Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz (thumb) is dealing with a right-thumb capsule strain and is likely to be placed on the injured list, which obviously puts his status for next week's All-Star Game in jeopardy, according to Martin Gallegos of MLB.com. In addition to Kurtz, the A's just placed infielder Zack Gelof (knee) on the […]

Texas Rangers right-hander Jacob deGrom (glute) will not make his scheduled start on Sunday in the series finale against the division-rival Houston Astros due to a mild left-glute strain, according to Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News. Manager Skip Schumaker said he's unsure if deGrom will be available "right away" after next week's All-Star […]

The Houston Astros reinstated shortstop Jeremy Pena (calf) from the 10-day injured list on Friday and designated shortstop Braden Shewmake for assignment in a corresponding move, according to Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle. Pena is starting at shortstop and batting leadoff in his return for Houston in Friday's series opener at Globe Life Field […]

Pittsburgh Pirates right fielder Esmerlyn Valdez is making a loud waiver case with impact power that is hard to ignore. The 22-year-old is hitting .293 with seven home runs, 18 RBI, 16 runs, and a .993 OPS over 82 at-bats after going deep again Thursday against the Atlanta Braves. There is no stolen-base help here, […]

Tampa Bay Rays left-handed pitcher Ian Seymour is not just a short-term streamer after what he did to the New York Yankees. The 27-year-old is 6-1 with a 4.11 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 72 strikeouts, and two saves over 61 1/3 innings, and his role has become a lot more interesting after opening the season in […]

Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez (concussion) is not expected to return from the seven-day concussion injured list to play this weekend against the Tampa Bay Rays, but the hope is that he'll be ready to go coming out of next week's All-Star break, according to Shannon Drayer. The Mariners are going to wait a bit […]

New York Mets right-hander Clay Holmes (leg) is throwing a live bullpen session at Citi Field on Friday, according to Abbey Mastracco of the New York Daily News. It is the first time that Holmes is facing hitters since fracturing his right fibula in the middle of May. He still has a ways to go […]

Colorado Rockies left fielder Mickey Moniak is not a five-category add, but the power is real enough to chase. The 28-year-old is hitting .279 with 15 home runs, 38 RBI, 29 runs, one steal, and a .924 OPS over 197 at-bats. He has cooled from the early-season heater, so fantasy managers should not treat this […]

The Los Angeles Dodgers announced that two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani (knee) won't make his scheduled start on the mound on Friday night against the division-rival Arizona Diamondbacks due to continued irritation in his left knee. However, Ohtani will serve as the designated hitter for the rest of the final weekend of the first half of […]

Boston Red Sox left-handed starting pitcher Jake Bennett is not the flashiest waiver arm, but the ratios are getting hard to ignore. The 25-year-old is 4-3 with a 2.64 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, and 35 strikeouts over 47 2/3 innings through his first eight MLB starts. He kept rolling on Wednesday, holding the Chicago White Sox […]

Baltimore Orioles catcher Samuel Basallo gives fantasy managers a power path at one of the thinnest positions. The 21-year-old is hitting .248 with 14 home runs, 42 RBI, 32 runs, and a .761 OPS over 262 at-bats. There is no speed here, and the recent average has been shaky, so this is not a clean […]

Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki (calf) is starting in right field and batting cleanup for Friday's series opener on the road against the division-rival Cincinnati Reds and right-hander Hunter Greene, per MLB.com. Suzuki is good to go a day after being pulled from Thursday's contest against the Baltimore Orioles due to cramps in his calf. […]

Chicago White Sox outfielder Sam Antonacci has played his way into the top waiver mix for managers needing speed, average, and runs. The 23-year-old is hitting .289 with five home runs, 46 runs, 25 RBI, and 12 steals over 253 at-bats. The profile is not built around big power, but it is not empty speed […]

The Athletics announced on Friday that they placed utility player Zack Gelof (knee) on the 10-day injured list with a right-knee laceration and recalled infielder Joey Meneses from Triple-A Las Vegas in a corresponding move. Gelof injured his right knee making a nice sliding catch in foul territory in Thursday's game against the Detroit Tigers, […]

Rookie infielder JJ Wetherholt and the St. Louis Cardinals agreed to an undisclosed long-term contract extension on Friday that will buy out multiple years of free agency, sources told Jeff Passan of ESPN. The 23-year-old has been tremendous in his first big-league season and becomes the latest rookie to land a nine-figure contract. The 23-year-old […]

