Matt Snyder of CBS Sports reports that he is "hearing whispers" that Chicago White Sox outfield prospect Braden Montgomery is on the verge of being called up for his MLB debut. The 23-year-old has dominated Triple-A pitching so far in 2026, hitting .314/.422/.548 with 10 home runs, 41 RBI, 52 runs scored, and five stolen bases across 258 plate appearances. He also owns an elite 15.1% walk rate and has posted a 53.8% hard-hit rate this season. Montgomery is considered to be one of the elite prospects in the White Sox system, so it seems unlikely that the team would promote him to the big leagues without a plan to play him every day. Chicago has gotten middling production from the right field combination of Rikuu Nishida, Randal Grichuk, and Derek Hill, which could be where Montgomery slots in at the big-league level. If Montgomery is indeed on his way up to the Majors, he profiles as a high-upside waiver wire target for fantasy managers.

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The Chicago White Sox are officially calling up their No. 2 prospect, outfielder Braden Montgomery, for his MLB debut on Tuesday, according to Scott Merkin of MLB.com. Montgomery is ranked as the No. 21 overall MLB prospect, per MLB Pipeline, and will get his first call to the big leagues after slashing an impressive .314/.422/.548 with a .970 OPS, 10 home runs, 13 doubles, three triples, 41 RBI, 52 runs scored, and five stolen bases in 56 games across 258 plate appearances with Double-A Birmingham and Triple-A Charlotte this year. The 23-year-old switch-hitter was the 12th overall pick in 2024 by the Boston Red Sox out of Texas A&M University. Montgomery has played both center and right field on the farm, and he should play regularly in Chicago, making him waiver-wire worthy in most fantasy formats for his plus-plus power upside. The 6-foot-2, 220-pounder could become a superstar if he tightens up his plate discipline and makes more contact.

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Seattle Mariners pitching prospect Kade Anderson's phenomenal professional debut continued in his latest start on Friday, when he didn't allow an earned run for the third straight game after giving up just one hit in five innings of work. It was also the second consecutive game in which he did not walk a batter and struck out nine. The performance brought the left-hander's ERA down to a miserly 1.29 with a 0.69 WHIP in 49 total innings pitched, and his 39.2 percent K-BB% is the highest in all the minor leagues among pitchers who have worked at least 30 innings. After dominating Double-A competition through 10 starts, a test at Triple-A should be close at hand, and if the former third-overall draft pick has success, then a major league debut could happen later this year. Although a big league promotion is not imminent, the 21-year-old is a worthy stash consideration in deeper leagues for his high strikeout upside, especially in leagues where an NA spot is available to tuck him away in until he earns a call-up.

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The San Diego Padres announced on Tuesday that they placed infielder Xander Bogaerts on the paternity list and recalled infielder Will Wagner from Triple-A El Paso in a corresponding move. Bogaerts will likely miss the final two games of the series at Petco Park this week against the Cincinnati Reds, but he could be back with the club for Friday's series opener in Baltimore versus the Orioles. With the veteran shortstop out for a few days, expect Sung-Mun Song to shift over to the 6 for the Friars. In his 14th year in the big leagues and fourth with San Diego, Bogaerts is slashing .231/.303/.356 with a career-low .658 OPS, eight home runs, 27 RBI, nine stolen bases, and 27 runs scored in 63 games across 251 plate appearances. Although he does have hits in each of his last two games, he's been ice-cold so far in June, going 3-for-23 (.130) with a double, an RBI, two runs scored, two walks, and eight strikeouts in seven games played. Bogey is rostered in just under half of Yahoo leagues.

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New York Mets rookie second baseman/outfielder A.J. Ewing already has seven stolen bases in 10 attempts in his first 25 major-league games. The team's top prospect, per MLB Pipeline, has hit .259 (22-for-85) with a homer, a double, a triple, seven RBI, and 11 runs scored in his first 99 plate appearances for the injury-riddled and last-place Mets. The 21-year-old former fourth-rounder in 2023 out of a high school in Ohio is currently riding a five-game hitting streak, in which he's gone 7-for-18 (.389) with a double, RBI, three stolen bases, and three runs scored. The 5-foot-10, 160-pounder is definitely worth an add off the waiver wire in deeper fantasy leagues if you're searching for speed, but Ewing's current 31.3% strikeout rate is certainly a drawback. But as long as he can continue to get on base, Ewing will continue to run with the Mets basically letting their young prospects get plenty of playing time in 2026 in what has quickly turned into a lost season.

