Washington Nationals first baseman prospect Abimelec Ortiz is just 2-for-21 (.095) in July, but both of his hits have been home runs, giving him 16 on the season at Triple-A Rochester. The Nats' 25th-ranked prospect was batting .277 through June 4, but has seen his average drop all the way to .239 since then. While his strikeout rate for the season stands at 19.7 percent, concerningly, that number has spiked to 40.6 percent over his last eight games. While a 10.4 percent walk rate in 2026 has helped maintain a decent on-base percentage, any chance for an MLB debut in the short term has likely been eliminated, but should he catch fire again like he did in late May to early June, a promotion to the big leagues could happen later in the second half. However, although there is some pop in his bat, he is a literal zero in the stolen base department and could be a batting average liability in the majors, so he'll likely only be relevant in very deep or NL-only leagues whenever he debuts.

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Washington Nationals corner infield prospect Yohandy Morales blasted a pair of home runs on Wednesday in a continuation of his breakout 2026 campaign. The Nats' 28th-ranked prospect spent 95 games at Triple-A last year, slashing .249/.330/.401 with 11 home runs and a 30.3 percent strikeout rate, but in 79 games in 2026, he's slashing .304/.373/.551 with 20 home runs, and the strikeout rate is a more tolerable 25.4 percent. The 6-foot-3 slugger ranks 90th percentile or better at Triple-A in average exit velocity (92.7 mph), max exit velocity (113.1), barrel rate (13.3 percent), and hard-hit rate (55.5 percent), and with the likelihood of a call-up in the coming weeks, fantasy managers in deeper 12-team leagues searching for power production should consider stashing the 24-year-old in an NA spot ahead of his eventual debut.

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Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Michael Wacha is still useful, but he looks more like a ratio helper than a pitcher to chase for the stretch run. The 35-year-old is 5-6 with a 3.48 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and 96 strikeouts over 119 innings. That line plays in plenty of leagues, and he kept the New York Mets mostly in check on Thursday, allowing two earned runs over 4 1/3 innings with five strikeouts. The issue is that there is not much extra fantasy ceiling here. Wacha's 20.6% strikeout rate and 3.97 FIP are fine, but not enough to make him a real difference-maker if the ratios slide. He also allowed three homers in his previous start against the Philadelphia Phillies, so there is some damage risk. With a 67% Yahoo roster rate, Wacha is fine to hold, but worth shopping if another manager pays for the ERA.

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Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Emerson Hancock has been a useful ratio stabilizer, and that is exactly why fantasy managers should at least see what the trade market looks like. The 27-year-old is 6-4 with a 3.23 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, and 92 strikeouts over 97 2/3 innings. He also just shut down the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday, throwing seven scoreless innings with two hits allowed and five strikeouts in a 4-0 win. That kind of surface line plays in any format, but it is not spotless underneath. Hancock has allowed a .322 xwOBA, 43.6% hard-hit rate, 90.0 mph average exit velocity, and 9.5% barrel rate, so there is still damage risk if the command backs up. He is not someone to dump for a weak offer. If another manager is buying the ERA and WHIP as a full breakout, though, selling makes sense.

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Pittsburgh Pirates outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia's bat got going over the past week, going 8-for-18 (.444) with a pair of doubles, three stolen bases, and a 5:3 BB:K in his last six games. The Pirates' fourth-ranked prospect had scuffled to a .184 average (9-for-49) over the previous 13 games, and for the season at Triple-A Indianapolis, he's slashing .244/.324/.378 with five home runs and four steals. The Venezuelan made quick work of Double and Triple-A last year on the way to a brief debut with the Red Sox, and spent two weeks with the Pirates earlier this year, but hasn't been able to do much with his opportunities in the big leagues. Perhaps this recent run of production can provide enough momentum to carry him back to the majors soon, but with poor chase, whiff, strikeout, and average exit velocities at Indy this year, there isn't much for fantasy managers to get excited about. There's no need to consider stashing the 23-year-old in most fantasy leagues except perhaps in NL-only formats.

