Brandon Pfaadt Notches Quality Start, Earns Win on Wednesday
Brandon Pfaadt notched a quality start in an 8-2 win over the San Diego Padres on Wednesday. Pfaadt tossed eight innings of two-run ball, allowing four hits and striking out four while walking none in the win. The veteran improved his record to 9-6 on the year, to go along with a 5.16 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, and 84 strikeouts over 99 1/3 innings of work. Pfaadt has a decent strikeout rate but will need to do a better job of preventing runs to be worth a starting spot in fantasy when he emerges from the All-Star break.Source: MLB.com
Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Grayson Rodriguez Continues Ramping Up
Grayson Rodriguez (lat) was diagnosed with a lat strain and has been on the injured list since the start of the season. He threw 25 pitches during a bullpen session on Friday, which included using fastballs and breaking pitches. The next step in his throwing progression should be facing live hitters. According to Jacob Calvin Meyer of the Baltimore Sun, there is no update on Rodriguez as of Wednesday. The 25-year-old will continue to rehab, but it's still unclear when he will make his season debut. Based on this progression, a mid-to-late August return from the injured list seems the most likely. Fantasy managers with an IL spot should continue to stash Rodriguez for now.Source: Jacob Calvin Meyer
Baltimore Orioles right-hander Jarren Duran Hits Three-Run Home Run on Wednesday
Jarren Duran turned in a big day in a 10-2 win over the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday. Duran went 2-for-4 with a double, a homer, a walk, and three RBI to lead Boston to the win in the lopsided contest. The veteran outfielder did most of his damage with a three-run homer in the eighth inning to give the Red Sox their final runs of the contest. Duran is putting together a solid season for Boston, slashing .262/.318/.438 with eight homers, 52 runs, 50 RBI, and 15 steals in 386 at-bats. He is behind his pace of 21 homers hit in 2024, but he should still notch his second straight season with double-digit homers and steals in the coming weeks.Source: MLB.com
Boston Red Sox outfielder Jake Meyers' Calf Flares Up Again
Jake Meyers (calf) was taken out of Wednesday's game against the Cleveland Guardians with right calf tightness. The 29-year-old returned to the lineup on Wednesday after missing the last two games with calf soreness. He re-aggravated the same calf injury while running to the outfield before the game started. Meyers was helped off the field. Having two calf injuries to the same calf in four days usually means that the Astros brought him back too soon and he may end up on the injured list. The severity of the calf injury is unknown and Meyers remains day-to-day. Kenedy Corona and Taylor Trammell would likely see an increase in playing time if Meyers were to miss any time.Source: Chandler Rome
Houston Astros outfielder Nathaniel Lowe Hits Three-Run Home Run in Wednesday's Win
Nathaniel Lowe had a productive night in an 8-2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday. Lowe went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer to help lead Washington to the win. The veteran kicked off the scoring in the game, ripping a three-run blast with two outs in the first inning. Lowe is now slashing .235/.301/.407 with 14 homers, 43 runs, 61 RBI, and one stolen base in 349 at-bats. While the batting average isn't great, Lowe is providing excellent power-hitting numbers for fantasy managers and the Nationals this season.Source: MLB.com
Washington Nationals first baseman Marcus Semien Homers, Drives in Four in Wednesday's Loss
Marcus Semien had a big night in an 11-8 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday. Semien went 1-for-3 with a homer, a walk, and four RBI to lead the Rangers in the high-scoring loss. The veteran infielder ripped a two-run homer in the seventh inning to break a 6-6 tie on a blast that traveled 423 feet with an exit velocity of 104.8 MPH. Semien also drove in runs on an RBI groundout in the first inning and a sacrifice fly in the third. The veteran is slashing .231/.312/.359 with 10 homers, 41 runs, 46 RBI, and seven steals in 334 at-bats this season, but is hitting just .148 over his past seven games. Hopefully, his big game on Wednesday is a sign of things to come for his fantasy managers.Source: MLB.com
Texas Rangers second baseman Wyatt Langford Steals Two Bases on Wednesday
Wyatt Langford had a productive day in an 11-8 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday. Langford went 2-for-4 with two runs and two stolen bases, but it wasn't quite enough in the high-scoring loss to Los Angeles. The 23-year-old outfielder flashed his speed in the game, stealing both of his bases off the Kyle Hendricks/Travis d'Arnaud battery to give him 13 steals in 16 attempts this season after swiping 19 bags as a rookie in 2024. Overall, Langford is slashing .235/.313/.426 with 14 homers, 38 runs, and 35 RBI across 277 at-bats this year. His combination of power and speed makes him a valuable fantasy asset in all formats.Source: MLB.com
Texas Rangers outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. Homers Twice on Wednesday
Ronald Acuna Jr. (back) had a big game in a 9-2 win over the Athletics on Wednesday. Returning from a one-game absence due to back tightness, Acuna went 2-for-4 with two solo homers and a walk in the win. The star outfielder showed no issues after getting scratched from Tuesday's game due to back tightness, hitting a leadoff homer in the first inning and adding a solo blast in the fourth. Acuna is now slashing .336/.454/.601 with 11 homers, 36 runs, 20 RBI, and four steals across 143 at-bats this season. He remains an elite fantasy outfielder in all formats.Source: MLB.com
Atlanta Braves outfielder Mike Trout Homers Twice in Win Over Rangers
