Miami Marlins right-hander Sixto Sanchez (shoulder) threw a 26-pitch bullpen session in Philadelphia last Saturday. It was the second time that Sanchez has thrown off a mound since landing on the 60-day injured list but he won't be eligible to rejoin the Marlins' pitching staff until August. The 25-year-old Dominican hurler has a long history with shoulder injuries, so the Fish are going to take their time bringing him back. Sanchez has been used in a swing role for Miami in 2024 in his return to the big leagues, as half of his 14 appearances have come in a starting role. He hasn't been very effective, though, going 0-3 with a 6.06 ERA (4.73 FIP) and 1.59 WHIP with 17 strikeouts and 14 walks in 35 2/3 frames. Sanchez is going to need to show better command of his arsenal to have any shot for fantasy relevance in the second half of the season.

Miami Marlins right-hander Edward Cabrera (shoulder) will throw six innings or 80 to 85 pitches in his next minor-league rehab start on Saturday at Triple-A Jacksonville. As long as Cabrera doesn't suffer a setback with his right shoulder this weekend on the farm, it will be his last rehab start before rejoining Miami's big-league starting rotation. The 26-year-old has been out since early May with a right-shoulder impingement. In his three rehab starts, he has a 4.50 ERA with 15 strikeouts and four walks in 10 innings pitched. Fantasy managers in need of pitching help in shallow mixed leagues can probably wait on the Dominican hurler after he posted a 7.17 ERA and 1.59 WHIP with 31 strikeouts and 14 walks in 21 1/2 innings over his first five starts in 2024 before getting hurt. Injuries and poor control have made Cabrera a volatile fantasy asset.

New York Mets outfielder Harrison Bader (head, neck) hit the wall near the base of his head/neck in the third inning of Tuesday's game against the Washington Nationals and was forced to leave the game. Bader cleared tests and is hoping to play on Wednesday, so it appears that he has escaped a serious injury. Brandon Nimmo (head), who was held out of the starting lineup the last two days due to a laceration on his forehead that he suffered on a fall in his hotel room on Sunday night, took over for Bader in left field on Tuesday and went 2-for-3 with two RBI in the extra-inning victory. The 30-year-old Bader had cleared the fences twice in his last 10 games entering Tuesday's contest and is valuable in most fantasy leagues for his speed (13 stolen bases). Overall in 231 at-bats entering Tuesday, Bader was hitting .273/.319/.411 with six homers, 31 RBI and 33 runs scored.

Pittsburgh Pirates switch-hitting catcher Endy Rodriguez (elbow) is now hitting live batting practice from the left side, according to director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk. Rodriguez will miss the entire 2024 season after undergoing elbow surgery in December, but it's good to see that the 24-year-old backstop is making progress in his recovery. The Dominican backstop made his big-league debut in 2023 and struggled, slashing .220/.284/.328 with a .612 OPS, three home runs, 13 RBI and 27 runs scored in 57 games played. Former first-rounder Henry Davis (concussion) has been out for a while now with a head injury and has so far been a bust in the big leagues. In the meantime in 2024, Joey Bart and veteran Yasmani Grandal are going to split the catching duties in Pittsburgh moving forward.

Pittsburgh Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said that closer David Bednar (oblique) is playing catch out to 120 feet and will throw from the slope of a mound in the coming days. Bednar is throwing once again after going on the 15-day injured list on June 23 with an oblique strain. It wouldn't be a surprise if the 29-year-old right-handed reliever isn't ready to come off the injured list when he's eligible, but he still has a chance to rejoin the back of Pittsburgh's bullpen before the All-Star break in mid-July. The two-time All-Star has a rough 5.17 ERA on the year but also sports a 1.12 WHIP and 16 saves as the Pirates' primary closer when healthy, making him stash-worthy in all fantasy leagues. Veteran left-hander Aroldis Chapman will continue to see most of the team's save opportunities while Bednar is out.