Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Zac Gallen (hamstring) will begin his throwing progression on Tuesday, according to manager Torey Lovullo. A right-hamstring strain sent Gallen to the injured list, but he could be back when eligible since the injury wasn't related to his pitching arm. The 28-year-old only made it through six pitches in his last start on Thursday against the New York Mets before being pulled from the game and placed on the injured list on Friday. If Gallen doesn't have any setbacks with his hamstring, it's likely that he'll only need a couple of bullpen sessions before rejoining Arizona's starting rotation. He's a must-start every time he takes the mound in fantasy lineups, but he could be on a pitch count his next time out. After making his first All-Star team in 2023, Gallen has so far gone 5-4 this year with a solid 3.12 ERA (3.25 FIP) and 1.14 WHIP with 60 strikeouts and 15 walks in 57 2/3 frames over his 11 starts.

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Toronto Blue Jays rookie right-hander Yariel Rodriguez (back) is scheduled to make his next minor-league rehab appearance for Triple-A Buffalo out of the bullpen as a reliever on Wednesday. The Blue Jays want to keep Rodriguez stretched out and wanted him to come out of the bullpen at least once on his rehab assignment. During his outing on Wednesday, he's slated for around 55 pitches or three to four up-and-downs. The 27-year-old Cuban hurler has already made three rehab starts, so if all goes well on Wednesday, he could come off the 15-day injured list and return to the major-league roster soon. With Alek Manoah (elbow) out for the foreseeable future, Rodriguez and Bowden Francis (forearm) are Toronto's best options to fill the vacant rotation spot. Given Rodriguez's limited workload over recent seasons, Toronto will continue to limit his innings the rest of the way.

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Toronto Blue Jays veteran first baseman Joey Votto (ankle) is still taking live at-bats and working through a running progression, and there is no timetable for him to get into game action. A severe right-ankle sprain that Votto suffered in spring training when he stepped on a bat in the dugout has kept him on the injured list so far in 2024. The 40-year-old long-time Cincinnati Reds All-Star first baseman continues to do baseball activities, but there appears to be no rush to get him playing in games again. The Canadian product hasn't been an All-Star since 2018 and hasn't played in over 100 games since 2021. In his 65 games in 2023 in his final season with the Reds, Votto hit just .202 (42-for-208) but managed to hit 14 homers while driving in 38. When healthy, Votto probably won't be anything more than a left-handed bench bat for the Blue Jays.

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Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy said in his pregame session on Monday that rookie left-hander Robert Gasser (elbow) is dealing with "some tightness, soreness" in his left elbow and that he's in the process of receiving a second opinion. In just the fifth start of his rookie season on Saturday against the Chicago White Sox, Gasser gave up three runs in five innings and was handed a no-decision. The 25-year-old southpaw apparently complained of elbow soreness and tightness after that outing, though, and now is unlikely to make his next scheduled turn in Milwaukee's rotation this week against the Philadelphia Phillies. The Brewers are likely to play it safe with their No. 4 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, so don't be surprised if he eventually lands on the injured list. Gasser has gone 2-0 with a 2.57 ERA and 1.04 WHIP with a 16:1 K:BB in his first five MLB starts in 2024.

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San Diego Padres second baseman Luis Arraez is getting a day off on Monday for the series opener on the road against the Los Angeles Angels with the team facing a left-handed pitcher. With Arraez on the bench, Jake Cronenworth will shift to second base and bat fifth against Angels left-hander Tyler Anderson. Donovan Solano is at first and is hitting cleanup, while outfielder Jurickson Profar is serving as the designated hitter and is batting leadoff for the Friars. Cronenworth does have a homer but is also hitting just .105 in 19 career at-bats against Anderson. While Profar will have added DFS appeal atop the batting order, he's batting .188 in 16 career at-bats against Anderson. Arraez, known as the modern-day Tony Gwynn, already has four four-hit games since the Padres acquired him in a trade from the Marlins in early May. In his first 26 games for SD, he's gone 43-for-110 (.391).

