Seattle Mariners second baseman Jorge Polanco (hamstring) played a full minor-league rehab game on Wednesday with Triple-A Tacoma as the designated hitter and went 1-for-4 with a walk and a run scored. Now that Polanco has played in back-to-back games two separate times on his rehab assignment means that his return to Seattle is probably imminent. The 30-year-old switch-hitter played seven innings at second base on Tuesday and should be back from the 10-day injured by the weekend. Polanco should return to regular starting duties at the keystone for the M's when he's reinstated, although his .195/.293/.302 slash line with five home runs and 14 RBI in 159 at-bats in his first year in Seattle has left a lot to be desired by fantasy managers. Rookie Ryan Bliss has seen some run at second with Polanco injured.

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Houston Astros catcher Victor Caratini (quadriceps) is getting his left-quadriceps injury looked at by team doctors on Thursday. Manager Joe Espada said Caratini was "pretty sore" on Thursday morning and termed it a potential injured-list situation, but the Astros will wait on the test results before making a decision on their backup catcher. Caratini was pulled from Wednesday's contest against the Chicago White Sox early with the injury and could have to miss the next 10 days. If Caratini is forced to miss additional time with his quad injury, Cesar Salazar and Cooper Hummel would be in line to serve in backup duties to Yainer Diaz. Caratini is not much of a fantasy option, even in two-catcher leagues, with limited playing time and a .248/.287/.429 slash line with four homers in 105 at-bats this year.

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The Miami Marlins are listing left-hander Jesus Luzardo (back) as their probable starter for Saturday's game against the Seattle Mariners. The Marlins pulled Luzardo from his latest outing against the Washington Nationals when he showed diminished velocity due to back stiffness, but the injury apparently isn't serious enough to keep him from making his next start this weekend. The 26-year-old southpaw threw 77 pitches and went five innings in the loss, allowing two earned runs on five hits (two homers) while walking three and striking out two. Luzardo has been inconsistent for the Fish in 2024 with a career-low 21.2% strikeout rate while also posting a 5.00 ERA and 1.24 WHIP in 66 2/3 innings (12 starts), but the Mariners rank near the bottom of the league in team OPS and lead baseball in strikeouts. It will make Luzardo more of a boom/bust streamer this weekend coming off an injury.

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Houston Astros manager Joe Espada said he's hopeful that outfielder Kyle Tucker (shin) can begin doing baseball activities on the field this weekend. When Tucker initially fouled a ball off his shin in early June, he was listed as day-to-day and expected to avoid the injured list. The 27-year-old has been slow to recover, though, and ended up landing on the IL and has yet to resume baseball activities. He's already missed more than two weeks now, but it sounds like he's finally making progress and could be cleared for a minor-league rehab assignment soon after he starts baseball activities. As long as Tucker doesn't suffer a setback, he should be able to rejoin Houston's lineup before the All-Star break in mid-July. Tucker is an elite fantasy commodity in all categories when he's healthy.

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Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Gavin Lux and outfielder Jason Heyward are both out of the lineup on Thursday with the team facing left-hander Ty Blach and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Chris Taylor will take over at second base and bat ninth, while Teoscar Hernandez is in right field and batting cleanup for the Blue. Miguel Vargas will draw into left field and bat in the seven-hole. Taylor has hit .286 with an .833 OPS, a home run and four RBI in 28 career at-bats against Blach, but he's in the nine-hole and has hit just .115 (11-for-96) this year with a homer and nine RBI. Hernandez has never faced Blach in his career but is nevertheless an attractive DFS play in the heart of the Dodgers' batting order at hitter-friendly Coors Field. He's hitting .253 (20-for-79) with eight of his 18 homers this year against lefties.

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Oakland Athletics infielder Abraham Toro (shoulder) is not in the starting lineup once again on Thursday against the visiting Kansas City Royals. Toro will miss a third straight game due to a sore shoulder. Aledmys Diaz is starting at the hot corner for the A's and will bat ninth against Royals right-hander Seth Lugo. Toro has been one of the bright spots for the A's this year and has gotten some run at the top of the batting order as well. He's currently slashing .256/.298/.381 with six home runs, 24 RBI, three stolen bases and 31 runs scored in 273 at-bats in his first year in Oakland. Even if Toro continues to hit leadoff and play regularly, his counting stats will likely be lacking for fantasy managers in deeper leagues. Diaz will be playing in only his eighth game of the year on Thursday. He has only two hits in 22 at-bats with an RBI and five K's.

