Tanner Houck Continues To Struggle on Rehab Assignment
Tanner Houck (forearm) was knocked around on Sunday in his second rehab appearance for the Worcester Red Sox. He gave up four runs on seven hits in 3 2/3 innings and continued to struggle with his control even though the Red Sox moved him to the bullpen for this outing to try a "change of scenery." In addition to his command issues, his velocity has dipped on both his sinker and his fastball. He gave up 39 earned runs in 43 2/3 innings in the majors before landing on the injured list and has not done much better in his two rehab starts. He has shown that he has a very high ceiling but has not been able to reach it lately while dealing with a right flexor pronator strain. He doesn't look like he'll be ready to contribute meaningful innings soon.Source: Christopher Smith
Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Christian Koss Injures Hamstring on Monday Against Arizona
Christian Koss (hamstring) was forced to leave Monday's loss to the Diamondbacks with a hamstring injury that he sustained running down the first base line in his third at-bat. He remained in the game and hit a double (after video review) in the eighth inning before being replaced by pinch runner Brett Wisely. Wisely remained in the game at third base and could get more playing time depending on how long Koss is sidelined. The team will know more after further evaluation on Tuesday, but he will at least miss Tuesday's game against Arizona and could end up landing on the injured list. The Giants have lost multiple third basemen to injury, so the position is getting pretty thin.Source: Justice delos Santos
San Francisco Giants infielder Chadwick Tromp Dealing With Lower-Back Strain
Chadwick Tromp (back) will land on the 10-day injured list due to a lower-back strain after leaving Monday's game early. Tromp's injury is the latest in a string of injuries to Baltimore's backstops that have left the team extremely short-handed behind the dish. Adley Rutschman (oblique) is expected to be out through the All-Star break, and Maverick Handley (head) is on the seven-day concussion IL, leaving Gary Sanchez as the only healthy backstop left on the club's 40-man roster unless the team is finally ready to promote top prospect Samuel Basallo. Basallo is hitting .264 at Triple-A with 16 homers and a .417 wOBA backed up by a 57.1% hard-hit rate. If he's promoted, he'll be worth adding in most fantasy formats, even if his first stay in the majors is short.Source: Roch Kubatko
Baltimore Orioles catcher Fernando Cruz Suffers a High-Grade Oblique Strain
Fernando Cruz (oblique) will miss significant time after suffering what manager Aaron Boone classified as a "high-grade" oblique strain. Cruz was placed on the 15-day injured list before Monday's game, but could be sidelined significantly longer. The 35-year-old righty has been a key part of the Yankees' bullpen this season with a 3.00 ERA, 2.45 FIP, and 54 strikeouts in his 33 innings. He has been one of the team's top high-leverage arms, and while he is out, the options like Devin Williams, Luke Weaver, and Mark Leiter Jr. will have to step up and carry an even larger workload. More holds and saves could be available for that trio while Cruz is out, and the Yankees will hope that Cruz can return late in the season, although no firm timetable has been established.Source: Erik Boland
New York Yankees relief pitcher George Springer Avoids Serious Injury
George Springer (neck) collided with Jazz Chisholm Jr. on a play at third base on Monday night and was forced to leave the game. After the game, though, manager John Schneider said that Springer was expected to be OK despite the scary injury. Springer was attempting to go from first to third in the sixth inning when Jasson Dominguez threw him out, and Springer dove into the base, taking Chisholm's knee to his throat. While the injury appeared scary at the time, it looks like the veteran outfielder will be able to return to the lineup soon, and he could even be in the mix for Tuesday's lineup as the Jays celebrate Canada Day with an afternoon contest against the Yankees.Source: Keegan Matheson
Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Bo Bichette is Considered Day-to-Day But Won't Need Further Tests
Bo Bichette (knee) was scratched from the team's lineup on Monday night against the Yankees, but the injury doesn't appear to be a serious issue for the 27-year-old, who is having a nice bounce-back season after dealing with multiple injuries last year. Bichette left the field in the middle of his round of batting practice after stepping on a baseball and twisting his knee. After the game, manager John Schneider said that the shortstop is day-to-day and isn't expected to undergo any additional testing at this point. He has a chance to be back in the order on Tuesday afternoon as the Blue Jays celebrate Canada Day with a matinee matchup against the Bronx Bombers.Source: Keegan Matheson
Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bryce Miller Resumes Throwing
Bryce Miller (elbow) continues to work his way back from a bone spur in his elbow that has kept him out since June 7. After starting a light throwing program in Arizona at the team facility, Miller returned to Seattle on Monday and went through a workout in the outfield that included playing catch from 90 feet. Miller stated that his goal is to throw live batting practice during the All-Star break, which would keep him on his timeline to return to action towards the end of July. He received a platelet-rich plasma injection on June 10 and was completely shut down for two weeks after that and is now ramping back up. He will likely need a rehab stint, but could return to the Seattle rotation at the end of July or early in August.Source: Seattle Times
Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Randy Arozarena Homers Twice, Plates Four Monday
