

New York Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole (elbow), who played catch on Monday, is scheduled to face live hitters on Tuesday for the first time in his rehab process. Cole is finally moving to facing live hitters after throwing off a mound for the last couple of weeks as he tries to return from nerve irritation and edema in his right elbow. The 33-year-old hasn't pitched in a game since early in spring training in March and still has plenty of boxes to check off, but fantasy managers may finally be starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. The reigning American League Cy Young winner will eventually have to go on a minor-league rehab assignment, but if he doesn't suffer any setbacks along the way, he could make his 2024 debut before the All-Star break in the middle of July.


Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette put on a show during Monday's game against the Chicago White Sox. The young infielder went 4-for-4 with three doubles in the win over Chicago. He was crushing the ball with most of hits being over 100 mph. To be fair, the White Sox pitching staff shouldn't be considered elite. Regardless, it was a nice showing from Bichette and hopefully more to come.


Seattle Mariners catcher Mitch Garver is out of the starting lineup ahead of Monday's game against the New York Yankees. It sounds like the Mariners plan on shaking up their lineup going forward. Manager Scott Servais says he plans to mix in lefty bats more frequently. That means, Garver, Mitch Haniger, and Ty France could all see the bench more often. Garver has struggled this season, so a platoon situation isn't shocking. Cal Raleigh will cover behind the plate and bat third on Monday.


New York Mets starting pitcher Kodai Senga (shoulder, triceps) was unable to do his scheduled bullpen session on Sunday. The right-hander is dealing with tightness in his triceps, so the team decided to skip the bullpen session. Senga is working his way back from a shoulder injury that has sidelined him all season. The Mets haven't given a solid timetable for when Senga is going to make it back to the mound, but they are hoping he'll get his next bullpen in by the end of the week, signaling that it isn't a serious setback. Fantasy managers must stay patient and keep the Japanese hurler stashed in all formats.


Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel as been confirmed as the closer going forward, according to manager Brandon Hyde. This doesn't come as much of a surprise after Kimbrel was tasked with closing down Sunday's game. The O's took a few weeks off from having Kimbrel as the closer, but he worked his way back into the role. Yennier Cano figures to return to his role as the set-up pitcher, so his fantasy value is going to take a significant hit.
