San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Justin Verlander (pectoral) appears to be on the verge of returning to the starting rotation. Verlander threw a bullpen session on Saturday and reportedly felt good. Afterwards, manager Bob Melvin said they expect Verlander to rejoin the rotation next homestand. The veteran right-hander has been sidelined since the middle of May due to a pectoral issue. He wasn't pitching great before that, but the Giants will certainly take the help. Verlander is worth a look in deep leagues at the very least once he's back in the mix. The Giants are uncertain where exactly Verlander is going to slide into the rotation.

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Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Chris Sale won't make his scheduled start against the Colorado Rockies on Sunday. Instead, Sale is expected to start in one of the games during the upcoming series against the New York Mets. It doesn't sound like Sale is dealing with an injury. This looks like the Braves saving Sale for a tougher divisional matchup and letting someone else pitch against the worst team in baseball. The Braves will go with right-hander Grant Holmes for Sunday's contest with the Rockies. Fantasy managers who have these pitchers rostered should adjust their lineups accordingly.

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New York Yankees starting pitcher Luis Gil (lat) is reportedly unlikely to return until after the All-Star break. Gil resumed throwing the baseball towards the end of May, but he still has more work to do. Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Gil won't face live hitters for another week or two. Given the timetable of events that needs to happen, Gil is unlikely to see the mound for another month at least. If everything goes well, Gil should be able to get back in the Yankees rotation by the end of July or early August.

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Los Angeles Dodgers infielder/outfielder Tommy Edman is out of the starting lineup ahead of Saturday's game against the San Francisco Giants. This appears to be a routine rest day for Edman who sat out on Wednesday as well. It's unclear why Edman is getting so many rest days. Possibly, Edman is dealing with a minor injury and the Dodgers are giving him some time to rest and recover. Regardless, Hyeseong Kim will cover second base and bat ninth versus right-hander Landen Roupp on Saturday.

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Minnesota Twins infielder Royce Lewis (hamstring) is going to be placed on the 10-day injured list, according to Betsy Helfand. Lewis was held out of the lineup on Saturday and underwent an MRI on his hamstring. The MRI revealed a left hamstring strain, so Lewis will head to the shelf. Ugh, it feels like once Lewis finally gets going he suffers another injury. The Twins haven't given a timetable on his return, but it should be sometime in July. Brooks Lee figures to see regular playing time at the hot corner while Lewis is sidelined.

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New York Yankees infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. (groin) is back in the starting lineup ahead of Saturday's game against the Boston Red Sox. Chisholm will make his way back into the lineup after missing two games due to a groin issue. It appears a few days of rest has helped as Chisholm is back in the mix now. He'll cover third base and bat fifth versus right-hander Hunter Dobbins on Saturday. Chisholm has been hot with the bat in June, so fantasy managers better make sure to get him back in their lineups.

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Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson came up clutch for his team during Saturday's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was quiet until he blasted a tiebreaking solo home run off left-hander Ryan Borucki in the sixth inning. Outside of that, Swanson didn't do much as he finished 1-for-3 with a homer and one RBI in the 2-1 victory. The veteran shortstop has picked up his play recently with a .278 batting average over the last five games. He should be starting in most fantasy formats right now.

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Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton (elbow) was forced to make an early exit during Saturday's game against the Houston Astros. Buxton initially remained in the game after getting hit by a pitch in the sixth inning. He was pulled out about an inning later, assuming due to elbow discomfort. The expectation is that Buxton will undergo further testing to determine the severity of the injury. Before exiting, Buxton went 0-for-2 with a stolen base and was hit by a pitch. Harrison Bader took over in center field and is likely to see increased playing time if Buxton misses any action.

