
Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said that outfielder Lane Thomas (wrist) will begin a minor-league rehab assignment this week with Triple-A Columbus. Outfielder/catcher David Fry (elbow) is also set to start his rehab assignment and play in games in Arizona this week. Thomas is getting close to a return to the MLB roster after being out since April 22 with a bone bruise on his right wrist. The 29-year-old had gone just 7-for-45 (.156) with no homers and two RBI in the early going before his injury, but he should return as Cleveland's primary option in center field when he's activated. If he continues to struggle, though, Angel Martinez could take playing time away from him. Fry will take much longer to return after having UCL revision surgery on his right elbow in November of last year. The 29-year-old will only serve as a designated hitter for the Guardians when he's eventually cleared to make his 2025 debut.


Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Spencer Strider (hamstring) is scheduled to throw a 70-75-pitch simulated game on Wednesday. The right-hander will be re-evaluated after that and Atlanta will determine whether or not Strider is ready to return to the big-league rotation. If not, Strider will likely make one or two rehab starts before returning to the big-league mound. There is a chance that Strider is able to take the ball for Atlanta for their weekend series, but he'll likely have heavy restrictions. Fantasy managers will need to check back on Wednesday for another update on his status. After returning from an internal-brace procedure last April, the 26-year-old made just one start in April before going on the injured list with a hamstring strain. He should not be on any waiver wires.



Arizona Diamondbacks infielder Jordan Lawlar has been officially called up from Triple-A Reno on Monday. Lawlar won't be in Monday's lineup, but figures to get significant playing time on the D-Backs roster. The 22-year-old struggled during a 14-game sample size spot with the D-Backs in 2023. Lawlar spent all of the 2024 season in the minors, but missed significant time due to injury. Now, Lawlar has earned his way back on the D-Backs roster after slashing .336/.413/.579 with six homers and 13 steals in the minors. Sadly, there isn't an obvious everyday spot for Lawlar right now. Despite that, Lawlar should still see a fair amount of playing time while rotating positions in the infield. Lawlar is one of the top prospects in all of baseball and needs to be rostered in all fantasy formats.


Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) is scheduled to begin a minor-league rehab assignment on Tuesday in the rookie-level Florida Complex League. The superstar outfielder is expected to require a few weeks of rehab games before returning to the big league roster. Acuna is working his way back from tearing his ACL in his left knee in May of last year. The expectation is that Acuna will slowly ramp his way up the minor league system before finally making his season debut with Atlanta. The Braves haven't given a timetable on Acuna's return to the Braves, so fantasy managers will need to check back for another update. The assumption is that Acuna is going to be out until at least the end of May.


Colorado Rockies shortstop Ezequiel Tovar (hip) started a minor league rehab assignment over the weekend. He made starts at shortstop on both Saturday and Sunday, so he continues to progress towards a return. The organization is hopeful that Tovar can return soon, but he'll need to be re-evaluated in a few days. Tovar has been sidelined since April 19 due to a left hip contusion, but is slowly making his way back. Fantasy managers should continue to hold Tovar as he should be back in the Rockies lineup within the next week. That will likely mean that Adael Amador gets sent back to the minors, but we'll wait and see what happens.
