San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado (ankle) took batting practice before Saturday's game but remains out of the lineup against the Philadelphia Phillies. The 29-year-old fantasy star is inching his way back to the starting lineup after spraining his ankle last Sunday. It seems like Machado will indeed end up avoiding the injured list, which is what the Padres were hoping for. If things go well, we could see Machado back in the starting lineup very soon, possibly even Sunday. Keep a close eye on his status in the coming days, and get him back in your lineup as soon as he returns.

Boston Red Sox left-hander Chris Sale (ribs) worked into the third inning in his second minor league rehab outing on Saturday in the Florida Complex League. Sale went 2 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing three hits, hitting a batter, walking none and striking out six. There's no pitch count in the box score, but it was a successful outing for Sale, who has yet to pitch in the majors in 2022. The 33-year-old southpaw is slowly building up his workload, and he could rejoin Boston's rotation for the start of the second half of the season in mid-July. The seven-time All-Star has become a pretty big injury risk and he has made just nine starts since 2019, but he needs to be stashed in all fantasy leagues as he gets closer to his season debut.

New York Mets starting pitcher Max Scherzer (oblique) will be making at least one more rehab start before returning to the majors. On Saturday, Scherzer told reporters that his next rehab start will likely be on Tuesday. However, he doesn't know which minor league affiliate he'll be pitching for yet. The 37-year-old, who has been out since mid-May due to a high-grade oblique strain, made his first rehab outing at Double-A Binghamton this past Tuesday. He pitched 3 1/3 innings in the outing and allowed three hits, one walk and two earned runs while striking out six. Assuming his next rehab outing goes well, we could be looking at a return to the majors sometime around July 4.

Kansas City Royals skipper Mike Matheny said that catcher Salvador Perez (thumb) had successful surgery, and he was told that Perez would hopefully be able to return in eight weeks. Perez suffered a torn UCL in his left thumb and will be out for at least the next two months. The 32-year-old veteran was hitting just .211 with a .254 on-base percentage, but he did have 11 home runs and 34 RBI in 236 plate appearances over 57 games. At the weak catcher position, that's nothing to sneeze at, so Perez needs to remain stashed in an injured list spot in all fantasy formats. MJ Melendez should operate as the Royals primary backstop with Perez sidelined, with Cam Gallagher serving as his backup.

New York Mets skipper Buck Showalter isn't concerned about starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco (back), who is likely to make his next start after leaving his outing early on Wednesday with lower-back tightness. Carrasco's MRI exam obviously didn't show anything concerning, so fantasy managers should expect to have him available next Wednesday against the Houston Astros. The 35-year-old veteran allowed five earned runs on four hits (three home runs) in just 2 1/3 innings on Wednesday against the Astros, and he'll be pretty risky if he starts against Houston a week later coming off his back injury. Overall, Carrasco has been disappointing with a 4.42 ERA and 1.29 WHIP despite striking out 77 hitters in 77 1/3 innings over 14 starts.

New York Mets starting pitcher David Peterson, not Max Scherzer (oblique), will make the start this Sunday against the Miami Marlins. Scherzer could make another minor league rehab start, with the Mets still deciding the next step for him. The 37-year-old ace allowed two runs while walking one and striking out six over 3 1/3 innings in his rehab start for Double-A Binghamton on Tuesday, and it was previously believed that he'd need just one rehab start before returning to the Mets rotation. That may not be the case now, so fantasy managers must remain patient. At the earliest, the three-time Cy Young winner would make his next start for the Mets early next week against the Houston Astros.

Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez (thumb) is set to undergo surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb. The Royals made this announcement on Friday while also stating that Perez was "expected to return this season." This is tough news for fantasy managers who are rostering the star catcher. Even if he indeed returns this season, it sounds as if his absence could be a lengthy one. Fantasy managers should continue to roster Perez until we get a better idea of what his timeline looks like. The Royals placed Perez on the 10-day injured list on Friday and activated outfielder Edward Olivares (quadriceps) in a corresponding move. With Perez out, there will be nothing standing in the way of MJ Melendez's playing time, making him a clear top-10 catcher in all formats for now.

San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado (ankle) remains out of the starting lineup on Thursday against the Philadelphia Phillies. Machado will miss his fourth straight game after spraining his left ankle on Sunday. The Padres have been optimistic that the 29-year-old superstar won't go on the injured list, fantasy managers have to wonder if will actually happen with each passing day that he's not back in the lineup. Machado is firmly in the mix for National League MVP in the first half of the season, as he's hit .328/.400/.545 with a .945 OPS, 12 home runs, 46 RBI, 48 runs scored and seven stolen bases in 66 games. Sergio Alcantara will play the hot corner and bat ninth on Thursday against Phillies left-hander Ranger Suarez. Alcantara has just 14 hits and one long ball in 84 at-bats this year and is a DFS option to avoid.

Chicago Cubs relief pitcher David Robertson suffered his third blown save of the season during Thursday's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The veteran right-hander gave up a solo home run in the eighth inning to the tie the game at 7-7. Robertson hasn't been given many save chances lately, but could be on the move soon. The Cubs aren't competitive and are likely to trade Robertson before the trade deadline. He has a 2.03 ERA this season, so fantasy managers should continue to lean on him. Hopefully, Robertson will get traded to a more competitive team soon.

