San Francisco Giants right-hander Justin Verlander (pectoral) threw a 65-pitch simulated game at Coors Field on Wednesday and could rejoin the big-league starting rotation when the team returns home to face the Cleveland Guardians from June 17-19, according to MLB.com. Verlander has been on the 15-day injured list since May 22 with a strained right pectoral muscle, but he's on the cups of returning to the Gigantes' starting rotation. Before his injury, the future Hall of Famer looked like a pitcher nearing the end of his career, going 0-3 with a 4.33 ERA and 1.40 WHIP with 41 strikeouts and 21 walks in 52 innings over his 10 starts. He currently ranks in just the 25th percentile in strikeout rate, 56th percentile in whiff rate and 12th percentile in barrel rate. His opponent's expected batting average is also in the 19th percentile. Injuries and age have sapped Verlander of his dominance.

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San Francisco Giants catcher Patrick Bailey (neck) was placed on the 10-day injured list on Wednesday with a neck strain, but he's hoping to return as soon as he's eligible on June 19, according to MLB.com's Maria Guardado. It's bad timing, as Bailey was finally starting to drive the baseball after hitting just .185 with a .518 OPS and a home run in his first 56 games of the season. Sam Huff is at Triple-A Sacramento, but he's been dealing with a back issue. Until Bailey returns, the Giants will roll with Andrew Knizner as their starting catcher, with Logan Porter backing him up. Porter is in the big leagues for the first time since 2023, when he hit just .194 with a .647 OPS in 11 games with the Kansas City Royals. He was hitting .237 with a .669 OPS and two home runs in 40 games for Triple-A Sacramento. Porter is making the start in Thursday's series finale against the Rockies with Knizner getting a breather.

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Baltimore Orioles catching prospect Samuel Basallo went hitless on Monday, but still managed to tally three RBI for Triple-A Norfolk on a pair of groundouts and a walk with the bases loaded. In six June games, the Dominican backstop has gone 7-for-23 (.304) with four home runs, nine RBI, and six runs scored. For the season, the Orioles' top-ranked prospect owns just a .244 batting average, but has a strong .360 OBP thanks to a 14.9 percent walk rate, and boasts a .578 slugging percentage thanks to six doubles and 13 home runs, the latter of which is second-most in the International League. The 20-year-old has split time between catcher and first base this season, in addition to DH, giving him multiple paths to playing time at the big league level. Look for the 6-foot-4 slugger to make a debut by the All-Star break, and power-needy managers in deep leagues should consider stashing the youngster ahead of time.

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Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Aaron Civale, who has been bumped to the bullpen from the starting rotation in favor of pitching prospect Jacob Misiorowski, has asked the organization for a trade, according to The Athletic. The 30-year-old veteran has made all 122 of his regular-season appearances in the big leagues as a starter, but he did pitch in relief in Game 1 of last year's wild-card playoff series against the New York Mets. He went 6-3 with a 3.53 ERA in 14 starts last year after being acquired in a trade from the Tampa Bay Rays. Civale strained his left hamstring in his season debut in 2025 but had a decent 3.32 ERA in 19 innings over four starts after returning on May 22. The Brewers have a surplus of starting pitching, and Brandon Woodruff (elbow, shoulder) is nearing a return after missing all of 2024. A change of scenery for Civale would likely be best for his fantasy value and real-life value.

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To make room for right-handed pitching prospect Jacob Misiorowski on the 40-man roster, the Milwaukee Brewers transferred right-hander Brandon Woodruff (elbow, shoulder) to the 60-day injured list on Thursday. Right-hander Easton McGee was also optioned to Triple-A Nashville. The move doesn't alter Woodruff's timetable to return to the big-league rotation for the first time since 2023. The 32-year-old veteran had right-shoulder surgery in the fall of 2023 and didn't pitch at all last year. He was nearing a return this year before dealing with an ankle injury, and then he recently had a setback when he was drilled in his right elbow by a comebacker. Woodruff will need a couple more minor-league rehab starts but should rejoin Milwaukee's starting rotation before the All-Star break, barring a third setback. Before his shoulder injury, Woodruff was a fantasy ace.

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Boston Red Sox designated hitter Rafael Devers (groin) revealed to the media on Wednesday that he has been dealing with a groin strain lately. "I'm feeling better now It's better running." Manager Alex Cora said he didn't know about the issue until Sunday, when Devers didn't run out a ground ball all the way. Devers could get a day of rest soon, especially since he's only hit .216 (8-for-37) with two homers, five RBI, 10 runs scored and 10 strikeouts in 10 games played so far in June. The 28-year-old Dominican has responded well to a full-time role as Boston's DH this year and is currently slashing .276/.405/506 with a .911 OPS, 14 home runs, 57 RBI and 46 runs scored in 261 at-bats. His .274 xBA is in the 73rd percentile, while his xwOBA is in the 95th percentile, suggesting that Devers' high-end production should continue into the second half of the season.

