

After making his season debut on Tuesday, Toronto Blue Jays catcher Danny Jansen will take a seat on the bench for Wednesday's contest against the division-rival New York Yankees. Jansen just returned from a fractured wrist on Tuesday, and the Blue Jays are going to ease him back into the fold behind the plate. Alejandro Kirk is doing the catching for right-hander Kevin Gausman and will hit eighth against Yankees right-hander Marcus Stroman. Jansen went 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts in his first start on Tuesday and could need some time before he gets going at the plate after a long layoff. Kirk has been slow out of the gates, too, going 10-for-50 (.200) with no homers and eight RBI. He has a hit in his two career at-bats against Stroman.


Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez (groin) is back behind the plate and is hitting cleanup for the Royals in the first game of a doubleheader on Wednesday against the Chicago White Sox and rookie right-hander Jonathan Cannon, who is making his big-league debut. A Grade 1 left-groin strain kept Perez out of Monday's lineup before Tuesday's contest was postponed. The 33-year-old's injury clearly wasn't too serious, but he'll most likely sit out for the second game of the doubleheader. The eight-time All-Star should be reinserted into all fantasy lineups now that he's active again. Perez is off to an excellent start at the plate in 2024, going 21-for-62 (.339) with four home runs, 15 RBI and eight runs scored in his first 16 games.



Houston Astros outfielders Jake Meyers and Chas McCormick will both start on the bench on Wednesday against the Atlanta Braves. Mauricio Dubon is starting in center field and is hitting seventh, while Yordan Alvarez will play left field and bat second against Braves left-hander Max Fried. Yainer Diaz is the designated hitter and is batting fifth. Meyers, who is hitting .237 (9-for-38) with two home runs and seven RBI in the early going, continues to split time in center field with Dubon. The former 13th-round pick in 2017 out of Nebraska-Lincoln is more of a glove-first player to begin with, leaving him little fantasy upside in deeper leagues. Dubon is the more attractive offensive player and is hitting .282 (11-for-39) but doesn't have a homer yet in 2024.


The New York Mets are "very optimistic" that third baseman Brett Baty (hamstring) will avoid the injured list after being pulled from Tuesday's game with a tight left hamstring. Baty came in on Wednesday feeling better than Tuesday night. "I think it just scared me," Baty said. He should be back in the lineup within a few days but is out on Wednesday versus the Pittsburgh Pirates. The team has an off day on Thursday before starting a series on Friday in Los Angeles against the Dodgers, so fantasy managers will want to check back then to see if Baty is feeling good enough to play. With Baty resting on Wednesday, Zack Short is starting at third base and is hitting in the nine-hole for the Mets against Pirates left-hander Bailey Falter.


The Pittsburgh Pirates announced that catcher Yasmani Grandal (foot) will start a minor-league rehab assignment on Wednesday night with Triple-A Indianapolis. Grandal has been out since spring training with plantar fasciitis in his left foot but is getting close to being able to make his 2024 debut with the Bucs. When the 35-year-old does join the Pirates in the big leagues, he'll split time behind the dish with the struggling Henry Davis, who is currently hitting just .180 (9-for-50) with no home runs and four RBI in his first full major-league season. Grandal can provide some occasional pop as a switch-hitting backstop, but he's no longer a must-roster player in single-catcher leagues, especially since he won't be playing regularly.
