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George Lombard Jr. Being Promoted to Triple-A
New York Yankees infield prospect George Lombard Jr. is being promoted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, according to Jack Curry of YES Network. The Yankees have believed that Lombard is ready for the majors from a defensive standpoint, but they will now monitor how he progresses offensively at the highest minor-league level. Curry adds that the expectation is that Lombard will play some shortstop and third base at Triple-A. The 20-year-old former 26th overall pick in 2023 got the promotion to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after going 24-for-74 (.324) with four home runs, 10 RBI, 18 runs scored, and four stolen bases in 87 plate appearances over 19 games at Double-A Somerset to begin the 2026 season. Lombard has always been one of the youngest players at every level, and he still has plenty of time to mature and access more raw power from his 6-foot-2, 190-pound frame. Per MLB Pipeline, Lombard is New York's top prospect. Unless Lombard just absolutely kills it at the plate in Triple-A, it's more likely that he'll make his major-league debut for the Yankees in 2027.
Source: YES Network - Jack Curry
Source: YES Network - Jack Curry
Junior Caminero Suffers Jaw Contusion on Tuesday, Considered Day-to-Day
Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero (jaw) was forced from Tuesday's game in the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians with a right-jaw contusion after fouling a ball off the right side of his face, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. The good news is that Caminero's injury isn't serious, and he's considered day-to-day. In his only at-bat before leaving, Caminero was 0-for-1 at the plate. Ben Williamson entered the game for the Rays to play second base, with Richie Palacios shifting over to the hot corner. It doesn't sound like Caminero will be forced to the injured list with this injury, but he could be held out of Wednesday's series finale against Cleveland as a precaution. Fantasy managers will want to check back then to see if he's back in the starting lineup for Tampa. The 22-year-old Dominican broke out in 2025 in his first full year in the big leagues, slashing .264/.311/.535 with 45 home runs, 110 RBI, and seven stolen bases in 154 games played. He is a must-start anytime he's in the Rays' lineup in traditional leagues. Coming into Tuesday's game, Caminero had gone 29-for-112 (.259) with eight homers and 15 RBI in his 28 games.
Source: Tampa Bay Times - Marc Topkin
Source: Tampa Bay Times - Marc Topkin
Justin Steele Won't Return Until After the All-Star Break
Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell said that left-hander Justin Steele's (elbow) flexor strain in his left elbow will keep him out of the team's starting rotation until after the All-Star break in mid-July, according to Taylor McGregor of the Marquee Sports Network. The Cubs were originally hoping that Steele could return from the injured list in early June. Unfortunately, Steele had a setback during his rehab on Tuesday and will miss the entire first half of 2026. The 30-year-old southpaw is on the 60-day IL at the moment. Fantasy managers are obviously going to need to be patient with Steele this year. He's currently rostered in only 16% of Yahoo leagues, and fantasy managers in mixed leagues should now be considering whether to continue stashing him for the rest of the first half of the season. Steele was a first-time All-Star in 2023 and was solid again in 2024, but he only made four starts with the Cubbies last year before having UCL revision surgery in April.
Source: Marquee Sports Network - Taylor McGregor
Source: Marquee Sports Network - Taylor McGregor
Pete Fairbanks Going on Injured List With Nerve Irritation
Miami Marlins right-handed closer Pete Fairbanks (thumb) is going on the 15-day injured list on Tuesday with nerve irritation, according to Christina De Nicola of MLB.com. The Marlins are hoping that he'll be out for just 15 days. Fairbanks was ineffective in a save opportunity on Monday night in the loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers and was pulled from his outing early after losing feeling in his right hand. It's a similar issue to what he dealt with in April of 2024, when he landed on the IL with the Tampa Bay Rays. Back then, he ended up missing three weeks of action. Miami is hoping it won't be as long this time around, but fantasy managers need to plan for the worst. Fairbanks had five saves and a bloated 10.00 ERA and 1.44 WHIP in his first nine innings for Miami in 2026, but he also secured five saves and has 80 saves since the start of the 2023 campaign. With Fairbanks sidelined for at least the next two weeks, expect the Fish to use a closer-by-committee that could feature any of Anthony Bender, Andrew Nardi, Tyler Phillips, and Calvin Faucher.
