Betting

At this point, someone should probably encase Mason Miller in bubble wrap. It’s been a brutal start to the season for elite closers, with Duran the latest to hit the injured list. The hard-throwing 28-year-old stopper is likely facing a multi-week absence, even in a best-case scenario, after logging five saves to accompany a microscopic 1.35 ERA across 6 2/3 innings of work this season. There should be an official timeline from the Phillies at some point soon. Orion Kerkering has the stuff to close games and José Alvarado’s previous closing experience make him a potential option in certain matchups. However, Brad Keller is the logical choice to take over the ninth inning in Philadelphia, which makes him worthy of a roster spot in all fantasy leagues.

Stowers will rejoin Miami’s lineup as their everyday left fielder following a three-week absence at the outset of the season while recovering from a hamstring strain. The 28-year-old corner outfielder wrapped up a minor league rehab assignment on Friday night with Triple-A Jacksonville, finishing 3-for-17 over five games. He should be rostered in all fantasy formats following last year’s impressive 25-homer breakthrough campaign.

Mendoza added that they haven’t assessed whether Senga will make his next start, but he’s still getting the dreaded vote of confidence after being lit up for seven runs over 3 1/3 innings during Friday’s meltdown against the Cubs. The 33-year-old was tagged for six hits, including a pair of homers, in the abbreviated outing. It’s easy to write off one wind-fueled poor outing as an aberration, but Senga has coughed up seven runs in back-to-back outings. It would most likely be veteran lefty Sean Manaea, or someone like top pitching prospect Jonah Tong, moving into the rotation if New York decides to make a change. His stuff would certainly play up in shorter bursts out of the bullpen. It’s been a disastrous season for the Mets overall, but they’re sticking with Senga for now.

Benge will take his second consecutive turn as New York’s top-of-the-order table-setter after going 1-for-4 out of the leadoff spot during Friday’s series opener. The 23-year-old former top prospect has been ice-cold at the dish this season, hitting .158 (9-for-57) with one homer and five steals in 17 games. He’s shown some signs of life at the dish recently, but it’s going to take a couple positive weeks for his full-season numbers to climb back to respectability. There are zero long-term concerns here, but Benge is clearly going through some growing pains as he adjusts to everyday life in the majors.

Finally. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters Polanco has been diagnosed with a bone bruise in his wrist and there is no timetable for his return. He’ll get some much-needed time off to rest and recover after dealing with lingering wrist and Achilles issues, which have caused him to miss four of their last eight games since April 9. The 32-year-old infielder has been snake-bitten by physical issues during his Mets debut, which may be contributing to his abysmal .179 (10-for-56) batting average with one homer and two RBI through 14 games.

Matt McLain, who is off to a brutal start hitting .183 (13-for-71) with three extra-base hits and three steals in 20 games, takes a seat with Stewart getting a look at second base for the second time this season. Nathaniel Lowe gets into the lineup at the cold corner. It’s far too early for Cincinnati to consider any significant changes, but McLain’s slow start opens the door for Stewart to see additional time at the keystone. That would be a significant development for his fantasy appeal if he gains eligibility at one of the thinnest positions in the game.

Finally. Rice will get a chance to face Royals left-hander Noah Cameron after spending the first couple of weeks on the bench against southpaws in favor of veteran Paul Goldschmidt. The 27-year-old burgeoning slugger launched his sixth round-tripper of the season during Friday’s series opener at Yankee Stadium and is hitting .339 (20-for-59) through 19 games this season. He’s 4-for-15 with one homer against lefties this year and is beginning to see more opportunities in those matchups, which would provide a meaningful boost to his fantasy value from a volume standpoint.

There was speculation Yesavage would make his season debut next week, but that’s not happening. The Blue Jays want to see him continue building up his pitch count and stamina for at least another turn in the upper minors before bringing him back to the big leagues. The 22-year-old top pitching prospect should make it back to Toronto’s rotation by the end of April. He should be rostered in all fantasy formats given his immense strikeout potential.

It’ll likely be a brief rehab stint for Lewis as he’s aiming to return when first eligible to be activated for Tuesday’s series opener against the Mets. The oft-injured 26-year-old third baseman suffered a sprained left knee on an awkward swing earlier this month, but hasn’t experienced any issues during his recovery. Fantasy managers should expect to have him back in their lineups early next week.

Clark tied a career high with four hits, including his first Triple-A home run, which traveled 414 feet to straightaway center field. The 21-year-old center fielder appears poised to join longtime minor league teammate Kevin McGonigle as the next impact prospect to arrive in the Motor City as a potential core building block. The third-overall pick from the 2023 MLB Draft has let his on-field performance do the talking at the Triple-A level this season as he’s hitting .377/.444/.565 with 10 extra-base hits and six stolen bases through 17 games. The Tigers seem content to roll with veteran Javier Báez in center field for now, but Clark is going to force his way to the big leagues at some point in the coming weeks. He’ll have immediate fantasy appeal as a cheap speed source in deeper mixed leagues, but counting on anything else might be challenging.