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New York Yankees starting pitcher Will Warren has become tougher to trust right before the All-Star break. The 27-year-old is 7-4 with a 4.15 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, and 94 strikeouts over 93 1/3 innings, which is still usable in plenty of fantasy leagues. The problem is that the blowups are starting to stack up. Warren was hit hard by the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday, allowing six earned runs, seven hits, and three home runs over four innings. There are still enough strikeouts to keep him on rosters, and his 3.98 FIP is better than the ERA. But this is not a profile to chase as a second-half difference-maker. Warren's .319 xwOBA allowed, 39.9% hard-hit rate, and 90.2 mph average exit velocity allowed point more toward volatility than a true breakout. At 64% rostered on Yahoo, he is better treated as a matchup play than a must-start arm.

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Milwaukee Brewers infield prospect Jesus Made had been red hot at Double-A Biloxi coming into July, but has cooled considerably, going 2-for-24 (.083) in six games this month. The good news is that despite not tallying a bunch of base hits in July, he's still putting the bat on the ball, recording just three strikeouts in 27 plate appearances (11.1 percent). Even with the slowdown, the MLB's top-ranked prospect is slashing .274/.345/.431 with eight home runs and 24 steals in 74 games with the Shuckers, and his 14.6 percent strikeout rate puts him in the 92nd percentile at Double-A. The 19-year-old is doing all of this as one of only a handful of players under the age of 20 at that level of the minors. If he can get hot again, there's a chance he could see some time at Triple-A later this year, and at that point the switch-hitter will be knocking on the door to the majors. Given his age, a 2026 debut may be a stretch, but with his talent, fantasy managers should keep the 6-foot-1 Dominican on their radar, and at the very least, be prepared to see him in the big leagues at some point in 2027.

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Chicago White Sox corner infielder Munetaka Murakami (hamstring), who has been on the 10-day injured list since suffering a Grade 2 strained right hamstring on May 29, could return to the White Sox's starting lineup as soon as Friday for the series opener against the Athletics, according to Scott Merkin of MLB.com. Murakami got three at-bats and played five innings at first base for Triple-A Charlotte on Wednesday night and received positive reports. The 26-year-old Japanese native took the league by storm earlier this year in his first taste of major-league pitching, hitting .240 (48-for-200) with 20 home runs, 41 RBI, 43 runs scored, and a stolen base in 57 games and 246 plate appearances. "He means a lot for this lineup. He's a great hitter. Not just for the lineup but the clubhouse in general. He's a great leader. He's a guy who everyone here looks to. It means a lot to everyone here," third baseman Miguel Vargas said. In his two rehab games with the Knights, Murakami has gone 2-for-7 with a double and a walk. His impending return could cause rookie first baseman Jacob Gonzalez to be shipped back to Charlotte.

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Chicago Cubs third baseman Alex Bregman still has the lineup spot to keep fantasy managers interested, but the bat is not giving much back. The 32-year-old is hitting .240 with seven home runs, 35 RBI, 42 runs, two steals, and a .683 OPS over 354 at-bats. The bigger problem is that the slump has not been brief. Over his last 30 games, Bregman is batting .206 with two homers and a .318 slugging percentage. Batting second for a good Cubs lineup keeps him from being a total drain, especially in OBP formats, but this is a tough profile to buy into right now. His 87.8 mph average exit velocity, 37.5% hard-hit rate, and 4.4% barrel rate do not point to much power coming. With Bregman still rostered in 89% of Yahoo leagues, shopping the name value makes sense if another manager still sees him as a steady corner-infield bat.

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The Atlanta Braves are one of several rotation-needy teams "expressing interest" in Boston Red Sox right-hander Sonny Gray, people familiar with the situation have told The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon. Despite having nearly a full starting rotation on the injured list, the Braves lead the National League East division. They can cover both the prospect and financial cost -- the St. Louis Cardinals are paying around half of Gray's remaining commitment, and the Red Sox or a new team would owe him just over $6 million after the trade deadline. The 36-year-old has a full no-trade clause, but he lives in Nashville and would most likely approve a trade to Atlanta. Gray is the Braves' best option unless they decide to make a run at Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal. Gray doesn't blow hitters away, but his diverse arsenal keeps hitters off balance, and he owns a nice 2.61 ERA over 16 starts and 89 2/3 innings in his first year in Boston. Of course, this could all be a moot point if the Red Sox decide not to sell this summer. They've won 10 of their last 12 games and are suddenly just three games back in the American League wild-card race.

