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Orioles Turn to Andrew Kittredge for Save, Worth Monitoring in Deep Leagues?
Baltimore Orioles veteran right-handed reliever Andrew Kittredge was called upon in the ninth inning on Thursday with the team up by two runs, and he threw a clean inning of work with no runs or hits allowed and no walks or strikeouts to earn his first save of the 2026 season in the 7-5 win over the Seattle Mariners at Camden Yards. The 36-year-old has an ERA over 6.00 on the year with a 1.57 WHIP and 15:4 K:BB in 14 2/3 innings, but most of the damage against him this year came when he allowed seven runs to the New York Yankees on May 3. Regular closer Ryan Helsley (elbow) remains on the injured list, but Rico Garcia has been manager Craig Albernaz's preferred option in the ninth inning with Helsley sidelined. However, with Garcia having a heavy workload of late, the O's opted against having him pitch on back-to-back days on Thursday, instead turning to Kittredge. Fantasy managers desperate for saves can avoid Kittredge for now. Besides, Helsley is nearing his return and could be back at the back end of the O's bullpen by next week.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Pirates Promoting No. 7-Ranked Prospect Antwone Kelly to the Majors
The Pittsburgh Pirates are promoting right-handed pitching prospect Antwone Kelly to the big leagues on Friday, sources told Francys Romero. The 22-year-old was born in Aruba and represented the Netherlands in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. In 54 innings this year with Triple-A Indianapolis, he has struck out 47 batters, and his fastball has reached 101 mph. Per MLB Pipeline, Kelly is considered the team's No. 7 prospect. The 5-foot-10, 238-pounder went 3-4 for Indy with a 4.50 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, and 47:24 K:BB in 54 innings over his 13 appearances (10 starts) on the farm before earning his first MLB call-up. With an electric right arm, there is obvious strikeout upside with Kelly, but he's initially expected to work out of Pittsburgh's bullpen, so fantasy managers shouldn't be looking to spend a grip on him off the waiver wire. Although Kelly throws plenty of strikes, he could be featured in a bullpen role long term, depending on whether he can develop his slider into a true putaway pitch.
Source: Francys Romero
Source: Francys Romero
Kade Anderson Remains Elite Stash Option Despite Unclear Path to Big Leagues
Seattle Mariners left-handed pitching prospect Kade Anderson has been nothing short of dominant since making his professional debut and remains an elite stash option among all prospects ahead of Week 12 of the fantasy season. After joining the Mariners with the third overall pick in last year's MLB Draft, he was sent to the Double-A level to begin his first professional campaign. Through his first 10 outings with Double-A Arkansas, the former LSU superstar has posted an incredible 1.29 ERA with a 0.64 WHIP. During this stint, Anderson has racked up 76 punchouts while walking just seven hitters. Additionally, Anderson has allowed two runs or fewer in nine of these 10 games. However, the lone concern with his redraft value is his unclear path to the majors. With Bryce Miller back in action on the MLB roster, the Mariners have six capable starters on the roster. Despite this, Anderson's upside on a per-start basis makes him a worthy target in all formats that have N/A spots.
Source: MiLB.com
Source: MiLB.com
Is Karson Milbrandt the Next Marlins Pitcher to Debut?
Miami Marlins right-handed pitching prospect Karson Milbrandt was recently bumped up to the Triple-A level and is quickly approaching his MLB debut much sooner than anticipated. Milbrandt opened the 2026 campaign far away from a potential MLB debut, as he was expected to debut after both top prospects in the system, Robby Snelling and Thomas White. However, with Snelling out for the season, and White on the shelf with a shoulder injury and trending towards missing the remainder of the campaign, Milbrandt now has a clear path to debut. Milbrandt began the season with Double-A and posted a 1.34 ERA with a 70:17 K:BB over a short 47-inning stint, which pushed him up to the top club. In his first game with Triple-A, Milbrandt looked just as impressive, logging six shutout frames with two hits but only striking out one hitter. While Milbrandt will likely need more seasoning with Jacksonville, his path to the big leagues is far clearer with Eury Perez and Janson Junk both on the MLB injured list. The 22-year-old is now firmly on the stash radar and could even compete for a debut before the end of the first half.
Source: MiLB.com
Source: MiLB.com
Joshua Baez Holds Highest Upside Among Prospects to Stash?
