Betting

He’s back. Ohtani returns to the lineup at DH and will hit leadoff after sitting out Friday’s series opener to rest his ailing left knee. The encouraging news is that a precautionary MRI revealed no structural damage. The 31-year-old two-way superstar is expected to be given the green light to take the mound on Tuesday against the Rays in his next start.

Arozarena expressed optimism that he’ll avoid his first-ever trip to the injured list following an early exit from Friday’s contest at hot and humid Nationals Park in Washington D.C. The 31-year-old power/speed combo threat figures to receive extra time off to rest and recover this weekend, including Monday’s scheduled off day, before the Mariners return to Seattle to start a series against the Orioles on Tuesday. It’ll be Luke Raley taking over in right field on Saturday afternoon.

Skubal returns to Detroit’s rotation to face the division-rival Guardians on Saturday following a lightning-quick 38-day recovery from a minimally invasive NanoScope procedure to remove loose bodies from his elbow. The 29-year-old back-to-back reigning AL Cy Young Award winner draws a favorable matchup out of the gate against a Cleveland lineup that ranks 27th in OPS (.680) this season. He’s posted a sparkling 2.70 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 45/6 K/BB ratio across 43 1/3 innings over seven starts prior to hitting the injured list.

Boone elaborated that Stanton felt some discomfort in his calf while running the bases earlier this week and could potentially undergo followup imaging to determine the severity of the issue. The 36-year-old veteran slugger was on the precipice of a rehab assignment prior to the setback. He’s been on the shelf with a calf strain since late April. There is no timetable for his return following this latest development.

Guerrero’s stunning power outage has lingered until almost midseason as he’s recorded just three round-trippers through 68 games this season after eclipsing 30 homers in three of the last five years. The 27-year-old franchise cornerstone receives some time off to address a lower back issue after hitting .184 (7-for-38) with three RBI across 10 games since the start of June. He went 1-for-5 with a double and an RBI during Friday’s series opener. It’ll be rookie Charles McAdoo filling in at the cold corner to face Yankees rising ace Cam Schlittler on Saturday afternoon.

Domínguez is in right field and hitting second in Saturday’s showdown against the Blue Jays after missing just over five weeks recovering from an AC joint sprain in his left shoulder back in early May. The 23-year-old former top prospect offers an intriguing blend of fantasy-relevant skills but hasn’t produced consistently enough to provide sustained mixed-league value. He’ll factor into New York’s corner outfield rotation, along with rookie Spencer Jones and versatile José Caballero, while both Aaron Judge (ribs) and Trent Grisham (hamstring) are on the shelf.

Grisham’s injury is merely the latest blow to New York’s outfield depth, leaving Cody Bellinger as the lone Opening Day starter left standing. It’ll be former top prospect Jasson Domínguez, who was activated from the injured list in a corresponding move, along with free-swinging rookie Spencer Jones and José Caballero splitting time in the outfield corners next to Bellinger. No word on the severity of the strain, which will determine how much time Grisham misses. He was hitting .232/.341/.406 with eight homers and six steals as the Yankees’ primary leadoff hitter against right-handed starters.

Braves manager Walt Weiss told reporters late Friday that Strider will undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the injury and whether he’s dealing with any structural issues. It’s an extremely concerning development given his injury history, which already includes two elbow surgeries. The 27-year-old former fantasy ace experienced a noticeable velocity dip, which lead to his removal from Friday’s start against the Mets in the fourth inning after just 68 pitches. There should be a definitive update on his status later this weekend. Top prospect JR Ritchie, who fired five shutout innings in relief following Strider’s departure, appears to be the most logical candidate to fill his rotation spot.

Lindor progressed to taking live batting practice on Friday for the first time since hitting the injured list with a calf strain back in late April. The 32-year-old shortstop will go through a pair of workouts next week before potentially heading out on a minor league rehab assignment. The hops is that ramping up in a controlled environment will minimize the number of rehab contests he’ll require before returning to New York. It’s an encouraging update for the Mets and fantasy managers alike.

“He got, I’d say, very good news,” Reds manager Terry Francona told reporters on Friday. “He’s about 90 percent healed, which is fantastic.” He added that De La Cruz will continue ramping up baseball activities and that they’ll make a decision on his next steps, including a potential rehab assignment, later this weekend. All signs point to De La Cruz making it back to Cincinnati before the end of June, which is right in line with his initial 2-4 week recovery timeline.