The story of this weekend of course begins with the debut of Paul Skenes, who lasted four innings against the Cubs Saturday, giving up three runs on six hits with two walks and seven strikeouts. It wasn't the most impressive pitching line by any stretch, but underneath were reasons to be encouraged. The velocity was as advertised, with 20 of his pitches reaching triple digits and his fastball averaging 100.1 mph. In all, he threw 84 pitches, nine more than in any minor-league start, which suggests that the Pirates are indeed building him toward a typical starter's workload instead of continuing to cut him short. Nerves may have played a role in him missing his spots more than usual, but you have every reason to think you'll be pleased with your investment in the long run.

Michael King was just the opposite, at least through seven appearances, offering little reason to think he'd deliver on the preseason hype, but he's turned the corner here in May, most conclusively with his domination of the Dodgers Friday. He allowed two hits in seven innings with 11 strikeouts, crediting a new emphasis on mechanics and command. Seth Lugo also impressed with a double digit-strikeout effort this weekend, notching 12 over eight innings at the Angels Sunday. The outing alone brought his K/9 rate up from a pitiful 6.3 to a still-not-good 7.2, but he nonetheless has a 1.66 ERA. I have to believe that number will more than double by season's end, but if you're looking for what's changed for Lugo this year, the eight-pitch arsenal may have something to do with it.

Jesus Luzardo (strained elbow), Cristian Javier (neck discomfort), Bryan Woo (elbow inflammation), Braxton Garrett (shoulder impingement) and Brayan Bello (lat tightness) all returned from the IL this weekend to mixed results. The most encouraging was Luzardo, who came within an out of a quality start against the Phillies, striking out eight. The most discouraging was Javier, who gave up seven earned runs in 1 1/3 innings at the Tigers, coaxing just two swings-and-misses on 50 pitches. The lack of whiffs has been an issue for him all year, frankly. The most perplexing was Woo, who left after 4 1/3 innings with what was ruled to be forearm tightness, but neither he nor the Mariners sound particularly concerned. In fact, Woo said "it's been kind of like a theme throughout the rehab process," which is ... weird.

So that's the rundown of players who aren't available to be added, but what about some who are?

Alek Manoah, SP, Toronto Blue Jays (34%) - What's most impressive about Manoah's redemptive outing Sunday is that it came against a Twins lineup that was among the hottest in baseball, having averaged 6.5 runs in its previous 19 games. What's most revealing about it is that he issued one walk and threw 71 percent of his pitches for strikes. That's compared to four and 57 percent in his previous outing. It's compared to 6.1 per nine innings and 61 percent last year. In fact, it's fair to say that loss of control is how Manoah's troubles first manifested. The stuff remained intact, more or less, and at least for one start, he was executing with it. He was so efficient, in fact, that he needed just 78 pitches to make it through seven innings. Granted, one start isn't enough to declare Manoah fixed. Maybe it's just a blip and you'll be dropping him again next week. But if you wait until it's obvious he's fixed, you'll have surely missed your chance.

Jon Gray, SP, Texas Rangers (78%) - You wouldn't think Jon Gray would have anything new to offer at age 32, but his latest gem Friday at Colorado continues a stretch of him looking the best he ever has. Over his past seven appearances (six of them starts), he has put together a 1.64 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 10.3 K/9. It's his slider in particular that's playing up, accounting for 27 of his 36 swinging strikes in his past two starts, and he's throwing it 46.2 percent of the time this year compared to 33.5 percent last year. Is this another case of a pitcher ascending to new heights simply by throwing his best pitch more? It can't be ruled out, and given the offense Gray has backing him up, a bunch more wins could be in his future if he keeps it up.

Christian Scott, SP, New York Mets (71%) -  I'm at a loss for why Christian Scott is as available as he is given how well his first two starts have gone. The 24-year-old has been exactly as advertised so far, averaging nearly 10 strikeouts per nine innings with a 16.8 percent swinging-strike rate that would rank second among qualifiers, behind only Jared Jones. The control has been excellent, and even the home run issues that afflicted him at Triple-A haven't really come home to roost yet. He did surrender one in Saturday's start against the Braves , but given the quality of that lineup, giving up only one is almost a victory. Leaving a pitcher of this caliber on the waiver wire, as Scott is in nearly 30 percent of CBS Sports leagues, is basically malpractice.

Max Kepler OF, Minnesota Twins (66%) - Max Kepler hit .306 with 12 homers and a .926 OPS in the second half last year and seems to have picked up where he left off this year. It wasn't obvious right out of the gate because a bruised knee landed him on the IL for a couple weeks, but since returning, he has hit safely in 18 of 19 games, batting .413 (26 for 63) with three homers, nine doubles and a 1.163 OPS. He's striking out at only a 16.8 percent rate, which isn't altogether uncommon for him, and has already hit a ball as hard as 115 mph, giving him his highest max exit velocity since 2016. The biggest knock on him is that he sometimes sits against left-handed pitchers, but it seems like a minor quibble given how his past four months have gone.

Taj Bradley, SP, Tampa Bay Rays (62%) - The good signs we were seeing from Taj Bradley on his rehab assignment carried over to his 2024 debut. Now fully recovered from the pectoral injury that sidelined him for the start of the year, he came through with six one-run innings against the Yankees. He may have been fueled by extra adrenaline, though, given that his velocities were up across the board, but the extra 2.4 mph on his cutter looks like it might be intentional. He was throwing it harder on his minor-league rehab assignment as well, during which he put together a 0.82 ERA, 0.46 WHIP and 12.3 K/9. Given his high prospect standing prior to last season, it wouldn't be surprising to see Bradley take a step forward in Year 2. Everything we've seen from him so far points in that direction.

