

Atlanta Braves right-hander Spencer Strider (elbow) looked great on Friday in his second minor-league rehab start for Triple-A Gwinnett, holding Triple-A Charlotte hitless on 74 pitches over 5 1/3 innings while striking out eight. Strider averaged 96 mph with his four-seam fastball and topped out at 97.7 mph. He struck out 10 of the 16 batters he faced in spring training and had six punchouts in three innings in his first rehab start for Gwinnett. Although he's a little less than a year removed from an internal-brace procedure on his right elbow, Strider could be back in Atlanta's starting rotation very soon. From 2022-23, the 26-year-old had 483 strikeouts with a 3.36 ERA in 318 2/3 innings pitched. His impending return to the big leagues will give the Braves a much-needed boost with 2024 All-Star Reynaldo Lopez needing arthroscopic right-shoulder surgery on Tuesday.


Chicago Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya is not in the starting lineup when the Cubs continue a series against the San Diego Padres on Saturday afternoon. Instead, Carson Kelly will be behind the dish and bat in the nine-hole. Amaya has been given the starting nod in six of their first 10 regular-season contests. During the start of the season, Amaya has held a .250/.250/.417 line with four doubles (six hits) and seven RBI. Fantasy managers should expect Amaya to return to the starting nine on Sunday afternoon. Kelly has enjoyed an impressive start to his Cubs tenure. On March 31, the veteran backstop hit for the cycle and brought in five RBI. This afternoon, Kelly will have a tough matchup against San Diego right-hander Nick Pivetta, who did not allow a run in his first outing of the campaign.


Minnesota Twins infielder Brooks Lee (back) has made good progress in his recovery and will begin participating in scrimmage games. Lee has been on the injured list since the start of the regular season due to a lumbar strain. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his progress, but it appears the 24-year-old could be approaching a rehab assignment. Last season, the Cal Poly product made his MLB debut and held a .221/.265/.320 slash line across 50 contests. He went deep three times and added six doubles. The former eighth overall selection from the 2022 MLB Draft has posted a cumulative .266/.330/.500 line with 15 doubles and 13 home runs across 63 contests. While Lee remains sidelined, fantasy managers should expect Jose Miranda and Willi Castro to continue seeing most opportunities at the hot corner.


The Arizona Diamondbacks are promoting infield prospect Tim Tawa to the major leagues. In a corresponding move, the team is placing second baseman Ketel Marte (hamstring) on the 10-day injured list. Tawa has enjoyed an impressive start to the Triple-A regular season and is being rewarded with an early promotion. Through the first six games of the Triple-A regular season, the 25-year-old has posted a stellar .391/.462/.957 line with two doubles and three home runs. Last season, Tawa made his Triple-A debut and held a strong .304/.376/.616 line with 10 doubles and 11 long balls across 37 contests. The Stanford is worth picking up in deeper formats for the time being, as he could carve out a role at the keystone while Marte is sidelined. Garrett Hampson could also see opportunities, but given how well Tawa has been swinging a bat, the team may opt to ride the hot hand.UPDATE: Tawa is starting at second and batting ninth in his MLB debut on Saturday against Washington Nationals left-hander Mitchell Parker.


Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte (hamstring) was placed on the 10-day injured list with a strained left hamstring. Marte was pulled from Friday's contest after he was seen limping off the field. As a result, Marte will miss at least the next 10 days of action. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status as he begins his recovery process. Through the early part of the campaign, the 31-year-old has posted a .346/.469/.462 slash line with nine total hits. Last season, Marte enjoyed an impressive campaign as he tallied 23 doubles with 36 home runs and held a .292/.372/.560 slash line. In a corresponding move, the Diamondbacks promoted infield prospect Tim Tawa from Triple-A Reno. While Marte is sidelined, fantasy managers should expect Garrett Hampson or Tawa to see time at the keystone.
