Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Daniel Bard (knee) was expected to throw off a mound on Tuesday. The Rockies have been careful with Bard, whose platelet-rich plasma shots in his right forearm are a bigger concern than the cleanup operation on his left knee in February. Bard didn't participate in spring training, so he won't be available for the Rocks until May at the earliest. Even though the 38-year-old right-hander struggled to a 4.56 ERA (6.13 FIP), 1.70 WHIP, and an unfathomable 47:49 K:BB through 49 1/3 innings last season, he still might end up receiving the bulk of the save chances when he returns to the mound later this year. Justin Lawrence (9.82 ERA) and Tyler Kinley (13.50 ERA) remain the nominal favorites for saves out of Colorado's bullpen right now, but neither of the two right-handers have separated much in terms of seizing the closing gig to this point.

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Martin Perez twirled eight innings of one-run ball on six hits and no walks in Tuesday's 5-3 loss to the visiting Detroit Tigers, striking out seven hitters en route to a tough-luck no-decision. It looked like Perez was well on his way to earning a win on Tuesday, but closer David Bednar couldn't shut the door in the ninth inning after Perez threw 100 pitches. While the 33-year-old crafty lefty isn't known for having dominant stuff, he's quietly off to a fast start during his first year in Pittsburgh, garnering a 1.89 ERA and 1.21 WHIP with 15 strikeouts through 19 innings to begin the season. Next up for Perez is a scheduled start against the struggling New York Mets on Monday, when he'll be worth considering as a fantasy streamer. In three appearances against the Mets since 2022, Perez is 2-0 with a 2.31 ERA and seven K's across 11 2/3 innings.

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Max Scherzer (back) threw a bullpen session without any issues on Tuesday. The plan is for Scherzer to progress to facing live hitters in a batting practice session next week. The 39-year-old remains without a timetable to return, but the expectation is that Scherzer is back before the start of June. That being said, Scherzer is worth stashing in deeper mixed leagues while he continues to make progress in his recovery from back surgery.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander (shoulder) is scheduled to make another rehab start over the weekend. It doesn't sound like the organization has decided on which day Verlander will start. He threw 65 pitches during a rehab start with Triple-A Sugarland on Sunday. It wasn't great results for the veteran right-hander but the main focus is getting him healthy. It sounds like the organization plans to have Verlander throw a bullpen session on Wednesday as well. The hope is that Verlander can get back in the Astros rotation by the end of April.

Pittsburgh Pirates catcher/outfielder Henry Davis and outfielder Michael Taylor will start on the bench on Monday for the series opener against the visiting Detroit Tigers. Joey Bart will do the catching for the Bucs and will hit ninth, while Jack Suwinski is in center field and batting cleanup against Tigers right-hander Reese Olson. This will be Bart's second start in the last three games, and he could see more time behind the plate with Davis starting off his second MLB season just 4-for-30 at the plate. It helps Bart's cause that both Yasmani Grandal (foot) and Jason Delay (knee) are currently on the injured list. This will be Taylor's third straight game starting on the bench. Suwinski is just 6-for-34 (.176) in the early going but will have elevated DFS sleeper appeal in the cleanup spot on Monday.

San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado (elbow) said there is no definitive target date for his return to being 100 percent recovered from offseason elbow surgery. It's been 220 days he last played third base in a game and 187 days since the extensor tendon in his right elbow was fixed. Manager Mike Shildt said the end of April was a "loose" goal, but "there's not really a timetable on it," Machado said. The All-Star third baseman said his shoulder isn't 100 percent, and he entered Sunday's finale against the Giants hitting just .190 with a .673 OPS. The 31-year-old has been told by doctors that he might not feel 100 percent until next year. Fantasy managers shouldn't panic yet, but it's fair to wonder if Machado's slow start this year at the plate is related to his elbow injury.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander (shoulder) threw 65 pitches for Triple-A Sugar Land on Sunday in what was his first in-game appearance of the season. Verlander struggled, allowing six runs on seven hits in three-plus innings, but that isn't what is important here as he is still building up after experiencing right shoulder issues during spring training. The Astros were optimistic that Verlander would only need to make two rehab starts, and him getting to 65 pitches in this one is a positive sign. He will likely make another start later this week and could join Houston's rotation shortly after that.

Kansas City Royals left-handed reliever William Smith was brought in for the ninth inning on Friday night with the club holding a 2-1 lead over the visiting Chicago White Sox, but the veteran southpaw was pulled after allowing a hit and walking one in favor of James McArthur, who ended up picking up his first save. Smith did pick up a strikeout and the hold, but it's not a good sign that manager Matt Quatraro gave him the quick hook after he allowed a double and a walk after his strikeout. The 34-year-old wasn't a high-end fantasy baseball closer to begin with, but Smith might already be losing his hold on the closer gig in Kansas City after the first week. Smith already has allowed six earned runs in three innings with a blown save and two losses, so fantasy managers scrounging for saves in the early going should consider picking McArthur up off the waiver wire.

New York Mets left-hander Jose Quintana will be looking for a better outing on Friday when he takes on the Cincinnati Reds. He allowed just two runs in his first start of the season in 4 1/3 innings of work but also six hits, including a homer, with two walks against four strikeouts. It was a decent start to the season after Quintana worked to a 3.57 ERA across 13 starts last season while a rib injury cost him significant time. With the solid, yet injury-shortened season, Quintana placed himself back under the radar but he also struck out just 18.8% of the hitters he faced, a career-low for the veteran. He makes for a decent back-end starter for fantasy managers if he can prevent runs at a similar clip in the 2024 campaign.

