San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Alex Cobb (hip, shoulder) has paused his throwing program and is not close to returning, per Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area. Cobb has been placed on the 60-day injured list since April 20 and has been shut down numerous times in his recovery process. Manager Bob Melvin emphasized that the 36-year-old pitcher still feels discomfort in his shoulder. This is not a good sign, as Cobb could be activated from the injured list later this month. This timetable looks unrealistic, and his absence could extend close to the All-Star Break. Cobb made 28 starts last season and showed excellent command with a 5.7% walk rate and a stellar 57.8% ground-ball rate. Cobb should remain on the waiver wire in all leagues but is worth keeping on an injured reserve spot in NL-only formats if you have room.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Michael Taylor will take a seat on the bench on Friday for the start of a series at Wrigley Field against the division-rival Chicago Cubs. Taylor will retreat to the bench after starting the last four games while going 2-for-13 with a double, two runs scored and five strikeouts to drop his season slash line to a weak .222/.271/.287. The 33-year-old veteran outfielder has added only one home run, eight RBI, three stolen bases and 12 runs scored for the Bucs through a month and a half of the season. Jack Suwinski is getting the start in center field and is batting sixth, while Connor Joe will be in right field while hitting cleanup against Cubs right-hander Kyle Hendricks. Both Joe and Suwinski are worth a look as DFS sleepers in the outfield on Friday against a pitcher who currently holds an 0-3 record and 10.04 ERA.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielders Andrew McCutchen and Michael Taylor are not in the starting lineup on Wednesday against the Oakland Athletics. With both players out, Bryan Reynolds will serve as the designated hitter and bat second, while Jack Suwinski will cover center field and hit eighth against A's right-hander Ross Stripling. Connor Joe is manning left field and batting third in the order. The veteran McCutchen has gotten off to a slow start in 2024, hitting just .190 (15-for-79) with three home runs, seven RBI and one steal. Taylor has been a bit better with a .253 average (19-for-75), but he has yet to go deep with six RBI and three stolen bases. Reynolds is a daily must-start in season-long fantasy leagues, while Joe is a nice low-cost DFS play with an average just under .300 in his first 89 at-bats in 2024.

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Alex Cobb (hip, shoulder) has been held back from throwing activities the last few days as he's still experiencing soreness in his shoulder. He is scheduled to see Dr. Ken Akizuki Friday night. Cobb had been working his way back from a hip surgery he had in October and started to experience some setbacks after throwing a bullpen session a few weeks ago. The 36-year-old won't be eligible to come off the injured list until late May, but these setbacks may push his return further into June. This isn't the news the Giants wanted to hear after needing to put newly acquired Blake Snell on the 15-day injured list this week. Cobb will have a rotation spot available for him when he returns, but fantasy managers and Giants fans will need to exercise patience for a couple more months for that moment.

San Francisco Giants right-hander Alex Cobb (hip, shoulder) was moved to the 60-day injured list on April 20, so he won't be eligible to return until May 27. Cobb was progressing well in his rehab from offseason hip surgery, but he hit another minor setback when he felt mild shoulder irritation before throwing a bullpen session on April 16. He "felt OK" when he resumed throwing but saw team orthopedist Dr. Ken Akizuki as a precaution on April 18, according to manager Bob Melvin. Cobb said the imaging on his shoulder came back clean, and he's currently throwing out to 75 feet on flat ground. The 36-year-old also had a "baby setback" when he was briefly shut down with a mild flexor strain in his right elbow. Cobb should have a rotation spot waiting for him when he's healthy, but he can stay on the waiver wire for now in most mixed leagues.

San Francisco Giants right-hander Alex Cobb (shoulder, elbow, hip) said after the game on Thursday night that he had an MRI exam come back clean and that he will throw on flat ground on Friday. The news comes after it was reported earlier on Thursday that Cobb developed "mild shoulder inflammation" in his right arm two days after his latest bullpen session. The 36-year-old veteran has now dealt with elbow and shoulder issues while initially rehabbing from offseason hip surgery. It's good news that his shoulder injury isn't anything serious, but he's going to need at least several weeks to ramp his arm back up before he becomes a realistic option for the Giants' starting rotation in 2024. Injury issues aside, there's not a ton of fantasy upside with Cobb at this point in his career.

The San Francisco Giants announced on Thursday that starting pitcher Alex Cobb (hip, shoulder) is now dealing with mild shoulder irritation amid his recovery from offseason surgery on his left hip. Cobb says his arm is just still a little "cranky" as he ramps back up, but he doesn't believe his timetable has changed much. It's still yet another minor setback for Cobb, who just resumed throwing on Monday following a brief shutdown due to a mild flexor strain in his right elbow. The 36-year-old right-hander was an All-Star in 2023 and should still be able to return at some point in the month of May. Until Cobb is ready to re-enter San Fran's rotation, swingman Jordan Hicks should remain locked in as a starter for the Giants. Hicks features a 1.57 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and 18:6 K:BB through 23 innings (four starts) and is a must-roster fantasy player ahead of Sunday's scheduled start versus the division-rival Arizona Diamondbacks.