Mike Trout had a big day in his team's 11-8 win over the Texas Rangers on Wednesday. Trout went 2-for-5 with two homers and three RBI to help lead the Angels to the win. The veteran hit both of his homers off Texas starter Kumar Rocker, a two-run shot in the third and a solo homer in the fifth inning. Trout is now slashing .233/.352/.461 with 16 homers, 34 runs, 36 RBI, and two steals in 232 at-bats this season. He is batting .250 with three homers over his past seven games as the All-Star break nears.Source: MLB.com
Los Angeles Angels outfielder Gage Miller Turning the Corner at High-A
Gage Miller went 1-for-3 with a double and three RBI during their contest against High-A Dayton on Wednesday evening. This was another productive showing for Miller, who has posted a .250/.375/.550 slash line with one double, one triple, one home run, and eight RBI over his last six contests. Before this recent surge, Miller held a much lower .182/.308/.424 line with just two doubles and two home runs. The Marlins selected Miller in the third round of last year's MLB Draft out of Alabama. He made his professional debut with Low-A after the draft and even received a brief taste of High-A. This season, he returned to High-A, where he has posted an overall .235/.349/.355 line through 66 games. If Miller continued to turn the corner in the second half, he could earn a call to Double-A later this summer.Source: MiLB.com
Miami Marlins infield prospect Billy Amick Stays Hot at High-A
Source: MiLB.com
Minnesota Twins infield prospect Billy Amick went 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs, three RBI, and two walks during their contest against High-A Peoria on Wednesday evening. Over his last eight games, Amick has held a strong .290/.378/.516 slash line with a double and two home runs. The No.14-ranked prospect in Minnesota has spent most of his campaign with High-A, after making his professional debut with Low-A last season. Through his first 33 games with High-A Cedar Rapids, Amick has posted a strong .311/.425/.443 slash line with eight doubles and two home runs. During this stretch, he has struck out 41 times and drawn 20 walks. Last season with Low-A, Amick held a modest .764 OPS across 18 games. The former second-round pick could be in the mix to earn a brief taste of Double-A later in the second half.Carson Benge Stays Hot on Wednesday
Carson Benge continued to swing a hot bat on Wednesday evening during their contest against Double-A Altoona. In this contest, the No. 3-ranked prospect in the New York system on MLB.com went 2-for-3 with a double and a home run. He tallied two RBI and drew a walk. On Tuesday, Benge tallied three hits, three RBI, and added a double. The 22-year-old opened the campaign with High-A Brooklyn but needed just 60 games to prove he was ready to join Double-A. At High-A, the former 19th overall pick in last year's MLB Draft posted a .304/.417/.480 slash line with 18 doubles and four home runs. Through his first 12 games with Double-A, Benge has been quite impressive, posting a .325/.460/.550 slash line with three doubles and two home runs. Given his impressive production, Benge could be in the mix to reach the major leagues next season.Source: MiLB.com
New York Mets outfield prospect Braden Montgomery Snaps Skid with Home Run
Braden Montgomery went 2-for-5 with a home run and three RBI during their contest against High-A Greenville on Wednesday evening. This was a nice breakout game for Montgomery, as he was in a slump throughout most of the past week. From June 27 through July 6, Montgomery went just 2-for-31 at the dish with one extra-base hit. However, he has now tallied at least one hit in each of his last two games and appears to be turning the corner. Montgomery joined the White Sox organization with the 12th overall pick in last year's MLB Draft. After spending just 18 games with Low-A at the start of the season, the White Sox promoted Montgomery to High-A. Through his first 50 games with High-A, Montgomery has been quite productive, posting a .251/.331/.439 slash line with 14 doubles and eight home runs. If he continues to find his footing, he could be in the mix to open the 2026 season with Double-A.Source: MiLB.com
Chicago White Sox outfield prospect Max Clark Hits First Double-A Long Ball
Max Clark went 1-for-3 with a home run during their contest against Double-A Harrisburg on Wednesday evening. After tallying a single in his Double-A debut on Tuesday, Clark would waste little time, going deep in just his second game at the level. Clark is considered the No. 2-ranked prospect in the system on MLB.com. The Tigers drafted Clark with the third pick in the 2023 MLB Draft out of Franklin Community HS. Clark began the campaign with High-A, where he held a .285/.340/.427 slash line with 12 doubles, two triples, seven home runs, and 12 stolen bases. Last summer, Clark spent most of his time with Low-A before earning a taste of High-A. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his production as Clark is developing into one of the top hitters in the minor leagues. He will likely spend the remainder of the second half with Double-A.Source: MiLB.com
Detroit Tigers outfield prospect C.J. Kayfus Hits Triple-A Home Run No. 12
C.J. Kayfus went 1-for-3 with a home run and a walk during their contest against Triple-A Louisville on Wednesday evening. Since the start of July, Kayfus has already gone deep twice and tallied seven RBI. The No. 5-ranked prospect in the Cleveland system has been one of the most productive hitters in the minor leagues this season and is on the verge of making his MLB debut. He opened the season with Double-A, and posted a .364/.475/.591 slash line across 18 games. Then, through his first 57 games at the top level of the minor leagues, the first baseman has continued to perform well, holding a .295/.380/.557 slash line with 11 doubles and 12 home runs. Given his elite production, Kayfus is worth stashing in all 12+ team leagues heading into the All-Star break.Source: MiLB.com
Cleveland Guardians first baseman