MLB News

Cincinnati Reds second baseman Matt McLain (calf) has rejoined the team after spending the All-Star break at the club's complex in Goodyear, Arizona, receiving treatment. He was seen with the team fielding ground balls and taking batting practice in Colorado ahead of the Reds' weekend series against the Rockies. If all goes well, he could be activated at any time, as his 10-day stint on the Injured List makes him eligible to return this weekend. The 26-year-old has had a disappointing season, hitting just eight home runs and stealing 11 bases while batting an underwhelming .190. He is worth rostering only in the deepest fantasy leagues as a depth piece due to his multi-position eligibility.

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Nick Lodolo (finger) recently had the blister on his left index finger drained and has begun throwing a plyo ball. The plan is for him to continue throwing the plyo ball until the tenderness in the affected finger subsides. Until that happens, both Lodolo and the Reds want to keep the 28-year-old's arm as loose as possible so that he doesn't fall too far behind and require additional ramp-up time. The southpaw is unfortunately no stranger to blisters, as this is his second such injury of 2026, making it a recurring issue. As a result, his 4.60 ERA and 1.47 WHIP seem out of place for someone who appeared poised for a breakout just last season. The hope is that he can get this blister issue under control soon enough for his true potential to finally shine through.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Kris Bubic (elbow/shoulder) could begin a new throwing program soon. After missing his rehab start on July 1 due to shoulder soreness, the left-hander received a cortisone injection and is now nearly ready to begin a new throwing program. Already on the Injured List with a previous bout of left elbow soreness, Bubic developed left shoulder discomfort following a bout of arm fatigue and a rehab start in which he allowed six runs on eight hits and one walk while recording just four outs. With two significant injuries to manage, it is unclear what his throwing program will entail, but it will likely be slow-moving and carefully monitored. While this is a positive development, it remains unclear whether he will pitch again this season.

Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Carlos Estevez (shoulder) has begun a throwing program as he works his way back from a right rotator cuff strain he sustained in April. Over the past few months, the 33-year-old reliever made substantial progress, advancing to the point where he was able to throw multiple bullpen sessions in June. However, he then suffered a setback that required an injection to relieve the pain. He has only now been able to resume a throwing program, and the extent of his current workload remains unknown. While there is no exact timeline for his return, it's safe to say he won't be back on the mound for the Royals anytime soon. That being said, it's still quite possible that he pitches in 2026, although when that happens will depend on how he continues to recover and whether he can avoid another setback.

New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto (calf) is serving as the designated hitter and will bat second on Saturday on the road at Citizens Bank Park against the division-rival Philadelphia Phillies and left-hander Jesus Luzardo, according to MLB.com. Soto was removed from Thursday's game early to kick off the second half of the season due to soreness in his calf, but after a day off on Friday, he's feeling good enough to return to the Mets' lineup as the DH. Even though he's facing a left-hander on Saturday, fantasy managers must get Soto back in their starting lineups in all traditional formats. The 27-year-old Dominican All-Star returns to a .292/.412/.563 slash line with a .976 OPS, 21 home runs, 51 RBI, 44 runs scored, and seven stolen bases in 277 at-bats despite spending time on the injured list early on with a calf injury. Soto has extensive experience against Luzardo in his career and has fared well against him, batting .333 with a 1.041 OPS, a home run, and five RBI in 21 at-bats.

Kansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia (hand) will be re-evaluated on Sunday to determine whether he can ramp up his hitting progression. Over the All-Star break, the 26-year-old began swinging a bat, which is an encouraging sign in his recovery. With his re-evaluation scheduled for Sunday, the team should have a better sense of where he stands health-wise, which will go a long way toward determining his next steps. If he is cleared to progress, the Royals expect him to increase the number of rounds of batting practice he takes. Garcia was placed on the Injured List on June 23 with a left-hand muscle strain, which could explain his lackluster 2026 season. He has hit just three home runs and stolen five bases while batting .261, making him a disappointment for most fantasy baseball managers this season. The hope is that once he is healthy, he can return to being a five-category contributor.

