New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole (elbow) will throw another live batting practice on Saturday per Yankees manager Aaron Boone. Cole threw a live batting practice on Tuesday without setbacks so another positive session on Saturday would be a great sign for the Yankees' ace. When Cole is able to return from the injured list at the end of May he will likely need multiple rehab starts before being able to rejoin the Yankees' rotation. New York has surprisingly been able to succeed without Cole pitching at all this season, finding themselves atop the AL East with a 35-17 record and a three game lead over the Baltimore Orioles. This gives a little bit more cushion for Cole to not rush his return and take his time. Fantasy managers should continue stashing the Cy Young winner on their bench until he's active, likely at some point in late June or early July.

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Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher John Means (forearm) will be seeking a second opinion on his throwing elbow according to Orioles manager Brandon Hyde. On Thursday the Orioles placed Means on the 15-day injured list with a forearm strain, the same strain that caused him to miss the beginning of the season. Given that the forearm injury is now causing concern for his throwing elbow, it's not a great sign for the lefty. Means could likely stay on the injured list for much longer than 15 days if the second opinion delivers similar news as the first opinion. Fantasy managers shouldn't expect Means to be active any time in the near future.

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Los Angeles Angels shortstop Zach Neto (elbow) remains out of the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the Cleveland Guardians. The 23-year-old was removed early during Wednesday's game due to soreness in his elbow. Neto underwent an MRI that showed inflammation, which means Neto hopefully avoided a more serious injury. The plan is for Neto to throw during warmups to test out his elbow. He hasn't been placed on the injured list yet, so hopefully he's able to avoid the stint.

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Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Kyle Freeland (elbow) has been transferred to the 60-day injured list on Friday. The left-hander hasn't made much progress in his recovery efforts lately. Freeland was able to throw a bullpen session on Wednesday. However, the 31-year-old is still a month or two away from returning. He was shifted to the 60-day injured list in order to open up a spot on the 40-man roster. Fantasy managers shouldn't expect Freeland back until around the All-Star break.

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The San Francisco Giants have signed relief pitcher Drew Pomeranz to a one-year deal. The veteran southpaw was released by the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday. Pomeranz struggled to the tune of a 6.00 ERA in eight appearances for Triple-A Oklahoma City. The 35-year-old hasn't pitched in the majors since 2021 due to multiple injuries. This is a low-risk signing for the Giants to see if Pomeranz has anything left in the tank.

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San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Alex Cobb (shoulder) is set to resume a throwing program during the weekend. The 36-year-old suffered a setback in his recovery process roughly a week ago. Now, the Giants are ramping up Cobb's activities again in hopes that he can join the Giants rotation. However, Cobb is not close to being ready to pitch in the MLB again. It's good to see him throwing again, which is a step in the right direction.

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Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Jackson Jobe (hamstring) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Saturday. The right-hander hasn't pitched since being removed from his start in Double-A in the beginning of May. The Tigers are obviously going to take it slowly with one of their top pitching prospects. The fact Jobe is getting back on the mound is a good sign. Hopefully he'll be able to get back to pitching in Double-A within the next few weeks.

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Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Wilmer Flores (shoulder) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Saturday. The 23-year-old is working his way back from a AC joint issue in his shoulder. Before going down, Flores was struggling to the tune of a 6.04 ERA in 13 relief appearances in Triple-A. The Tigers still have high hopes for Flores despite his recent struggles. He came into the league as a starting pitcher, but is transitioning into a relief role this season.

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San Francisco Giants left-hander Robbie Ray (elbow) will face live hitters on Saturday for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery in May of last year. It's a pretty major development for the veteran southpaw. The 32-year-old began throwing bullpen sessions for the Giants during spring training but still isn't expected to be an option for their starting rotation until around the All-Star break in the middle of July. For a pitcher that has had issue with control in the past, fantasy managers may want to temper expectations for Ray for the second half of the 2024 campaign. On the flip side, the American League Cy Young winner in 2021 with the Toronto Blue Jays has plenty of strikeout upside with a 28.9% strikeout rate in 10 big-league seasons.