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San Francisco Giants second baseman Thairo Estrada (thumb) is absent from the team's starting lineup on Monday for the series opener on the road in Arizona against the Diamondbacks. This will be the third straight game that Estrada has missed after jamming his thumb on Friday in a contest against the New York Mets. When healthy, the 28-year-old has been San Fran's regular second baseman and is currently hitting .248/.278/.417 with eight home runs, 31 RBI and 32 runs scored in 218 at-bats. The Venezuelan switch-hitter should be considered day-to-day for now, and fantasy managers will want to check back on Tuesday to see if he's back in the lineup. Brett Wisely is starting at second and batting leadoff on Monday, while Casey Schmitt is starting at short and batting eighth against D-backs right-hander Ryne Nelson. Wisely is 12-for-36 (.333) in his first 14 games in 2024 and can be considered a DFS sleeper in the leadoff spot.

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Texas Rangers first baseman Nathaniel Lowe (rest) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Monday's game against the Detroit Tigers. Fantasy managers don't need to panic as this appears to be a routine rest day for the 29-year-old slugger. The Rangers will play matchups here and have Ezequiel Duran covering first base versus left-hander Tarik Skubal. Fantasy managers should expect Lowe to return to the lineup following this game.

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St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Brendan Donovan (neck) is back in the starting lineup ahead of Monday's game against the Houston Astros. Donovan will make his return after sitting out the entire weekend series due to neck stiffness. On Monday, Donovan will cover left field and bat sixth versus right-hander Justin Verlander. This isn't an ideal streaming situation for Donovan against an elite pitcher such as Verlander. However, fantasy managers in standard formats can go ahead and get Donovan back in their lineup.

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Colorado Rockies outfielder Kris Bryant is out of the starting lineup ahead of Monday's game against the Cincinnati Reds. The veteran slugger is out of the lineup due to soreness after making an awkward catch during Sunday's game. Fantasy managers haven't seen much of Bryant lately anyway. He has mainly been playing only once per series as of late. Sean Bouchard will cover left field and bat seventh versus left-hander Andrew Abbott on Monday.

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Los Angeles Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel (thumb) is back in the starting lineup ahead of Monday's game against the San Diego Padres. This is good news after Schanuel missed the last three games due to soreness in his thumb. Schanuel will bat leadoff and cover first base versus right-hander Matt Waldron on Monday. His return will send outfielder Kevin Pillar to the bench for this game. Fantasy managers should adjust their lineups accordingly.

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San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Blake Snell (groin) has been placed on the 15-day injured list on Monday. As expected, Snell will miss time after suffering a groin injury during Sunday's start versus the New York Yankees. In a corresponding move, the Giants have activated outfielder Michael Conforto (hamstring) from the injured list. The Giants have not made a move for another starting pitcher yet. That means, Mason Black could get a shot in the starting rotation. Hopefully it'll be a minimal stint on the injured list for Snell who was struggling to the tune of a 9.51 ERA through six starts before the injury.

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San Francisco Giants outfielder Michael Conforto (hamstring) has been activated from the 10-day injured list ahead of Monday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. This move was expected, but has been officially made with starting pitcher Blake Snell (groin) headed to the injured list. The assumption is that Conforto will take over in left field in place of Heliot Ramos. It'll be interesting to see how the Giants split up the playing time between Ramos and Luis Matos in the outfield. Regardless, fantasy managers can get Conforto back in their lineups on Monday.

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New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (thumb), who is recovering from surgery on his thumb, will not join the Mets in London this weekend against the division-rival Philadelphia Phillies. However, the Mets are hopeful that Alvarez can return from the 10-day injured list on their ensuing homestand that begins next Tuesday, June 11, against the visiting Miami Marlins. The 22-year-old backstop has been out since April 20 due to a fractured left thumb, but the Mets and fantasy managers are about to get him back soon. When healthy, Alvarez is the Mets' unquestioned starter behind the plate, although they could ease him back into big-league action when he returns next week. So far on his minor-league rehab assignment with Double-A Binghamton, Alvarez has gone 2-for-8 with a homer and two walks. He should not be floating around on any waiver wires with his return imminent.

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Toronto Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano (elbow) received an anti-inflammatory injection in his injured right elbow on Sunday, according to manager John Schneider. It was a similar injection to the one he received in spring training, and he should be throwing again in three to five days. Romano missed around three weeks when he got his first injection and was forced to start the 2024 regular season on the injured list as a result. The 31-year-old is Toronto's closer when healthy, but this is already his second elbow injury of the year, and there's no current timetable for his return. In the meantime, Yimi Garcia's fantasy stock is up considerably as the Jays' first option for saves with Romano on the shelf. Romano has eight saves this year, but he hasn't been as sharp, either, with a 6.59 ERA and 1.46 WHIP with four walks and 13 K's in 13 2/3 innings pitched.

