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Christian Walker Returns on Friday Following Back Injury
Houston Astros first baseman Christian Walker (back) is starting at first base and batting cleanup for Houston in Friday's contest against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays and right-hander Nick Martinez at Daikin Park, according to MLB.com. Walker will return to the starting nine following an off day on Thursday after he was removed from Wednesday's series finale early against the Minnesota Twins with stiffness in his lower back. Fantasy managers are hoping that the 35-year-old veteran right-handed slugger can get his bat going again with the All-Star break approaching quickly. After a hot start in 2026, Walker went 23-for-103 (.223) with three homers, six doubles, a triple, 13 RBI, nine runs scored, nine walks, and 31 strikeouts in 26 games in June to drop his season slash line down to .239/.310/.469 with a .780 OPS in 361 plate appearances. He has a good matchup to get back on track, as he's hitting .500 with a 1.371 OPS, one homer, and four RBI in 12 career at-bats against Martinez. Get Walker back in your starting fantasy lineups in traditional formats.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Guardians Promote Franco Aleman After Stellar Showing at Triple-A
The Cleveland Guardians recalled right-handed pitching prospect Franco Aleman from Triple-A Columbus on Friday, a source told Francys Romero. Aleman has been outstanding for Columbus this year, posting a 0.32 ERA with 43 strikeouts over 28 1/3 innings pitched. The 26-year-old Cuban hurler made his big-league debut with Cleveland earlier this year and allowed a solo home run with a walk and a strikeout in 2 2/3 relief innings. The former 10th-round pick in 2021 out of the University of Florida has been as dominant as they come out of the bullpen in the minors this year, although he will most likely be utilized in more of a middle-relief role in his return to the majors, limiting his overall fantasy upside. Aleman is not listed among the Guardians' top-30 prospects, per MLB Pipeline, and he's had a 4.36 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, and 293:77 K:BB in 198 1/3 innings over 151 outings (eight starts) over his five minor-league seasons.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Ryan Jeffers Starting a Rehab Assignment on Friday
Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers (hand) is starting a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A St. Paul on Friday, according to Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic. Jeffers will serve as the Saints' designated hitter on Friday, roughly six weeks after having surgery for a fractured hamate bone in his left hand. It's unclear how long Jeffers will be on his rehab assignment, but barring a setback, he should have a shot to rejoin the Twins as their primary catcher before the All-Star break from July 13-16. Fantasy managers seeking an upgrade at catcher will want to consider stashing Jeffers now, too, after he was slashing .295/.408/.541 with seven home runs, 26 RBI, 26 runs scored and a stolen base in 148 plate appearances across 37 games before fracturing his hand. Veteran Victor Caratini has been seeing most of the starts behind the dish for the Twins with Jeffers out, with Alex Jackson serving as the No. 2. Jeffers is currently rostered in only 28% of Yahoo leagues.
Source: The Athletic - Aaron Gleeman
Source: The Athletic - Aaron Gleeman
Lars Nootbaar is Absent Against Southpaw
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar (rest) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the Chicago Cubs. This appears to be a regular rest day for Nootbaar, with the Cubs sending southpaw David Peterson to the mound. Nootbaar has started in 11 straight games, so he could use a rest day. In his place, Jose Fermin will cover left field and bat seventh on Friday. Due to injuries, Nootbaar has only played in 23 games this season. He's slashing .300/.387/.463 with two home runs and eight RBI in 93 plate appearances. He could be an under-the-radar deep league addition at the moment.
Source: mlb.com
Source: mlb.com
Byron Buxton to Miss Fourth Straight Game
Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton (hip) remains out of the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the New York Yankees. This marks the fourth straight game that Buxton has missed due to a hip impingement issue. The Twins had an off day on Thursday and were hopeful Buxton could return here, but he'll remain out at least one more game. For now, Buxton should be considered day-to-day, but he could end up on the Injured List if he doesn't improve at all during the weekend. Ryan Kreidler will cover center field and bat seventh against right-hander Gerrit Cole on Friday.
