RADIO
Jacob Webb Trending Up in Chicago's Closer Committee
Chicago Cubs right-handed reliever Jacob Webb is attracting interest off the waiver wire after picking up two saves in the last week for the Cubbies with Daniel Palencia (elbow) on the injured list. Since blowing the save on June 20 against the Toronto Blue Jays, Webb has thrown 7 1/3 scoreless innings with eight strikeouts, five walks, three hits allowed, two wins, two saves, and a hold. So far in three appearances out of the bullpen in July, he has two saves and a hold with two strikeouts and a walk in 2 1/3 frames. The 32-year-old veteran is involved in a closer-by-committee situation in Chicago that also includes Trent Thornton and Caleb Thielbar, but Webb has been manager Craig Counsell's most-used closer since Palencia landed on the IL in mid-June. Overall, the former 18th-round pick by the Atlanta Braves in 2014 out of Tabor College has gone 3-2 with a 3.18 ERA (3.85 FIP), 1.31 WHIP, a career-high four saves, 47 strikeouts, and 15 walks in 39 2/3 innings pitched. Webb is definitely a short-term source of saves worth considering off the waiver wire if you're desperate for saves. He's currently rostered in only 6% of Yahoo leagues.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
Ryan Jeffers Coming Off the Injured List on Friday
The Minnesota Twins are activating catcher Ryan Jeffers (hand) from the injured list on Friday and are sending outfielder Kyler Fedko back 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 Friday's series opener at Target Field against the Los Angeles Angels, but Jeffers should be back behind the plate to face right-hander Grayson Rodriguez, who is also making his return from the IL. Jeffers is returning to the Twins after missing 46 games due to a fractured hamate bone in his left hand on May 18. Before his injury, the 29-year-old former second-rounder in 2018 out of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington was hitting a strong .295/.408/.541 with a .949 OPS, seven home runs, 26 RBI, 26 runs scored, and a stolen base in his 122 at-bats. Jeffers will be Minnesota's starting backstop and deserves consideration in fantasy baseball leagues off the waiver wire now that he's back. He's rostered in only 30% of Yahoo leagues right now.
Source: The Athletic - Dan Hayes
Source: The Athletic - Dan Hayes
Will Smith's Neck Injury Could Linger into August
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told AM 570 this week that catcher Will Smith's (neck) injury could linger into August, according to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Fortunately for the Dodgers, they are 14.5 games up on both the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres in the National League West division, so they can afford to take their time and make sure Smith is good to go for the stretch run. Per Ardaya, the Blue are treating Smith's injury as "an extended development period" for catcher Dalton Rushing. The 31-year-old Smith has been out since June 11. He has resumed swinging a bat, but the Dodgers are in no rush to bring the starting catcher back right after next week's All-Star break. It's unfortunate news for Smith's fantasy managers, as it's now sounding like he might not come off the 10-day injured list until sometime in August. Before his injury, the former first-rounder was disappointing with the bat, too, slashing .249/.338/.382 with a .720 OPS, six homers, 23 RBI, and 23 runs scored in his 173 at-bats.
Source: The Athletic - Fabian Ardaya
Source: The Athletic - Fabian Ardaya
Royals Reinstate Vinnie Pasquantino From the Injured List
The Kansas City Royals announced on Friday that they reinstated first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino (hand) from the 10-day injured list before their series opener on Friday against the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards. The Royals haven't released their starting lineup for Friday's tilt in Baltimore, but Pasquantino should be starting at first base against right-hander Brandon Young. The 28-year-old left-handed slugger ended up missing 23 games due to a broken hamate bone in his right hand. The Pasquatch was a disappointment offensively before his hand injury, hitting just .224 (57-for-254) with six home runs, 32 RBI, 28 runs scored, and three stolen bases across his first 68 games and 291 plate appearances of the 2026 campaign. Hopefully, he can turn things around in the second half after a career year in 2025 in which he slugged 32 homers and drove in 113 runs in 160 games played. Pasquantino is only rostered in 64% of Yahoo leagues, so fantasy managers who need power should jump all over him to close out the first half of the season.