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Colorado Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon (hamstring) will start on the bench again on Thursday in the series finale against the visiting division-rival Los Angeles Dodgers. Blackmon is dealing with right-hamstring tightness and will miss his second straight game. He'll give way to Jake Cave in right field, with Elehuris Montero serving as the designated hitter and batting fifth against Dodgers right-hander Gavin Stone. Cave is hitting in the six-hole. Blackmon doesn't have the power stroke he once had earlier in his career, but he's picked things up in June (.333 average with a homer, seven doubles, two RBI and two steals) to raise his season slash line to .266/.337/.410 with a .747 OPS in 222 at-bats. The 37-year-old veteran has actually been better against lefties in a smaller sample size than against righties in 2024.

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Minnesota Twins shortstop prospect Brooks Lee has performed exceptionally well since returning to Triple-A and is fast approaching his MLB debut. Lee was reinstated from the injured list on June 4 after recovering from a herniated disc back in spring training. Through his first 11 games of the season at St. Paul, the former eighth overall pick has posted a stellar .340/.380/.553 slash line with two home runs, 10 RBI, 16 total hits, and a 3:8 BB:K ratio. Last season at Triple-A, the Cal Poly product held a .237/.304/.428 slash line through his first taste of that level. Even though Lee has spent the majority of his minor league career at shortstop, he logged his first game at the keystone earlier this season, which suggests that the Twins value his bat and want him in the majors as soon as possible. Currently, Carlos Correa has served as the major league shortstop while Willi Castro has played second base. Even though Castro has performed well this season, Lee can provide the Twins with a high-upside bat, which could help keep them in the AL Central Division race. The number 14 overall prospect on MLB Pipeline is a must-stash candidate in deeper redraft leagues for now and should be rostered in all keeper and dynasty formats.

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San Francisco Giants starting pitching prospect Carson Whisenhunt tossed four shutout frames with seven punchouts, five hits, and two free passes on Wednesday evening. Whisenhunt has struggled at times through his first look at Triple-A ball this season but has recently begun to find his footing. In his past three starts, he has posted a stellar 1.72 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, and a 7:17 BB:K ratio. Through 61 total frames, he carries a 4.87 ERA, 1.57 WHIP, and a 33:82 BB:K ratio. The number 66 prospect on MLB Pipeline has progressed through the minor leagues very quickly as he started in Single-A and finished the season in Double-A last summer. He is currently on pace to make his major league debut later this summer. The 23-year-old southpaw is an intriguing stash candidate in dynasty leagues and could be worth rostering in redraft leagues during the second half of the season.

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Colorado Rockies outfielder Nolan Jones (illness) remains out of the starting lineup on Thursday for the series finale against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers. Jones was scratched from the lineup on Wednesday while being under the weather and apparently he is still not feeling good enough to play a day later. Sean Bouchard will make another start in left field and will bat second against Dodgers right-hander Gavin Stone. Bouchard went 1-for-4 with a double, RBI and a run scored in Wednesday's victory. He'll be a deep DFS sleeper in the two-hole and is hitting just .205 (16-for-78) on the year with a homer, seven RBI and four steals. Jones teased his upside in 2023 with a 20-20 campaign but has so far been either hurt or ineffective at the plate for the Rockies and fantasy managers this year.

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Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Alek Thomas (hamstring) will play in another Arizona Complex League game on Friday after the soreness in his injured hamstring subsided. Thomas reported "general soreness" in his hamstring earlier this week, which caused the Diamondbacks to temporarily pause his rehab assignment after he went 3-for-3 with a double and two RBI in his first three games in the Arizona Complex League. The 24-year-old has recovered quickly from his soreness and will resume playing in minor-league games this weekend. If all goes well this weekend, he could move his rehab assignment to a higher affiliate next week. Since he's been out since April 1, the D-backs want to see him play in more games before activating him from the injured list. When Thomas is back, he should see regular playing time in center field against righties, but so far he's mostly been a glove guy in the big leagues.

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New York Yankees starting pitching prospect Will Warren was sharp once again on Wednesday evening as he tossed six innings of two-run ball with seven hits, two walks, and six punchouts. Since June 7, Warren has held a solid 2.60 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, and a 3:19 BB:K ratio. This is a big step in the right direction for the Southern Louisiana University product as he held a high 15.88 ERA and 2.41 WHIP through May. The 25-year-old spent most of last season with Triple-A and held a 3.61 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, and a 47:110 BB:K ratio compared to the 6.65 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, and a 26:72 BB:K ratio he currently sits with. The number seven ranked prospect in the Yankee system on MLB.com could make his major league debut later this summer but will have to continue to produce solid outings across a longer period of time at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre first.

