Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell said that right-hander Kyle Hendricks' (back) minor-league rehab start with Double-A Tennessee on Thursday was "encouraging," but Hendricks will make another rehab start on Tuesday with Iowa. The 34-year-old veteran gave up two runs while fanning seven batters in five innings for Tennessee on Thursday, but the Cubs want to see more before bringing him back to the big-league starting rotation. In his five starts with Chicago before landing on the IL, Hendricks had a disastrous 12.00 ERA (7.71 FIP) and 2.09 WHIP with seven walks and 16 strikeouts in 21 innings pitched. Given how bad Hendricks was with the Cubs, it's fair for fantasy managers in mixed leagues to not want anything to do with him when he's back in Chicago's rotation.

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Updating a previous report, Chicago Cubs left-hander Justin Steele (hamstring) will come off the injured list and start on Monday at Wrigley Field against the visiting San Diego Padres, assuming his bullpen session on Saturday goes well. Steele made just one minor-league rehab start with Triple-A Iowa on Wednesday and gave up three runs on six hits in just 3 1/3 innings while throwing 63 pitches, so the 28-year-old southpaw will almost certainly be on a lowered pitch count in his return on Monday. Steele isn't dealing with an arm injury, but he'll be a pretty risky fantasy starter on Monday against the Friars regardless. Monday's start will be his first since he injured his hamstring on Opening Day on March 28.

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Washington Nationals outfielder Eddie Rosario is hitting .086 in 23 games so far this year, including an 0-for-2 performance with two strikeouts in Thursday's loss to the Texas Rangers. Despite his slow start, manager Dave Martinez plans to stick with the nine-year big-leaguer who has a history of struggling at the plate in March and April. "It's early," said Martinez. "You've got to give him a chance, you really do. I'm not going to sit him down yet right now. He's got to go out there and play. I've seen him play before. This kid can hit. He can put you on his shoulders." The 32-year-old is a career .265 hitter, but he's hit just .205 in March and April. But Rosario's average exit velocity (88.6 mph) and hard-hit rate (38.5%) are below league average, and fantasy managers in deeper leagues shouldn't have the same patience as Martinez.

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Chicago Cubs left-handers Jordan Wicks (forearm) and Drew Smyly (hip) have been cleared to resume playing catch. Wicks just landed on the 15-day injured list this past Sunday with a left-forearm strain, while Smyly has been out for two weeks due to a right-hip impingement. Wicks' injury is obviously a bit less serious, but it's good news for the Cubs pitching staff that both southpaws are ramping back up. It's unclear when either hurler will be able to return to the big-league roster, but when Wicks is ready, he should return to the rotation. The 24-year-old went 1-2 with a 4.70 ERA and 1.52 WHIP with 28 K's in 23 innings in his first five starts. Smyly has plenty of starting experience, but he figures to return to the Cubs' bullpen when he's activated.

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Chicago Cubs left-hander Justin Steele (hamstring) is slated to throw a bullpen session on Saturday in Chicago and will be re-evaluated from there. Manager Craig Counsell said that Steele had a successful minor-league rehab outing for Triple-A Iowa on Wednesday despite giving up three runs on six hits in just 3 1/3 innings pitched. He appears to be progressing well, and there's a chance he's activated from the injured list if everything goes well with his bullpen session this weekend. However, the fact that the 28-year-old southpaw didn't even go four full innings in his last rehab start would suggest that he'll need to make at least one more start in the minors before returning to Chicago's rotation. Regardless, Steele needs to be rostered in all fantasy leagues after breaking out in 2023.

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Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki (oblique) took batting practice on the field this week and continues to progress from the right-oblique strain that he suffered on April 14. It was the first time that Suzuki took batting practice, so he's certainly getting closer to a return from the injured list. The 29-year-old said he's around 80 percent recovered from the injury and he could start a minor-league rehab assignment next week as long as he doesn't suffer a setback. The Japanese outfielder was hitting a cool .305 (18-for-59) with three home runs, 13 RBI and 11 runs scored at the time of his injury, and he'll return to an everyday role with the Cubs when he's healthy, so he shouldn't be floating around on any waiver wires. Mike Tauchman could be the biggest loser in terms of playing time for the Cubs once Suzuki returns.

