After Boston Red Sox right-hander Tanner Houck had another nightmare outing on Monday night in a 14-2 loss to the Detroit Tigers in which he allowed 11 total runs while walking three and striking out none in 2 1/3 innings, manager Alex Cora admitted that the team will consider removing him from the starting rotation temporarily. It's been a hard fall after Houck was a first-time All-Star in 2024 -- this is the second time this year he's given up double-digit runs in less than three innings. The 28-year-old's ERA is now up to 8.04 through nine starts. Walker Buehler (shoulder) is hoping to return from the injured list soon, so if Houck is demoted to the bullpen or even the minors, Hunter Dobbins would probably be the beneficiary of extra starts for the BoSox. If Houck remains in the rotation, fantasy managers that stick with him should at least bench him until he can show signs of turning things around.

San Diego Padres right-hander Yu Darvish (elbow) will begin a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A El Paso on Wednesday, manager Mike Shildt announced on Monday night. Darvish tossed 48 pitches during a simulated game last week and is now ready to face live hitters in a game environment as he works his way back from right-elbow inflammation that he first experienced in mid-March during spring training. The 38-year-old has yet to make his 2025 debut, and the Padres aren't going to rush the Japanese veteran back into their starting rotation, so fantasy managers shouldn't be surprised if he doesn't come off the injured list until sometime in late May or early June. The five-time All-Star is past his prime and in the twilight of his career, but he still offered fantasy managers a solid 3.31 ERA and 1.06 WHIP in 16 starts last year, albeit with a career-low 23.6% strikeout rate.

Milwaukee Brewers left-hander Jose Quintana (shoulder) is now listed as the team's probable starter for Saturday's game at home against the visiting Minnesota Twins, according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. Quintana came out of his last outing last Friday against the Tampa Bay Rays with some soreness in his left shoulder, so the team will push him back a few days to give him a little extra time to recover. The 36-year-old veteran southpaw is expected to throw a bullpen session on Wednesday to see how his arm is feeling. Quintana has a solid 2.65 ERA in his six starts so far in 2025 for the Brew Crew, but he's struck out only 24 in 34 innings, and his 4.58 FIP shows that he's been a bit fortunate in the ERA department. The matchup against Minnesota this weekend is a decent one, but Quintana remains a shaky fantasy streamer with limited upside while dealing with a cranky shoulder recently.

The Chicago White Sox announced that outfielder Austin Slater (knee) will start his minor-league rehab assignment at Triple-A Charlotte on Tuesday. Additionally, the team announced that infielder Nick Maton has been outrighted to Charlotte after being designated for assignment last week. Slater is working his way back from surgery to fix a torn meniscus in his right knee that has kept him out just under a month. The 32-year-old veteran played in just eight games for the Pale Hose before the injury and went 5-for-20 with a homer, two doubles, an RBI and two runs scored in 20 plate appearances. Barring a setback once he starts playing in games on the farm, Slater could be ready to rejoin the team's major-league roster by the end of May. Depending on the health of other outfielders Andrew Benintendi (calf) and Mike Tauchman (hamstring) when he returns, Slater could operate in a platoon role in Chicago's outfield.

Chicago White Sox pitching prospect Hagen Smith's last outing was shortened to only two innings of work, and his next start will be skipped as the team attempts to manage his workload. The 21-year-old's velocity was down in his latest start, which the team believes was a result of arm fatigue and not any major injury, so they'll try to limit the lefty's innings over the rest ofthe season, indicating that other startscould be skipped or pushed back throughout the year. Chicago's third-ranked prospect has pitched well at Double-A Birmingham, posting a 2.10 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, and a strong 39.3 percent strikeout rate overseven starts (25 2/3 IP), although the 18.7 percent walk rate needs some improvement. The 6-foot-3 hurler looks like he's well on his way to a 2026 major league debut, and armed with a fastball that can touch triple-digits that is paired with a devastatingslider, he has the makings of a frontline starter, so this arm fatigueis a situation to monitorin the event it takes a turn for the worse.