New York Mets right-hander Kodai Senga (arm, back) will resume a minor-league rehab assignment on Thursday for Double-A Binghamton, according to MLB.com's Anthony DiComo. Senga was scratched from a rehab start on Tuesday with ulnar nerve irritation in his right arm, but it apparently wasn't a very serious issue. The Japanese native originally went on the injured list due to lumbar spine inflammation in late April. The 33-year-old has only made five starts for the Mets in 2026 in his fourth year in the majors, and he did not look good, going 0-4 with 21 runs allowed (20 earned) on 26 hits (five homers) while walking 13 and striking out 23 in 20 innings pitched. Senga was an All-Star in his first year with the Mets in 2023, going 12-7 with a 2.98 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and 202:77 K:BB in his 29 starts, but he only made one start the following year due to injury. He had a solid 3.02 ERA in 22 starts in 2025, but he fell off late in the year and was sent to the minors to work on his mechanics. He has not bounced back since and is now on the waiver wire in most mixed fantasy leagues. It's unclear how many rehab starts he might need before being an option to return to Queens.

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Houston Astros right-hander Hunter Brown (shoulder) looked good on Wednesday night in what could be his final minor-league rehab start with Triple-A Sugar Land, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits while walking two and striking out seven in five innings against Triple-A Sacramento. Brown threw 45 of his 74 pitches for strikes in the contest and generated 11 swings and misses while averaging 96.4 mph on his fastball. The 27-year-old could very well be making his next start with the Astros after working his way back from a Grade 2 strain in his right shoulder that landed him on the injured list in early April. If Brown is reinstated from the 60-day IL to rejoin Houston's starting rotation, his next outing would come next week versus the Detroit Tigers. The former fifth-rounder in 2019 out of Wayne State University will be a must-start when he returns after proving to be a fantasy ace in his breakout season in 2025. In his two starts this year before injuring his shoulder, he had a 0.84 ERA and 1.03 WHIP with 17 K's in 10 2/3 innings.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers will place catcher Will Smith (neck) on the 10-day injured list on Thursday (backdated to Saturday) and will recall catcher Chuckie Robinson from Triple-A Oklahoma City in a corresponding move, according to Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register. Smith will head to the shelf after missing the last four games with soreness in his neck, but he'll be eligible to return from the IL on June 19. In the meantime, Dalton Rushing will receive a short-term fantasy boost as L.A.'s primary catcher. Rushing has actually been more productive than Smith in 2026 in fewer plate appearances, entering Wednesday's game in Pittsburgh with a .286/.364/.552 slash line, a .917 OPS, eight home runs, 21 RBI, and 19 runs scored over his 105 at-bats. Smith hasn't been as productive so far this year, and he's hit just .209 (9-for-43) with two homers, two doubles, four RBI, seven runs scored, eight walks, and eight strikeouts in his last 13 games. Despite the disappointing numbers so far this year, Smith should be held in most fantasy baseball leagues.

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Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin (elbow) made throws from as far as 90 feet on Wednesday and "felt fine," per DK Pittsburgh Sports. The young shortstop has been on the 10-day injured list since late May due to a flexor strain in his right elbow. Across 208 plate appearances before the injury, Griffin hit .270/.327/.402 with four home runs, 22 RBI, 30 runs scored, and 14 stolen bases. While it's a positive sign that the 20-year-old has resumed throwing, it appears he will need a bit more time before he's ready to return to the Pirates lineup. Upon his return, Griffin profiles as a high-upside bat with five-category production potential for fantasy managers. In his absence, Pirates infielder Jared Triolo has received the majority of the team's playing time at shortstop.

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Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Mick Abel (elbow) put together a strong performance in his first rehab appearance with Triple-A St. Paul on Wednesday, striking out five across three scoreless innings (47 pitches). The 24-year-old has been on the 15-day injured list since mid-April due to inflammation in his right elbow. Across 20 1/3 innings (four appearances) before the injury, Abel recorded a 1-2 record with a 3.98 ERA, 1.57 WHIP, and 23 strikeouts. While Abel's overall line is not particularly impressive, his last start before the injury was a 10-strikeout, seven-scoreless-inning gem against the Boston Red Sox. The hard-throwing right-hander will likely need at least one more rehab start before he's ready to return to the Twins rotation, but he appears to be close to full health. Abel profiles as a solid waiver wire stash target for fantasy managers in need of strikeout upside ahead of his return.

