Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Jake McCarthy went 3-for-4 on Thursday with two runs and two stolen bases. All three of his hits on Thursday afternoon were singles, and he is now riding a three-game hitting streak. Through 64 games this season, the 26-year-old is holding a strong .298/.378/.422 slash line with three home runs and 12 swiped bags. The Virginia product has taken a major step forward this season as he posted a mediocre .243/.318/.326 line with two home runs and 26 stolen bases last summer. He currently operates on the strong side of a platoon, rotating within the three outfield spots but receiving the majority of time in right field. However, he has made eight starts against southpaws this season. McCarthy is a solid depth outfielder in five outfielder leagues and should provide a substantial stolen base output throughout the summer and should also stabilize your batting average. He is also worth a look at in favorable matchups in DFS.

Washington Nationals right-hander Josiah Gray (elbow) will make another minor-league rehab start next week, this time with Triple-A Rochester. In his latest rehab start for Double-A Harrisburg on Wednesday, Gray got up to 79 pitches and got through five innings, allowing two earned runs on three hits while walking three and fanning five. If the 26-year-old makes it out of his next rehab appearance unscathed, it's likely that his next start will come in the big leagues for the Nationals. The former second-rounder in 2018 by the Cincinnati Reds only made two starts before landing on the injured list and went 0-2 with a 14.04 ERA and 2.40 WHIP while striking out nine in 8 1/3 frames. His elbow may have been the culprit, though, so fantasy managers shouldn't completely dismiss him after he made his first All-Star appearance in 2023.

Colorado Rockies left-hander Kyle Freeland (elbow) will come off the 60-day injured list this weekend and make the start on Sunday against the visiting Washington Nationals, according to manager Bud Black. In his third and final minor-league rehab start for Triple-A Albuquerque on Tuesday, Freeland allowed two earned runs on two hits while walking four and striking out four in four innings of work. The 31-year-old southpaw only threw 67 pitches in that outing, so fantasy managers considering streaming him right away in deeper leagues should be very hesitant to do so. The start will also be at hitter-friendly Coors Field, and Freeland wasn't effective at all earlier this year before his injury, going 0-3 with a brutal 13.21 ERA, 2.55 WHIP and only nine strikeouts in 15 2/ innings over his four starts. At best, Freeland is a deep-league streaming option away from Coors in the right matchups.

Minnesota Twins outfielder Max Kepler (neck) left the game early on Thursday against the Tampa Bay Rays with neck spasms. Kepler appeared to get hurt while sliding head-first into first base. He was replaced by Manuel Margot in left field, with Trevor Larnach moving to right field. Before leaving the contest early, Kepler went hitless in his lone at-bat to drop his season average to .251. Until we know more about the 31-year-old's status, he should be considered day-to-day. Fantasy baseball managers will want to check back to see if he's back in the starting lineup for Friday's series opener in Oakland against the Athletics. If Kepler's injury is serious enough to force him to the injured list, Margot would likely be the biggest beneficiary in Minnesota's outfield. In addition to his injury, Kepler has struggled in June, going 11-for-57 (.193) with two homers, eight RBI and 17 K's in 15 games played.

St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (elbow) is not in the team's starting lineup for Thursday's Negro Leagues tribute at Rickwood Field in Alabama against the San Francisco Giants. Veteran Brandon Crawford will make the start at third base in Arenado's absence and will bat seventh against Giants right-hander Keaton Winn. Arenado was hit by a pitch on his elbow in Wednesday's contest, and while X-rays returned negative for any significant damage to his arm, he's not aiming to return to the starting lineup until Saturday's game against the Giants after an off day on Friday. Like many of St. Louis' hitters in 2024, Arenado has disappointed most of his fantasy managers this year, but he's been slightly better in June by hitting .270 (17-for-63) with a homer, three doubles, six RBI and a stolen base in 17 games played. Crawford is nearing the end of his career and is a poor DFS replacement at the hot corner.

Baltimore Orioles infielder Jordan Westburg (hip) is back in the starting lineup for Thursday's series finale in the Bronx against the division-rival New York Yankees and right-hander Luis Gil, playing second base and batting sixth in the order. Ramon Urias will get another start at third base and will bat out of the nine-hole. Westburg bruised his left hip in Tuesday's game and missed the contest on Wednesday. The 25-year-old has been a lineup regular for the O's this year at either second or third base, and he's hitting a useful .277/.331/.502 with an .833 OPS, 11 home runs, 42 RBI, six stolen bases and 37 runs scored in 253 at-bats in a strong Orioles lineup. He's cooled off a bit in June, though, going 15-for-64 (.234) with three homers, three doubles, two triples, eight RBI, one steal and 14 strikeouts in 16 games.

