The Colorado Rockies announced on Monday that they reinstated right-hander Justin Lawrence from the paternity list and optioned right-hander Angel Chivilli to Double-A Hartford in a corresponding move. Lawrence was away from the club over the weekend during their series in Pittsburgh against the Pirates, but he'll be available out of the bullpen for the start of a new series on Tuesday against the San Francisco Giants. The 29-year-old leads the Rockies with two saves so far this year but also has a 6.00 ERA (2.49 FIP) and 1.50 WHIP with five walks and 13 strikeouts in 12 innings. Lawrence should return to primary closing duties in Colorado but should only be attractive to fantasy managers in deeper leagues that are desperate for saves. Jalen Beeks picked up the team's last save on Friday with Lawrence away from the team.

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Colorado Rockies manager Bud Black said that left-hander Kyle Freeland (elbow), who suffered a left-elbow strain on April 14 against the Toronto Blue Jays, will begin playing catch during the team's series this week in Pittsburgh against the Pirates. Black and the pitching, medical and training staffs will meet with Freeland when the team returns for its homestand, which begins on May 7, to determine his next steps. The 30-year-old has been shut down since the middle of April but is finally ready to get things ramped back up. Barring a setback with his left elbow, Freeland could return to the Rockies' rotation in late May. Freeland was not good in his first four starts with a 13.21 ERA and 2.55 WHIP with eight walks and nine K's in 15 2/3 innings, so he can be left to the waiver wire in most mixed fantasy leagues when he returns.

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Colorado Rockies right-hander Antonio Senzatela (elbow) is throwing long toss up to 120 feet and joined the team in Miami last week and traveled to Pittsburgh this week as a change of pace during his rehab work. The Rockies are counting on Senzatela to pitch next season, but he expects to make some minor-league rehab appearances this August and "hopefully pitch a game in September." His recovery has been going smoothly, but obviously he's not fantasy relevant at all in 2024. The 29-year-old Venezuelan starter went 3-7 last year with a 5.07 ERA (4.05 FIP), 1.69 WHIP, 23 walks and 54 strikeouts in 92 1/3 innings over 19 starts for the Rockies in 2023. Senzatela hasn't been much of a mixed-league fantasy asset in his seven-year MLB career with a 4.87 ERA and weak 6.0 K/9.

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Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo (knee) has not been cleared for all baseball activities, but manager Torey Lovullo thinks he will start hitting this week. Perdomo has been in the cages tracking while getting work in fielding and throwing. The 24-year-old had surgery to fix a torn meniscus in his right knee after being put on the injured list and has a ways to go before he's ready to return to the major leagues. However, barring a setback once he begins full baseball activities, there's a chance he could return to Arizona before the end of May. With Perdomo out, rookie Blaze Alexander has been the D-backs' primary shortstop and has played well, hitting .286 (20-for-70) with three home runs, 13 RBI and a stolen base. The switch-hitting Perdomo should return to primary duties at the 6 when he's fully healthy.

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Colorado Rockies outfielder Nolan Jones (back) did throwing and running drills on May 4 at PNC Park, a positive step in his recovery from a lower-back strain that landed him on the injured list last Tuesday. Jones dealt with back soreness last year as well and during spring training earlier this year. Manager Bud Black hasn't put a timetable on Jones' return but said that he is "progressing each day, which is encouraging -- we need him back to where he was last year." Barring setbacks, the 25-year-old left-handed slugger should be back starting for the Rockies by the middle of May. Jones hit .297/.389/.542 with 20 homers, 62 RBI and 20 stolen bases in 106 games for Colorado last year, so fantasy managers should stick with him despite his slow start in 2024.

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Oakland Athletics pitching prospect Hogan Harris was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas on Monday after the A's placed starter Joe Boyle on the IL with a lower back strain. Harris had a brief debut with the A's in 2023 that was mostly forgettable, with a 7.14 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, and 9.9% K-BB% over 14 appearances (six starts, 63 IP). Triple-A in 2024 has gone worse for the 27-year-old, posting a 9.00 ERA in six starts, allowing five home runs, a 20:21 BB:K, and an ugly 1.95 WHIP. At this point, Hogan has not been announced as a starter for any of the Athletics' upcoming games, and the A's do have a doubleheader Wednesday, but Hogan will likely be used for long relief anyway. Regardless, as far as fantasy is concerned, you're staying away.

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Arizona Diamondbacks left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez (shoulder) will have another MRI exam this week and could start his throwing program shortly after, according to manager Torey Lovullo. "He said he feels great and he's hoping for good news. And once we get that good news, he's going to be full steam ahead getting into a throwing program," Lovullo said. As long as the imaging shows significant healing and Rodriguez is asymptomatic, Lovullo expects a throwing program to begin quickly. The skipper said E-Rod told him he has been pain-free after he was initially shut down from throwing in mid-April due to left-shoulder tightness. It's good news for the 31-year-old veteran southpaw, but he won't be eligible to come off the 60-day injured list until late May and he's going to need a lengthy minor-league rehab assignment before he's able to rejoin Arizona's starting rotation.

