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Kershaw (shoulder) is expected to pitch a two-inning simulated game Friday, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

Advice: Kershaw tossed one inning against live batters Saturday and appears to have come out of that session well given that he will next progress to throwing two simulated frames. Manager Dave Roberts said Sunday that the future Hall of Fame hurler is "way ahead of schedule" but also implied that Kershaw is likely still "about six weeks" away from being ready to join the big club, per Matthew Moreno of Dodger Blue. Kershaw himself has declined to establish a timeframe for his return, though mid-July is looking like a reasonable expectation. Rotowire.com 4 minutes ago

The Reds optioned Ashcraft to Triple-A Louisville on Thursday.

Advice: Ashcraft got off to a decent enough start this season, but things unraveled for him over the last month, as he posted a 6.83 ERA, 1.70 WHIP and 19:12 K:BB over 27.2 frames covering his last six starts. It's not yet clear how the Reds plan to fill his spot in the rotation, but shifting the versatile Nick Martinez back to a starting role is an option. Brandon Williamson (shoulder) remains on the 60-day injured list but is another candidate to fill the void, as he made the fourth start of his rehab assignment Sunday with Triple-A Louisville, tossing four scoreless innings. Rotowire.com Today, 10:10 am

Red Sox activated RHP Isaiah Campbell from the 15-day injured list; optioned him to Triple-A Worcester.

Advice: The 26-year-old was acquired from the Red Sox in the offseason from the Mariners but posted a 12.79 ERA, 2.05 WHIP, and a 5/2 K/BB ratio over 6 1/3 innings before landing on the IL with right shoulder impingement. The right-hander did have a 2.83 ERA in 28 2/3 innings for the Mariners as a rookie last season, so he could be an important addition to the Red Sox bullpen if he can recapture that form in the minors while recovering from his injury. Rotoworld Today, 10:04 am

Cavalli (elbow) hasn't pitched since May 30, but the Nationals are simply giving him some rest before the final push in his recovery from Tommy John surgery, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports. "Just giving himself a little break, a little breather," manager Dave Martinez said Wednesday. "He's been pushing himself pretty hard. We're still ahead of the game a little bit. We just want to ease up a little bit."

Advice: The 25-year-old right-hander underwent the procedure in March 2023, and the organization is making sure he'll be fully recovered when he finally comes off IL. Cavalli has struck out 10 batters in 5.1 innings over his first two rehab appearances, one in the Florida Complex League and one with High-A Wilmington, but the Nats have yet to set a date for his next start. He's expected to join the big-league rotation before the end of the month. Rotowire.com Today, 9:06 am

According to Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic, the Twins have asked Louie Varland to focus on developing his change-up while at Triple-A.

Advice: Gleeman notes that the Twins wanted Varland to increase his changeup usage, and” he’s thrown it nearly three times as often for the Saints,” up to 23 percent overall. The pitch has been “encouraging” to the organization, and they’ve also been “working with Varland to tweak his cutter in search of more movement.” Varland has a 4.30 ERA and 39-to-10 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 37 2/3 innings since being demoted, but Gleeman notes that much of the damage against Varland has been on the pitches he’s currently working to develop, which is understandable since pitch mix changes don’t often happen quickly. While these modifications may not have a major impact for Varland’s fantasy value this season, they’re certainly positive developments. Rotoworld Today, 7:57 am