New York Yankees superstar outfielder Aaron Judge (hand) is back in center field and is batting third for Thursday's series finale against the visiting Baltimore Orioles and left-hander Cole Irvin in the Bronx. Judge was hit by a pitch on his left hand in Tuesday's contest against the division rivals and was forced from the game early. He sat out of Wednesday's game, even though X-rays came back negative for any fractures in his hand. The 32-year-old power hitter is now back after missing only one game and needs to be reinserted into all starting fantasy lineups. Judge enters Thursday's action leading the league in doubles (22), home runs (26), RBI (64), slugging percentage (.687), OPS (1.115) and total bases (182) while also hitting .302 (80-for-265).

Seattle Mariners second baseman Jorge Polanco (hamstring) played a full minor-league rehab game on Wednesday with Triple-A Tacoma as the designated hitter and went 1-for-4 with a walk and a run scored. Now that Polanco has played in back-to-back games two separate times on his rehab assignment means that his return to Seattle is probably imminent. The 30-year-old switch-hitter played seven innings at second base on Tuesday and should be back from the 10-day injured by the weekend. Polanco should return to regular starting duties at the keystone for the M's when he's reinstated, although his .195/.293/.302 slash line with five home runs and 14 RBI in 159 at-bats in his first year in Seattle has left a lot to be desired by fantasy managers. Rookie Ryan Bliss has seen some run at second with Polanco injured.

Houston Astros catcher Victor Caratini (quadriceps) is getting his left-quadriceps injury looked at by team doctors on Thursday. Manager Joe Espada said Caratini was "pretty sore" on Thursday morning and termed it a potential injured-list situation, but the Astros will wait on the test results before making a decision on their backup catcher. Caratini was pulled from Wednesday's contest against the Chicago White Sox early with the injury and could have to miss the next 10 days. If Caratini is forced to miss additional time with his quad injury, Cesar Salazar and Cooper Hummel would be in line to serve in backup duties to Yainer Diaz. Caratini is not much of a fantasy option, even in two-catcher leagues, with limited playing time and a .248/.287/.429 slash line with four homers in 105 at-bats this year.

Houston Astros manager Joe Espada said he's hopeful that outfielder Kyle Tucker (shin) can begin doing baseball activities on the field this weekend. When Tucker initially fouled a ball off his shin in early June, he was listed as day-to-day and expected to avoid the injured list. The 27-year-old has been slow to recover, though, and ended up landing on the IL and has yet to resume baseball activities. He's already missed more than two weeks now, but it sounds like he's finally making progress and could be cleared for a minor-league rehab assignment soon after he starts baseball activities. As long as Tucker doesn't suffer a setback, he should be able to rejoin Houston's lineup before the All-Star break in mid-July. Tucker is an elite fantasy commodity in all categories when he's healthy.

The Miami Marlins are listing left-hander Jesus Luzardo (back) as their probable starter for Saturday's game against the Seattle Mariners. The Marlins pulled Luzardo from his latest outing against the Washington Nationals when he showed diminished velocity due to back stiffness, but the injury apparently isn't serious enough to keep him from making his next start this weekend. The 26-year-old southpaw threw 77 pitches and went five innings in the loss, allowing two earned runs on five hits (two homers) while walking three and striking out two. Luzardo has been inconsistent for the Fish in 2024 with a career-low 21.2% strikeout rate while also posting a 5.00 ERA and 1.24 WHIP in 66 2/3 innings (12 starts), but the Mariners rank near the bottom of the league in team OPS and lead baseball in strikeouts. It will make Luzardo more of a boom/bust streamer this weekend coming off an injury.

Oakland Athletics infielder Abraham Toro (shoulder) is not in the starting lineup once again on Thursday against the visiting Kansas City Royals. Toro will miss a third straight game due to a sore shoulder. Aledmys Diaz is starting at the hot corner for the A's and will bat ninth against Royals right-hander Seth Lugo. Toro has been one of the bright spots for the A's this year and has gotten some run at the top of the batting order as well. He's currently slashing .256/.298/.381 with six home runs, 24 RBI, three stolen bases and 31 runs scored in 273 at-bats in his first year in Oakland. Even if Toro continues to hit leadoff and play regularly, his counting stats will likely be lacking for fantasy managers in deeper leagues. Diaz will be playing in only his eighth game of the year on Thursday. He has only two hits in 22 at-bats with an RBI and five K's.

Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Gavin Lux and outfielder Jason Heyward are both out of the lineup on Thursday with the team facing left-hander Ty Blach and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Chris Taylor will take over at second base and bat ninth, while Teoscar Hernandez is in right field and batting cleanup for the Blue. Miguel Vargas will draw into left field and bat in the seven-hole. Taylor has hit .286 with an .833 OPS, a home run and four RBI in 28 career at-bats against Blach, but he's in the nine-hole and has hit just .115 (11-for-96) this year with a homer and nine RBI. Hernandez has never faced Blach in his career but is nevertheless an attractive DFS play in the heart of the Dodgers' batting order at hitter-friendly Coors Field. He's hitting .253 (20-for-79) with eight of his 18 homers this year against lefties.

