RADIO
Byron Buxton Coming Off the Injured List on Monday
The Minnesota Twins are reinstating outfielder Byron Buxton (hip) from the 10-day injured list on Monday and have optioned second baseman Tristan Gray to Triple-A St. Paul in a corresponding move, according to Dan Hayes of The Athletic. The Twins haven't announced their starting lineup for Monday's contest on the road against the division-rival Cleveland Guardians and right-hander Tanner Bibee, but Buxton should be in there as at least the designated hitter. Buxton will return to the Twins after missing almost two weeks with a right-hip injury. He might be a little rusty at the plate without going on a minor-league rehab assignment, but he shouldn't be on any waiver wires while in the midst of another strong season in Minnesota. The 32-year-old former second overall pick in 2012 isn't running like he did last year, but he is returning to a strong .271/.328/.575 slash line with a .904 OPS, 25 home runs, 45 RBI, 57 runs, and seven stolen bases in his 306 at-bats in 2026. Buxton is hitting .154 in 13 career at-bats against Bibee, but he also has an .829 OPS with two solo home runs.
Source: The Athletic - Dan Hayes
Source: The Athletic - Dan Hayes
Phillies Promoting No. 17 Prospect Alex McFarlane to Big Leagues
The Philadelphia Phillies are calling up right-handed pitching prospect Alex McFarlane from Double-A Reading on Monday, according to Milb Central. McFarlane, who is considered the team's No. 17 prospect at MLB Pipeline, will get his second call to the majors after posting a 2.06 ERA and 1.17 WHIP with 12 saves, 47 strikeouts, and 18 walks in 35 innings pitched out of the bullpen. McFarlane was up briefly with the Phillies back in April, but he never appeared in a game. The 25-year-old stands at 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds and should operate in more of a low-leverage role when he makes his MLB debut after making the full-time transition to a relief role in 2026. McFarlane can reach the upper-90s with his fastball, and he's a fastball-slider pitcher with ground-ball tendencies. He also has toyed with a split-change, but now that McFarlane is a full-time reliever, he'll most likely stick to his fastball-slider combo with plenty of swing and miss. For now, fantasy managers in single-year leagues can avoid the young reliever.
Source: Milb Central
Source: Milb Central
Yoendrys Gomez Deserves More Waiver Attention as Twins Closer
Right-handed reliever Yoendrys Gomez has benefited from a move from the Tampa Bay Rays to the Minnesota Twins and has become the Twins' closer, yet somehow he's only rostered in 30% of Yahoo leagues. The 26-year-old Venezuelan hurler has a 3.43 ERA (4.71 FIP), 1.25 WHIP, a career-high 12 saves, 39 strikeouts, and 21 walks in 44 2/3 innings with the Rays and Twins this year in his fourth year in the big leagues. Gomez has been better since joining Minnesota, though, posting a 1.65 ERA (3.10 FIP), 0.99 WHIP, 11 saves, 26 strikeouts, and 11 walks in 27 1/3 innings out of the bullpen. His 10% walk rate isn't ideal, and he also has a below-average strikeout rate (23.6%) for a high-leverage, late-inning arm, but the opportunity for continued save chances in Minnesota the rest of the 2026 season cannot be ignored by fantasy managers chasing the category. Since the start of June, Gomez has allowed four earned runs with seven walks, 13 strikeouts, a win, nine saves, and one hold.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
Mauricio Dubon Could Lose Playing Time Soon
