San Diego Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill went 1-for-3 with his first MLB home run Monday night against Kyle Gibson and the Cardinals in the Padres' 6-2 loss. The 20-year-old Merrill drove a sinker deep into the opposite field, showing off the immense power he possesses. He now owns a triple slash line of .238/.304/.476, good for an OPS of .780. Look for Merrill to continue his hot hitting and watch his batting average climb in an excellent Padres lineup. He is worth starting in four/five outfielder leagues.

Cincinnati Reds utilityman Spencer Steer continued his hot streak in Monday's 6-3 extra-innings win over the Phillies, going 2-for-5 with a double, a 10th-inning, go-ahead grand slam, and a strikeout. The 26-year-old has started 2024 where he left off in 2023, slashing .400/.471/.733 with seven RBI and a stolen base in his first 17 plate appearances. His multi-position eligibility and strong lineup context should keep Steer as a valuable fantasy asset in the early going.

New York Yankees relief pitcher Victor Gonzalez earned his first save of the season in Monday's 5-2 win over the Diamondbacks. Gonzalez came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth inning up by three. He got the first out on a fly-out, gave up a ground-rule double, got the second out on a fly-out, and ended the game with a groundout. Clay Holmes has pitched in three of the team's first five and converted all three of his save opportunities, so he may not have been available for the save opportunity. The 28-year-old Gonzalez now has two career saves in four big-league seasons, so fantasy managers should not get too excited over this for now.

Seattle Mariners relief pitcher Ryne Stanek picked up his first save of the season in Monday's 5-4 win over the Guardians. Stanek came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth inning up by one and delivered a 1-2-3 inning with a strikeout. Andres Munoz would typically see save opportunities for the Mariners, but he was used in the eighth inning of this game given the close score. Stanek has turned in useful seasons throughout his career and has pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings this season with one hit allowed, one walk, and three strikeouts. However, he has never seen consistent save opportunities, severely limiting his fantasy value.

Baltimore Orioles second/third baseman Jordan Westburg made his one hit count in Monday's 6-4 win over the Royals, going 1-for-4 with a walk-off home run. With the game tied in the bottom of the ninth, Westburg took an 0-2 fastball over the right-center field wall to end the game. The 25-year-old earned a roster spot and is slashing .231/.286/.462 with five RBI in the early going. Given his multi-position eligibility and the lineup around him, he should provide some fantasy value in deeper leagues. However, the O's have plenty of big-league talent and even more talent waiting in the minors, so he will need to produce to earn consistent playing time.