Oakland Athletics right-hander Paul Blackburn (foot) was scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Thursday, June 20, but there is still no timetable to return. This was the first time that Blackburn has thrown off a mound since being put on the injured list on May 13 with a right-foot stress reaction. The fact that there's still no timetable for his return means that fantasy managers in deeper leagues shouldn't expect him to return to Oakland's starting rotation until after the All-Star break in mid-July. The 30-year-old is going to need to throw multiple bullpens before facing live hitters and then going on a minor-league rehab assignment. Barring a setback, the former 56th overall pick by the Chicago Cubs in 2012 should be back before both Ross Stripling (elbow) and Alex Wood (shoulder). In eight starts (46 innings) before his injury, Blackburn had a 4.11 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 36 K's.

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Oakland Athletics rookie shortstop Darell Hernaiz (ankle) advanced in his rehab process from a strength and fitness program to a hitting progression in the week of June 17. However, there is no timetable for when he might be ready to go on a minor-league rehab assignment. Hernaiz landed on the injured list with a left-ankle sprain and most likely won't be back before the All-Star break in mid-July despite already shedding his walking boot in the first half of June. There's no reason to rush the 22-year-old, who struggled in his first taste of major-league pitching this year before getting hurt. In 29 games played, Hernaiz went 12-for-66 (.182) with no home runs, six RBI, one steal, six walks and 16 strikeouts in 75 plate appearances. He should get another shot in the big leagues once he's healed up, but it remains to be seen if he'll see consistent playing time.

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Oakland Athletics left-hander Alex Wood (shoulder) received a platelet-rich plasma injection during the week of June 10 and remains shut down from throwing without a timetable to resume. Wood was moved to the 60-day injured list on June 9 after originally landing on the 15-day IL on May 13 with left rotator-cuff tendonitis. The 33-year-old veteran southpaw certainly isn't going to be ready to return to the A's rotation before the All-Star break and could even be out until some point in August or later. Wood didn't look too good before his injury in his first year in Oakland, either, going 1-3 with a 5.26 ERA (5.28 FIP) and 1.78 WHIP with 33 strikeouts and 19 walks in 39 1/3 innings over nine starts. Never much of a strikeout artist in his career, Wood had a career-low 17.3% strikeout rate in 2023 and sits at 17.7% this year.

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Oakland Athletics right-hander Ross Stripling (elbow) will graduate from throwing on flat ground with his first bullpen session on Tuesday, June 25. Stripling will likely throw at least a few bullpen sessions before the team comes up with a plan for a minor-league rehab assignment. The 34-year-old veteran has built up his arm enough at this point that he's been cleared to throw off a mound. He's not going to be back in Oakland's rotation until at least July, and it remains to be seen if it will come before or after the All-Star break in mid-July. The A's probably aren't going to rush him back, though, considering he went 1-9 with a 5.82 ERA and 1.59 WHIP with just 35 strikeouts in 55 2/3 frames over his first 11 starts with the team in 2024. An aging pitcher with a career-low 13.9% strikeout rate on one of the worst teams in baseball should only be rostered in AL-only leagues when he's healthy.

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Oakland Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said on Tuesday that outfielder Esteury Ruiz (wrist) is continuing to go through a strengthening program and is expected to begin baseball activities around 10 to 12 days after that. Ruiz sprained his wrist around a month ago and went on the injured list. He hasn't done much since then besides strengthening and isn't going to be back with the A's until July, most likely after the All-Star break in the middle of July. The 25-year-old speedster broke out in 2023 and led all of baseball with 67 stolen bases, but he's already been demoted to the minors in 2024 and is now dealing with a serious injury. In only 29 games to this point, he's hit .200 (11-for-55) with two homers, eight RBI and only five stolen bases. Ruiz won't be guaranteed regular playing time when he's fully healthy, either.

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Oakland Athletics left-hander Kyle Muller (shoulder) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Sunday, June 23. If all goes well during that 30-pitch session, Muller is expected to join Triple-A Las Vegas for the start of a minor-league rehab assignment the week of June 24. The 26-year-old southpaw began his throwing program all the way back on June 6 and is nearing game action as he attempts to return from the injured list and rejoin Oakland's bullpen around the end of this month. Thirteen of his 21 appearances last year came in a starting role, but all 13 of his outings this year before his injury came in relief. In his 33 2/3 innings, Muller allowed 16 runs (13 earned) and 33 hits (five homers) while walking seven and striking out 24. His well below-average career 17.8% strikeout rate makes him pretty useless in fantasy as a reliever.

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Miami Marlins starting pitcher Edward Cabrera (shoulder) made his first minor-league rehab start with Triple-A Jacksonville on Wednesday, throwing three innings with four strikeouts. Cabrera allowed one earned run on one hit and one walk on Wednesday, pouring in 30 of his 49 pitches for strikes. He's likely going to need at least another appearance or two in the minors before the Marlins think about activating him from the injured list, considering Cabrera produced a miserable 7.17 ERA and 1.59 WHIP over his five starts this season. The 26-year-old former top prospect can miss bats in bunches; he's got 31 punchouts through 21 1/3 innings. If Cabrera can sharpen up his control on the farm, he still has a chance at mixed-league fantasy relevance during the second half of the season.

