Colorado Rockies right-hander German Marquez (elbow), who is recovering from Tommy John surgery, threw what manager Bud Black called "a really solid bullpen" of 30 to 35 pitches in Los Angeles on Saturday while mixing in some breaking balls with a majority of fastballs. "He's progressing and will go back to Arizona to get on plan and get back in ballgames. He's doing great," said Black, who gave a return estimate of early July. Marquez took a step back after feeling discomfort in the back of his right elbow after recently throwing in an Arizona Complex League game, but he remains on track to return in 2024 despite the minor setback. He's currently going through a spring training-type progression and could return just before the All-Star break. When healthy, Marquez will be a rotation option for Colorado, but fantasy managers may want to temper expectations for a pitcher with a 4.41 career ERA.

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Colorado Rockies outfielder Nolan Jones (back, knee) resumed his minor-league rehab assignment on Sunday and went 0-for-2 with a walk and a hit-by-pitch as the designated hitter for Triple-A Albuquerque. Jones is currently dealing with a left-knee injury that he suffered last month during his rehab assignment at Albuquerque for his lower-back strain that initially put him on the injured list on April 30. The 26-year-old left-handed slugger is going to need at least a handful more rehab games before the Rockies consider returning him from the IL. Once he resumes playing the outfield in the minors, he should be close to rejoining the big-league roster. Jones had a 20-20 season in just his second year in the big leagues in 2023, but has been a disappointment so far in 2024, as he's currently hurt and was hitting .170 (16-for-94) with one homer and 37 K's in 26 games before going on the IL.

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Colorado Rockies left-hander Kyle Freeland (elbow) threw a bullpen session in Los Angeles on Saturday and is in line to throw live batting practice on Tuesday in Denver before a game against the visiting Cincinnati Reds. Manager Bud Black estimated that Freeland is "three weeks away (or) three and a half." Freeland initially suffered a left-elbow strain during an outing on April 14 against the Toronto Blue Jays. "Windup, stretch, no issues," Freeland said of his May 29 bullpen session. The 31-year-old southpaw is getting closer to rejoining the Rockies' starting rotation, and barring any setbacks, he could be back with the club by the end of June. At best, Freeland is a low-upside streaming option for fantasy managers in deeper leagues when he's on the road and not at Coors Field.

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Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Merrill Kelly (shoulder) will begin his throwing progression on Tuesday, according to manager Torey Lovullo. Kelly's last start with the Diamondbacks came back on April 15 against the Chicago Cubs before he was diagnosed with a right-shoulder strain. He has obviously been on a slow rehab program but is taking the next step by starting a throwing program this week. The 35-year-old veteran is going to eventually need to progress to throwing bullpen sessions before a required minor-league rehab assignment. Only after making at least several rehab starts will the D-backs consider bringing Kelly back from the injured list to rejoin the rotation. Kelly was looking good in four starts before his injury, going 2-0 with a 2.19 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 21 strikeouts in 24 2/3 innings. Keep Kelly stashed in fantasy formats.

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Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo (knee) will start his minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Reno on Wednesday. This was the original plan after Perdomo started taking at-bats in the Arizona Complex League over the weekend. Perdomo will now face stiffer competition at Reno and could be cleared to return from the 10-day injured list later this week if he doesn't suffer any setbacks with his knee. The Snakes have used a combination of rookie Blaze Alexander and more recently veteran Kevin Newman at shortstop since losing Perdomo to a knee injury early in April. The 24-year-old Perdomo will return to starting duties at the 6 in the desert when he's fully healthy after being named to his first career All-Star team in 2023 with a .246/.353/.359 slash line, six homers, 47 RBI and 16 steals in 144 games.

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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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