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Milwaukee Brewers rookie outfielder Jackson Chourio will take another day off on Friday for the series opener against the division-rival Chicago Cubs. Infielder Joey Ortiz is also starting on the bench. Chourio is now on the bench for the second straight game as he tries to get through a slump after a strong start to his first MLB season. The 20-year-old is hitting .140/.196/.233 with no homers or RBI and 12 strikeouts in 31 plate appearances in his last 10 games since April 16 to drop his season line to .206/.257/.351 on the season. The Brewers aren't giving up on the talented Venezuelan outfielder, but hopefully the little break will get him going. Jake Bauers is getting another start in left field and is hitting fifth on Friday against Cubs right-hander Hayden Wesneski.

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Texas Rangers right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (groin) is scheduled to undergo an MRI exam on Friday after being forced to leave his start early on Thursday against the visiting Washington Nationals with a groin injury. Manager Bruce Bochy said the club is "being cautious" with the 34-year-old veteran starter, but it doesn't mean the oft-injured pitcher won't require a stint on the injured list and miss a couple turns through the rotation. Fantasy managers shouldn't expect Eovaldi to make his next scheduled start on Tuesday in Oakland against the Athletics, but we should know more on that this weekend. If we had to guess, we'd expect Eovaldi to go on the shelf. Despite his groin injury on Thursday, he tossed 5 1/3 shutout innings with eight strikeouts to pick up his second win of the year. Eovaldi should be stashed in all fantasy formats if he does land on the IL.

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Washington Nationals starting pitcher Mitchell Parker received his first loss of the season on Thursday versus the Texas Rangers. The rookie pitcher threw 5 1/3 innings and allowed six hits, three runs, two walks and struck out five on the evening against a tough Rangers offense. Despite the loss, the rookie has been putting together a solid season for the Nationals. On the year, the left-hander has a nice 2.53 ERA to go along with 19 strikeouts in 21 1/3 innings over his first four career starts. Parker has pitched well enough to warrant the attention of managers in most formats. The 24-year-old will look to get back into the win column in a very tough matchup against the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday.

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Cleveland Guardians shortstop Brayan Rocchio went 1-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base in Thursday's loss against the Houston Astros. The stolen base would be the fifth of the season for the 23-year-old. Outside of the basepaths, Rocchio has struggled to swing the bat. On the season, he is hitting a weak .218 and is homerless with four RBI. Despite playing on most days, the Guardians No. 9 prospect just hasn't done enough with the bat to convince managers to roster him. He can safely remain on the waiver wire.

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Cleveland Guardians outfielder Will Brennan went 3-for-4 with three singles in Thursday's loss versus the Houston Astros. Brennen has now had multi-hit games in five of his last nine games. His performance on Thursday raised his batting average to .253 on the season and he has four homers, 11 RBI and two stolen bases on the young campaign. Brennan quietly has put together a good season, but he is a platoon player with outfielder Ramon Laureano and that limits his upside. He is worth a look in deeper formats as he continues to swing well, but there are likely players with better upside and opportunity on the waiver wire.

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The Arizona Diamondbacks have sent pitcher Blake Walston back down to Triple-A Reno. Walston made his debut on Monday versus the Los Angeles Dodgers. Walston went 3 2/3 out of the bullpen for the Diamondbacks and was wild with four walks and two runs allowed. Walston's trip was brief, but it is likely that he will be back with the Diamondbacks when they need more pitching depth or an injury occurs. Replacing Walston on the active roster will be pitcher Matt Bowman. Bowman was acquired from the Minnesota Twins for cash considerations on Thursday. Both Walston and Bowman can remain on the waiver wire in all formats.

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Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Nick Pivetta (elbow) got roughed up in his first rehab start for Triple-A Worcester. Pivetta went three innings and allowed three hits, four runs, four walks and recorded five strikeouts. He also threw 62 pitches in the contest, as he builds up for his return to the Red Sox rotation. Pivetta has been sidelined since April with a right elbow flexor strain, but was pitching very well in his first two starts of the season with one run allowed and 13 strikeouts over his first two starts. Pivetta is inching closer to his return and that would mean that Cooper Criswell or Chase Anderson will be replaced in the rotation. Pivetta may need a start or two to shake off the rust, but he is worth rostering in most formats with his ability to rack up strikeouts being a big reason why.

