Even when you're a fan of one specific Major League Baseball team, it can be difficult to keep track of all of the news that surrounds your favorite club on a daily basis.
However, when you're a fantasy baseball owner and you now have to multiply that effort by 30 in order to be as up to date as possible with each and every club, it's a fool's errand that borders on the impossible.
Fear not! We'll be here each and every Monday and Thursday to give you a snapshot of what's going on in the world of baseball, with one fantasy takeaway from each of the league's 30 teams. Think of it as your one-stop shop for the week ahead.
Here are the takeaways as we head into Week 5 of the 2017 season:
Arizona Diamondbacks: Certainly, manager Torey Lovullo isn't about to rule out a potential change at closer if Fernando Rodney continues to struggle, but as he put it "for right now, Fernando is our closer. It's going to be the same situation the next time he's ready." Rodney's last two appearances have both resulted in blown saves and losses for Arizona, with eight earned runs allowed. For what it's worth: Late in a scoreless game on Sunday, both J.J. Hoover and Jorge De La Rosa combined to fan all five batters they faced as seven pitchers not named Rodney combined for a 13-inning shutout of the Rockies.
Atlanta Braves: The Braves' offense is in the midst of hot streak, scoring 39 runs in their last five games. They had scored just 38 runs in their previous 10 contests. "How do you explain it?" Braves manager Brian Snitker said. "A week ago we were talking about how we were having a hard time... It can change that quick." Matt Kemp's return from a hamstring injury could be a big reason why, as the veteran is hitting .304 with a three-homer game and 10 total RBIs in this stretch.
Baltimore Orioles: Zach Britton threw in his second rehab game on Sunday, needing just 11 pitches to get through a complete inning of work. Based off of that performance, the Orioles are ready to let their closer rejoin the team on Monday. However, manager Buck Showalter may give the reliever an extra day off before actually activating him. Britton's return will be quite welcome, especially after the team blew two saves in their weekend series with the Yankees.
Boston Red Sox: Sandy Leon is hitting .180. Christian Vazquez is batting .412. Yet, entering the weekend, Leon had started two-thirds of Boston's games at catcher. Manager John Farrell is ready to tip the scales towards Vazquez. For now, the team plans to use Leon when Chris Sale and Rick Porcello are on the mound, and Vazquez for all other starters and see how it goes -- potentially giving Vazquez all of Porcello's games as well, should these batting averages stay the same.
Chicago Cubs: Javier Baez is batting just .203 on the season -- and only .100 (2-for-20) against left-handed pitching. That could become a pretty big concern for the club, since Baez typically starts at second base against lefties, with Ben Zobrist playing there against right-handers. Manager Joe Maddon started Zobrist against a southpaw on Sunday, but added "I swear I'm not worried. I just want to make sure we build (Baez) into the season properly."
Chicago White Sox: James Shields is on the disabled list for the first time in his career as he deals with a right lat strain. On Saturday, the right-hander did some light tossing and "felt good," but the team may still decide to send him out a rehab assignment before allowing him to return to the rotation. After winning six of their last seven games, the White Sox can certainly afford to be a little patient.
Cincinnati Reds: Hitting primarily in the No. 7 spot in the Reds order, Zack Cozart has gotten off to a great start to 2017. His batting average was .393 entering the weekend series with the Cardinals. That's why manager Bryan Price has decided that Cozart deserves a bump up to No. 2 in the order: "His on-base is just under .500. I think in front of really the big run-producers... I think it's important that we have more opportunities to score." Jose Peraza (.226) will drop down in the lineup to seventh. Since the switch, Cozart has gone just 1-for-10, but it's just been two games. Patience.
Cleveland Indians: Edwin Encarnacion leads the American League in strikeouts with 35. That's a strikeout in one-third of his plate appearances this season and, combined with a .200 batting average (.105 with runners in scoring position), he's certainly been a fantasy bust so far in 2017. However, manager Terry Francona remains optimistic, saying on Friday that he believes "he's just starting to warm up." We'll see.
Colorado Rockies: Although the Rockies were held scoreless through 13 innings on Sunday, the silver lining might be that Ian Desmond (fractured hand) played the entire game without incident. Desmond, in his first game off the disabled list, went 1-for-5 and played left field instead of the first base he had been signed to play. Given Mark Reynolds' hot start, there's no need for that experiment to continue. Going forward, we'll have to see how Desmond and Gerardo Parra split time.
