July 1, 2025
Miami Marlins outfielder
Kyle Stowers homered in his team's 2-0 win over the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday night. Stowers is in the midst of a breakout campaign, hitting .283 with 14 home runs, 38 runs scored, and 44 RBI in 305 plate appearances. With an elevated 28.6% strikeout rate, though, Stowers may be in for some batting average regression over the second half of the season. However, he's posting elite barrel and hard-hit rates of 19.2% and 52.7%, respectively, and his .545 xSLG is better than his actual .509 slugging percentage. Stowers is a quality outfield option in all fantasy formats heading into the second half of the season.
--Will BradySource: MLB
July 1, 2025
Tampa Bay Rays starter
Shane Baz picked up a quality start in an impressive outing on Tuesday night against the A's. The young righty threw seven innings for a no-decision, allowing seven hits (two homers) and three earned runs while striking out 11 and walking just one. Baz is coming off a red-hot June where he pitched to a 3.26 ERA and 1.02 WHIP with 31 strikeouts in 30 1/3 innings, recording wins in four out of his five starts. His season-long numbers are not quite as strong, as he's posted a 4.33 ERA with 97 strikeouts in 97 2/3 innings (17 starts). However, Baz has managed to stay healthy this year, a feat that has eluded him in previous years. He's a former top prospect with a world of talent and appears to be rounding into form as he heads into the second half of the season.
--Will BradySource: MLB
July 1, 2025
Atlanta Braves starter
Grant Holmes was lights-out on Tuesday night, earning a no-decision by throwing six scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts while allowing three hits and three walks in his team's 4-0 loss to the Los Angeles Angels. In 96 innings pitched this season, the veteran right-hander has pitched to a 3.47 ERA and 1.24 WHIP with 113 strikeouts. The only major blemish on Holmes' resume so far this season has been walks. He entered the night sporting an 11.2% walk rate, a significant increase from the 5.3% walk rate he recorded in 2024. Even still, Holmes has been an excellent source of strikeouts for fantasy managers so far this season. His next scheduled start will come on Sunday at home against the Baltimore Orioles in a strong matchup.
--Will BradySource: MLB
July 1, 2025
Detroit Tigers left-hander
Tyler Holton will serve as the opener on Wednesday for Game 1 of a split doubleheader against the hosting Washington Nationals in D.C. Right-hander
Jack Flaherty, who was scheduled to start Tuesday's game before it was postponed due to inclement weather, will start in Game 2. In his four opening assignments this year, Holton has allowed five earned runs in 5 1/3 innings of work, so fantasy managers shouldn't consider him a realistic streamer. The 29-year-old southpaw has been more effective as a traditional reliever for the first-place Tigers and is sporting a 4.34 ERA overall with a 1.26 WHIP and 30:8 K:BB in 37 1/3 innings over 34 appearances (four starts). Holton was much better last year, posting a 2.19 ERA and 0.78 WHIP with a career-high eight saves in 94 1/3 innings of work in the regular season.
--Keith HernandezSource: Detroit News - Chris McCosky
July 1, 2025
The Houston Astros recalled infielder
Shay Whitcomb from Triple-A Sugar Land to replace shortstop
Jeremy Pena (ribs), who landed on the 10-day injured list on Monday. Whitcomb, a former fifth-rounder in 2020 out of UC San Diego, debuted with Houston last year as a utility infielder and went 9-for-41 (.220) with no homers, five RBI and a run scored in just 20 games. The 26-year-old is hitless in nine plate appearances in the majors this year but has impressed in 60 games at Sugar Land, slashing .280/.360/.582 with a .942 OPS, 19 long balls, 43 RBI, 43 runs scored and six steals. Whitcomb will serve in a super-utility role for the Astros again and could even see some playing time in the outfield. However, because his playing time will likely be sporadic, he's nothing more than a waiver-wire flier for short-term depth in AL-only fantasy formats.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Brian McTaggart
July 1, 2025
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder
Jordan Walker (appendix) has joined the team in Pittsburgh to meet with the team's trainers and medical staff before heading out on a minor-league rehab assignment, which means he won't come off the 10-day injured list when he's eligible on Friday, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Derrick Goold. Walker landed on the IL due to appendicitis, but he didn't require surgery and could rejoin the big-league squad early next week, barring a setback on his rehab assignment. When the 23-year-old former top prospect does return, there's a good chance he'll only be in a platoon situation in St. Louis' outfield. The former 21st overall pick in 2020 has hit just .210 (37-for-176) with three home runs, 23 RBI, 21 runs and 63 strikeouts in 191 trips to the plate in his 55 games in 2025.