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Minnesota Twins rookie left-hander Connor Prielipp has been inconsistent in his first nine major-league starts for the Twins this year, going 2-4 with a 5.15 ERA (3.43 FIP) and 1.33 WHIP with 49 strikeouts and 18 walks in 43 2/3 innings pitched. The 25-year-old former second-round pick in 2022 out of the University of Alabama didn't allow more than two earned runs in any of his first five MLB starts, but he has hit a rough patch of late, giving up 18 runs (17 earned) on 25 hits while walking nine and striking out 20 in 18 2/3 innings over his last four starts. The silver lining is that Prielipp only gave up two earned runs in his fourth loss on Sunday against the division-rival Kansas City Royals in 4 1/3 innings, and he does have seven strikeouts in each of his last two starts. Because of his swing-and-miss stuff alone -- he has a 25.7% strikeout rate and a walk rate under 10% -- Prielipp is worth a look in deeper fantasy leagues. He's currently rostered in just 8% of Yahoo leagues.

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Houston Astros catcher Yainer Diaz (oblique) is starting his minor-league rehab assignment with the Triple-A Sugar Land Space Cowboys on Tuesday, according to Astros reporter Michael Schwab. Diaz has been sidelined since May 5 due to a strained left oblique, but he's nearing a return and could potentially rejoin the Astros this weekend if he can avoid a setback with Sugar Land. The 27-year-old will be Houston's starting catcher once he's reinstated from the 10-day injured list. Veteran Christian Vazquez has been serving as the starting catcher in Diaz's absence, with Cesar Salazar working as his backup. Diaz doesn't have great plate discipline and is more of a free swinger, but he has a .276 career batting average in four-plus MLB seasons and has reached the 20-homer mark in two of his three full seasons in the big leagues. While providing above-average pop at the weakest position in fantasy baseball, Diaz is certainly deserving of a waiver-wire pickup now if you need help at catcher. He's currently rostered in only 42% of Yahoo leagues.

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Toronto Blue Jays veteran right-hander Shane Bieber (elbow) will make another minor-league rehab start at Triple-A Buffalo on Thursday, according to Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet. It will be Bieber's fourth rehab start as he continues to work his way back from inflammation in his surgically-repaired right elbow. The 31-year-old only made two starts in 2024 in his final season with the Cleveland Guardians and then made seven regular-season starts last year for Toronto, going 4-2 with a 3.57 ERA (4.47 FIP), 1.02 WHIP, and 37:7 K:BB in 40 1/3 innings pitched. In five outings (four starts) in the Jays' run to the World Series, Bieber went 2-1 with a 3.86 ERA (4.26 FIP), 1.45 WHIP, and 18:6 K:BB in 18 2/3 frames. He's hoping to get up to around 70-75 pitches with Buffalo on Thursday, which means his next start could be his 2026 season debut in the big leagues at some point next week. The former American League Cy Young winner is not the same pitcher he was with Cleveland, and he comes with obvious durability concerns, but he's worth taking a shot on for rotation depth in mixed fantasy leagues now that his season debut is right around the corner. Bieber is currently rostered in less than half of Yahoo leagues.

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Kansas City Royals right-hander Stephen Kolek (personal), who was placed on the family medical emergency list last Thursday, is listed as the team's starter for Tuesday's contest against the visiting Texas Rangers, per MLB.com. Kolek could be pitching with a heavy heart, but he'll be available for KC for what will be his seventh start of the year. The 29-year-old former 11th-round pick by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2018 out of Texas A&M University has gone 3-1 with a 3.32 ERA (4.11 FIP) and 0.97 WHIP with 27 strikeouts and only eight walks in 38 innings over his six starts in 2026 in his first full season with the Royals. He gave up four earned runs in five innings for his first loss of the year back on May 29 at the Rangers, but he bounced back nicely his last time out by allowing only two earned runs with a season-high eight strikeouts in seven innings in a no-decision on June 3 against the Cincinnati Reds. Kolek doesn't have much fantasy upside because of his career 17.4% strikeout rate, and he's only fanning 18.1% of the batters he's faced this year, but the Rangers have been a good matchup in 2026 and rank 20th in MLB with a .698 OPS.

