The Texas Rangers are now hoping that right-hander Max Scherzer (back) can return from the injured list in early May after originally believed to be out until maybe late June. Scherzer threw 25 pitches during a live batting practice session on Monday and is expected to throw 40 pitches in a another live BP session on Friday. If he comes out of Friday's session all good, he could embark on a minor-league rehab assignment after that. Scherzer said he's still a bit cautious about his return from surgery to fix a herniated disc in his back, but this is still a very positive development for the Rangers and fantasy managers that have been stashing Scherzer since the regular season started. Don't expect ace-like numbers from the 39-year-old at this point in his career, but when healthy, Scherzer can still act as a solid mid-rotation fantasy starter.

The San Francisco Giants announced on Thursday that starting pitcher Alex Cobb (hip, shoulder) is now dealing with mild shoulder irritation amid his recovery from offseason surgery on his left hip. Cobb says his arm is just still a little "cranky" as he ramps back up, but he doesn't believe his timetable has changed much. It's still yet another minor setback for Cobb, who just resumed throwing on Monday following a brief shutdown due to a mild flexor strain in his right elbow. The 36-year-old right-hander was an All-Star in 2023 and should still be able to return at some point in the month of May. Until Cobb is ready to re-enter San Fran's rotation, swingman Jordan Hicks should remain locked in as a starter for the Giants. Hicks features a 1.57 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and 18:6 K:BB through 23 innings (four starts) and is a must-roster fantasy player ahead of Sunday's scheduled start versus the division-rival Arizona Diamondbacks.

Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Aroldis Chapman was hit with a two-game suspension and fine for his actions during Monday's game against the New York Mets. The veteran fireballer got into an altercation with one of the umpires and was ejected from the game in the eighth inning. Chapman is permitted to appeal the suspension, but there is no word yet whether he will. The 36-year-old has pitched well in a set-up role this season, although he was tagged with the loss on Monday after giving up three runs. He is worth rostering in any leagues that track holds as a scoring category as he has five holds and one save through nine appearances in 2024.

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout went hitless in three at-bats with a strikeout in Thursday's 2-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, he still managed to do some damage on the basepaths with a walk, a run scored and two stolen bases. Trout is already up to five stolen bases on the season, which ties the amount of steals he had in the previous three seasons combined. This was also his first multi-steal game since May of 2018. As long as he stays healthy, the three-time MVP could once again be a big threat in the stolen-base department for fantasy managers. In addition to his five stolen bases, Trout is now hitting .270 with a 1.019 OPS, a league-leading eight home runs, 11 RBI and 13 runs scored. The 32-year-old appears to be back after a frustrating injury-riddled season in 2023.

Los Angeles Angels catcher Logan O'Hoppe and outfielder Aaron Hicks will both start on the bench for Thursday's series finale against the Tampa Bay Rays. It's not surprise that O'Hoppe is out for the day game following a night game. Matt Thaiss is doing the catching and batting fifth, while Mickey Moniak is in right field and batting sixth against Rays right-hander Ryan Pepiot. Neither Thaiss nor Moniak have faced Pepiot in their careers. O'Hoppe has been very hot to start the year, going 18-for-53 (.340) with two home runs and seven RBI in his first 16 games, while Hicks has been the opposite, going 7-for-44 (.159) with a homer and four RBI in his first 13 games with the Halos. Hicks has started just one of the team's last four games and is losing fantasy value quickly in AL-only leagues.

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout continued his strong start to the 2024 campaign with a solo home run in Wednesday's 5-4 win over the Tampa Bay Rays, also drawing an intentional walk in the ninth inning. Trout homered to deep right center in the first inning to get the Halos into the scoring column, which was already his eighth round-tripper of the young season. The 32-year-old perennial All-Star has been excellent so far this year, slashing .282/.363/.690 with an American League-high eight homers, 11 RBI, 12 runs scored, and three stolen bases while returning early-round numbers in all fantasy settings. His RBI upside will likely be held back by Anaheim's underwhelming lineup all season long, but the swipes are a welcome sight after the oft-injured Trout stole only three bags across 201 games from 2022 to 2023. After Thursday's series finale against the Rays, Trout gets a three-game series at the hitter-friendly Great American Ball Park.