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Chicago Cubs pitching prospect Jaxon Wiggins (elbow) is still on track for a return to the mound at Triple-A Iowa within the next week or so. The Cubs' top-ranked pitching prospect has made four rehabstarts, one with the team's Complex League affiliate and three at High-A South Bend, pitchingto a 2.89 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and recording nine strikeouts in 9 1/3 innings pitched. The right-hander made two starts for Triple-A Iowa to begin the season before hitting the injured list with elbow inflammation. He's coming off a strong 2025 campaign in which the 6-foot-6 hurler posted a 2.19 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and a 19.5 percent K-BB% across three levels of the minors. Assuming a return in the near-term, the 24-year-old should have a chance to debut in the majors later in the second half, and could provide much-needed reinforcement to a depleted big league rotation. Wiggins could become stash-worthy once his potential timeline clears up.

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St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker is headed to the Home Run Derby, but that should not automatically turn him into a sell-high. The 24-year-old became the fifth confirmed participant for Monday's event in Philadelphia, joining Willson Contreras, Jac Caglianone, Junior Caminero, and Ben Rice. The fantasy line already fits the invite, too, with Walker batting .294 with 21 home runs, 70 RBI, 58 runs, 12 steals, and an .889 OPS over 343 at-bats. There is always some risk in buying after a first-half power surge, especially with Walker striking out 95 times. Still, this is not just All-Star Week noise. His 94.2 mph average exit velocity, 51.8% hard-hit rate, and 14.3% barrel rate back up the damage, and the stolen bases add another layer. Unless someone is paying like he is already a finished first-round bat, Walker looks more like a hold than a sell-high.

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Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras (foot) had his suspension reduced from seven to five games, and he'll begin serving the suspension on Thursday, sources told Jesse Rogers of ESPN. It's a good time for Contreras to start serving his reduced five-game suspension after he fouled a ball off his foot in Wednesday's contest against the Chicago White Sox. He's feeling fine and calls himself day-to-day, so Contreras should be ready to return to Boston's starting lineup for the second game after the All-Star break next Saturday at home against the division-rival Tampa Bay Rays. Brett Harris is making the start at first base and will bat eighth for the BoSox for Thursday's series finale against the White Sox and left-hander Anthony Kay. Contreras is having a career year in 2026 in his first year in Beantown, slashing .285/.379/.542 with a .921 OPS, 20 home runs, 61 RBI, 46 runs scored, and two stolen bases, but fantasy managers are going to be without him to close out the first half of the season and to begin the second half.

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Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley is still the type of name worth checking on in trades, but this is not an automatic buy-low spot. The 29-year-old has been a major letdown with a .209 average, nine home runs, 41 RBI, five steals, and a .623 OPS over 330 at-bats. There is enough track record here to make a rebound possible, and his 10.3% barrel rate and 90.4 mph average exit velocity are not dead numbers. They are just not close to the impact profile fantasy managers are used to seeing from him. That makes the price everything. Riley's .204 xBA, .368 xSLG, 42.4% hard-hit rate, and 29.1% strikeout rate do not scream second-half league-winner, and Atlanta recently had him batting seventh. He is still rostered in 83% of Yahoo leagues, so this is a trade play only. Buy if the discount is real. Otherwise, let someone else chase the name.

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San Francisco Giants manager Tony Vitello told KNBR on Thursday that the team is sending right-handed reliever Ryan Walker to Triple-A Sacramento. The 30-year-old veteran and former 31st-round pick by the Giants in 2018 out of Washington State University had a career-high 17 saves in his third year in the majors in 2025, but he has really struggled this year, going 0-1 with a 7.52 ERA (5.47 FIP), 1.82 WHIP, three saves, 19 strikeouts, and 15 walks in 26 1/3 innings out of the bullpen. This will be the second time the Giants have sent him to the farm in 2026. Walker was looking better in seven appearances since returning to the majors on June 12, allowing two earned runs on three hits with four strikeouts, two walks, and a hold, but things have fallen apart for him again recently in his four outings so far in July. He's allowed an earned run in each of his July appearances, with nine earned runs allowed, three walks, and just one strikeout. As things currently stand in San Fran's bullpen, right-hander Caleb Kilian is the reliever to roster for fantasy managers searching for saves. He's rostered in only 15% of Yahoo leagues.

