July 2, 2025
Boston Red Sox closer
Aroldis Chapman converted his 15th save of the year in a 5-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday. Pitching in the continuation of Tuesday's suspended game, the left-hander tossed a perfect, 12-pitch ninth inning with one strikeout for his 350th career save. Chapman, who has gone 15 straight appearances without yielding an earned run, is showing no signs of slowing down in his age-37 campaign. The seven-time All-Star has blown just one save while registering a 1.29 ERA with 51:10 K:BB and a 0.77 WHIP in 35 innings.
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
July 2, 2025
Chicago Cubs outfield prospect
Kevin Alcantara went 2-for-5 with a home run and two RBI in Wednesday's 10-6 win over Triple-A Omaha. Alcantara slugged his 10th homer of the season and is knocking on the door for 10 stolen bases with nine so far in 282 plate appearances. The 22-year-old is coming off a strong month of June, slashing .306/383/.486 with a 9:22 BB:K. He's consistently made hard contact with a 49 percent hard-hit rate for the year. However, the 6'6" outfielder has some contact issues as he also owns a 30% strikeout rate. The upside is through the roof with Alcantra's power and speed combo, although we are unlikely to see him in the majors this season.
--Kyle McCarthySource: MiLB.com
July 2, 2025
San Diego Padres closer
Robert Suarez shut the door on the Philadelphia Phillies in a 6-4 win during the first game of a doubleheader on Wednesday. It wasn't easy for Suarez, who had to extinguish a Phillies rally for his 24th save of the season. The right-hander entered a 6-3 game in the bottom of the ninth and allowed one run on three singles before striking out
Kyle Schwarber to end it with runners on second and third. The 34-year-old has given up at least one earned run in back-to-back games and has totaled just three scoreless appearances in his past eight outings. He had an outstanding 1.78 ERA before that stretch, but the number has soared to 4.04 over 35 2/3 innings. Suarez still owns a solid 37:12 K:BB and a 1.15 WHIP, while he's tied for the second-most saves in the majors.
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
July 2, 2025
Minnesota Twins closer
Jhoan Duran nailed down his 13th save of the year in a 2-1 win over the Miami Marlins on Wednesday. Duran allowed a one-out single to
Connor Norby, but he quickly put out the fire by forcing
Dane Myers to ground into a game-ending double play. The right-hander needed just nine pitches to get through the ninth inning and log his third straight scoreless appearance. Duran's ERA is down to a sparkling 1.64 with 42:14 K:BB and a 1.07 WHIP in 38 1/3 innings.
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
July 2, 2025
New York Mets right-hander
Edwin Diaz cruised to a four-out save in a 7-3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 2 of a doubleheader on Wednesday. Diaz entered the game with men on first and second base and two outs in the top of the eighth inning. He fanned
Jake Bauers to wiggle out of trouble before pitching a perfect ninth with two more strikeouts. The 31-year-old threw 21 pitches (13 strikes) in his first appearance since last Thursday. After his numbers dipped in 2024, Diaz has returned to dominant form this season. The two-time All-Star has converted 17 of 18 save opportunities while pitching to a 1.91 ERA with 49 strikeouts, 12 walks, and a 0.95 WHIP over 33 frames.
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
July 2, 2025
Baltimore Orioles outfielder
Tyler O'Neill (shoulder) will come off the injured list when the team begins a series against the Atlanta Braves on Friday, according to Sam Cohn of the Baltimore Sun. O'Neill has been out of action since going on the 10-day IL with a left shoulder impingement on May 18. The 30-year-old has also spent time on the IL this season with a neck injury. When he has been healthy enough to play, O'Neill has posted a miserable .188/.280/.325 line with two home runs, 10 RBI, and two stolen bases across 24 games and 93 plate appearances. O'Neill has upside as a two-time 30-HR hitter, including last season with Boston, and will try to regain that form upon his return.
--Connor ByrneSource: Sam Cohn - The Baltimore Sun
July 2, 2025
Los Angeles Angels rookie second baseman
Christian Moore (thumb) departed the team's 8-3 loss to the Atlanta Braves with left-thumb irritation, according to Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. Moore exited after diving for a ground ball in the bottom of the sixth inning, and the Angels replaced him with
Kevin Newman. Moore is undergoing tests to determine the severity of the injury. Before exiting, Moore drew two walks in his only plate appearances of the night. The 22-year-old rookie has hit .189/.302/.396 with three homers, eight RBI, and eight runs scored in 64 plate appearances since debuting on June 13.
--Connor ByrneSource: Jeff Fletcher - Orange County Register
July 2, 2025
San Francisco Giants third baseman
Matt Chapman (hand) will take on-field batting practice Thursday, Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Chapman, who previously took BP on Monday, will face live pitching and a high-velocity machine in the next step in his recovery from a sprained right hand. The 33-year-old went on the 10-day IL on June 9, which interrupted a productive start to his season. Chapman was hitting .234/.360/.452 with 12 homers, 30 RBI, 35 runs scored, and seven stolen bases over 272 plate appearances when he suffered the injury. The Giants have sent third base backups
Casey Schmitt and
Christian Koss to the injured list this week, making it all the more important for Chapman to return soon.