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Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Ranger Suarez (hand) is doing better and will play catch on Tuesday before throwing a bullpen session on Wednesday. If he comes out of his bullpen on Wednesday no worse for wear, he'll be in play for the London series this weekend against the division-rival New York Mets. The 28-year-old southpaw only went two innings in his last start on Saturday against the St. Louis Cardinals and had to leave early after taking a line-drive comebacker off his left hand. The good news is that X-rays came back negative, so Suarez may not have to miss a start at all. With extra off days coming up, the Phillies could elect to play it safe and push Suarez back. Even though he'll be more of a risk in his next start coming off the injury, Suarez has been one of the best pitchers in the league in 2024. We're not going to recommend sitting a pitcher that's been as good as he has.

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San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano is facing a potential lifetime ban from the game for betting on baseball, according to sources. Major League Baseball continues to investigate Marcano, but they could hand down their penalty against him soon. Along with facing a potential lifetime ban, the 24-year-old has been on the injured list all year as he recovers from a torn ACL he suffered last year while playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Venezuelan infielder made his major-league debut in 2021 with the Padres and has appeared in the majors each of the last two years as well, batting just .217/.269/.320 with five home runs, 34 RBI, seven stolen bases and 41 runs scored in 149 games as a depth piece for the Padres and Pirates.

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Baltimore Orioles left-hander John Means (elbow) underwent the second Tommy John surgery of his career on Monday, and his second such operation in two years. The recovery timeline is 12 to 18 months, meaning that Means will miss the rest of this season and at least half of 2025. The 31-year-old southpaw is set to be a free agent after the 2024 campaign, so it's a really bad time for him to have another elbow reconstruction. His first Tommy John surgery came in April of 2022. Given the lengthy rehab he has in front of him, Means is likely to remain on the free-agent market for a while before interested teams take a chance on him for 2025 and beyond. Means was a first-time All-Star back in 2019, but the elbow injuries continue to mount and he's made just 10 starts for Baltimore since the start of the 2022 season.

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Houston Astros starting pitcher Jose Urquidy (forearm), who was recently pulled from his minor-league rehab start, will soon visit with Dr. Keith Meister in Dallas and could be headed for the second Tommy John surgery of his career, according to sources. Urquidy is having a second opinion on his injured right forearm after already consulting with a specialist after he was pulled from his rehab assignment with Triple-A Sugar Land late last month. The 29-year-old veteran was shut down in mid-March in spring training with a right-forearm strain and has yet to pitch at all in 2024 for Houston. Urquidy also missed a big chunk of time in 2023 and could be on his way to missing the entire 2024 campaign. The upside was very limited to begin with for Urquidy, and now it looks like he may not be back until around midseason in 2025.

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With Cincinnati Reds left-hander Andrew Abbott taking the mound against the hosting Colorado Rockies on Monday night, second baseman Ryan McMahon will get the day off for Colorado. It's just the second time all season that McMahon won't be in the starting lineup for the Rockies. The 29-year-old left-handed hitter is slashing a solid .284/.371/.470 with an .841 OPS, 10 home runs, 34 RBI and 29 runs scored in 215 at-bats and 58 games so far in 2024. He's actually been better against southpaws, going 23-for-68 (.338) with four of his 10 home runs against them. McMahon could use a breather, though, as he's hitting just .191 (8-for-42) with three homers and nine RBI in the last two weeks. Alan Trejo is starting at the keystone and hitting ninth for the Rockies on Monday against Abbott. Trejo has only four hits in 37 at-bats this year and should be avoided for DFS play.

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Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams (shoulder) remains out of the starting lineup for Monday's series opener against the visiting division-rival New York Mets. Abrams is dealing with a jammed left shoulder and will miss his third straight start. Fantasy managers should continue to consider the emerging youngster as day-to-day and check back to see if he's able to return on Tuesday for the second game of the series against New York. The 23-year-old's power/speed combination gives him high-end upside, but he's been cold of late, going 7-for-41 (.171) with two homers, five RBI, no walks and 13 strikeouts in 42 plate appearances in his last 10 games. Still, he's a must-start when he's active. Ildemaro Vargas will start at short on Monday and will hit seventh for the Nats against Mets right-hander Tylor Megill.

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