MLB

Molina returns to fortify Atlanta’s bullpen mix with starter Spencer Strider (elbow) hitting the injured list. The 24-year-old has tossed two scoreless innings at the big-league level this season.

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.

Conelio earns a ticket back to the minors after throwing 73 pitches over 4 1/3 innings in relief during Friday’s blowout loss to the Mariners. The 26-year-old rookie boasts an underwhelming 6.48 ERA across 8 1/3 innings over three appearances this season.

Anthony remains in a bit of a holding pattern as the club waits for him to be completely symptom-free before he picks up a bat again. It’s been over two weeks since he experienced discomfort while swinging and was shut down afterwards. The 22-year-old has been on the shelf since early May with a nebulous wrist and finger issue. There should be some clarity on his status at some point before the end of June. In the meantime, fantasy managers shouldn’t expect him back at any point in the near future.

Gonzalez’s impending return will certainly improve Boston’s lineup against left-handed starters. The 29-year-old infielder has been on the shelf recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. He’ll likely require a multi-week rehab stint given the lengthy layoff from game action, but he should make it back to Fenway Park before the end of June.

“It doesn’t look great as we stand here, right now,” said Weiss after Strider experienced shoulder and elbow soreness, which led to his early exit from the fourth inning of Friday’s start against the Mets after just 68 pitches. He also experienced a significant velocity drop prior to exiting, which is never a good sign, especially for a pitcher with two elbow surgeries already on his resume. He was charged with seven runs on six hits, including three home runs, in the abbreviated outing. He struck out three and issued one walk. He’ll undergo imaging to determine the exact nature of the injury. There should be a definitive update on his status at some point this weekend. It seems highly unlikely that he’ll make his next start against the Giants on Thursday. The logical choice to fill his rotation spot would be top prospect JR Ritchie, who threw five scoreless innings following Strider’s departure.

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.

It sounded like a precautionary move when Carter left Friday’s contest in the fifth inning following a phenomenal defensive play in left field the prior inning. He’ll undergo further evaluation and possibly imaging this weekend to determine the severity of the issue. The 23-year-old was 0-for-2 at the dish prior to leaving the contest at Fenway Park.

Adames was back at shortstop and hitting sixth following a brief one-game hiatus due to lower-body discomfort. The 30-year-old infielder is hitting .275 (33-for-120) with eight homers and 23 RBI over his last 30 games, despite some recent struggles at the dish.