RADIO
Royce Lewis a Must-Add Waiver Target With Power-Speed Upside?
Royce Lewis still carries an ugly .212 average, which is probably why he remains available in so many leagues. The season line does not reflect the hitter Minnesota has seen since recalling him on June 6. Lewis batted .279/.330/.512 in June with five home runs, 12 runs, 10 RBI, and two stolen bases. The Twins have also found him regular playing time, primarily at first base but with the flexibility to move around the infield. The strikeouts are still a problem. Lewis has fanned in 27.9% of his plate appearances, so the batting average could remain volatile. His 12.3% barrel rate is a much better reason to buy in, and he has already paired eight homers with six steals across 198 at-bats. At 36% rostered on Yahoo, Lewis is a must-add in 10-team formats and an easy claim in standard mixed leagues. There is enough power-speed upside here to live with the average risk.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Tyler Wells Converts Friday Save, Worth a Speculative Add?
Tyler Wells got the Baltimore Orioles' first save chance after Ryan Helsley (elbow) returned to the 15-day injured list, and he handled it cleanly. Wells retired the Cincinnati Reds in order on 10 pitches in a 3-0 win Friday, July 3, striking out one for his first save since 2023. Rico Garcia covered the sixth and seventh before Yennier Cano worked the eighth. The outing puts Wells in the mix, but it does not make him Baltimore's temporary closer. Andrew Kittredge had pitched Tuesday and Wednesday, while RotoBaller ranked Wells behind Kittredge and Garcia before the save. Wells owns a 3.10 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and 43 strikeouts over 40 2/3 innings, making him a speculative add in 15-team saves leagues. His 3% Yahoo roster rate makes him easy to find, but managers in shallower formats can wait to see who gets the next chance.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Jake McCarthy Stays Red-Hot on Friday as Strong Waiver-Wire Target
Colorado Rockies outfielder Jake McCarthy stayed red-hot at the plate as the Rockies' table-setter in Friday night's 15-3 rout over the division-rival San Francisco Giants at Coors Field, going 4-for-5 at the plate with two home runs, six RBI, and a stolen base to raise his season average to .308 and his OPS to .868. McCarthy is having a career year in 2026 in his first year in Denver, and he now has a strong .308/.346/.522 slash line with nine long balls, 47 RBI, 36 runs scored, and 14 stolen bases in his 269 plate appearances. The 28-year-old former first-rounder by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2018 MLB draft out of the University of Virginia is mostly intriguing as a waiver-wire pickup for his speed 97 steals in his five-plus years in the majors, but he's also contributing a high average and has already reached a new career high in home runs in 74 games. McCarthy led off the game on Friday against San Fran with a homer and also added a grand slam in a statement game that will have fantasy managers heading to the waiver wire on Saturday to add him. He's currently rostered in 44% of Yahoo leagues.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Yankees Send Outfield Prospect Spencer Jones Back to Triple-A
The New York Yankees announced that they optioned outfield prospect Spencer Jones (illness) back to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after Friday's 5-2 victory over the Minnesota Twins in the Bronx. Jones has been under the weather this week with an illness, but he should be fine and will most likely resurface in the big leagues at some point in the second half for the Yankees. But for now, the 25-year-old former 25th overall pick in 2022 out of Vanderbilt University will head back to the farm to work on making more contact. In his first 30 games (82 plate appearances) this year at the big-league level, Jones went 17-for-73 (.233) with two home runs, seven RBI, six runs scored, a stolen base, nine walks, and 34 strikeouts (41.5% strikeout rate). The good news is that Jones hit .265 (13-for-49) with two homers, four doubles, five RBI, and six runs scored in 20 games since rejoining the Yanks on June 5. The 6-foot-7, 240-pound hulking outfielder remains a must-stash in dynasty/keeper leagues for his power/speed upside, but fantasy managers in shallow-mixed leagues can move on for now.