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Seattle Mariners outfield prospect Lazaro Montes launched his fourth and fifth home runs of the season in Thursday's victory. This big performance brings Montes to an excellent .291/.404/.535 stat line with 27 RBI at Single-A. The 19-year-old is quickly approaching last season's home run count of seven that he posted at the same level. Montes is the fourth-best prospect in the Seattle system on MLB Pipeline but should not be expected to reach the major leagues for several years. However, dynasty managers may want to consider stashing him if he reaches High-A or even Double-A by the end of the summer, as he is flashing stellar power potential at just 19 years old and could grow into a top prospect in baseball.

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Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks (back) looked healthy in a rehab start for Double-A Tennessee on Thursday. The veteran tossed five innings and allowed six hits, two runs, no walks and struck out seven on the evening, Hendricks has been shelved since late April with a minor lower back injury and it has yet to be determined if this will be his one and only rehab start or if he will make another one. When on the mound for the Cubs this season, Hendricks has gotten rocked with 28 runs allowed in 21 innings. The once consistent starter has fallen on hard times and can be left on the waiver wire in all formats when he is activated.

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Washington Nationals outfield prospect Dylan Crews broke out of his slump on Thursday by hitting a double and triple and bringing in three runs to lead the Harrisburg Senators to a victory. Crews ripped his first triple of the season which scored two in the third frame, and then knocked an RBI double to bring in the game's winning run in the seventh. The former LSU Tiger has posted a .250/.316/.442 stat line with two home runs, two swiped bags, and 14 RBI in his first 13 games of the season with Double-A. This game should provide the 22-year-old with some much-needed momentum, as he hit just one extra-base hit in his previous five games. Crews is the top prospect in the Washington system and could make a late-season push for a promotion to the major leagues. Redraft managers should pay close attention to when he is promoted to Triple-A as that could be a telling sign when he could reach the majors.

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Texas Rangers starting pitching prospect Jack Leiter posted another strong outing since returning to the minor leagues. On Thursday evening, he tossed five innings of two-run ball with three hits, two free passes, and four strikeouts. This start brings him to a 2.84 ERA and 0.91 WHIP across 25 innings with Triple-A Round Rock. Leiter made his major league debut earlier in April but struggled, so the Rangers decided to have him continue to develop in Triple-A for the time being. The former second-overall pick has given up just two runs in each of his previous two starts and looks like he could be back in the majors reasonably soon. The 24-year-old should be rostered in all keeper and dynasty leagues and is worth monitoring in deeper redraft formats.

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Baltimore Orioles third base prospect Coby Mayo launched his fourth home run in as many games and tallied five RBI on Thursday evening to increase his total long ball count of the young season to 11 and RBI total to 31. The 22-year-old is on the verge of a promotion and with his stellar .333/.397/.683 stat line across 30 games, it could be any day. Mayo has taken a big step forward this season with Triple-A Norfolk as he posted a .267/.393/.512 line with just 12 home runs in 62 games with them last season. The former fourth-round pick is considered a must-stash in all standard leagues and should make an immediate impact in the major leagues with his elite power potential.

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Cleveland Guardians left-hander Logan Allen took the loss in an 8-2 defeat at the hands of the Houston Astros on Thursday. Allen allowed three runs (two earned) on seven hits over 5 2/3 innings while striking out five and walking one as his record fell to 3-2 on the year. Most of the damage came via a two-run homer off the bat of Jon Singleton in the sixth inning. It has been a slow start to the season for the lefty as Allen now has a 5.11 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP across 37 innings of work. That being said, Thursday's start against the Astros provides a slight glimmer of hope for the southpaw who broke out as a rookie in 2023. He will look to keep it going in his next start, which is slated to come on Tuesday against the Detroit Tigers at home.

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Baltimore Orioles right-hander Kyle Bradish allowed one run on four hits over 4 2/3 innings in a 7-2 win over the New York Yankees on Thursday. Bradish struck out five and walked two while taking a no-decision in the outing. It was an encouraging start for Bradish, who was activated from the 15-day injured list earlier in the day on Thursday after missing the start of the 2024 season after spraining the UCL in his right elbow during spring training. Bradish needs to be rostered in all leagues moving forward after he posted a 2.83 ERA and 168 strikeouts across 168 2/3 innings of work for the Orioles in 2023.

From RotoBaller