Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman/third baseman Nick Gonzalez can be a great fill-in addition off the waiver wire if you need help at multiple infield spots. He has spent most of the year at the hot corner, but has other eligibility as well in most formats. The 27-year-old has been a utility man most of his career, but has taken a nice step forward in a regular role over the past several weeks. Since June 1, Gonzales has been hitting .314 with three homers, 24 runs scored, and 17 RBI in 37 games. He has moved all over the batting order during that span, starting as the leadoff hitter and the cleanup hitter as the Pirates shuffle different combinations. He has a .364 wOBA since June 1 and just a 17.8% K%. His contact numbers and solid counting stats production are good enough to earn him a roster spot in most standard-sized leagues. He doesn't have elite power or stolen base potential, but if you need a batting average booster who can score runs and chip in countable stats, Gonzales is worth a look as long as he remains in an everyday role.

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Washington Nationals relief pitcher Clayton Beeter leads his team with seven saves on the season, and he seems to have the job as primary closer under control going into the All-Star break. He did blow a save and take a loss on Saturday, though, allowing two home runs and three hits without recording an out against the Yankees. He entered the game with a one-run lead with one out in the eighth inning and allowed homers to Trent Grisham and Paul Goldschmidt. Before that outing, he had not allowed a hit in five straight appearances, earning a win, a save, and two holds over that stretch. Manager Drew Butera has been very unpredictable in his bullpen usage this season, although he doesn't have many great options to choose from. Beeter is probably the best option in the bullpen, but the situation has been very unpredictable all season. He's one of the best widely available closer options for saves, but he has been a wild ride for fantasy managers all season. Unless the Nats bring in a closer at the Trade Deadline, he'll remain in a high-leverage role with boom-or-bust upside. If you're desperate for saves, he's worth a look, but be ready for some major volatility.

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Miami Marlins shortstop Otto Lopez has been a key contributor for the Fish this year, as they've gone from one of the worst teams in baseball last season to the middle of the NL Wild Card race. After hitting .246 last season, Lopez has had a huge jump to a .334 batting average with nine homers, 17 stolen bases, and a .376 wOBA. Last year, he had a .264 BABIP, but that has improved all the way to .370 this year. While some regression seems almost certain in that number since the league average is around .300, Lopez has definitely improved this year, increasing his hard-hit rate by over five percentage points. The 27-year-old has a chance to challenge his personal highs in home runs (15) and stolen bases (20) with a strong second half, and he is on track for his best wOBA and ISO in any qualifying season in the MLB. He has played all his games at shortstop this season, but if he still has 2B eligibility, he actually brings more value at that spot, due to the scarcity of production at that position. While his batting average is likely to settle down a little bit, based on that elevated BABIP, he can still be a very strong middle-infield play with speed and power potential while hitting in the middle of the Marlins batting order, and he's a solid option for fantasy baseball, even though he doesn't bring elite home run production.

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Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Garrett Whitlock continues to be very effective for the Red Sox, but his future role has been clouded a little bit by his team's recent success. Before the Red Sox won nine straight games heading into the All-Star break, it seemed inevitable that Whitlock or his fellow reliever Aroldis Chapman would be traded at the deadline, with the Red Sox well out of the playoff race. Now that Boston is back in the battle for a Wild Card spot, there's a greater chance the team holds both relievers through the deadline, which would likely keep Whitlock in a setup role. The 30-year-old has been very effective in his 34 games, posting a 2.18 ERA and 0.94 WHIP in his 33 games with 37 strikeouts and two saves. He has huge potential if he steps in as the closer for the Red Sox or another team, depending on where all the pieces land at the trade deadline. If you can stash Whitlock in deep leagues, he still has an elite ceiling down the stretch if he becomes a full-time closer. Since it now seems less certain that he gets that chance, though, he can be left on the waiver wire in standard-sized leagues until the situation becomes clearer as we near the August 3 MLB Trade Deadline.

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Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras was drafted as one of the best bats from behind the plate, but he has had an underwhelming first half of the season. His power numbers and his walk rate are down a bit, but his batting average has bounced back after dipping to .260 last season. His hard-hit rate is down from last year as well, but this barrel rate is up. He has been struggling coming into the All-Star break, hitting only .171 with a 20% hard-hit rate in his first 10 games in July, which may cause his managers to be willing to part with him at a lower price. However, he remains a reliable, proven option behind the plate at a position without much depth. He is in the middle of a very productive lineup, and in each of the last four seasons, he has been significantly better after the All-Star break. He may not reach his ceiling totals this season, but if you can get him at a discount, he can be a reliable anchor behind the plate for the rest of the season.

