Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Max Scherzer (thumb) is dealing with expected soreness in his right thumb after throwing 75 pitches in his latest minor-league rehab start with Triple-A Buffalo on Wednesday. Despite the soreness, Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith writes that Scherzer is expected to rejoin the Blue Jays soon, possibly next week against the Cleveland Guardians after he throws a bullpen session in Toronto this weekend. The 40-year-old is trending well after tossing 4 1/3 scoreless innings on Wednesday while striking out eight. Although he's no longer the dominant hurler that one three Cy Young awards, Scherzer is worth a waiver-wire pickup for fantasy managers looking for rotation help if he's available in your league. The eight-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion could make his second start with Toronto next Tuesday.

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The Arizona Diamondbacks announced on Thursday that they placed catcher Gabriel Moreno (hand) on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to June 16) with a right-hand contusion and selected the contract of catcher Aramis Garcia from Triple-A Reno in a corresponding move. The team also moved right-hander Christian Montes De Oca (back, elbow) to the 60-day IL. Moreno originally injured his hand back on June 6. There's a good chance the 25-year-old will be ready to come off the IL when he's eligible on June 27. In the meantime, Jose Herrera will serve as the team's primary backstop, with Garcia backing him up. Moreno has made plenty of contact and has hit a solid .270 (47-for-174) for a catcher, but he's added just five homers, 20 RBI and 29 runs scored for hi fantasy managers. Still, he's on pace for a career-high in long balls in his fourth year in the league.

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Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said that infielder/outfielder Josh Smith (hamstring) should be available to pinch hit in Thursday's series finale against the visiting Kansas City Royals on Thursday, and he expects him to be ready to return to the lineup in this weekend's series in Pittsburgh against the Pirates. Smith will miss his third straight game due to tightness in his left hamstring, but he should be back at some point this weekend. Josh Jung is starting at third base and is batting eighth against Royals right-hander Michael Wacha on Thursday. The 27-year-old Smith has been useful in deep-mixed leagues and offers plenty of positional versatility. He's currently slashing .288/.357/.443 with a .799 OPS, seven home runs, 20 RBI, 32 runs and eight steals in 219 at-bats. He's currently in the midst of a seven-game hitting streak that has featured six multi-hit performances.

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Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Jonatan Clase (knee) is starting in center field and is batting in the nine-hole for Toronto in Thursday's series finale against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks and right-hander Ryne Nelson at Rogers Centre. Clase was hit by a pitch on his right knee and left early on Tuesday before being held out of Wednesday's tilt. The 23-year-old is back in there on Thursday, but he won't carry much DFS appeal batting at the bottom of the order against a pitcher that he has never faced. The Dominican outfielder is also hitting just .205 (16-for-78) with one home run, six RBI, seven runs scored and three stolen bases in 25 games in his first full season with the Blue Jays. The switch-hitting outfielder has gone 5-for-38 (.132) with a homer, RBI and 13 strikeouts in 41 plate appearances in 12 games in June.

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Chicago White Sox rookie catcher Edgar Quero and infielder Lenyn Sosa are out of the starting lineup for Game 1 of Thursday's doubleheader against the visiting St. Louis Cardinals. Fellow rookie Kyle Teel will be behind the plate and will hit fifth, while Josh Rojas is starting at second base and batting eighth against Cardinals right-hander Erick Fedde. Quero has been splitting playing time behind the plate since the White Sox called up Teel, but he's been playing regularly while also seeing action as the designated hitter. The 22-year-old Cuban backstop has handled himself well with a .284 average (42-for-148) but is still looking for his first big-league homer and has driven in only 17 runs. After returning from a recent stint on the injured list, Sosa has been more of a part-time player in Chicago. Rojas has hit .250 with an RBI in 12 career at-bats against Fedde.

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St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan won't be in Thursday's lineup for the first game of the team's doubleheader with the hosting Chicago White Sox. Teammate Nolan Gorman is manning the keystone and batting fifth in his absence. The Cardinals are likely just managing his workload as Donovan returned from a sprained big toe on Sunday and went 6-for-9 over the ensuing two contests. He's been exceptional in 2025, slashing a strong .323/.388/.451 with four home runs, 21 doubles, 27 RBI, and 38 runs scored. The South Alabama alum has been stellar against right-handed pitching thus far, sporting a .361 average and .911 OPS against them.

