Per manager Joe Espada, Houston Astros starting pitcher J.P. France (shoulder) is slated to throw his third live batting practice on Friday. The New Orleans native recently threw a successful session late last week and has had solid progression in his return from right shoulder surgery last July. It will still be some time before France rejoins Houston in some fashion, as he'll need to ramp up a bit over a rehab outing in the minor leagues. Still, it's superb news for him and the team. As a whole, Houston's pitching staff leads the league in strikeouts (734) and is second in cumulative WHIP (1.15). However, their rotation has dealt with a myriad of injuries.

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Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Orion Kerkering threw a clean ninth inning to preserve a 2-1 win over the Miami Marlins on Thursday. Kerkering was tasked with finishing off a dominant performance for Cristopher Sanchez. After an error and a single put runners on the corners, Kerkering was able to escape the jam to pick up his second save. The 24-year-old now has two saves, 11 holds, a 2.37 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, and 28 strikeouts in 30 IP. It seems to be a two-headed approach in the Phillies' bullpen right now, with Kerkering and Matt Strahm each picking up multiple saves in the last few weeks. It will likely remain that way, although Strahm has struggled a bit recently. Both are worth a look in deeper formats where saves are tough to come by.

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Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports that outfielder Chas McCormick (oblique) will likely face live hitting next week in Florida. The 30-year-old has been shelved since May 31 with a left oblique strain, but has recently progressed to swinging the bat and will soon take the next step in his recovery. He's sporting an unappealing .256/.347/.302 triple slash through 36 appearances with just two extra-base hits (zero home runs). It's worth noting he's been far superior against southpaws (.375) than righties (.229) thus far. However, it's too small a sample to glean any real insight (3-for-8). McCormick projects to require a short minor-league rehab stint.

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Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes had a decent start in Game 2 of their doubleheader on Friday, tossing six innings of two-run ball in a no-decision against the Detroit Tigers. Skenes struggled with control in this one, walking five and throwing only 61 of 105 pitches for strikes. Still, the 23-year-old phenom was able to put together a quality start and managed nine strikeouts in the process. If this is a "bad" start for Skenes, it's clear that he is among the best pitchers in the league. He now has a 4-6 record, 1.85 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, and 106 strikeouts in 102 IP. His next start is scheduled for next Wednesday in Milwaukee against the Brewers.

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Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Cristopher Sanchez picked up his sixth win of the year in a 2-1 victory over the Miami Marlins on Thursday. Sanchez was extremely efficient in this one, needing just 91 pitches to get through eight one-run innings. He scattered five hits, struck out four, and didn't walk a batter. While he didn't end up with many strikeouts, Sanchez did generate 11 whiffs (10 on his changeup) and had a solid 34% CSW. The lefty improves to 6-2 on the season with a 2.87 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and 92 strikeouts in 87 IP. Sanchez has been phenomenal this season and is a clear must-start pitcher. His next outing is scheduled for next Wednesday, when he will face the Houston Astros on the road.

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Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Spencer Strider (2-5) was strong on Thursday, allowing just one run over six innings in a 7-1 win over the New York Mets. Strider once again looked like his old self, striking out eight while allowing just five hits and one walk. This makes two solid outings in a row for the fireballer, who averaged 96 mph on his fastball, up 0.7 mph from his season average. He also induced 18 whiffs, including 14 on his slider. It appears to be a return to form for the 26-year-old, who now holds a 3.89 ERA and 1.14 WHIP with 45 strikeouts across 37 IP. The buy-low window on Strider has officially closed, and he is once again a must-start pitcher. His next start should come next Wednesday against these same Mets, but in New York this time.

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Houston Astros manager Joe Espada reports that starting pitcher Luis Garcia (elbow) could throw live batting practice next week. The 28-year-old experienced a setback a few months ago when he dealt with soreness and inflammation in his surgically repaired elbow, though it's excellent news that Houston anticipates him throwing BP next week. It's a critical milestone in his recovery from Tommy John surgery. However, he'll still require quite a bit of time on a minor-league rehab assignment to build back up before he rejoins the roster. Garcia plans to do so in late July or early August, which could come to fruition if next week's session goes well. He should boost the Astros' rotation upon his arrival, but his workload will almost certainly be capped.

