Vladimir Guerrero Jr. escaped a hamstring scare with a clean MRI, leaving the Blue Jays hopeful he can return for the series finale in Pittsburgh. Toronto is opting for caution to avoid a longer absence, with Guerrero not in the lineup as the team tries to balance risk and reward in a tight fantasy window.

Guerrero Jr. sits at .298 with 21 homers and 69 RBIs across 124 games, a cornerstone in fantasy lineups when healthy. Bo Bichette flashed his usual defensive instincts, while Toronto shuffled in Ty France at first base on Tuesday. The Pirates rode Paul Skenes to a 5-2 win as Toronto’s miscues opened the door for a Pittsburgh victory and a reminder that health, not the slate, will drive the Jays’ upside this week.

Jared Triolo’s long-throw highlight and the Jays’ defensive lapses created the game’s swing, underscoring how small edges matter in fantasy stacking. In the end, Guerrero’s health is the dominant storyline, and a quick, clean return would lock in Toronto’s potency for the next stretch of fantasy schedules.

Fantasy takeaway: monitor Guerrero’s status daily; if he plays Wednesday, he remains a top-tier asset. If the timetable shifts, consider temporary pivots or targeting the Jays’ supporting cast who could pick up extra RBIs in the short term, with Bichette and the depth pieces offering upside once Guerrero is back in uniform.

The Cincinnati Reds outslugged the Pittsburgh Pirates 14-8 to take a 2-2 split in the four-game set. Miguel Andújar delivered his first Reds homer, a three-run shot that sparked a four-run second inning, and he helped spark a decisive rally in the sixth. Spencer Steer and Noelvi Marte each collected three hits and four RBIs, with Steer delivering a go-ahead two-run double in the sixth and a two-run homer in the eighth, while Marte added a tiebreaking double in the sixth and belted a three-run homer in the ninth. Elly De La Cruz and Andújar started the sixth with back-to-back singles to breathe life into Cincinnati. Pittsburgh mounted a late charge, cutting the deficit to 9-8 in the eighth, but Graham Ashcraft struck out Jared Triolo with a runner aboard to quell the threat. The Reds piled on with a five-run ninth as Marte launched a three-run homer. The game featured 30 total hits, with Isiah Kiner-Falefa leading Pittsburgh with three hits and two RBIs. Reds pitcher Zach Littell gave up four runs in 1 1/3 innings, while Cincinnati starter Zach Littell and Scott Barlow (6-0) were part of a rocky early stretch for the Reds' bullpen. Cincinnati stretched its streak of not being swept in 40 straight series dating back to last season, and now heads into a three-game home set with Philadelphia behind Andrew Abbott in a marquee pitching matchup against Taijuan Walker.

Paul Skenes delivered six scoreless innings with eight strikeouts as Pittsburgh blanked Cincinnati 7-0, dropping his ERA to 1.94 atop the NL. The rookie’s dominance, paired with a lineup that produced two-hit efforts from Reynolds, Triolo, and Davis, plus a homer by Reynolds and Peralta, fueled the win. Triolo’s first-inning RBI spree capped a multi-hit day for the Pirates trio. The performance reinforces Skenes as a frontline fantasy asset, especially with his season-long 162 Ks and sub-2.00 ERA.

Next up for Skenes is a likely start in Milwaukee or Chicago, as Pittsburgh eyes a three-game swing with the Brewers or Cubs. For fantasy managers, the line remains unchanged: elite ratios, heavy strikeouts, and innings already logged position him as a must-start. Reynolds, Davis, and Triolo each posted multi-hit outings, while Peralta joined the homer parade, underscoring a favorable offensive environment around Skenes in the near term.