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Chicago Cubs left-hander Matthew Boyd (6-3) pitched a gem Saturday to notch his sixth win of the season. Boyd led the Cubs to a 2-1 victory with six innings of one-run ball. He allowed only one hit, a first-inning solo home run by outfielder Andrew McCutchen, and tallied three strikeouts against one walk. It was the fourth straight quality start for Boyd, who has given up a mere four earned runs in 25 1/3 innings since May 28. Overall, Boyd has recorded a 2.79 ERA (3.46 xERA) with 73 strikeouts and 19 walks in 80 2/3 frames. Although Boyd didn't hit the 80-inning mark in any season from 2020-24, the Cubs took a two-year, $29 million gamble on him in free agency. The results have been great so far. Boyd will take the ball next against one of his former teams, the Seattle Mariners, on Friday.

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Detroit Tigers right-hander Jack Flaherty (5-7) stumbled to his seventh loss of the season in an 11-1 blowout against the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday. Flaherty entered the day riding a streak of four straight quality starts, but the Reds proved too much to handle. They pummeled Flaherty for seven runs on five hits, including three homers, in just 4 2/3 innings. Flaherty also struggled with control, totaling five walks against three strikeouts. The 29-year-old has posted a decent 4.03 ERA and 90:28 K:BB over 76 innings, but he has mixed in a few clunkers. Saturday's start ranks as his worst of the year. He'll attempt to rebound on the road against the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday.

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Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz clubbed his 15th home run of the year Saturday as the team rolled to an 11-1 win over the Detroit Tigers. De La Cruz opened the scoring with a 402-foot solo shot off right-hander Jack Flaherty in the top of the fourth inning. He finished the day 1-for-4 with a walk and an additional run scored. The 23-year-old star has now gone deep in three straight games and is hitting a red-hot .350 (14-for-40) in 11 games this month. Along with his high HR total, De La Cruz is slashing .267/.348/.485 with 47 RBI, 20 steals, and 54 runs scored over 305 plate appearances. The switch-hitter has notched the lion's share of his production against righties, and he'll face another RHP in the Tigers' Sawyer Gipson-Long on Sunday.

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Cincinnati Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson helped lead the team's offensive barrage in an 11-1 blowout of the Detroit Tigers on Saturday. With the Reds leading 2-1 in the top of the fifth inning, Stephenson stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and connected on a grand slam against right-hander Jack Flaherty. Stephenson added a double and an additional run scored in a 2-for-5 afternoon. An oblique injury sidelined Stephenson through April, but the 28-year-old has logged quality production since he made his season debut May 2. Stephenson is hitting .262/.336/.475 with six homers and 22 RBI in 137 plate appearances. However, Stephenson's 35% strikeout rate (up from 22.7 last year) and unsustainable .377 batting average on balls in play point to negative regression. He tallied two more strikeouts Saturday in an otherwise excellent performance.

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St. Louis Cardinals second baseman/outfielder Brendan Donovan (toe) was not in the lineup for the team's game against the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday. However, Donovan will return Sunday if he's able to get through batting practice Saturday, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports. Donovan has missed four games in a row with a sprained big toe on his left foot, but the Cardinals have been reluctant to place him on the 10-day injured list. The versatile 28-year-old has been one of the Cardinals' best players this season. He's slashing .310/.379/.440 with four home runs, 26 RBI, and 35 runs scored over 278 plate appearances.

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Texas Rangers right-hander Tyler Mahle (shoulder) battled shoulder soreness in a start against the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday, manager Bruce Bochy revealed. The Rangers cruised to a 16-4 win in that game, but Mahle yielded four earned runs on 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings. Arm problems have been a significant hindrance over the past couple of years for Mahle. He underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2023 as a member of the Twins. Mahle returned last August with the Rangers, but shoulder troubles ended his season after just three starts. Mahle may start Sunday against the Chicago White Sox, though it seems increasingly possible he will require a stint on the 15-day injured list. In that case, the club could recall righty Kumar Rocker from Triple-A Round Rock to take the ball. Rocker is with the Rangers in Arlington, according to Kennedi Landry of MLB.com. The 25-year-old has dealt with his own shoulder woes this season and struggled to an 8.87 ERA in 23 1/3 innings in the bigs. Mahle, on the other hand, has registered a stingy 2.34 ERA (4.14 xERA) over 77 frames.