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St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Andre Granillo had a day to remember on Thursday, collecting his first career win and first career save across the Cards' doubleheader with the Chicago White Sox. In Game 1, Granillo came into the game with two outs and runners on second and first in a tie ballgame, and was able to get out of the jam. The Cardinals then took the lead, giving Granillo the win. In Game 2, Granillo tossed a scoreless bottom of the 10th with the Cards' up 8-6 to secure his first save. The 25-year-old now has four straight scoreless appearances to start his career. There aren't any fantasy implications here, but it is a cool story nonetheless.

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St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado had a big game in the second half of the Cards' doubleheader with the Chicago White Sox on Thursday, going 3-for-5 with a homer and two RBI. Arenado helped get his team out to an early lead by homering in the third, and they would eventually win 6-5, although they did need a 10th inning to do so. The veteran infielder has been a little better at the dish recently, and has finally seen his OPS rise above .700 for the first time since May 28. On the season, Arenado has a .247 AVG, 34 runs, nine homers, 38 RBI, and one steal. Even with the recent upswing, he's been pretty disappointing and is borderline droppable in standard-sized leagues.

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Per Houston Astros manager Joe Espada, outfielders Yordan Alvarez (hand) and Zach Dezenzo (hand) are still not hitting. Dezenzo has been out with a capsule strain in his hand since the end of May, and though he's reportedly pain-free, he still hasn't picked up a bat. Alvarez, on the other hand, is still recovering from a fracture he sustained in his hand that has sidelined him since May 3. The team has already noted that the fantasy stalwart won't resume hitting until he's fully healed, so he still has a bit more to go. It seems likely that both athletes will require minor-league rehab assignments before rejoining the roster. However, there's been no news on that front for either player.

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Tampa Bay Rays right-handed pitcher Joe Boyle allowed three runs on five hits and one walk while striking out eight over five innings in Thursday's 8-4 win over Triple-A Omaha. Outside of allowing two home runs to Joey Wiemer, Boyle was quite good in this outing, generating 18 whiffs on 37 swings and stretching out to 88 pitches. The Rays' help in improving Boyle's control has allowed him to leverage his great stuff for plenty of strikeouts. He ranked second among all Triple-A starters in strikeout rate before this start. The 6-foot-8 right-hander has lowered his walk rate from 17.7 percent to 11.1 percent while also upping his zone rate from 48.3 percent to 51.4 percent. He could be a candidate to join the major-league rotation at any time, and his strikeout upside makes him worth a pickup in deeper leagues if that happens.

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Tampa Bay Rays shortstop prospect Carson Williams went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI with a run scored in Thursday's 8-4 win against Triple-A Omaha. Williams has enjoyed a productive month of June, hitting .275/.373/.569 with four homers and three stolen bases in 60 plate appearances. Positively, he's cut his strikeout rate down into the mid-20 percent range during this time. Overall, the season-long numbers still look disappointing as he's hitting .201/.306/.397 with a strikeout rate north of 35 percent. The 21-year-old is still young for the level and has big power, but will need to continue to develop his contact ability in the minors before being considered for a promotion.

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Milwaukee Brewers pitching prospect Logan Henderson allowed four runs on seven hits and two walks with seven strikeouts over 4.2 innings against Triple-A Iowa. Henderson took the loss on Thursday, as he allowed two homers to spoil his day. He was still effective in the whiffs category with his fastball and changeup combination working to great effect. The right-hander ended with 15 whiffs on the night, with the fastball and changeup accounting for 13 of them. The 23-year-old performed admirably when given the opportunity in the majors, pitching to a 1.71 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and 29 strikeouts in 21 innings. He's mirrored similar dominant levels at Triple-A Nashville with a 2.44 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and 62 strikeouts in 48 innings. He should be expected to return at some point soon and would be worthy of an add in most formats.

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Cleveland Guardians outfield prospect Chase DeLauter went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in Thursday's 8-6 loss against Triple-A Indianapolis. After finishing 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI in the suspended game earlier in the day, DeLauter went deep again and has caught fire in June. The 23-year-old is slashing .333/.439/.521 with two home runs and a 9:4 BB:K. He's complemented this mature approach with strong quality-of-contact metrics, with a 49 percent hard-hit rate and 9.8 percent barrel rate in 73 plate appearances. DeLauter won't steal many bags, but his combination of power and contact is quite appealing and could earn him a promotion to the big leagues this summer.