Texas Rangers right-hander Jack Leiter (ankle) threw a bullpen session during this week's All-Star break and continues to throw off flat ground this weekend during the team's series in Atlanta against the Braves, per MLB.com. Leiter's arm is feeling good as he continues to rehab after having arthroscopic surgery on his right ankle. The Rangers placed him on the 15-day injured list on June 21. Barring a setback, the 26-year-old former second overall pick from Vanderbilt University in 2021 will have a chance to return late in the 2026 season. Leiter's timetable for a return should become clearer once he resumes throwing off a mound, but he'll most likely need a minor-league rehab assignment before he rejoins Texas' starting rotation for the stretch run. He has yet to live up to his draft hype in his three big-league seasons so far, and he was 3-7 with a 5.29 ERA (4.76 FIP) and 1.44 WHIP with 83 strikeouts and 35 walks in 80 innings (15 starts) this year before going on the IL. Only fantasy managers in AL-only and keeper leagues should be stashing Leiter right now. He's rostered in just 15% of Yahoo leagues.

Multiple MLB teams are showing interest in acquiring Washington Nationals infielder Luis Garcia Jr. in a trade, according to Will Sammon and Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic. Garcia could present an intriguing opportunity for contending teams, with the possibility that the trade market this summer will lack power-hitting options. However, any talks between the Nats and other teams regarding Garcia are in the preliminary stages, and Washington hasn't seriously engaged on the topic. The Nationals are open to listening to offers on Garcia, but they value him because of his talent and an additional year of club control at a reasonable dollar figure. The 26-year-old is making $6.875 million in 2026 through arbitration and can become a free agent after the 2027 season. The lefty hitter has already reached career highs in homers (20) and is batting .284/.317/.554 with an .871 OPS, 68 RBI, 45 runs, and four steals in 90 games going into Saturday. Garcia still mostly sits against lefties, but his underlying metrics in the last three seasons show that he has an above-average bat. If the Nats pull the trigger on trading Garcia this year, they will most likely be looking to get back young, controllable pitching.

The New York Yankees announced on Saturday that they transferred outfielder Aaron Judge (rib) to the 60-day injured list to make room on the roster for right-hander Bradley Hanner, who was signed to a major-league contract and optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The move doesn't change Judge's timetable to return. At the very least, Judge is going to need another couple of weeks before he's a realistic option to rejoin the major-league roster as he attempts to return from a rib injury that has kept him sidelined since May 31. The 30-year-old three-time MVP and eight-time All-Star went on the IL on June 4, and he probably won't return until at least early August. Obviously, the 6-foot-7, 282-pounder must be stashed in all fantasy leagues until he's ready to return. Before his injury, he was hitting .248/.375/.533 with a .907 OPS, 17 home runs, 38 RBI, 43 runs scored, and five stolen bases in 59 games and 261 plate appearances. At least for another couple of weeks, Jasson Dominguez will continue to see regular playing time in New York's outfield with Giancarlo Stanton (calf) still sidelined as well.

Los Angeles Dodgers right-handed closer Edwin Diaz (elbow) is getting closer to making his return from the 60-day injured list after another sharp rehab appearance on Friday night at Low-A Ontario. Diaz tossed a scoreless inning with no hits allowed, no walks, and two strikeouts. The hard-throwing right-hander has made three appearances in the lower levels of the minors, but he has fanned six of the nine batters he's faced and looks to be ready to move up to the higher levels on the farm. The 32-year-old Puerto Rican veteran might not need many more rehab appearances before the Dodgers are comfortable bringing him back to the back end of the major-league bullpen before the calendar flips to August. Before Diaz needed surgery to remove loose bodies from his right elbow, he struggled to a 10.50 ERA, 2.33 WHIP, four saves, and 10 strikeouts in six innings pitched. Diaz could be eased in when he's back with the Dodgers, but there's no question he'll be L.A.'s closer in the second half. Fantasy managers need to check to see if he's available on the waiver wire. If he is, scoop him up right away.

Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez (concussion) didn't return from the seven-day concussion injured list on Friday for the first game of the second half of the season against the San Francisco Giants, but he said he's "trending" in the right direction after going through a full pre-game workout on Friday that included agility drills, throwing, and swings off the Trajekt machine, according to Daniel Kramer of MLB.com. Rodriguez could come off the IL as early as Saturday in Seattle. "Super encouraged," general manager Justin Hollander said. "Obviously, you don't want to mess around with head injuries, and they all sort of come in different forms and feel differently for different guys over a period of time. I do think it's been a noticeable trend up for Julio over the course of the week." He's been out since July 2 after taking a throw to the back of his helmet while running the bases. The 25-year-old five-tool outfielder will be a must-start when he returns to the M's lineup, hopefully this weekend. Before getting hurt, J-Rod was batting .259/.323/.424 with a .747 OPS, 14 long balls, 40 RBI, 46 runs, and 12 stolen bases across his 344 at-bats.