Trevor Megill RP, Milwaukee Brewers (34%) - With another save Saturday, it should be obvious by now that Trevor Megill is the Brewers closer. He's secured each of their past four saves (omitting a three-inning save for Kevin Herget in a blowout win) and has looked good doing it, his fastball peaking at 100 mph. Meanwhile, Abner Uribe has been relegated to the minors, and Joel Payamps seem best suited for middle relief. Perhaps those past fakeouts have made Fantasy players hesitant to buy into a Brewers closer again, but Megill seems poised to handle the role at least until Devin Williams is ready to return in the second half. I'd be looking to add him ahead of Yennier Cano, for instance, who seems like only a placeholder for the Orioles until Craig Kimbrel regains his confidence.

Robert Gasser SP, Milwaukee Brewers (20%) - Robert Gasser's debut this weekend didn't receive quite the same fanfare Paul Skenes', but he was the better performer of the two, prompting the Brewers to keep him in the rotation for now over Tobias Myers . The left-hander isn't a particularly hard thrower, but he had no trouble missing bats in the minors, registering 11.1 K/9 over parts of four seasons. The strikeout total in Friday's start was nothing to write home about, but his 12.7 percent swinging-strike rate offers hope for more. His sweeper-heavy approach (45.6 percent usage) probably helped in that regard, though he also has a cutter that he didn't even break out in this one. It's probably not an ace profile, but the Brewers have had success developing starting pitchers in the past, making Gasser worth a shot in deeper leagues.

Davis Schneider 2B/OF, Toronto Blue Jays (19%) - Davis Schneider slashed .275/.416/.553 at Triple-A Buffalo last year and then slashed .276/.404/.603 upon reaching the majors. He homered 29 times between the two stops, maximizing his power output with a pull-heavy fly-ball approach, so it seemed strange to me that the Blue Jays weren't so motivated to have him in their starting lineup at the start of the year. But they seem to be now, having started him in 12 of their past 13 games. During that time, he's hit .368 (14 for 38), and it's brought his season numbers in line with what we saw last year. Schneider's power is an obvious selling point, but his on-base skills make him a worthy target even in points leagues, which tend to be shallower.

News and notes

• Gerrit Cole threw 29 pitches in his bullpen session Saturday, and 13 of the 29 pitches were breaking balls. He's staying in Tampa to throw another bullpen this week.

• Shohei Ohtani left Saturday with lower-back tightness and then was out of the lineup Sunday. 

• Austin Riley left Sunday night's game with discomfort in his side. He's hopeful to return at some point this week.

• Mike Trout said Thursday that he doesn't yet have a timeline to return from the surgery on his left knee. He also stated that he was given the option to postpone surgery and instead play exclusively at DH but he opted against that.

• Grayson Rodriguez tossed a 30-pitch bullpen Sunday. He said he felt good following the workout. He's eligible for activation Wednesday but seems like he might need a bit more time than that.

• Max Scherzer revealed that he had a cortisone injection in his right thumb after undergoing additional tests on Wednesday. The exam revealed the issue is more nerve-related than skeletal.

• Bryan Woo was removed from his season debut Friday with tightness in his forearm. He acknowledged he experienced the injury during his recent rehab outings. So many questions.

• Jung Hoo Lee suffered a dislocated left shoulder and will undergo an MRI on Monday. Rough timing as Michael Conforto was placed on the IL with a hamstring injury. Luis Matos was recalled.

• Devin Williams is scheduled to begin playing catch within the next two weeks. He's not expected back until around the All-Star break.

• Kyle Schwarber left Friday's game with a sore back and then was out of the lineup on both Saturday and Sunday. The hope is for him to play on Monday or Tuesday.

• J.T. Realmuto was out of the lineup Sunday due to a knee injury. Manager Rob Thomson said Realmuto's knee was "a little banged up" when he reported to the ballpark. 

• Evan Carter has missed three straight due to lower-back stiffness.

• Brandon Nimmo left Saturday with right intercostal irritation and then was out of the lineup Sunday.

• Ha-seong Kim left Sunday after getting hit by a pitch on his left wrist. X-rays came back negative. He's day-to-day.

• Pete Fairbanks was reinstated on Saturday.

• Jackson Chourio sat out four straight games since Christian Yelich returned from the IL and then was back in the starting lineup Sunday. That doesn't seem great.

• Masataka Yoshida got a third opinion on his left thumb and won't require surgery.

• Eduardo Rodriguez began a throwing program out to 45 feet Friday. 

• Matt McLain was cleared Friday to throw and run. He could start swinging a bat in about six weeks. The goal is to return in August.

• Jameson Taillon was scratched from Friday's start due to back stiffness. His next start will come Tuesday against the Braves. 

• TJ Friedl suffered a right thumb contusion Sunday, appears to have avoided any fractures. He's day-to-day.

• Dansby Swanson was placed on the IL with knee soreness, retroactive to May 8. Nico Hoerner has moved over to shortstop with Miles Mastrobuoni at second base. 

• Kenta Maeda was placed on the IL with a viral illness, retroactive to May 8. Matt Manning is likely to take his place in the rotation.

• Ke'Bryan Hayes was placed on the IL with a back issue.

• Hayden Wesneski was moved to the Cubs' bullpen.

• Jasson Dominguez will start his rehab assignment in Class A on Tuesday. He'll only play DH for the first few weeks.