cy Young winner will hope to bounce back in his next outing against the division-rival Toronto Blue Jays.