RADIO
Dylan Cease Named American League All-Star Game Starting Pitcher
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Dylan Cease will get the nod as the American League starting pitcher during the upcoming All-Star Game in Philadelphia. This is a well-deserved honor for Cease, who has been outstanding during his first season with the Blue Jays. The right-hander owns a 2.56 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and a 148/44 K/BB ratio across 17 starts this season. This will be the first All-Star game of his eight-year career. The Blue Jays currently sit in the cellar of the AL East as we head into the All-Star break. That is no fault of Cease, who has been electric to begin his Blue Jays career.
Source: Keegan Matheson
Source: Keegan Matheson
Blaze Alexander Diagnosed with Hand Fracture
Baltimore Orioles infielder Blaze Alexander (hand) suffered a non-displaced hand fracture after being hit by a pitch during Sunday's game against the Kansas City Royals. Alexander was 2-for-2 at the plate with a walk and two runs scored before getting nailed by a pitch in the bottom of the seventh inning. He was immediately removed for a pinch runner and will now almost certainly be placed on the Injured List. This is a tough break for Alexander, who was hitting extremely well since the beginning of June. The All-Star break begins on Monday, which means the Orioles have a few days to officially place Alexander on the shelf. It's unclear who is going to replace him, but fantasy managers should expect to be without Alexander for a few weeks.
Source: Matt Weyrich
Source: Matt Weyrich
Tommy Troy to Undergo an MRI
Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Tommy Troy (shoulder) will undergo an MRI on Monday. Troy was held out of Sunday's lineup after suffering a shoulder contusion during Saturday's contest. The team will do imaging to determine the severity of the right shoulder injury. The All-Star break is beginning on Monday, so the D-Backs will have a few days to decide what they want to do with Troy. If he does miss additional time, Ryan Waldschmidt figures to see additional playing time in center field. Waldschmidt could be worth adding in deep leagues if Troy does end up on the Injured List.
Source: Nick Piecoro
Source: Nick Piecoro
Jake Fraley Gets Pulled Off Rehab Assignment
Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Jake Fraley (groin) was pulled off his rehab assignment on Sunday. Fraley was five games into his rehab assignment before feeling something in the area of his hernia surgery. He'll head back to the doctor for further examination before the Rays decide what to do next with him. He seemed to be nearing the point of finally returning, but will now need to ramp up again. Once healthy, Fraley could offer some deep league value. At this point, it's unclear when Fraley will finally play, so fantasy managers should move on in all formats.
Source: Marc Topkin
Source: Marc Topkin
Brice Matthews Removed with Knee Injury
Houston Astros outfielder Brice Matthews (knee) was forced to make an early exit from Sunday's game against the Texas Rangers. Matthews injured his knee when he collided with the wall during the first inning of this contest. Matthews finished out the inning, but was pulled out of the game before taking his first at-bat. Taylor Trammell pinch hit for Matthews and took over in center field for the rest of the contest. The Astros will likely do more testing on Matthews before deciding if he needs to be placed on the Injured List. The All-Star break begins on Monday, so the Astros won't need to make any decisions right away.
Source: Matt Kawahara
Source: Matt Kawahara
Jason Foley Activated Off Injured List on Sunday
San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Jason Foley (shoulder) was activated off the 60-day Injured List on Sunday. The right-hander is ready to make his team debut after missing the first few months of the season. Foley has finally recovered from arthroscopic shoulder surgery that he underwent in May of 2025. The expectation is that Foley will begin in a low-leverage role out of the bullpen. If he pitches well, Foley could quickly work his way into save situations. He registered 28 saves with a 3.15 ERA across 60 innings with the Detroit Tigers in 2024. He's someone to keep an eye on as a possible saves target in deep leagues during the second half of the season.
Source: Giants PR
Source: Giants PR
Framber Valdez Placed on Bereavement List
Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Framber Valdez was placed on the bereavement list on Sunday. Valdez will miss Sunday's first half finale against the Philadelphia Phillies. Due to the timing, Valdez might not miss any starts due to the All-Star break beginning on Monday. Andre Granillo, who was claimed off waivers on Saturday, will take his spot on the active roster. Valdez will finish the first half with a 4.10 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, and a 87/36 K/BB ratio across 19 starts. It hasn't been an ideal beginning to his Tigers' career, but Valdez should remain rostered in most fantasy formats.
Source: Tigers PR
Source: Tigers PR
Blue Jays Promote Pitching Prospect CJ Van Eyk for MLB Debut
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher CJ Van Eyk has been recalled from Triple-A Buffalo on Sunday. The Jays are looking for reinforcements and believe Van Eyk is ready to make an impact. The 27-year-old owns a 3.79 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, and a 56/23 K/BB ratio across 17 games (13 starts) with Triple-A Buffalo this season. He doesn't have a ton of swing-and-miss stuff, but the Jays are just looking for healthy and refreshed bodies at the moment. In a corresponding move, right-hander Chad Dallas has been optioned to Triple-A Buffalo. Van Eyk has mostly pitched in a starting role, but could operate in a bullpen role in Toronto.
