June 26, 2025
Detroit Tigers infield prospect
Kevin McGonigle went 2-for-4 with a walk, a solo home run, four RBI, and three runs scored on Wednesday for High-A West Michigan. It's the Tigers' second-ranked prospect's second home run in his last three games, and he's been demolishing High-A pitching since coming off the injured list on May 21. The former 37th-overall draft pick is hitting .387 with 17 doubles and six home runs in only 27 games, boasting a .476 OBP thanks to a 14.3 percent walk rate, compared to striking out just 12.7 percent of the time. A 1.193 OPS should get him to Double-A soon, and with his superb contact skills, the 20-year-old could be knocking on the door to the majors at some point next year, while also bringing some power and speed along with him.
--Jarod RuppSource: MiLB.com
June 26, 2025
Toronto Blue Jays first baseman
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (hand, wrist) left Thursday's contest early in the bottom of the fourth inning at Progressive Field against the Cleveland Guardians after he was hit by a
Tanner Bibee pitch on his left hand/wrist in the second inning, according to MLB.com's Tim Stebbins. Before leaving early, Guerrero went 0-for-1 at the plate with a groundout.
Ernie Clement moved from shortstop to first base, with
Andres Gimenez moving from second to short and
Davis Schneider entering the game to play second. The Blue Jays should have an update soon on the 26-year-old All-Star's status soon after he likely undergoes X-rays. Fantasy managers will be holding their breathe until then, as Vladdy is one of the best all-around hitters in the game. He entered Thursday slashing .282/.387/.450 with an .837 OPS, 11 homers, 40 RBI and 48 runs scored.
UPDATE: X-rays came back negative on Guerrero.--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Tim Stebbins
June 26, 2025
New York Mets reliever
Austin Warren was recalled from AAA Syracuse on Thursday. Right-hander
Jonathan Pintaro was optioned as the corresponding move. Warren has made just one appearance for the Mets this year and owns a career 3.08 ERA across 49 2/3 career big-league innings. In 29 2/3 innings pitched at AAA this season, Warren has a 3.94 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, and 35 K. His 27.6% strikeout rate at AAA is slightly intriguing, but Warren's career strikeout rate in the majors is a much more modest 18.9%. At 29 years old, Warren profiles as a depth piece in the Mets' bullpen and nothing more.
--Will BradySource: New York Mets
June 26, 2025
San Diego Padres shortstop prospect
Leodalis De Vries went 3-for-4 on Wednesday at High-A Fort Wayne, including a pair of doubles. The Padres' top prospect (MLB No. 3) endured a 1-for-27 (.037) slump from June 11 to June 20, but has regrouped over his last four games, going 7-for-16 (.438) with six walks compared to just five strikeouts. For the season, the switch-hitter is slashing .247/.354/.399 with 13 doubles, three triples, five home runs, six steals (five caught stealing), and a strong 14.0 percent walk rate (20.1 percent K%). He's doing all of that as an 18-year-old, which makes it all the more impressive. He doesn't appear overmatched, but look for him to spend some more time at High-A before getting a taste of Double-A later this year. The 6-foot-1 Dominican is likely still a couple of years away from the majors, but has the talent and the power to be an impact fantasy player, so dynasty managers should be keeping an eye on his progress.
--Jarod RuppSource: MiLB.com
June 26, 2025
Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander
Justin Wrobleski is expected to pitch in Sunday's series finale against the Kansas City Royals, but it's unclear if he'll be given the starting nod or if he'll serve in a bulk-relief role. The most likely outcome is that Wrobleski will pitch in bulk relief, as he's been more successful in that role with a 1.96 ERA and 0.87 WHIP with 19 strikeouts and only two walks in 18 1/3 innings. The 24-year-old southpaw is 3-2 in total in 29 1/3 innings pitched with a 4.91 ERA (3.76 FIP), 1.23 WHIP and 28:8 K:BB in his second year in the big leagues. Although Wrobleski does have higher-end velocity for a left-handed pitcher, fantasy managers should be able to find better deep-league streamers for Sunday's slate of action. He's gone at least 4 1/3 innings in each of his six big-league outings for L.A. this year. The Royals offense has the fourth-lowest OPS (.664) in baseball.