St. Louis Cardinals outfield prospect Joshua Baez has been flashing his elite raw power over the past month at Triple-A and is now firmly on the verge of making his MLB debut. Even with Lars Nootbaar and Nathan Church returning from their injured list, Baez has shown more than enough upside at the Triple-A level to join the MLB roster and take on a starting role. Over his last 22 games with the Memphis Redbirds, the slugging outfielder has launched an impressive 10 long balls with seven doubles, two triples, and four stolen bases while carrying a .326/.390/.787 line. The lone knock on his profile has been the hefty 30.0% K% he has maintained over this power surge. While his high swing and miss tendencies hurt his profile in points leagues, he is one of the few prospects in the minors who possesses immense upside across the five standard categories, making him a top stash target ahead of his debut.
Source: MiLB.com
Source: MiLB.com
Luis Lara the Next Prospect to Debut After Massive Extension?
Milwaukee Brewers outfield prospect Luis Lara inked a seven-year, $31 million contract extension with the Brewers earlier this week and was added to the 40-man roster, putting him on the verge of his MLB debut. Lara has spent the entire 2026 campaign with Triple-A Nashville and has held his own during his first taste of the top level of the minor leagues. Through his first 58 games of action with the Sounds, Lara has gone deep seven times while adding eight doubles, 20 stolen bases with a .336/.447/.493 line. During this stretch, he has carried a .940 OPS. His recent power surge is worth noting, as Lara only hit two total home runs over 136 games with Double-A last summer. While there is no clear spot for him on the MLB roster at the moment, Lara appears poised to enter the Milwaukee starting nine in the coming weeks, making him a solid stash target with high-end five-category potential.
Source: MiLB.com
Source: MiLB.com
River Ryan a Must-Stash Prospect After Stellar Bounce-Back Effort?
Los Angeles Dodgers right-handed pitching prospect River Ryan enjoyed a much-needed bounce-back effort at Triple-A Oklahoma City this past week. On Wednesday evening, Ryan tossed four innings of one-run ball while striking out seven hitters with only one free pass. This was a nice showing for the right-hander, who was coming off the worst outing of his young season, where he allowed a season-worst four runs and seven hits to Round Rock back on June 4. Ryan spent some time on the 7-day injured list earlier this season, but has since returned to Triple-A and has looked quite comfortable. Across 25 innings since returning from injury, Ryan has posted a 2.16 ERA with a 30:5 K:BB, with three of these walks coming in his worst showing. With both Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell on the IL on the MLB roster and starting pitcher Justin Wrobleski exiting early on Thursday night, Ryan has a clear path to return to the majors before the end of June, making him a prime stash target among pitchers.
Source: MiLB.com
Source: MiLB.com
When Will Kaelen Culpepper Make his MLB Debut?
Minnesota Twins top infield prospect Kaelen Culpepper continues to showcase elite upside at the Triple-A level and is on the verge of his MLB debut. Over his last 15 contests at St. Paul, the budding infielder has carried an elite .325/.425/.581 line with a 1.005 OPS. During this stretch, Culpepper has gone deep five times and swiped four bags. Overall, the 23-year-old has looked quite comfortable during his first stint at the top club of the minor leagues, posting a .268/.372/.489 slash line with 10 doubles, 14 home runs, 14 stolen bases, and an impressive 49:35 K:BB. Seeing him not only maintain his five-category profile but also show a strong eye at the plate has made him an elite stash option among hitting prospects. Given that Minnesota has lacked much production in the middle of their infield, Culpepper appears to be on a trajectory to debut before the end of June.
Source: MiLB.com
Source: MiLB.com
Dodgers Not Very Concerned About Shohei Ohtani's Knee Injury
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said his level of concern with two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani's knee injury is "not high," and that he feels good about Ohtani being back in the starting lineup for Friday's series opener versus the Chicago White Sox, according to Jack Harris of The California Post. Ohtani first felt something in his knee/hamstring area after a stolen base attempt on what ended up being a foul ball earlier in Thursday's win over the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Roberts said the decision to pull Ohtani from the game early was him being proactive. The Dodgers will see how the four-time MVP feels on Friday, but the expectation is that he'll be available to play. Before leaving the eventual 8-6 win, the Japanese superstar went 2-for-2 at the plate with his 13th home run of the year, two runs scored, and two walks to boost his season average to .305 and his OPS to .964. Ohtani got off to a slow start offensively by his standards to begin 2026, but he has rebounded nicely and continues to be one of the best hitters in the game.
