RADIO
Karson Milbrandt Needs to Improve Control Before Making Big-League Mark
In three July starts, Miami Marlins pitching prospect Karson Milbrandt has struggled a bit at Triple-A Jacksonville. His latest outing on July 18 saw him go four innings and give up three earned runs with five strikeouts and two walks. It was an improvement on his previous two July outings in which he combined for nine earned runs in just 3 2/3 total innings. All in all, a 14.09 ERA in July is not what you want to see, but he is still rated as the No. 4 overall prospect for the Marlins. The right-hander has four plus pitches with a 55 grade but struggles with overall control and is graded out at 40 for control. Milbrandt has flashed his potential with 95 total strikeouts in 74 innings between Double-A Pensacola and Jacksonville. The high strikeout rate is desirable for fantasy purposes but it might not be until next year that managers get to see Milbrandt make a difference at the big league level. He has plenty of potential but needs to work on his command in the minors.
Source: Minor League Baseball
Source: Minor League Baseball
Trea Turner Blasts Career Homer No. 200 in Two-Homer Performance
Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner had quite the night on Monday in a 10-7 victory at Citizens Bank Park against his former team, the Los Angeles Dodgers. Turner went 3-for-5 at the plate with two home runs, a double, a season-high five RBI, and two strikeouts. The 33-year-old veteran reached career home run No. 200 in the process and had his first multi-homer game of the season (20th of his career). During his current five-game hitting streak, Turner has gone 9-for-20 (.450) with four home runs, two doubles, seven RBI, six runs scored, and a stolen base to boost his season line to .246/.296/.396 with a .691 OPS in 433 plate appearances. He has tacked on 14 home runs, 40 RBI, 68 runs scored, and 17 stolen bases in 98 total games played. Turner has shown some signs of aging in 2026 with a 22.4% strikeout rate, which is his highest mark since his rookie season in 2015. He also ranks in the 48th percentile in hard-hit rate, the 37th percentile in barrel rate, the 20th percentile in chase rate, and the 32nd percentile in expected slugging. A full rebound may not be coming to close out the 2026 season.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
George Lombard Jr. Making Presence Felt at Triple-A in Return From Injury
New York Yankees infield prospect George Lombard Jr. returned to the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre lineup on July 17 and wasted little time making his presence felt with a home run in his return game. Lombard Jr. missed nearly a month with sprained fingers on his glove hand, but came back with a bang. In 11 July at bats, Lombard Jr. already has three homers and three RBI between the FCL Yankees and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The 21-year-old is regarded as the top prospect in the Yankees' system and is making a case for a big league shot sooner rather than later. But at age 21, the Yankees could be patient with their prized prospect and wait on his big league debut until next season. The right-handed hitter has had an injury plagued season up to this point and it might be more beneficial for the Yankees to see him get back to full health at Triple-A during the second half of this season.
Source: Minor League Baseball
Source: Minor League Baseball
Cal Raleigh Breaks Cold Streak With Grand Slam, Five RBI
Fantasy managers are hoping that Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh's cold streak will come to an end after his big performance in Monday night's 8-0 shutout win over the visiting Cincinnati Reds at T-Mobile Park. Raleigh went 1-for-5 at the plate with a grand slam, five RBI, and two strikeouts to break out of an 0-for-10 start to the second half of the season over the weekend in three games against the San Francisco Giants. The 29-year-old is still hitting just .163/.266/.307 with a .573 OPS, 10 home runs, 34 RBI, 24 runs scored, and two stolen bases in 69 games across 297 plate appearances. A strained oblique muscle put a damper on his first half, and he hasn't been able to recover after leading the league with 60 long balls and 125 RBI in 159 regular-season games in 2025 as a first-time All-Star. In 14 games (58 plate appearances) so far in July, Raleigh has gone just 8-for-50 (.160) with a .579 OPS, two home runs, two doubles, 11 RBI, three runs, six walks, and 20 strikeouts. At this point, fantasy managers should not be betting on a return to his 2025 form
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Jung Hoo Lee Can Contribute Contact Numbers in Deep Leagues
San Francisco Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee is hitting .303 this season with a .331 wOBA and 110 wRC+. He slumped a little bit going into the All-Star break, hitting .158 over his last 16 games before the break, but he seems to have benefited from the time off and has started the second half with five hits in his first four games, going 5-for-16 (.313) with three runs scored. As a regular in the Giants' lineup, he can chip in solid counting stats and usually hits for a good enough average to be a deep league option in the outfield. He only has five home runs and six stolen bases through his 92 games, but he has been consistent enough in counting stats and contact ability to help counter-balance your roster if you have big sluggers with low averages in other spots.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Ryan Clifford's Game Solid Despite Low Batting Average
New York Mets prospect Ryan Clifford has put together a nice season at Triple-A Syracuse, but his batting average remains very low. His productivity is solid with 16 homers and 47 RBI to go with 48 runs scored and seven stolen bases, but he is hitting just .192. Clifford has continued to produce, but hit just .099 in the month of June over 81 at-bats. The first base/outfielder is the No. 2 overall prospect in the Mets' system but will likely need to improve his overall hitting before receiving a shot at a big league debut. The 23-year-old left-handed hitter grades out at just a 45 hit tool, but does boast 60 grade power. So the low batting average might come as part of the package with Clifford. He is the top position player in the Mets' farm system, so he could get a look this season depending on New York's moves. Fantasy managers may have to deal with a low batting average as part of Clifford's game, but he does have good upside in other categories.
