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
July 2, 2025
Chicago Cubs catcher
Miguel Amaya (oblique) has resumed normal batting practice, catching bullpen sessions and throwing but is "not close" to game action yet, according to manager Craig Counsell. Amaya is recovering from a strained left oblique and will not come off the 10-day injured list before the All-Star break. However, if the 26-year-old continues to make progress and is able to go on a minor-league rehab assignment sooner than later, he could be ready to rejoin the Cubs as their primary backstop early in the second half of the season, which begins on July 18. In the meantime,
Carson Kelly will draw the majority of starts behind the plate in Chicago. Kelly is having a fine first season on the North Side, hitting .267 (46-for-172) with nine homers and 29 RBI. He enters Wednesday's action riding a modest four-game hitting streak in which he's gone 6-for-13 with three doubles, three RBI and two runs scored.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
July
2,
2025
San
Diego
Padres
right-hander
Yu
Darvish
(elbow)
threw
a
four-inning,
64-pitch
simulated
game
against
Single-A
hitters
in
Lake
Elsinore
on
Monday,
which
was
his
third
sim
game,
according
to
MLB.com.
Darvish
is
nearing
a
return
to
read more...
July 2, 2025
The Houston Astros transferred outfielder/designated hitter
Yordan Alvarez (hand) to the 60-day injured list on Wednesday, according to the Houston Chronicle's Matt Kawahara. In an additional moves, the Astros placed infielder
Luis Guillorme (hamstring) on the 10-day IL with a hamstring strain and recalled infielder
Zack Short from Triple-A Sugar Land. Houston was hoping that Alvarez could rejoin the club before the All-Star break, but that is unlikely to happen now after the 28-year-old All-Star suffered a setback this week. It's turned into a lost season for the left-handed slugger, as he's been out since early May and has hit just .210/.306/.340 with three home runs, 18 RBI and seven runs scored. Fantasy managers must continue to stash Alvarez and keep their fingers cross that he can return for the start of the second half on July 18.
--Keith HernandezSource: Houston Chronicle - Matt Kawahara
July
2,
2025
Los
Angeles
Dodgers
outfielder
Teoscar
Hernandez
is
receiving
the
night
off
on
Wednesday
at
Dodger
Stadium
against
the
visiting
Chicago
White
Sox.
Andy
Pages
is
starting
in
right
field
and
is
read more...
July 2, 2025
San Francisco Giants outfielder
Heliot Ramos will take the day off on Wednesday in the tilt versus the division-rival Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field.
Luis Matos will draw into the lineup in left field and will hit sixth against Diamondbacks right-hander
Merrill Kelly. It's a good time for a breather for Ramos, who has gone 2-for-24 with eight strikeouts in his last six games played. The former first-rounder out of Puerto Rico is hitting a respectable .272 (88-for-323) on the year as an everyday player for the Giants and has added 13 homers, 44 RBI and five steals after being a first-time All-Star in 2024. Under the hood, though, he's sporting an xBA of .255 and xwOBA of .344. He's in the 55th percentile in hard-hit rate and 70th percentile in average exit velocity. Matos has a homer and two RBI while hitting .222 in nine career at-bats against Kelly.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
July 2, 2025
Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman
Josh Naylor (neck) is serving as the designated hitter and will bat cleanup on Wednesday against the division-rival San Francisco Giants and right-hander
Landen Roupp.
Pavin Smith will make another start at first base and bat third for Arizona. Naylor was in the original lineup on Tuesday before being scratched and missing his fourth straight game due to lingering soreness in his neck. The 28-year-old left-handed slugger will give it another go on Wednesday, though. Naylor's 10 homers for a first baseman leave plenty to be desired, but he hit .311/.366/.486 with three homers, 16 RBI and 12 runs in the month of June and is hitting .304 (89-for-293) on the year with 53 RBI, 42 runs and 10 steals in his first year with the Snakes. Nine of his 10 homers on the year have come against righties. Get him back into your starting lineups.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
July 2, 2025
Seattle Mariners catcher
Cal Raleigh is out of the starting lineup for Wednesday's contest against the visiting Kansas City Royals.
Mitch Garver is behind the plate and will catch right-hander
Logan Gilbert while hitting sixth against Royals left-hander
Noah Cameron. Raleigh is receiving just his third day off of the season. In all fairness, it's been hard for the M's to sit him down with how dominant he's been on offense in 2025. The 28-year-old switch-hitting catcher has been one of the best players in all of baseball this year and comes into Wednesday's action leading the league with 33 home runs and 71 RBI in 84 games. He's also added a superb .272/.383/.641 slash line, 1.024 OPS, 60 runs scored and nine stolen bases in 371 plate appearances. Even with some regression due in the second half, Raleigh is going to easily finish with a career year in 2025.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
July
2,
2025
Baltimore
Orioles
catcher
Gary
Sanchez
(finger)
is
serving
as
the
designated
hitter
and
is
batting
fifth
on
Wednesday
against
the
hosting
Texas
Rangers
and
right-hander
Nathan
Eovaldi.
read more...
July 2, 2025
Los Angeles Angels catcher
Logan O'Hoppe will start on the bench for Wednesday's contest in Atlanta against the Braves at Truist Park.
Travis d'Arnaud is behind the plate to catch left-hander
Yusei Kikuchi and will hit seventh against Braves right-handed rookie
Didier Fuentes. O'Hoppe will take the day off after starting in each of the last four games behind the plate for the Halos while going 3-for-19 with a double. The 25-year-old starting backstop is one of the better offensive backstops in baseball and enters Wednesday's action with 17 home runs and 37 RBI despite hitting only .237 (57-for-250). O'Hoppe has gone 8-for-34 (.235) with three long balls, a double, six RBI and three runs in nine games over the last 14 days. d'Arnaud will be looking to make some noise against his former team, but he'll be a low-upside DFS play that has just four homers in his 124 at-bats in 2025.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
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