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.

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 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.

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 Atlanta Braves have signed pitcher Jesse Chavez to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. The 40-year-old journeyman spent last season in Atlanta, but was recently cut by the Chicago White Sox after a tough time in the Cactus League this spring. Despite his rough numbers with the White Sox this spring, he had a great season in 2023 with a 1.56 ERA and should have an opportunity to earn a bullpen spot with the Braves. Even with his impressive numbers in 2023, he doesn't provide much in the fantasy world and can be left on the waiver wire for now.

The Minnesota Twins were reportedly in agreement with relief pitcher Jesse Chavez earlier on Sunday. However, the two sides have not officially agreed on a deal. It sounds like the Twins and Chavez are discussing a one-year contract, but haven't made it official. The 40-year-old is looking to pitch at least one more season in the big leagues. Whether it's the Twins or elsewhere, Chavez will likely be a middle reliever. That means, Chavez probably won't carry much fantasy value on any organization.

The Minnesota Twins have signed veteran reliever Jesse Chavez to a one-year big league deal and he will serve in a middle relief role or pitch in matchup-specific opportunities. It will be the 40-year-old's tenth different major league club and 17th season, which is an enviable feat in and of itself. The Twins have lost some bullpen arms recently and needed to sure it up before the season began. While Chavez has found a niche for himself over his many MLB seasons, he's not going to log many innings and isn't a power strikeout pitcher, so his usefulness for fantasy purposes is pretty much limited to leagues where Holds are counted as a category.

The New York Mets have informed Jose Iglesias, Tomas Nido, and Luke Voit that they did not make the team's Opening Day roster. Voit signed a minor-league contract with the Mets in February but failed to latch onto the team's main roster after hitting .097 with a home run and four RBI over 31 spring at-bats. Iglesias had a solid spring, but it wasn't enough to make the team's Opening Day roster. This spring, he hit .278 with a home run and three RBI over 36 at-bats. Both Voit and Iglesias will look to latch onto another team. Neither Iglesias nor Voit will provide much fantasy value even if they sign with another club ahead of 2024 fantasy drafts.

Veteran third baseman Eduardo Escobar was granted his release by the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday. The 35-year-old was a non-roster invitee and was a long shot to make the roster, but was hitting just .122 (5-for-41) with 17 strikeouts in 15 spring appearances. Escobar was an All-Star as recently as 2021 but has seen his Contact% fall for three consecutive seasons while his K% has increased three consecutive seasons. He may not have much left in the tank, but he does have the ability to play multiple positions and can bat from both sides of the plate, so perhaps he could latch on somewhere.

San Francisco Giants right-hander Alex Cobb (hip) will make his Cactus League debut on Friday against the Chicago Cubs and will throw three innings. Cobb was initially expected to return around midseason after he underwent surgery on his hip last October, but the 36-year-old veteran has made excellent progress this offseason and now might be able to join San Fran's starting rotation just a few weeks into the year. Cobb made his spring debut in a minor-league game last Saturday and struck out five in two scoreless innings. He's still going to open the year on the injured list, but Cobb now becomes a more attractive matchup-based streaming option in 2024. However, health issues probably aren't going to go away for a pitcher that was far too hittable in 2023.

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Alex Cobb (hip) threw a 30-pitch batting practice session on Monday. The right-hander was originally expected to be sidelined until around June. Now, it sounds like Cobb would return at some point in April. There is certainly still plenty of rehabbing left before Cobb is ready to rejoin the Giants rotation. However, it sounds like the 36-year-old is heading in the right direction. He pitched well with the team last year and could be an interesting deep league option once he returns.

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Alex Cobb (hip) isn't expected to miss much time and should return relatively soon, according to Giants general manager Farhan Zaidi. The veteran right-hander is working his way back from offseason hip surgery. He'll open the season on the injury list but isn't expected to miss much time. The 36-year-old exceeded expectations with the Giants last season. When healthy, Cobb should be worth rostering in mixed leagues.

San Francisco Giants right-hander Keaton Winn (elbow) will throw a bullpen session this weekend, while right-hander Alex Cobb (hip) will throw a bullpen on Thursday. People around camp have been impressed with how far along Cobb seems to be, but he'll still miss a big chunk of time at the start of the year. Meanwhile, Tristan Beck (arm), who was the favorite for the No. 5 rotation spot to begin the year, was diagnosed with an aneurysm in his arm and could need surgery. Winn cut his last bullpen short over a week ago due to right-elbow soreness. It's unclear when the 26-year-old will be cleared to pitch in spring training games, but the Giants are holding out hope he'll be ready to be in the team's Opening Day rotation. With Beck hurt, Sean Hjelle is the favorite now for the final rotation spot in San Francisco.