Source: New York Yankees
Source: New York Yankees
Shea Langeliers Leaves Friday's Game Early With Thumb Injury
Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers (thumb) was forced from Friday's game early against the Miami Marlins with a left-thumb injury, according to Theo DeRosa of MLB.com. Before being pulled prematurely, Langeliers went 0-for-2 at the plate with two strikeouts. Jonah Heim entered the contest as a pinch-hitter and replaced Langeliers behind the dish. For now, we'll consider Langeliers as day-to-day until we know more about the severity of his thumb injury. It would be a major blow to fantasy managers and the A's if Langeliers is forced to miss extended time with his injury, as he's one of the best power producers at the position in the game with a hitter-friendly home ballpark in Sacramento to boot. The 28-year-old former ninth overall pick by the Atlanta Braves in 2019 out of Baylor University came into Friday's contest with a .265/.330/.497 slash line, .827 OPS, 20 homers, 44 RBI, 51 runs, and two stolen bases in 328 at-bats. Heim would serve as the A's primary backstop if Langeliers is forced to miss additional time. Check back on Saturday for an update on the severity of Langeliers' thumb injury.
Source: MLB.com - Theo DeRosa
Source: MLB.com - Theo DeRosa
Matt Olson Snaps Power Drought With Two Homers Against Mets
Atlanta Braves first baseman Matt Olson finally got back in the home run column in Friday night's 5-3 victory over the division-rival New York Mets at Truist Park, going 2-for-3 at the plate with two solo home runs, a walk, and a strikeout to raise his season average to .273 and his OPS to .883. It was the first time that Olson had cleared the fences in 16 games, and his second multi-homer performance of the 2026 season. The 32-year-old veteran left-handed slugger hit .315 (28-for-89) with four home runs, four doubles, seven RBI, 13 runs scored, and a stolen base in 23 games across 97 plate appearances during June, but he hadn't homered since June 12 before his two blasts on Friday night. With the big game, Olson is now slashing .273/.345/.538 on the season with 22 home runs, 54 RBI, 57 runs scored, and two stolen bases in his 374 plate appearances. He remains one of the most consistent power bats in fantasy, regardless of position.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Luis Garcia Jr. Now has Nine Homers in his Last 15 Games
Washington Nationals infielder Luis Garcia Jr. has been tearing the cover off the baseball lately. That trend continued in Friday night's 9-5 win over the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates at Nationals Park, with Garcia going 2-for-4 at the plate with two home runs, three RBI, and a walk to raise his season batting average to .283 and his OPS to .874. There aren't many hitters hotter than Garcia right now. The 26-year-old left-handed-hitting infielder wasn't the only one that was feeling it on Friday night, as the Nationals slugged a total of five home runs to put the Pirates away without much of a fight. Garcia now has a whopping nine home runs in his last 13 games and is up to a .396/.453/.1.021 slash line with 17 RBI in his last 15 games played. The recent hot stretch has definitely attracted the interest of fantasy managers, and Garcia is now rostered in 75% of Yahoo leagues. Through May, Garcia was hitting .268 (48-for-179) with only five homers, 30 RBI, 21 runs, and two stolen bases in 54 games.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Carlos Lagrange has Sprained Shoulder, Won't Throw for Six Weeks
The New York Yankees are saying that right-handed pitching prospect Carlos Lagrange (shoulder) has been diagnosed with a capsular sprain of his right shoulder, and he'll be shut down from throwing for six weeks, according to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. It's a real bummer for the Yankees and fantasy managers in dynasty/keeper leagues who have been stashing the hard-throwing 6-foot-7, 248-pounder, as he was seemingly on the verge of joining the Yankees' major-league roster to bolster their bullpen in July. He was placed on the seven-day injured list at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, and with an extended absence coming, it's now fair to wonder if he'll get called up to the majors at all in 2027. The team's No. 4 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, was recently moved from a starting role to a relief one. Lagrange has gone 1-4 with the RailRiders with a 4.55 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, and 83:33 K:BB in 63 1/3 innings across 18 outings (11 starts). Fantasy managers in mixed redraft formats can probably hold off on stashing Lagrange now due to his uncertain timetable. He's rostered in 5% of Yahoo leagues.
