Oakland Athletics left-hander JP Sears allowed one hit across 6 1/3 scoreless innings during Thursday's 1-0 victory over the Texas Rangers. He struck out five batters while issuing three walks en route to his first win of the season. It was a nice bounce-back performance for the 28-year-old after a pair of inefficient outings to kick off 2024. Sears shows glimpses of fantasy viability every so often, but his inconsistency makes him nothing more than a streaming option in 2024. He is a risky play in his next projected start on Tuesday against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Houston Astros right-hander Hunter Brown had a start to forget on Thursday against the Kansas City Royals. The 25-year-old was crushed for nine runs on 11 hits in the first inning of the contest. Brown got the hook after recording only two outs, making it the shortest start of his young career. It has been a harrowing start to the season for the former top prospect. Brown now owns an ugly 16.43 ERA through three starts and has yet to go deeper than four innings into a game. Brown has the pedigree to turn things around, but it will be tough to trust him in his next start against the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday.

Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. went 4-for-5 with two home runs, five RBI and four runs scored during Thursday's 13-3 demolition of the Houston Astros. Witt also picked up his third stolen base during the blowout. It was a banner day for the 23-year-old, who is now slashing a robust .358/.414/.755 with four home runs, eight RBI and 13 runs scored on the season. Witt looks like bonafide superstar to start 2024 and is a must-start option whenever he takes the diamond.

New York Mets outfielder DJ Stewart went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run during Thursday's 16-4 rout of the Atlanta Braves. It was Stewart's second homer in his past three games, although the two long balls are his only hits this season. The 30-year-old has seen steady playing time as the designated hitter in the early going, but this seems likely to change whenever J.D. Martinez joins the roster. Stewart can be utilized as a bench bat in NL-Only formats while he is on a power surge, but he can be left on the waiver wire everywhere else.

An MRI exam revealed that Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Brandon Lowe (oblique) is dealing with a Grade 1 right-oblique strain, and he will be placed on the injured list before the team's series opener on Friday against the San Francisco Giants. It's a mild strain, but Lowe is still going to miss time. It's nothing new really for the left-handed slugger after he was limited to 174 games in the last two years due to back injuries and a fractured right kneecap. Prospect Curtis Mead and veteran Amed Rosario seem likely to get more work at the keystone in Lowe's absence, and the most likely candidate to fill Lowe's spot on the roster on Friday is switch-hitting infielder Niko Goodrum. In addition to his injury, Lowe has gotten off to a slow start, going just 5-for-27 (.185) with a homer, four RBI and seven strikeouts in his first eight games played in 2024. Expect him to miss at least several weeks, if not more.