Remember when I wrote here yesterday that all Aroldis Chapman had to do to be activated this weekend was get through his Wednesday rehab outing healthy? That might still be the case, but after giving up three hits, a walk and three runs in one third of an inning - following a five-run shellacking on Tuesday - the Reds haven't committed to activating Chapman.
According to the Reds' website, manager Bryan Price said Wednesday: "He obviously wasn't terribly sharp. He got hit, walked a couple of guys, hit a guy, so it wasn't an excellent outing. We would like him, when we activate him, to be ready to go. We'll make an assessment, I'm sure, in the next couple of days ... When we activate him, he's activated. We want to make sure that he's right. We don't want to activate him prematurely. So we'll get some feedback, and talk to Chappy when we see him and see where he's at." Stay tuned, Chapman owners.
On to the rest of the news:
Jim Johnson got the save in the second game of Oakland's Wednesday doubleheader. Johnson may not officially have his job back just yet, but he's getting there.
Cubs RP Pedro Strop is on the DL with a strained groin. In related news, Hector Rondon is owned in just 8.5 percent of FOXSports.com leagues, and should be picked up if you need saves.
Streaming starters: Colby Lewis got pummeled last night, so we're down to 23-14 for the season. Today's pick is Drew Smyly (27.9 percent owned) versus the Astros, while Friday's selection is Tyson Ross (30.1 percent owned) against the surprising Marlins.
A's OF Coco Crisp suffered a strained neck while crashing into an outfield wall on Wednesday, and will "miss at least a couple of days," according to manager Bob Melvin.
SS Jonathan Villar was out of the Astros' lineup on Wednesday due to a jammed thumb, but he pinch ran in the ninth inning and stole two bases. Villar, who has five home runs and eight steals, is expected to start today.
The Nationals reactivated C Wilson Ramos yesterday, and batted him fifth. Get Ramos (41.6 percent owned) while you still can.
Angels OF Josh Hamilton (thumb) says he's targeting a May 23-25 return from the DL, but since he didn't start taking one-handed swings off a tee until Wednesday, that timetable may be optimistic. As the Orange County Register notes, Hamilton's expected absence was 6-8 weeks, and May 23 would be exactly six.
The Mets have promoted Wilmer Flores (five HR, .844 OPS at Triple A), and will apparently give him a look at shortstop. Flores isn't a good defender, but since Ruben Tejada has hit so badly, the Mets seem willing to make a tradeoff. NL-only owners should try to grab Flores, even if he only had third-base eligibility at the moment.
Twins 1B Joe Mauer (back spasms) is still day to day, but it doesn't sound like he'll be ready for today's 12:05 p.m. ET start.
Billy Hamilton (knuckles) didn't play again Wednesday, and the Reds are off today.
Blue Jays DH Adam Lind (back) might be ready to come off the DL today, while 3B Brett Lawrie (hamstring) should play tonight or tomorrow after being out since Monday.
This story about Donnie Murphy's strained neck (he's day to day) notes that Rangers 2B Jurickson Profar could be ready to come off the DL by the end of the month.
Wondering when some prospects will get promoted? My pal Ryan Fowler wrote this minor league prospect report earlier in the week, and you should check it out.
See you back here tomorrow morning.