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In a stunning final round of the 2026 Home Run Derby in Philadelphia at Citizens Bank Park on Monday night, St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker came back to stun Phillies outfielder Kyle Schwarber to win the event on his final swing, according to MLB.com's Theo DeRosa and Brent Maguire. Walker silenced the relentless Philly crowd by homering on each of his final four do-or-die swings to take home the title, his first ever. The 24-year-old right-handed slugger crushed a dozen homers in the final round to win it, homering on his final six swings to stun the hometown crowd. Walker entered this year's Home Run Derby as one of the biggest underdogs in the field, having never competed in the HR Derby. On 27 total swings on the night, he hit 19 homers, including 13 in the first round. In the process, he became the first Cardinals player ever to win a HR Derby. After teasing high-end power upside for years as one of the top prospects in baseball, Walker has finally put it all together in 2026, batting .294/.354/.532 with an .887 OPS, 22 home runs, 74 RBI, 62 runs, and 13 stolen bases in his 357 at-bats in the first half of 2026.

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Across 392 plate appearances in 2026, Chicago White Sox infielder Chase Meidroth is hitting .269/.341/.379 with seven home runs, 31 RBI, 54 runs scored, and two stolen bases. The 24-year-old has made some power strides this season after hitting five homers across 505 plate appearances in 2025, but he still owns just a 4.2% barrel rate and a 34% hard-hit rate. Meidroth has also seen his strikeout rate spike from 14.3% last season to 24.0% in 2026. Still, Meidroth owns a strong 9.4% walk rate and profiles as a plus defender in the middle infield for Chicago, which keeps him in the lineup on an everyday basis. He also swiped 14 bags in 2025, so he could get to a bit more speed over the final few months of the current season. Fantasy managers should not expect league-winning production from Meidroth, but he's a useful depth piece to target on deep-league waiver wires.

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After undergoing offseason ankle surgery, Los Angeles Dodgers utility man Tommy Edman did not make his 2026 debut until June 17. However, the 31-year-old has performed well since his return, hitting .343/.421/.478 with one home run, 11 RBI, 11 runs scored, and two stolen bases across 78 plate appearances. With a 5.5% barrel rate (career 4.9%), Edman does not profile as a major power source for fantasy managers. However, as a switch-hitter who can play all over the diamond, Edman should see near every-day playing time in the prolific Dodgers lineup. The veteran brings a balanced approach at the plate without any major weaknesses, and he may get back to being a speed asset now that his ankle issues are hopefully behind him. Particularly in deeper leagues, fantasy managers may want to target Edman on the waiver wire ahead of the second half of the season.

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Across 372 plate appearances so far in 2026, Atlanta Braves utility man Mauricio Dubon is hitting .265/.319/.420 with 10 home runs, 51 RBI, 42 runs scored, and three stolen bases. Dubon's underlying power metrics remain underwhelming, as he's logged a 4.8% barrel rate and a 30.8% hard-hit rate on the year. However, Dubon limits whiffs (14.7% strikeout rate) and has already matched his career-high for home runs in a season in his first campaign with Atlanta. The 31-year-old's defensive versatility has allowed him to maintain an everyday role in the Braves lineup and also provides valuable multi-positional eligibility for fantasy managers. Dubon may not have the highest production ceiling, but he profiles as a highly useful depth piece for fantasy managers to target on the waiver wire.

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Across 256 plate appearances in 2026, Minnesota Twins infielder Royce Lewis is hitting .219/.297/.399 with 10 home runs, 29 RBI, 30 runs scored, and six stolen bases. The 27-year-old's overall line is held down by his brutal start to the year, as he hit .164 with three home runs across 119 plate appearances through the end of May. However, Lewis has been much better of late, hitting .266 with seven home runs across 137 plate appearances since the start of June. Lewis owns a 13% barrel rate on the season and has demonstrated significant power upside at earlier points in his career, hitting 31 home runs across 564 plate appearances from 2023 through 2024. Health remains a major concern for Lewis, as he's reached 400 plate appearances in a season just once in his career and has already missed time in 2026 due to a knee injury. Still, Lewis carries notable power/speed potential when healthy and could be worth targeting on the waiver wire in leagues where he remains available.

