Fantasy Sports

Luzardo will take the ball for Saturday’s showdown against the division-rival Phillies at loanDepot park following a two-week absence due to a flexor strain in his left elbow. The 26-year-old southpaw has been one of the few positives in an otherwise dismal campaign for Miami and should provide a significant lift to a struggling starting rotation. Unfortunately, his results have been less than spectacular with a lackluster 24.1 percent strikeout rate and bloated 5.07 FIP. It’s not what you want.

Fairbanks makes his return to Tampa Bay’s closer role following a three-week absence due to a nerve-related condition in his right hand. The 30-year-old stopper struggled in eight appearances to open the year, but looked sharp earlier this week in a pair of minor league rehab appearances for Triple-A Durham. He should take over the closing duties for the Rays with relief ace Jason Adam continuing to vulture the occasional save chance.

Skenes will take the ball on Saturday afternoon against the Cubs at PNC Park in the most anticipated pitching debut since Stephen Strasburg back in 2010. The flame-throwing 21-year-old first-overall selection from the 2023 MLB Draft has checked every box this season for Triple-A Indianapolis during his meteoric ascent, posting a microscopic 0.99 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 45/8 K/BB ratio across 27 1/3 innings (seven starts). He projects as an immediate impact fantasy contributor, thanks to his elite strikeout upside, despite some looming workload limitations.

Schwarber was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning of Friday’s contest against the Marlins due to a back issue and told reporters afterwards that he expects to take the day off on Saturday to rest and recover. It doesn’t sound like a serious concern moving forward, but back issues can be tricky. Fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day for now.

Williams opened the season on the injured list recovering from a pair of stress fractures in his back and isn’t expected to return to Milwaukee’s closer role until around midseason. The 29-year-old All-Star stopper should kick off his throwing program in a few weeks, if not sooner, and be ready to progress to bullpen sessions at some point in June before starting a minor league rehab assignment.

All indications are that Woo will make his next start on Wednesday against the Royals after making a precautionary exit from Friday’s return outing against the Athletics after experiencing forearm tightness during an extended break between the fourth and fifth innings. His fastball velocity dipped significantly in the fifth inning following the layoff, which led to a visit from Seattle’s training staff and his removal from the contest. It doesn’t sound like a serious concern at this juncture, but it’s certainly a situation fantasy managers should monitor closely. There should be some clarity on his status at some point in the coming days when he throws his usual between-starts bullpen session. Stay tuned.

Taillon will test his back on Saturday to determine whether he’ll take the ball for Sunday’s series finale against the Pirates. The 32-year-old, who missed the first couple weeks of the season due to a back strain, felt something in his back while warming up earlier this week for a bullpen session, which led to his start being pushed back from Friday to later this weekend. There should be some clarity on his status at some point prior to Sunday’s showdown.

Wood boasts an astronomical .995 OPS through 32 contests for Triple-A Rochester after launching three homers in his last two contests prior to Friday’s rainout. The 21-year-old top prospect has made tremendous strides in the plate discipline department, striking out just 30 times (20.1 percent) in 149 plate appearances. There’s zero incentive for the rebuilding Nationals to push him to the majors, it’s likely far more beneficial for his long-term outlook to continue excelling and improving his plate skills in the minors, but he figures to arrive in Washington at some point in the coming weeks.

Baz struggled to find the strike zone in this one, handing out a staggering five free passes and was lifted after 59 pitches (29 strikes) in the second inning. The 24-year-old righty is going to wind up requiring a couple additional rehab outings before the Rays consider him ready to rejoin the big-league rotation. He’s one of the most talented young pitchers in baseball, but it’s going to take him some time to round back into form after missing nearly two years recovering from Tommy John surgery.

It’s getting a little ridiculous. Mayo clubbed his International League-leading 12th round-tripper on Friday night, snapping a six-game homerless drought in the process. He went deep in four straight contests prior to a brief cold spell earlier this week. The 22-year-old top prospect holds a stratospheric .975 OPS with 23 extra-base hits through 37 contests this season at the Triple-A level. His time is coming.