Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz (back) remains out of the starting lineup for Monday's series opener against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Cruz will miss his second straight game after being pulled from Saturday's game early against the Atlanta Braves with lower-back tightness. Alexander Canario is making another start in center field for the Bucs and will hit seventh against Mets left-hander David Peterson. Cruz is considered day-to-day. Fantasy managers will want to check back to see if the 26-year-old is feeling good enough to play in Game 2 of the series in Queens. The 25-year-old Canario profiles as a low-upside DFS sleeper near the bottom of Pittsburgh's batting order against Peterson. He has never faced Peterson in his career and is sitting on just eight hits in 50 at-bats in 2025 with two home runs, three RBI and six runs scored.

Texas Rangers infielder/outfielder Josh Smith (back) was originally scheduled to play in Monday's series opener against the visiting Colorado Rockies at Globe Life Field, but he was a late scratch due to back soreness, according to the Dallas Morning News' Shawn McFarland. With Smith out and Corey Seager (hamstring) appearing likely to go back on the injured list, Ezequiel Duran is starting at the 6 on Monday and batting ninth against Rockies rookie right-hander Chase Dollander. As long as the 27-year-old Smith's back injury isn't too serious, he should end up making most of the starts at shortstop if Seager indeed goes back on the IL. Smith doesn't have much power or speed but has been very valuable to fantasy managers in AL-only leagues so far in 2025 by hitting .316/.395/.474 with an .869 OPS in 114 at-bats as a utility man in Texas.

The Texas Rangers announced on Monday that they recalled infielder Jake Burger from Triple-A Round Rock and optioned infielder Blaine Crim to Round Rock in a corresponding move. Burger is starting at first base and batting seventh for Monday's series opener against the visiting Colorado Rockies and rookie right-hander Chase Dollander. Although Burger was demoted to the minors after hitting .190/.231/.330 with three homers, 12 RBI, 13 runs and 32 strikeouts in his first 30 games with the team, fantasy managers in deeper leagues looking for power at the corner infield spots should give the 29-year-old some waiver-wire consideration now that he's back in Texas. In his six games with Round Rock on the farm, Burger went 9-for-23 with two home runs, a double, six RBI and five runs scored in 26 plate appearances.

DLLS Sports' Jeff Wilson writes that it appears likely that Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager (hamstring) will go back on the 10-day injured list, with catcher Kyle Higashioka (ribs) likely returning from the IL in a corresponding move. Seager is missing another game in Monday's series opener against the visiting Colorado Rockies after sitting out Sunday's contest with more hamstring tightness. This would be the 31-year-old's second trip to the IL already in 2025 with hamstring issues. He missed two straight games on Thursday and Friday before returning on Saturday to hit two home runs, but Seager was removed from the lineup on Sunday with more right-hamstring tightness. Ezequiel Duran is starting at the 6 again on Monday and is hitting ninth against Rockies rookie right-hander Chase Dollander. Duran and Josh Smith should share shortstop duties if Seager goes back on the IL.

The Miami Marlins announced on Monday that they placed outfielder Dane Myers (oblique) on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to May 11) with a right-oblique strain and reinstated outfielder Derek Hill (wrist) from the 10-day IL in a corresponding move. With Myers now on the shelf, Hill will immediately start in center field and bat seventh on Monday in the series opener against the Chicago Cubs and right-hander Colin Rea at Wrigley Field. The 29-year-old Myers deserves to be stashed in deep fantasy leagues where he was rostered, as he was slashing a strong .337/.375/.482 with an .857 OPS in 83 at-bats as the team's starting center fielder. Hill is now worth a look in the short term in those same formats now that he's likely to see most of the starts in center field over at least the next 10 days. Hill has gone just 7-for-42 (.167) with a homer, three RBI and three steals, so don't expect similar production.