San Diego Padres right-hander Nick Pivetta (elbow) started playing catch in late May and threw a light bullpen session on June 27, per MLB.com. He was placed on the 15-day injured list on April 14 after an MRI exam showed a flexor strain in his right elbow, and Pivetta was transferred to the 60-day IL on June 2. The 33-year-old Canadian native is making slow progress and probably won't be a realistic option to return to the Padres' starting rotation until sometime in August. He was the Padres' most consistent starter in 2025 in his first year with the team, going 13-5 with a career-best 2.87 ERA (3.49 FIP) and 0.98 WHIP with a career-high 190 strikeouts and 50 walks in 181 2/3 innings pitched across his 31 starts in SD. Regression was coming for Pivetta, though, and he went 1-2 with a 4.50 ERA (1.22 FIP), 1.12 WHIP, and 24:6 K:BB in just four starts this year before landing on the shelf. Pivetta's strong showing last year has bought him plenty of rope with fantasy managers stashing him in an IL spot, but he'll be a major question mark if/when he returns to the Friars in the second half of 2026. He's currently rostered in 72% of Yahoo leagues.

From RotoBaller

In what is expected to be his final minor-league rehab start, Cincinnati Reds right-hander Hunter Greene (elbow) looked great on Sunday with Triple-A Louisville, tossing 6 1/3 shutout innings with one hit allowed, no walks, and four strikeouts to pick up the win against Triple-A St. Paul. Greene threw 54 of his 82 pitches for strikeouts and retired his final 16 batters in a row after allowing a double to open the top of the second inning. In his three rehab starts -- two with Louisville and one in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League -- the hard-throwing right-hander threw 14 1/3 scoreless innings. Manager Terry Francona and Greene both expected Sunday to be his final rehab game before coming off the 60-day injured list to rejoin Cincy's starting rotation for the first time in 2026. The 26-year-old former second overall pick had arthroscopic surgery on March 11 to remove bone chips in his right elbow, which dated back to last October. Greene will most likely debut this weekend against the Baltimore Orioles, and he should be scooped up immediately if he remains available on any waiver wires for his ace upside in fantasy. Right now, he's rostered in 72% of Yahoo leagues.

From RotoBaller

Cincinnati Reds right-handed reliever Emilio Pagan (hamstring) looks to be on the verge of returning from the 15-day injured list after working a scoreless inning with one hit allowed while throwing eight strikes on his nine pitches with Triple-A Louisville on Sunday, according to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. It was Pagan's second rehab appearance for Louisville after he tossed six pitches in a perfect inning on Friday. The 35-year-old veteran has been sidelined since suffering a left-hamstring strain while pitching against the division-rival Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on May 5. He could rejoin the Reds' bullpen for their next series this week against the division-rival Milwaukee Brewers, and given the way Cincy's bullpen has struggled with Pagan out, fantasy managers should not be surprised if manager Terry Francona reinserts Pagan as the primary ninth-inning arm right away, especially with both Tony Santillan (oblique) and Graham Ashcraft (elbow) also on the IL. Before injuring his hamstring, Pagan, who has 71 career saves, had a rough 6.43 ERA and 1.43 WHIP, but with six saves in his 15 appearances. Fantasy managers desperate for saves should be looking to add Pagan, who is rostered in only 65% of Yahoo leagues.

From RotoBaller

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith (neck) isn't doing any baseball activities at this time and is unlikely to be activated from the 10-day injured list when the Dodgers' next homestand starts on Thursday, July 2, against the division-rival San Diego Padres, according to MLB.com. Initially, the Dodgers thought that Smith would be able to avoid a trip to the IL, but instead he's been on the shelf since June 11 with inflammation in his neck. The 31-year-old veteran backstop even received a cortisone injection in his neck, which doesn't appear to have helped much. At this point, it's unlikely that we'll see the three-time All-Star back in L.A.'s starting lineup before the mid-July All-Star break. Before getting hurt, the former 32nd overall pick in 2016 out of the University of Louisville was slashing .249/.338/.382 with a .720 OPS, six homers, 23 RBI, and 23 runs scored, numbers that aren't up to Smith's high standards. Rushing has been a short-term fill-in for fantasy managers in two-catcher leagues, but he's hit .220 (13-for-59) with two homers, five doubles, six RBI, eight runs, seven walks, and 19 strikeouts in 18 games played in June.

From RotoBaller

The New York Yankees announced on Monday that they placed right-handed reliever David Bednar on the paternity list and recalled right-handed reliever Jake Bird from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in a corresponding move. Bednar will now be away from the Yankees for up to three days and will most likely miss their three-game series against the visiting Detroit Tigers that starts on Monday. With Bednar away from the team for few days this week, right-hander Fernando Cruz will likely be first up for saves for the Yankees if the situation arises in the ninth inning for manager Aaron Boone. The 31-year-old Bednar has gone 2-3 with a 3.09 ERA (2.67 FIP), 1.23 WHIP, 16 saves, 40 strikeouts, and 12 walks in his 35 innings out of New York's bullpen in 2026 in his first full year in the Bronx. The two-time All-Star is currently tied for seventh in the majors with his 16 saves in 33 appearances in his eighth year in the majors.

