

Washington Nationals right-hander Josiah Gray (elbow) will make a minor-league rehab start with Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday. Gray threw 79 pitches in his last rehab start last Wednesday and is expected to go six innings or around 90 pitches this time out. And if the 26-year-old doesn't suffer any setbacks with his right elbow, it should be his final rehab start before coming off the injured list and rejoining Washington's starting rotation right before the All-Star break. Gray will have a rotation spot waiting for him in D.C. despite posting a nightmarish 14.04 ERA and 2.40 WHIP in his first two starts of the 2024 season. Given Gray's long layoff, fantasy managers shouldn't be expecting too much when he returns to the big leagues. Fantasy managers in mixed leagues shouldn't completely ignore him, though, after making his first All-Star appearance in 2023.


Atlanta Braves left-handed reliever A.J. Minter (hip) had his minor-league rehab assignment transferred to Triple-A Gwinnett after one appearance with High-A Rome over the weekend. Minter is scheduled to pitch for Gwinnett on Tuesday night at Coolray Field. In his lone appearance with Rome on Saturday, Minter gave up an unearned run on one hit while striking out three batters in his inning of work. The 30-year-old veteran southpaw reliever has been on the injured list with left-hip inflammation since May 30 but could be back in Atlanta's bullpen later this week if he gets through his next appearance at Triple-A. Minter will return to being a key high-leverage setup man for the Braves in front of closer Raisel Iglesias when he comes off the injured list. So far this year, he has gone 5-3 with a save, a 2.95 ERA, a 0.98 WHIP and 23 K's in 21 1/3 innings. Minter has fantasy value in holds leagues.


Tampa Bay Rays first base prospect Jonathan Aranda (oblique) will be placed on the minor-league injured list with an oblique strain and is expected to miss four to six weeks. The 26-year-old had a brief stint with the Rays earlier this season but slashed just .213/.288/.319 with one home run over 52 plate appearances. His batting average was actually lower at Triple-A at .189, along with a .336 OBP and .295 SLG. To say this season has been a disappointment would be an understatement after a .339-25-81-82-2 line last season in the minors. Hopefully when he returns he is able to get rolling and end the season on a high note.


Washington Nationals first baseman/outfielder Joey Gallo (hamstring) has started a light running program in his rehab for a serious hamstring injury that he suffered on June 11. Given the serious nature of his injury, the 30-year-old left-handed slugger won't be ready to come off the 10-day injured list when he's eligible and may not even be ready to return before the All-Star break in mid-July. Gallo is also going to require a minor-league rehab assignment before he rejoins the big-league roster. Fantasy managers chasing power will find it difficult to roster Gallo in mixed leagues now days. In his first 140 at-bats before his hamstring injury, he went just 23-for-140 (.164) with five home runs and 11 RBI for the Nats. The former first-rounder is a huge batting average drain, and the swings and misses continue to pile up.


Washington Nationals pitching prospect Cade Cavalli (elbow, illness) is dealing with the flu and will be held back a few days as a result. Cavalli is in the midst of recovering from Tommy John surgery that he had in 2023 and started a rehab assignment with High-A Wilmington last Friday, throwing three scoreless innings while striking out three. The 25-year-old has come down with the flu, though, so his next rehab start will most likely be pushed back a bit. The former 22nd overall pick in 2020 out of Oklahoma allowed seven earned runs in 4 1/3 innings in his big-league debut in 2022 before being shut down with an injury. Cavalli, the team's No. 5 prospect per MLB Pipeline, should make his return to the big leagues in the second half of this season, at which point he'll be worth rostering in mixed leagues with the ability to hit triple digits as a starter.