--Keith HernandezSource: Orange County Register - Bill Plunkett
June 26, 2025
Minnesota Twins third baseman
Royce Lewis (hamstring) ran the bases before Thursday's series finale against the visiting Seattle Mariners at Target Field and is scheduled to start a minor-league rehab assignment with the Triple-A St. Paul Saints on Friday, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune's Bobby Nightengale. It's unclear how long the 26-year-old's rehab assignment will last, but considering his history with hamstring injuries, it might be more than just a few games. Still, barring a setback for the oft-injured third baseman, Lewis should be back with the Twins as their starting third baseman before the mid-July All-Star break. Injuries continue to slow the former first overall pick, but there's no debating his high-end power plays when he's right. He's been a disappointment through 99 at-bats in 2025, hitting just .202 with two homers and nine RBI.
--Keith HernandezSource: Minneapolis Star Tribune - Bobby Nightengale
June 26, 2025
Washington Nationals pitching prospect
Travis Sykora is being promoted to Double-A Harrisburg after breezing through his first eight starts of the season (two at Single-A, six at High-A). The 21-year-old got a late start after having offseason hip surgery, but has posted a 1.01 ERA, 0.64 WHIP, and an astounding 36.2 percent K-BB% with 56 strikeouts in only 35.2 innings pitched (14.13 K/9) since May 14. The Nats' top-ranked prospect posted similarly striking numbers last year at Single-A, tallying 129 Ks in 85 IP (13.66 K/9) with a 2.33 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP in 20 starts. If he can impress at Double-A, he could be on pace for a couple of starts at Triple-A before the season is out and would be knocking on the door to the majors in 2026. That being the case, fantasy managers in dynasty leagues should be looking to stash the 6-foot-6 hurler because he has the look of a frontline starter in the bigs.
--Jarod RuppSource: MiLB Central
June 26, 2025
Houston Astros right-hander
Lance McCullers Jr. (foot) did some fielding practice on Thursday and it "went well," according to manager Joe Espada. If McCullers feels good on Friday, he'll be an "option" to start against the Chicago Cubs on Saturday. The 31-year-old will apparently skip a minor-league rehab assignment after recovering from a sprained right foot. The former first-rounder in 2012 made his return to the big leagues this year for the first time since 2022 due to various right-forearm injuries. McCullers has been up and down with a 4.91 ERA (4.23 FIP) and 1.43 WHIP in his seven starts over 29 1/3 innings pitched, but he's also struck out 39 and walked 16 as he works his way back into a full-time starter for Houston. With that said, fantasy managers would be wise to avoid him if his first start off the IL is this weekend against the Cubs.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Brian McTaggart
June 26, 2025
Philadelphia Phillies first baseman
Bryce Harper (wrist) had another good day on Thursday and took 75 swings off a high-velocity machine, according to manager Rob Thomson. Harper will hit outside on Friday at Truist Park before the series opener against the division-rival Atlanta Braves and could face a live pitcher. If the 32-year-old two-time MVP comes out of that well, he could come off the 10-day injured list for Monday's series opener against the San Diego Padres without going on a minor-league rehab assignment. Harper will return to his role as Philly's starting first baseman, which will push
Alec Bohm back across the diamond to third base and rookie
Otto Kemp either to the bench or back to the minors. Harper will be returning to a .258/.368/.446 slash line with an .814 OPS, nine home runs, 34 RBI, 32 runs scored and eight steals in his 213 at-bats.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Matt Gelb
June 26, 2025
The Los Angeles Dodgers activated reliever
Luis Garcia (adductor) from the injured list on Thursday. Right-hander
Will Klein was optioned as the corresponding move. Garcia has missed almost exactly one month since being placed on the IL with a right adductor strain. He's pitched to a 4.50 ERA and a 1.69 WHIP in 26 innings pitched so far this year. His peripherals aren't impressive either, as he's posted a modest 19.8% strikeout rate and a 4.85 xERA. Garcia is not a threat to compete for saves and does not need to be rostered in most leagues.
