Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz has been slipped down to the eight-hole for Saturday's contest against the Boston Red Sox and right-hander Kutter Crawford. The 25-year-old has hit out of the seven spot on occasion this season, but the eight-hole is the lowest spot in the order he has started at so far while he has largely served as the team's leadoff hitter. However, he's off to a sluggish start at the plate, hitting .222 with three homers, one stolen base, and a .605 OPS across his first 85 trips to the plate on the young season. Even with a massive 40% strikeout rate against only a 4.7% walk rate, fantasy managers should continue to exercise patience, as Cruz ranks in the 88th percentile in average exit velocity and the 89th percentile in hard-hit rate to this point in the season.

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith is not in the starting lineup Saturday against the New York Mets and right-hander Jose Butto. It's a predictable absence as the Dodgers and Mets played a night game on Friday but will get together for an afternoon clash on Saturday. Smith went 2-for-4 with a walk, a double, and a run scored on Friday but the Dodgers took a 9-4 loss despite his efforts. The 29-year-old has come out of the gate hot this season, hitting .356 with a homer, five doubles, and an .861 OPS across 81 plate appearances, good for fourth-most among big-league backstops. The Dodgers have surprisingly dropped four of their last five entering Saturday's contest.

New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (thumb) has been placed on the 15-day injured list after suffering a thumb injury while running the bases in the top of the second inning against the Dodgers on Friday. His thumb was bent back when he attempted to brace for a fall during the club's 9-4 win and he has been diagnosed with a sprain in his thumb. Mets skipper Carlos Mendoza said after the game that he was "pretty concerned" about Alvarez's injury and that the young backstop was in a lot of pain. A year after slugging 25 homers as a rookie, the 22-year-old is hitting .236 with a homer and a .652 OPS across his first 59 trips to the plate this season. Tomas Nido was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse to take Alvarez's spot on the active roster while left-hander Kolton Ingram was designated for assignment.

Chicago Cubs infielder Michael Busch is not in the team's starting lineup for Game 1 of a twin bill on Saturday against the Miami Marlins and left-hander Jesus Luzardo. The lefty-swinging Busch is off to a massive start to the season but has struggled in limited time against same-handed pitching. Busch has hit .317 with six home runs, three doubles, and a 1.067 OPS across 70 plate appearances on the season but is just 1-for-9 (.111) with a walk across only 10 trips to the plate against southpaw pitching. All nine of the 26-year-old's extra-base hits have come against right-handers. Despite his struggles against lefties, Busch has cemented himself as a strong fantasy asset, even at the first base position, with a history of hitting for big-time power in his minor-league career.

Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers (knee) remains out of the starting lineup on Saturday against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Bobby Dalbec is getting the start at the hot corner and is batting sixth in the lineup versus Pirates right-hander Mitch Keller. Devers is dealing with a bone bruise in his left knee and will miss his third straight game. The 27-year-old is going to need to return to the lineup soon to avoid landing on the injured list. The Red Sox's bench is pretty short-handed right now with outfielder Tyler O'Neill on the seven-day concussion injured list. Dalbec has never faced Keller in his career and has just one hit with two walks and 13 strikeouts in 24 plate appearances over 12 games so far in 2024 as a bench option for the BoSox.