Source: MLB.com - Christina De Nicola
Source: MLB.com - Christina De Nicola
Manny Machado Out After Suffering Calf Cramping on Monday
San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado (calf) is not in the team's starting lineup on Tuesday for Game 2 of the series at Petco Park against the visiting Chicago Cubs, according to MLB.com. Jake Cronenworth is starting at the hot corner and will bat ninth for the Friars, with Fernando Tatis Jr. playing second base for a second straight day and batting out of the two-hole versus Cubs right-hander Edward Cabrera. Bryce Johnson is making the start for SD in right field with Tatis back on the dirt in the infield. The 33-year-old veteran was pulled from Monday's win over the Cubs early as a precaution due to calf cramping, and he's available off the bench on Tuesday. The Padres are giving the star third baseman an extra day of rest, but he's expected to be fine, and he could return as early as Wednesday's game against the Cubbies. Machado got off to a cold start offensively in 2026, but he hit two home runs on Sunday in Mexico City and had doubled twice on Monday night before leaving with his calf injury, perhaps signaling that he's on the verge of breaking out with April nearing an end. Check back on Wednesday to see if Machado is ready to play in the series finale against the Cubs.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Maikel Garcia Returning for Royals on Tuesday
Kansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia (elbow) is back at the hot corner and is hitting leadoff for Tuesday's game against the Athletics and right-hander Aaron Civale in Sacramento, according to MLB.com. It will be Garcia's first game back since missing three games with right-elbow cramps. However, the 26-year-old did come off the bench for two plate appearances in Sunday's contest. Now that he's back in action, fantasy managers will want to return him to their starting lineups. The Venezuelan third baseman is a fine DFS option for Tuesday's slate as well at hitter-friendly Sutter Health Park. After earning All-Star honors for the first time in 2025 in his fourth year in the majors, Garcia is off to a .263 (26-for-99) start at the plate this year with two home runs, 10 RBI, 15 runs scored, and two stolen bases in his 112 plate appearances across 26 games played. Garcia has hit .133 with a .266 OPS and one RBI in 15 career at-bats against Civale, but don't let that stop you from starting him in his return to the starting nine.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Justin Steele Shut Down Following Setback
Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Justin Steele (elbow) has suffered a setback in his rehab program and is shut down from throwing, according to Jesse Rogers. The Cubs were hopeful to get Steele back around Memorial Day in late May. That timetable seems unlikely now with this latest setback. Steele is working his way back from elbow surgery that he underwent in April of last year. Both the Cubs and fantasy managers were hopeful to get something out of Steele here soon, but that doesn't seem like it's going to happen now. The organization should give a better timetable for Steele in the coming days.
Source: Jesse Rogers
Source: Jesse Rogers
Spencer Strider to Make Season Debut This Weekend
Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Spencer Strider (oblique) will make his season debut against the Colorado Rockies this weekend. Braves manager Walt Weiss confirmed the news on Tuesday, but it wasn't announced which day Strider will pitch. The right-hander is back in the mix after missing the beginning of the season due to an oblique strain. He threw 82 pitches during his final rehab start at Triple-A Gwinnett on Sunday. With that being said, Strider should have a fairly normal workload during his season debut. It's usually never fun pitching at Coors Field, but Strider has too much upside to ignore him. Strider should be rostered and started in basically all fantasy formats, even with his first start being in Colorado.
Source: Grant McAuley
Source: Grant McAuley
Max Muncy Placed on 10-Day Injured List With Fractured Hand
Athletics infielder Max Muncy (hand) was placed on the 10-day injured list on Tuesday, retroactive to April 26. Muncy is dealing with a fractured fifth metacarpal in his left hand. He reportedly suffered the injury when he was hit by a pitch on April 13, but the fracture wasn't revealed until he underwent an MRI on Monday. Given the severity of the injury, fantasy managers should expect Muncy to miss more than the 10-day minimum on the IL. In a corresponding move, Brett Harris was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas to take over the roster spot. Darell Hernaiz figures to see a majority of the playing time at the hot corner in Muncy's absence.
Source: Athletics PR
Source: Athletics PR
Spencer Schwellenbach Worth Stashing in Deeper Leagues?
Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Spencer Schwellenbach (elbow) won't make his season debut until after the All-Star break, according to manager Walt Weiss. That news was confirmed on Tuesday, but that doesn't rule out Schwellenbach still making an impact this season. The right-hander underwent surgery in February to remove bone spurs from his right elbow. He has reportedly been making good progress, but he isn't cleared to begin a throwing session yet. When healthy, Schwellenbach has been a reliable option in the rotation for the Braves. He has a 3.23 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and a 235/41 K:BB ratio across 38 big league starts. Fantasy managers who can afford to keep Schwellenbach on their Injured List spot for a few months should consider adding him.
