Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Aaron Civale (hamstring) threw live batting practice last Saturday and will start his minor-league rehab assignment on Thursday with Triple-A Nashville, according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. Civale made only one start for the Brewers before straining his left hamstring and landing on the 15-day injured list. The 29-year-old had a setback with his injured hamstring in early April, which is why he still hasn't returned to Milwaukee's starting rotation. Because of his long layoff, he's most likely going to need at least several rehab starts in the minors before the Brew Crew feels comfortable activating him from the IL. But barring a setback, he could be back in the big leagues by mid- May. In his first start of the year on March 30 against the New York Yankees, Civale gave up five earned runs on four hits (three homers) while walking one and striking out two in only three innings for a loss.

New York Yankees relief pitcher Jonathan Loaisiga (elbow) is set to move his rehab assignment to Triple-A. Loaisiga has been on the 15-day injured list after undergoing an internal brace procedure in 2024. Loaisiga began his rehab assignment with Low-A and has logged three innings of work. Across this stint, the right-hander has allowed two hits and one run. Max Goodman of the NJ Advance Media reported that Loaisiga will likely remain at Triple-A through next weekend. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his progress as he appears to be in contention to return to the majors before the end of the month. The 30-year-old has dealt with numerous injuries over the past few seasons but has been an effective high-leverage option when on the bump. During the 2021 season, Loaisiga posted a strong 2.17 ERA with a 1.02 WHIP across 70 2/3 innings. When cleared to return, he should have a high-leverage role in the Yankee bullpen.

Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy said that he fully expects outfielder Sal Frelick (knee) to return to the team's starting lineup for Friday's series opener on the road against the Tampa Bay Rays. Frelick ended up being held out of the entire series this week against the Houston Astros while dealing with inflammation in his left knee, but after another scheduled day off on Thursday for travel, the 25-year-old is expected to be good to go on Friday in Tampa. The former first-rounder (15th overall) in 2021 out of Boston College makes plenty of contact at the plate and is hitting a nice .297 (35-for-118), but he has a low fantasy floor and ceiling because of his lack of power and speed. Despite his strong average so far in 2025, Frelick has only produced one home run, nine RBI, 16 runs scored and seven stolen bases in 35 games played.

Boston Red Sox right-handed pitcher Richard Fitts (pectoral) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Thursday. Fitts has been on the 15-day injured list since mid-April with a pectoral strain. This will be Fitts' second bullpen session since hitting the injured list. Fantasy managers should keep an eye on his status after the session, as he could be cleared to make a rehab assignment in the coming weeks. Before his injury, Fitts had logged 17 innings to the tune of a 3.18 ERA with a 1.12 WHIP. He has struck out 13 batters and served up walks at a solid 7.1 percent rate. When Fitts is cleared to return, he may have trouble remaining in the rotation with Lucas Giolito back from injury. While he remains sidelined, Hunter Dobbins should remain in the rotation.

Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy said that he fully expects catcher William Contreras (finger) to return to the starting lineup for Friday's series opener against the Tampa Bay Rays and right-hander Zack Littell. A recent X-ray revealed that Contreras has been playing through an old fracture in the middle finger of his left hand. The 27-year-old All-Star backstop took the day off in Wednesday's loss to the Houston Astros, but he plans to play through the injury and will be active again on Friday after a travel day on Thursday. It's good news for fantasy managers that the Venezuelan catcher won't miss extended time with the injury, but it also means that Contreras might not be ready to return to his All-Star form from a year ago at the plate. Through 35 contests in 2025, he's hitting a disappointing .242 (30-for-124) with three homers, 19 RBI and four steals in 148 trips to the plate.