Free-agent veteran designated hitter J.D. Martinez is hitting and staying ready while waiting or an opportunity to sign with a major-league team, according to the New York Post's Jon Heyman. It was reported in early March that Martinez was in contact with the New York Yankees with DH Giancarlo Stanton (elbows) injured, but the two sides were never really close to a deal. MLB teams probably want the 37-year-old Martinez to play for the veteran minimum after he declined offensively with the New York Mets in 2024, hitting .235/.320/.406 with a .725 OPS, 16 home runs and 69 RBI in 120 regular-season games. Martinez is a six-time All-Star, though, and clubbed 33 homers and drove in over 100 runs with the Los Angeles Dodgers as recently as 2023, so it seems likely he'll be given a shot eventually in 2025.

Minneapolis Star Tribune's Bobby Nightengale says not to be surprised if the Minnesota Twins use a temporary six-man starting rotation between off days, which could open up a spot for pitching prospect Zebby Matthews. David Festa will be promoted from the minors to start on Friday in place of right-hander Pablo Lopez (hamstring), who is headed to the injured list. The 24-year-old Matthews could also be promoted from Triple-A St. Paul after the right-hander has gone 1-1 with a 1.80 ERA, 0.60 WHIP and 13:1 K:BB in 10 innings over his first two starts in 2025 in the minors. Matthews, a former eighth-rounder in 2022 out of Western Carolina University, was inconsistent in his first nine big-league starts in 2024, going 1-4 with a 6.69 ERA and 1.65 WHIP with 43 strikeouts and 11 walks in 37 2/3 innings. In DFS and deep leagues, he could be a sneaky streaming option, depending on the matchup.

Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan was quite the table-setter in Thursday's 6-1 win over the division-rival Chicago White Sox at Progressive Field, going 4-for-5 with a two-run home run, two runs scored and four RBI. The home run was his second of the season, and the big day at the plate raised his season average to .356 and his OPS to a strong .931. The 27-year-old left-handed-hitting outfielder now has 11 runs scored and seven RBI in his first 51 plate appearances of the 2025 campaign. Although Kwan hit a career-high 14 home runs as a first-time All-Star for the Guardians last year, he shouldn't be considered a lock to repeat double-digit home runs again in 2025. Still, he's proven to be an elite contact hitter and should provide double-digit stolen bases as long as he stays healthy.

The Los Angeles Angels went off at the plate in their 11-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays in Thursday's series finale, and outfielder Jo Adell was at the center of the offensive outburst. Adell went 2-for-4 in the game with two home runs, two runs scored and a team-leading four RBI, with both of his long balls coming in the fifth inning when the Angels broke the game wide open. The 26-year-old's first shot was a solo blast off Zack Littell, with his second homer being of the three-run variety off reliever Mason Englert. It was great to see from Adell, who came into Thursday's game hitting just .185 (5-for-27) with no homers, two walks and eight strikeouts in eight games played. The big day raised Adell's season average to .226 and his OPS to .746. Adell had gone hitless in his last 10 at-bats before Thursday. Don't expect Adell to provide a useful batting average, but he has the ability to go on power binges like this.

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Taylor Ward came into Thursday's series finale against the hosting Tampa Bay Rays with a .196 average (9-for-46) with a homer and three RBI in his first 11 games this year. Ward turned things around in a big way at the plate in the 11-1 win over Tampa, though, going 3-for-5 with two home runs, two runs scored and three RBI to raise his season average to .235 and his OPS to .704. The 31-year-old led off the game with a solo, opposite-field shot before adding a two-run bomb in the fifth inning. He's clearly heating up, as he now has three home runs in his last two games in Tampa. Fantasy managers liked what they saw from Ward against the Rays and will be hoping he can keep it going as the Halos head to Houston for a weekend series against the division-rival Astros.