Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said on Monday that left-handed reliever A.J. Puk (elbow) is expected to pick up a baseball later this week or early next week and resume throwing. Puk complained of left-elbow stiffness after his outing on April 17 and underwent an MRI exam before being placed on the injured list on April 19 with left-elbow inflammation. The 30-year-old southpaw was later shifted to the 60-day IL on May 1, which means he cannot return to the major-league roster as a late-inning bullpen piece until early June. In the meantime, the D-backs could get righty reliever Justin Martinez (shoulder) back from his IL stint later this week. Whenever Puk is able to return to the Snakes, the D-backs figure to continue mixing and matching with him and Martinez in save situations. Puk had a 3.38 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, four saves and 12 K's in eight innings pitched before his injury.

Arizona Diamondbacks right-handed reliever Justin Martinez (shoulder) will face live hitters on Wednesday and throw somewhere around 15 to 18 pitches, according to manager Torey Lovullo. It comes after Martinez said his first bullpen session on Sunday went "real well." Barring a setback once he starts facing live hitters this week, the 23-year-old is expected to return when he's eligible to come off the 15-day injured list on Friday, May 16, which means he likely won't be sent out on a minor-league rehab assignment. The D-backs put Martinez on the shelf in the beginning of May due to right-shoulder inflammation. With lefty A.J. Puk (elbow) quite a ways behind Martinez in his recovery from an elbow injury, Martinez should assume primary closing duties in the desert when he returns to Arizona's bullpen. Before his injury, he had three saves and 11 K's in 10 innings of work.

New York Yankees outfielder/designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton (elbows) could head to Tampa this week to take live at-bats, although nothing has been finalized yet, according to manager Aaron Boone. Stanton has been out all season to this point while dealing with tennis elbow in both of his arms. There's still no timetable for the 35-year-old slugger's return, but it's a good sign that he's close to facing live pitching. He's also been taking batting practice since late last month, so barring a setback, he should play in 2025. Fantasy managers that have been stashing him in an IL spot are hoping that Stanton will make his season debut in pinstripes before the All-Star break in mid-July. When healthy, Stanton still has high-end power, but it comes with lots of injury risk, power outages and a low batting average. When/if he returns, it will be bad news for Ben Rice, who has been serving as the primary DH.

The New York Yankees plan to activate infielder DJ LeMahieu (calf) from the 10-day injured list on Tuesday and start him on Wednesday against the Seattle Mariners, according to manager Aaron Boone. A left-calf strain landed LeMahieu on the IL to begin the 2025 season, and he then battled through a hip injury. The 36-year-old veteran is on the verge of making his season debut for the Yankees, though, and he could see regular at-bats at the keystone with Jazz Chisholm Jr. (oblique) out for an extended period of time. LeMahieu is a former three-time All-Star and two-time batting champion, but he only appeared in 67 games in New York last year due to injuries and hit a lowly .204/.269/.259 with two homers and 26 RBI in 228 plate appearances. Fantasy managers looking for infield help in AL-only leagues can consider picking him up if he's available, but those in mixed leagues will likely want to see more.

Milwaukee Brewers left-hander Jose Quintana (shoulder) has been dealing with left-shoulder soreness after his last time out last Friday against the Tampa Bay Rays and will get some extra days of rest this week before his next appearance, according to Bally Sports Wisconsin's Sophia Minnaert. Quintana said he was feeling better on Monday and plans to throw a bullpen session on Wednesday to get ready to start on either Friday or Saturday versus the Minnesota Twins. The 36-year-old veteran southpaw went 5 1/3 innings against Tampa, allowing three runs (one earned) on seven hits (one homer) while walking two and striking out three for a no-decision. The Twins have been a favorable matchup for pitchers in 2025, but Quintana, who doesn't miss many bats, will be an even riskier fantasy streamer if he starts this weekend. He's gone 4-1 with a nice 2.65 ERA in six starts, but only with 24 K's in 34 innings.