San Francisco Giants right-hander Alex Cobb (elbow) felt a little elbow soreness while throwing recently. An MRI exam came back clean, but he'll be shut down for a few days. The Giants are being very careful given their rotation depth, and Cobb said he's still ahead of schedule from hip surgery overall. The 36-year-old veteran is officially dealing with flexor-tendon inflammation, but it's not considered serious. He's expected to resume throwing on Monday as he ultimately tries to recover from offseason hip surgery. Cobb should be a member of the back end of San Fran's starting rotation when he's healthy at some point in the first half of the season, but fantasy managers in deep-mixed leagues shouldn't expect a ton from an aging pitcher with a long injury history.

Houston Astros right-hander Justin Verlander (shoulder) is scheduled to start for Triple-A Sugar Land on Sunday, according to manager Joe Espada. Verlander will throw a bullpen session on Thursday at Minute Maid Park before going on his minor-league rehab assignment. The Astros are optimistic that Verlander will only need two starts at Sugar Land before rejoining Houston's starting rotation. The future Hall of Famer and three-time Cy Young winner didn't pitch at all during spring training due to right-shoulder issues, but he hasn't had any setbacks while building his arm up and could make his 2024 debut for Houston in late April. Verlander shouldn't be viewed as a fantasy ace anymore, but it doesn't mean he still can't be productive as a No. 3 or 4 starter if he stays healthy.

Houston Astros manager Joe Espada said that right-hander Justin Verlander (shoulder) will throw a bullpen session in Houston on Thursday and will then pitch in a minor-league rehab game a few days after that. Verlander threw a three-inning, 52-pitch simulated game on Monday and came away without any setbacks to his right shoulder. The 41-year-old three-time Cy Young winner didn't pitch at all in spring training and will now build up his arm in minor-league games before potentially making his 2024 debut for the Astros before the end of April. But because he didn't pitch in any Grapefruit League games this spring, don't be surprised if Verlander needs two or three rehab games before being activated from the injured list.

Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez hit his second home run of the season and drove in two runs in a 6-4 loss to the Baltimore Orioles on Monday. Perez took Dean Kremer deep to give the Royals a 3-0 lead. Perez finished the game going 1-for-4 with two RBIs, while also striking out once. The Royals catcher is now slashing .250/.294/.625 with two homers and six RBIs. Perez will continue to bring value as a hitter as he's batting cleanup for Kansas City this season.

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout continued his hot start to the season in Monday's 7-4 win over the Marlins. Trout went 2-for-4 with two home runs (including a 473-foot blast), a walk, and a strikeout. The 32-year-old has started things with a power surge, slashing .286/.333/.929 with three HR and six strikeouts in 15 plate appearances.

Houston Astros right-hander Justin Verlander (shoulder) threw a three-inning, 52-pitch live batting practice session on Monday. He said that ramping up to full velocity after an inning break was his focus again. Asked if he expects to go on a minor-league rehab assignment next, Verlander said, "I think so." Verlander was forced to start the year on the injured list due to shoulder issues he experienced in the offseason, but he's ramping up now and getting closer to making his 2024 season debut. Still, the 41-year-old is probably going to need at least several minor-league rehab starts, which means we won't see him back in Houston's starting rotation until late April or early May. The future Hall of Famer is no longer a fantasy ace, but he can still contribute in mixed leagues when he's healthy.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander (shoulder), who started the season on the 15-day injured list, inched closer to going out on a minor-league rehab assignment when he threw a bullpen session before Friday's game versus the New York Yankees. On March 5, the Astros decided to have Verlander begin the season on the IL because there wasn't enough time to get him fully ready before Opening Day. Although he showed up to camp a couple of weeks behind schedule due to right shoulder inflammation, the 41-year-old future Hall of Famer's absence isn't likely to extend very deep into the regular season. If all goes well in his recovery, Verlander should be able to return to Houston's rotation by the end of April. Until the veteran right-hander is ready to make his 2024 debut, Ronel Blanco will occupy a rotation spot and carry short-term fantasy streaming appeal in favorable matchups.

San Francisco Giants right-hander Alex Cobb (hip) threw five innings in a rehab start in Arizona on Thursday. Cobb is eligible to return from the injured list on April 9th and is well ahead of his initial recovery timeline. He owned a 3.87 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, and 131:37 K: BB across 151 1/3 innings in 2023. The 36-year-old may be a viable streaming option once he returns to the Giants rotation and is projected for a 3.84 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP. Injury concerns are likely to be consistent with Cobb, so fantasy managers should take caution about how much they depend on him when rostering the right-hander.

The Colorado Rockies placed right-hander Daniel Bard (knee) on the 15-day injured list on Thursday after he missed all of spring training following a cleanup procedure on his left knee in the middle of February. In addition to his knee ailment, the 38-year-old veteran has received platelet-rich plasma injections in his right forearm in the offseason. Bard is improving and could be ready to face live hitters in the second week of April. There's a chance that he could make his 2024 season debut before the end of April if he doesn't suffer any setbacks while on a minor-league rehab assignment. Bard again struggled with anxiety last year after recording 54 saves in 2021-22, and Justin Lawrence and Tyler Kinley are now Colorado's primary options for saves, so fantasy managers can ignore Bard.

Texas Rangers right-hander Max Scherzer (back) threw a bullpen session on Tuesday. He said his arm is feeling good and described this period as "early February" for him if he didn't have the rehab for his back injury. Scherzer said there are still hurdles to jump through, but he said he respects the process of the rehab he's currently going through. The 39-year-old future Hall of Famer underwent back surgery in December to fix a herniated disc in his back, which is why he's not ready for the start of the 2024 regular season. The Rangers don't have plans to put Scherzer on the 60-day injured list, which means that he could make his return to Texas' rotation before the end of May. That would be a best-case scenario. While Scherzer can still be an asset in fantasy, his days of being an ace are likely behind him at this point, especially coming off injury.