Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop and No. 1 prospect Jordan Lawlar (thumb) is nearing a return to Triple-A Reno. Lawlar returned to action this past Friday after missing the entire season after undergoing surgery on his right thumb. Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo alluded to the fact that Lawlar will need to shake off some rust, but he should find himself back in the big leagues when he is healthy. Lawlar, 21, is one of the most exciting prospects in the game and offers five-tool potential. The youngster made his big-league debut in 2023 for the Diamondbacks but struggled with four hits in 31 at-bats. It was a very small sample size for Lawlar, though and fantasy managers shouldn't put too much stock into that performance. As one of the top prospects in the game, managers in all formats should be keeping tabs on his return, as he has the ability to be a difference-maker down the stretch. Once he returns, expect Kevin Newman and Blaze Alexander to see less playing time.

Los Angeles Dodgers pitching prospect River Ryan (shoulder) began his rehab assignment in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League on Monday. Ryan has been sidelined on the 60-day injured list with right shoulder fatigue, but looked dominant in his return to the mound. Ryan tossed two scoreless innings with one walk and five strikeouts. It was a nice display for the club's No. 4 prospect per MLB Pipeline. In his previous two seasons on the farm, Ryan has worked mostly as a starting pitcher with a career-high 104 1/3 innings in 2023. The Dodgers are likely to bring him back slowly and he could be an option out of the bullpen this summer, but long-term, Ryan projects as a starting pitcher. As one of the better arms in a strong Dodgers system, Ryan remains a name for dynasty league managers to consider past this season.

Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown spoke to the media on Monday about the club's No.1 prospect, outfielder Jacob Melton (wrist), who has been sidelined since May 22 with a tweaked wrist. Brown said that he expects the 23-year-old to be back within a week or so. Prior to his injury, Melton was hitting .268 with five homers and 24 RBI for Double-A Corpus Christi. Despite being the club's top prospect, Melton is likely to get time in Triple-A before making his big-league debut as soon as this summer or next season. For now, dynasty leagues hold the most amount of value for Melton.

Houston Astros infield prospect Zach Dezenzo (wrist) was sent on his rehab assignment on Monday. The team's No. 4 prospect will begin his assignment at the Rookie-level Florida Complex League. In 2023, Dezenzo split his time between High-A Asheville and Double-A Corpus Christ where he combined to hit .304 with 18 homers, 61 RBI and 22 stolen bases. Dezenzo has shown good pop in his bat throughout his career, but he has also struggled with off-speed pitches and plate discipline. These are issues that could hopefully be corrected on the farm and if they do, Dezenzo could be an option to replace free-agent to be Alex Bregman at third base in 2025. He remains an option in only dynasty leagues for now.

Toronto Blue Jays first base prospect Spencer Horwitz posted a stellar .375/.468/.650 line through his final 11 games of the month to cap off a productive May. Across the entire month, the 26-year-old posted a strong .299/.395/.439 line with 16 RBI and a 15:22 BB:K ratio. Horwitz made his major league debut and performed well across a small 15-game sample size with a .256 AVG. Over the past three seasons, the Radford product logged 205 games at the Triple-A level and should be expected to have an extended opportunity in Toronto this summer. The number 16th-ranked prospect in the Toronto system could be worth adding in AL-only leagues when given the promotion.