Atlanta Braves infielder/outfielder Mauricio Dubon has been a key utility man for the Braves in 2026 in his first season with the team, hitting .266/.318/.417 with a .735 OPS in 94 games across his 386 plate appearances. Although Dubon has never really been known for his power at the plate, he's already tied his career high of 10 home runs in his eighth year in the majors, and he's also added a career-high 53 RBI, 44 runs scored, and three steals. The 32-year-old veteran is hitting .262 (16-for-61) with a .728 OPS, two homers, three doubles, 10 RBI, nine runs scored, and a stolen base in 15 games and 67 plate appearances in the month of July. For fantasy purposes, Dubon is most appealing in deeper formats for his lack of strikeouts (14.5% strikeout rate), although he also doesn't walk much either (6.5% walk rate). Dubon is also appealing in fantasy for his eligibility at second base, third base, shortstop, and the outfield. He's currently rostered in just a hair under half of Yahoo leagues, but that number may begin to fall if he loses out on regular playing time once Ronald Acuna Jr. (hamstring) returns from the injured list in the near future.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Gage Wood Still Trending Up After Nine-Strikeout Performance
Philadelphia Phillies pitching prospect Gage Wood was promoted to Double-A Reading in late May and has not been fazed by the stiffer competition. The Phils' top pitching prospect has posted a 3.58 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, and an elite 29.5 percent K-BB% in nine starts at that level, culminating with a career-high nine-strikeout performance in his latest outing for the Fightin Phils. The 2025 first-rounder could make the jump to Triple-A before the season is out, bringing with him an arsenal of pitches that produce tons of whiffs, though a 2026 debut is unlikely. Nevertheless, the right-hander has solidified his status as a strong dynasty asset who could be making an impact in the majors sometime next season.
Source: MiLB.com
Source: MiLB.com
Jake Burger Losing Waiver Steam Amid Slow Start in July
Texas Rangers first baseman Jake Burger has reached the 30-homer mark in his career before (in 2023) and has already matched his home run total (16) from his first year in Texas in 2025, making him a deep-league target for power. Through his first 95 games and 386 plate appearances with the Rangers in 2026, Burger is slashing .239/.301/.415 with a .715 OPS, 16 homers, 59 RBI, 41 runs scored, and two stolen bases. The caveat to suggesting the 30-year-old veteran as a waiver-wire addition is that he's pretty streaky at the plate, and right now, he's struggling offensively. Through his first 12 games (51 plate appearances) in July, he's gone 7-for-48 (.146) with two home runs, seven RBI, three runs scored, two walks, and 15 strikeouts. Burger's .236 expected batting average and .306 xwOBA don't exactly give hope for the rest of the second half, either, and he's in the 25th percentile in strikeout rate, the 15th percentile in chase rate, and the seventh percentile in whiff rate. He's currently rostered in just 23% of Yahoo leagues.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
Jack Wenninger a Potential Stash Option in the Second Half
New York Mets pitching prospect Jack Wenninger could make his major league debut in the second half, especially if the Mets deal one of their rotation pieces before the trade deadline. The Mets' fourth-ranked prospect has shown flashes of dominance at times this season at Triple-A Syracuse, most notably in the early going when he posted a 1.08 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and struck out 38 batters in the first 33 1/3 innings pitched this year. Overall, the right-hander owns a 3.50 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, and a 9.6 percent K-BB%, so some shine has come off his stash status for fantasy, and a 5.28 FIP suggests the results could have been even worse. However, if the 6-foot-4 hurler can return to his early-season form, he could certainly be useful for fantasy. The 24-year-old hasn't pitched since before the All-Star break, so his arm should be fresh for the second half. If he starts dealing coming out of the break, he could become a worthy stash option in very deep and NL-only leagues.