Detroit Tigers: On April 22, Victor Martinez was hitting just .190 with nary an extra-base hit. Since then, his bat seems to have started to come around, as V-Mart has hit .276 with two doubles and, on Saturday, his first home run of the year. The veteran says he was never worried: "I have seen a lot of guys hitting .400 in the first half and then at the end of the season end up hitting .230, .240 ... It's not the first time that I've started like this. We have another 500 at-bats."
Houston Astros: Jake Marisnick (concussion) is ready to be activated from the 7-day DL and should be in the Houston lineup on Monday. The outfielder played twice over the weekend at Double-A and went 3-for-7 with a home run, but most important, showed no lingering effects from his collision with an outfield wall. Marisnick should get back into the four-man outfield mix with Norichika Aoki, George Springer and Josh Reddick.
Kansas City Royals: Jorge Soler has played seven games at Triple-A Omaha as he rehabs from the oblique injury that kept him from starting the season with the Royals. He's doing well, hitting .250 with two home runs in 24 at-bats, but Kansas City will not rush to recall him. General manager Dayton Moore says that "his rehab assignment runs through May 10 and at this point in time, we fully expect to utilize that period of time for him to get some at-bats and get caught up." It also gives the team a little more time to see what Jorge Bonifacio (.294 in his first week) has to offer.
Los Angeles Angels: C.J. Cron was placed on the 10-day DL after fouling a ball off of his left foot on Friday. Cron says he didn't expect that he'd need to miss that much time. However, with Luis Valbuena (hamstring) expected to be activated on Tuesday to debut at first base, the timing of Cron's injury saves the Angels from having to decide which first baseman to demote, Cron or Jefry Marte. The duo have combined to hit just .219 at first base this season.
Los Angeles Dodgers: Cody Bellinger continues to impress in the Dodgers outfield, now having gone 5-for-11 with two home runs in the three-game weekend set with the Phillies. However, manager Dave Roberts still says that, with Joc Pederson, Franklin Gutierrez and Logan Forsythe all due back from injury this week, Bellinger's time with the club is running out: "Cody is here by way of injury, and you have guys coming back. I don't think it's up for discussion that because he's performing ... that someone else is going to be a casualty because of Cody."
Miami Marlins: Would you want a first baseman on your fantasy team who is batting .133 with 16 strikeouts in 45 at-bats? How about one batting .333 with three home runs and 11 RBIs in 36 at-bats? Those are both Justin Bour, depending on which half of April you look at, but the good news is that the second half of the month is the hot one. "Over the last couple of weeks I've felt better and better every day," Bour said. Owned in just 7.9 percent of ESPN leagues, Bour ranks 13th on the Player Rater at first base over the last 15 days.
Milwaukee Brewers: Travis Shaw appears to avoided serious injury after having to leave Saturday's game early due to getting hit on the hand with a Jaime Garcia pitch. Shaw sat out Sunday's game as a result of swelling and soreness in his right hand -- the first game he has missed all season thus far. However, he believes he can get right back on the field: "Hopefully it progresses like it did from last night into [Monday] morning, and we should be good."
Minnesota Twins: Ervin Santana is 4-0 and has yet to allow more than a single run in any of his starts this season. However, he has already thrown 500 pitches in 2017, tied for 16th most among pitchers with five starts. As a result, following the weekend rainout, manager Paul Molitor gave Santana a little extra rest prior to his next start, which will now be on Tuesday. "There are no guarantees with how it'll work out, but you try to do what makes sense for the short term and long term," Molitor said.
New York Mets: Noah Syndergaard was on a Cy Young pace, with an ERA of 1.73 and having struck out 30 batters while walking none in his first four starts of 2017. Then he had his turn skipped due to biceps tendinitis and refused to have an MRI done. Taking the mound on Sunday, Syndergaard lasted just 11 batters before having to leave with what appeared to be a lat strain. This time, he did have an MRI done, and the results showed a partial tear in the muscle. He'll head to the 10-day DL with Rafael Montero likely to take over Thor's turn this week.
New York Yankees: Almost more impressive than the 10 home runs Aaron Judge has hit is the .303 batting average that has accompanied the power -- a number all the more amazing given Judge's 24 K's in April. Judge, Ryan Zimmerman and Eric Thames are the only players to accomplish the double-digit HR/.300 BA feat in April. It has been done by only 44 players in any single month since 2010.
Oakland Athletics: The A's have are just 8-of-12 on stolen bases on the season, so they are really hoping the return of Rajai Davis (strained hamstring) can add another dimension to their offense. Davis will be activated from the 10-day DL on Tuesday. "I've got that explosiveness back," said Davis. "I've been progressing, but I had to take it a little easier until (Saturday). Now I'm going full speed." Jaff Decker and Ryan LaMarre have combined to hit just .167 in the 11 games Davis has missed.
