RADIO
Matt Olson has Another Two-Homer Game in Loss to Mets
Atlanta Braves first baseman Matt Olson has been on a home run binge of late, and that continued on Monday night in the team's 7-6, 10-inning loss to the division-rival New York Mets at Truist Park. Olson went 2-for-5 at the plate with two home runs, three RBI, a walk, and a strikeout. The 32-year-old left-handed slugger's first long ball came in the third inning against right-handed starter Freddy Peralta, and his second blast came off closer Devin Williams in the ninth inning to force extra innings. Olson wraps up a strong series against the Mets after homering twice in Friday's series opener. The former first-rounder continues to be one of the most consistent, high-end sources of power in fantasy baseball. After Monday night's strong performance, Olson is slashing .273/.344/.546 with an .890 OPS, 24 home runs, 57 RBI, 61 runs, and two stolen bases in his 348 at-bats. So far in six games in July, he's gone 6-for-25 (.240) with four homers, a double, five RBI, and seven runs scored across 28 plate appearances.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Ralphy Velazquez No Longer a Stash Candidate Ahead of the Second Half?
Cleveland Guardians first base/outfield prospect Ralphy Velazquez is adjusting nicely to two minor league levels this season, combining to hit .296 between Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus with 10 homers and 42 RBI. Velazquez, a former first round pick, is the top prospect in the Guardians system and could be looking at a promotion before the end of this year, but Cleveland could also be patient and wait until 2027 to promote their biggest minor league prize. With Kyle Manzardo and Rhys Hoskins, the Guardians have adequate coverage of first base this season and could play it safe and wait to get a look at the 21-year-old Velazquez until next season. While Velazquez has shown a solid bat, he still has some development to do and fantasy managers in leagues of all sizes may want to wait a bit to add his services to their roster.
Source: Minor League Baseball
Source: Minor League Baseball
Jasson Dominguez Finding His Form, Can He Help Your Lineup?
New York Yankees outfielder Jasson Dominguez is back in a regular role for the Yankees in the middle of the lineup. He has picked up 14 hits in his last 17 games, with six of them going for extra bases. Over that stretch, he has two homers, four doubles, and a .278 wOBA. He also added five stolen bases in that span, showing some sneaky speed upside. Dominguez is only hitting .209 on the season and has 17 strikeouts in his last 17 games. In AL-only or very deep leagues, his speed and power potential make him a fringe option for rosters right now, with the upside for more power as he finds his way in the MLB. The 23-year-old has elite power potential as a prospect, but he has yet to prove he's ready to deliver that regularly at this point in his career. His regular role in a very productive batting order, though, should help him post good counting stats, especially once Aaron Judge returns to the lineup.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Ryan Clifford Needs to Show More Before Entering High-End Stash Territory
New York Mets first base/outfield prospect Ryan Clifford has shown power numbers at Triple-A Syracuse but has not yet proven to be a consistent bat at the Triple-A level. He has 14 homers and 41 RBI but is hitting just .193 with a .660 OPS. He has added seven steals, showing he can run a little bit, but his OPS is the lowest of his career in the minors, which is a cause for concern. Clifford is the No. 2 prospect in the Mets system so the hype is there and the left handed hitter has shown the ability to play first base and outfield. Before getting a shot in New York at the big-league level, he will likely need to show more consistent hitting at Triple-A. But the bottom line is the Mets have a hole at first base and could look to Clifford to fill that hole in what is becoming a bit of a lost season. So Clifford is worth a look in mixed leagues but is not someone to rush to the waiver wire to add just yet.
Source: Minor League Baseball
Source: Minor League Baseball
Clayton Beeter Earns Save No. 7, Emerging as Must-Add Target?
Washington Nationals relief pitcher Clayton Beeter closed out a wild win over the Astros on Monday night, entering the game with a 12-11 lead and getting four outs for his seventh save of the year. After Cole Henry allowed four runs in the eighth inning, Beeter came into the game and retired Jose Altuve to end the inning. He worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning, striking out Yordan Alvarez along the way to his fourth straight scoreless outing. Beeter leads the team with his seven saves and only needed 12 pitches to get his four outs on Monday. While the Nats' bullpen is still a wild place in general, Beeter does seem to be the top closer option for now. If you need saves, he's a great pickup off the waiver wire, although getting to him with a lead has been a challenge for the Nationals lately, which does limit his opportunities.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Luis Lara Promoted to Major Leagues, a Must-Add in All Formats?
Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Luis Lara is ready to join the Brewers for his MLB debut, and he's a great addition in fantasy leagues if you're looking for average and speed. MLB Pipeline ranked Lara as the No. 4 prospect in the Brewers' strong farm system and the No. 67 prospect in all of baseball, and the 21-year-old switch-hitter signed a seven-year extension with the Brew Crew last month, showing how confident the team is in his upside. At Triple-A this season, Lara hit .321 with nine homers and 24 stolen bases in 78 games. It's already the most home runs he has had in any of his seasons as a pro, but his speed has shown elite potential over the last few years, with 45 stolen bases in 2024 and 44 stolen bases last year. Lara will bring an exciting infusion of energy to Milwaukee's lineup and is a great addition in all formats since his speed and contact should play right away, even if his power takes some time to continue to develop.
Source: Daniel Álvarez-Montes
Source: Daniel Álvarez-Montes
Kevin Gausman Sees Struggles Continue on Monday, Time to Drop in All Leagues?
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Kevin Gausman did not have a strong return to San Francisco on Monday night, allowing seven runs (four earned) on five hits and five walks through 5 1/3 innings. Gausman did still have eight strikeouts, but he has lost four straight starts to fall to 4-8 on the year. Over his last seven starts, he is 0-5 with a 6.41 ERA and 5.36 FIP. His strikeout numbers are still solid, so there is some hope he turns it around later in the year. If you're in a deep league and can hold him on your bench, there is still potential upside, but for now, it's time to move on from Gausman in all standard-sized mixed leagues. The waiver wire has much better short-term and long-term options in most formats.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Tyler Tolbert Collects Five Hits in Rout of Phillies on Monday
Kansas City Royals outfielder Tyler Tolbert had a day to remember while starting at shortstop for the Royals in Monday's 15-1 rout of the visiting Philadelphia Phillies at Kauffman Stadium, going a perfect 5-for-5 at the plate with a solo home run, an RBI double, and three runs scored to boost his season batting average to .333 and his OPS to .812. It was the first time that the 28-year-old recorded five hits in a game in his career, and it was also his first home run of the 2026 season. The former 13th-rounder in 2019 out of the University of Alabama at Birmingham is in just his second year in the big leagues with KC this year. Tolbert came into the first game of the week on Monday with a .264/.316/.322 slash line, .638 OPS, only one homer, seven RBI, 30 steals, and 29 runs scored in 92 total games for the Royals since debuting in the Show last year. In a small sample size this year, Tolbert has been strong, hitting .333/.383/.429 with three RBI, nine steals, and 13 runs scored in 48 plate appearances. He's worth a bench spot in AL-only leagues for his speed.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Griffin Jax Picks Up Loss Against Yankees But Fans 10 Batters
Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Griffin Jax strengthened his case as a waiver-wire pickup in his latest outing at home against the division-rival New York Yankees at Tropicana Field. Jax took his sixth loss of the year in a 5-1 defeat and allowed three earned runs, but he gave up just one hit (a three-run homer to utility man Jose Caballero), walked two, and struck out a career-high 10 batters on the night. The 31-year-old retired the first 13 batters he faced, but he ran into trouble in the fifth frame with two walks before giving up a three-run jack to Caballero that opened the game up for the Yanks. Jax threw 51 of his 81 pitches for strikes and generated 16 swings and misses from Yankees hitters. He's now at a 3.60 ERA on the year with a 1.22 WHIP in 65 innings in what has been a successful transition from the bullpen to the starting rotation in Tampa. He's rostered in 61% of Yahoo leagues and is slated to make his final start of the first half this weekend at home against the Seattle Mariners. Since becoming a full-time starter on April 26, Jax has gone 3-3 with a 2.65 ERA (4.09 FIP) with 48 strikeouts and 13 walks in 51 innings pitched.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Jose Caballero Reaches Double-Digit Homers After Hitting Two Long Balls
New York Yankees infielder/outfielder Jose Caballero carried the Yankees' offense on Monday night in a 5-1 win on the road against his former team, the Tampa Bay Rays. Caballero went 2-for-3 at the plate with two home runs and four RBI to boost his season average to .249 and his OPS to .711. The speedy 29-year-old native of Panama hit a three-run bomb in the fifth inning off Rays starter Griffin Jax and then clubbed a solo homer in the eighth inning to account for all but one of New York's runs on the night at Tropicana Field. It was his first multi-homer game since August of last year against Tampa. It was nice to see from Caballero, who came into Monday's tilt with a .152/.220/.217 slash line, a homer, four RBI, five stolen bases, five runs scored, four walks, and 16 strikeouts in his last 14 games since June 20. Caballero is mostly attractive in fantasy leagues for his speed and multi-position eligibility in Yahoo leagues at second base, third base, shortstop, and the outfield. He's now up to 10 home runs, 33 RBI, and 20 stolen bases in 277 plate appearances in 2026.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Tyler Soderstrom Remains Shut Down From Baseball Activities