Source: Minor League Baseball
Source: Minor League Baseball
Julio Rodriguez Removed as Precaution With Hamstring Injury
Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez (hamstring) was removed from Monday night's game early against the Cincinnati Reds as a precaution after he was hit by the ball and the jarring from hitting first base while running full speed, according to Tim Booth of The Seattle Times. Manager Dan Wilson said there wasn't concern about a strain. Rodriguez went 1-for-3 at the plate with an RBI and a strikeout before Victor Robles replaced him in center field. The 25-year-old Dominican All-Star just returned from the concussion injured list over the weekend, so fantasy managers have to be pretty frustrated to see him pulled from the game just a few days later with another injury. The good news is that it doesn't appear to be a serious injury, and he could be back in the starting lineup as early as Tuesday in Seattle. The three-time All-Star is batting .256/.320/.417 with a .737 OPS, 14 home runs, 42 RBI, 12 steals, and 47 runs scored in 90 games across 391 plate appearances. J-Rod is a must-start when he's in Seattle's starting nine.
Source: The Seattle Times - Tim Booth
Source: The Seattle Times - Tim Booth
Brandon Sproat Brings Strikeout Upside As a Streaming Starter in the Second Half
Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Brandon Sproat will make his first start of the second half on Tuesday, looking to establish himself as a key part of Milwaukee's rotation going forward. He went only 3-4 in his 18 games (16 starts) so far this season, with a 5.12 FIP and 5.16 ERA. On the plus side, though, Sproat has shown strikeout potential with 87 strikeouts in 82 innings. His 24.7% K% is a big improvement on his 20.2% K% last season with the Mets. While he still struggled with efficiency and has given up too much hard contact, there are some signs that the 25-year-old could be the next Brewers' acquisition to go on a run. He is lined up for opportunities with Kyle Harrison (forearm) on the injured list and Brandon Woodruff (shoulder) done for the season.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Alex Lange Stumbles in Monday's Save Opportunity Amid Lengthy Skid
Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Alex Lange blew his save opportunity on Monday night against the Giants, but he earned the win after the Royals rallied in the bottom of the ninth. Lange entered the game with a two-run lead, and he started the inning strong with back-to-back strikeouts of Rafael Devers and Heliot Ramos. He gave up a game-tying homer to Willy Adames with two outs before getting the last out of the inning. The Royals won in the bottom of the ninth on a walk-off bunt from Nick Loftin, giving Lange his first win of the season. Lange has allowed eight runs in his last three games in just 2 2/3 innings. Over his last six games, he has a brutal 23.40 ERA with a 40.9% hard-hit rate against him. Lange is still the team's primary option at the end of the game at this point, but Daniel Lynch IV and John Schreiber could step in as the closer if Lange continues to stumble.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Riley O'Brien Stumbles in Fifth Blown Save, Continues to Lose Fantasy Value
St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Riley O'Brien came into Monday's game with a 2-1 lead and struck out Mike Trout to start the inning. Unfortunately, things went downhill for him from there, as he gave up a single, a hit-by-pitch, a double, an intentional walk, and another hit-by-pitch to allow two runs and turn the 2-1 lead into a 3-2 defeat. The Cardinals bullpen collapsed on Sunday against the Diamondbacks as well, but O'Brien wasn't involved in that contest. The 31-year-old righty is 3-4 with a 3.76 ERA and 3.50 FIP on the season and has picked up 25 saves in his 41 games. He had seven saves in his previous eight scoreless outings, and he's still a strong closer, although his save opportunities have diminished as the Cardinals have started to struggle after their hot start. In most leagues, he's still worth holding at this point, but his value is slipping, and he would be a drop candidate in standard-sized leagues with more outings like Monday's.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Hogan Harris Earns Save for Athletics, Re-Emerging as Deep-League Saves Source
