Philadelphia Phillies reliever Orion Kerkering has had a couple of successful minor league outings, and if everything goes to plan, the 23-year-old will pitch Tuesday and Thursday next week before rejoining the Phillies over the weekend. Kerkering was generating some preseason buzz after his performance in the minors and at the big league level in 2023, but an illness and a forearm strain threw cold water on it. He's expected to serve in middle relief upon his return, but Jose Alvarado has not looked sharp as the closer and Kerkering could be in the mix should Alvarado continue to falter. Kerkering has big-time strikeout stuff, so if he were to take over as closer he could help out fantasy managers tremendously. He's certainly worthy of the watch list, but also could be a speculative add in deeper leagues.

Chicago Cubs third baseman Patrick Wisdom will begin a rehab assignment in Triple-A on Saturday. There is no definitive date for when he will rejoin the Cubs, although a mid-April return is possible. Wisdom hit .375 this spring with two home runs before a back injury landed him on the IL. Christopher Morel and Nick Madrigal have handled duties at the hot corner to begin the season, with Morel hitting .321 (9-for-28) with two home runs, four RBI, and seven runs scored, while Madrigal is 5-for-15 (.333) with four RBI, one run scored, and one stolen base. Wisdom has had 23 or more home runs for three straight seasons, so managers in need of some power numbers should keep an eye on his return, however, his K% has been no lower than 34.3% over the last three seasons with his batting average hovering just above the Mendoza Line the last two (.205, .207).

St. Louis Cardinals catcher Ivan Herrera will hit in the fourth spot in the order in Saturday's game against the Marlins. The 23-year-old backstop will face off against LHP Trevor Rogers. Herrera collected his first MLB home run on Thursday and is 4-for-9 over his last two games. He could be a potential waiver wire pickup if Willson Contreras' hand becomes more than a day-to-day issue and could certainly be a candidate for DFS lineups when he is in there.

St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter Willson Contreras was scratched from the lineup on Saturday. Contreras was hit by a pitch in the left hand in Wednesday's game against the Padres and was not in the lineup Thursday. Alec Burleson will take his spot as DH on Saturday and 23-year-old Ivan Herrera will be behind the plate. Contreras is considered day-to-day at this point. The 31-year-old is off to a slow start this season, going 4-for-19 over his first six games, although three of his four hits have gone for extra bases. Ivan Herrera hit his first MLB home run on Thursday and is 4-for-9 over his last two games. Burleson is 4-for-21 to begin 2024 with one extra-base hit.

Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams was a pregame scratch on Saturday. Nasim Nunez will take his place. Nunez made his MLB debut earlier this season but has yet to register a plate appearance. He was a pinch-runner when he made his debut, successfully stealing a base and scoring a run. Last season, the switch hitter batted just .224 in 125 games at Double-A, but had an impressive 14.9% BB% and swiped 52 bags. The 23-year-old will bat ninth against LHP Ranger Suarez. Abrams' absence is reportedly connected to an "awkward slide" in Friday's game where he apparently injured his thumb. Right now he's considered day-to-day.