Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Zac Gallen (hamstring) will throw his next simulated game early next week, and it sounds like he could return to the team after that if all goes well. There's still no target date for his return to a major-league mound, but The Arizona Republic's Theo Mackie is guessing the upcoming series against the Oakland Athletics or Los Angeles Dodgers are most realistic. The 28-year-old is on the 15-day injured list with a right-hamstring strain. He threw two bullpen sessions before advancing to a simulated game this Tuesday. Fantasy managers would much prefer that his first start back came against the lowly A's, as the Dodgers sport one of the best offenses in the league, even with Mookie Betts (hand) out. There will be less risk with Gallen when he eventually returns since he wasn't dealing with an arm injury in the first place.

Houston Astros outfielder/designated hitter Yordan Alvarez (personal) is serving as the DH and is batting third for the Astros on Thursday against the Chicago White Sox and right-hander Chris Flexen. Alvarez had to leave the team the last two days due to a family matter, but apparently he has it resolved and is now available again to plug back into all starting fantasy lineups. Not only is it a great matchup for Alvarez, he's hitting .286 in his career against Flexen in 14 at-bats with two home runs and five RBI for a 1.089 OPS. The 26-year-old All-Star slugger has been hot of late, too, going 19-for-52 (.365) with five home runs, five doubles, a triple, 15 RBI and 12 runs scored in 14 games in the month of June. The Cuban left-handed hitter is one of the most reliable hitters in the big leagues with a .290 average (79-for-272) on the season.

The Houston Astros are calling up right-handed pitching prospect Jake Bloss in order to make his major-league debut and start on Friday against the visiting Baltimore Orioles, according to a source. Bloss threw 6 1/3 no-hit innings on Saturday and has a sparkling 1.61 ERA in eight games with Double-A Corpus Christi this year. He is 4-2 with a 1.74 ERA in 12 starts with the Hooks and for High-A Asheville. He's the club's No. 10 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, and a third-round pick just last year, so it's a quick rise for the 22-year-old. With Justin Verlander (neck) currently on the injured list, Bloss could see several starts in the big leagues, although fantasy managers may want to temper expectations right off the bat. For one, he's making a big jump to the big leagues and will face one of the better offenses immediately.

Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw (shoulder) looked sharp in his first minor-league rehab start for Single-A Rancho Cucamonga on Wednesday night, giving up one earned run on two hits while walking one and punching out five in three innings of work. He threw 26 of his 36 pitches for strikes in what was his first game action since having offseason surgery on his left shoulder. The 36-year-old veteran southpaw also hit 90 mph with his fastball. It's a good first rehab start for the future Hall of Famer and three-time Cy Young winner, but fantasy managers need to be aware that he's going to need at least several more outings in the minors before he's a realistic consideration to make his 2024 debut in the big leagues. It's more likely that we won't see Kershaw back with the Dodgers until after the All-Star break in mid-July.

St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Kyle Gibson (back) said on Thursday morning that he's fine and half joked that he's going to try and talk his way into the game on Thursday night. Gibson was scratched from his scheduled start on Wednesday against the Miami Marlins due to back tightness, but it may not be serious enough to land him on the 15-day injured list. There's still a chance the Cardinals play it safe, though, and put the 36-year-old veteran on the IL. It's unclear when he'll be able to take the mound next. The former 22nd overall pick by the Minnesota Twins in 2009 out of Missouri has been decent in his first year in St. Louis in 2024, going 5-2 with a 3.44 ERA (4.14 FIP) and 1.19 WHIP with 73 strikeouts and 31 walks in 83 2/3 innings over 14 starts.