New York Mets third baseman Mark Vientos is out of the team's starting lineup for Friday's series opener at Citi Field against the visiting Chicago Cubs. Brett Baty will draw into the lineup at third base and bat sixth against Cubs right-hander Jameson Taillon. So far in 2025, Vientos has been unable to replicate his breakout season from a year ago. The 25-year-old right-handed slugger is sitting for the second straight game and is currently slashing an underwhelming .220/.301/.370 with a .671 OPS, four home runs, 15 RBI and 16 runs scored in 127 at-bats for the Mets. The good news, though, is he currently has a five-game hitting streak in which he's gone 6-for-19 with two runs scored. Baty, a former first-rounder in 2019, has yet to figure it out at the big-league level and has gone 11-for-58 (.190) with a homer and four RBI in limited action. The 25-year-old has never faced Taillon in his MLB career.

Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Enmanuel Valdez will start on the bench for Friday's series opener against the visiting Atlanta Braves at PNC Park. Matt Gorski will make the start at first base and will hit sixth against Braves right-hander Bryce Elder. Valdez will take a seat a day after the Pirates fired manager Derek Shelton after he had started the team's last 18 games at first base against right-handers. Valdez, 26, has done very little for those in NL-only leagues, hitting .209 (19-for-91) with two home runs, 12 RBI and seven runs scored for the Pirates. He's off to a 4-for-25 start in the month of May with an RBI and four strikeouts in 26 plate appearances. Gorski will be playing in just his ninth major-league game. Through his first eight contests, he's gone 4-for-19 with a homer, triple, RBI and a run scored. Gorski has yet to face Elder as a big-leaguer.

Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Aaron Civale (hamstring) started his minor-league rehab assignment off the right way on Thursday with Triple-A Nashville, tossing four shutout innings with one hit allowed, one walk and three strikeouts in a no-decisions. Civale will need another rehab start on the farm after throwing 50 pitches in the efficient outing on Thursday, but after that, he's expected to rejoin Milwaukee's starting rotation. The 29-year-old is recovering from a left-hamstring strain that landed him on the injured list in late March after he had made just one start for the Brew Crew. He gave up five earned runs on four hits (three home runs) in just three innings in his season debut at the New York Yankees on March 30. Civale has limited upside in fantasy because of his below-average strikeout rate, but he could serve as rotation depth in deeper leagues when he returns.

Washington Nationals infielder Jose Tena will retreat to the bench for Friday's series opener against the visiting St. Louis Cardinals at Nationals Park. Veteran Amed Rosario is making the start at the hot corner and is batting sixth against Cardinals right-hander Erick Fedde. Tena has been playing regularly at third against right-handed pitchers for the Nationals, but he's gone just 1-for-20 with a double, one walk and eight strikeouts in his last seven games. The 24-year-old left-handed-hitting Dominican has yet to homer and is slashing an uninspiring .220/.246/.305 with seven RBI and five runs scored in his 59 at-bats in 2025. Rosario has been better but still doesn't offer DFS managers much upside offensively. The 29-year-old has hit .279 (19-for-68) with two homers and nine RBI. He's also hit .188 with a .376 OPS in 16 career at-bats against Fedde.

Miami Marlins left-hander Ryan Weathers (forearm) looked good in his third minor-league rehab start with Triple-A Jacksonville on Thursday, throwing five shutout innings with two hits allowed, no walks and three strikeouts to pick up the win. The 25-year-old southpaw averaged 97.8 mph with his fastball and could potentially be activated from the injured list and make his 2025 season debut for the Marlins next Tuesday in a tough matchup against the Chicago Cubs. The former first-rounder of the San Diego Padres in 2018 has made three rehab starts (two with Jacksonville) and has only allowed two earned runs on four hits while walking four and striking out 13 in 10 2/3 innings pitched. Weathers only got up to 57 pitches in his efficient outing on Thursday, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see him make one more start in the minors. He deserves to be picked up off the waiver wire now in fantasy leagues if he's available.