From RotoBaller

Kansas City Royals right-handed reliever Carlos Estevez (shoulder) suffered a shoulder injury while rehabbing his foot on May 6. He threw a bullpen session on June 27, but his right shoulder didn't feel great, so the Royals will re-evaluate him in the coming days, according to MLB.com. Estevez initially went on the 15-day injured list on April 1 with a foot injury, but he was transferred to the 60-day IL on June 15 with a right rotator-cuff strain in his shoulder. It's unclear exactly what is wrong with the 33-year-old Dominican veteran now, but he's unlikely to come off the IL to rejoin the Royals' bullpen before the All-Star break next month, and depending on what the team finds this week, Estevez could be out well into the second half of the season. Right-hander Lucas Erceg was the next man up for saves in KC with Estevez hurt early in April. Erceg has 12 saves, but he has since been booted from the closer's role in favor of Alex Lange, who has converted all seven of his save opportunities in June. It's becoming harder to justify holding Estevez in fantasy baseball leagues as we near the end of the first half. He's currently rostered in 42% of Yahoo leagues.

From RotoBaller

Miami Marlins catcher/first baseman/designated hitter Liam Hicks (back) took part in a full day of baseball activities on June 26 and is swinging without limitations and can catch. If Hicks continues to make progress, MLB.com suggests he's likely to come off the 10-day injured list when he's first eligible on Tuesday. Hicks was put on the IL on June 21 with a lower-back strain, but it looks like fantasy managers will get him back this week. The 27-year-old left-handed-hitting Canadian backstop has had a breakout in his second season in the big leagues, slashing .278/.359/.472 with an .831 OPS, 13 home runs, 53 RBI, 40 runs scored, and a stolen base across 73 games played and 288 plate appearances in 2026. For fantasy purposes, it's the perfect time for managers to get Hicks back, with Miami in Colorado and Sacramento at Coors Field and Sutter Health Park, respectively -- two of the most hitter-friendly parks in the league. In 16 games in June before his back injury, Hicks had gone 18-for-58 (.310) with two homers, two doubles, a triple, eight RBI, and 13 runs scored. Get ready to plug him back into all starting fantasy lineups this week.

From RotoBaller

New York Mets second baseman Marcus Semien (elbow) was diagnosed with a Grade 3 hip-flexor strain, and he will be out four to six weeks at a minimum, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Semien tried to play through the injury until it severely limited his movement. Outfielder Tyrone Taylor had a Grade 1.5 to 2 flexor strain and missed 28 days. The 35-year-old Semien had been showing signs of decline offensively in recent years, but playing through injury in 2026 in his first year in New York had really tanked his numbers. In 80 games (318 plate appearances) in his 14th year in the majors, the three-time All-Star hit .214/.271/.341 with a career-worst .613 OPS, nine home runs, 29 RBI, 30 runs scored, six stolen bases, and a 21.4% strikeout rate, which is his worst mark since 2017 with the Athletics. There's no guarantee Semien will bounce back in the second half for the last-place Mets if he can return fully healthy in the second half. For the foreseeable future, Brett Baty will serve as the team's primary option at the keystone in Queens.

From RotoBaller

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that All-Star outfielder Aaron Judge (ribs) is still taking things slow, according to Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News. Judge is coming up on four weeks on the 10-day injured list due to a stress fracture of the first rib on his right side, but it doesn't sound like he will be ready for more testing at that point. The 34-year-old former MVP was placed on the IL on June 5, and at the time, the Yankees said Judge would be re-evaluated in four to six weeks. It sounds like the Yankees don't plan on re-evaluating him for another couple of weeks, so fantasy managers definitely cannot expect the slugger to return before the All-Star break in mid-July. The former first-rounder in 2013 out of California State University, Fresno, is an obvious must-stash while he heals, but fantasy managers may not get him back until early August in a best-case scenario. We'll have a better idea on a timeline for a return once he resumes baseball activities. Judge has hit .248 (53-for-214) with 17 homers, 38 RBI, 43 runs scored, and five stolen bases in 2026 in his 11th year in the majors. With Giancarlo Stanton (calf) and Trent Grisham (hamstring) still on the IL as well, Jasson Dominguez will continue to be an everyday player in the outfield in the Bronx.