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Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Adolis Garcia (shoulder) was removed from Thursday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays early after pulling a muscle in his right shoulder area, according to Lochlahn March of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Garcia is being evaluated further. The 33-year-old Cuban was holding his right arm after making a throw to home plate while trying to throw out George Springer in the seventh inning of the Phillies' eventual 7-4 win at the Rogers Centre. Garcia was replaced in right field by Steward Berroa after he went 0-for-3 at the plate with a walk and a strikeout. Until we know more about the severity of Garcia's shoulder injury, we'll consider him day-to-day. If the injury isn't serious, Garcia could be back on the field for the Phillies as soon as Friday's series opener in Milwaukee against the Brewers after a scheduled day off on Thursday. The two-time All-Star has continued to trend downward in 2026 in his first year in Philly, as he's currently hitting under the Mendoza Line with seven homers, 21 RBI, 21 runs, and three steals across his 67 games played.

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New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone failed to provide an exact date but said that starting pitcher Max Fried (elbow) will undergo new imaging on his elbow later this week, per Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News. Fried has been on the 15-day injured list since mid-May due to a bone bruise in his pitching elbow, but he has advanced to throwing long toss and appears to be making steady progression towards a return. The 32-year-old recorded a 4-3 record with a 3.21 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, and 50 strikeouts across 61 2/3 innings (10 starts) before getting injured. Fried's 20.8% strikeout rate is underwhelming for fantasy managers, but he projects as an excellent source of both ratios and wins upon his return. Fried will likely need at least a few rehab starts before he's ready to return to the Yankees, so he's likely still multiple weeks away from his return at a minimum.

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Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz (hamstring) took part in infield drills for the second straight day on Wednesday and is scheduled for an MRI on Friday, per C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic. The 24-year-old was placed on the 10-day injured list with a hamstring strain on June 1, but he appears to be making a speedy recovery and could return to the Reds lineup in short order. Across 257 plate appearances before getting injured, De La Cruz hit .280/.346/.509 with 12 home runs, 37 RBI, 40 runs scored, and 10 stolen bases. De La Cruz's production fell off a cliff in 2025 when he attempted to play through a quad injury, which could lead the Reds to bring him along more slowly this time around. Fantasy managers should check back for a more definitive return timeline following the results of De La Cruz's upcoming MRI on Friday.

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Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell said that starting pitcher Matthew Boyd (knee, shoulder) was experiencing shoulder soreness after his most recent rehab start and will not return to the Cubs rotation over the weekend as originally planned, per Vinnie Duber of the Chicago Sun-Times. Boyd has been on the 15-day injured list since early May after suffering a torn meniscus in his knee. While it appears that the veteran left-hander is ready to return from the knee ailment, he may now be facing a larger issue with his shoulder. Boyd was arguably Chicago's best starting pitcher in 2025, recording a 14-8 record with a 3.21 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 154 strikeouts across 179 2/3 innings (31 starts). However, the injury bug has come back to bite Boyd, who pitched just 202 2/3 innings across a four-season stretch from 2021 through 2024. Fantasy managers should check back for further updates on Boyd.

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Baltimore Orioles closer Ryan Helsley (elbow) is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Norfolk on Thursday, per Roch Kubatko of MASN. Helsley has been on the 15-day injured list due to elbow inflammation since late April, but he appears to be on the doorstep of a return to the big leagues. Across 10 2/3 innings (12 games) before the injury, Helsley pitched to a 2.53 ERA and 1.31 WHIP with 15 strikeouts and seven saves. While Helsley's 15.2% walk rate in a small sample size is a bit of a concern, he averaged 98.9 miles per hour on his fastball and struck out 32.6% of the batters he faced. Upon his return, he should slot back in as the primary closer in Baltimore.

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Seattle Mariners right-hander George Kirby may have taken his sixth loss of the season in Wednesday's 7-2 loss to the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards, but he still pitched very well for his fantasy managers. Kirby picked up a quality start by allowing three earned runs on seven hits (one homer) while walking three and striking out a season-high 10 in six innings of work. Everything was going well for Kirby through five shutout innings before he gave up all three runs on three extra-base hits in the sixth frame. He has now been handed a loss in four of his last five outings, but Wednesday's outing hopefully will help the 28-year-old turn things around after he had an ERA over 7.00 in his last four starts. After his strong outing on Wednesday, Kirby now has a 4.07 ERA on the season and 1.31 WHIP with 74 strikeouts and 21 walks in 84 innings across his 14 starts for the M's. The Orioles aren't the best matchup in baseball, but fantasy managers should be willing to roll the dice and start Kirby again for his rematch with Baltimore next week.

