Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jon Gray was saddled with a tough-luck loss in a 1-0 defeat against the Oakland Athletics. Gray pitched very well in this one, striking out nine over five frames while allowing just three hits and a walk. Unfortunately, one of those hits was a Seth Brown homer, which turned out to be the only run of the game. This was Gray's first good outing of the year, as he only lasted 3 innings in each of his first two appearances. Until he can string together some good starts, he is only a deeper league option who has some streamer appeal when the matchup is right.

Washington Nationals outfield prospect James Wood had himself a day at the dish on Thursday, leading Triple-A Rochester to a 6-3 win over Triple-A Buffalo. Wood finished the day going 4-for-5 with a pair of homers and a double. He added four runs scored and two RBI to sweeten the line even more. Wood has been excellent in Triple-A, hitting .441 with a 1.352 OPS to go along with two homers and two steals in 34 at-bats. It might not be long before he forces the Nationals hand and gets the call to the majors.

Baltimore Orioles outfielder Colton Cowser had the best game of his young career on Thursday, smashing two homers in a 9-4 extra-innings victory over the Boston Red Sox. Cowser went 3-for-5 with the aforementioned two homers and also added two runs and four RBI. He is now up to a .458/.462/.917 triple-slash line and should continue getting more playing time if he can keep hitting. The 24-year-old should be rostered in most leagues given his upside and the fact he slugged six homers in Spring Training.

With right-hander Spencer Strider (elbow) out, next up from Triple-A Gwinnett for spot-start duty could be Atlanta Braves right-hander Bryce Elder, who was an All-Star in 2023 before fading in the second half in his first full season in the big leagues. Another option is left-hander Dylan Dodd, who started in the Braves' rotation last year before struggling and being sent to Gwinnett. Elder has a 2.61 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and a .211 opponents' average in his first two starts at Triple-A with 11 strikeouts, three walks and a homer allowed in 10 1/3 innings. Dodd had a 1.54 ER with 12 K's in 11 2/3 innings before he was hit hard on Thursday at Gwinnett. Darius Vines is another option. Huascar Ynoa and top prospect AJ Smith-Shawver have struggled in their first couple of Triple-A outings this year.

The Toronto Blue Jays are calling up Cuban right-hander Yariel Rodriguez from Triple-A Buffalo, according to sources. He should officially be activated on Saturday during the series versus the visiting Colorado Rockies. The 27-year-old tossed 6 1/3 scoreless innings with just one hit allowed, three walks and 10 strikeouts in his first two starts in the minors with Buffalo before getting his first big-league call-up. Before signing with Toronto this offseason, Rodriguez spent the last four years in Japan, although he didn't pitch at all with a club in 2023. There's clear long-term upside with Rodriguez, but fantasy managers may want to temper expectations initially, as he could start out in a relief role in the majors. If Rodriguez does take a rotation spot, he could be bumping Bowden Francis out.