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Los Angeles Angels outfielder Jo Adell continued his June power surge in the Halos' 7-3 loss to the New York Yankees on Thursday. Adell belted his 15th home run of the year, a solo shot off left-hander Carlos Rodon, to highlight a 1-for-3 day. He also struck out and walked. The 26-year-old has now gone yard in back-to-back games and eight times in just 17 contests this month. With a .221/.293/.471 line over 230 plate appearances, Adell still isn't living up to the considerable hype he garnered as a prospect a few years back. However, Adell has shown encouraging signs over the past month and a half. Since May 1, Adell's OPS has skyrocketed from .527 to .764 - good for a 237-point improvement. Notably, he ranks in the league's upper echelon in xwOBA (85th percentile) and xSLG (93rd percentile). Adell will try to stay hot Friday against the Houston Astros, but he'll have a tough matchup with ace Hunter Brown on the mound. He's 0-for-5 with two strikeouts and a walk against the right-hander.

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Detroit Tigers ace left-hander Tarik Skubal (8-2) collected his eighth win of the year Thursday in a 9-2 blowout of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The reigning American League Cy Young winner was not in peak form, but he still delivered 5 2/3 innings of two-run, six-hit ball with six strikeouts against three walks in the first game of a doubleheader. Skubal, who has allowed two or fewer earned runs in 11 of 15 starts, owns an eye-popping 2.06 ERA (1.91 FIP) with 117:12 K:BB and a 0.85 WHIP through 96 innings. He's scheduled to get the ball against the Athletics on Tuesday.

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Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout walloped his 12th home run of the year in the club's 7-3 loss to the New York Yankees on Thursday. Along with his 423-foot solo blast off left-hander Carlos Rodon, Trout chipped in a single in a 2-for-4 afternoon. The 33-year-old started the season slowly before spending most of May on the injured list with a bone bruise in his left knee, but he has fared much better since returning. Going back to his activation on May 30, Trout has hit a terrific .324 (22-of-68) with three homers, 10 RBI, eight runs scored, and 11 walks in 19 games. The future Hall of Famer will face Houston Astros standout right-hander Hunter Brown on Friday. Trout is 0-for-3 against Brown.

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Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman struggled through one of his worst starts of the season in a 9-5 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday. Gausman exited after surrendering seven earned runs on seven hits, including two homers. He struck out four, walked three, and threw 46 of 81 pitches for strikes. The two-time All-Star entered June off an effective May, but his numbers have gone backward this month. Across four starts and 20 innings, Gausman has coughed up 17 earned runs on 23 hits and posted 23 strikeouts against 12 walks. As a result of his recent woes, his ERA has climbed to an uncharacteristic 4.60 with 84:24 K:BB over 86 frames. Gausman's xERA, FIP, and xFIP are all under 4.00, suggesting that positive regression is on the horizon. The 34-year-old will try for a bounce-back outing against the Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday. Gausman dominated the Guardians back on May 3, tossing six scoreless, one-hit innings with nine strikeouts and one walk.

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San Francisco Giants ace Logan Webb stymied the Cleveland Guardians' offense in a 2-1 victory on Thursday. Webb improved to 7-5 after allowing one run on seven hits with nine strikeouts and no walks over seven innings. The right-hander has tallied five straight quality starts and has given up a meager eight earned runs with an astounding 40:4 K:BB in that 34-inning stretch. Overall, Webb has recorded a career-best 2.49 ERA (2.21 FIP) with 114 punchouts and 20 walks across 101 1/3 frames. He'll have a good chance to keep cruising along with a start against the Miami Marlins on Wednesday.

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Toronto Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk put on a fantastic performance in a 9-5 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday. The 26-year-old launched a pair of solo home runs as part of a 3-for-4, three-RBI day. Kirk entered the contest on the heels of four consecutive hitless games, during which he combined to go 0-for-16. Despite that slide, this has been a June to remember for Kirk. He's hitting a red-hot .355 (22-of-62) with four homers, four doubles, and 12 RBI in 15 games. Overall, this is the best Kirk has performed offensively since his lone All-Star and Silver Slugger campaign in 2022. He's slashing .313/.354/.442 with seven long balls, 34 RBI, and a paltry 10.7% strikeout rate in 243 trips to the plate. Kirk is easily on pace to surpass his career-high totals in HRs (14) and RBI (63).

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