Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said ahead of Wednesday's game against the division-rival Los Angeles Dodgers that starting pitcher Merrill Kelly (shoulder) is throwing out to 120 feet in his throwing program, and he thinks the hurler will throw on flat ground on Saturday. Recovering from a strained right shoulder, Kelly is making progress in his recovery but will need to resume throwing off a mound before taking a more significant step forward in his progression. It's not yet known if the D-backs will send Kelly out on a minor-league rehab assignment before he re-enters Arizona's rotation, but given that he's been on the shelf for over two months at this point, it's likely he won't jump right back into the major leagues when he's cleared for game action. The 35-year-old veteran right-hander logged a 2.19 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, and 21:6 K:BB over 24 2/3 innings (four starts) before getting injured and is worth stashing in all fantasy leagues.

Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Jeffrey Springs (elbow) made his fifth rehab start at Triple-A Durham on Wednesday, firing four scoreless innings on three hits with six strikeouts. Springs looked very sharp on Wednesday, but it's worth noting that his night ended after he threw only 47 pitches, fewer than what he was able to reach in his last minor-league outing on Friday. That likely means Springs is going to require more than just one more rehab appearance before the Rays consider activating him from the 60-day injured list, so fantasy managers should not be expecting the 31-year-old left-hander to make his 2024 season debut until sometime in late July. With Tampa Bay shipping out Aaron Civale on Wednesday, Springs has a clearer path to a rotation spot when he's ready to return.

Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas (rib) is still taking dry swings in his rehab process, manager Alex Cora said before Wednesday's game against the hosting Miami Marlins. As expected, the Red Sox are taking things very methodically with Casas given his long absence due to torn cartilage in his left rib cage and the nature of the injury. Considering he hasn't yet progressed to hitting off a tee, let alone live batting practice, Casas' return to the major-league roster coming before the mid-July All-Star break can be pretty safely ruled out at this point. In 90 plate appearances before going down, the 24-year-old former first-round pick was slashing a robust .244/.344/.513 with six home runs, 10 RBI, and 12 runs scored as Boston's everyday first baseman and remains worth stashing in all fantasy leagues.

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Nick Lodolo (finger) threw 20 pitches to hitters in a live batting practice session before Wednesday's game against the New York Yankees in the Bronx. All was considered to have gone well, and Lodolo is expected to throw one more bullpen session before it's decided if he will be ready for activation from the injured list to start for the Reds. However, manager David Bell does feel that Lodolo is on track to be ready to return from a blister on his left finger by July 9, when Cincinnati hosts the Colorado Rockies at the Great American Ball Park. The 26-year-old southpaw was enjoying a breakout season before heading to the IL, registering a 2.96 ERA and 1.07 WHIP with 73 strikeouts and 19 walks over 70 innings.

New York Mets starting pitcher Kodai Senga (shoulder) began a much-awaited minor-league rehab assignment on Wednesday, striking out six batters over 2 2/3 scoreless innings with High-A Brooklyn. Senga allowed just one baserunner on a fielding error, so it was effectively a perfect outing from the right-hander. It's also worth noting that Senga's fastball velocity hit 97 mph on Wednesday. He's going to need several more starts in the minors before becoming an option to rejoin New York's rotation, which should take him toward the end of July or early August, though it's not yet clear if he'll jump to a higher affiliate for his next appearance. The 31-year-old Japanese hurler was an All-Star during his first year in the majors in 2023, and he needs to be stashed in all fantasy leagues at this stage.