Source: MiLB.com
Source: MiLB.com
Tanner Scott's Waiver Appeal Could be Coming to an End Soon
Los Angeles Dodgers left-handed reliever Tanner Scott has bounced back nicely in 2026 in his second year with the club after a disastrous first season in which he had a 4.74 ERA and 1.26 WHIP with 60 strikeouts and 18 walks in 57 regular-season innings on his way to 23 saves for the Dodgers. Scott has gone 1-3 this year, but he's been much better with a 2.50 ERA (2.29 FIP), 0.76 WHIP, 14 saves, 51 strikeouts, and only five walks in 39 2/3 innings pitched out of the bullpen. Although he's still only rostered in 54% of Yahoo leagues, he's been a nice pickup for those who scooped him up after Edwin Diaz (elbow) landed on the injured list early on. Since June 11, Scott has allowed just three earned runs with two walks, 19 strikeouts, eight saves, one blown save, and a hold for L.A. He should continue to be a valuable late-inning option for the Dodgers the rest of the way, but with Diaz nearing a return from elbow surgery, save opportunities for Scott figure to dry up sooner rather than later. There's still value to be had from Scott's career-best 34.7% strikeout rate, and more holds should be coming his way.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
Josh Bell an Under-the-Radar Power Threat in Deeper Leagues
Minnesota Twins veteran first baseman Josh Bell has cooled off a bit since homering four times in a five-game stretch at the end of June and beginning of July, but he can still be a useful power bat for fantasy managers in deeper leagues. Overall, the 33-year-old left-handed slugger has hit .249/.307/.424 with a .731 OPS, 13 home runs, 60 RBI, 48 runs scored, and a stolen base in 97 games across 387 plate appearances in 2026 in his 11th year in the league and first with Minnesota. He hasn't homered since a two-homer game on the Fourth of July against the New York Yankees, but Bell is still batting .280 (14-for-50) with an .897 OPS, three home runs, four doubles, six RBI, and six runs scored in 13 games and 56 plate appearances so far in July. Bell doesn't strike out a ton (21.7%) and only 18.9% in his career, but he's also walking at a career-low 7.5% clip, which hasn't made him much of a fantasy asset for much else besides some moderate power and run production. The left-handed slugger is currently rostered in just 23% of Yahoo leagues.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Jacob Melton a Top Stash Option for Stolen Base Potential
Tampa Bay Rays outfield prospect Jacob Melton has been good since coming off the injured list in mid-June, hitting .341 with four doubles, three home runs, and three steals in 12 games since being reactivated. That includes his latest four-game stretch in which the former second-round draft pick went just 2-for-13, but still managed to get on base four other times via walk compared to just three strikeouts over that same period. For the season, the 6-foot-2 slugger is slashing .275/.383/.514 with four home runs and 20 steals in 32 games at Durham. The left-handed hitter debuted with Houston last season, and although he hit just .157, he was still able to swipe seven bags thanks to his 90th percentile sprint speed. A 32.1 percent strikeout rate at Triple-A this season doesn't bode well for hitting for high average in the big leagues, but his speed should be an asset, especially in fantasy. For managers scouring the wire for steals, Melton is a worthy stash ahead of an eventual recall to the Rays.
Source: MiLB.com
Source: MiLB.com
Tyler Stephenson Heating Up in July, Hits Two Homers Against Rockies
Cincinnati Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson took advantage of the thin air in Denver in Sunday's series finale in the team's 9-6 win over the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field to go 3-for-4 at the plate with two home runs, a double, and three RBI to boost his season average to .247 and his OPS to .721. Stephenson is now hitting .247/.325/.396 on the season with a .720 OPS, eight home runs, 27 RBI, and 20 runs scored in 75 games played and 265 plate appearances in his seventh year in the majors with the Reds. He has missed more time with injury in 2026 but has been heating up in July, going 13-for-35 (.371) with two home runs, two doubles, three RBI, and three runs scored in just 10 games and 36 plate appearances. Since the start of June, Stephenson has hit .319 (30-for-94) with an .866 OPS, four homers, five doubles, 10 RBI, and nine runs scored in 29 games across 101 plate appearances. When healthy, the 29-year-old starting catcher can provide above-average power at the weak catching position at a hitter-friendly home ballpark.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
River Ryan Still Worth Stashing Amid Stint on Injured List?
