New York Mets left-hander Sean Manaea (oblique) is up to throwing from 120 feet on flat ground and is set to play catch off the mound next, according to NorthJersey.com's Andrew Tredinnick. A strained right oblique has kept Manaea away from the big-league team so far in 2025, and he needed a platelet-rich plasma injection before restarting his throwing program in the middle of April. Now that the 33-year-old southpaw is getting close to throwing off a mound, he could be close to facing live hitters as he continues to build up his arm. Still, in a best-case scenario, Manaea most likely won't make his season debut until sometime in June, so fantasy managers stashing him must remain patient. A mechanical adjustment helped the former first-rounder have a career resurgence in his first year with the Mets in 2024, as he went 12-6 with a 3.47 ERA and 1.08 WHIP with 184 K's and 63 walks in 32 regular-season starts.

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez was roughed up by the Dodgers on Friday, allowing eight earned runs on nine hits and three walks while striking out only three batters in 2 2/3 innings of work before being chased from the game, which resulted in a 14-11 win for Los Angeles. The southpaw began the year with a 4.40 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, and a 22.0 percent K-BB% over five starts but has had to go through a three-game gauntlet against the Mets, Phillies, and Dodgers, during which time he's posted a 14.25 ERA, 2.58 WHIP, and an 8.8 percent K-BB%. The 32-year-old will take on the Giants in San Francisco in his next turn through the rotation, and although they've been surprisingly good this year, the Giants are in the bottom third of the league in terms of batting average against left-handed pitchers, so there is hope that Rodriguez can turn things around. Season-long fantasy managers may want to avoid him, though, until he shows he's back on track.

Detroit Tigers outfield prospect Max Clark went 3-for-5 with a home run during their contest on Friday against High-A Lansing. Over his last nine contests, Clark has been swinging a hot bat, holding a stellar .395/.439/.500 slash line. During this stretch, he has held a 2:3 K:BB with a double and a home run. Through 26 total games this season, the No. 5-ranked prospect in the sport on MLB.com has held a strong .313/.452/.424 slash line with five doubles, two home runs, and two stolen bases. During his first look at High-A pitching during the 2024 season, Clark held a modest .264/.344/.421 line with 10 doubles and two long balls across 34 contests. Fantasy managers should expect the former third overall pick to be in the mix to earn a promotion to Double-A in the coming months.

Chicago White Sox right-hander Jesse Scholtens (elbow) made his first start since the 2023 season on Tuesday with High-A Winston-Salem to start his minor-league rehab assignment and gave up three earned runs on five hits while walking two and striking out two in three innings of work. Scholtens had Tommy John surgery and missed the entire 2024 season, but he's now working his way back and pitching in games again. It's possible that he'll be ready around the All-Star break, but even with the lowly White Sox, he won't be guaranteed a starting-rotation spot when he's ready to roll. The 31-year-old veteran worked as a swing man for the Pale Hose when he debuted in 2023 and wasn't very effective, sporting a 5.29 ERA (5.31 FIP), a 1.53 WHIP, one save, 58 strikeouts and 30 walks in 85 innings pitched over 26 outings (11 starts).

Chicago White Sox catcher Korey Lee (ankle) and infielder Gage Workman (hip) both started their minor-league rehab assignments with Triple-A Charlotte on Thursday. Lee went 1-for-2 with a run scored and a walk in his first game for Charlotte after missing the previous month due to a sprained left ankle. The 26-year-old backstop is working his way back, though, and could be back in the big leagues by the end of next week as long as he avoids any setbacks. However, with catching prospect Edgar Quero joining the big-league roster recently, Lee is unlikely to see as much playing time when he returns. The former 32nd overall pick in 2019 out of Cal Berkeley had gone 5-for-15 in the early going before getting hurt, but he's hit just .193 (93-for-482) with 13 homers and 45 RBI in 170 big-league games to this point in his career.