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Toronto Blue Jays veteran right-hander Max Scherzer (back) wasn't perfect in his latest minor-league rehab start on Wednesday with Triple-A Buffalo, but he showed some encouraging signs. Scherzer allowed five runs (four earned) on six hits (one homer) while walking none and striking out five in four innings to take the loss against Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The 41-year-old future Hall of Famer generated 16 swings and misses on his 72 pitches and averaged 93.4 mph with his four-seam fastball. He is slowly building his arm back after landing on the 15-day injured list for the second time this season with back spasms, but he's likely going to need at least one more rehab start before he's an option once again for Toronto's starting rotation in the second half of the season. The three-time Cy Young winner and eight-time All-Star is well beyond his prime and doesn't have much left in the tank as he continues to deal with injuries. Scherzer has gone 1-4 with a 10.23 ERA, 1.73 WHIP, and 14:11 K:BB in his six starts for the Jays this year. Fantasy managers are better off stashing higher-upside arms.

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San Francisco Giants manager Tony Vitello told KNBR that left-handed pitching prospect Carson Whisenhunt is being called up from Triple-A Sacramento to start on Thursday in the series finale against the division-rival Colorado Rockies at Oracle Park. The 25-year-old former second-rounder in 2022 out of East Carolina University is considered the Giants' No. 11-ranked prospect, per MLB Pipeline. He struggled to a 5.01 ERA and 1.46 WHIP with 16 strikeouts and 12 walks in 23 1/3 innings over five starts in his MLB debut in 2025. In his lone start this year for the Gigantes on June 17 against the first-place Atlanta Braves, he picked up a win, allowing two earned runs on six hits while walking two and striking out two in five innings of work. The 6-foot-3, 225-pounder is most likely just making another spot start for San Fran in the final weekend of the regular season, so fantasy managers in single-year leagues shouldn't be spending a ton on him to pick him up off the waiver wire. In 77 1/3 innings in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League this year at Sacramento, Whisenhunt holds a 4.42 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, and 82:37 K:BB.

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New York Yankees outfielder Giancarlo Stanton's calf injury while running the bases was not a setback, according to MLB.com's Bryan Hoch, but a completely new strain to the same calf. Stanton has resumed running after platelet-rich plasma injections, though, according to general manager Brian Cashman. The 36-year-old veteran power hitter has been sidelined since late April with what was initially a right-calf strain. It's good news that he has resumed running, but there remains no firm timetable for when he might return in the second half of the season. The 36-year-old veteran and former MVP still has enough raw power to make him valuable in mixed fantasy leagues, but his inability to stay on the field due to injuries has made him an afterthought in a lot of formats. Right now, he's rostered in just 22% of Yahoo leagues with no return in sight. Before his calf strain, Stanton was hitting .256/.302/.422 with a .724 OPS, only three home runs, 14 RBI, eight runs scored, one stolen base, and a 30.2% strikeout rate in 96 plate appearances.

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New York Yankees left-hander Carlos Rodon (elbow) will play catch on Thursday for the first time since landing on the 15-day injured list last Friday with inflammation in his left elbow, according to Meredith Marakovits of the YES Network. Rodon will have a shot to return to the Yankees' starting rotation in the second half, but in a best-case scenario, the 33-year-old veteran isn't expected to be back until at least early August. The Yankees aren't going to rush Rodon, who missed the start of the 2026 season after having surgery last October to remove loose bodies and to shave down a bone spur in his left elbow. The three-time All-Star has looked good in his nine starts for the Yankees this year in his fourth season with the team, going 4-2 with a 3.30 ERA (3.46 FIP) and 1.25 WHIP with 52 strikeouts and 26 walks in 46 1/3 innings pitched, making him stash-worthy in most fantasy leagues. However, fantasy managers are going to need to be patient.

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New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said that outfielder Aaron Judge (ribs) will be re-imaged during the All-Star break next week. Cashman is still anticipating Judge's return at some point this season based on the original diagnosis. When the Yankees placed Judge on the 10-day injured list five weeks ago with a stress fracture in his rib, they said he'd be re-evaluated in four to six weeks. There hasn't been a firm timetable for Judge's return, but we should have a clearer picture after he undergoes more testing next week. The 34-year-old three-time MVP and seven-time All-Star should obviously be stashed in an IL spot in all fantasy leagues as a difference-maker across the board when he's healthy. When Judge returns in the second half, he'll be returning to a .248/.375/.533 slash line with a .907 OPS, 17 home runs, 38 RBI, 43 runs scored, and five stolen bases across his 214 at-bats. The Yankees have been without both Judge and right-handed slugger Giancarlo Stanton (calf) for most of the first half, so getting them both back after the All-Star break will be huge as they attempt to catch the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League East.

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