Randy Arozarena had a strong game at the plate in Monday's 6-2 win over the Royals. Arozarena went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a three-run HR. The 30-year-old took Michael Wacha deep in the fourth inning for his 100th career HR. He then took Wacha deep again in the fifth, launching a high fastball to straightaway center field. Arozarena hasn't hit for quite the batting average fantasy managers were hoping for, but he has pretty much met expectations overall. He is slashing .244/.358/.416 with 10 HR, 37 RBI, and 15 stolen bases in 360 plate appearances.Source: MLB.com
Seattle Mariners outfielder Ramon Laureano Collects Four Hits in Monday's Win
Ramon Laureano continued his strong offensive season in Monday's 10-6 extra-inning win over the Rangers. Laureano went 4-for-6 with a single, three doubles, an RBI, and a strikeout. The 30-year-old has quietly put together a solid season with regular playing time for an underperforming O's squad, slashing .287/.358/.538 with 10 home runs, 27 RBI, and three stolen bases in 193 plate appearances. He is currently rostered in just 10 percent of leagues, meaning he is available in plenty of deep leagues for fantasy managers in need of a boost to their lineups.Source: MLB.com
Baltimore Orioles outfielder Shea Langeliers Hits Three-Run Homer In Return From Injured List Monday
Shea Langeliers (oblique) wasted no time in getting back to contributing offensively in Monday's 6-4 win over the Rays. Langeliers, who returned from the 10-day injured list after dealing with a strained left oblique, went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run. The 27-year-old got things going right away, lining a first-inning Drew Rasmussen fastball over the left-center wall to plate three. Langeliers picked up right where he left off before his IL stint and is now slashing .237/.299/.441 with 11 HR, 30 RBI, and four stolen bases in 234 plate appearances. He won't provide much in terms of batting average but should provide plenty of power, especially in hitter-friendly Sutter Health Park.Source: MLB.com
Athletics catcher Jeff Hoffman Earns Second Consecutive Save Monday
Jeff Hoffman wrapped up his strong June on a high note in Monday's 5-4 win over the Yankees, notching his 19th save of the season. Hoffman came in to pitch the top of the ninth inning up by one. He got the first two outs on a pop-out and a strikeout, allowed a single, and ended the game on a fly-out. The 32-year-old has converted 19 of 23 save opportunities on the season with a 4.84 ERA, a 1.08 WHIP, and a 12.48 K/9 rate in 35 1/3 innings pitched. His season ERA may be high, but Hoffman posted a stellar 1.80 ERA with 13 strikeouts and six saves in 10 IP in June. He should offer plenty of fantasy value as the season goes on and will hopefully continue working on bringing his ERA down.Source: MLB.com
Toronto Blue Jays closer Josue De Paula, Zyhir Hope to Play in All-Star Futures Game
Josue De Paula and Zyhir Hope have both been selected to play in the 2025 All-Star Futures Game. The Dodgers' top two prospects are having productive seasons at High-A Great Lakes, with De Paula hitting .269 with 10 home runs, 24 steals, and an .852 OPS thanks in part to a phenomenal .409 OBP that is bolstered by an 18.8 percent walk rate. Hope is hitting .297 with seven home runs, 11 steals, and an .865 OPS, also thanks to a strong 14.1 percent walk rate. Both are making the case for a promotion to Double-A, and both could be in the big leagues as soon as next year. Each of them could also be big-time fantasy producers within a couple of years, so dynasty managers should have a keen interest in both players.Source: MiLB Central
Los Angeles Dodgers outfield prospects Pete Fairbanks Takes Loss In Non-Save Situation Monday
Pete Fairbanks fell to 3-2 in Monday's 6-4 loss to the Athletics. Fairbanks came in to pitch the top of the ninth inning with the game tied 4-4. He allowed back-to-back singles, got the first out on a strikeout, allowed a two-RBI triple, got the second out at home on a fielder's choice, and got the third out on a pickoff. The 31-year-old has converted 15 of 17 save opportunities this season with a 2.53 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP in 32 innings pitched. However, his 7.59 K/9 rate is the lowest of his career and is much lower than his 11.40 career mark. The Rays have played well this season, and Fairbanks has served as the team's primary closer, so he should offer a relatively high fantasy floor even if his strikeout numbers remain down.Source: MLB.com
Tampa Bay Rays closer Mason Miller Notches 16th Save Of Season Monday
Mason Miller picked up his 16th save of the season in Monday's 6-4 win over the Rays. Miller came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth inning up by two. He got the first out on a strikeout, allowed a single, and ended the game by inducing a groundball double play. The 26-year-old flamethrower has converted all but three of his save opportunities with an elite 14.67 K/9 rate. However, he has had several blowup outings this season and has struggled with walks, leading to a lackluster 4.70 ERA in 30 2/3 innings of work. The good news is that he has allowed few hits, so his 1.14 WHIP is still solid despite a 4.40 BB/9 rate. Miller has some of the best strikeout stuff in baseball and has been electric and overall effective throughout his career, so fantasy managers may be wise to look beyond his bloated ERA for now.Source: MLB.com
Athletics closer Austin Hays Tallies Two Extra-Base Hits in Loss
Austin Hays went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in his team's 13-6 loss to the Boston Red Sox. He also notched a two-run triple -- his fourth in 35 contests. The 29-year-old picked up his first multi-hit game and homer since returning from the injured list a few days ago due to a foot injury. Hays was hitting well before sustaining the ailment, and has already collected four RBI in four appearances since rejoining the squad. Overall, he's slashing a strong .295/.336/.568 with seven long balls, seven doubles, 29 RBI, and 26 runs scored. If he can stay healthy, he'll have plenty of RBI opportunities batting from the four-hole in Cincinnati's lineup. However, it's important to note he's outproducing his .256 xBA by a good margin.Source: ESPN
Cincinnati Reds outfielder