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The St. Louis Cardinals have activated outfielder Jordan Walker (wrist) from the 10-day injured list, according to Katie Woo of The Athletic. The team optioned Michael Siani to Triple-A Memphis in a corresponding move. Walker will bat seventh and start in right field as the Cardinals take on the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday. It'll be Walker's first action since May 28, when he began dealing with inflammation in his left wrist. The former standout prospect, 23, batted a woeful .215/.273/.310 with three home runs, 23 RBI, and a career-worst 33.1% strikeout rate in 172 plate appearances prior to his IL stint. The Cardinals have received better production in right from Alec Burleson, but he'll shift to left for Saturday's game. Slumping left fielder Lars Nootbaar will take a seat for at least one game.

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The Baltimore Orioles have activated catcher Gary Sanchez (wrist) from the 10-day injured list and optioned fellow backstop Maverick Handley to Triple-A Norfolk, per Rich Dubroff of BaltimoreBaseball.com. Sanchez is returning after landing on the IL back on April 28. Signed to a one-year, $8.5 million contract in free agency, Sanchez batted an ugly .100/.200/.100 with no home runs, four RBI, and 12:1 K:BB in 35 plate appearances before suffering his injury. He hit a far more encouraging .367 with three homers in seven games with Norfolk. The 32-year-old has typically been a capable hitter, and he should give the Orioles a credible backup to Adley Rutschman. With Rutschman entrenched as the starter, Sanchez has minimal fantasy value.

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New York Mets third baseman Mark Vientos (hamstring) will start a rehab assignment with Triple-A Syracuse early next week, according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. Vientos landed on the 10-day injured list with a low-grade right hamstring strain on June 3, continuing a disappointing start to the season for the 25-year-old. After bursting on the scene last year with 27 home runs and 71 RBI, Vientos has batted a mediocre .230/.294/.380 with six HRs and 21 RBI in 208 plate appearances this season. Brett Baty has been the Mets' primary third baseman with Vientos out, while Ronny Mauricio and Luisangel Acuna have also picked up starts. With Vientos likely to return in the next couple of weeks, the team could option either Mauricio or Acuna to Triple-A.

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Boston Red Sox outfielder/designated hitter Masataka Yoshida (shoulder) is making progress as he works back from offseason surgery on his right shoulder. Yoshida returned to "making throws from left field to second base at increased intensity and velocity" on Thursday, per MLB.com. He's on track to make his season debut sometime after next month's All-Star break. The former Japanese star hit a respectable .285/.343/.433 .280/.349/.415 with 10 homers and 56 RBI over 421 plate appearances in his second season in the bigs last year. It's unclear how much playing time he'll receive in the majors this season, however, as Rafael Devers is occupying the full-time DH position. Yoshida figures to play outfield on a part-time basis, limiting his fantasy value.

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Washington Nationals infielder Paul DeJong (face) could begin a rehab assignment next week, Jessica Camerato of MLB.com reports. DeJong has been out since Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Mitch Keller hit him in the face with a 92.7 mph fastball on April 15. "I'd like for him to take it easy the first couple times, maybe two at-bats or so and then go from there," manager Dave Martinez said in regards to DeJong's rehab. DeJong mostly worked at third base before suffering his injury, but he struggled to a .204/.246/.278 line with no home runs in 57 plate appearances. Washington still doesn't have a clear answer at the hot corner, where it has primarily turned to the light-hitting Jose Tena. DeJong should see time there whenever he comes back, though well-regarded prospect Brady House could force his way to the majors soon.

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Kansas City Royals second baseman Jonathan India (shoulder) is not in the lineup Saturday for the club's meeting with the Athletics. Nick Loftin will man the keystone in India's place and bat sixth. India exited the Royals' 6-4 loss to the Athletics in the seventh inning Friday after suffering a shoulder subluxation diving for a ball. The injury doesn't seem severe, but India will get Saturday off as he recovers. The former Red, 28, is hitting .249/.332/.336 with three home runs and 18 RBI over 274 plate appearances in his first season as a Royal.

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