St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt added another long ball to his recent total in Monday's 3-1 loss to the Reds. Goldschmidt went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and a strikeout. He provided his team's entire offense, sending a first-inning Nick Lodolo fastball into the left-field seats. The 36-year-old has been cold at the plate overall this season but now has three HR in his last two games and is hitting .276 with six extra-base hits in his last seven games. Age is a concern for Goldschmidt, but hopefully, he can extend his hot streak and start performing closer to the high-end fantasy option he has been throughout his career.

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Lance Lynn turned in another nice start but took the loss in Monday's 3-1 game against the Reds. Lynn pitched six innings, allowing three runs (one earned) on five hits (including a solo home run) and three walks with five strikeouts. The 37-year-old veteran has had a nice bounce-back season after a poor 2023, going 2-3 with a 3.45 ERA, an 8.32 K/9 rate, a 3.61 BB/9 rate, and a 1.10 HR/9 rate in 10 starts and 51 1/3 IP. His next matchup will be a tough one at the Phillies. While Lynn has pitched better this season, fantasy managers may want to avoid starting him later in the week if they can afford to.

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Nick Lodolo (groin) improved to 4-2 in Monday's 3-1 win over the Cardinals. Lodolo, who was activated from the 15-day injured list earlier in the day after recovering from a groin strain, pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing one run on five hits (including a solo home run) and no walks with three strikeouts over 81 pitches. This was very encouraging for the 26-year-old and fantasy managers, as Lodolo has pitched well this season with a 3.12 ERA and a 10.26 K/9 rate in seven starts and 40 1/3 IP. The former high-end fantasy prospect had a poor, injury-shortened 2023 season after a promising rookie season, so it is nice to see him back on the right track. Lodolo will look to keep things going in his next start, which is projected to be a decent matchup at the Cubs.

Cincinnati Reds corner infielder Jeimer Candelario had a successful return to the lineup in Monday's 3-1 win over the Cardinals. The 30-year-old went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk. Candelario got things going, pulling a first-inning Lance Lynn fastball over the right-field wall for his sixth HR of the season. Despite the move to a favorable home park, Candelario has struggled offensively, slashing .222/.299/.419 with 20 RBI in 187 plate appearances. He has hit for more power at home but has actually batted worse with a .202/.333/.440 slash line compared to a .241/.259/.398 slash line on the road. While it seems likely that Candelario's overall numbers will improve as he starts to hit better at home, fantasy managers will have to be patient until he can start producing more consistently.

Minnesota Twins third baseman Jose Miranda went 1-for-4 at the plate with a two-run shot to power the Twins to a victory. Miranda has now made 10 consecutive starts at the hot corner and looks to have claimed the starting role. In his past 10 games, he has posted a strong .303/.324/.606 slash line with three long balls, five RBI, and a 1:4 BB:K. Currently, Miranda holds a stellar 14.8% strikeout rate, which should play well in points leagues. This is a big turnaround for the 25-year-old, as he struggled in the majors last season and finished with a poor .211/.263/.303 line and ended up spending half of the season in Triple-A. Miranda is worth adding in AL-only formats and deeper mixed leagues and could even be worth adding in standard formats if he continues this hot stretch.