Cleveland Guardians outfielder Lane Thomas (wrist) has started a swing progression and is trending toward beginning game activity (hitting, running and fielding) "soon," manager Stephen Vogt said on Monday. Thomas was hit by a pitch on April 8 and suffered a right-wrist bone bruise, which landed him on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to April 20) on April 22. In the 29-year-old's absence, the Guardians have had a rotation in center field with the likes of Angel Martinez, Nolan Jones and Daniel Schneemann. Before injuring his wrist, Thomas was off to a slow start in his first full season with Cleveland, going 7-for-45 (.156) with no homers, a double, two RBI and a stolen base in 13 games played. Barring a setback once he begins ramping up his activities, Thomas is expected to return as the team's regular center fielder in mid- to late May.

The Tampa Bay Rays placed right-handed reliever Hunter Bigge (lat) on the 15-day injured list on Tuesday with a right-lat strain and recalled right-hander Cole Sulser up from Triple-A Durham in a corresponding move, according to the Tampa Bay Times' Marc Topkin. Bigge will now be away from the team for at least a few weeks as he recovers from his injury. The 26-year-old had not pitched since last Thursday and has allowed four earned runs on 11 hits (four homers) while walking five and striking out 12 in 15 innings over 13 appearances out of Tampa's bullpen. Bigge will be eligible to return from the IL on May 18, but given the type of injury he's dealing with, we wouldn't be surprised if we don't see him again in the big leagues until later in the month.

The Tampa Bay Rays sent outfielder Josh Lowe (back, oblique) out on a minor-league rehab assignment to the rookie-level Florida Complex League on Tuesday. Lowe strained his right oblique on Opening Day in late March and had his rehab stalled a bit recently due to a bout with back spasms. The 27-year-old left-handed hitter is feeling better now, though, and will begin playing in minor-league games as he looks to make his way back to the major-league roster. It's unclear how many games he'll need down on the farm before being activated from the injured list, but barring any further setbacks, he should be back with the Rays by the middle of May. The former 13th overall pick in 2016 has had trouble staying on the field but has a useful power/speed profile for fantasy managers when he's healthy, and he's an everyday player. Lowe had 20 homers, 83 RBI and 32 steals for Tampa in 2023.

Athletics rookie right-hander Gunnar Hoglund will make his second major-league start on Wednesday in Sacramento against the division-rival Seattle Mariners. Hoglund, the team's No. 14 prospect per MLB Pipeline, made a strong impression in his major-league debut last Friday against the Miami Marlins, picking up his first career win by giving up just one earned run while walking none and striking out seven in six innings pitched. Fantasy managers looking for rotation help in deeper leagues should definitely look to pick Hoglund up if he's available on the waiver wire, although he'll definitely have a much tougher matchup in his second start against Seattle, a team that currently ranks seventh in all of MLB with a .755 OPS. The 25-year-old had a 2.43 ERA and 1.04 WHIP with 30 strikeouts and seven walks in his six starts with Triple-A Las Vegas before his call-up.

Texas Rangers shortstop prospect Sebastian Walcott has hit a bit of a skid over the week at Double-A. Over his last eight contests, Walcott has held an underwhelming .200/.294/.200 slash line with no extra-base hits. During this stretch, he has stolen two bases and held a 4:4 K:BB. However, prior to this slump, the No. 16-ranked prospect in the sport had enjoyed a strong start to the regular season. He held a .266/.392/.453 slash line with six doubles and two home runs. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor the 19-year-old's progression as he continues to work out his struggles at Double-A. Last season, the top prospect in Texas spent most of his time with High-A. Given his current trajectory, fantasy managers should expect Walcott to contend for a 2026 MLB debut.