After a short break, that included my first international vacation since becoming a father, here are a few quick hits from the past week:

Andrew Painter to Face Live Hitters this Week (Link)

Great news for the Phillies and dynasty managers this week. Painter’s UCL sprain was a major letdown during Spring Training because it looked as if he may have taken the Phillies’ fifth starter job going into the season. Based on this news, he may fulfill that role as early as this year and perhaps just in time for dynasty managers’ postseason. Atlanta appears to be running away with the division, so the Phillies will likely compete with several teams for the Wild Card. I can see them being aggressive with Painter once he is deemed fully healthy, following the league-wide trend of aggressive promotions for pitching prospects.

Brailyn Marquez Assigned to Single A (Link)

In 2019 and 2020, Marquez was a hyped pitching prospect with a huge fastball. Across two levels in 2019, he struck 128 batters in 103.2 innings, and for the five games after his promotion to High A, he had a 1.71 ERA and 1.06 WHIP over five starts. Marquez had a one-inning debut with the Cubs in 2020 but has been on the shelf since then. Now he starts his comeback trail to Wrigley and should be monitored for usage patterns and velocity readings. If he is stretched out to start, then dynasty managers may want to take a flier on a guy who has already debuted at the major league level and will be on the 40-man roster. If he is kept in a short relief role, I find it harder to roster him, since the Cubs already have a couple of high-upside relievers (i.e., Adbert Alzolay, Jeremiah Estrada).

Triston McKenzie Injury Status Unclear (Link)

McKenzie was shut down with a UCL sprain and per the report, just got a second opinion on his elbow. In my opinion, dynasty managers should be preparing to lose McKenzie for the season. Those in contention should look to jump the market for a starting pitcher if they were counting on McKenzie for the stretch run. Those with McKenzie may look to ship him to a rebuilding team that can afford to wait a season plus for him. He may come out of this without needing Tommy John Surgery, but second opinions and delayed status updates usually lead to bad news.

Tarik Skubal to Debut on Tuesday (Link)

Those who have rostered Skubal through this rehab should be rewarded starting this week. Tuesday he faces Oakland, so the rewards should be immediate. And from here on out, let’s hope that Skubal continues to improve, as his 2022 was excellent with 117.2 IP, 3.52 ERA, 2.96 FIP, and 117 strikeouts. The Tigers find themselves only four games out of the division lead. If they remain competitive through the summer, Detroit will keep its foot on the gas and should remain on a regular schedule. If they fall out of the race, I could see AJ Hinch resting Skubal from time to time, to make sure he is healthy for 2024.

Hyun Jin Ryu to Begin Rehab (Link)

Ryu is on track for his predicted return in July. At 36 years old and coming off of Tommy John Surgery, there is no way to know how Ryu will handle major league hitters this season. However, he has a strong track record of success and could provide relief for dynasty managers who are looking for innings in the second half. Plus, who does not like a “best shape of their life” story—apparently Ryu has lost 30 pounds.

Alec Marsh Makes Debut with Royals (Link)

In 4.0 IP, Marsh gave up five runs with four walks and five strikeouts. Over his minor league career, Marsh has put up gaudy strikeout numbers, but his control has lagged. He is likely to go back to Double-A, but a strikeout arm like this should be monitored. There is not much in the way of roadblocks in Kansas City, so this is a potential pop-up arm.

Hunter Greene Out Through August (Link)

Greene’s hip injury is likely to keep him out through August. Thankfully this is not an arm injury to one of the game’s young pitching stars. Greene will return to an invigorated Reds team and should earn wins at a much higher rate than he has thus far in this career. To date, Greene is 7-17 through 199 innings. On a good team, Greene may flip those wins and losses and take his dynasty production to the next level.

Alek Manoah Shines in his First Start at Double-A (Link)

Manoah pitched five innings of one-run ball with 10 strikeouts and three walks. This is the sort of performance that dynasty managers were looking for. I wouldn’t expect him to start striking out two batters per inning; this is the most strikeouts that Manoah has had since 2021. Those who held Manoah and those who bought low have to be feeling pretty good after this start and it will be interesting to see if the Jays keep him at Double-A for a few more starts.