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Lorenzo Cain cleared release waivers on Thursday and has officially become a free agent. The Brewers designated the struggling Cain for assignment last weekend. It came after he hit just .179/.231/.234 with a homer, nine RBI, 17 runs scored and two stolen bases in 156 plate appearances over 43 games played in 2022. It remains to be seen if the two-time All-Star will latch on with another organization, but Cain is unlikely to be much more than outfield depth if he does. Since joining Milwaukee in 2018, the 36-year-old hit .270/.344/.380 with 30 home runs, 133 RBI, 226 runs scored and 63 stolen bases in 415 games over five seasons.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Zack Greinke (elbow) will be activated from the injured list to start on Friday against the Oakland Athletics, according to skipper Mike Matheny. Brad Keller will go on Saturday and Brady Singer will get the ball on Sunday in the series finale. Greinke is ready to return to the Royals rotation after giving up three runs while walking one and striking out eight in 12 innings over two minor league rehab starts with Triple-A Omaha. The 38-year-old right-hander has limited upside at the point in his career, but a return matchup to face the lowly A's looks pretty attractive. In 10 starts for the Royals this year, Greinke has a 5.05 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP with 25 strikeouts and 10 walks in 51 2/3 frames.

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout isn't starting Wednesday's game against the Kansas City Royals. According to Angels interim manager Phil Nevin, Trout is "sore" and needed the day off. The superstar outfielder had not had a day off since suffering a groin injury on June 10. He is slashing .284/.385/.640 with 21 home runs, 43 RBI, 49 runs scored, and 33 walks over 63 games in 2022. Juan Lagares will take Trout's place in the lineup, playing centerfield and batting eighth in Wednesday's game.

Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez (thumb) is not in the starting lineup against the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday after undergoing an MRI exam in the morning. Skipper Mike Matheny said that local doctors are figuring out what's next, and Perez's status is currently uncertain. The 32-year-old slugger left Tuesday's game early after apparently aggravating his left thumb injury that previously landed him on the injured list. Fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day for now, but also prepare for the possibility of a return to the IL. Perez is hitting just .211/.254/.426, but he does have 11 home runs and 34 RBI on the season in 223 at-bats. Kyle Isbel will do the catching on Wednesday and is hitting seventh against Angels right-hander Shohei Ohtani.

New York Mets starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco (back) will go for an MRI exam, but the plan for now is for him to remain with the Mets in Miami, according to manager Buck Showalter. Carrasco left his start early on Wednesday against the Houston Astros with lower back tightness. The 35-year-old right-hander only lasted 2 1/3 innings before he was pulled against Houston, and his next start is very much in question. Whether Carrasco will need to go on the injured list will likely depend on the results of his MRI exam, and we should have a better idea of his status moving forward on Thursday morning. The good news for the Mets rotation is that Max Scherzer (oblique) could return this Sunday, but they've surely had bad luck with injuries to their starters in 2022. Carrasco should be stashed everywhere if he goes on the IL, as he's 8-2 with a 3.96 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 75 K's in 75 innings over 13 innings.

Updating a previous report, New York Mets starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco (back) was removed from Wednesday's game against the Houston Astros due to lower back tightness. The veteran only lasted 2 1/3 innings before getting pulled. He was charged with four hits, two walks and five earned runs in the game. His next scheduled start is next Wednesday against the Astros once again, but that start is up in the air for now. The team will likely be evaluating him closely over the coming days.

New York Mets starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco was removed from his start against the Houston Astros on Wednesday due to an apparent injury. He was lifted in the third inning of the game and left the field with a team trainer. The team has yet to reveal the nature of his injury. His final line for the day was 2 1/3 innings, four hits, two walks, five earned runs and two strikeouts. He was touched up for three homers in the game. We should have an update on what Carrasco is dealing with shortly so make sure to stay tuned.

San Diego Padres first baseman Eric Hosmer is on the bench for Wednesday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks and left-handed starter Madison Bumgarner. The 32-year-old is batting .278 with a .344 on-base percentage and five home runs in 262 plate appearances so far in the 2022 campaign. Instead, San Diego will go with Luke Voit at first base. Voit, who is hitting third against Bumgarner and the Diamondbacks, is batting .237 with a .329 on-base percentage, nine home runs, and a stolen base in 219 plate appearances. Voit has two hits, one of which was a double, and a walk in five career plate appearances against Bumgarner.

New York Mets starting pitcher Max Scherzer (oblique) is a consideration to pitch on Sunday against the Miami Marlins, according to skipper Buck Showalter, but the manager wants to speak with Scherzer on Wednesday to see how he feels. Scherzer struck out six while walking one and allowing two runs in 3 1/3 innings for Double-A Binghamton while tossing 65 pitches in his first and perhaps only minor league rehab start on Tuesday. The fact that he was able to go 65 pitches is a good sign that he might not only be able to return to the Mets rotation this weekend, but go fairly deep in his first start back. With the 37-year-old three-time Cy Young winner nearing a return to the big leagues, Trevor Williams is expected to move back to the bullpen.

San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado (ankle) remains out of the starting lineup on Wednesday in the series finale against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Machado hasn't played since suffering a sprained left ankle on Sunday in the loss to the Colorado Rockies, but the Padres remain optimistic that he won't need a stint on the injured list. Ha-Seong Kim will start at the hot corner and hit fifth, while rookie C.J. Abrams is starting at shortstop and batting ninth on Wednesday against Diamondbacks left-hander Madison Bumgarner. Machado is in the running for National League MVP so far in the first half of the season and is a must-start once he returns from his injury. Kim's season-long numbers don't impress, but he's hitting .333 in the last two weeks and has been much better against left-handers in 2022.

Kansas City Royals first baseman Carlos Santana enjoyed a stellar day at the dish Tuesday, going 4-for-5 with a home run, a double, five RBI, and two runs scored. Santana's days on the Kansas City roster seemed to be numbered as recently as a few weeks ago with top prospects Vinnie Pasquantino and Nick Pratto on the way, but Santana has slashed .327/.459/.510 in his last 15 games, earning him at least a little more time. He makes for a much better play in points leagues than categories.