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Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas (ribs) will take ground balls on Friday, according to manager Alex Cora. Casas said that he recently started a running program and has been lifting weights as well, so he's clearly making good progress as he recovers from a tricky rib injury. The 24-year-old left-handed hitter is currently on the 60-day injured list and won't be able to return to Boston until June 21, though, so fantasy managers are going to need to stay patient and keep him stashed until then. The last step of his rehab will likely be throwing before he's cleared to go on a minor-league rehab assignment. Until Casas is able to return to Beantown, expect the BoSox to continue rotating players like Garrett Cooper, Dominic Smith and Romy Gonzalez in at first base.

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Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley (intercostal) is unlikely to play until Monday's series opener against the Washington Nationals. Riley is taking batting practice on Friday, and the Braves are just being extra cautious in keeping the right-handed-hitting slugger out for his 11th straight game. Manager Brian Snitker said he isn't surprised if Riley ends up missing two weeks, and if the team needed somebody to ride the bench, they would have already put him on the injured list. The 27-year-old suffered a left-intercostal strain on May 12 against the New York Mets and hasn't played since, although it still sounds like he won't go on the IL. Until Riley returns, Zack Short should continue to play the hot corner in Atlanta, although new signee Joey Wendle could also be an option there. Riley was hitting .245/.319/.388 with three homers, eight doubles and 18 RBI in 163 plate appearances before his injury.

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The Baltimore Orioles placed right-hander Dean Kremer (triceps) on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to May 21) on Friday with a right-triceps strain and recalled pitchers Dillon Tate and Nick Vespi from Triple-A Norfolk in corresponding moves. Additionally, pitcher Jonathan Heasley was optioned to Norfolk. The Orioles placed lefty John Means (forearm) on the IL on Thursday, so Baltimore's rotation depth has taken a big hit this week. It is unclear if the 28-year-old Kremer will be able to return to the rotation when he's eligible in early June. Kremer has been serviceable in his nine starts this year, going 3-4 with a 4.32 ERA and 1.12 WHIP with 49 strikeouts and 18 walks over 50 innings pitched. It's unclear who might take Kremer's spot in the big-league rotation, but Albert Suarez feels like the best bet.

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Minnesota Twins third baseman Royce Lewis (quadriceps) got through his workout well on Friday and will start a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A St. Paul on Saturday as the designated hitter. Lewis will return to game action for the first time since straining his right quadriceps on Opening Day back on March 28. It's great news for the Twins and the 24-year-old, but he's probably going to need at least a handful of minor-league games before he's reinstated from the injured list. When he's back in Minnesota, Lewis will return to starting duties at the hot corner and needs to be rostered in all fantasy leagues. He's been injury-prone early in his career, but Lewis' power/speed upside cannot be ignored. Jose Miranda will most likely revert to a bench role when Lewis is back, although the Twins could choose to ease Lewis back into the fold.

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Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman and rookie outfielder Colton Cowser are both out of the lineup on Friday against the Chicago White Sox. James McCann will do the catching and bat ninth, while Austin Hays will play left field and bat sixth against White Sox right-hander Chris Flexen. Rutschman is currently slumping at the plate but is still hitting an impressive .299/.335/.474 with an .809 OPS, nine home runs and 31 RBI in 194 at-bats for the O's in 2024. The young switch-hitting backstop needs to be in fantasy lineups every day that he's playing. Cowser will head to the bench after starting each of the last 15 games. As a result of the 24-year-old's everyday playing time, Hays has essentially become a fourth outfielder for the Orioles this year. Cowser has cooled off a bit of late as well and is hitting .256 on the year with six homers, 23 RBI and three steals.

