Kansas City Royals left-hander Cole Ragans (calf, hamstring) was pulled early from Game 1 of Monday's doubleheader against the division-rival Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field with a left-calf/hamstring cramp. Ragans was pulled in the fifth inning after giving up a walk to open the frame. The 26-year-old southpaw went four innings and allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits while walking four and striking out four. He didn't make it long enough to qualify for a victory in the team's 4-3 win. Although we don't know for sure yet, it doesn't seem like Ragans' injury is serious enough to keep him from making his next start for the Royals. His poor command in this one could have been attributed his calf/hamstring injury. Ragans has been a solid fantasy starter in all formats in 2024, as he came into Monday's game 10-8 with a 3.31 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 183 K's in 152 1/3 innings over his 26 starts.UPDATE: Manager Matt Quatraro said Ragans is "fine" after he cramped up. The Royals were about to pull him from the game anyway, and there are no concerns health-wise about Ragans.

Pittsburgh Pirates right-handed rookie Jared Jones (lat) will come off the 15-day injured and start on Tuesday versus the division-rival Chicago Cubs at PNC Park. Jones will make his return to the team's starting rotation for the stretch run for the first time since suffering a Grade 2 right-lat strain in early July. The Pirates weren't in a rush to bring the 23-year-old back to the majors so that they could limit his innings in his first big-league season. But now that Jones is back in the fold, he should be immediately thrown back into starting fantasy lineups in a good matchup against Chicago. Jones made three minor-league rehab starts with Triple-A Indianapolis and struck out 10 over five shutout innings his last time out while getting up to 73 pitches. In 16 MLB starts earlier this year, he went 5-6 with a 3.56 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 98 punchouts in 91 innings of work.

Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton announced during his pre-game press conference on Monday that shortstop Oneil Cruz will start seeing time in center field. The Pirates haven't released their starting lineup for Monday's contest against the division-rival Chicago Cubs at PNC Park, but fantasy managers should expect the change to take effect immediately. It means that Cruz's already high fantasy value will be further boosted when he eventually gains outfield eligibility. With Cruz moving to center field, the Bucs plan to use Isiah Kiner-Falefa as their starting shortstop and Nick Gonzales as their starting second baseman the rest of the way in 2024. The 25-year-old Cruz has never played in a professional game in center field before. If the Pirates choose to ease Cruz into his new position, on days he's not in center field, he's expected to serve as the designated hitter.

Pittsburgh Pirates middle-infield prospect Termarr Johnson, the team's No. 3 prospect per MLB Pipeline, was promoted to Double-A Altoona on Sunday, according to a source. The team's first-round pick in 2022 and the No. 83 prospect in all of baseball has posted a .372 on-base percentage with 13 home runs and 20 stolen bases for High-A Greensboro this year to earn the promotion to Double-A. The 20-year-old has split playing time on defense between shortstop and second base this year, but second base is expected to be where he sticks in the long term down the road at the major-league level. Johnson bats from the left side of the plate and is mostly known for his contact skills on offense, but he also has plenty of power potential. It was a good sign that Johnson dropped his high strikeout rate from last year to this year. A big-league promotion could be coming in 2025 if he continues to excel in the minors.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have recalled catcher and former No. 1 overall pick Henry Davis from Triple-A Indianapolis on Monday, according to sources. In a corresponding move, catcher Joey Bart (hamstring) will be placed on the 10-day injured list. A left-hamstring injury that Bart suffered on Sunday against the division-rival Cincinnati Reds will now force him to the shelf for at least 10 days. The 27-year-old former San Francisco Giants catcher has been Pittsburgh's most fantasy relevant catcher in 2024 with a .272 average (53-for-195), 12 home runs, 39 RBI and 32 runs scored. For however long Bart is sidelined, Davis and Yasmani Grandal figure to split the catching duties. In his time at Indy, Davis hit .301 with six homers, 26 RBI and seven steals. He could be worth a pickup in deeper fantasy leagues if he sees enough playing time, but he has yet to put it together at the big-league level.