Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Merrill Kelly (shoulder) will begin his throwing progression on Tuesday, according to manager Torey Lovullo. Kelly's last start with the Diamondbacks came back on April 15 against the Chicago Cubs before he was diagnosed with a right-shoulder strain. He has obviously been on a slow rehab program but is taking the next step by starting a throwing program this week. The 35-year-old veteran is going to eventually need to progress to throwing bullpen sessions before a required minor-league rehab assignment. Only after making at least several rehab starts will the D-backs consider bringing Kelly back from the injured list to rejoin the rotation. Kelly was looking good in four starts before his injury, going 2-0 with a 2.19 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 21 strikeouts in 24 2/3 innings. Keep Kelly stashed in fantasy formats.

Colorado Rockies left-hander Kyle Freeland (elbow) threw a bullpen session in Los Angeles on Saturday and is in line to throw live batting practice on Tuesday in Denver before a game against the visiting Cincinnati Reds. Manager Bud Black estimated that Freeland is "three weeks away (or) three and a half." Freeland initially suffered a left-elbow strain during an outing on April 14 against the Toronto Blue Jays. "Windup, stretch, no issues," Freeland said of his May 29 bullpen session. The 31-year-old southpaw is getting closer to rejoining the Rockies' starting rotation, and barring any setbacks, he could be back with the club by the end of June. At best, Freeland is a low-upside streaming option for fantasy managers in deeper leagues when he's on the road and not at Coors Field.

Colorado Rockies outfielder Nolan Jones (back, knee) resumed his minor-league rehab assignment on Sunday and went 0-for-2 with a walk and a hit-by-pitch as the designated hitter for Triple-A Albuquerque. Jones is currently dealing with a left-knee injury that he suffered last month during his rehab assignment at Albuquerque for his lower-back strain that initially put him on the injured list on April 30. The 26-year-old left-handed slugger is going to need at least a handful more rehab games before the Rockies consider returning him from the IL. Once he resumes playing the outfield in the minors, he should be close to rejoining the big-league roster. Jones had a 20-20 season in just his second year in the big leagues in 2023, but has been a disappointment so far in 2024, as he's currently hurt and was hitting .170 (16-for-94) with one homer and 37 K's in 26 games before going on the IL.

Colorado Rockies right-hander German Marquez (elbow), who is recovering from Tommy John surgery, threw what manager Bud Black called "a really solid bullpen" of 30 to 35 pitches in Los Angeles on Saturday while mixing in some breaking balls with a majority of fastballs. "He's progressing and will go back to Arizona to get on plan and get back in ballgames. He's doing great," said Black, who gave a return estimate of early July. Marquez took a step back after feeling discomfort in the back of his right elbow after recently throwing in an Arizona Complex League game, but he remains on track to return in 2024 despite the minor setback. He's currently going through a spring training-type progression and could return just before the All-Star break. When healthy, Marquez will be a rotation option for Colorado, but fantasy managers may want to temper expectations for a pitcher with a 4.41 career ERA.

Colorado Rockies manager Bud Black said last Friday that right-hander Antonio Senzatela (elbow) could be "going to the mound next week" for a bullpen session in front of the major-league coaching staff. Senzatela was with the team in Los Angeles for their series over the weekend against the Dodgers and will stay in Denver when the team departs its next home series against the Cincinnati Reds for stops in St. Louis and Minneapolis. The 29-year-old resumed throwing long toss in early May and is now close to taking the next step in his recovery from Tommy John surgery. There's a chance that Senzatela could be making minor-league rehab starts by the end of the 2024 season, but fantasy managers in deeper leagues shouldn't be expecting to have him available until the start of next season.