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Boston Red Sox infielder Caleb Durbin, who came into Wednesday's game at Tropicana Field against the division-rival Tampa Bay Rays with an average under the Mendoza Line and just one homer on the year, went 3-for-4 at the plate with two solo home runs to raise his season average to .204 and his OPS to .594. Both of the 26-year-old's long balls came off Rays relievers late in what was an eventual 7-5 loss on the road. Despite Durbin's ugly season-long numbers, he has actually been seeing the ball well of late, hitting .341 (15-for-44) with two home runs, five doubles, a triple, nine RBI, six runs scored, and a stolen base in his last 12 games played. Fantasy managers in shallow-mixed leagues are going to need to see more out of Durbin to consider adding him off the waiver wire after such a bad start to his first year in Beantown in 2026. The former 14th-round pick by the Atlanta Braves in 2021 out of Washington University in St. Louis is rostered in under 10% of Yahoo leagues.

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Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Drew Rasmussen was at his best on Wednesday at Tropicana Field in the team's 7-5 win over the division-rival Boston Red Sox. Rasmussen was dominant, tossing seven shutout innings with only two hits allowed, one walk, and a career-high 13 strikeouts to earn his sixth win of the season and lower his ERA on the year to 2.71. The 30-year-old veteran threw 66 of his 97 pitches for strikes and induced 20 swings and misses. Rasmussen is having a strong season for the first-place Rays, but he has been nearly unhittable of late, posting a 1.80 ERA, 0.64 WHIP, and 32:4 K:BB in 25 innings over his last four starts, putting up scoreless appearances in three of those outings. He'll be put to the test in his next scheduled start on the road against the defending World Series-champion Los Angeles Dodgers, but with the way he's been pitching of late, it's hard to recommend benching him. Rasmussen is no stranger to arm injuries, but when he's been healthy, he's been money for Tampa, posting an ERA under 3.00 in each of his four full seasons with the team.

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Kansas City Royals veteran right-hander Seth Lugo (head) was involved in a scary scene at Kauffman Stadium on Wednesday night against the visiting Texas Rangers, when he took a 106.6 mph line drive off his head off the bat of outfielder Brandon Nimmo, according to Kennedi Landry of MLB.com. Lugo got up quickly, but he had a sizeable lump on his forehead immediately and was pulled from the game as a precaution. The 36-year-old will be sent for concussion tests, at which point we'll have a better idea of whether he'll need to miss time. The good news is that Lugo was able to get up quickly, but that doesn't mean he won't be forced to go on the injured list. Before leaving, Lugo allowed an earned run on three hits while walking one and striking out two in 3 1/3 innings of work. Lugo is rostered in under half of Yahoo leagues because he has a strikeout rate under 20%, but in deeper leagues, he can still be useful as a matchup-based streamer. He entered his start on Wednesday with a 3.91 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, and 64:24 K:BB in 76 innings over 13 starts.

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Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (hamstring), who was placed on the 10-day injured list on Wednesday, has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 left-hamstring strain, manager Walt Weiss told Jesus Cano of The Athletic. Acuna is on the IL for the second time this year with the same injury, but the Braves don't believe that it is as bad as Acuna's strain in May, which kept him out for just over two weeks. All in all, it's good news for the 28-year-old former MVP. Barring a setback as he rehabs, Acuna could be back with the Braves before the All-Star break in mid-July. In the meantime, Mauricio Dubon and Eli White could share playing time in right field in Atlanta, with Dubon being the more attractive deep-league waiver-wire pickup. Acuna, a five-time All-Star and three-time Silver Slugger winner, should be stashed in all leagues, even though he's performing under his career levels so far in 2026 with a .251/.373/.421 slash line, seven homers, 22 RBI, 15 steals, and 31 runs scored in 195 at-bats.

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Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith's neck injury is progressing, but manager Dave Roberts said on Wednesday that an injured-list stint is "most likely," according to Maddie Lee of the Los Angeles Times. "We'll have to make that decision at some point in time tonight after the game," Roberts said. The 31-year-old veteran backstop was out of the starting lineup for a fourth straight game on Wednesday at PNC Park against the Pittsburgh Pirates and appears headed for an IL stint despite the Dodgers initially believing that his neck injury wasn't very serious. For however much longer Smith is out of action, Dalton Rushing will serve as the Dodgers' starting catcher. Smith, an All-Star in each of the last three seasons, hasn't been quite as productive as one of the top hitting catchers in fantasy, as he currently is sporting a .249/.338/.382 slash line with a career-worst .720 OPS, six home runs, 23 RBI, and 23 runs scored in 201 plate appearances across 52 games played. Rushing is worth a look for fantasy managers in need of a short-term upgrade at the position. In limited action, he's been better than Smith, going 30-for-105 (.286) with eight long balls, 21 RBI, and 19 runs scored.