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Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw (shoulder) looked sharp in his first minor-league rehab start for Single-A Rancho Cucamonga on Wednesday night, giving up one earned run on two hits while walking one and punching out five in three innings of work. He threw 26 of his 36 pitches for strikes in what was his first game action since having offseason surgery on his left shoulder. The 36-year-old veteran southpaw also hit 90 mph with his fastball. It's a good first rehab start for the future Hall of Famer and three-time Cy Young winner, but fantasy managers need to be aware that he's going to need at least several more outings in the minors before he's a realistic consideration to make his 2024 debut in the big leagues. It's more likely that we won't see Kershaw back with the Dodgers until after the All-Star break in mid-July.

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St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Kyle Gibson (back) said on Thursday morning that he's fine and half joked that he's going to try and talk his way into the game on Thursday night. Gibson was scratched from his scheduled start on Wednesday against the Miami Marlins due to back tightness, but it may not be serious enough to land him on the 15-day injured list. There's still a chance the Cardinals play it safe, though, and put the 36-year-old veteran on the IL. It's unclear when he'll be able to take the mound next. The former 22nd overall pick by the Minnesota Twins in 2009 out of Missouri has been decent in his first year in St. Louis in 2024, going 5-2 with a 3.44 ERA (4.14 FIP) and 1.19 WHIP with 73 strikeouts and 31 walks in 83 2/3 innings over 14 starts.

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Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Zac Gallen (hamstring) will throw his next simulated game early next week, and it sounds like he could return to the team after that if all goes well. There's still no target date for his return to a major-league mound, but The Arizona Republic's Theo Mackie is guessing the upcoming series against the Oakland Athletics or Los Angeles Dodgers are most realistic. The 28-year-old is on the 15-day injured list with a right-hamstring strain. He threw two bullpen sessions before advancing to a simulated game this Tuesday. Fantasy managers would much prefer that his first start back came against the lowly A's, as the Dodgers sport one of the best offenses in the league, even with Mookie Betts (hand) out. There will be less risk with Gallen when he eventually returns since he wasn't dealing with an arm injury in the first place.

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Houston Astros outfielder/designated hitter Yordan Alvarez (personal) is serving as the DH and is batting third for the Astros on Thursday against the Chicago White Sox and right-hander Chris Flexen. Alvarez had to leave the team the last two days due to a family matter, but apparently he has it resolved and is now available again to plug back into all starting fantasy lineups. Not only is it a great matchup for Alvarez, he's hitting .286 in his career against Flexen in 14 at-bats with two home runs and five RBI for a 1.089 OPS. The 26-year-old All-Star slugger has been hot of late, too, going 19-for-52 (.365) with five home runs, five doubles, a triple, 15 RBI and 12 runs scored in 14 games in the month of June. The Cuban left-handed hitter is one of the most reliable hitters in the big leagues with a .290 average (79-for-272) on the season.

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Texas Rangers outfielder Leody Taveras provided the game-winning hit in a 5-3 win over the New York Mets on Wednesday. Taveras pinch-hit for Robbie Grossman in the seventh inning and wound up launching a two-run homer to break a 3-3 tie. The blast off New York reliever Drew Smith traveled 405 feet and had an exit velocity of 107.8 MPH. Taveras has struggled in 2024, hitting just .213 with five homers, 28 runs, 15 RBI, and six steals across 235 at-bats. Fantasy gamers holding out hope for Taveras might feel some optimism after Wednesday's performance, but it is worth noting the 25-year-old is hitting just .085 over his past 15 games.

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Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Freddy Peralta was dominant in a 2-0 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday. Peralta tossed six innings of shutout ball, striking out eight while allowing just three hits and walking two. The 28-year-old racked up 18 swinging strikes in the game on the way to improving his record to 5-4 on the year. An elite source of strikeouts in fantasy, Peralta will take a 4.06 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and 106 strikeouts over 82 innings into his next start, which is scheduled to come Monday against the Texas Rangers.

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Colorado Rockies first baseman Michael Toglia had a big night in a 7-6 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday. Toglia went 2-for-4 with a triple, a homer, two runs, and three RBI to help power his team to the win over their division rivals. The 25-year-old kicked off the scoring for the Rockies, blasting a three-run homer in the first inning off starter Bobby Miller. The homer traveled 427 feet and had an exit velocity of 104 MPH. Toglia is now hitting .191 with six homers, 14 runs, 20 RBI, and one stolen base across 94 at-bats in 2024.

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Minnesota Twins third baseman Royce Lewis continued his hot hitting in a 3-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday. Lewis went 3-for-4 with a solo homer in the losing effort. The fifth-inning blast gave the Twins a 2-1 lead and traveled 410 feet with an exit velocity of 108.7 MPH. Lewis has just 50 at-bats in 2024 but he has already racked up eight homers, 13 runs, and 12 RBI to go along with a .380 batting average. The 25-year-old is a must-start in all fantasy formats moving forward.

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