Source: mlb.com
Source: mlb.com
Dustin May is Feeling Better on Friday
St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Dustin May (ankle) was forced to make an early exit from Thursday's outing against the Atlanta Braves. He exited in the first inning due to a right ankle contusion, but the X-rays came back negative. On Friday, manager Oliver Marmol said that May's ankle is feeling better than expected. That is encouraging news for a pitcher who suffered an ankle injury less than 24 hours ago. He was planning to play catch ahead of Friday's game against the Chicago Cubs. Unfortunately, that didn't happen with thunderstorms looming over Wrigley Field. Given the improvement, the Cardinals are likely going to take this situation day-to-day. The right-hander could end up on the Injured List, but the team will probably wait and see how May progresses over the weekend. UPDATE: St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Derrick Goold reports that May will not be placed on the injured list before Friday's game against the division-rival Cubs.
Source: Jeff Jones
Source: Jeff Jones
Trent Grisham is Officially Activated off Injured List
New York Yankees outfielder Trent Grisham (hamstring) was activated off the 10-day Injured List on Friday. As expected, Grisham has been activated ahead of the series opener versus the Minnesota Twins. Grisham has been sidelined since June 12 due to a right hamstring strain. Before going down, Grisham was swinging a hot bat to begin the month of June, but we'll see if that can carry over into July. Overall, this season, Grisham is slashing .232/.341/.406 with eight home runs, 35 RBI, and six steals in 57 games. He does offer some upside as a power bat, but is more worth a look in mixed leagues against right-handed pitching.
Source: New York Yankees
Source: New York Yankees
Can Walker Jenkins Overcome Injuries to be Stash-Worthy?
Minnesota Twins outfield prospect Walker Jenkins has found his way back from a sprained left shoulder AC joint and has rejoined the St. Paul Saints at the Triple-A level. In 114 at-bats with St. Paul this season, Jenkins is hitting .272 with two homers and 11 RBI to go with seven stolen bases. In an injury-limited season, Jenkins has shown off his five-category ability. The former No. 5 overall pick has room to improve the power numbers in his limited at-bats but is more than capable of doing so. He has shown nice speed on the base paths and is hitting for a good average. The question is what he can do at the big-league level, but he has been considered one of the top outfield prospects in the minor leagues over the last few years. He could reward fantasy managers who take a chance and add him prior to his call-up to Minnesota. Jenkins has the talent to help teams win fantasy titles late this season, making him a worthy stash target in deeper five-outfielder leagues with N/A spots.
Source: Minor League Baseball
Source: Minor League Baseball
Ryan McMahon Returns on Friday
New York Yankees third baseman Ryan McMahon (illness) was activated off the 10-day Injured List on Friday. McMahon has been out since June 21 due to a throat and ear infection. He figures to resume his role as a platoon option at third base. So far this season, McMahon is slashing .210/.269/.360 with eight home runs, 23 RBI, and three steals in 69 games. The 31-year-old offers some power upside, but being a platoon player doesn't help his fantasy value. At the moment, fantasy managers shouldn't view McMahon as anything more than a source of power in deep leagues.
Source: New York Yankees
Source: New York Yankees
Carlos Rodon is Placed on 15-Day Injured List
New York Yankees starting pitcher Carlos Rodon (elbow) was placed on the 15-day Injured List on Friday. Rodon heads to the shelf for hopefully a minimal stint due to left elbow inflammation. The Yankees believe this is an injury that can be managed without Rodon needing to undergo surgery. There isn't a clear timetable for Rodon, so the Yankees will just give him time to rest before they make any further decisions. The southpaw owns a 3.30 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, and a 52:26 K:BB ratio across nine starts this season. When healthy, Rodon is a stud, but keeping him on the mound has been a problem. It's unclear at the moment who is going to take over his spot in the rotation.
Source: Chris Kirschner
Source: Chris Kirschner
Quinn Mathews Emerging as Upside Stash Target Amid Strong Run at Triple-A
St. Louis Cardinals left-handed pitching prospect Quinn Mathews is showing off his upside this season. In 15 starts at Triple-A Memphis, Mathews has a 4-3 record with a 3.95 ERA and 83 strikeouts in 66 innings pitched. Since serving up four runs on May 22, the southpaw has logged 30 1/3 innings to the tune of a sharp 2.08 ERA and a 0.89 WHIP. The high strikeout upside is the first thing that stands out and makes him extremely enticing as a fantasy starter. He has allowed 11 home runs, which is fairly high at this point in the season, but his overall numbers are very good. The fourth-round pick out of Stanford is eyeing a promotion to St. Louis and is looking for a spot in the rotation. Right now, the MLB rotation has five solid starters, so a call-up could depend on an injury. But Mathews has proven himself at the Triple-A level this season and could be an excellent addition in deep leagues as a wait-and-see target.
