San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Alex Cobb (hip, elbow), who was briefly shut down recently with a mild flexor strain in his right elbow, has been cleared to resume throwing and tossed a bullpen session in Arizona on Tuesday. Other than that hiccup, Cobb is progressing well and believes he's ahead of schedule in his rehab from offseason surgery on his left hip. The 36-year-old right-hander was an All-Star in 2023 for the first time in his career, and despite running into trouble with the long ball in the second half, he still managed to compile a solid 3.87 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, and 131:37 K:BB across 151 1/3 innings (28 starts). Cobb could re-enter San Fran's rotation at some time during May, and he's a decent stash in most fantasy leagues. With Robbie Ray (elbow) also on the shelf, Jordan Hicks and Keaton Winn should continue to function as starters for the Giants for the time being.

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Robbie Ray (elbow) is scheduled to throw his next bullpen session in Arizona on Wednesday. Although the 2021 American League Cy Young Award winner is still expected to be out until the second half of the 2024 season, it feels like he has a chance to make his Giants debut earlier than that based on his current progress. Ray is pleased with where he's at in his recovery from Tommy John surgery, and he also tossed a bullpen on Friday. In his last full season during 2022 with the Seattle Mariners, the 32-year-old strikeout machine fanned 212 hitters while walking 62 over 189 innings and amassed a 3.71 ERA and 1.19 WHIP through 32 starts. Fantasy managers off to a good start should start thinking about stashing Ray. With Alex Cobb (hip) also sidelined until at least May, Jordan Hicks and Keaton Winn should keep operating as starters for the Giants in the meantime.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander (shoulder) is set to make his return from the injured list. The veteran right-hander will make his season debut either Friday or Saturday versus the Washington Nationals. The 41-year-old has been brought along slowly while he recovers from a shoulder injury. He's finally ready to return after having no issues during a recent bullpen outing. It's uncertain if the Astros will have Verlander on a pitch count or limited in some capacity. Regardless, fantasy managers in season-long formats can get him back in their lineups this weekend.

Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez (groin) remains out of the starting lineup ahead of Tuesday's game against the Chicago White Sox. The veteran catcher has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 left groin strain. Despite that, Perez hasn't been placed on the injured list and is considered as day-to-day. It wouldn't be shocking to see Perez miss a few more games while he recovers from this issue. Freddy Fermin will cover behind the plate and bat eighth during Tuesday's game.

It's "very unlikely" that designated hitter J.D. Martinez (back) will join the New York Mets on their upcoming West Coast road trip, according to manager Carlos Mendoza. The Mets begin their road trip this Friday, April 19, against the Los Angeles Dodgers and will wrap it up in San Francisco against the Giants on Wednesday, April 24. Martinez didn't sign with New York until late in spring training, so he stuck around in extended spring training to get his timing down at the plate before injuring his back in early April. The 36-year-old could start a rehab assignment later this week and make his 2024 debut with the Mets later this month or in early May. When he's finally ready to return, Martinez can still provide some thump from the DH spot and will give the Mets more protection for All-Star first baseman Pete Alonso.

Minnesota Twins first baseman Carlos Santana is out of the lineup on Tuesday against the Baltimore Orioles. Santana is off to a slow start this season as he's slashing . 135/.224/.154 in 14 games with zero home runs and just two RBIs. In replace of Santana, Minnesota will be starting Alex Kirilloff at first base, who is batting third against Orioles right-hander Grayson Rodriguez.

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Sonny Gray posted another strong outing on Monday versus his former team, the Oakland Athletics. Gray went six scoreless innings and allowed four hits with no walks and six strikeouts. Gray missed the beginning of the season with a hamstring injury, but he has not missed a beat in his two starts this season with 11 scoreless innings, no walks and 11 strikeouts. Gray will eventually walk a batter this season, but managers could not have asked for a better start to the season then what Gray has given them. Moving forward, Gray is lined up to face the division rival Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday.

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos turned in another disappointing game at the plate in Monday's 2-1 extra-innings win over the Rockies. Castellanos went 0-for-4 with a strikeout batting sixth. The 32-year-old has gotten off to a very slow start offensively, slashing just .177/.250/.177 with no home runs and five RBI in 68 plate appearances. However, fantasy managers should give him a bit of a leash given his career track record and strong 2023 season.

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout continued his power run in Monday's 7-3 win over the Rays. Trout went 2-for-5 with a single and a two-run home run. The 32-year-old has been every bit as good as fantasy managers were hoping for, slashing .290/.362/.710 with seven HR, 10 RBI, and two stolen bases in 69 plate appearances. It isn't surprising to see such great production from Trout, but it is encouraging nonetheless.

Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said that the team will still keep things open in the closer role, but with the way right-hander Kirby Yates is throwing the ball right now, "we kind of like where it's at." In the 1-0 win over the Detroit Tigers on Monday, Yates tossed a perfect inning with no hits allowed, no walks and no strikeouts to pick up his first save of the season. The 37-year-old veteran hasn't allowed a run yet in 2024 in six relief appearances while walking one and striking out five in six innings of work. Meanwhile, Jose Leclerc has surrendered eight earned runs on seven hits (one homer) while walking seven and fanning six in six innings. Nothing is official yet, but fantasy managers that are chasing saves should run to the waiver wire to pick up Yates right away.