--Keith HernandezSource: St. Louis Post-Dispatch - Derrick Goold
July 1, 2025
Colorado Rockies shortstop
Ezequiel Tovar (oblique) said he has been hitting off a tee for four days but has yet to take full batting practice. Tovar is making progress, but with the All-Star break quickly approaching, it seems like a good bet that we won't see him back with the Rockies until the start of the second half of the season on July 18. The 23-year-old starting shortstop has been on the 10-day injured list since early June after injuring his left oblique muscle. In addition to his injury, it's been a disappointing 2025 campaign for the Venezuelan infielder, as he's hit .258/.301/.406 with a .708 OPS, three home runs, 10 RBI, 14 runs scored and two stolen bases in 128 at-bats after he had 26 home runs, 78 RBI and a league-high 45 doubles in 157 games in 2024. Until Tovar is able to return to Colorado, rookie
Ryan Ritter will serve as the starter at the 6.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Thomas Harding
July 1, 2025
St. Louis Cardinals first baseman
Willson Contreras (hand) said he is doubtful for Wednesday's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports. Contreras exited Tuesday's 1-0 loss after taking a 99.3 mph fastball from Pirates ace
Paul Skenes off the left hand in the fourth inning. X-rays came back negative, but it'll take Contreras at least another couple of days to return. The Cardinals are off on Thursday, but Contreras could be back in the lineup Friday against the Chicago Cubs.
--Connor ByrneSource: Katie Woo - The Athletic
July
1,
2025
Toronto
Blue
Jays
outfielder
George
Springer
put
on
a
show
as
the
club
rolled
to
a
12-5
win
over
the
visiting
New
York
Yankees
on
Tuesday.
Springer
finished
3-for-4
with
two
home
runs,
a
career-high
seven
RBI,
read more...
July 1, 2025
Pittsburgh Pirates closer
David Bednar encountered trouble Tuesday, but he worked out of it to record his 12th save in a 1-0 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. The right-hander walked
Jose Fermin to lead off the inning and later allowed a one-out double to
Yohel Pozo. Bednar then locked down the Cardinals with two runners in scoring position, retiring
Victor Scott II on a fielder's choice and striking out
Brendan Donovan to end the game. The 30-year-old still hasn't blown a save this season and hasn't allowed an earned run since May 23. Overall, Bednar has pitched to a 2.73 ERA with 42:9 K:BB and a 1.15 WHIP in 29 2/3 innings.
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
July 1, 2025
Miami Marlins right-hander
Edward Cabrera turned in his best performance of the season in a 2-0 win over the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday. Cabrera tossed a season-high seven innings of scoreless, two-hit ball and issued six strikeouts against one walk to improve to 3-2. The 27-year-old has now gone three starts in a row with at least 5 1/3 frames and two or fewer earned runs allowed. Thanks to his recent run of success, Cabrera has dropped his ERA to 3.41 over 71 1/3 innings with 75:30 K:BB and a 1.28 WHIP. Cabrera is scheduled for a home start against the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday.
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
July 1, 2025
Miami Marlins reliever
Ronny Henriquez pitched a perfect ninth inning Tuesday to earn his fourth save in a 2-0 win over the Minnesota Twins. Henriquez closed out the game on 13 pitches and fanned a pair of hitters to help the Marlins to their eighth straight win. The 25-year-old has now gone 3-for-3 in save opportunities since June 22. While
Calvin Faucher leads the team with eight saves, the Marlins haven't used him to close a game since June 24. Henriquez has recorded better numbers than Faucher this year, having pitched to a 2.85 ERA with 57:16 K:BB and a 1.22 WHIP over 41 innings.
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
July 1, 2025
First baseman/outfielder
Trey Mancini has exercised an opt-out clause in his minor league contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports. Mancini is now a free agent. After taking 2024 off, Mancini joined the Diamondbacks over the winter and spent the first few months of the season with their Triple-A affiliate in Reno. The 33-year-old slashed .308/.373/.522 with 16 home runs and 62 RBI in 335 plate appearances in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, leading him to test free agency again. Mancini is best known for a successful stint with the Orioles from 2016-22. He slugged between 21 and 35 home runs four times during that span and earned AL Comeback Player of the Year honors in 2021 after making a remarkable return from a battle with colon cancer. In 2023, his most recent major league season, Mancini hit .234/.299/.336 with four homers in 263 trips to the plate as a member of the Chicago Cubs.
--Connor ByrneSource: Ken Rosenthal
July 1, 2025
St. Louis Cardinals first baseman
Willson Contreras (hand) exited the team's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday after taking a
Paul Skenes fastball off the left hand in the fourth inning. X-rays came back negative on Contreras, who's "day-to-day," according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The Cardinals replaced him at first base with
Alec Burleson and brought
Garrett Hampson in to play right field. Contreras has been hit a league-high 13 times this year, and he missed the end of August and all of September last season after suffering a fractured finger on an HBP. While Contreras avoided a major injury in this instance, it's possible he could miss some time. Contreras has recovered from a slow start to the season to slash a respectable .248/.340/.432 with 11 homers, 51 RBI, 42 runs scored, and four stolen bases over 348 plate appearances.
--Connor ByrneSource: Derrick Goold
July
1,
2025
Arizona
Diamondbacks
first
baseman
Josh
Naylor
(neck)
was
scratched
from
the
starting
lineup
on
Tuesday
against
the
division-rival
San
Francisco
Giants.
Naylor
was
originally
in
Tuesday's
lineup
against
Giants
right-hander
read more...
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