Source: Keegan Matheson
Source: Keegan Matheson
Zac Gallen Officially Placed on Injured List
Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zac Gallen (elbow) has been officially placed on the 15-day Injured List on Sunday. Gallen was scratched ahead of his scheduled start on Sunday due to left elbow inflammation. He will officially head to the shelf and will hopefully be back in the mix before the end of July. Mitch Bratt will take the mound on Sunday and could remain in the rotation until Gallen is ready to return. Gallen owns a 6.34 ERA, 1.56 WHIP, and a 61/31 K/BB ratio across 98 innings of work this season. Given his struggles, Gallen is really only worth holding in deep leagues at the moment.
Source: Arizona Diamondbacks
Source: Arizona Diamondbacks
Emerson Hancock Removed With Hand Injury
Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Emerson Hancock (hand) was forced to make an early exit from Sunday's outing against the Tampa Bay Rays. Hancock was struck in the hand by a comebacker during the first inning of this contest. He remained in the game afterwards, but was pulled in the second inning. His day will be finished with 1.2 innings of work and two strikeouts. The expectation is that Hancock will undergo further testing to determine the severity of the injury. Luckily, the All-Star break begins on Monday, so Hancock will get a few days off to rest. Fantasy managers should consider Hancock as day-to-day until further notice. UPDATE: X-rays came back negative on Hancock's palm and middle finger, according to The Seattle Times' Ryan Divish.
Source: Shannon Drayer
Source: Shannon Drayer
Zack Wheeler Turns Down All-Star Invitation
Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler has decided to decline an invitation to the upcoming All-Star Game in Philadelphia. Wheeler was asked if he wanted to be a replacement on the National League roster. He declined, stating that he felt disrespected to be the fifth choice as a replacement. Wheeler has been outstanding when healthy this season, so he's certainly deserving of an All-Star nod. The right-hander owns a 2.28 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and a 98/20 K/BB ratio across 14 starts this season. Wheeler has bounced back nicely since having thoracic outlet surgery last year. He'll rest up during the All-Star break and look forward to helping the Phillies in the second half of the season.
Source: Lochlahn March
Source: Lochlahn March
Edwin Diaz Tosses Scoreless Inning During Rehab Outing
Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Edwin Diaz (elbow) got into his first game action on Saturday, which was the first time he has pitched since undergoing surgery in April. Diaz tossed a scoreless inning, allowing one hit, while striking out two during his outing with Single-A Ontario on Saturday. This is an encouraging step forward as Diaz works his way back from having loose bodies removed from his right elbow. The expectation is that he'll need a few more rehab outings before he's ready to return to the Dodgers bullpen. Fantasy managers can be hopeful that Diaz is back in the mix by late July.
Source: Bill Plunkett
Source: Bill Plunkett
Rangers Promote Prospect Emiliano Teodo, a Worthy Waiver Target?
Texas Rangers pitcher Emiliano Teodo has been recalled from Triple-A Round Rock on Sunday. The 25-year-old will make his first trip to the big leagues after posting solid numbers out of the bullpen for Round Rock. He registered a 3.76 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, and a 52:35 K/BB ratio across 402. innings in Triple-A this season. The expectation is that he'll begin as a low-leverage middle reliever for the Rangers. Teodo does have the potential to move into a high-leverage or possibly a closer role in the future. He could be worth adding in fantasy formats where holds matter. Otherwise, fantasy managers should keep an eye on him as a potential saves target down the road.
Source: Rangers PR
Source: Rangers PR
Cam Schlittler Won't Pitch in All-Star Game
New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that right-hander Cam Schlittler will not pitch in Tuesday's All-Star Game, according to Brendan Kuty of The Athletic. Schlittler isn't injured, but he doesn't want to push himself on what would be his between-starts throwing day. The 25-year-old has more than backed up his strong showing in his rookie campaign in 2025 with his first All-Star nod in 2026. Schlittler ends the first half of his first full season in the big leagues with a 9-5 record while leading the league in ERA (2.05), WHIP (0.94), and WAR (4.2) in 118 2/3 innings covering a league-high 20 starts. The former seventh-rounder in 2022 out of Northeastern University has quickly developed into a fantasy ace and is currently rostered in 98% of Yahoo leagues. His fantasy managers have to be happy about his decision to skip the All-Star Game as he looks for an equally dominant second half. It could be tough sledding to start the second half, though, with an upcoming matchup scheduled against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Source: The Athletic - Brendan Kuty
Source: The Athletic - Brendan Kuty
Bo Bichette Sitting Out Final Game of the First Half
New York Mets infielder Bo Bichette (ankle, leg) will miss a third straight game in Sunday's series finale against the Boston Red Sox, per MLB.com. Brett Baty will make the start at the hot corner and will bat eighth against Red Sox left-hander Payton Tolle. Bichette will get some extra rest going into next week's All-Star break while dealing with ankle and leg soreness. With four more days to rest coming up next week, Bichette should be ready to roll for the start of the second half on Friday, July 17, for the series opener against the division-rival Phillies in Philadelphia. The 28-year-old got off to a brutal start to his Mets tenure in 2026, but he eventually rebounded and will finish off the first half with a .256/.301/.377 slash line, .678 OPS, 10 home runs, 51 RBI, 48 runs scored, and a stolen base across 379 at-bats. Bichette has been hot in July, too, going 10-for-33 (.303) with a double, five RBI, and four runs scored in nine games played. Fantasy managers are hoping that Bichette can pick up where he left off following the All-Star break.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