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Arizona Diamondbacks closer Paul Sewald (oblique) is on the brink of returning from the 15-day injured list after he said that his minor-league rehab outing in rookie ball on Saturday went as planned. He plans on traveling with the team to Cincinnati to begin a series with the Reds on Tuesday, and manager Torey Lovullo said it was a great sign that Sewald woke up without any pain after pitching in the Arizona Complex League. The 33-year-old said he got a couple of strikeouts and ground balls during his outing over the weekend. Sewald took a step back on his rehab assignment after feeling some soreness following an outing with Triple-A Reno on April 23, but he said he hasn't "felt anything in 10 days now." When Sewald returns to the team's bullpen, he'll be the primary closer, so fantasy managers should scoop him up right away if he was dropped when he landed on the injured list.

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Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller was sensational in Monday's 4-1 victory over the visiting Los Angeles Angels, tossing nine innings of one-run ball on five hits (one home run) and one walk while striking out five en route to a complete-game win. Other than Zach Neto's solo shot in the sixth inning, Keller kept Anaheim's bats quiet all evening for easily his most impressive start of the 2024 regular season. Entering the day with a rocky 5.18 ERA, Keller improved it to a 4.43 ERA to go with a 1.33 WHIP and 44:16 K:BB over 49 frames (eight starts) for the Pirates this year. The 28-year-old right-hander aims to build on this effort in Sunday's series finale at home versus the Chicago Cubs for his next scheduled start, where he'll be a hit-or-miss fantasy bet. Keller fired eight scoreless innings in one of his two starts against the Cubs last year, but he gave up seven runs in his other appearance versus Chicago.

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Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said that right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (groin) does not have a sports hernia, and the team thinks he'll be able to return soon around the time his 15-day injured list stint is up. Eovaldi visited with a specialist on Monday in New York, with Bochy calling it "good news." It was reported earlier on Monday that the 34-year-old veteran wouldn't need to go on a minor-league rehab assignment before returning from his IL stint, so all around it's been good news for Eovaldi's fantasy managers. As long as he doesn't suffer a setback when he returns to throwing, Eovaldi should be expected to return to Texas' starting rotation during the upcoming series against the Los Angeles Angels. Eovaldi needs to be stashed in all fantasy leagues while he's on the IL.

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San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Mason Black had a rough afternoon in Monday's 6-1 defeat on the road to the Philadelphia Phillies, coughing up five runs on eight hits (one home run) and three walks with five punchouts while taking the loss. It was neither a good major-league debut nor homecoming for the Pennsylvania native, who did manage to come away unscathed through the first three innings before a couple of two-out walks in the fourth frame ended up opening up the floodgates for the Phillies. If the 24-year-old right-hander gets another turn in San Fran's rotation, it would likely come on Saturday at home against the Cincinnati Reds. He'll probably head back to the farm once Blake Snell (adductor) is ready to come off the injured list, but Black will feature some short-term fantasy appeal against a Reds team that ranks 29th in batting average (.210) this season.

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New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (thumb) had the stitches removed in his surgically-repaired left thumb on Monday. Alvarez is traveling with the team so he can continue taking part in pregame meetings between pitchers and catchers, but he's still only two weeks into a roughly eight-week rehab process. The 22-year-old former top prospect isn't expected to be available to the Mets until late June, and his .236/.288/.364 triple-slash line with one home run, eight RBI, eight runs scored, and one stolen base over 55 at-bats (16 games) before getting sidelined makes him only a borderline stash in shallow mixed fantasy leagues. Veterans Omar Narvaez and Tomas Nido are filling in behind the plate for the time being, but both backstops are hitting under the Mendoza line and are very low-upside choices in two-catcher setups at the bottom of New York's lineup.

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Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez belted his seventh home run of the 2024 regular season in Monday's 2-1 win over the division-rival Detroit Tigers, helping lift his team to victory. Ramirez's go-ahead blast came in the eighth inning, and it was his second homer in as many days after going yard in Sunday's series finale against the Los Angeles Angels. It's been a much-needed rebound for Ramirez, who was mired in a 3-for-28 dry spell over eight games prior to Sunday. The 31-year-old perennial All-Star is still slashing a disappointing .230/.278/.432 on the season, but he does have seven bombs, 28 RBI, 23 runs scored, and five stolen bases covering 139 at-bats (34 games) for the Guardians. Ramirez will try to solve his woes against the Tigers during the final two contests of this three-game series, as he's batting just .167 (9-for-54) with three round-trippers and six RBI across 14 games versus Detroit since 2023.