Athletics relief pitcher Hogan Harris picked up his seventh save of the season for the A's on Monday night, closing out the Diamondbacks by striking out the side in the ninth inning, while also allowing a walk and a hit. Even with a three-run lead, he still made it a little stressful for his fantasy managers. The 29-year-old lefty is 3-0 on the season with a 3.30 ERA and 4.04 FIP to go with his 60 strikeouts in 43 2/3 innings. Harris has allowed just one run over his last seven games, and he could earn his way to more save chances down the stretch, depending on how all the pieces shake out at the trade deadline. For deep leagues, Harris makes sense as a pickup while he's sharing work with Elvis Alvarado, but if he wins the full-time job, he could be a great pickup for all leagues down the stretch since he has such good strikeout upside to go with his potential saves.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Garrett Mitchell a High-Upside Outfielder to Prioritize on the Waiver Wire
Across 327 plate appearances this season, Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Garrett Mitchell is hitting .283/.368/.465 with eight home runs, 48 RBI, 44 runs scored, and seven stolen bases. Mitchell owns a 32.7% strikeout rate on the year, so his batting average is likely to regress along with his unsustainably high .423 batting average on balls in play. Health also remains a question mark for Mitchell, who had never reached 250 plate appearances in a season before 2026. However, Mitchell has posted elite underlying contact metrics this year with a 14.1% barrel rate and 50.3% hard-hit rate. As long as he can stay on the field, Mitchell profiles as a high-upside waiver wire target.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Yordan Alvarez Cementing his Case for AL MVP With Another Two-Homer Game
Houston Astros outfielder Yordan Alvarez continued to rake in Monday night's 8-5 win over the visiting Miami Marlins at Daikin Park by going 3-for-4 at the plate as the designated hitter with two home runs and a strikeout to raise his season average to .324 and his OPS to a stellar 1.083. Alvarez continued to scorch the ball all over the ballpark in the series opener against the Fish, and his two homers now have him tied for the major-league lead in homers with 33 with Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Kyle Schwarber. The 29-year-old Cuban left-handed slugger also leads baseball with a 1.083 OPS and is second with his .324 batting average and 75 RBI. There aren't many pitchers in the league right now who can shut Alvarez down offensively. He came into Monday's tilt with a .353 average (18-for-51) and 1.159 OPS with five home runs, four doubles, 13 RBI, and six runs scored across 13 games and 60 plate appearances in the month of July. If Alvarez can continue his torrid pace for the rest of the second half and stay healthy, he has an excellent shot to be the first Triple Crown winner since Miguel Cabrera did it in 2012.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Jazz Chisholm Jr. has First Multi-Homer Game of the Year on Monday
New York Yankees infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. carried the offense in Monday night's 8-5 victory in the Bronx over the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates, going 2-for-4 at the plate with two home runs, five RBI, and two strikeouts to bolster his season average to .228 and his OPS to .726. It was Chisholm's first multi-homer game of 2026 after he did it four times in 2025. The big game on Monday night against the Bucs boosted Chisholm's season totals to 16 home runs, 43 RBI, and 26 stolen bases in 375 plate appearances in his second full season in the Bronx. The 28-year-old left-handed slugger continues to be a batting-average and on-base-percentage drain thanks to a 29.6% strikeout rate. Chisholm is also displaying less power with a 40.4% ground-ball rate in his 371 plate appearances so far this year. Still, the two-time All-Star should reach the 20-20 mark for the third straight campaign, and fantasy managers cannot complain for a player with second base eligibility. It's just not the high-end production that we expected after he hit 31 homers, drove in 80, and stole 31 bags in 2025. Chisholm has now homered three times in his last two games.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Yainer Diaz Heating Up, Re-Emerging as a Top Waiver-Wire Target
Across 187 plate appearances in 2026, Houston Astros catcher Yainer Diaz is hitting .242/.267/.393 with six home runs, 23 RBI, and 19 runs scored. The 27-year-old got off to a rough start to the season, hitting .238 with two home runs across 106 plate appearances before being placed on the injured list in early May with an oblique injury. However, Diaz has been heating up since returning from the IL in mid-June. Across his last 81 trips to the plate, Diaz is hitting .247 with home runs and nine RBI. Diaz owns just a 32% hard-hit rate this season, but he owns a career 43.4% hard-hit rate across nearly 1,800 MLB plate appearances. He also limits his swing-and-miss, as he's struck out in just 16% of his plate appearances in 2026. Fantasy managers in search of some upside at the catcher position may want to consider targeting Diaz on the waiver wire.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