Colorado Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon (hamstring) will start on the bench again on Thursday in the series finale against the visiting division-rival Los Angeles Dodgers. Blackmon is dealing with right-hamstring tightness and will miss his second straight game. He'll give way to Jake Cave in right field, with Elehuris Montero serving as the designated hitter and batting fifth against Dodgers right-hander Gavin Stone. Cave is hitting in the six-hole. Blackmon doesn't have the power stroke he once had earlier in his career, but he's picked things up in June (.333 average with a homer, seven doubles, two RBI and two steals) to raise his season slash line to .266/.337/.410 with a .747 OPS in 222 at-bats. The 37-year-old veteran has actually been better against lefties in a smaller sample size than against righties in 2024.

Colorado Rockies outfielder Nolan Jones (illness) remains out of the starting lineup on Thursday for the series finale against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers. Jones was scratched from the lineup on Wednesday while being under the weather and apparently he is still not feeling good enough to play a day later. Sean Bouchard will make another start in left field and will bat second against Dodgers right-hander Gavin Stone. Bouchard went 1-for-4 with a double, RBI and a run scored in Wednesday's victory. He'll be a deep DFS sleeper in the two-hole and is hitting just .205 (16-for-78) on the year with a homer, seven RBI and four steals. Jones teased his upside in 2023 with a 20-20 campaign but has so far been either hurt or ineffective at the plate for the Rockies and fantasy managers this year.

Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Alek Thomas (hamstring) will play in another Arizona Complex League game on Friday after the soreness in his injured hamstring subsided. Thomas reported "general soreness" in his hamstring earlier this week, which caused the Diamondbacks to temporarily pause his rehab assignment after he went 3-for-3 with a double and two RBI in his first three games in the Arizona Complex League. The 24-year-old has recovered quickly from his soreness and will resume playing in minor-league games this weekend. If all goes well this weekend, he could move his rehab assignment to a higher affiliate next week. Since he's been out since April 1, the D-backs want to see him play in more games before activating him from the injured list. When Thomas is back, he should see regular playing time in center field against righties, but so far he's mostly been a glove guy in the big leagues.

St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Kyle Gibson (back) said on Thursday morning that he's fine and half joked that he's going to try and talk his way into the game on Thursday night. Gibson was scratched from his scheduled start on Wednesday against the Miami Marlins due to back tightness, but it may not be serious enough to land him on the 15-day injured list. There's still a chance the Cardinals play it safe, though, and put the 36-year-old veteran on the IL. It's unclear when he'll be able to take the mound next. The former 22nd overall pick by the Minnesota Twins in 2009 out of Missouri has been decent in his first year in St. Louis in 2024, going 5-2 with a 3.44 ERA (4.14 FIP) and 1.19 WHIP with 73 strikeouts and 31 walks in 83 2/3 innings over 14 starts.

Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw (shoulder) looked sharp in his first minor-league rehab start for Single-A Rancho Cucamonga on Wednesday night, giving up one earned run on two hits while walking one and punching out five in three innings of work. He threw 26 of his 36 pitches for strikes in what was his first game action since having offseason surgery on his left shoulder. The 36-year-old veteran southpaw also hit 90 mph with his fastball. It's a good first rehab start for the future Hall of Famer and three-time Cy Young winner, but fantasy managers need to be aware that he's going to need at least several more outings in the minors before he's a realistic consideration to make his 2024 debut in the big leagues. It's more likely that we won't see Kershaw back with the Dodgers until after the All-Star break in mid-July.

Houston Astros outfielder/designated hitter Yordan Alvarez (personal) is serving as the DH and is batting third for the Astros on Thursday against the Chicago White Sox and right-hander Chris Flexen. Alvarez had to leave the team the last two days due to a family matter, but apparently he has it resolved and is now available again to plug back into all starting fantasy lineups. Not only is it a great matchup for Alvarez, he's hitting .286 in his career against Flexen in 14 at-bats with two home runs and five RBI for a 1.089 OPS. The 26-year-old All-Star slugger has been hot of late, too, going 19-for-52 (.365) with five home runs, five doubles, a triple, 15 RBI and 12 runs scored in 14 games in the month of June. The Cuban left-handed hitter is one of the most reliable hitters in the big leagues with a .290 average (79-for-272) on the season.

Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Zac Gallen (hamstring) will throw his next simulated game early next week, and it sounds like he could return to the team after that if all goes well. There's still no target date for his return to a major-league mound, but The Arizona Republic's Theo Mackie is guessing the upcoming series against the Oakland Athletics or Los Angeles Dodgers are most realistic. The 28-year-old is on the 15-day injured list with a right-hamstring strain. He threw two bullpen sessions before advancing to a simulated game this Tuesday. Fantasy managers would much prefer that his first start back came against the lowly A's, as the Dodgers sport one of the best offenses in the league, even with Mookie Betts (hand) out. There will be less risk with Gallen when he eventually returns since he wasn't dealing with an arm injury in the first place.