Los Angeles Dodgers pitching prospect River Ryan (hamstring) has been sidelined since late June with a hamstring injury and is still without a clear return timetable. The Dodgers have stated that they don't believe it is a serious injury, but appear to be taking it very slow with their top-ranked pitching prospect. Right now, the Dodgers aren't in need of an arm, and Blake Snell is nearing a return from the injured list, so there is no need to rush Ryan along. The team would want to make sure he's healthy for more meaningful games, potentially in August and September, not to mention the right-hander missed all of 2025 recovering from Tommy John, so they likely wanted to limit his workload anyway. The 27-year-old debuted with the team back in 2024 with good results, and was poised for another promotion before the hamstring injury, pitching to a 2.81 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and a 24.6 percent K-BB% over his first seven starts before an eight-run meltdown in his final start prior to hitting the IL. Once he makes a return to the mound and shows he's back to early-season form, the right-hander could become a stash candidate for fantasy again, but for now, there's no need to stash him.
Source: MiLB.com
Source: MiLB.com
Austin Riley Could be Breaking Out of his Funk After Two-Homer Game
Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley has been a big disappointment so far in 2026, but he has shown a bit more power so far in July, and he went 3-for-4 at the plate with two home runs, four RBI, and a strikeout in Sunday's 8-5 win over the visiting Texas Rangers. The 29-year-old right-handed slugger is still hitting just .217/.296/.361 with a .657 OPS, 12 home runs, 47 RBI, 43 runs scored, and six stolen bases in his 355 at-bats on the season after the big performance, which shows you just how much he has struggled in his eighth year in the big leagues. The big game on Sunday was Riley's second multi-homer game of the year and the 10th of his career. He has now homered three times in his last three games, and Riley is batting .273 (15-for-55) with four home runs, a double, 10 RBI, 10 runs scored, and two stolen bases in 15 games and 62 plate appearances in July. It's been nice to see Riley pick things up a bit so far this month, but we'd caution fantasy managers looking to buy low on him since he's sitting with an expected batting average of .209 and an xwOBA of .298 (wOBA of .293).
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Drake Baldwin Stays Hot in July With Two Homers, Five Hits on Sunday
Atlanta Braves catcher Drake Baldwin is one of the hottest hitters in baseball in the month of July, and that continued on Sunday in the team's 8-5 win over the visiting Texas Rangers at Truist Park. Baldwin went 5-for-5 at the plate with two home runs and three RBI as the leadoff hitter to boost his season average to .276 and his OPS to .843. The 25-year-old left-handed-hitting backstop is now hitting .368 (21-for-57) with a 1.050 OPS, four home runs, 15 RBI, 12 runs scored, and a stolen base in 15 games in July to raise his season slash line to .276/.362/.481. Baldwin has also homered three times in his last three games. It has been nice to see for the Braves and fantasy managers alike after Baldwin struggled to a .063/.100/.125 slash line, one homer, an RBI, three runs scored, one walk, and 22 strikeouts in 12 games in June after returning from a stint on the injured list. His two-homer game on Sunday against Texas was the second multi-homer game of his career, and it was also the first time in his career with at least four hits. It's safe to say Baldwin is now back in the flow offensively, and he could be a difference-maker in fantasy leagues in the second half.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
George Klassen Firmly on Stash Radar After 11-Punchout Effort
Los Angeles Angels pitching prospect George Klassen turned in his best outing of the season on Sunday, punching out 11 of the 23 batters he faced over six innings, yielding just one earned run on two hits and three walks. It comes on the heels of arguably his worst outing of the season, in which he allowed four earned runs on six hits and three walks over 4 1/3 innings of work while failing to strike out a single batter. The up-and-down season has led to a mediocre 4.25 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, and an 8.5 percent K-BB%, but an 11-strikeout performance should put him back on the stash radar for fantasy. If the Angels' fourth-ranked prospect can string together a couple of good performances, he could be back in the big leagues by mid-August, so it's worth monitoring his progress from here.
Source: MiLB.com
Source: MiLB.com