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Since being called up from Triple-A to make his MLB debut on May 13, Athletics outfielder Henry Bolte has hit .261/.343/.347 with three home runs, 16 RBI, 18 runs scored, and 11 stolen bases. The 22-year-old owns a 66.4% ground ball rate, which limits his power upside. However, he's logged a 46.3% hard-hit rate and also possesses high-end speed, which helps provide him with a relatively safe batting average floor despite his elevated 27.7% strikeout rate. Bolte also hit 12 home runs in 177 plate appearances at Triple-A before his promotion this season, so there may be some untapped power potential in his bat if he can figure out how to lift the ball more consistently. Even if he can't tap into more power in 2026, Bolte has established himself as the Athletics' everyday center fielder and profiles as a speed source with some upside for fantasy managers to target on the waiver wire.

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Across 82 innings (18 games) so far in 2026, Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Brandon Sproat has recorded a 3-4 record with a 5.16 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, and 87 strikeouts. While the 25-year-old's overall line is not pretty, Sproat has been better after a rough start to the year. Across 33 innings since the start of June, Sproat has pitched to a 3.82 ERA and 1.12 WHIP with 35 strikeouts. Command has been a bit of an issue for the young right-hander, as he owns an 11.1% walk rate. Still, Sproat is averaging 96.9 miles per hour on his fastball and has struck out 24.7% of the batters he's faced this season. Now that he's starting to find his footing in Milwaukee, Sproat could be worth targeting on the waiver wire ahead of a potential second-half breakout.

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Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Corbin Burnes (elbow) started a throwing program on July 10 and came out of his session feeling good, according to MLB.com. He is scheduled to throw every other day on flat ground and will then progress to throwing off a mound. Burnes has been on the injured list all year after having Tommy John surgery and then suffering a setback with a teres major strain in early June, and he's not expected back with the D-backs' starting rotation until the final month of the regular season in September. When healthy, the 31-year-old veteran has been a top-of-the-rotation ace in his career, but because he might only have a handful of starts later this year, he's only rostered in 17% of Yahoo leagues. Fantasy managers in redraft formats can continue to ignore him. Burnes only made 11 starts for the Snakes last year after signing a massive six-year, $210 million contract with the organization in December of 2024. The four-time All-Star and former Cy Young winner has gone 63-38 in his eight big-league seasons with a 3.15 ERA (3.26 FIP), 1.07 WHIP, and 28.5% strikeout rate.

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During media sessions in Philadelphia this week for the All-Star festivities, San Francisco Giants infielder Luis Arraez said he doesn't want to be traded, but if it happens, he only wants to go somewhere he would play second base, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Many people were raising their eyebrows when the Giants signed Arraez in the offseason to play second base, but he has had outstanding results at the keystone after all the work he put in with infield guru Ron Washington in the offseason. The 29-year-old Venezuelan signed a one-year, $12 million deal with the Gigantes, but he's expected to be traded by the deadline in early August, especially since he doesn't have a no-trade clause. The four-time All-Star is hitting .330/.369/.460 at the All-Star break with an .829 OPS, four home runs, 35 RBI, 48 runs scored, and eight stolen bases in 91 games played. Arraez has never been a power asset in fantasy, but his elite contact skills and plate discipline still make him useful for a high batting average and on-base percentage, and a move to a contender won't hurt his value.

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Detroit Tigers second baseman Gleyber Torres (oblique) began a minor-league rehab assignment on Monday in the rookie-level Florida Complex League, going 1-for-3 at the plate with a double and an RBI while playing five innings at second base. Torres has been on the 10-day injured list since June 17 with a strained left oblique, but if he can avoid a setback on his rehab assignment this week, there's a chance he could be ready to rejoin the big-league roster for the start of the second half of the 2026 season this weekend. It's the second time this year that Torres has been on the IL with an oblique strain, previously missing over a month the first time around. When the 29-year-old Venezuelan is healthy, he should return to starting duties at the keystone in Motown after hitting .280/.395/.395 with a .790 OPS, four home runs, 18 RBI, and 26 runs scored in his 157 at-bats. The three-time All-Star is most useful in fantasy in leagues that count on-base percentage, as he's not a major power threat or in counting-stats leagues.