Source: Mark Bowman
Source: Mark Bowman
Geraldo Perdomo Remains Sidelined with Ankle Issue
Arizona Diamondbacks infielder Geraldo Perdomo (ankle) remains out of the starting lineup ahead of Tuesday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers. Perdomo will miss his second straight game after suffering a left ankle sprain during Saturday's loss to the San Diego Padres. For now, Perdomo is considered day-to-day, but he could land on the Injured List if the injury doesn't improve soon. Jose Fernandez will get another start at shortstop and bat sixth against right-hander Chad Patrick on Tuesday. Fantasy managers should check back for another update on Perdomo on Wednesday.
Source: mlb.com
Source: mlb.com
Andres Gimenez is Returning to the Lineup on Tuesday
Toronto Blue Jays infielder Andres Gimenez (undisclosed) is back in the starting lineup ahead of Tuesday's game against the Boston Red Sox. Gimenez is back in the mix after sitting out the last two games for what seems like rest purposes. Jays' manager John Schneider said Gimenez was available off the bench on Monday, but is banged up right now. Regardless of the reasoning, Gimenez is at shortstop and batting ninth on Tuesday. He has done a nice job, slashing .287/.313/.468 with three home runs and 16 RBI this season. He is more of a deep league option at the moment, but could see his value rise if he keeps swinging the bat well.
Source: mlb.com
Source: mlb.com
Oneil Cruz is Back in Action on Tuesday
Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz (illness) is back in the starting lineup ahead of Tuesday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals. Cruz was scratched ahead of Monday's contest due to an illness. He needed a rest day anyway after going 0-for-10 at the plate with five strikeouts over his last two games. Outside of that, it has been a productive beginning of the season for Cruz, who is slashing .259/.320/.518 with eight home runs, 24 RBI, and 10 steals across 27 games. He'll bat in the leadoff spot and cover center field against right-hander Kyle Leahy on Tuesday.
Source: Pittsburgh Pirates
Source: Pittsburgh Pirates
Luis Robert Jr. Out on Tuesday With Back Tightness
New York Mets outfielder Luis Robert Jr. (back) has lower-back tightness and is getting treatments, which is why he's not in the team's starting lineup on Tuesday against the visiting Washington Nationals, according to Chelsea Janes of SNY. No further testing is scheduled for Robert, but "if he doesn't get better in the next 48 hours," the team might have to reconsider, according to manager Carlos Mendoza. The oft-injured Robert is sitting out on Tuesday night for the third time in the team's last four games as he battles his back tightness. It's not what fantasy managers want to hear, but hopefully, the 28-year-old Cuban can avoid a trip to the injured list. Fantasy managers will want to check back on Wednesday to see if he can return to the Mets' starting nine. With Robert out and Juan Soto (forearm) still serving as the designated hitter, the Mets are rolling with MJ Melendez in left field, rookie Carson Benge in center, and Brett Baty in right field on Tuesday at Citi Field. Robert has been quiet at the plate early in his first year in Queens, going 19-for-85 (.224) with two home runs, eight RBI, 10 runs scored, and two steals in 24 games.
Source: SNY - Chelsea Janes
Source: SNY - Chelsea Janes
Juan Soto Dealing With Forearm Tightness, Serving as DH on Tuesday
New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto (forearm) reported forearm tightness on Friday, manager Carlos Mendoza told Jorge Castillo of ESPN. The skipper said that Soto had an MRI exam on Tuesday, and his arm is structurally sound. Mendoza is hoping that Soto can play the field "in the next few days." Since coming off the 10-day injured list due to a calf strain, the 27-year-old Dominican has not played the field. Soto is the DH again on Tuesday and will hit second for the contest against the visiting Washington Nationals and right-hander Zack Littell. In five games since returning from the IL, Soto has gone 3-for-15 (.200) with no RBI, no runs scored, six walks, and two strikeouts. Overall in 13 games played in 2026, the four-time All-Star has hit a cool .304 (14-for-46) with a homer, five RBI, and three runs scored. Soto is hitting .167 in six career at-bats against Littell, but that shouldn't deter fantasy managers in any formats from starting him during Tuesday's slate of games.
Source: ESPN.com - Jorge Castillo
Source: ESPN.com - Jorge Castillo