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The Pittsburgh Pirates announced on Wednesday that they placed outfielder Oneil Cruz (hand) on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to June 8) with left-hand fourth and fifth metacarpal non-displaced fractures and recalled outfielder Billy Cook from Triple-A Indianapolis in a corresponding move. Cruz initially injured his left hand while sliding in Saturday's game against the Atlanta Braves, and he's expected to be out for a month, which means he probably won't return until after the All-Star break in mid-July. Jake Mangum made another start in center field for the Pirates on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Dodgers, and he figures to become a lineup regular going forward, at least against right-handed pitchers. The 27-year-old Cruz should not be dropped in any traditional fantasy formats while he's sidelined. He has one of the quickest bats in baseball and makes some of the loudest contact when he connects, not to mention his high-end speed on the basepaths. Through 64 games in 2026 in his sixth year in the big leagues, Cruz is slashing .264/.350/.472 with an .822 OPS, 14 homers, 44 RBI, 21 stolen bases, 45 runs scored, and a league-leading 98 strikeouts in 283 plate appearances.

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Athletics outfielder Brent Rooker (knee) is out of the starting lineup for the second straight day on Wednesday in Las Vegas against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers due to knee soreness that the team is managing, according to Martin Gallegos of MLB.com. Manager Mark Kotsay said the A's will wait to see how Rooker feels during Thursday's off day before potentially deciding on whether to place him on the injured list. With Rooker out again on Wednesday, Carlos Cortes will serve as the team's designated hitter and bat in the cleanup spot, with Lawrence Butler starting in right field and hitting sixth against Brewers right-hander Brandon Sproat. It's been a pretty rough season for the 31-year-old Rooker so far. The two-time right-handed slugger enters Wednesday's action with a .200/.281/.389 slash line, .670 OPS, 10 home runs, 29 RBI, 20 runs scored, and two stolen bases in 180 at-bats in 2026. He has looked better in seven games in June, going 6-for-25 (.240) with two homers, a double, three RBI, and five runs scored, but now he might be headed for a stay on the IL.

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Boston Red Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet (lat) told The Boston Globe's Peter Abraham that his lat strain "is a lot worse than what we thought," and he has "no idea" when he might be cleared to throw again. When Crochet initially went on the 15-day injured list in late May, he was diagnosed with a low-grade lat strain. That diagnosis was apparently wrong, and now it's looking like we may not see the talented southpaw back in Boston's starting rotation until after the All-Star break in mid-July. The 26-year-old has since been placed on the 60-day injured list. Crochet still deserves to be stashed in all traditional fantasy leagues, but his return is no longer around the corner. The two-time All-Star was as advertised in Beantown in 2025 in his first year with the team, going 18-5 with a 2.59 ERA (2.89 FIP), 1.03 WHIP, and a league-high 255 strikeouts in a league-best 205 1/3 innings over 32 games. Things have not gone as planned in Year 2 in Boston, though, as he currently has a 6.30 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, and 37:11 in just six starts.

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Colorado Rockies outfielder Jake McCarthy (illness) was scratched from the starting lineup for Wednesday's game against the visiting Chicago Cubs at Coors Field due to an illness, according to the team. Troy Johnson will make the start in right field for the Rockies and will bat seventh against Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga. McCarthy is under the weather, but he could be back in the lineup as soon as Thursday's series finale in Denver against Chicago. The 28-year-old speedy left-handed hitter has seen an increase in playing time in the past month with both Mickey Moniak (ankle) and Brenton Doyle (oblique) on the injured list, and he's taken advantage, hitting .282 (49-for-174) with four home runs, 27 RBI, 22 runs scored, and 11 stolen bases in 56 games in his first year with the Rockies. McCarthy has been especially hot recently, going 18-for-59 (.305) with two homers, four doubles, eight RBI, 10 runs, and two steals in 14 games since May 24. If you need speed in deeper leagues, McCarthy is worth a look off the waiver wire.

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