Source: The California Post - Jack Harris
Source: The California Post - Jack Harris
Brett Sullivan Goes Deep Twice in Loss to Cubs on Thursday
Colorado Rockies backup catcher Brett Sullivan was productive at the bottom of the Rockies' batting order in Thursday's 9-3 loss to the visiting Chicago Cubs at Coors Field, going 3-for-4 at the plate with two solo home runs to boost his season average to .231 and his OPS to .664. It was the first multi-homer game of Sullivan's career, and the 32-year-old veteran backstop is now up to three home runs on the season in 33 games played. With the strong performance in the series finale, Sullivan nearly doubled his career home run total, as he entered play on Thursday with only three homers in his first 75 major-league games since debuting in 2023 with the San Diego Padres. He entered Thursday with a weak .207/.247/.310 slash line, a .558 OPS, one homer, and nine RBI in his 94 plate appearances this year in his first season in Denver. Sullivan will continue to see infrequent starts behind stud starting catcher Hunter Goodman, so fantasy managers should continue to ignore him in all formats.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Kodai Senga Looks Good in Rehab Start at Double-A
New York Mets right-hander Kodai Senga (arm, back) fared well in his minor-league rehab start on Thursday with Double-A Binghamton, allowing an earned run on a solo home run while walking one and striking out five in six innings to pick up the victory for the Rumble Ponies. Senga was originally scheduled to make his fourth rehab start on Tuesday, but he was scratched due to ulnar-nerve irritation in his right arm. Not only did Senga still get on the mound this week, but he delivered his best rehab performance so far on Thursday evening, throwing 51 of his 75 pitches for strikes. It's unclear what will be next for the 33-year-old Japanese native, but most likely, the Mets will want to see him make at least one more start down on the farm before considering him an option to rejoin the big-league rotation. In five starts in 2026 before going on the 15-day injured list, Senga gave up 21 runs (20 earned) while walking 13 and striking out 23 in 20 innings pitched. Fantasy managers in mixed leagues can afford to take a wait-and-see approach with Senga, who is currently rostered in only 12% of Yahoo leagues.
Source: Milb.com
Source: Milb.com
Coby Mayo is Gaining Deep-League Attention
Baltimore Orioles infielder Coby Mayo has fallen into a cold spell at the plate recently. Over the last week, Mayo is 3-for-21 at the plate, but fantasy managers shouldn't run away. Over the last 10 games, Mayo has smacked four of his nine home runs on the season. The 24-year-old is struggling right now, but the power potential is legitimate. The O's are likely going to stick with Mayo through this slump and let him get everyday at-bats at the big league level. There isn't a ton of value right now, but Mayo could be someone worth stashing in deep leagues as a potential power source.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
Martin Perez a Worthy Deep-League Option
Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Martin Perez was supposed to take the mound against the Chicago White Sox on Thursday. That game was postponed due to weather. Instead, Perez is expected to take the mound for the series opener against the New York Mets on Friday. The veteran southpaw is an intriguing streaming option given his recent success. Over the last three starts, Perez owns a 3.45 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, with nine strikeouts over 15.2 innings of work. He also has strong career numbers against the Mets, with a 3.09 ERA across 43.2 innings against the Mets in his career. The lack of strikeouts will likely keep his overall ceiling lower, but Perez remains a fairly trustworthy option at the moment.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
Shane Bieber Pitches Well During Rehab Outing
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Shane Bieber (elbow) was outstanding on the mound during his rehab start with Triple-A Buffalo on Thursday. Bieber tossed six shutout innings, allowing five hits, while striking out four batters. This was his second rehab start, and Bieber was much more successful during this outing. The right-hander threw 62 pitches, so the Jays will likely want to increase that number before activating him off the Injured List. The expectation is that Bieber will need at least one more rehab start before rejoining the Jays roster. He has been sidelined all season while rehabbing an elbow injury. Bieber is looking like a strong stash candidate with his return to the mound on the horizon.
Source: milb.com
Source: milb.com
Nolan Jones Acquired by White Sox
Cleveland Guardians outfielder Nolan Jones was acquired by the Chicago White Sox on Thursday. In exchange, the Guardians will receive $250,000 in international bonus pool money. This season, Jones has slashed .275/.385/.460 with eight home runs, 31 RBI, and three stolen bases in 52 games at Triple-A Columbus. Jones is a former second-round pick of Cleveland from the 2016 draft. Jones blasted 20 homers during the 2023 season with the Colorado Rockies. Since then, Jones hasn't been able to have the same type of success at the big league level. He'll report to Triple-A Charlotte and will hopefully earn his way to the big league roster at some point.
Source: Chicago White Sox
Source: Chicago White Sox
