Fantasy Sports

Cubs manager Craig Counsell made it official that Imanaga will take the ball fro Thursday’s series finale at Busch Stadium. The 31-year-old upper-echelon fantasy starter has been out since late April recovering from a hamstring strain. He struck out eight over 4 1/3 shutout frames last Friday in his final minor league rehab start for Triple-A Iowa.

Atlanta won’t have an official timetable for Sale’s return until they see how quickly his fractured left rib cage heals, which is presumably when he would be cleared to resume throwing again. The 36-year-old fantasy ace hit the injured list over the weekend and facing an extended absence, even in a best-case scenario, since it’ll likely be several weeks before his ribs heal to the point he’s able to resume throwing. It’ll be intriguing rookie Didier Fuentes who gets the first shot to replace him in Atlanta’s rotation.

Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo told reporters they’re still waiting for the results of an MRI that Carroll underwent earlier in the day. He added that the “concern level” over the situation is higher than its been in recent days. The 24-year-old superstar is out of Monday’s lineup for the fifth-straight game due to a left hand contusion and won’t be available to pinch-hit. We’ll have updates on the developing situation as it unfolds. There should be something definitive following Monday’s series opener in Chicago.

Vientos needs a few additional rehab contests before returning to New York’s lineup. He’s scheduled to play on Tuesday and Wednesday in the minors, which puts him on track to be activated for Thursday’s series finale against Atlanta at Citi Field. It’s notable that Luisangel Acuña has already been optioned to the minors and Ronny Mauricio seems to be the logical move to get him back on the active roster.

Westburg remains on the bench for the second straight contest after jamming his left index finger during Saturday’s tilt against the Yankees on a stolen base attempt. X-rays came back negative for any fractures, but the Orioles are going to proceed with an abundance of caution. It’ll be veteran Ramón Urías taking over at the hot corner on Monday night in his absence.

Kameron Misner was sent down to open up a spot, so the Rays are picking offensive over defense for once. Simpson was hitting .366/.416/.465 with 11 steals in 16 games since being demoted. He figures to start against right-handers, probably mostly in left field but maybe occasionally in center, and he’ll be worth using in mixed leagues.

Fitzgerald, who was batting .230/.289/.320 in 200 plate appearances, finally began losing some time at second base last week, though he started the last two games against the Red Sox and helped the Giants win yesterday with a successful squeeze bunt. It’s a little surprising to see him get sent down now, but it did figure that the Giants would turn to Casey Schmitt at second base following Matt Chapman’s return. Brett Wisely and Christian Koss could platoon until then.

Wow. It definitely seems like the right move, but we’re shocked the Reds did it. After all, Candelario’s three-year, $45 million contract is only just reaching the midway point. Candelario was bad in hitting .225/.279/.429 last season and far worse in opening this year at .113/.198/.213 in 91 plate appearances before going on the IL with a lumbar strain. He’d since played 17 games on a rehab assignment and hit .211/.318/.333 in the 15 of those that took place in Triple-A. The Reds could have brought him back and plugged him into the lineup with neither Spencer Steer nor Christian Encarnacion-Strand playing very well at the moment, but there wasn’t any reason to believe he’d be an upgrade. He’ll go unclaimed on waivers and become a free agent, at which point maybe the Red Sox or Mariners would be interested in giving him a look. A return to the Nationals might also be an option; he excelled there in 2023, and both Nathaniel Lowe and Josh Bell will be very much available in trade.

Woodruff was sidelined to start the season after undergoing shoulder surgery this offseason. He then experienced tendinitis in his ankle while on the rehab assignment and then got hit in the elbow with a comebacker just a few weeks ago. The 32-year-old is slated to throw a live batting practice session on Tuesday, after which he could restart his rehab assignment.

Harper was placed on the IL with wrist inflammation on June 7, so it’s good to see him taking swings just two weeks later. He is set to hit in the cage at some point this week, after which he could potentially begin a rehab assignment. All of which means that we might see Harper back in Philadelphia in just a couple of weeks.