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The Houston Astros could surely get a huge haul at this year's trade deadline for outfielder Yordan Alvarez, who leads the majors with a 1.070 OPS and the American League with 22 home runs and 48 RBI, but general manager Dana Brown has shot down speculation that the team might trade Alvarez, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. "We've had zero conversations internally about moving Yordan," Brown said Monday. "Zero." The left-handed slugger is in the fourth year of a six-year, $115 million contract extension that he signed four years ago this week. He's being paid at a bargain at $26 million from 2026-28, considering he's currently the front-runner for the AL MVP. And it's not like the Astros are out of the postseason by any means; they were five games out of first place in the AL West and three games out of an AL wild-card spot going into Monday's contests. Meanwhile, Alvarez is on pace to become the first Astros player since Alex Bregman in 2019 to have 40 homers, and he could make a run at Jeff Bagwell's franchise record of 47 round-trippers in 2000. After being limited to 48 games in 2025 due to injury, Alvarez is having a monster bounce-back campaign.

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Across 30 2/3 innings (25 games) so far this season, Los Angeles Angels right-hander Ryan Zeferjahn has pitched to a 5.28 ERA and 1.40 WHIP with 38 strikeouts and one save. While the 28-year-old's top-line numbers are ugly, he's averaging 97.4 miles per hour on his fastball and has struck out 27% of the batters he's faced. His xERA is 3.92, and his strand rate is a below-average 64.7%, so he may be a victim of some poor luck. Perhaps most importantly for fantasy managers, Zeferjahn may be the leading candidate in the Angels bullpen to assume the closer role from the struggling Kirby Yates. Yates has pitched the ninth inning in eight straight appearances, and in that stretch, he's blown two saves and suffered two losses while allowing four earned runs. Zeferjahn's profile comes with some risk, but he might be the highest-upside reliever in an Angels bullpen that has struggled mightily to fill the closer role in 2026. In deeper fantasy leagues, managers may want to take a chance on Zeferjahn on the waiver wire.

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Milwaukee Brewers right-handed closer Trevor Megill (undisclosed) was battling some "discomfort" and was unavailable to close the door in Monday night's wild 15-14, 12-inning win over the Athletics in Las Vegas, manager Pat Murphy told Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. Right-hander Chad Patrick picked up his third save of the year in a scoreless inning of work while walking one and striking out two. Abner Uribe earned his fourth win of the year by pitching 1 1/3 scoreless innings with a walk and two strikeouts, and he would be Milwaukee's primary option for saves in the future if Megill's injury turns into something serious that keeps him out beyond Monday. The 25-year-old Uribe is 4-2 on the season with a 3.80 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, five saves, and 25 strikeouts in his 23 2/3 innings of work. He's rostered in 58% of Yahoo leagues already. It's worth noting that Megill dealt with a flexor strain in his right arm late last year and required a platelet-rich plasma injection in the offseason. Fantasy managers speculating on saves may want to add Uribe now.

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Since being acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays in early May, Minnesota Twins right-hander Yoendrys Gomez has emerged as a key piece in his new team's bullpen. Across 14 innings (16 games) with Minnesota, Gomez owns a 0.64 ERA and 0.86 WHIP with 18 strikeouts and three saves. The 26-year-old's average fastball velocity is currently a career-best 95.4 miles per hour, and he's struck out 32.7% of the batters he's faced as a Twin. Gomez's last two appearances for the Twins have both come in the eighth inning as the team continues to operate with a committee approach to the closer role. However, he's been the best reliever in Minnesota since joining the team, and it could be just a matter of time before he emerges as the preferred option in the ninth inning. For fantasy managers in need of saves, Gomez could be worth targeting on the waiver wire.

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Kansas City Royals left-hander Daniel Lynch IV has emerged as a key piece of his team's bullpen in 2026, pitching to a 1.71 ERA and 0.95 WHIP with 29 strikeouts and one save across 26 1/3 innings (26 games). The 29-year-old is averaging a career-high 94.8 miles per hour on his fastball and has struck out 27.1% of the batters he's faced this season. After removing the struggling Lucas Erceg from their closer role, the Royals have opted for veteran right-hander Alex Lange in the ninth inning in recent games. Lange has converted all three of his save chances so far, but he's struggled with command throughout his career and owns a 4.03 ERA and 1.38 WHIP in 2026. Should Lange fail to lock down the closer role in Kansas City, Lynch IV could be the next man up. In deeper fantasy leagues, managers may want to consider stashing Lynch IV as a potential source of saves.

