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Nestor Cortes (elbow) has resumed playing catch.
The 30-year-old had a PRP injection in his left elbow after his start on April 3rd and has been shut down since then. He started playing catch earlier this week and will build up to long toss, bullpens, and then a rehab assignment. We’re still many weeks away from seeing him on a mound in Milwaukee.
Frankie Montas (lat) threw a bullpen on Monday.
This is the third bullpen session for Montas as he continues his throwing program following a lat strain he suffered in spring training. The veteran will need a full buildup, almost as a separate Spring Training, before he can be considered to rejoin the Mets rotation. The original plan was for him to return in early June, and if he progresses to a rehab assignment soon, that could still be in play for the 32-year-old.
Ken Waldichuk (elbow) threw a 30-pitch bullpen on Tuesday.
Waldichuk used all of his pitches in the session and is scheduled to throw another bullpen on Saturday. The left-hander had Tommy John surgery last year and is targeting a return before the All-Star break. It remains to be seen what role the Athletics will use him in when he does return.
Slade Cecconi (oblique) allowed three runs on five hits in four innings for Triple-A Columbus on Tuesday.
He also struck out two batters and walked one on the day. More importantly, he was up to 61 pitches and threw 43 of them for strikes. The 25-year-old is set to start again on Sunday and could push up over 70 pitches in that one as he continues to progress in his return from injury.
Giancarlo Stanton (elbows) took live batting practice on Tuesday.
It was another big step in his return from injuries to both elbows. The 35-year-old slugger is scheduled to remain behind in New York and continue workouts during the team’s upcoming West Coast trip. If he continues to feel good after his live batting practice sessions, then we could see him begin a rehab assignment soon. With Ben Rice and Trent Grisham playing well, it would be foolish to assume that Stanton returns to a full-time spot in the Yankees’ lineup, especially given his injury history. He may start on the short side of a platoon and then progress from there, depending on his results.
Jazz Chisholm (oblique) revealed on Tuesday that “he is actually dealing with three separate tears in the oblique.”
The 27-year-old still claims he hopes to beat the 4-6 week timeline back onto the field, but this makes us feel like 6-8 weeks could seem more likely since he has to wait for three separate injuries to heal before he can start swinging a bat again. If you have IL spots, he’s an easy player to stash, but if you’re in leagues that don’t have any, it becomes a much tougher decision. We’d try to hold onto him if you can, but six weeks is a long time to wait if your fantasy teams are struggling.