
Arizona Diamondbacks left-handed pitcher Jose Castillo (adductor) made his season debut over the weekend with Triple-A Reno. In this outing, the southpaw tossed a clean frame and struck out two batters. Castillo opened the campaign on the injured list due to left adductor tightness. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his progress with Triple-A as he could be in the mix to return to the big leagues in the coming weeks. Through his career, Castillo has logged 40 1/3 innings in the majors and tallied an impressive 55 punchouts while holding a 4.24 ERA with a strong 1.04 WHIP. Last summer, the left-hander spent most of his time with Triple-A Reno as he logged 20 2/3 innings to the tune of a 4.35 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP. For now, Castillo should not be on your fantasy radar as he slowly increases his workload.


The Chicago Cubs have optioned left-handed pitcher Jordan Wicks to Triple-A Iowa. Wicks joined the Cubs for their weekend series against the Arizona Diamondbacks but will return to the top level of the minor leagues instead. During his brief two-inning stint, Wicks allowed five runs (three earned) and six hits. He struck out two and did not allow a free pass. Last season, Wicks logged a career-high 46 innings in the major leagues and held a modest 5.48 ERA with a 1.63 WHIP. During this stint, he tallied 42 punchouts and served up 20 walks. Fantasy managers should expect the former 21st overall pick to be in the mix to return to the majors later in the campaign when the Cubs need additional depth in their rotation. Through 66 2/3 career innings at Triple-A, Wicks has held a 4.32 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP.

Pittsburgh Pirates infield prospect Termarr Johnson (knee) went 2-for-5 with a double during their contest against Double-A Somerset on Monday. Johnson suffered a minor knee injury on Friday. However, this is a great sign as Johnson was only held out of action over the weekend, which suggests the injury was not very serious. Through the first 12 games of the Double-A regular season, Johnson has held a .245/.351/.347 slash line with two doubles and one home run. Johnson has swiped five bags and held an impressive 9:8 K:BB. Last summer, the former fourth overall pick spent most of the campaign with High-A and held a modest .238/.372/.385 before earning a brief taste of Double-A. Fantasy managers should expect Johnson to spend most of the campaign at Double-A before earning a late-season look at Triple-A.

Atlanta Braves first baseman Matt Olson went 1-for-3 with a single, a run scored, and an RBI in the Braves' 7-6 home win on Monday night. He has hit safely in each of his last six games and in nine of his last 10, going 10-for-34 (.294) over that stretch with a double, two home runs, eight RBI, and a .405 wOBA. Olson is hitting .237 on the season with three homers and a .355 wOBA, but his production is starting to come around after a slow start. He has a 61.4% hard-hit rate according to Statcast, which would be the highest rate of his career if he maintains it. His average and slugging are still catching up to their expected levels based on his contact metrics, so he's a strong hold or even a buy-low target in mixed leagues if fantasy managers are too hung up on his low batting average.

New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe went 1-for-3 with a single, a walk and a run scored in the Yankees' 6-4 loss on Monday night. He raised his batting average to .217 on the season but still only has four home runs and three stolen bases in 23 games. His four homers all came in the first five games of the season, and in his last 14 games, he is just 7-for-46 (.152) with five singles and two doubles. He has just two barrels and a 30% hard-hit rate over those 14 games with a .229 wOBA and 45 wRC+. It doesn't appear that his starting spot is in jeopardy, but the 23-year-old has not been a great option at a loaded shortstop position so far this season. His run production and stolen bases are decent in a stacked lineup, but his fantasy managers will need more from him as the season continues. In standard leagues, it's not quite time to bail on him yet, but hopefully he turns it around soon.