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Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Shane Baz made his ninth start with Triple-A Durham following Tommy John surgery on Thursday, striking out six over three scoreless innings of work. Baz did give up four hits and three walks on Thursday, but this was still an excellent follow-up performance to his last outing on Friday, when he punched out eight across six frames of one-run ball. The 25-year-old former top prospect looks to be ready to roll when the Rays inevitably recall him from the minor leagues later this summer, but the tricky part is trying to figure out when that might happen. Baz is a bit tougher to stash in redraft fantasy leagues, since he cannot be put on an injured-list spot at this point, and Tampa Bay seems to be comfortable with the five-man rotation they currently employ.

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Oakland Athletics second baseman Zack Gelof continued to find his groove in Thursday's narrow loss to the visiting Kansas City Royals, clobbering his eighth home run of the year. It was also a third consecutive game with a homer for Gelof, who knocked a two-run shot to center field off Royals right-hander Seth Lugo to tie the game at two runs apiece in the seventh inning. It's about time for fantasy managers to think about adding Gelof from waiver wires where he may be available, considering the 24-year-old former top prospect was a second-half hero in 2023 and is now hitting a healthy .263 (15-for-57) with five round-trippers, four doubles, 10 RBI, and three stolen bases in the month of June to get his batting average back up over the Mendoza line (.202) on the season as a whole.

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New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge picked up right where he left off in Thursday's blowout loss to the division-rival Baltimore Orioles, adding his 27th home run of the season. It just another day at the office for Judge, who made his return to New York's lineup on Thursday after sitting out just one game following Tuesday's hit-by-pitch on his hand. Before hitting an RBI single in the fifth inning, he lined a two-run homer to right-center field to cut the Orioles' lead to 8-3 in the third frame. Since jump-starting his season back on May 4, the 32-year-old former American League MVP hasn't turned back, batting an otherworldly .399 with 21 long balls, 49 RBI, and 45 runs scored over his last 41 games.

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San Francisco Giants outfielder Mike Yastrzemski (side) left Thursday's game at Rickwood Field against the St. Louis Cardinals due to a side injury. Yastrzemski exited the contest in the fourth inning, and he was replaced in the lineup by Austin Slater. Fantasy managers should deem Yastrzemski day-to-day until a more specific diagnosis is revealed, but the outfielder does have a day off on Friday to recuperate before this series with the Cardinals resumes on Saturday in St. Louis. The 33-year-old left-handed hitter hasn't made a big impact for the Giants since bursting onto the scene back in 2019 and 2020, slashing just .224/.304/.406 with 17 extra-base hits, 28 RBI, 43 runs scored, and one stolen base over 192 at-bats in 2024. Slater would see an uptick in ABs if Yastrzemski is forced to miss additional action.

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New York Mets right-hander Kodai Senga (shoulder, triceps) threw a successful bullpen session on Wednesday, according to manager Carlos Mendoza. Senga has been sidelined since spring training with shoulder and triceps injuries, but if all goes well, the 31-year-old Japanese hurler could move to facing live hitters sometime early next week. He was excellent in his rookie year in 2023 and was the team's most consistent pitcher, leading the Mets in wins (12), strikeouts (202), innings (166 1/3) and starts (29), and he also had an ERA just under 3.00. It's why he deserves to remain stashed in all fantasy formats despite the fact he's yet to pitch in 2024. The Mets aren't rushing their ace back, though, so fantasy managers shouldn't expect him to be ready to join the rotation until the second half of the season.

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Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that right-handed pitching prospect Landon Knack will be called up from Triple-A Oklahoma City to make the start the first game of the Freeway Series at home against the Los Angeles Angels. Knack, who is the club's No. 12 prospect per MLB Pipeline, will be making just his fifth major-league start after debuting earlier this year. In his first four starts, the 26-year-old held his own with a 2.61 ERA, a 0.97 WHIP, 16 strikeouts and six walks in 20 2/3 innings pitched. Fantasy managers in redraft leagues may want to hold off spending too much waiver-wire money on him, though, as he could head back to the minors after Friday's start. However, the matchup at Dodger Stadium against the Halos may be too hard to pass up for DFS gamers given how well Knack has pitched so far in his rookie season.