Philadelphia Phillies: While Aaron Nola is eligible to come off of the disabled list Monday, his back issues have apparently not improved enough for the Phillies to feel comfortable with his return right now. Nola experienced tightness after a bullpen session on Friday and, as manager Pete Mackanin put it, "After he completed it, he had some symptoms, some soreness or tightness, I guess ... He will be reevaluated to determine his next bullpen ... There's something bugging him. We're just going to take it day to day."
Pittsburgh Pirates: David Freese was batting .321 on the season and had driven in runs in four consecutive games when he got hurt last Monday running the bases. On Saturday, the Pirates finally out their third baseman on the disabled list with a right hamstring strain. "We want to make sure he doesn't feel pressed to get back, and we'll move on from here," manager Clint Hurdle said. In the meantime, Josh Harrison should continue to play third base.
St. Louis Cardinals: Since April 20, Jedd Gyorko has hit .448 with two home runs, and may well have locked down the starting third base job in the process. Jhonny Peralta is due to return from the 10-day DL on May 8, but remains in a somewhat weakened state after an upper respiratory infection and an allergic reaction to some medication. Peralta is expected to play in some rehab games this week, but may only come of the bench when he initially returns to St. Louis.
San Diego Padres: Monday will be only the second time all season that the Padres are off and their next off day isn't until May 22. That's the bad news. The good news is that they'll be home for 15 of those next 20 games, which should help a pitching staff that has a .217 BAA in San Diego, and .265 on the road. Manager Andy Green is hoping that his pitching staff can make it to June: "The reprieve comes in June when we have every other day of the month off, it seems. In April and May we get pushed pretty hard. Right now, go out, embrace the schedule, embrace the grind."
San Francisco Giants: There's certainly no replacing Madison Bumgarner, and the news got worse this week for the Giants in that regard as the team now says he'll miss at least through the All-Star break due to his shoulder joint sprain. Still, Ty Blach has done quite well so far in his transition into the rotation, with a 1.50 ERA and a .167 BAA in his two starts. He's certainly impressed manager Burce Bochy: "He just competes so well in everything he does. With all we threw at him last September, throwing in the bullpen and getting a couple starts, he doesn't surprise me."
Seattle Mariners: Even though he went 0-for-3 on Sunday, it was good to see Boog Powell get some official at-bats in the majors. He was announced as a pinch hitter on Saturday, but himself was pinch hit for when the Indians made a pitching change. So, mercifully, no Moonlight Graham status for the Triple-A call-up. Powell impressed the Mariners by hitting .577 this spring, but unless Ben Gamel or Guillermo Heredia go completely cold, there's really no shot of Powell sticking with the club right now.
Tampa Bay Rays: Colby Rasmus (hip/groin) has struggled in his rehab at-bats, with only two hits in 23 plate appearances at Double-A Montgomery. Still, after an illness over the weekend set him back a bit, the outfielder is now expected to join the Rays on Wednesday. That should (mercifully) provide a bit more left field stability to Tampa Bay, which has gotten just a .239 average from its rotating quartet out there this season.
Texas Rangers: Jurickson Profar has hit just .135 this season, with no extra-base hits. That poor start at the plate contributed to his being removed from the team's left-field platoon last week. Now, with Ryan Rua and Delino DeShields covering that position, the team will send Profar down to Triple-A so he can get regular at-bats. Rangers general manager Jon Daniels explained, "We believe he's capable of more, but he's just not going to get better sitting on the bench. We'd prefer to get him going and for him to get hot and be ready when we have a need."
Toronto Blue Jays: Aaron Sanchez returned from the disabled list on Sunday, but after only 13 pitches, he had to leave the game due to a split fingernail. It's possible that the injury will send him back to the 10-day DL, but he's likely to miss at least one start regardless. "Honestly, we don't know. We'll go from here," Sanchez said. J.A. Happ (elbow) is due back on May 9, so there may not be a need to find a replacement for Sanchez.
Washington Nationals: Calling it "probably the worst pain I've ever felt in my life," Adam Eaton's season is likely over following a torn ACL, a torn meniscus and a high ankle sprain. Eaton suffered the injury trying to leg out a single on Friday. Michael Taylor (.219) should get the first chance at the every-day center-field job, with Rafael Bautista as the next in line should Taylor falter.