Athletics outfielder/first baseman Tyler Soderstrom (hip) remains shut down from any baseball activities, per MLB.com. Soderstrom was placed on the 10-Day injured list in late June due to a left-hip impingement that appears likely to sideline him through at least the All-Star break. Across 335 plate appearances in 2026 before the injury, Soderstrom hit .242/.343/.460 with 13 home runs, 41 RBI, 41 runs scored, and one stolen base. With a 12.8% walk rate and a 17.6% strikeout rate, the 24-year-old has demonstrated a promising plate approach. Soderstrom also brings solid underlying contact metrics, as he owns an 11% barrel rate and a 47.3% hard-hit rate across over 1,300 career MLB plate appearances. With Soderstrom sidelined, Athletics utility man Zack Gelof, outfielder Carlos Cortes, and outfielder Colby Thomas are all candidates to see more time in left field.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Max Scherzer to Make a Rehab Start at Triple-A on Wednesday
Toronto Blue Jays veteran right-hander Max Scherzer (back) will make another minor-league rehab start with Triple-A Buffalo on Wednesday, according to Mitch Bannon of The Athletic. In his first rehab start for High-A Vancouver last Friday, Scherzer threw 49 pitches and allowed two earned runs on three hits while walking two and striking out three in three innings of work. The future Hall of Famer could need one more rehab game in the minors after Wednesday's start, meaning he will not be an option for the Jays' starting rotation before next week's All-Star break. The 41-year-old three-time Cy Young winner and eight-time All-Star is on the injured list again this year due to back spasms after already missing extensive time with a forearm injury and other ailments. Scherzer continues to struggle to stay healthy, and he's no longer his dominant self when healthy, going 1-4 with a 10.23 ERA and 1.73 WHIP with 14 strikeouts and 11 walks in 22 innings in his six starts so far in 2026 for the Blue Jays. Fantasy managers have plenty of better upside arms to choose from off the waiver wire in deeper leagues.
Source: The Athletic - Mitch Bannon
Source: The Athletic - Mitch Bannon
Jacob Wilson Not Expected to Return Until After All-Star Break
Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson (thumb) has been shut down from hitting due to right thumb inflammation and is not expected to return from the 10-day injured list until after the All-Star break, per MLB.com. Wilson emerged as a high-end source of batting average for fantasy managers in 2025, hitting .311/.355/.444 with 13 home runs, 63 RBI, 62 runs scored, and five stolen bases across 523 plate appearances. However, the 24-year-old has seen his numbers drop across the board in 2026 as he's battled shoulder and now thumb injuries. Across 214 plate appearances this season, Wilson is hitting .277/.310/.386 with four home runs, 26 RBI, 23 runs scored, and two stolen bases. With Wilson sidelined, Athletics infielder Alika Williams will likely continue to see the majority of the team's playing time at shortstop.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Vinnie Pasquantino to Start a Rehab Assignment on Tuesday
The Kansas City Royals expect first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino (hand) to begin a minor-league rehab assignment on Tuesday with Triple-A Omaha. Pasquantino is on the verge of rejoining the Royals after having surgery in the middle of June to fix a fractured hamate bone in his right hand. Barring a setback during his rehab assignment, the 28-year-old left-handed slugger could rejoin the major-league roster this weekend before the All-Star break next week. But most likely, the Royals will play it safe and bring the Pasquatch back for the start of the second half on Friday, July 17. The former 11th-round selection in 2019 out of Old Dominion University was hitting just .224/.309/.350 with a .660 OPS, six home runs, 32 RBI, 28 runs scored, and three stolen bases in 254 at-bats for KC before his hand injury in his fifth year in the big leagues. It was a disappointing start for Pasquantino, but his 32-homer and 113-RBI campaign in 2025 showed that he has game-changing power when he's right. Pasquantino is only rostered in 63% of Yahoo leagues, so fantasy managers may want to stash him now for his power ability in the second half.
Source: Kansas City Royals
Source: Kansas City Royals
Trevor Story Participating in All Baseball Activities
Boston Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story (abdomen) is participating in all baseball activities, but not quite at full speed, according to MLB.com. The general timetable for his recovery from sports-hernia surgery (on May 21) is eight to 12 weeks, but Story thinks he'll be closer to eight. The Red Sox put Story on the 15-day injured list on May 16 after having surgery, and he was transferred to the 60-day IL on June 4. Even if he continues to progress in his recovery from hernia surgery, the 33-year-old veteran and two-time All-Star won't return before the All-Star break from July 13-16, and he might not be reinstated until August, depending on when he's cleared to begin a minor-league rehab assignment. Before his injury, Story was struggling with a .206/.244/.303 slash line with only three home runs, 19 RBI, 16 runs scored, and four steals in 165 at-bats. He turned back the clock in 2025 with 25 homers, 96 RBI, and 31 steals in 157 regular-season games, but Story's lengthy injury history has caught up with him again in his 11th year in the big leagues. Story is currently rostered in 38% of Yahoo leagues.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