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St. Louis Cardinals catcher Pedro Pages is absent from the lineup for the first game of Thursday's road doubleheader versus the Chicago White Sox. Fellow backstop Ivan Herrera will be behind the plate and batting second. The former sixth-round pick is slashing a dismal .198/.231/.342 against right-handed pitching, so he'll take a seat with Chicago sending out righty Sean Burke to the mound. Though they've all been home runs, Pages has just three extra-base hits over his last 26 outings and none through his last eight. He's batting .216 across his first 54 appearances in 2025.

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Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz is out of his team's lineup for Thursday's matinee of their doubleheader with the Detroit Tigers. Rookie teammate Billy Cook will operate center field and bat ninth in his place. Cruz was scheduled for a day off on Wednesday, but inclement weather forced a postponement, so he'll sit out the game a day later. It's just a regular day off for him, as he has been absent from the starting nine just once since May 19. Despite a paltry .223/.344/.442 triple slash on the season, the 26-year-old holds the best quality of contact metrics in the league, and is underperforming his xBA (.246) and xSLG (.501) by a good margin.

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Los Angeles Angels outfielder Jorge Soler (back) will not be in his team's lineup for Thursday's road outing with the New York Yankees. It's the second straight game the 33-year-old will miss with a stiff back. Teammate Jo Adell is occupying right field and batting sixth in his stead. Soler was decent in April to start the season, but has gone just 24-for-134 (.179) with six extra-base hits (three home runs, three doubles) since the calendar flipped to May. He can still be regarded as day-to-day for now, but is worth monitoring, considering the inherent nature of back injuries.

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Houston Astros second baseman/outfielder Jose Altuve had three hits and hit a huge three-run homer in Wednesday's 11-4 win over the Athletics. Altuve left the game late after the Astros broke the game open but went 3-for-4 with two singles to go with his three-run blast, which came in the sixth inning off Tyler Ferguson as the Astros turned a 2-1 game into a 9-1 romp. Altuve has six multi-hit games in his last 11 contests and is hitting .349 over that span with four doubles, three homers, and a .446 wOBA. Altuve has anchored the middle of the Astros' lineup very effectively over the last few weeks, helping to compensate for the team's loss of Yordan Alvarez (hand). Over his last 26 games, he is hitting a robust .350 with a .426 wOBA and three stolen bases in four attempts.

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Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz homered for the third time in his last four games on Wednesday night, going 3-for-4 with two RBI, two runs scored, a double, and a home run. The home run was a solo blast in the ninth inning off Nick Hernandez after the game was already decided, but it continues Kurtz's impressive adjustment to the majors. At just 22, Kurtz was drafted less than a year ago but is already posting impressive numbers. In his last 13 games spanning a stint on the injured list, Kurtz has gone 16-for-50 (.320) with three doubles, seven home runs, 15 RBI, a .480 wOBA, and a 56.8% hard-hit rate. His pitch selection is still a work in progress, but his raw power gives him an elite ceiling, especially when playing at hitter-friendly Sutter Health Park.

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Athletics starting pitcher Ken Waldichuk (elbow) continues to progress in his recovery and will start a rehab assignment Sunday in Single-A for the Stockton Ports. Waldichuk missed all of last season with his elbow injury and underwent Tommy John surgery last May. The 27-year-old lefty went 4-9 in 35 games in 2023, including 22 starts. He compiled a 5.36 ERA and 5.30 FIP, while totaling 132 strikeouts in 141 innings. Before arriving in the majors in 2022, Waldichuk had a 6-4 record with a 2.84 ERA and 3.45 FIP in 21 starts in the minors. He was acquired by the A's from the Yankees in a trade deadline deal that sent Frankie Montas to the Bronx. Waldichuk will look to work his way back into a rotation spot in the second half. In other A's pitching news, lefty reliever Brady Basso (shoulder) was pulled off rehab and will be reevaluated. He has been sidelined all season with a shoulder strain.

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Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers (oblique) has started a hitting progression as he works towards his return from a left oblique strain that has sidelined him since June 6. Langeliers was hitting .237 with 10 home runs in his first 56 games this season with a .316 wOBA and 45.5% hard-hit rate. He is eligible to return from the injured list when he is ready, and it's great news that he started this progression. However, it isn't clear at this point if he will need a quick rehab assignment or come right back to the Athletics' major-league roster. When he returns, he'll step back in as the team's everyday catcher and be one of the better power options at the position. Until he's back, Austin Wynns and Willie MacIver will continue to fill in behind the plate.

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Houston Astros starting pitcher Cristian Javier (elbow) has progressed in his recovery from Tommy John surgery to the point that he will be ready to throw live batting practice on Friday in West Palm Beach, according to Astros manager Joe Espada. Javier threw off a mound for the first time since his surgery last Friday and was limited to just 15 pitches. He'll likely have another severe limitation in this session as he continues to recover and build up strength. Since he has been sidelined since May of last year, he'll likely need an extended minor-league rehab assignment before he's ready to rejoin the Astros' rotation, but this is another step towards his return, which could come in late July or August if he doesn't have any setbacks.

