Athletics outfielder Brent Rooker is making the start in left field and is batting cleanup for the A's against the Chicago White Sox and right-hander Davis Martin in Thursday's series finale. The A's recently moved Rooker to left field for the first time all season, suggesting they may be getting close to calling up prospect Nick Kurtz after his red-hot start in the minors. The 30-year-old Rooker didn't play the field after May last year due to a forearm injury that required offseason surgery, but he's healthy enough to play the field now and could regain eligibility in the outfield for fantasy managers in 2025. He's off to a slow start offensively, slashing .208/.256/.403 with a .659 OPS, but he does have four home runs, a double, a triple, eight RBI and 10 runs scored in his first 18 games. Rooker hit a combined 69 home runs the last two years, making him a strong power source in fantasy.

Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers is sitting out of Thursday's series finale against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field. Jhonny Pereda will do the catching for left-hander JP Sears and will back seventh against White Sox right-hander Davis Martin. Langeliers will get a much-needed day of rest after starting the team's last eight games. The 27-year-old offers plenty of power at the weak catching position in fantasy, but he's probably never going to be much of a batting-average asset. He has gotten off to a .237/.338/.492 start in 2025 with an .830 OPS, four home runs, 10 RBI and 10 runs scored for the A's. Expect him to be back for Friday's series opener against the Milwaukee Brewers. Pereda will appear in just his 25th MLB game after debuting with the Miami Marlins in 2024. He has two hits in 10 at-bats in four games so far this year and will be a weak DFS play on Thursday.

Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona said that infielder/outfielder Spencer Steer (shoulder) is getting close to being ready to play first base. "It won't be very long," Francona said. Steer is out of the starting lineup for Thursday's series finale against the visiting Seattle Mariners. Outfielder Austin Hays is serving as the designated hitter and is batting cleanup against Mariners right-hander Emerson Hancock. A right-shoulder injury has limited Steer to DH duties early this year, and he's hit just .120 (6-for-50) with a home run and three RBI in the early going. Fantasy managers will be hoping that the 27-year-old will come around offensively as his shoulder gets closer to 100%. With Christian Encarnacion-Strand (back) now on the injured list, using Steer at first base would allow the Reds to move Jeimer Candelario back to third base.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have optioned right-handed pitcher Bobby Miller to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Thursday. The 26-year-old was promoted prior to Wednesday's contest to make a spot-start against the Colorado Rockies. In this outing, Miller tossed three innings of six-run ball. He allowed eight hits, one walk, and struck out seven. While Miller flashed elite strikeout upside, he was unable to limit the Colorado bats. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status with Triple-A, as he will likely be in the mix to return to the Dodgers later in the summer. Sending Miller back to Triple-A will likely open a spot on the roster for relief pitcher Evan Phillips (shoulder), who is on the verge of returning to the major leagues. Last season, Miller struggled in the majors as well, as he logged 56 innings to the tune of an 8.52 ERA with a 1.77 WHIP. Fantasy managers should not consider stashing Miller while he is with Oklahoma City.

San Francisco Giants infielder Wilmer Flores and outfielder Jung Hoo Lee will take a seat on Thursday afternoon as the Giants will face Philadelphia southpaw Cristopher Sanchez. Flores has enjoyed an impressive start to the campaign, holding a .242/.286/.515 slash line with 16 total hits and six long balls. He tallied 23 RBI and scored 11 runs. Lee has also been swinging a hot bat as he has slashed a strong .338/.395/.647 line with 10 doubles and three round-trippers across the first 17 contests of the regular season. Fantasy managers should expect both Flores and Lee to likely rejoin the starting nine on Friday evening when they face the Angels. However, the Angels are scheduled to send out lefty Tyler Anderson, which could keep Lee out of the lineup. Instead, Luis Matos will cover center field, and Casey Schmidt will cover first base. The Giants should be faded in DFS facing Sanchez, who enters Thursday with a strong 3.12 ERA.