Texas Rangers right-hander Max Scherzer (back) could now be ready in early May despite initial evaluations placing his likely return around June or July, and his first minor-league rehab start could potentially come as early as next week. Scherzer threw 25 pitches of live batting practice at Comerica Park on Monday and said the next step is throwing 40 pitches on Friday. The 39-year-old future Hall of Famer had surgery to fix a herniated disc in his back on Dec. 15. General manager Chris Young said Scherzer attempted several "conservative treatments in pain management," including an epidural, but the pain never went away, which is why he had offseason surgery. Scherzer probably isn't going to be a fantasy ace any more, but he's still plenty capable of delivering a dominant outing every now and then if he can remain healthy after he returns from his back injury.

Houston Astros right-hander Justin Verlander (shoulder) will throw a bullpen session on Tuesday, and if all goes well, he will return to the team's starting rotation this weekend to face the Washington Nationals in his 2024 debut, according to manager Joe Espada. Verlander said he feels ready despite giving up five earned runs on seven hits while walking a batter in four innings (77 pitches) in a minor-league rehab start for Double-A Corpus Christi on Saturday. The Astros could really use the 41-year-old three-time Cy Young winner back in their banged-up rotation, and a start this weekend against the Nats would be a plus matchup for fantasy managers in Verlander's first start of the year. Don't expect ace-like numbers from Verlander at his age, but he still has the potential to be a strong No. 3 if he can stay healthy.

An MRI exam on Monday morning revealed that Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez (groin) has a Grade 1 groin strain. Perez said he's pain-free and just has a little tightness/pinch after getting hurt on Sunday against the New York Mets. The veteran backstop was held out of the lineup on Monday versus the Chicago White Sox but is hoping to return to action on Tuesday. He went straight to manager Matt Quatraro's office on Monday and lobbied to play, but Freddy Fermin is doing the catching and is batting eighth against White Sox rookie righty Nick Nastrini. The 33-year-old Perez shouldn't need a trip to the injured list, and fantasy managers should check back on Tuesday to see if he's back in the starting lineup. Perez is off to a great start in 2024, batting .339 (21-for-62) with four home runs, two doubles and 15 RBI in just 16 games.

Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez (groin, hip) is not in the starting lineup on Monday against the Chicago White Sox on the road. It shouldn't come as a huge surprise that Perez isn't in there after he was pulled early from Sunday's game New York Mets with left groin and hip injuries. Catcher Logan Porter is currently on the team's taxi squad to begin the week just in case the 33-year-old Perez's injury ends up costing him more than just a few days. Freddy Fermin would be the team's primary backstop if Perez is forced to the injured list. Fermin is behind the plate and is batting eighth on Monday against White Sox rookie right-hander Nick Nastrini, who is making his big-league debut. Fermin has just five hits in his first 26 at-bats in 2024 for a .192 batting average and one RBI.

St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Sonny Graywill be limited to 75 pitches in Monday's start against the Oakland A's. Gray spent a large portion of spring training dealing with a hamstring issue that limited him to just two starts, so it makes sense why the Cardinals are gradually increasing the veteran's pitch count. In his first start of the year against the Philadelphia Phillies on April 9, he threw 64 pitches across five shutout innings. Now, St. Louis has set his limit at around 75 pitches in his second start. The pitch limit shouldn't worry fantasy managers, though. If you roster the 34-year-old in fantasy, you should be starting him in a plus matchup against Oakland.

New York Mets designated hitter J.D. Martinez (back) is scheduled to resume swinging the bat on Monday and is still a few days away, according to manager Carlos Mendoza, of getting back into a minor-league game. Martinez hasn't played since last Saturday for Low-A St. Lucie after which he started to feel back tightness. The veteran right-handed slugger received a shot in his back last Tuesday. The Mets signed the 36-year-old late in spring training, but he didn't join the club for Opening Day as he tried to get his timing down at the plate before hurting his back. He probably won't resume his minor-league rehab assignment until later this week, but if he continues to feel good this weekend, there's a possibility that Martinez could join the Mets for his team debut sometime next week.

Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez suffered a left groin and hip injury on Sunday when he collided with New York Mets outfielder Starling Marte at home plate. The veteran backstop left the game and was seen limping off of the field following the collision. He will be evaluated on Monday and an update is expected before the club kicks off a series against the rival White Sox. It's been a big start to the 2024 season for the long-time Royals catcher as Perez has hit .339 with four home runs and 15 RBI across 16 games and 65 trips to the plate, posting a healthy .934 OPS in the process. The heavily-used backstop continues to deliver quality power numbers into his mid-30s and should continue to drive in plenty of runs on an improved Royals offense in 2024.

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve continued his torrid start to the season on Sunday, smacking a pair of homers in an 8-5 win over the Texas Rangers. Altuve went 3-for-5 on the day, adding two runs and two RBI as well as a stolen base. He is now up to a .382 AVG to go with five homers and a stolen base. The 33-year-old isn't showing any signs of aging and should continue to be an excellent five-category contributor as long as he can stay healthy.

Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez left Sunday's game early after a collision at home plate with Starling Marte. Freddy Fermin entered the game for Perez, who walked off the field with a noticeable limp. It is too early to determine the severity of Perez's injury but hopefully it is nothing long term. Fermin would be the likely replacement if the 33-year-old is forced to miss time. Fermin had modest success at the plate in 2022, but he would only have true value in two-catcher leagues or AL Only formats.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander (shoulder) is quickly approaching his season debut. Verlander was unable to throw at all during Spring Training but has made minor league rehab appearances over the past week and is just about complete with his recovery process. Manager Joe Espada expressed that the three-time Cy Young Award winner could make his season debut on Friday as the Astros will take on the Washington Nationals. The Astros are in need of a spark due to their early season struggles. The future Hall-Of-Famer will slot right into the rotation when cleared.