Source: The Athletic - Chris Kirschner
Source: The Athletic - Chris Kirschner
Emilio Pagan Needs to be Rostered After Returning From Injury
Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Emilio Pagan was recently activated from the Injured List after missing time due to a hamstring strain. Pagan returned at the end of June after being sidelined since early May. The right-hander had a slow start to the season, but figures to reclaim his role as the primary closer. He currently owns a 6.28 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, and six saves in nine attempts across 16 appearances this season. Those aren't pretty numbers to look at, but Pagan has shown he's capable of holding down the closer role. He registered 32 saves with a 2.88 ERA across 70 appearances last season. The Reds don't have much competition at the backend of the bullpen, so Pagan figures to reclaim the full-time role. Fantasy managers looking for bullpen help should add Pagan if he's available.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
A.J. Ewing Deserves a Look While Swinging Hot Bat
New York Mets infielder/outfielder A.J. Ewing has been nearly impossible to keep off the basepaths recently. Over the last two weeks, Ewing has been slashing .317/.404/.512 with two home runs and eight RBI. So far this season, Ewing has a .352 OBP with four long balls, 19 RBI, and eight steals. He's capable of doing just about everything on the field, which makes him a favorable option for category leagues. He probably hasn't wandered into must-have territory yet, but is someone worth at least looking at in deep leagues.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
Samuel Basallo is Gaining Traction Quickly
Baltimore Orioles catcher Samuel Basallo has been experiencing some good times at the plate recently. The fun continued for Basallo during Friday's game against the Cincinnati Reds. The young catcher went 1-3 with a two-run home run and a walk in the win. It was his 13th blast of the year, which ties him with Carter Jensen for fourth among rookies this season. Over the last 15 games, Basallo is hitting .255 with three homers and 10 RBI. It's never easy for fantasy managers to find a consistent hitter at the catcher spot. Basallo has shown impressive power numbers this season and is deserving of a look in more fantasy leagues going forward.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
Trevor Rogers Must be Rostered During Hot Stretch
Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Trevor Rogers has found his groove on the mound as of late. Over the last 24.2 innings, Rogers has only allowed three earned runs. He has struggled at times with his command, but continues to be nearly impossible to score on. On Friday, Rogers continued his success with five scoreless innings of work against the Cincinnati Reds. The southpaw struck out four batters and allowed two hits in the win. His overall numbers on the season aren't great, but Rogers has been throwing the ball extremely well lately. Who knows how long it'll last, but fantasy managers should take advantage of it and scoop him up in all fantasy formats.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
Griffin Jax is Approaching Must-Add Territory
Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Griffin Jax has been making a smooth transition into the starting rotation. Over his last five outings, Jax owns a 1.73 ERA with 27 strikeouts across 26 innings of work. Jax was tagged for three runs across six innings of work during his most recent outing against the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday. The right-hander has looked sharp as a starting pitcher and figures to remain in that role going forward. His next outing is scheduled in Houston versus the Astros. Fantasy managers seeking pitching help should check the waiver wire to see if Jax is available.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
Brenton Doyle Returns to Rehab Assignment After Groin Injury
Colorado Rockies outfielder Brenton Doyle (groin, oblique) missed several days during his minor-league rehab assignment with the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes due to tightness in his left groin, but he was expected to be back in the lineup on Friday night, according to Thomas Harding of MLB.com. The 28-year-old power/speed threat initially was placed on the 10-day injured list by the Rockies in late May with a left-oblique contusion. Now that he's back in action on the farm, Doyle could be reinstated from the IL and rejoin the big-league roster at some point next week before the All-Star break. Doyle broke out in 2024 in his second full season in the majors with 23 home runs, 72 RBI, 30 stolen bases, and a .260/.317/.446 slash line in 149 games, but he has struggled to get anywhere near that level ever since. Through 43 games (122 plate appearances) this year before landing on the IL, Doyle was hitting just .207 (23-for-111) with a homer, four RBI, nine steals, and a 32.8% strikeout rate. With regular playing time no longer guaranteed, Doyle is rostered in only 31% of Yahoo leagues.
Source: MLB.com - Thomas Harding
Source: MLB.com - Thomas Harding
Will Smith Resumes Hitting, Throwing
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that catcher Will Smith (neck) hit in the batting cage on Thursday and has also resumed throwing, according to Jack Harris of The California Post. Smith, who was placed on the 10-day injured list on June 11 with inflammation in his neck, is making progress, but he's not expected to return before the All-Star break from July 13-16. It's been a frustrating situation for fantasy managers, as the Dodgers initially believed in early June that Smith wasn't going to even land on the IL at all. The 31-year-old veteran three-time All-Star required a cortisone injection as well, but it didn't really seem to do the trick. Before tweaking his neck, Smith had delivered a disappointing .249/.338/.382 slash line with a .720 OPS, six homers, 23 RBI, and 23 runs scored in 52 games across 201 plate appearances. He still deserves to be rostered in most fantasy baseball leagues while he heals as L.A.'s starting catcher when he's healthy. Dalton Rushing remains a short-term option in two-catcher leagues with Smith out of commission.
Source: The California Post - Jack Harris
Source: The California Post - Jack Harris