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Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler earned his fourth win of the 2024 regular season in Monday's 6-1 victory over the visiting San Francisco Giants, fanning double-digit batters (11) for the third time this year while throwing seven innings of one-run ball on four hits and one walk. After going winless through his first four starts of the campaign, Wheeler has notched four wins in a row and given up a lone run over this hot streak. Overall, the 33-year-old All-Star right-hander owns a 1.64 ERA, and 0.89 WHIP while striking out 63 and walking only 13 over 49 1/3 frames (eight starts) for the Phillies this year. With Philly seemingly riding a six-man rotation at the moment, Wheeler's next turn doesn't line up until next Monday against the division-rival New York Mets at Citi Field. In six appearances against the Mets since 2022, Wheeler shows just a 5.24 ERA and 35:12 K:BB through 34 1/3 innings.

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Cincinnati Reds outfielder TJ Friedl (wrist), who played in the fourth game of his minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Louisville on Sunday, could return as soon as Tuesday's series opener versus the Arizona Diamondbacks. Friedl was scheduled to have a call with manager David Bell and other decision-makers on Sunday regarding this matter. Friedl has gone 4-for-16 (.250) with two RBI and three doubles over his four outings in the minors as he recuperates from a fractured right wrist that he suffered during spring training, and fantasy managers should consider adding the center fielder in all leagues with his activation from the injured list sounding imminent. Last season, the speedy 28-year-old slashed a potent .279/.352/.467 with 18 home runs, 66 RBI, 73 runs scored, and 27 stolen bases across 556 plate appearances as Cincy's primary center fielder. When Friedl returns to the Reds, Will Benson is going to lose playing time.

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Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Grayson Rodriguez (shoulder) played catch on Sunday to begin his throwing program after being placed on the 15-day injured list due to inflammation in his right shoulder last week, pitching coach Drew French said. Rodriguez threw from 60 to 75 feet, and the plan is to soon ramp him up to bullpen sessions. Whether or not he needs to go on a minor-league rehab assignment before rejoining Baltimore's rotation has yet to be determined, but the O's and fantasy managers could get the 24-year-old former top prospect back sometime in May if all goes well in the hurler's recovery. Despite a shaky 3.71 ERA (3.57 FIP), 1.41 WHIP, 37:12 K:BB over 34 innings (six starts) this year, Rodriguez needs to be stashed in all leagues. In the meantime, Dean Kremer and Cole Irvin will serve as streaming options in favorable matchups.

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Seattle Mariners right-hander Bryan Woo (elbow) made his third minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Tacoma on Saturday night and pitched into the fifth inning, giving up no runs on three hits while walking none and striking out six. The 24-year-old threw 66 pitches, and his fastball velocity was up to 95.7 mph. He was shut down in spring training with right-elbow inflammation and opened the season on the injured list. Woo has a 17-to-0 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 11 1/3 scoreless innings in three rehab starts with Tacoma and looks ready to join Seattle's starting rotation, although the M's haven't announced when that might happen. There hasn't been a need to rush Woo back with how well rookie Emerson Hancock has pitched the last several weeks. Woo could be activated to make his 2024 debut next weekend against the Oakland Athletics. The M's don't want to use a six-man rotation and would prefer to keep Hancock stretched out in Triple-A.

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Seattle Mariners infielder Luis Urias got the start at third base on Sunday in the series finale against the Houston Astros after saying on Saturday night that he was looking forward to getting the chance to play more often against right-handed pitchers. Manager Scott Servais said that could happen more often moving forward. The 26-year-old went 1-for-3 with two RBI on Sunday in the win over Houston, but he's still hitting just .167 (7-for-42) with three home runs, 10 RBI and four runs scored in 20 games in 2024 in his first year in Seattle. Despite the poor average, Urias has been clutch with runners in scoring position, but even with more playing time potentially coming in the near future, he's more of an AL-only asset with the way he's been swinging the bat.

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Miami Marlins left-hander Jesus Luzardo (elbow) looked good in a minor-league rehab start for Double-A Jupiter on Sunday, throwing 5 2/3 shutout innings while allowing one hit, walking one and striking out one on 67 pitches. His fastball averaged 95.1 mph and topped out at 96.4 mph. After the strong showing by Luzardo, it's a good bet that he'll come off the 15-day injured list this week to make a start this weekend in a tough matchup against the Philadelphia Phillies. The 26-year-old southpaw got off to a slow start to begin the year in 2024 with an 0-2 record, 6.58 ERA (5.08 FIP) and 1.42 WHIP with 13 walks and 27 strikeouts in 26 innings over his first five starts. Still, Luzardo should be stashed in the majority of fantasy formats.

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Miami Marlins left-hander Braxton Garrett (shoulder) dominated on Monday in his minor-league rehab start with the team's Florida Complex League affiliate, tossing 5 2/3 scoreless innings with one hit allowed while walking one and striking out 13. Fantasy managers should take this outing with a grain of salt because it was against rookie-level competition, but it's nevertheless a good sign for a pitcher that appears to be on the cusp of making his 2024 big-league debut. The 26-year-old is recovering from a left-shoulder impingement and should be able to make his next start with the Marlins after making five rehab starts. If Garrett is available in your mixed fantasy league, he deserves to be picked up ASAP after his mini breakout season in 2023.

From RotoBaller