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Washington Nationals outfield prospect James Wood (hamstring) is dealing with right-hamstring tightness after he was forced from Triple-A Rochester's game early as a precaution on Thursday night, according to manager Dave Martinez. The Nationals skipper said he didn't have an update on how Wood was feeling on Friday. It sounds like the 21-year-old left-handed slugger isn't dealing with a serious injury, but it's unclear how this might delay his inevitable major-league debut in 2024. The team's top prospect and the fifth-ranked prospect in all of baseball, per MLB Pipeline, has been destroying Triple-A pitching this year to the tune of a .355/.465/.596 slash line with a 1.062 OPS, nine home runs, 31 RBI, 10 steals and 39 runs scored in 45 games played. Wood's massive fantasy upside makes him stash-worthy in most leagues, as he could make an immediate impact in D.C. when he's eventually called up.

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New York Mets right-hander Kodai Senga (shoulder, triceps) will be shut down for three to five days. He was scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Friday, but that was shut down due to inflammation in his triceps area. Senga played light catch on Tuesday but apparently had yet another setback as he tries to return from a right posterior shoulder capsule strain. The 31-year-old starter has been sidelined since spring training and will now be pushed back a little longer. Senga had his scheduled bullpen session last Sunday pushed back due to right-triceps tightness. We'll have to wait and see if Senga can get back on a mound again after the next three to five days. If he can't, there's a chance we may not see him until after the All-Star break.

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Cincinnati Reds outfielder Jake Fraley (hand) will not return to action on Friday for the start of a series against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers and left-hander James Paxton. Even if Fraley were ready to go after taking a pitch off his hand during a game against the San Diego Padres earlier this week, he'd likely be on the bench on Friday against a southpaw. The 28-year-old is still dealing with some swelling in his hand but was used as a pinch-runner recently and could get back in the starting lineup later this weekend against a right-hander. When healthy, Fraley is nice for outfield depth in deeper fantasy leagues for his prowess against righties. Rookie Jacob Hurtubise is starting in right field and batting ninth for the Reds on Friday against Paxton. Hurtubise has only three hits in his first 14 MLB at-bats this year and is low-upside dart throw in DFS.

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Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Bryse Wilson is no longer listed as the starter for Friday's contest against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, but he could end up serving as the bulk reliever following left-handed Jared Koenig, who will serve as the opener. The 26-year-old Wilson is still worth starting in fantasy lineups on the road in Beantown. In his second season with Milwaukee, he's gone 2-1 with a strong 2.79 ERA (4.95 FIP) and 1.14 WHIP with 16 walks and 31 strikeouts in 38 2/3 innings over 12 appearances (six starts). His 4.95 FIP shows he's been a bit fortunate so far this year, but he's been better as a starter for a Brewers rotation that has been hit hard by injuries in 2024. Even though he's not starting, Wilson will be the best candidate to pick up a win for the Brew Crew on Friday in a bulk role.

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Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Josh Lowe (side) remains out of the team's lineup on Friday as they face the visiting Kansas City Royals. The Rays had the day off on Thursday, but Lowe will not be able to return after having to leave Wednesday's game early due to a right-side strain. The results of the MRI exam that he had on Thursday are unknown, so fantasy managers should consider the 26-year-old left-handed slugger to be day-to-day for now. Jose Siri is starting in center field and batting ninth, while Jonny DeLuca is in right field and hitting third for the Rays on Friday versus Royals right-hander Seth Lugo. Lowe has been injury-prone, but his power/speed upside makes him stash-worthy if he needs another trip to the injured list. DeLuca, who has hit .260 with two homers, 13 RBI and four steals in 50 at-bats this year, would be the biggest beneficiary in terms of playing time if Lowe misses more time.

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Detroit Tigers right-hander Reese Olson (hip) is scheduled to make his next start on Saturday against the visiting Toronto Blue Jays. Olson was forced to leave his last start on Monday early against the Kansas City Royals when he was hit by a comebacker in his hip, but he only suffered a bruise and is ready to take his next turn in the rotation this weekend. In the plus matchup against a Blue Jays offense that has been out of sorts for most of the early part of the year, Olson should be returned to starting fantasy lineups in most leagues. The 24-year-old former 13th-round pick by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2018 has yet to win a game and has five losses, but it's not because he hasn't pitched well. He's currently sporting a great 2.16 ERA and 1.06 WHIP and has walked 16 and struck out 43 in 50 innings over his nine starts.

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