--Will BradySource: Los Angeles Dodgers
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San
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infielder
Casey
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lineup
for
Thursday's
series
finale
at
Oracle
Park
against
the
visiting
Miami
Marlins.
Christian
Koss
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making
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June 26, 2025
The Seattle Mariners placed first baseman
Rowdy Tellez on unconditional release waivers on Thursday. Tellez was designated for assignment last week when the team activated first baseman/outfielder
Luke Raley from the injured list. Tellez had been a decent source of power this season with 11 home runs in 221 plate appearances. However, he's also hitting .208 with one stolen base. Statcast suggests that Tellez was a little unlucky in Seattle. His barrel rate (15.9%) and hard-hit percentage (48.4%) were both career bests, and his xBA was .256. If Tellez finds a new home, he could be an under-the-radar waiver claim for deep-league fantasy managers needing power.
--Will BradySource: Mariners PR
June 26, 2025
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder
Jordan Walker (appendix) was placed on the 10-day injured list this week due to appendicitis, but the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Derrick Goold reports that he didn't require surgery. It's good news for Walker, but he probably still won't rejoin the big-league roster until after the All-Star break in mid-July. And when Walker does return from the IL, it remains to be seen if he'll see regular playing time after continuing to struggle at the major-league level at the plate. The 23-year-old former top prospect is hitting just .210 (37-for-176) with three home runs, 23 RBI, 21 runs, three steals, 12 walks and 63 strikeouts in 55 games played in 2025. The former first-rounder ranks in the 72nd percentile in hard-hit rate but is in the second percentile in strikeout rate and the 16th percentile in chase rate.
--Keith HernandezSource: St. Louis Post-Dispatch - Derrick Goold
June 26, 2025
Updating a previous report, St. Louis Cardinals outfielder
Lars Nootbaar (intercostal) received a pain-relieving shot in his intercostal on Tuesday night, according to manager Oliver Marmol. It requires 48 hours of inactivity, which is why he was unavailable to play on Wednesday and Thursday. The Cardinals think they got ahead of any potential side injury and expect Nootbaar to play in Cleveland this weekend in a series against the Guardians, according to Jeff Jones. It's something to keep an eye on for the 27-year-old, who is currently in the midst of a modest six-game hitting streak in which he's gone 7-for-22 with three home runs, a double, seven RBI and three runs scored. Nootbaar is in the 93rd percentile in hard-hit rate this year and is right in the middle (50th percentile) in strikeout rate, so he should improve on his current .230 average as a starting outfielder with 20-plus-homer power.
--Keith HernandezSource: Belleville News - Jeff Jones
June 26, 2025
Philadelphia Phillies catcher
J.T. Realmuto will take a seat for Thursday's series finale in Houston against the Astros at Daikin Park.
Rafael Marchan is behind the plate and will catch left-hander
Cristopher Sanchez while hitting eighth against Astros right-hander
Hunter Brown. The 34-year-old Realmuto will get a breather after playing in each of the team's last five games. Realmuto has gone hitless in his last three games but is hitting .288 (19-for-66) with three doubles, six RBI and a steal in 18 games in the month of June after a very slow start to the 2025 season for his standards. He's no longer one of the best catchers in fantasy, and his counting stats are way down with only five homers and 27 RBI in 66 games. Marchan doesn't really move the DFS fantasy needle. The 26-year-old switch-hitting backstop has gone 8-for-49 (.163) with one homer in limited playing time.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
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