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MASN's Roch Kubatko reports that Baltimore Orioles outfielder Tyler O'Neill (shoulder) is getting a few days of rest on his minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Norfolk as he works through left-shoulder soreness. Thursday will be O'Neill's second straight day off with the Tides. In the 29-year-old's three rehab games, he's gone 4-for-10 at the plate. He began his rehab assignment as a designated hitter but has played in right field his last two starts. O'Neill landed on the 10-day injured list a month ago with a left-shoulder impingement, and it's not a good sign that he's still having issues with it. The oft-injured outfielder should have a regular role in Baltimore's outfield when he recovers, but he was hitting just .188 (15-for-80) with two home runs, 10 RBI and 27 strikeouts in 93 trips to the plate over 24 games at the time of his injury.

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Baltimore Orioles right-hander Dean Kremer, who was originally scheduled to start on Thursday against the Detroit Tigers, will not start, according to the team. Instead, the O's will go with left-hander Keegan Akin as an opener. While Kremer won't start this one at Camden Yards, he's expected to serve as the bulk reliever. In both of Akin's opening assignments this year, he's gone a total of 2 2/3 innings, so he won't be a realistic streaming option for fantasy managers, especially against the first-place Tigers. Overall, he's posted a solid 2.89 ERA (3.87 FIP) and 1.29 WHIP with 31 strikeouts and 14 walks in 28 innings pitched. Kremer has an ERA just south of 5.00 on the season and allowed five earned runs on four hits while walking four and striking out three in 5 2/3 innings in a loss the first time he faced Detroit back on April 27.

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The Colorado Rockies announced on Thursday that they optioned left-handed pitching prospect Carson Palmquist to Triple-A Albuquerque and recalled right-hander Anthony Molina from Albuquerque in a corresponding move. It's back to the farm for more seasoning for the 24-year-old southpaw after he struggled in his first five big-league starts, going 0-4 with a 7.77 ERA and 1.82 WHIP with 16 strikeouts and 13 walks in 22 innings pitched. It's quite possible that fellow lefty Austin Gomber (shoulder) will come off the 60-day injured list to replace Palmquist in Colorado's starting rotation. Per MLB Pipeline, Palmquist is considered the team's No. 7 prospect. He doesn't have overpowering stuff on the mound but has plenty of deception in his delivery and with his lower arm slot. Obviously, he's going to need to throw more strikes in the big leagues to have success.

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Colorado Rockies left-hander Austin Gomber (shoulder) looked good in his minor-league rehab start on Tuesday for Triple-A Albuquerque, allowing an unearned run on just one hit while walking three and striking out five in four innings of work in a no-decision against Triple-A Oklahoma City. The 31-year-old southpaw allowed one run in four innings in his first rehab start on June 4 with Double-A Hartford, and if he comes out of Tuesday's start feeling good, it's possible he could rejoin the Rockies' rotation this Sunday against the Atlanta Braves. Gomber threw 69 pitches in his latest rehab start this week. Whenever he returns to Colorado, he'll be making his 2025 debut. There's not a whole lot to look at here from a fantasy perspective, as Gomber doesn't have much strikeout upside and is more of a fly-ball pitcher, which can be disastrous at hitter-friendly Coors Field.

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Colorado Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman is out of the lineup on Thursday for his team's final outing of a three-game set with the San Francisco Giants. Fellow backstop Braxton Fulford is behind the plate and batting ninth in his absence. Goodman hasn't had an actual day off in well over a month, so it's just a routine day of rest for him. He's been on fire across his last eight games, notching five multi-hit performances. Over that span, the Memphis alum is a scorching 15-for-35 (.428) with five doubles, two triples, four home runs, eight RBI, and eight runs scored. The recent hot-hitting has raised his triple slash to a strong .289/.333/.512.

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Washington Nationals outfielder Jacob Young won't be in Thursday's lineup for his team's final game of their series against the New York Mets. Teammate Robert Hassell III is operating center field in his stead and batting ninth. The Florida native will take a seat with right-handed pitcher Kodai Senga taking the mound for New York. With a .209 (19-for-91) average thus far against righties, Young has been relegated to the short side of the platoon. Since returning from the injured list last week, he's started all three games when a left-handed hurler ran out to the mound. The 25-year-old is slashing a dreary .237/.313/.288through 118 at-bats on the season.