Chicago White Sox corner infielder Miguel Vargas (hand) was forced from the team's game on Friday against the Toronto Blue Jays late after taking a pitch off his hand in the eighth inning, according to Zach Worden of MLB.com. Vargas' removal from the game appeared to be a precaution, and that has been confirmed now that he's officially starting at third base and batting third on Saturday against the hosting Toronto Blue Jays and right-hander Shane Bieber, per MLB.com. He homered in Tuesday's All-Star Game and has been a key piece of the White Sox's stunning revival in 2026. After Friday's game against Toronto, he's now hitting .245/.356/.490 with 21 home runs in 95 games played. Fantasy managers will want to get Vargas back in their starting lineups on Saturday, even though he's only hitting .227 (10-for-44) with two homers, five doubles, seven RBI, nine runs, six walks, and nine strikeouts in 12 games so far in July. Vargas has never faced Bieber in his big-league career.

Minnesota Twins corner infielder Royce Lewis (hamstring) is out of Saturday's starting lineup against the Chicago Cubs with soreness in his left hamstring, according to Dan Hayes of The Athletic. Manager Derek Shelton said Lewis reported to the field on Saturday feeling better, but the Twins will be cautious and hold the oft-injured slugger out. Josh Bell will start at first base and bat third, while catcher Ryan Jeffers will serve as the designated hitter and bat second against Cubs left-hander Matthew Boyd. We'll consider Lewis day-to-day for now, but given his lengthy injury history, this could easily turn into an injured-list situation before long. The 27-year-old former first overall pick in 2017 got off to a rough start to 2026 before being sent to the minors to work on his approach at the plate. Since returning on June 6, Lewis has been better, slashing .258/.319/.484 with an .804 OPS, seven home runs, eight doubles, 16 RBI, 19 runs, three steals, 12 walks, and 33 K's in 33 games played to raise his season line to .216/.292/.392 with a .685 OPS. Strikeouts and swing-and-miss are always going to be part of the package with Lewis, but the streaky hitter can definitely still be a power asset for fantasy managers lacking in the department. Check back on Sunday to see if Lewis is ready for the series finale.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are selecting the contract of right-handed pitching prospect Khristian Curtis from Triple-A Indianapolis for Game 1 of their doubleheader on Saturday against the Cleveland Guardians, according to MLB.com's Alex Stumpf. Curtis is the team's No. 21 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, but he might only be with the Bucs for one day as extra pitching depth for their two games versus Cleveland. The 24-year-old former 12th-rounder in 2023 out of Arizona State University will be making his MLB debut if he gets into a game on Saturday. He started the year at Double-A Altoona before being promoted to Indy despite going 0-7 with a 4.73 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, and 67:25 K:BB in 53 1/3 innings over his 12 starts. In six appearances (four starts) at Triple-A, Curtis has gone 2-1 with a 5.57 ERA, 1.67 WHIP, and 30:15 K:BB in 21 frames. If Curtis debuts on Saturday, it will be in a relief role, and he could be sent back to Indy on Sunday, so fantasy managers in AL-only leagues can avoid him for now.

The Pittsburgh Pirates moved outfielder Oniel Cruz (hand) to the 60-day injured list on Saturday, according to Alex Stumpf of MLB.com. There hasn't been a setback in Cruz's rehab from a fractured hand he suffered in June, and he will be eligible to return to the major-league roster on Aug. 8. As long as he doesn't suffer any setbacks with his hand as he begins to ramp up his baseball activities in the coming weeks, Cruz stands a good chance of returning right on Aug. 8. The 27-year-old Dominican must remain stashed in all fantasy formats as a five-category producer when healthy. Before getting hurt, Cruz was slashing .264/.350/.472 with an .822 OPS, 14 home runs, 44 RBI, 45 runs scored, and 21 stolen bases in his 250 at-bats. Cruz led the league in stolen bases with 38 in 2025, and he's had at least 21 steals in each of the last three seasons while also contributing at least 20 homers in the last two campaigns. When Cruz is activated from the 60-day IL in early April, he'll return to being Pittsburgh's everyday center fielder.