Detroit Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler (thumb) is out of the starting lineup for the second straight game for Friday's series opener against the visiting Philadelphia Phillies due to a thumb injury, according to MLB.com. Jake Rogers will make another start behind the dish and catch right-hander Jack Flaherty while hitting ninth against Phillies right-hander Aaron […]

Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Troy Melton did not make his 2026 debut until late May due to an elbow injury, and then missed a start in June due to back tightness. However, Melton has been highly effective when healthy this season, recording a 5-1 record with a 1.82 ERA, 0.81 WHIP, and 41 strikeouts across […]

Since making his MLB debut on May 12, New York Mets outfielder A.J. Ewing is hitting .277/.356/.446 with seven home runs, 24 RBI, 26 runs scored, and nine stolen bases. The 21-year-old has gotten off to a red-hot start in July, hitting .290/.313/.613 with three home runs across 33 plate appearances so far this month. […]

Boston Red Sox third baseman Caleb Durbin got off to a brutal start to the 2026 season, hitting .183 with one home run across 164 plate appearances through the end of May. However, the 26-year-old rebounded with a standout June, hitting .326 with six home runs and five stolen bases across 92 plate appearances in […]

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Kyle Schwarber will officially participate in this year's Home Run Derby to kick off All-Star week on Monday, according to MLB. Schwarber will join teammate Bryce Harper in front of the home faithful at Citizens Bank Park, joining Junior Caminero, Ben Rice, Willson Contreras, and Jac Caglianone. The 33-year-old three-time All-Star and […]

Colorado Rockies first baseman TJ Rumfield has been a revelation so far this season, hitting .297/.376/.480 with 12 home runs, 47 RBI, and 42 runs scored across 372 plate appearances. The 26-year-old had been blocked from making his MLB debut as a member of the New York Yankees organization before 2026, but he's taken full […]

After a disappointing beginning to the 2026 season while working out of the bullpen, Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Griffin Jax has found success since being moved into his team's rotation in late April. Across 24 appearances (13 starts) on the year, Jax has recorded a 4-6 record with a 3.60 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and 68 […]

Across 294 plate appearances in 2026, Colorado Rockies outfielder Jake McCarthy is hitting .299/.341/.507 with nine home runs, 51 RBI, 37 runs scored, and 14 stolen bases. The 28-year-old has been consistently above-average at the plate for most of the season, and he's already hit three home runs and collected 14 RBI in July. McCarthy's […]

Welcome back to my Fantasy Baseball Breakout Hitters article for Week 16 of the 2026 MLB regular season. The goal of this article is to highlight players who could be breaking out, diving into current active hitting streaks, along with recent leaders in batting average, isolated power (ISO), stolen bases, and more. In this article, […]

Boston Red Sox left-hander Connelly Early's (elbow) visit to Dr. Keith Meister confirmed the diagnosis of posterior elbow inflammation/irritation and nothing more serious, a source told Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. It's great news for Early and the Red Sox moving forward, although it's unclear when the young southpaw might be ready to rejoin Boston's starting […]

Chicago Cubs right-handed reliever Jacob Webb is attracting interest off the waiver wire after picking up two saves in the last week for the Cubbies with Daniel Palencia (elbow) on the injured list. Since blowing the save on June 20 against the Toronto Blue Jays, Webb has thrown 7 1/3 scoreless innings with eight strikeouts, […]

The Minnesota Twins are activating catcher Ryan Jeffers (hand) from the injured list on Friday and are sending outfielder Kyler Fedko back to Triple-A St. Paul in a corresponding move, according to Dan Hayes of The Athletic. The Twins haven't announced their starting lineup for Friday's series opener at Target Field against the Los Angeles […]

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told AM 570 this week that catcher Will Smith's (neck) injury could linger into August, according to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Fortunately for the Dodgers, they are 14.5 games up on both the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres in the National League West division, so they can […]

The Kansas City Royals announced on Friday that they reinstated first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino (hand) from the 10-day injured list before their series opener on Friday against the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards. The Royals haven't released their starting lineup for Friday's tilt in Baltimore, but Pasquantino should be starting at first base against right-hander […]

The Cincinnati Reds placed middle infielder Matt McLain (calf) on the 10-day injured list on Friday with a calf strain and activated third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes (back) from the 10-day IL in a corresponding move, according to Charlie Goldsmith of FOX 19. It's more bad news for McLain, who has really struggled in 2026 with […]