Boston Red Sox catching prospect Kyle Teel went 2-for-4 with his eighth home run of the season in the opening game of a doubleheader on Friday. Through 54 games at Double-A Portland, the 14th overall pick in last year's draft has performed very well with a .313/.405/.493 slash line with 45 RBI and five stolen bases. Teel progressed through the lower levels of the minors very quickly last summer as he started in the Rookie League and ended by logging nine games at Double-A. Through this 26-game stretch, the Virginia product posted a .363/.482/.495 line with two home runs and 22 RBI. Teel is considered the 29th-best prospect in baseball and third in Boston on MLB Pipeline. He is projected to make his major league debut next summer but could push for a late-season call-up, especially due to how well he has performed in the minors over his first two seasons.

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New York Mets third baseman Brett Baty has performed exceptionally well through June at Triple-A Syracuse and could be nearing a return to the major leagues. Since June 1, the former first-round selection holds a .367/.407/.755 slash line with five long balls, 16 RBI, and a 3:6 BB:K ratio. In addition, Baty has begun to log starts at the keystone, which he has never done before in his professional career. This is a good sign that the Mets value his bat and want to him to return to the majors as soon as possible. Jose Iglesias has served as the primary second baseman in Queens for now as Jeff McNeil has struggled throughout the early part of the season. Baty is worth a look in deeper redraft leagues once he rejoins the Mets, as he should gain second-base eligibility.

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Washington Nationals outfield prospect Dylan Crews launched his second home run at Triple-A on Friday evening. Crews was promoted to Triple-A Rochester on June 17 and has already hit two long balls in his first week. Through four games, the former LSU Tiger has four total hits with four RBI, two swiped bags, and a .526 SLG. Crews opened the season, getting an extended look at Double-A and held a solid .274/.343/.446 slash line with five home runs, 38 RBI, and 15 stolen bases through 51 games. The former number two overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft is considered the sixth-best prospect in baseball on MLB Pipeline. Crews should remain rostered in all dynasty and keeper leagues, and is worth stashing in deeper redraft leagues for now. If he continues this strong play at Triple-A, he could make his major league debut shortly after the All-Star Break.

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Minnesota Twins third baseman Royce Lewis continued his recent power surge in a 6-5 loss to the Oakland A's on Friday. Lewis went 1-for-4 with a solo homer but it wasn't quite enough in the one-run loss to Oakland. The infielder's homer traveled 380 feet with an exit velocity of 98.9 MPH. Lewis has been on an absolute tear at the plate, hitting .368 with 10 homers, 15 runs, and 14 RBI over just 57 at-bats this season. While it would be impossible for Lewis to keep up this pace, he has certainly emerged as one of the most feared hitters in the American League. He is a no-brainer as a starting option in all fantasy formats moving forward.

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Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley went deep in an 8-1 win over the New York Yankees on Friday. Riley wound up going 2-for-3 with a homer, two walks, two runs, and one RBI in a victory over New York. The veteran is now batting .251 with seven homers, 37 runs, and 29 RBI over 231 at-bats in 2024. While the power numbers weren't quite what fantasy gamers were expecting when drafting Riley this spring, patience is advised as the 27-year-old posted three straight 30-homer seasons coming into 2024.

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Miami Marlins shortstop Tim Anderson was the hero for his team in a 3-2 win over the Seattle Mariners in 10 innings on Friday. Anderson smacked a walk-off RBI single in the 10th inning to propel the Marlins to victory, their third straight walk-off win. The veteran shortstop has been struggling in his first season with the Marlins, hitting just .232 with no homers, 16 runs, nine RBI, and four steals across 207 at-bats. That being said, he has been showing signs of life of late, hitting .367 over his past seven games. Anderson is worth a look as a bench option in deeper fantasy leagues while he is hot at the plate.

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Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitching prospect Bubba Chandler struck out a season-high 10 batters across seven shutout frames. He allowed just two hits and one free pass. This was a great rebound performance for the former third-round pick, as he allowed five earned runs in his previous start on June 15. Through his first extended look at Double-A ball, the 21-year-old holds a 4.37 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, and a 21:57 BB:K ratio. However, his ratios are a bit inflated by his blowup starts. Chandler posted five shutout performances this season but also gave four or more runs three times. Chandler is considered the number three prospect in the Pittsburgh system on MLB Pipeline and remains on pace to meet his 2025 major league debut.

