Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said that outfielder Alek Thomas (hamstring) is expected to come off the injured list and be back with the team at the start of the team's road trip to Cincinnati against the Reds that starts on Tuesday. Thomas is serving as the designated hitter on a minor-league rehab assignment for Triple-A Reno on Friday, so as long as he doesn't have a setback with his strained left hamstring over the weekend, he'll be back with the Snakes next week. The 24-year-old is more valuable to Arizona on defense in center field than he's been with his bat, as he's hit just .230/.273/.362 with 18 home runs, 82 RBI and 13 stolen bases in 242 games at the big-league level since debuting in 2022. When Thomas returns, it will mean less playing time for the likes of Pavin Smith and Jake McCarthy.

Washington Nationals outfielder Joey Gallo (shoulder) will start a minor-league rehab assignment with Low-A Fredericksburg on Saturday. Gallo will return to live games after recently landing on the injured list due to a sprained AC joint in his left shoulder. If the 30-year-old left-handed slugger can avoid a setback with his shoulder, he could be off the injured list and back with the Nationals by early next week. Gallo still has plenty of power and is a lineup regular for the Nats when healthy, but it's hard to ignore his low batting average and swings and misses. Before going on the shelf, Gallo was sporting a .122/.286/.311 slash line with three home runs, five RBI, one stolen base and eight runs scored in 74 at-bats.

New York Mets pitching prospect Joander Suarez tossed 6 1/3 perfect innings of relief en route to his first victory of the season for Double-A Binghamton. Saurez relieved starter Tylor Megill and proceeded to remain on the mound for the rest of the game and retire every batter consecutively. This amazing outing brings the 24-year-old to a 2.60 ERA and 0.87 WHIP with 24 punchouts in 27 2/3 innings. After not allowing a run across 18 innings at Double-A last season, Suarez is picking up right where he left off this season. The 28th-ranked prospect in the New York system should be expected to reach Triple-A fairly soon and could push for a late-season promotion to the majors.

Washington Nationals right-hander Josiah Gray (elbow) will throw a bullpen session on Saturday. It will be the first time that Gray has thrown off a mound since going on the injured list with a flexor strain in his right elbow almost a month ago. It's good to see the 26-year-old making progress, but he still has a ways to go and will likely need a lengthy minor-league rehab assignment before the Nationals clear him to rejoin their big-league starting rotation. Gray, the former second-round pick of the Cincinnati Reds in 2018 out of Le Moyne College, had an absolute disastrous start to 2024 by giving up 13 earned runs on 15 hits (two homers) while walking five and striking out nine in 8 1/3 innings in his first two starts before landing on the IL. When healthy, Gray should be able to bounce back and will have a spot waiting for him in Washington's rotation.

Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash said that second baseman Brandon Lowe (oblique) is scheduled to start a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Durham on Tuesday. Lowe is finally going to resume playing in live games after straining his right oblique on April 7. Once the Rays deem him healthy enough to come off the injured list, the 29-year-old should at least be on the strong side of a platoon at second base against right-handed pitching. In the meantime, Amed Rosario and Curtis Mead will continue to share playing time at the keystone in Tampa. There's a lot to like about Lowe in most fantasy leagues because of his pop from the second base position, but he has trouble staying on the field and has only played in 100-plus games in two of his six big-league seasons.