Wetherholt’s clutch homer against Pirates closer Dennis Santana traveled 408 feet into the right-center field seats. It was his only hit in four at-bats, but it ignited a four-run rally as the Cardinals erased a two-run deficit after being shut out through eight innings. The 23-year-old rookie sensation has homered in back-to-back games and is up to six round-trippers through 28 games. The early returns suggest he’s on track to be one of the top second basemen in the fantasy landscape for years to come.

Bazzana, the first-overall selection in the 2024 MLB Draft, will make his big-league debut on Tuesday against the Rays at Progressive Field. The 23-year-old second baseman was raking at Triple-A Columbus, slashing .287/.422/.511 with two homers and eight steals in addition to nearly as many walks (21) as strikeouts (25) over 24 games. He may not project as an immediate fantasy superstar, but he profiles as an impact power/speed contributor at a relatively thin position. He’s expected to slot into the lower third of Cleveland’s lineup initially, though his advanced hit tool gives him a chance to climb into a more prominent role over time. He’s worth a speculative roster spot in all formats.

Messick struck out the side in the opening frame and continued rolling from there, scattering three baserunners over five frames and carrying a shutout into the sixth inning before finally meeting some pushback. He issued a leadoff walk to veteran Yandy Díaz before lefty-masher Ryan Vilade delivered a run-scoring single with two outs that chased him from the contest after 95 pitches (58 strikes). The unheralded 25-year-old rookie isn’t overpowering, but he manages to keep hitters off balance by changing speeds and mixing locations. He’s been a revelation this season with a sparkling 1.73 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 38/10 K/BB ratio across 36 1/3 innings over six starts. He’ll close out a two-start week with a challenging road matchup against the Athletics on Sunday.

All indications are that Ohtani is healthy, with Roberts noting there are several factors at play, including that he won’t be pitching on his usual six days of rest. He also pointed out that the Dodgers close out the series with an early-afternoon game on Wednesday, meaning the added workload on the mound would likely take him out of the lineup for the finale. The 31-year-old two-way superstar was limited to pitching exclusively earlier this month against the Mets over minor concerns about his throwing shoulder. Fantasy managers should anticipate Los Angeles continuing to approach his workload with caution, especially this early in the season.

Smith is back handling the catching duties and hitting third on Monday night at Dodger Stadium following a two-game absence due to back tightness. The 31-year-old backstop is off to a nice start at the dish this season, slashing .266/.337/.392 with three homers and 14 RBI across 24 games. Dalton Rushing retreats to the bench after starting three of the last four contests behind the plate.

Stanton remains on the bench for the third consecutive contest with Jasson Domínguez, who is at DH and hitting sixth on Monday night, coming up from Triple-A to face a couple right-handed starters this week. There’s been zero indication the Yankees are going to place Stanton on the injured list, but it feels almost inevitable if he’s not going to be ready to go in a couple days. The 36-year-old will continue receiving treatment and resting as he continues to recover from a right calf issue that cropped up last week.

Naylor is back at first base and hitting cleanup following a brief one-game absence due to a quad contusion. The 28-year-old power/speed combo threat has seemingly turned things around after an ice-cold start to the season, hitting .480 (12-for-25) with one homer and four steals over his last seven games.

Domínguez was officially called up on Monday afternoon, but Giancarlo Stanton (calf) has not yet been placed on the injured list. That clouds the immediate playing time for Domínguez, but the Yankees do face three righties in their series with the Rangers, which should give him enough short-term playing time. However, Anthony Volpe is reportedly set to rejoin the team on Thursday, and Jose Caballero has been heating up at the plate, so the Yankees may need to decide between Domínguez and Ryan McMahon when Volpe returns. That also assumes Stanton eventually goes on the injured list. There are a lot of moving pieces here.

The Mets not only lost both games of Sunday’s doubleheader, but they were swept in the series. Against the Rockies. Yes, those Rockies. Senga now has an ERA of 9.00, and gave up a two-run homer to Hunter Goodman and an RBI single to Troy Johnston to “help” that number go up. Again. He also walked three, struck out just one, and threw 30-of-50 pitches for strikes before being pulled. This isn’t good. The Mets aren’t good. He’s scheduled to face the Angels on Friday.

After going six games without an extra-base hit — a severe drought for someone like Ohtani — the perennial MVP candidate bashed his sixth homer of the season as well as a double. He also drew a walk while improving his slash to .262/.391/.485 with 12 RBI and three steals. Most hitters would sign up for that slash. Most players aren’t Ohtani.