Source: Kansas City Royals
Source: Kansas City Royals
Reds Place Matt McLain on Injured List With Calf Strain
The Cincinnati Reds placed middle infielder Matt McLain (calf) on the 10-day injured list on Friday with a calf strain and activated third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes (back) from the 10-day IL in a corresponding move, according to Charlie Goldsmith of FOX 19. It's more bad news for McLain, who has really struggled in 2026 with a .190/.293/.328 slash line, a .622 OPS, eight home runs, 25 RBI, 32 runs scored, and 11 stolen bases in 309 plate appearances in his third year in the big leagues. The former first-rounder out of UCLA had already been losing valuable playing time at the keystone to rookie Edwin Arroyo. At least to close out the first half and to begin the second half of the season next weekend, Arroyo is headed for a full-time role in Cincy at second base. McLain's fantasy value has tanked after he came into the season as a potential breakout candidate. He's currently rostered in only 30% of Yahoo leagues, with that number set to drop even more now that he's injured.
Source: FOX 19 - Charlie Goldsmith
Source: FOX 19 - Charlie Goldsmith
Marlins to Keep Sandy Alcantara at This Year's Trade Deadline?
Entering play on Friday, the Miami Marlins are tied with the Philadelphia Phillies for second place in the National League East division and hold the last wild-card spot in the NL, so they figure to be buyers at this year's trade deadline for the first time since Peter Bendix took over as president of baseball operations in November of 2023. As long as the Marlins don't completely collapse in the next few weeks, they intend to keep ace Sandy Alcantara, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. "He's our franchise icon, and for us, I look forward to many years in the future and what this all becomes," owner Bruce Sherman recently said on Marlins radio. The 30-year-old Dominican hurler has gone 10-4 with a 4.00 ERA (3.86 FIP) and 1.25 WHIP with 92 strikeouts and 33 walks in 123 2/3 innings across 19 starts in 2026 in his ninth year in the majors, and he's posted a 2.98 ERA, 1.14 WIHP, and 20.6% strikeout rate in his last seven starts. Alcantara has won seven straight starts while giving up 16 earned runs in his last 48 1/3 frames. He'll be an absolute must-start on Friday night at home against the visiting Cleveland Guardians.
Source: The Athletic - Ken Rosenthal
Source: The Athletic - Ken Rosenthal
Robert Suarez Hasn't Resumed Throwing, Return Not Imminent
Atlanta Braves right-handed reliever Robert Suarez (elbow) has been out since late June with inflammation in his right elbow. There was initial hope that he could return from the 15-day injured list immediately after the All-Star break on Friday, July 17, but Suarez hasn't been cleared to resume throwing yet, according to Mark Bowman of MLB.com. It means that the earliest the veteran reliever could return would likely be a week or two after the start of the second half next weekend. The 35-year-old Venezuelan hurler has lost a ton of fantasy value in his move to Atlanta in a setup role behind closer Raisel Iglesias after recording 76 saves with the San Diego Padres in 2024 and 2025. However, Suarez has still been valuable in deeper fantasy leagues with his 4-0 record, 0.56 ERA (2.46 FIP), 0.84 WHIP, four saves, and 26:6 K:BB in 32 innings pitched in his first year in Atlanta. He's rostered in just under half of Yahoo leagues while he recovers from his elbow injury.
Source: MLB.com - Mark Bowman
Source: MLB.com - Mark Bowman
White Sox Officially Reinstate Munetaka Murakami From Injured List
The Chicago White Sox officially announced on Friday that they reinstated corner infielder Munetaka Murakami (hamstring) from the 10-day injured list and optioned rookie infielder Jacob Gonzalez to Triple-A Charlotte in a corresponding move. The White Sox haven't released their starting lineup for Friday's series opener against the visiting Athletics and left-hander Jacob Lopez, but Murakami should be back in the starting nine. The 26-year-old left-handed slugger will be returning from a Grade 2 hamstring strain that he suffered on May 29, which caused him to miss 35 games. Before his injury, the Japanese native hit .240/.378/.560 with a .938 OPS, 20 long balls, 41 RBI, 43 runs scored, and a stolen base in his 200 at-bats for the Pale Hose. Murakami went 2-for-7 with an RBI during his two minor-league rehab games with Charlotte. Fantasy managers will want to return him to their starting lineups immediately, and hopefully he can pick up where he left off as one of the hottest hitters in all of baseball to close out the first half of the 2026 season.