From RotoBaller

Atlanta Braves infielder/outfielder Mauricio Dubon has never had much power or speed in his seven-plus years in the big leagues with four different teams as a utility player, but he has recently become more attractive off the waiver wire in fantasy baseball leagues as a short-term boost during his hot streak with the Braves. Dubon has hit .267/.316/.421 with a .738 OPS in 78 games across 314 plate appearances with Atlanta so far this year, and he's only three home runs away from setting a new career high in that category. The 31-year-old veteran from Honduras has been excellent in 22 games (89 plate appearances) in June, going 26-for-84 (.310) with five long balls, five doubles, 14 RBI, 12 runs scored, and two stolen bases. Dubon is currently riding a seven-game hitting streak in which he's gone 11-for-29 (.379) with a homer, four doubles, an RBI, five runs, and a stolen base. He sits in just the 11th percentile in hard-hit rate and 25th percentile in barrel rate, but he rarely strikes out (85th percentile in K rate) and should continue to play regularly with Ronald Acuna Jr. (hamstring) on the injured list. Most importantly, Dubon is eligible at second base, third base, shortstop, and the outfield, and he's rostered in only 39% of Yahoo leagues. Ride the wave in deeper fantasy leagues.

From RotoBaller

Chicago White Sox infielder Chase Meidroth is quietly hitting .276 (83-for-301) in his second year in the major leagues for a resurgent White Sox club in 2026. Meidroth hit .253/.329/.320 with only five home runs, 23 RBI, 14 stolen bases, and 54 runs scored in 122 games (505 plate appearances) in 2025 in his rookie season. He's only stolen two bases in his 80 games so far in 2026, but the 24-year-old former fourth-round pick by the Boston Red Sox in 2022 out of the University of San Diego already has a career-high six homers in 339 plate appearances. In 23 games and 97 plate appearances in June, Meidroth has gone 26-for-89 (.292) with a homer, three doubles, nine RBI, and 11 runs scored. The problem with adding Meidroth off the waiver is that he currently has an elevated 24.8% strikeout rate (up from 14.3% last year), and his walk rate is nearly identical to what it was last year at 8.6%. His xBA of .227 and xwOBA of .282 point to serious regression since he's not making nearly as much contact as he did in 2025. Meidroth might be in play as a short-term middle-infield boost while he's hot, but his underlying metrics say that it's not going to last. He's rostered in only 30% of Yahoo leagues.

From RotoBaller

Boston Red Sox infielder Caleb Durbin has been one of the hottest hitters in baseball recently, and he went 1-for-4 at the plate with two RBI, a run scored, two stolen bases, and a strikeout in the team's 5-4, 10-inning win at Fenway on Sunday to help Boston complete a four-game sweep over the division-rival New York Yankees. Durbin's overall numbers in 2026 in his second year in the majors (first with the BoSox) don't look very enticing from a fantasy standpoint, as he's hitting just .230/.283/.381 with a .664 OPS, six home runs, 34 RBI, 30 runs scored, and nine stolen bases in 75 games and 267 plate appearances. However, he has become a strong waiver-wire addition in fantasy leagues of late due to his hot streak at the plate, and he's eligible at both second and third base in most leagues. In his last 11 games, Durbin has gone 17-for-39 (.436) with three home runs, eight RBI, and four stolen bases. Durbin had 11 homers and 18 RBI in 136 games in his rookie campaign with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2025, and he's Boston's starting third baseman. He's available in 70% of Yahoo leagues right now.

From RotoBaller

Athletics outfielder Lawrence Butler is slashing just .204/.290/.311 with five home runs, 21 RBI, 29 runs scored, and six stolen bases in 76 games so far in 2026. His slow start to his fourth year in the big leagues with the A's has caused him to be dropped in many fantasy baseball leagues. However, he had another two-hit game in the team's loss to the division-rival Los Angeles Angels on Sunday, and he's hitting an even .300 (18-for-60) with two home runs, four doubles, seven RBI, 12 runs scored, and two stolen bases in 23 games across 66 plate appearances in June. Fantasy managers shouldn't forget that the 25-year-old left-handed-hitting outfielder had his first 20-20 season in 2025 with 21 homers, 63 RBI, and 22 stolen bases in 152 games played. The year before, in his first full season in the majors, Butler came two steals shy of his first 20-20 season, so the power/speed profile is definitely there. It hasn't been the year he had hoped for through the first three months, but there is still time for Butler to turn things around, and fantasy managers could find worse power/speed gambles off the waiver wire. Butler is currently rostered in only 35% of Yahoo leagues.

