Texas Rangers left-hander Cody Bradford (elbow) will throw a bullpen session on Thursday, according to the Dallas Morning News' Shawn McFarland. Bradford has been throwing just fastballs and changeups on flat ground as he ramps back up and said that he's been feeling good. The 27-year-old southpaw has yet to make his 2025 debut due to a sprained UCL in his left elbow that he suffered in spring training. He's making progress but still has a ways to go and will eventually need to go on a lengthy minor-league rehab assignment, which means fantasy managers shouldn't expect him back in Texas' starting rotation until sometime in June in a best-case scenario. Bradford was solid in 14 outings (13 starts) in 2024 with a 3.54 ERA and 1.01 WHIP, but he missed 16 weeks with a stress fracture in his rib cage. When he gets closer to a return, he'll be a strong waiver-wire consideration in deep-mixed fantasy leagues.

Cleveland Guardians right-hander Ben Lively (forearm) left his start early on Monday after tossing a couple of warmup pitches in the fourth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers with right-forearm inflammation, according to MLB.com's Tim Stebbins. Before departing, Lively had thrown three shutout innings with one hit allowed, two walks and a strikeout. We'll have an update on the severity of the 33-year-old's injury once the Guardians get test results back on Lively's arm, but fantasy managers should at least expect him to miss his next scheduled start and possibly land on the 15-day injured list. Coming into his start on Monday, Lively had gone 2-2 with a 3.46 ERA (4.58 FIP) and 1.20 WHIP with 28 strikeouts and 13 walks in 41 2/3 innings over his first eight starts. His fantasy value is limited, though, as more of a pitch-to-contact hurler.

San Francisco Giants catcher Tom Murphy (back) will be re-evaluated in six weeks, according to NBC Sports Bay Area's Alex Pavlovic. Murphy is on the 60-day injured list and has yet to make his debut with the Giants due to a mid-back disc herniation that he suffered early in spring training in February. The 34-year-old veteran backstop still has a chance to play in 2025, but even if he gets good news during his checkup in six weeks, he's unlikely to be back with San Fran until the second half of the season. In the meantime, the Giants have moved forward with Patrick Bailey as their starter and Sam Huff as their backup behind the dish. Murphy had a career-high 18 home runs in 75 games for the Seattle Mariners way back in 2019 and then also recorded double-digit homers (11) in 2021 after a year off due to injury. He hasn't played more than 47 games in a season since and should remain on the waiver wire in all leagues.

The San Francisco Giants say that infielders Tyler Fitzgerald (rib) and Casey Schmitt (oblique) could start their minor-league rehab assignments on Tuesday. Fitzgerald is rehabbing from a fractured left rib that he suffered in the middle of April, while Schmitt is more than three weeks removed from a Grade 2 oblique strain. Depending on how both players fare while on their rehab assignments, they could rejoin the big-league roster by this weekend or early next week. Of the two, Fitzgerald is the more attractive fantasy asset as a regular at second base for the Giants when he's healthy. The 27-year-old surprised with intriguing power and speed in 96 games in 2024 and was hitting a solid .284/.341/.432 with two long balls, seven RBI, 14 runs scored and five steals in 25 games before his injury. Fantasy managers looking for middle-infield help in deep-mixed leagues might want to snag Fitzgerald now if he's available.

San Francisco Giants shortstop Willy Adames has been dropped to the sixth spot in the batting order for Monday's series opener against the division-rival Arizona Diamondbacks and right-hander Merrill Kelly at Oracle Park. Adames has hit slightly better in the month of May to the tune of a .244/.311/.439 slash line with two home runs, two doubles, four RBI and seven runs scored in 10 games, but overall the 29-year-old has been a disappointment both offensively and defensively in his first 41 games for the Gigantes. He comes into Monday's contest batting .217 (35-for-161) with four long balls, 19 RBI, 23 runs and two stolen bases in his 182 plate appearances. The good news is he has hit .368 with a 1.084 OPS, two home runs and three RBI in 19 career at-bats against Kelly, so Adames could end up being a nice DFS sleeper on Monday night.