--Connor ByrneSource: Shayna Rubin - San Francisco Chronicle
July 2, 2025
Chicago White Sox left-hander
Martin Perez (elbow) is hoping to pitch in an injury rehab game by Aug. 2, according to Scott Merkin of MLB.com. Perez joined the White Sox on a one-year, $5 million deal in the offseason and pitched to a 3.15 ERA over 20 innings in April before hitting the shelf with a flexor tendon strain. It initially looked as if Perez would require surgery, but he has avoided going under the knife for a season-ending procedure. The 34-year-old is optimistic he'll pitch again in 2025. Perez told Merkin that the next steps in his rehab will include three throwing sessions from 120 feet and two "touch and feel" bullpen sessions. If those go well, he expects to resume throwing from a mound.
--Connor ByrneSource: Scott Merkin - MLB.com
July 2, 2025
Chicago White Sox outfielder
Luis Robert Jr. (hamstring) took batting practice and did some pregame running before the club's contest against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday. Robert hasn't played since last Tuesday because of a strained left hamstring. The injury forced him to the 10-day IL on June 26, continuing a brutal start to the season for the former All-Star. Robert has batted a personal-worst .185/.270/.313 with eight homers, 32 RBI, and 27 runs scored over 285 plate appearances. The lone bright spot has been his work on the bases, as Robert has already tallied 22 steals. He's just one swipe away from tying the career-high 23 he amassed last year.
--Connor ByrneSource: Scott Merkin - MLB.com
July 2, 2025
Long-time major-league outfielder
Kevin Pillar announced his retirement on the Foul Territory podcast on Wednesday. Now 36 years old, Pillar began his professional career as a 32nd-round pick of the Toronto Blue Jays in 2011 and turned into an improbable success story. He debuted in the bigs in 2013 and eventually earned a reputation as a high-end defensive outfielder who could also contribute with the bat and on the base paths. Pillar spent the majority of his career in Toronto, but he made several other stops after Toronto traded him to San Francisco in 2019. He spent time with Colorado, Boston, the New York Mets, both Los Angeles teams, Atlanta, the Chicago White Sox, and the Texas Rangers from 2020-25. He appeared in 20 games with the Rangers this season and struggled to a .209/.209/.256 line in 20 games before the team released him. Pillar hangs up his cleats a lifetime .255/.293/.405 hitter with 114 home runs and 111 stolen bases over 1,234 games and 4,409 plate appearances.
--Connor ByrneSource: Foul Territory
July 2, 2025
Boston Red Sox outfielder/designated hitter
Masataka Yoshida (shoulder) will get "light work" at first base during his rehab assignment. However, he's unlikely to see game action at the position, Sean McAdam of MassLive.com reports. "I don't anticipate him starting at first base," Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. "but if something crazy happens, at least he can catch throws and knock down a ground ball." Yoshida, who has been out all season after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery, embarked on a rehab assignment this week and should make his 2025 debut soon. He played almost exclusively at the DH position last year and hit .280/.349/.415 with 10 homers, 56 RBI, and 45 runs scored in 421 plate appearances.
--Connor ByrneSource: Sean McAdam - MassLive.com
July 2, 2025
Texas Rangers outfielder
Wyatt Langford (oblique) took a successful live batting practice Wednesday and will begin a minor league rehab assignment Thursday, according to Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News. Langford, on the 10-day injured list since June 25 with a strained left oblique, is targeting a return to the Rangers' lineup on Sunday. The 23-year-old has hit .232/.308/.421 with 13 homers, 31 RBI, 32 runs scored, and 11 stolen bases in 292 trips to the plate this season.
--Connor ByrneSource: Shawn McFarland - Dallas Morning News
July 2, 2025
Texas Rangers right-hander
Jon Gray (wrist) could begin a rehab assignment if he doesn't deal with any setbacks from Wednesday's live bullpen session, Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News reports. Gray has now thrown four bullpen sessions as he works back from the fractured right wrist that he suffered during spring training. The 33-year-old should make his season debut sometime in the coming weeks, but he's unlikely to land on most fantasy managers' radars. He threw 102 2/3 innings of 4.47 ERA ball with 7.54 K/9 and 2.45 BB/9 in 2024.
--Connor ByrneSource: Shawn McFarland - Dallas Morning News
July 2, 2025
The Chicago Cubs are open to trying to sign outfielder
Kyle Tucker to a long-term contract extension, but they aren't committing to serious contract talks until later in the season or in the offseason, according to The Athletic's Patrick Mooney. Tucker was acquired in a blockbuster trade last winter from the Houston Astros, and the original idea was that the team would try to win big with Tucker in 2025 and figure out the rest later on. "Kyle Tucker is a player you want to have for a long time," president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said. "He's been one of the best players in baseball this year. He does so many things well, and he's really had a significant impact on this offense. Certainly, you want to keep a player like that. You go into the negotiation wanting to keep him. But, obviously, you realize in some way that you must have your limits."
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Patrick Mooney
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