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San Diego Padres manager Mike Shildt said that right-hander Yu Darvish's (groin) next start will be with the Padres. Darvish came out of his minor-league rehab outing on Wednesday night feeling good after missing three weeks with a left-groin strain. There's no definitive date for his next start in the big leagues, but it will presumably be during the series against the visiting Washington Nationals that runs from Monday, June 24, through Wednesday, June 26. The results weren't great for Darvish in his rehab outing on Wednesday with High-A Fort Wayne, but the main takeaway is that his groin feels good. In 3 1/3 innings, he allowed six earned runs on seven hits (one homer) while walking one and fanning three. The 37-year-old Japanese hurler has been serviceable for fantasy managers with a 3.20 ERA and 1.06 WHIP in his 11 starts, but he's been on the injured list twice and has a career-low 23.1% strikeout rate.

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Colorado Rockies rookie infielder Adael Amador (oblique) is dealing with a mild oblique strain after being pulled early from Thursday's series finale against the visiting division-rival Los Angeles Dodgers. According to manager Bud Black, Amador suffered a similar injury in May while playing for Double-A Hartford. Before leaving the eventual 5-3 loss in the eighth inning, Amador went 1-for-3. The plan has been for the 21-year-old to head back down to the minors once Brendan Rodgers (hamstring) returns from the injured list, but Amador may be put on the IL himself before Rodgers is able to rejoin the major-league roster. The Rockies' top prospect, per MLB Pipeline, has looked overmatched at the plate in the early going, as he entered Thursday's contest 5-for-32 (.156) with no homers, one steal, one walk and six strikeouts in his first nine major-league games.

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New York Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres (groin) left Thursday's blowout loss to the visiting Baltimore Orioles in the sixth inning with tightness in his right groin. However, manager Aaron Boone said he doesn't expect Torres' groin to be anything serious. It sounds like the Yankees pulled Torres as more of a precaution, and the nature of the score (the game ended 17-5) probably had something to do with it, too. Before departing Torres went 1-for-2 with his seventh home run of the year, a solo shot in the second inning. Even though the 27-year-old's injury is deemed minor, there's a chance he won't be in the lineup for Friday's series opener against the Atlanta Braves. After hitting 20-plus home runs each of the last two years, Torres has been a big disappointment for fantasy managers in 2024, as he entered Thursday's action hitting just .219 (60-for-274) in 76 games played.

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The Los Angeles Angels placed right-hander Jose Soriano (abdomen) on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to June 17) on Thursday with an abdomen infection and also outrighted infielder Cole Tucker to Triple-A Salt Lake. The move comes after Soriano was scratched from his scheduled start to begin the week on Monday. The hard-throwing 25-year-old will now miss at least the next two weeks. In just his second year in the big leagues in 2024, the Dominican hurler has given up a lot of loud contact and currently stands at 4-5 with a 3.48 ERA (3.89 FIP) and 1.17 WHIP with a 60:28 K:BB in 72 1/3 innings over his 14 appearances (12 starts) for the Halos. He's been much better on the road than home at Angel Stadium. If he recovers quickly, Soriano could be back in the Angels' rotation before the All-Star break in mid-July.

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After being recalled by the Milwaukee Brewers from Triple-A Nashville on Wednesday, infield prospect Tyler Black will make the start at first base and will bat seventh in the series opener on Thursday night against the San Diego Padres and rookie right-hander Adam Mazur. The team's No. 3 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, made his major-league debut earlier this year but played in only seven games and went 5-for-22 (.227) with no home runs, two stolen bases and a run scored. It's unlikely that the 23-year-old sees more playing time this time around as long as Rhys Hoskins and Joey Ortiz stay healthy at first and third base, respectively, but Black could be worth grabbing off the waiver wire in deeper fantasy leagues for his speed on the basepaths. In 53 games at Nashville this year, Black hit .275/.375/.483 with an .858 OPS, nine homers, 41 RBI and 11 stolen bases.

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Milwaukee Brewers left-handed pitching prospect Robert Gasser (elbow) has elected to have season-ending surgery on his left elbow. Gasser is looking at being out at least the next 12 months, although it's unclear at this time exactly what type of surgery he'll be having. Dr. Keith Meister will perform the procedure on Monday in Dallas, Texas. The 25-year-old rookie southpaw will need surgery to fix UCL damage in his elbow and will miss the rest of this year and most likely at least half of the 2025 campaign as a result. The team's No. 4 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, made his first five big-league starts in 2024 before his injury and looked good, going 2-0 with a 2.57 ERA and 1.04 WHIP with 16 strikeouts and just one walk over 28 innings pitched. The left-hander's upside makes him worth stashing, but only in dynasty/keeper leagues.

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Minnesota Twins third baseman Royce Lewis continued his incredible start to the season by launching his ninth home run of the season on Thursday afternoon. The former number-one overall pick missed a majority of the season with a strained right quadricep he suffered on Opening Day. However, in the small 15-game sample size, he has posted an incredible .377/.452/.925 slash line with 13 RBI and has gone only six games this season without hitting a home run. Lewis has battled injuries all throughout his career and has logged only 85 total games in the majors over the past three seasons. During this span, he has held a .319/.380/.613 line with 26 home runs. The 25-year-old is a top option at the hot corner for the remainder of the season and a valuable asset in dynasty formats.

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