Underdog

Sheehan isn’t eligible to return to the big leagues until at least next Friday under league option rules, unless it’s as an injury replacement. The 25-year-old former top pitching prospect was jettisoned to the minors last week after allowing just one run while striking out six over four innings in his season debut against the Padres. This is the type of statement outing, which included a staggering 21 swinging strikes, that often causes a front office to reconsider their rotation plans. At a bare minimum, Sheehan should be able to provide a lift to the Dodgers’ pitching staff, even if it winds up being as more of a swingman or bulk reliever. He’s missing enough bats that he’s interesting for fantasy purposes, even in shallow mixed leagues.

Kim has started only once in the last five games for Los Angeles. Simply put, he isn’t playing enough to make any sort of real fantasy impact outside of extremely deep NL-only formats.

Kepler finds himself on the bench as Philadelphia faces a left-handed starting pitcher for the third consecutive game. The streak comes to an end on Thursday when Astros ace Hunter Brown draws the starting assignment. It’ll be rookie Otto Kemp in left field once again to open Wednesday night’s contest.

Simpson is worthy of a speculative roster spot in virtually every fantasy format based solely on his stolen-base potential. However, he’s not going to chip in elsewhere unless he gets some luck in the batting average department. The 24-year-old speed demon went 0-for-4 with a strikeout on Tuesday night in his return to the majors.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters they’re being cautious with Schmidt and will give him some extra rest before his next start. The decision bumps former prospect Will Warren up to Friday’s series opener at Yankee Stadium. It doesn’t sound like Schmidt is in danger of landing on the injured list, but fantasy managers should keep an eye on his status. He tossed seven hitless innings over the weekend against the Orioles in his previous start.

Suárez expressed confidence that he’ll return to Arizona’s lineup for Friday’s series opener against the Marlins. It’s unclear whether he’ll still undergo an MRI out of an abundance of caution, but it’s worth noting that initial X-rays didn’t reveal any fractures. Fantasy managers aren’t out of the woods just yet, but this is certainly an encouraging sign.