From RotoBaller

Pittsburgh Pirates right-handed pitcher Jared Jones has struggled through six starts since returning from the UCL surgery he underwent in May of 2025, pitching to the tune of a 5.76 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, and nine walks in 25 innings pitched. It's expected that one is to struggle from an injury like he suffered; however, the 24 year old second round pick in 2020 has been a highly viewed pitching prospect for the Pirates after he had a nice rookie campaign in 2024, where he had a 4.14 ERA (3.97 xERA) and really strong strikeout and swing and miss numbers (26.2 percent strikeout rate and 30.2 percent whiff rate). So far through his six starts in 2026, his fastball velocity remains elite (97th percentile); however, his strikeout rate is down (22.7 percent), and he's getting hit hard (90.3 mph average exit velocity and 40.8 percent hard-hit rate), all while demonstrating average control (8.2 percent walk rate). Additionally, Jones has only worked five innings once and is averaging only four innings per start, so he is being handcuffed a bit by pitch count and is inefficient. All this to say, Jones has tremendous upside, and while he is not necessarily a must-start at this time, he is still a strong person to roster that can be useful down the stretch as he continues to ramp up from his return from injury.

From RotoBaller

The Colorado Rockies have seven games at Coors Field this week, and shortstop Ezequiel Tovar, who has struggled this season slashing only .209/.255.330, should have an opportunity to get hot at the plate with the Rockies play in the hitter friendly ballpark all week. While Tovar has been useless in fantasy in 2026, he is still a career .251 hitter with a .701 OPS in his five seasons with the Rockies. Unfortunately, under the hood, Tovar has been just as bad as his surface-level stats: .278 xwOBA and .220 xBA, but fantasy Managers who are in a pinch at their middle infield position may want to look Tovar's way at least this week, to see if a week-long home stretch can get him going. Tovar is not necessarily someone fantasy managers should be blowing all their FAAB on, but more of a look if injuries are catching up to their team or you are looking for a deep-sleeper hitter for Week 15.

From RotoBaller

New York Yankees switch-hitter Jasson Dominguez has struggled mightily in 2026, slashing .214/.250/.405 with three home runs, eight RBI, four stolen bases, and only seven runs scored. Dominguez has seen a massive increase in playing time and opportunity due to injuries to Yankees outfielders Aaron Judge (ribs) and Giancarlo Stanton (calf), and, unfortunately, has not been able to do much with it. That being said, Dominguez is playing every day in a Yankees lineup, and has the prospect pedigree that makes him a higher-upside stash than others in a five-outfielder format. In his last full season at the Minor league level in 2024, Dominguez slashed .314/.375/.504, and last season with the Yankees he slashed .257/.331/.388 with 23 stolen bases. He has the upside to become a five-category contributor; he just hasn't been playing to his potential. Fantasy managers in deeper formats where five outfielders are required should continue to take a shot on Dominguez simply based on his upside compared to what else may be available in deeper leagues.

From RotoBaller

Cincinnati Reds 28-year-old outfielder JJ Bleday has cooled off a bit at the plate of late, as he's only hitting .163 with a .628 OPS in June; however, he's still hitting .241 with a .859 OPS on the season with 13 home runs, three stolen bases, 29 runs scored, and 37 RBI. In May, Bleday was unstoppable at the plate, hitting .301 with a 1.018 OPS, but inevitably cooled off. Through 232 plate appearances, Bleday's batted ball metrics and underlying data remain rock-solid, with a .371 xwOBA (88th percentile), .264 xBA (72nd percentile), 10 percent barrel rate (51st percentile), and 45 percent hard-hit rate (71st percentile). He's accomplished all of this even while keeping his plate discipline in check, with a 23.2 percent chase rate, 25.2 percent whiff rate, and 19.3 percent strikeout rate while walking at a 13.8 percent clip. All this to say, nothing under the hood showcases that continued regression is on the horizon for Bleday. Fantasy managers who have seen Bleday dropped in their leagues after a slow June should consider adding him to their roster, especially in five outfielder formats.

From RotoBaller

Cincinnati Reds 24-year-old outfielder Noelvie Marte has had a tough season thus far in 2026, slashing only .191/.258/.371 with four home runs, four stolen bases, 12 runs scored, and six RBI. On June 26, he delivered a pinch-hit, two-run go-ahead home run to help seal the win for the Reds against the Pirates, but outside of that, to this point, Marte has been fairly useless from a fantasy standpoint. It's important to note that in 2025, he hit .263 with a .748 OPS, 14 home runs, 10 stolen bases, and 51 RBI. He has the talent and upside to be a five-category contributor; he's just not playing well right now. At this time, Marte is more a speculative add in deeper, five-outfield leagues than more of a must-add player off the waiver wire. Fantasy managers can queue him up on their waiver wire and see how he does over the next week or two, because when he gets hot, it can happen quickly and with a lot of upside.

From RotoBaller

Twins' SP Connor Prielipp recorded 10 strikeouts in 6 innings in a 3-2 win over the Rockies on Sunday, Jun. 28.

Nationals' 2B Luis Garcia Jr. had five RBIs going 3-for-5 with two home runs in a 6-4 win over Baltimore on Sunday, Jun. 28.