Source: Chicago White Sox
Source: Chicago White Sox
Logan Henderson Worth a Pickup After Strong First Outing
We have been encouraging fantasy managers to consider adding Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Logan Henderson as he made his way back from the injured list. In his first start back with the Brew Crew on Thursday against the division-rival St. Louis Cardinals, the 24-year-old looked solid, allowing three earned runs on three hits while walking one and striking out four in 5 1/3 innings to pick up his third win of the season. It was by no means a dominant outing, but it was certainly an encouraging showing after Henderson spent six-plus weeks on the shelf with a back injury. He only allowed one run while he was on the mound, but two more runs were charged to him after he departed. The former fourth-round selection from McLennan Community College in 2021 has gone 3-1 this year with a 3.18 ERA (2.48 FIP) and 0.99 WHIP with 34 strikeouts and only seven walks in 28 1/3 innings over six starts, and he went 3-0 as a rookie in 2025 with a 1.78 ERA (3.02 FIP), 0.99 WHIP, and 33:8 K:BB in his five starts (25 1/3 frames). It's obviously a small sample size, but Henderson has looked great early in his big-league career, and he's only rostered in 56% of Yahoo leagues. Henderson could be a great addition to your fantasy rotation for the second half of 2026.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Carson Benge Becoming a Must-Add Off the Waiver Wire?
New York Mets rookie outfielder Carson Benge is quietly having a strong first year in the big leagues for the last-place Mets. In Thursday's 7-3 win over the visiting Kansas City Royals in Queens, Benge went 2-for-3 at the plate with an RBI, a stolen base, a walk, and two runs scored to boost his season line to .269/.332/.412 in his first 91 big-league contests. He's added a .744 OPS, 11 home runs, 37 RBI, 13 stolen bases, and 52 runs scored across 374 plate appearances in an everyday role. The 23-year-old former 19th overall pick in 2024 out of Oklahoma State University has exactly two hits in each of his last four games and has gone 28-for-87 (.322) with four home runs, three doubles, a triple, 11 RBI, 15 runs scored, and three stolen bases in his last 21 games, dating back to June 17. Benge is clearly finding his stride and has proven to be a high-floor fantasy outfielder who can contribute across all categories. It's kind of a shock that he's only rostered in exactly half of Yahoo leagues. He has been one of the few bright spots in a lost season in Queens in 2026.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Jackson Jobe Touches 100 MPH in First Rehab Outing, Emerging as Top Injury Stash?
Detroit Tigers right-hander Jackson Jobe (elbow) pitched in a minor-league rehab game on Tuesday at Single-A Lakeland for the first time since late May of last year due to Tommy John surgery, and he hit 100 mph while giving up an earned run with no walks and a strikeout in 1 1/3 innings pitched. It was an encouraging outing for the 23-year-old, who threw 24 of his 32 pitches for strikes, but given his long layoff, his rehab assignment is expected to last around a month. The former third overall pick in 2021 could become a high-upside strikeout arm later this year if he can earn a spot back in Detroit's starting rotation, so he's certainly a name to keep tabs on in fantasy leagues. In deeper formats, Jobe might be worth stashing now. In only 12 big-league appearances (10 starts) for the Tigers since debuting in 2024, Jobe has a 3.91 ERA (5.01 FIP), a 1.41 WIHP, and a 41:28 K:BB in 53 innings pitched. It appears Jobe has already regained his pre-surgery velocity, but his command could be another story. He's rostered in under 10% of Yahoo leagues right now.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
Caleb Kilian the Saves Source to Roster in San Francisco?
