
New York Yankees starting pitcher Clarke Schmidt (shoulder) made what is expected to be his final rehab start on Thursday. The right-hander looked excellent as he tossed four scoreless innings, allowing three hits, and striking out four batters with Double-A Somerset on Thursday. He needed only 61 pitches and was pounding the strike zone during this game. The expectation is that Schmidt is going to be activated from the injured list following this start. He has been out since spring training due to discomfort in his shoulder. Fantasy managers looking for pitching help should check the waiver wire and stash Schmidt if he's available.

Baltimore Orioles right-handed pitcher Kyle Gibson logged 47 innings during his first start of the season with Triple-A Norfolk. Gibson pitched three 1/3 innings and allowed one run with three hits. He struck out four. Gibson signed a contract with the Orioles late in the spring and still needs time to increase his workload. However, with Zach Eflin (lat) hitting the injured list, the Orioles may promote Gibson to the majors sooner than previously expected. Last season, the 37-year-old logged 169 2/3 innings with the Cardinals and posted a 4.24 ERA with a 1.35 WHIP. Fantasy managers should expect the veteran to have a spot in the rotation once he is cleared to report to Baltimore. When he does return to the big leagues, he will have value in 15+ team formats as a high-floor option.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have optioned catcher Hunter Feduccia to Triple-A Oklahoma City. The Dodgers are expected to activate first baseman Freddie Freeman (ankle) off the injured reserve on Friday. Freeman will take Feduccia's roster spot. The 27-year-old backstop only saw three plate appearances while replacing Freeman over the past week. He did not tally a hit over this span. Last summer, Feduccia made his MLB debut and held .333 AVG across his first five MLB games. Fantasy managers should expect Feduccia to push for another stint in the majors if he continues to perform well. Last summer, Feduccia held a strong .284/.409/.428 slash line with six round-trippers across 82 contests with Oklahoma City. Freeman should continue to be viewed as a must-start first baseman, but he may be given occasional rest days to maintain his ankle.

Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Gavin Williams posted his best outing of the season against the Chicago White Sox on Thursday. The right-hander went five innings, allowing three hits, one earned run, and struck out seven batters in the win. He gave up a run in the first inning, but settled down nicely after that. In fact, Williams retired 12 of his last 13 batters before exiting the game at 94 pitches. The 25-year-old has the potential to be a top of the line starter, but he's not quite there yet. Williams will get a challenging matchup against the Baltimore Orioles during his next start. Fantasy managers might want to wait and see how that goes before jumping on the waiver wire to add Williams.

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Bailey Ober was sharp on the mound during Thursday's outing against the Kansas City Royals. The right-hander went six innings, allowing five hits, one earned run, and striking out four batters in the no-decision. Ober was hit around in the first inning, but he settled down nicely after that. He has posted back-to-back outings with only one earned run, but his ERA is still 7.11 because he was crushed in his season opener. The veteran right-hander is scheduled to pitch against the New York Mets next week. That's not exactly a favorable matchup for Ober, but he appears to be getting back on track now.