New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole (elbow) is playing catch again on Wednesday in New York, which is his first time doing so on back-to-back days after increasing his throwing distance to 75 feet on Tuesday. Manager Aaron Boone said there is no set date for Cole to get on a mound, though. The Yankees will continue to take things slowly with the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner, who is building his stamina back up. If all continues to go well in his recovery from discomfort in his right elbow, Cole has a chance to return to New York's rotation when he's first eligible to come off the 60-day injured list in early June. Right-handers Clarke Schmidt and Luis Gil should continue making starts for the Yanks through the month of May at least, but the two hurlers are only low-end fantasy streamers under the appropriate circumstances.

Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez (groin) made a significant impact during his return to the lineup on Wednesday. The 33-year-old backstop is playing through a Grade 1 left groin strain that he suffered earlier in the week. On Wednesday, Perez smacked a go-ahead two-run home run off right-hander Michael Kopech in the eighth inning. Perez is off to a red-hot start at the plate this season. He has five home runs and 17 RBI through 17 games.

Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Taijuan Walker (shoulder) will throw a bullpen session on Friday and could be activated from the injured list after that. It sounds as though the Phillies have liked what they've seen from Walker's two minor-league rehab starts after they initially said they wanted to see him make four rehab starts before joining the big-league starting rotation. The 31-year-old veteran could make his 2024 debut for the Phils on Monday in what would be an excellent matchup at home against the punchless Chicago White Sox. Even though it would be Walker's first start of the year, he'd be a pretty attractive fantasy streamer in the great matchup. The most in danger of losing their current rotation spot in Philly could be Spencer Turnbull with Walker's return on the horizon.

The San Diego Padres placed right-hander Yu Darvish (neck) on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to April 15) with neck tightness on Wednesday and recalled right-hander Logan Gillaspie from Triple-A El Paso in a corresponding move. It's unclear as of now if Darvish has a realistic chance to return from the IL when he's eligible on April 30, but the 37-year-old will miss at least the next couple of weeks. San Diego's starting pitching depth will be tested in the season's first month, and it's not clear yet who the main candidates are to take Darvish's spot. In his first five starts of 2024, Darvish had posted a 4.18 ERA (3.88 FIP) and 1.27 WHIP with 10 walks and 22 strikeouts in 23 2/3 innings pitched. Keep the five-time All-Star stashed in an IL spot for now in fantasy leagues.

Houston Astros right-hander Justin Verlander (shoulder) will make his 2024 season debut on Friday against the Washington Nationals, according to manager Joe Espada. The team's other starters will shift back a day, with Ronel Blanco going on Saturday and Cristian Javier taking the hill on Sunday. Verlander didn't pitch at all during spring training due to right-shoulder inflammation but is now ready after making a couple minor-league rehab starts and throwing a successful bullpen session on Tuesday. The 41-year-old three-time Cy Young winner didn't look particularly sharp in the minors but got up to 77 pitches in his final rehab start. Don't be surprised if the Astros have a short leash on the future Hall of Famer in his first start of the year in the big leagues this weekend.

Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez (groin) is back behind the plate and is hitting cleanup for the Royals in the first game of a doubleheader on Wednesday against the Chicago White Sox and rookie right-hander Jonathan Cannon, who is making his big-league debut. A Grade 1 left-groin strain kept Perez out of Monday's lineup before Tuesday's contest was postponed. The 33-year-old's injury clearly wasn't too serious, but he'll most likely sit out for the second game of the doubleheader. The eight-time All-Star should be reinserted into all fantasy lineups now that he's active again. Perez is off to an excellent start at the plate in 2024, going 21-for-62 (.339) with four home runs, 15 RBI and eight runs scored in his first 16 games.

The Pittsburgh Pirates announced that catcher Yasmani Grandal (foot) will start a minor-league rehab assignment on Wednesday night with Triple-A Indianapolis. Grandal has been out since spring training with plantar fasciitis in his left foot but is getting close to being able to make his 2024 debut with the Bucs. When the 35-year-old does join the Pirates in the big leagues, he'll split time behind the dish with the struggling Henry Davis, who is currently hitting just .180 (9-for-50) with no home runs and four RBI in his first full major-league season. Grandal can provide some occasional pop as a switch-hitting backstop, but he's no longer a must-roster player in single-catcher leagues, especially since he won't be playing regularly.

Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper had a nice game at the plate in Tuesday's 5-0 win over the Rockies. Harper went 2-for-4 with a double, a two-run home run, three RBI, and a strikeout. The 31-year-old has hit for power but not average to start the season, slashing .215/.301/.462 with four HR and 11 RBI in 73 plate appearances. Fantasy managers should be patient with Harper given his excellent career. Hopefully, his average will start to catch up to his power production.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Michael Wacha allowed 10 hits and gave up five runs while taking a loss in last Friday's 6-1 defeat to the New York Mets, but he finds himself in prime position to bounce back in Wednesday's start on the road in one part of a doubleheader against the division-rival Chicago White Sox. Although Wacha holds a mediocre 4.00 ERA (2.75 FIP) through 18 innings (three starts) to begin his Royals debut season, his 1.05 WHIP is a cause for optimism. Since 2023, the 32-year-old journeyman right-hander is 2-0 with 14 scoreless frames and 15 strikeouts over two appearances against the White Sox. Additionally, the current Chicago roster is hitting a career .141 across 72 plate appearances versus Wacha. With the ChiSox sitting dead last in baseball with 34 runs scored, treat Wacha as a confident fantasy option on Wednesday's full slate.

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Alex Cobb (hip, elbow), who was briefly shut down recently with a mild flexor strain in his right elbow, has been cleared to resume throwing and tossed a bullpen session in Arizona on Tuesday. Other than that hiccup, Cobb is progressing well and believes he's ahead of schedule in his rehab from offseason surgery on his left hip. The 36-year-old right-hander was an All-Star in 2023 for the first time in his career, and despite running into trouble with the long ball in the second half, he still managed to compile a solid 3.87 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, and 131:37 K:BB across 151 1/3 innings (28 starts). Cobb could re-enter San Fran's rotation at some time during May, and he's a decent stash in most fantasy leagues. With Robbie Ray (elbow) also on the shelf, Jordan Hicks and Keaton Winn should continue to function as starters for the Giants for the time being.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander (shoulder) is set to make his return from the injured list. The veteran right-hander will make his season debut either Friday or Saturday versus the Washington Nationals. The 41-year-old has been brought along slowly while he recovers from a shoulder injury. He's finally ready to return after having no issues during a recent bullpen outing. It's uncertain if the Astros will have Verlander on a pitch count or limited in some capacity. Regardless, fantasy managers in season-long formats can get him back in their lineups this weekend.

Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez (groin) remains out of the starting lineup ahead of Tuesday's game against the Chicago White Sox. The veteran catcher has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 left groin strain. Despite that, Perez hasn't been placed on the injured list and is considered as day-to-day. It wouldn't be shocking to see Perez miss a few more games while he recovers from this issue. Freddy Fermin will cover behind the plate and bat eighth during Tuesday's game.

The Milwaukee Brewers placed outfielder Christian Yelich (back) on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to April 13) on Tuesday with a lower-back strain and recalled infielder/outfielder Owen Miller from Triple-A Nashville in a corresponding move. Yelich was put on the IL after not playing since last Friday. This is definitely an injury that could linger for the 32-year-old Yelich, so fantasy managers should be prepared to be patient if he's forced to miss more than 10 days. Keep him stashed in an IL spot in all fantasy leagues after he started the year hitting .333 (13-for-39) with five home runs, 11 RBI and two steals in 11 games. Blake Perkins is starting in center field and batting sixth against the San Diego Padres and right-hander Dylan Cease on Tuesday, but Joey Wiemer could also see additional playing time in Milwaukee's outfield until Yelich is able to return.

It's "very unlikely" that designated hitter J.D. Martinez (back) will join the New York Mets on their upcoming West Coast road trip, according to manager Carlos Mendoza. The Mets begin their road trip this Friday, April 19, against the Los Angeles Dodgers and will wrap it up in San Francisco against the Giants on Wednesday, April 24. Martinez didn't sign with New York until late in spring training, so he stuck around in extended spring training to get his timing down at the plate before injuring his back in early April. The 36-year-old could start a rehab assignment later this week and make his 2024 debut with the Mets later this month or in early May. When he's finally ready to return, Martinez can still provide some thump from the DH spot and will give the Mets more protection for All-Star first baseman Pete Alonso.