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Minnesota Twins second baseman Kody Clemens and outfielder Trevor Larnach are taking a seat on Thursday for their team's series finale with the visiting Texas Rangers. With a matinee the day after a night game, it's just a normal day off for them. Teammate Royce Lewis will be the DH and bat fifth, with Willi Castro manning right field (sixth), and Brooks Lee occupying the keystone (seventh). Neither player has really stood out with their bat this season, though it's worth noting that Clemens' underlying metrics are at least intriguing. Despite a .221 average in 2025, the 29-year-old has significantly improved his quality of contact and is vastly underperforming his xBA (.288) and xSLG (.576).

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Texas Rangers catcher Jonah Heim won't be in the team's lineup on Thursday for their road series finale with the Minnesota Twins. It's just a routine day off for him with a day game coming after a night game. Fellow backstop Kyle Higashioka is behind the plate and batting ninth in his absence. Heim is amid a brutal slump, but picked up multiple hits in an outing for the first time since May 20 in Wednesday's loss. The 29-year-old has taken a slight step back this season regarding his plate discipline -- sporting a near-six-point increase in his strikeout rate (24.2%) and a slight drop in walk percentage (4.9%).

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Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Kyle Freeland left the game with the lead after six innings of solid work against the Giants, but the bullpen couldn't hold on to earn him a victory. The lefty allowed three runs on six hits and two walks with five strikeouts, but he only gave up one run over his last five innings of work after giving up a two-run homer to Willy Adames in the first. Freeland lowered his ERA to 5.13 on the season, but his 3.64 FIP and 3.99 SIERA show he has pitched a little better than his ERA indicates. He has four quality starts in his last six starts, but is only 1-3 due to a lack of run support. He'll hope for a better outcome next Monday, when he is scheduled to take the mound in Washington against the Nationals.

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Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Kris Bubic has been putting together a strong season in his return to the Royals' rotation, but Wednesday wasn't one of his best days. He gave up six hits and five runs to the visiting Yankees while issuing four free passes and striking out a season-low three batters. He had only allowed a total of three runs in his previous six starts combined, posting a 0.69 ERA and 2.04 FIP in 39 1/3 innings during that run. He has struggled in each of his two starts against the Bronx Bombers, who have scored almost half the earned runs he has allowed all season. Despite his rough outing, he still has a 1.92 ERA and 2.56 FIP on the year, and he'll look to shake off Wednesday's disappointing result in his next start, which is currently scheduled to be next Tuesday in Texas in a much more favorable situation.

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San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Robbie Ray only lasted four innings in his road start against the Rockies on Wednesday night. He threw 93 pitches to get 12 outs while giving up six hits, two walks, and four runs (two earned). He did have five strikeouts, but left with a deficit before the Giants rallied late to get him off the hook. Ray still has a strong 2.55 ERA and 2.99 FIP on the season despite this uninspiring outing. He'll look to bounce back and be more efficient when he faces the Guardians next Tuesday in San Francisco. He has been especially sharp at home, so he should be in a good spot to bounce back and put Wednesday's forgettable start behind him.

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Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman closed out his team's 4-3 win in Boston on Wednesday, working a perfect ninth inning against the Rays, including two strikeouts. After getting Christopher Morel to ground out, he struck out Taylor Walls and Josh Lowe to end the game. Chapman has 12 saves on the season and is just two away from matching his total from last season. He has been very strong in his first year in Boston, posting a 1.59 ERA, 2.20 FIP, and 12.4 K/9. He has converted 12 of his 13 save chances and has at least one strikeout in each of his last 10 games while allowing just a single earned run. He and the Red Sox have Thursday off before taking on the Yankees this weekend.

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New York Yankees Relief Pitcher Devin Williams only had to get two outs to get the save on Wednesday night, as his team held on to win 6-3 in Kansas City. The Yankees started the ninth with a 6-0 lead, but Mark Leiter Jr. gave up four hits and three runs while only recording one out. Williams came into the save situation and struck out Mark Canha before getting Jonathan India to ground out to first base to end the game. Williams still has a 5.92 ERA on the year with a 2.91 FIP and 11.5 K/9, but he has been better over his last 14 games with a 2.13 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 12 2/3 innings. He has converted a save in each of his last three appearances and has eight saves and just one blown save this year. He and the Yankees finish their series in Kansas City Thursday before heading to Boston for a weekend set at Fenway.

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Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Alex Vesia earned his third save of the season in impressive fashion on Wednesday night. He entered the game with a three-run lead and struck out the side in order on just 14 pitches. Tanner Scott pitched the eighth inning against the heart of the Padres' order before Vesia struck out Jake Cronenworth, Tyler Wade, and Elias Diaz to close out the 5-2 win that also secured the Dodgers the series win in their first set against their division rivals this season. Vesia is 2-0 with three saves and 10 holds in his 33 games this season, compiling a 2.79 ERA, 4.42 FIP, and 12.7 K/9. He is a solid source of holds and can get a save opportunity every once in a while, although he is not the primary closer for the Dodgers at this point.

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