Washington Nationals first baseman Andres Chaparro and the rest of the team were seeing the ball well on Friday night in their 23-4 trouncing of the Athletics at hitter-friendly Sutter Health Park. Chaparro went 4-for-5 at the plate as the three-hole hitter with two home runs, eight RBI, four runs scored, and a walk. The 27-year-old Venezuelan first baseman has only played in 32 games (71 plate appearances) in his third year in the big leagues with the Nats, and he's now hitting .220/.352/.424 with a .776 OPS, three home runs, 15 RBI, 13 runs scored, 11 walks, and 18 strikeouts. In an even smaller sample size since the start of July, Chaparro has gone 6-for-14 (.429) with all three of his home runs, 10 RBI, and five runs scored in seven games played. While Chaparro will likely continue to be a part-time player, it's hard to ignore his recent hot streak, potentially making him a short-term waiver-wire pickup in deeper fantasy leagues. Right now, he's not rostered in any Yahoo leagues.

Houston Astros right-hander Peter Lambert continues to draw more eyeballs in fantasy baseball with another strong performance in his first outing following the All-Star break in Friday night's 3-2 loss to the visiting Baltimore Orioles at Daikin Park. Lambert gave up just one earned run on three hits while walking three and striking out a career-high 10 in six innings of work for a no-decision. The 29-year-old is now 8-5 on the season with a 3.03 ERA (4.08 FIP) and 1.11 WHIP with 91 strikeouts and 36 walks in 92 innings over his 16 starts in his first year with the Astros. The former second-rounder by the Colorado Rockies in 2015 now has three quality starts in a row in July against the Orioles, Tampa Bay Rays, and Texas Rangers, allowing just two earned runs over that span with five walks, 23 strikeouts, and two wins. Lambert has a career-high 24% strikeout rate in 2026 in his fifth year in the big leagues and is deserving of some attention as at least a spot starter in deeper mixed fantasy leagues. He's currently rostered in only 54% of Yahoo leagues.

Minnesota Twins outfielder prospect Walker Jenkins extended his Triple-A surge Friday and has put himself in a great position to earn the call to Minnesota in the coming weeks. On Friday evening, the team's top-ranked prospect went 1-for-4 with a solo blast. Over his last 10 contests at Triple-A St. Paul, the outfielder has carried a sharp .325/.475/.600 line with three doubles, one triple, two home runs and two stolen bases. However, even though Jenkins has battled numerous injuries throughout his MiLB career (including the 2026 campaign), when on the field, he is among the top hitters across the minor leagues. Fantasy managers should pay close attention to the Twins, as an injury or opting to sell veteran pieces at the deadline could open a clear path for second-half at-bats for one of Triple-A's top hitters. He enters Week 17 as one of the top hitting prospects to stash.

Tampa Bay Rays outfield prospect Theo Gillen snapped his lengthy power skid at Double-A. On Friday evening, the team's No. 1-ranked prospect (according to MLB.com) went 2-for-3 with a double and a home run. This snapped a lengthy 14-game power drought for Gillen since moving up to the Double-A level. The outfielder spent the first half of the season at the High-A level, where he posted a .342/.449/.589 line with 23 doubles, 12 home runs and 28 sotlen baes. However, it took him some time to find his footing at Double-A, as he posted a low .190/.277/.241 line thorughh is first 14 games at the level. Dynasty managers should continue to keep a close eye on his progression at Montgomery as the No. 9-ranked prospect on MLB Pipeline could put himself in a great position to begin the 2027 season at Triple-A Durham.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfield prospect Edward Florentino has continued to swing a scorching hot bat at the High-A level and is making a strong case to receive a taste of Double-A late in the 2026 season. Over his last 14 contests at High-A Greensboro, the 19-year-old outfielder has posted a sharp .283/.338/.683 line with a 1.022 OPS. During this stretch, Florentino has launched six long balls and added four doubles with an 18:5 K:BB. His recent surge is worth noting, as Florentino carried a much lower .212/.366/.412 line with a modest .778 OPS over his first 48 games of the season (shared between both Low-A and High-A). While the No. 30-ranked prospect in the sport remains far from his MLB debut, he is continuing to rise up dynasty rankings and is establishing himself as one of the sport's top outfield prospects.