Houston Astros right-hander Justin Verlander (shoulder) will make his 2024 season debut on Friday against the Washington Nationals, according to manager Joe Espada. The team's other starters will shift back a day, with Ronel Blanco going on Saturday and Cristian Javier taking the hill on Sunday. Verlander didn't pitch at all during spring training due to right-shoulder inflammation but is now ready after making a couple minor-league rehab starts and throwing a successful bullpen session on Tuesday. The 41-year-old three-time Cy Young winner didn't look particularly sharp in the minors but got up to 77 pitches in his final rehab start. Don't be surprised if the Astros have a short leash on the future Hall of Famer in his first start of the year in the big leagues this weekend.

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.

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.

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.

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that outfielder Jason Heyward (back) is still dealing with residual soreness in his back. There is no timetable for his return, but Heyward would have to go on a minor-league rehab assignment before being activated from the 10-day injured list because he's already missed two weeks. Until the 34-year-old veteran left-handed swinger is able to return to the big-league roster, Teoscar Hernandez should continue to regularly play right field, with Chris Taylor also seeing additional playing time for the Blue in the outfield. Heyward should play regularly against right-handed pitching when he's healthy again. The former first-rounder in 2007 by the Atlanta Braves had gone 3-for-14 with two RBI in four games this year before landing on the IL.

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.

New York Yankees outfielder/designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton will start on the bench on Monday versus the Toronto Blue Jays. With Stanton starting on the pine, outfielder Aaron Judge is serving as the designated hitter and batting third, while Trent Grisham gets the start in center field and will hit ninth against Blue Jays right-hander Chris Bassett. Judge has hit .222 in nine career at-bats against Bassitt, while Grisham has hit .167 in just six career at-bats against Bassitt. The biggest takeaway for Stanton after the first 13 games of the 2024 season is that he's managed to stay healthy so far. In his 55 plate appearances to begin the year, he's gone 13-for-52 (.250) with four home runs, nine RBI and seven runs scored. As long as he stays healthy, Stanton can always provide elite power numbers in a strong Yankees lineup.

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.

Pittsburgh Pirates designated hitter Andrew McCutchen will be on the bench Saturday as the Pirates continue a four-game set against the Phillies. The 37-year-old has a tough start to the season as he holds a .161/.316/.226 line with no home runs and only two RBI. Edward Olivares will instead be in the designated hitter spot and bat in the five-hole as he takes on Spencer Turnbull. Olivares has been swinging a hot bat over the first two weeks, hitting for a .314 AVG and .600 SLG with seven RBI and three home runs. Olivares is worth consideration in DFS, but he does have a difficult matchup with Spencer Turnbull, who has yet to allow an earned run and has a minuscule 0.55 WHIP.

Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Daniel Bard (knee, elbow) had a setback rehabbing and will undergo season-ending right flexor tendon surgery. After recently throwing off a mound, the banged-up Bard's season suddenly ends before it even begins while also recovering from a cleanup procedure on his left knee. The 38-year-old veteran right-hander is a free agent following the 2024 campaign, and it's unlikely that he'll draw very much interest after walking more batters (49) than he struck out (47) a season ago. Bard spent seven years away from the major leagues before latching on with Colorado in 2020. Justin Lawrence and Tyler Kinley are the names to watch for fantasy purposes for saves-needy managers, but Lawrence has yielded seven runs across five appearances, and Kinley has given up eight runs over six innings thus far.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander (shoulder) is scheduled to make his next minor league rehab start on Saturday at Double-A Corpus Christi. The 41-year-old appears to be progressing well and could return after this outing. Obviously, the Astros don't want to rush back Verlander, but they need help in the rotation. Fantasy managers will have to check back after Saturday to see how Verlander is feeling. He'll be a must-have fantasy option once he's back on the mound.

The Houston Astros are still committed to Justin Verlander (shoulder) making another minor-league rehab start this weekend, manager Joe Espada said following Thursday's 13-3 loss to the Kansas City Royals. Even though Framber Valdez (elbow) is on the injured list and Hunter Brown couldn't make it through the first inning on Thursday, there's still no thought of inserting Verlander back into an Astros rotation that really needs length. The club is taking the cautious route with the 41-year-old star right-hander, who is working his way back from right shoulder inflammation. Barring any setbacks, Verlander should be available to Houston's rotation in late April after collecting a 3.31 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and 63:14 K:BB over 68 innings with the Stros last season. Ronel Blanco has filled in admirably with 15 one-hit innings thus far, but he faces a tough test against the defending-champion Texas Rangers during the Lone Star Series on Saturday.

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.

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.

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.

Washington Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg officially retired from baseball on Saturday. He signed a seven-year, $245 million contract extension in December 2019; while some of the money will be deferred, the 35-year-old will receive $100 million over the next three years. He struggled to come back from thoracic outlet syndrome surgery he underwent in July 2021. Strasburg was limited to 31 1/3 innings from 2020-2022. The former No. 1 overall pick finishes his career with a 113-62 record, 3.24 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and 1,723 strikeouts (10.5 K's per inning) across 1,470 innings. Strasburg is a three-time All-Star who helped the Nationals win their only championship in 2019 and was named the World Series MVP.

Boston Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen (back), who closed out the Los Angeles Angels in an 8-6 victory on Friday night for his third save of the year, is dealing with a sore back but had enough to close out the game. The 36-year-old active MLB leader in saves struck one batter in his clean frame on Friday and has now tossed four scoreless and hitless innings with three saves, five walks and six strikeouts in his first four appearances of 2024. He has been perfect so far, but it looks like his back issues from spring training are still around, and his command has been worrisome despite the three saves. Keep an eye on whether Jansen will be available to pitch on Saturday against the Halos. If he's not, either Chris Martin or Josh Winckowski could be in line for a save opportunity.

New York Yankees designated hitter/outfielder Giancarlo Stanton went hitless for the third straight game in Friday's 3-0 loss to the division-rival Toronto Blue Jays, striking out twice in four at-bats. As the Yankees were shut out in their home opener for the first time since 1967, Stanton's batting average dropped to a paltry .125 with 13 K's over his first 25 plate appearances of the year. It's way too early to give up on the 34-year-old five-time All-Star in fantasy, but he's now batting just .130 (3-for-23) with two RBI in six games against Toronto dating back to last season to boot. His playing time is safe for now, but all bets might be off when Jasson Dominguez (elbow) is ready to go later in 2024. Things won't get any easier for Stanton versus Jays ace Kevin Gausman on Saturday, but the veteran slugger is 6-for-17 with a homer and three RBI in 18 PAs against the right-hander in his career and will sport some contrarian DFS appeal in a tough matchup on paper.