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Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner had a big night in a 5-4 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday. Turner went 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBI but it wasn't quite enough as the Phillies fell to the D-Backs. The veteran shortstop is putting together another strong season, hitting .344 with three homers, 29 runs, 12 RBI, and 10 steals across 151 at-bats. While his home run numbers are down from past seasons, Turner remains an elite source of batting average, steals, and runs scored in fantasy leagues and should remain locked into fantasy lineups moving forward.

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Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Paul Sewald threw a scoreless ninth inning to preserve a 5-4 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday. Sewald did not allow a baserunner while needing just 11 pitches to secure the save for his team. The 34-year-old has been excellent as Arizona's closer this season, converting all nine of his save chances while posting a 0.66 ERA, 0.51 WHIP, and 12 strikeouts over 13 2/3 innings of work. Sewald has a firm grip on the closer's role in Arizona and should continue to provide strong fantasy numbers across the board for his managers.

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Arizona Diamondbacks DH Joc Pederson helped power his team to a 5-4 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday. Pederson went 2-for-4 with a solo homer and a walk in the win. The veteran slugger's third-inning shot traveled 433 feet and had an exit velocity of 104.6 MPH. Pederson is now hitting .302 with 10 homers, 28 runs, 34 RBI, and four steals across 179 at-bats this season. The blast on Friday night gives Pederson double-digit homers in four straight seasons. He remains a solid source of fantasy numbers across the board in mixed leagues moving forward.

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Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was a lone bright spot for his team in a 7-1 loss to the Cleveland Guardians on Friday. Guerrero went 2-for-4 with a solo homer to provide the only scoring for the Jays in the lopsided loss. The 25-year-old's homer off Carlos Carrasco traveled 407 feet with an exit velocity of 102.3 MPH. Guerrero is now hitting .281 with eight homers, 32 runs, 31 RBI, and two steals across 288 at-bats this season. While his power numbers are a little down, Guerrero remains one of the most talented young hitters in baseball and should be locked into starting lineups moving forward.

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Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds went deep but it wasn't enough in a 10-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday. Reynolds went 1-for-3 with a solo homer in the eighth inning, a shot that traveled 439 feet and had an exit velocity of 107.3 MPH. The veteran has been swinging a hot bat lately, hitting .370 with three homers and five RBI over his past seven games. Overall, it is shaping up as another strong campaign for Reynolds, who is batting .272 with 11 homers, 31 runs, 41 RBI, and five steals across 302 at-bats. He should be locked into fantasy lineups moving forward.

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Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Yariel Rodriguez struggled in his start in a 7-1 loss to the Cleveland Guardians on Friday. Rodriguez allowed five runs (four earned) on two hits and three walks in just 1 1/3 innings of work in the loss. In what has been an ongoing issue this season, Rodriguez struggled with his control, throwing just 32 of 52 pitches for strikes before departing early. Rodriguez now has a 0-2 record, 5.94 ERA, 1.92 WHIP, and 17 strikeouts across five starts for Toronto this season. Rodriguez has some strikeout upside in his arm but he will have to cut down on the walks (11 over 16 2/3 innings of work) to be trustworthy in fantasy.

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Washington Nationals outfielder Lane Thomas had a big night at the plate in his team's 11-5 win over the Colorado Rockies on Friday. Thomas went 3-for-6 with a double, a triple, two runs, and four RBI to help power his team to the win. The veteran outfielder is now hitting .238 with five doubles, two triples, eight homers, 25 runs, 28 RBI, and 16 steals over 181 at-bats this season. He has been red-hot at the plate of late, batting .300 with four homers and 10 RBI over his past seven games. Fantasy gamers should consider Thomas for their starting lineups while he's on a hot streak.

