San Francisco Giants DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

San Francisco Giants left-hander Robbie Ray (elbow) will face live hitters on Saturday for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery in May of last year. It's a pretty major development for the veteran southpaw. The 32-year-old began throwing bullpen sessions for the Giants during spring training but still isn't expected to be an option for their starting rotation until around the All-Star break in the middle of July. For a pitcher that has had issue with control in the past, fantasy managers may want to temper expectations for Ray for the second half of the 2024 campaign. On the flip side, the American League Cy Young winner in 2021 with the Toronto Blue Jays has plenty of strikeout upside with a 28.9% strikeout rate in 10 big-league seasons.

San Francisco Giants manager Bob Melvin says it's unlikely that outfielder Michael Conforto (hamstring) will be activated from the 10-day injured list in time for the club's series that starts on Friday against the New York Mets. After hitting the IL back on May 12, Conforto has ramped up his running progression but likely hasn't progressed quickly enough in his rehab from a strained right hamstring to return to the Giants when first eligible this weekend. The 31-year-old former New York Met was slashing a respectable .280/.331/.490 with seven home runs, seven doubles, and 20 RBI in 38 games (143 at-bats) as San Fran's everyday left fielder before getting hurt, and he's a decent stash in the majority of fantasy leagues. In Conforto's absence, former first-rounder Heliot Ramos is worth a look in NL-only formats while hitting .296 (16-for-54) with two homers, nine RBI, and one stolen base over 14 outings this year.

The San Francisco Giants placed left-hander Blake Snell on the paternity list on Thursday and recalled relief pitcher Nick Avila from Double-A Richmond in a corresponding move. Snell should be back in time for his next start against the Philadelphia Phillies. The reigning National League Cy Young winner made his return from the injured list on Wednesday to face the Pittsburgh Pirates and he'll now leave the team for a few days. In his return from a groin strain, Snell allowed four earned runs on four hits while walking a season-high four batters and striking out five in 3 1/3 innings in a no-decision. The 31-year-old southpaw remains winless on the year with a nightmarish 11.40 ERA and 2.07 WHIP with 17 strikeouts in 15 innings of work over four starts. Snell should be able to get things figured out and has been notorious for being a slow starter, so he's worth some buy-low offers if you're in need of a strikeout artist.

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Logan Webb posted his eighth quality start of the season in a no-decision versus the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday. The right-hander tossed six frames and allowed six hits, two runs and one walk with six strikeouts. With the strong outing, Webb now has a solid 3.03 ERA. Webb opened the month of May with a hiccup when he allowed five runs (four earned) versus the Philadelphia Phillies, be he has bounced back with four earned runs allowed over his past four starts. As one of the more consistent pitchers in the sport, Webb is worth starting in all matchups moving forward. Next up for the right-hander will be a date with the New York Mets on Sunday.

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Blake Snell (groin) is expected to be reinstated from the injured list to start Wednesday's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Snell has been out of action since April 19 due to a strained left groin, but he's ready to roll following two strong appearances on his minor-league rehab assignment. It's worth noting that Snell is expecting his first child in the coming days, but at this point in time, manager Bob Melvin feels like he's going to pitch on Wednesday. The hard-throwing 31-year-old left-hander gave up 15 runs over 11 2/3 innings (three starts) before going down, but fantasy managers should feel pretty good about Snell's chances of kick-starting his season in a soft matchup against Pittsburgh.