The San Francisco Giants aren't the best bullpen to target when searching for saves in 2026, but if you're desperate, right-handed reliever Caleb Kilian is the name to roster in the Giants' pen, especially after the team sent right-hander Ryan Walker back to the minors on Thursday. In his first year in the Bay Area, Kilian has gone 2-4 with a 4.03 ERA (4.42 FIP), 1.59 WHIP, his first eight career saves, 47 strikeouts, and 17 walks in 38 innings in relief. He closed out the month of June with five earned runs allowed in 1 2/3 innings pitched against the Athletics and Atlanta Braves, but he has two saves with six strikeouts and no walks in three innings in his first three outings in July. It's hard to put a lot of trust into a reliever with a 6.20 career ERA in just 65 1/3 innings since he debuted with the Chicago Cubs in 2022, but Kilian is definitely manager Tony Vitello's go-to guy in the ninth inning right now, and he has a strong 28.8% strikeout rate to boot. Kilian is widely available off the waiver wire, as he's rostered in only 15% of Yahoo leagues at the moment.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
Jose Caballero a Useful Add for Speed, Roster Flexibility
New York Yankees infielder/outfielder Jose Caballero hit two home runs to begin the week on Monday against the Tampa Bay Rays, reminding fantasy managers that he can show off some power occasionally in addition to his speed. The 29-year-old began the year as New York's starting shortstop with Anthony Volpe recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. Volpe has returned, but Caballero remains a key piece of the Yankees' lineup and has the versatility to play pretty much anywhere on the diamond. In 80 games and 289 plate appearances in 2026 in his first full season in the Bronx, Caballero is batting .246/.300/.398 with a .697 OPS, a career-high 10 home runs, 34 RBI, 21 stolen bases, and 35 runs scored. He's rostered in 69% of Yahoo leagues, so he's obviously not a complete unknown, but fantasy managers who need speed should jump on him if he's available. Additionally, Caballero has eligibility at second base, third base, shortstop, and the outfield, giving you plenty of roster flexibility. To begin the month of July, he's gone 6-for-23 (.261) with two homers, six RBI, three runs scored, and two stolen bases.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
Thomas Harrington Returning to Big Leagues, Worth a Waiver-Wire Pickup?
The Pittsburgh Pirates are calling up right-handed pitching prospect Thomas Harrington from Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday, sources told MLB.com's Alex Stumpf. Per MLB Pipeline, Harrington is the club's No. 12 prospect. The 24-year-old former 36th overall pick in 2022 out of Campbell University made his major-league debut with the Bucs last year and struggled in his three appearances (one start), posting a 15.58 ERA with 15 earned runs allowed, three homers surrendered, seven walks, and seven strikeouts in 8 2/3 innings pitched. The 6-foot-2, 210-pounder has also struggled at Indy this year, going 1-5 with a 6.52 ERA, 1.59 WHIP, and 56:26 K:BB in 58 innings across 20 appearances (six starts). Harrington doesn't have plus stuff on the mound, so he needs to rely on pinpoint control and keeping hitters off balance. Injuries got in the way in 2025, but he's healthy now and will look to fare better in his second taste of the big leagues. Fantasy managers in all formats can stay away for now, especially with Harrington likely filling a low-leverage relief role in his return to Pittsburgh.
Source: MLB.com - Alex Stumpf
Source: MLB.com - Alex Stumpf
Pirates Calling Up Pitching Prospect Antwone Kelly, Will he Have a Starting Role?
The Pittsburgh Pirates are calling up right-handed pitching prospect Antwone Kelly from Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday, sources told Alex Stumpf of MLB.com. According to MLB Pipeline, Kelly is the Pirates' No. 7 prospect. The 22-year-old native of Aruba made one relief appearance for Pittsburgh earlier this year on June 12 against the Miami Marlins and struggled, allowing two earned runs on two hits (one homer) while walking one and striking out a batter. In 17 appearances (12 starts) for Indy, Kelly has a 4.85 ERA and 1.50 WHIP with 54 strikeouts and 33 walks in 68 2/3 innings pitched. The 5-foot-10, 238-pounder is undersized for a starter, but he makes up for it with strength and can reach triple digits with his fastball. For as hard as he throws, though, Kelly doesn't generate a ton of swing and miss, and his command hasn't been great on the farm in 2026. Now that he's back with the big-league club, Kelly will most likely pitch out of the bullpen again to give the Bucs some length heading into next week's All-Star break.
Source: MLB.com - Alex Stumpf
Source: MLB.com - Alex Stumpf
