The Dallas Morning News' Evan Grant reports that Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung (neck) is taking ground balls and has been doing some hitting as he rehabs from neck spasms that landed him on the 10-day injured list. Jung is eligible to be activated from the IL next Tuesday, but it remains to be seen if he'll be back with the big-league squad by then. With the 27-year-old on the shelf, Josh Smith has been serving as Texas' starting third baseman, and he's starting at the hot corner again on Friday and batting seventh against Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Zack Littell. Jung, the former eighth overall pick in 2019 out of Texas Tech, has immense power upside for fantasy managers, but his inability to stay on the field early in his career has become an issue. He was a first-time All-Star in 2023 and hit 23 homers and drove in 70 runs, but he played in 46 games last year due to injuries and didn't take long to get hurt again this year.

Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said that the team is monitoring right-hander Jack Leiter's (finger) blister issue. It's not a big concern, but the Rangers are considering placing him on the injured list to allow it to calm down. If Leiter goes on the IL, left-hander Patrick Corbin would make his debut in Leiter's rotation spot. The 24-year-old exited his second start of the season on Wednesday versus the Cincinnati Reds with a blister issue on his finger, even though he threw five shutout innings with six strikeouts while allowing just one hit. Landing on the IL, even though it's not a serious injury by any means, would be a bummer considering how well Leiter has pitched in his first two starts. In 10 innings pitched, he's allowed just one earned run on six hits while walking one and striking out 10. It's a big improvement after he held an 8.83 ERA and 1.71 WHIP in his first nine MLB outings (six starts) in 2024.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Tommy Pham (illness) was removed from Friday's game early at PNC Park versus the visiting New York Yankees due to an illness. Pham is being treated and is considered day-to-day. Pham was replaced in left field by Alexander Canario after going hitless in his only plate appearance with a groundout in the second inning. We'd be surprised if the 37-year-old is in the starting lineup for Saturday's second game of the series. In addition to the illness, it's been a rough start to the 2025 season for Pham, who came into Friday's contest hitting .087 (2-for-23) in the early going with a double, three stolen bases, three walks and eight strikeouts in 27 plate appearances over seven games played. Hopefully Pham will be feeling good enough for the start of a new series on Monday against the division-rival St. Louis Cardinals.

Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Ranger Suarez (back) is scheduled to throw a live batting practice session on Saturday in Clearwater, Florida, according to MLB.com's Todd Zolecki. It's a big step for Suarez, as it will be his first time facing live hitters since he was shut down with lower-back stiffness in spring training camp in the middle of March. If the 29-year-old southpaw is able to avoid a setback with his back this weekend, the Phillies will likely clear him to go on a minor-league rehab assignment. Suarez will likely need several rehab starts, which means he could rejoin Philadelphia's big-league starting rotation and make his season debut by the end of April. He missed around a month in 2024 with the same injury and wasn't the same pitcher the rest of the way after posting a 1.75 ERA and 0.89 WHIP in his first 15 starts. Suarez is a ground-ball pitcher that lacks a ton of fantasy upside with a below-average career strikeout rate.

New York Yankees right-handed reliever Jake Cousins (elbow) is under a week away from getting back on the mound, according to the New York Daily News' Gary Phillips. Meanwhile, right-handed reliever Ian Hamilton (illness) is scheduled to rejoin the Yankees' bullpen for their series in Detroit that starts on Monday, April 7. Cousins was unable to pitch at all in spring training due to a right-elbow flexor strain and began the regular season on the 60-day injured list as a result. The 30-year-old pitched well for the Yanks down the stretch and could be back in a high-leverage role eventually in 2025, but he won't be eligible to return until at least late May. Hamilton dealt with an undisclosed illness in spring training but is now feeling better after going on a minor-league rehab assignment. He's been solid for the Yankees since 2023 with a 3.10 ERA and 1.28 WHIP, but he's unlikely to have much fantasy appeal in a middle-relief role.