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Cincinnati Reds right-hander Chase Burns (groin) will not pitch in Tuesday's All-Star Game due to right-groin tightness, according to MLB.com's Mark Sheldon. The 23-year-old reported the injury to manager Terry Francona on Friday. "He just said, 'I am just worried about doing something I shouldn't do,'" Francona said. Burns hurt his groin covering home plate on a wild pitch last Wednesday against the Philadelphia Phillies in the second inning, but he stayed in the game and finished with 106 pitches through only five innings. The hard-throwing right-hander allowed a career-high six walks in that outing, but he said he didn't feel anything wrong while on the mound. It remains to be seen if Burns will be ready to roll for Cincy's starting rotation to begin the second half of the season, but it doesn't sound like his groin injury is serious enough to send him to the injured list. The former second overall pick from Wake Forest University in 2024 has been excellent in his first full year in the majors, going 11-1 with a 2.54 ERA (3.40 FIP) and 1.11 WHIP with 118 strikeouts and 37 walks in 102 2/3 frames over 18 starts.

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New York Mets interim manager Andy Green said that at this point in time, he's not considering replacing right-handed closer Devin Williams with right-hander Luke Weaver in the closer's role, according to Laura Albanese of Newsday Sports. Williams, who has a 4.83 ERA and 1.71 WHIP through the first half of his first season in New York, blew back-to-back save chances going into this week's All-Star break, allowing four earned runs in his last 3 1/3 innings pitched. The 31-year-old veteran also has 44 strikeouts and 19 walks while collecting 13 saves in 31 2/3 innings in the first half. Weaver, meanwhile, only has one save but has been much more reliable overall, posting a 2-1 record, 1.85 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, and 43:11 K:BB in 39 innings pitched in his first season with the Mets. Green might not be ready to pull Williams from the closer's role, but his tune could change early in the second half if Williams continues to struggle. Fantasy managers chasing saves should think about snagging Weaver off the waiver wire. He's currently rostered in 14% of Yahoo leagues.

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There have been no conversations between superstar right-hander Jacob Misiorowski and the Milwaukee Brewers, league sources told Robert Murray of FanSided. The 24-year-old flamethrower has taken baseball by storm in his second season in the big leagues. He made the All-Star team after just five appearances in 2025 and has a 1.62 ERA and 167 strikeouts in 111 innings in a dominant first half in 2026. The Miz was clocked at 105.5 mph on a fastball last month, the fastest pitch thrown by a starting pitcher in the pitch-tracking era. However, Misiorowski was scratched from his start on Sunday before the All-Star break due to general fatigue. He's expected to resume throwing on Tuesday, but he's not expected to slot back into Milwaukee's starting rotation immediately out of the break this weekend. The Brewers are going to be mindful of the young phenom's workload the rest of the way, as he's already thrown 20 fewer innings than his career high. Despite everything the hard-throwing right-hander has done early in his MLB career, the Brew Crew have yet to approach him about an extension. That could be coming this winter.

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Washington Nationals shortstop prospectSeaver King is currently on the 7-day IL at Triple-A Rochester, but he still holds a solid stash upside in deeper leagues. His combined numbers this season at Double-A Harrisburg and Rochester are a .306 batting average, 10 homers, and 51 RBI, along with 50 runs and nine stolen bases. He has demonstrated five-tool ability during his time healthy this season in the minors, but faces a logjam in the MLB infield.He is blocked byCJ Abrams at shortstop in the big leagues and byNasim Nunez at second base. King seems to have the tools to be a big-league contributor, but 2027 might be the year he becomes a fantasy contributor as he continues to get healthy and develop. The 23-year-old could be a name to watch in fantasy leagues, but it might be a surprise if his Washington Nationals future comes as early as the 2026 season.

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Colorado Rockiesfirst base/outfield prospect Charlie Condon appears primed to make a difference in the second half of the season at the big-league level. Up to this point this season, Condon has proven to be a quality bat at Triple-A Albuquerque, mixing elite hitting skills with a knack for power. At Albuquerque, Condon is hitting .289 with 20 homers and 60 RBI to go with 75 runs scored. In July, Condon is hitting .310 after hitting .337 in June. The No. 2 overall prospect in the Rockies' system is starting to rake for Albuquerque, and it might not be long before the former No. 3 overall pick out of the University of Georgia makes his big league debut. It would be hard for the Rockies to keep a bat like Condon's in the minors, and now is the time to add Condon to fantasy teams. His high-upside bat should pay off big time in the second half, making him a must-stash candidate.

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