• Bryce Elder starting Wednesday against Cardinals
    Bryce Elder will start on Wednesday against the Cardinals.

    Advice: Elder remains a non-factor for fantasy purposes, but the interesting wrinkle here with him coming up to take the ball for the second game of Wednesday’s doubleheader at Busch Stadium is that it pushes Chris Sale back an extra day to take the ball against his former team in Chicago. Rotoworld Yesterday, 6:46 pm
    Bryce ElderATL - SP
    W, 6-2 @STL ; Bot 5, 0-2 @STL
     
  • Josiah Gray sharp on Tuesday in rehab outing
    Josiah Gray (elbow) allowed one run over six innings on Tuesday in a minor league rehab start for Triple-A Rochester.

    Advice: Gray struck out four, didn’t hand out a free pass, and got up to around 90 pitches in his latest rehab outing. The 26-year-old righty should be ready to return to Washington’s starting rotation at some point later this week or early next week. He’s been on the shelf since early April due to a flexor strain in his right elbow. Rotoworld Yesterday, 5:31 pm
     
  • Roansy Contreras to start Wednesday against A’s
    Roansy Contreras will start on Wednesday against the Athletics.

    Advice: It’s a favorable matchup for streaming purposes, but Contreras is too risky to roll the dice on, with the notable exception of extremely deep mixed leagues or AL-only formats. The 24-year-old former prospect was acquired last month from the Pirates in a small trade and has fared reasonably well in nine relief appearances for Los Angeles. Angels manager Ron Washington told reporters they’re hoping to get at least four or five innings out of Contreras on Wednesday afternoon. Rotoworld Yesterday, 4:10 pm
    Roansy ContrerasLAA - SP,RP
    W, 5-2 vs OAK
     
  • Set to start Wednesday
    Contreras will start Wednesday's game against the Athletics, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

    Advice: The 24-year-old was acquired from the Pirates in May and has worked out of the bullpen for his first nine appearances for the Halos. Contreras has pitched to a 3.29 ERA and 0.95 WHIP over 13.2 innings with Anaheim, and manager Ron Washington said the club is hoping the right-hander can cover about four or five innings versus Oakland, per Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 3:38 pm
    Roansy ContrerasLAA - SP,RP
    W, 5-2 vs OAK
     
  • To resume throwing Friday
    Bloss (shoulder) will play light catch Friday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

    Advice: Bloss was placed on the 15-day injured list Saturday with right shoulder inflammation following his major-league debut, but he has a shot to return shortly after those 15 days are up. Whether he returns in the majors or minors could hinge on whether Bloss beats Justin Verlander (neck) back from the IL. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 1:02 pm
    Jake BlossHOU - SP
    W, 7-1 vs COL
     
  • Could take Lodolo's spot
    Ashcraft is a candidate to be called up from Triple-A Louisville to start in place of Nick Lodolo (blister), who was placed on the 15-day injured list Tuesday, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

    Advice: Ashcraft has turned in consecutive quality starts since his demotion to Louisville, yielding a total of four runs with a 12:2 K:BB over 12 innings. He's currently slated to start Wednesday for Louisville, but the Reds don't have a starter listed for that day. Lodolo isn't eligible to return until July 9, so Ashcraft would likely be needed for multiple starts if he's indeed the choice. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 9:49 am
     
  • Making rehab appearance Tuesday
    Gray (elbow) will make his next rehab start for Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday, Bobby Blanco of MASNSports.com reports.

    Advice: Gray is expected to work around six innings or 90 pitches Tuesday after firing five innings and 79 pitches in his last minor-league rehab start Wednesday with Double-A Harrisburg. If all goes according to plan, Gray could return from the 15-day injured list and slot back into the Washington rotation following Tuesday's outing. Rotowire.com Monday, 4:34 pm
     
  • Dealing with shoulder inflammation
    Astros manager Joe Espada said Sunday that an MRI on Bloss's right shoulder revealed inflammation, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

    Advice: The 23-year-old right-hander was placed on the 15-day injured list Saturday and will refrain from throwing for at least a few days until the swelling subsides. He sustained the injury in his major-league debut against the Orioles on Friday, when he was removed after giving up two runs on six hits and one walk while striking out two over 3.2 innings. Rotowire.com Sunday, 12:01 pm
    Jake BlossHOU - SP
    W, 7-1 vs COL
     
  • Focusing on changeup
    Ashcraft has thrown 12 innings at Triple-A Louisville since his demotion, allowing four runs on 10 hits and two walks while striking out 12. He's been instructed to work on his changeup to improve his off-speed offerings, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

    Advice: Ashcraft could be back in the majors soon. "It's a matter of time," Reds pitching coach Derek Johnson said. "If he has another good start or whatever, we have a decision to make." Rotowire.com Sunday, 9:29 am