Source: Minor League Baseball
Source: Minor League Baseball
Seaver King has Talent to Become Stash-Worthy Ahead of Week 15
Washington Nationals shortstop prospect Seaver King has had a productive year in the minor leagues in 2026, hitting .306 between Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Rochester with 10 home runs and 51 RBI, along with nine stolen bases. The former No. 10 overall pick out of Wake Forest is pushing hard for a look at a promotion to Washington but has seen his numbers dip slightly with his promotion to Triple-A. With stud shortstop CJ Abrams manning the position in Washington along with Nasim Nunez providing depth, it might be hard for King to break through for a spot with the Nationals in the short term. King's five-tool profile, however, makes him a good candidate to add in mid-to-deep-sized leagues. He should help contribute at the middle infield positions and would be a must-start should Abrams or Nunez suffer an unfortunate injury.
Source: Minor League Baseball
Source: Minor League Baseball
Is Kade Anderson the No. 1 Stash Target as he Continues to Deal at Double-A?
Seattle Mariners starting pitching prospect Kade Anderson has turned in a dominant June at Double-A Arkansas and is coming off a start in which he allowed his first two earned runs of the month. Overall, he completed June with a 4-0 record and an 0.79 ERA with 32 strikeouts in 22 2/3 innings pitched. It doesn't get much better than that at any level, and fantasy managers would like to see Anderson and his lefty dominance at the Triple-A level sooner rather than later. Anderson has shown a mastery of Double-A with an 8-0 record and 1.22 ERA with 99 strikeouts in 66 2/3 innings pitched. The talented former No. 3 overall pick would likely need some time in Triple-A before the Mariners take a look at him in Seattle. But his numbers show that he could be ready for a close-up and is definitely worth picking up and stashing off the waiver wire in leagues of all sizes.
Source: Minor League Baseball
Source: Minor League Baseball
Jett Williams Will Need to Raise Level to Earn Stash Spot on Fantasy Teams
Milwaukee Brewers infield prospect Jett Williams was shipped to the NL Central this winter as the headliner piece in the Freddy Peralta trade. Williams is a big-time talent who is hitting .225 this season at Triple-A Nashville with nine homers and 41 RBI. He has shown off the speed with 19 steals and looks to be a plus contributor in the steals department for fantasy managers. The shortstop position is a bit crowded for the Brewers with Cooper Pratt playing at the big-league level and Jesus Made manning the position as one of the top Double-A prospects. But Williams offers solid speed, with a season-high 45 steals across three levels of the minors in 2023. Fantasy managers will look for him to raise his batting average at Triple-A before taking a chance on him. He has the upside to make him worth a stash, but that would have to be in deep leagues as he battles stiff competition on his own team for a big-league spot.
Source: Minor League Baseball
Source: Minor League Baseball
X-Rays Come Back Negative on Randy Vasquez
San Diego Padres manager Craig Stammen said on Friday on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM that right-hander Randy Vasquez's (ankle) X-rays "were negative and all tests came back pretty clean." Vasquez has been given the all-clear after also fainting at Dodger Stadium following his abbreviated three-inning outing in the series opener on Thursday, in which he was hit by a Mookie Betts line drive in the ankle in the first inning. The 27-year-old Dominican hurler has been released from the hospital, but it remains to be seen if he'll make his next scheduled start. Vasquez started the year strong in SD's starting rotation, but like the team, he has faded of late and is now 6-6 with a 4.71 ERA (4.92 FIP) and 1.50 WHIP with 60 strikeouts and 27 walks in 84 innings across his 17 appearances (16 starts) after he gave up four earned runs in three innings versus L.A. on Thursday in three innings. Vasquez will be an extremely risky fantasy streamer if he makes his next scheduled start next week.
Source: MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM
Source: MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM