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Oakland Athletics infielder Abraham Toro (hamstring) suffered a hamstring strain in Friday's game against the visiting Minnesota Twins and will go on the injured list, according to manager Mark Kotsay. In his first game back on Friday against the Twins after injuring his shoulder earlier in the week, Toro suffered a new injury and will now miss more time. Before leaving, the 27-year-old third baseman went 1-for-3 with a walk, run scored and a strikeout in the eventual 6-5 win. Toro has gained some attention in deeper fantasy leagues this year in Oakland with regular playing time at the hot corner. He entered Friday's contest with a .259/.300/.387 slash line with six homers, 24 RBI, three steals and 31 runs scored in 274 at-bats. Some combination of Tyler Nevin and Aledmys Diaz should see work at third base while Toro's hamstring heals.

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Los Angeles Angels left-hander Patrick Sandoval (forearm) left his start early on Friday against the crosstown-rival Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium due to left-forearm tightness, the Angels announced. Sandoval made it only 2 1/3 innings in this one, but he didn't allow a run while giving up two hits, walking two and striking out only one in a no-decision in an eventual 3-2 extra-inning victory. It remains to be seen exactly what the issue is for the 27-year-old southpaw, but forearm injuries usually always lead to a stint on the injured list, so fantasy managers might want to prepare for that. We should know more on his timetable on Saturday. Sandoval entered Friday's game with a 2-8 record, uneven 5.24 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 80 K's in 77 1/3 innings (15 starts). He's walked too many and given up too much loud contact to maintain any kind of consistency for fantasy streamers.

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Kansas City Royals manager Matt Quatraro said on Friday that starting pitcher Michael Wacha (foot) is "on track" to return to the rotation for Saturday's game against the defending-champion Texas Rangers, and the hurler is officially listed as the probable starter. Wacha made a rehab appearance in the Arizona Complex League on Monday as he worked his way back from a fractured left foot, throwing four scoreless innings on two hits and no walks with six strikeouts. The 32-year-old veteran right-hander holds a vanilla 4.24 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, and 56:20 K:BB through 68 innings (12 starts) for the Royals this year, and fantasy managers might want to take a wait-and-see approach before inserting Wacha back into lineups on Saturday against a dangerous Rangers lineup.

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Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said ahead of Friday's series opener against the crosstown-rival Los Angeles Angels that the club is still deciding what starting pitcher Walker Buehler's (hip) process on the injured list is going to look like. Roberts mentioned that the extra weight and strength Buehler put on this offseason might be impacting his mechanics. Buehler took a comebacker during Tuesday's start at Coors Field against the division-rival Colorado Rockies, and the Dodgers decided they had seen enough after the hurler gave up a season-worst seven runs by sending him to the IL with right hip inflammation on Wednesday. Buehler owns a rough 5.84 ERA (6.04 FIP), 1.51 WHIP, and 31:10 K:BB over eight starts (37 innings), and he may end up spending a considerable amount of time back in the minors on assignment to sharpen up his mechanics. There's a chance we won't see him again until after July's All-Star break.

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Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Gavin Williams (elbow) threw five innings on Friday for Double-A Akron, striking out four batters and allowing just one run on four hits. Williams threw 66 pitches and topped out 98 mph with his fastball. Friday marked Williams' fifth appearance in the minor leagues on his rehab assignment from right elbow discomfort, so there's a chance the Guardians deem him ready to rejoin the major-league roster for his 2024 debut in his next start. After posting a promising 3.29 ERA and 1.26 WHIP while striking out 81 and walking 37 through 16 starts (82 innings) during his rookie year a season ago, the 24-year-old former top prospect needs to be stashed in all fantasy leagues with his return appearing imminent.

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San Diego Padres outfielder Jurickson Profar (knee) was pulled for a pinch runner in the seventh inning of Friday's game against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers. Profar battled patellar tendinitis in his left knee earlier in June, and he didn't appear to be running well before being lifted for Jose Azocar on Friday. Consider Profar day-to-day until the Padres update his status before Saturday's clash with the Brewers, but a stint on the injured list cannot be ruled out if a prior issue has resurfaced. The 31-year-old veteran switch-hitter has made himself comfortable as San Diego's everyday left fielder and deserves to be a first-time All-Star this year, slashing. 320/.415/.483 with 10 home runs, 48 RBI, 42 runs scored, and four stolen bases through 269 at-bats.

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