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Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher/designated hitter Shohei Ohtani will make his second start of the season on Sunday against the Nationals, the team announced early on Thursday morning. Ohtani won the National League MVP last year in his first year for the Dodgers, even though he never threw a pitch, but this year, the two-way sensation has been working his way back to his spot in the starting rotation after his second Tommy John surgery. The 30-year-old threw 28 pitches in his season debut on Monday night against the Padres in just one inning of work. His stuff looked good, even though he gave up two hits and a run while struggling with some control issues. He'll continue to ramp up but still be very limited in his start on Sunday, probably only pitching an inning or two as he continues his recovery.

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Seattle Mariners infield prospect Colt Emerson went 4-for-5 with a double and a home run during their contest against High-A Spokane on Wednesday. This was Emerson's second-straight game going deep and fourth-straight game tallying an RBI. In addition, this impressive outing extended his current hitting streak to six games. During this stretch, Emerson has posted a .480/.567/.880 slash line with four doubles, two home runs, two stolen bases, and a 5:3 K:BB. He has posted three multi-hit games during this surge. Through 60 games this season with High-A Everett, the top-ranked prospect in the Seattle system has posted a strong .267/.368/.423 line. Given his recent performances, Emerson could be in the mix to join Double-A early in the second half of the season.

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Washington Nationals right-handed pitching prospect Travis Sykora took a slight step back on Wednesday during his start against High-A Asheville. During this outing, Sykora tossed 5 2/3 innings with three hits, two runs, and a season-high four walks. He struck out seven. While Sykora was able to limit most of the damage, he struggled to command his pitches. The top prospect in D.C. opened the campaign with Low-A but needed just two starts to prove he was ready for High-A. Since joining High-A Wilmington, the No. 61-ranked prospect in the sport has posted an impressive 1.52 ERA with a stellar 0.68 WHIP across 23 2/3 innings. During this stint, Sykora has allowed just six walks and struck out 39 batters. Given his excellent production, Sykora could be in the mix to reach Double-A later in the second half.

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Minnesota Twins outfield prospect Walker Jenkins went 1-for-3 with a run, two walks, and two stolen bases during his return to Double-A on Wednesday evening. Jenkins has been held out of action since early April due to an ankle injury. Before being sidelined, Jenkins appeared in just two games with Double-A and went 1-for-8 with two strikeouts. He participated in a nine-game rehab stint, with most of the games being played with Low-A Fort Myers. During the rehab stint, Jenkins held a .269/.441/.385 line with a home run, two stolen bases, and a 6:7 K:BB. Jenkins battled injuries last summer as well, but was very productive when on the field. Through 34 games with High-A, Jenkins posted a .290/.382/.481 line. Fantasy managers should expect Jenkins to spend most of the summer with Double-A.

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Cleveland Guardians outfield prospect Chase DeLauter went 1-for-1 with a two-run shot and a walk during Wednesday's contest against the Triple-A Indianapolis. The game was eventually cut short in the fourth inning due to rain. DeLauter wasted little time making an impact, hitting his second Triple-A long ball this season in the opening frame. Later in the second, DeLauter brought in his third RBI via a walk. Since returning to Triple-A, DeLauter has looked quite competent, holding a .279/.405/.393 line with four doubles and a 13:10 K:BB. Last summer, DeLauter earned a six-game taste of Triple-A and posted a stellar .304/.407/.739 slash line with four singles and two home runs. Given his impressive production at Triple-A, DeLauter could earn the call to the majors in the coming weeks.

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Philadelphia Phillies infield prospect Otto Kemp (knee) was held out of action on Wednesday due to a knee injury. The infielder fouled a ball off his knee during Tuesday's contest, and the team is opting to exercise caution with him. Fantasy managers should keep an eye on his status leading up to the game on Thursday evening against the Miami Marlins. Kemp joined the MLB roster earlier this month when Bryce Harper (wrist) hit the injured list. Over his first 10 games in the big leagues, Kemp has been quite productive, posting a .278/.333/.306 line with a double, four RBI, and a 10:1 K:BB. Earlier this season, Kemp was one of the most dominant hitters at Triple-A, boasting a .313/.416/.594 slash line with 19 doubles and 14 long balls. If Kemp were to remain out on Thursday, Edmundo Sosa will likely remain in the starting nine.

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