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There was no shortage of offense between the Milwaukee Brewers and Athletics on Monday night in Las Vegas, with the Brewers eventually prevailing 15-14 in 12 innings. Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz had a day at the plate, going 3-for-6 with two home runs, three RBI, three runs scored, a walk, and three strikeouts. His first blast was a solo shot in the sixth inning, and he later added a two-run homer in an electrifying back-and-forth game. After a somewhat slow start to his sophomore campaign, the 23-year-old left-handed slugger has now homered three times in the last two games and six times in his last 10 games. With Monday's strong performance to continue his hot streak, Kurtz is now slashing .282/.434/.521 with a .956 OPS, 14 long balls, 48 RBI, 45 runs scored, and seven stolen bases across his 234 at-bats in 2026. The former fourth overall pick in 2024 out of Wake Forest University is one of the best pure slugging options in baseball, let alone at the first base position. Kurtz is a must-start every day in fantasy lineups.

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Athletics first baseman/outfielder Tyler Soderstrom stayed hot in Monday night's wild 15-14 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers in Las Vegas, going 3-for-4 at the plate with two home runs, four RBI, and two walks to boost his season batting average to .237 and his OPS to .790. There was no shortage of offense from either side in this contest, which required 12 innings to complete. His first home run was a three-run shot in the third inning, and he added a solo homer in the seventh inning, with both of his round-trippers coming off left-handed pitchers. The 24-year-old left-handed slugger has been hot for a while now, going 23-for-62 (.371) with five homers, three doubles, a triple, 14 RBI, and seven runs scored in his last 18 games, dating back to May 20. The recent hot stretch at the plate has boosted Soderstrom's overall slash line in 2026 to .237/.333/.457 with 10 home runs, 34 RBI, 29 runs scored, and a stolen base in 63 games across 267 plate appearances. Surprisingly, half of his homers this year have come off southpaws.

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Since making his MLB debut on May 31, Chicago White Sox infielder Jacob Gonzalez has hit .300/.391/.450 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs scored across 23 plate appearances. With White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami (hamstring) currently on the injured list, Gonzalez has logged everyday playing time at first base since his promotion. The 22-year-old's strong start in the Majors is backed up by his work at Triple-A this season, where he slashed .317/.419/.668 with 19 home runs, 62 RBI, 42 runs scored, and eight stolen bases in just 238 plate appearances. Gonzalez also has the ability to play multiple infield positions, so he could stick in the Chicago lineup even once Murakami returns. Gonzalez profiles as a high-upside waiver wire target who should be prioritized by fantasy managers across all league formats.

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Washington Nationals relief pitcher Gus Varland secured his team's 4-3 win over the Giants on Monday night after Keaton Winn blew the save for San Francisco. After the Nats plated three runs in the top of the ninth, Varland had two strikeouts while allowing a single and a walk on his way to his fifth save of the year. The 29-year-old righty has a 4.01 ERA and 3.23 FIP in his 24 2/3 innings this season and is currently sharing time at the end of games with Clayton Beeter, who earned the win on Tuesday despite giving up two runs before Varland entered. Varland seems to be the slightly better option of the two relievers at this point in the Nationals' bullpen, although both relievers have been shaky this season for fantasy production.

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Los Angeles Angels first baseman Trey Mancini returned to the majors for the first time since July 31, 2023, and he looked impressive in his first game back. The 34-year-old righty went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored in his team's 5-4, extra-inning loss to the Astros. He put up solid numbers in Triple-A last year for the Diamondbacks, hitting .308 with 16 homers and a .389 wOBA before opting out on July 1st. He slashed .273/.377/.464 in 52 games in Triple-A this season with six homers, 40 runs scored, and 29 RBI before returning to the majors on Monday. Mancini could get some playing time with Nolan Schanuel (ankle) battling tendinitis and Vaughn Grissom (oblique) on the injured list. Mancini has hit well enough at Triple-A to be an interesting deep-league pickup and streaming option if he continues to get playing time for the Halos. He doesn't have elite power or an extremely high ceiling, but he has proven that he can make consistent contact and accumulate counting stats.

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Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Spencer Schwellenbach (elbow) had bone spurs removed from his elbow in February and has begun a throwing progression as he works his way back to the rotation at some point late in the season. Even though he's still a ways from his return and has been limited to throwing from flat ground, it could be time to stash him in deep leagues if you have roster flexibility to do so. He has been one of the most electric young arms in baseball when available, but has been limited to just 17 starts over the past two seasons. For standard-sized leagues, he's still too far away to stash quite yet, but he's definitely someone with enough upside to monitor his return closely as he makes progress over the next few weeks. In deeper leagues with more injury flexibility, though, he has enough late-season potential to be a sneaky add early in his return.

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