Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Merrill Kelly (shoulder) is hoping to return from the 60-day injured list to the starting rotation in the middle of August after suffering a right-shoulder strain during a between-starts throwing session in late April. Kelly has been rehabbing at the team's spring training complex and is throwing out to 75 feet. It's the first time in his 15-year career that he's dealt with a soft-tissue injury, and he thinks the strain was due to the "heavy load the last two years." Kelly will turn 36 years old in October but needs to be held in most fantasy leagues after he went 2-0 with a strong 2.19 ERA and 0.93 WHIP with 21 strikeouts in 24 2/3 innings in his first four starts before his shoulder injury. The next big step in Kelly's slow rehab will be to get back on the mound and resume throwing bullpen sessions.

The Washington Nationals selected the contract of outfielder Harold Ramirez from the minors on Monday and optioned infield prospect Trey Lipscomb to Triple-A Rochester in a corresponding move. Ramirez has made it back to the big leagues after being cut by the Tampa Bay Rays and signing a minor-league deal with Washington on June 15. The 29-year-old wasn't in the team's starting lineup for Monday's series opener against the San Diego Padres, and Ramirez figures to only draw into the starting lineup in the outfield or as the designated hitter when the team faces a left-handed pitcher. The Columbian outfielder hit .268/.284/.305 with just one homer, 13 RBI and a career-high-tying five stolen bases in 48 games this year in Tampa. Ramirez has limited power (37 career homers in six years) and fantasy upside as a part-time player.

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.

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.