Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager (wrist) avoided serious injury to his left wrist after being hit by a pitch during Saturday's 6-5 loss at the Baltimore Orioles. Seager, who earlier hit his 15th homer in the first inning, left in the fifth after being hit by Orioles starter Cade Povich. X-rays proved negative, and the club will further re-evaluate Seager on Sunday. He is slashing .260/.345/.451 with 37 RBI and 34 runs scored with a .796 OPS. Seager is considered day-to-day and is expected to miss Sunday's series finale. Third baseman Josh Smith, who moved to short when Seager exited, will handle shortstop duties for the Rangers with Seager sidelined. Smith is slashing .293/.385/.459 over 78 games in 2024.

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New York Mets starting pitcher Tylor Megill was sent down to Triple-A Syracuse on Saturday. The Mets are likely going with Christian Scott or Jose Butto when Megill's next scheduled start arrives. Megill is (2-4) with a 4.85 ERA and 1.42 WHIP in 33 2/3 innings with 43 strikeouts and 16. He had allowed at least three runs in three of his last four starts. The Mets have the luxury to backfill his spot with a reliever to help a thin bullpen. Fantasy managers will have to wait to see when the Mets announce whether Butto or Scott will start Tuesday against the Washington Nationals.

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Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes tossed six innings of one-run ball and earned a no-decision on Saturday afternoon. The rookie struck out nine batters and allowed six hits and two free passes. His one significant mistake came off a leadoff solo shot by Atlanta outfielder Jarred Kelenic. Saturday marked the sixth consecutive start where the former number-one overall pick struck out at least seven batters. Through his first 52 major league innings, the LSU product has posted a stellar 2.06 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and 10:70 BB:K ratio. Skenes has showcased elite command and has been able to generate whiffs at an elite 30.2% mark, which is a great sign going forward. The 22-year-old should be considered a top starting pitcher in all formats going forward and a coveted asset in keeper and dynasty leagues.

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Washington Nationals starting pitcher Jake Irvin pitched six strong innings on Saturday, allowing just one hit and three free passes. He struck out five batters. His one mistake was a solo shot by Tampa Bay second baseman Brandon Lowe in the first inning. This was another strong outing for the 27-year-old right-hander as he posted a 2.35 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and an 8:21 BB:K ratio in his previous four starts. Overall, Irvin has taken a significant step forward in his sophomore season with a 3.03 ERA and 1.06 WHIP he has held through 98 innings compared to the hefty 4.61 ERA and 1.42 WHIP he posted in his rookie campaign last summer. Irvin is lined up to face the red-hot New York Mets on Thursday, July 4, next week.

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Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams went 2-for-3 with his 13th home run of the season. He also knocked his 20th double of the season and added two RBI to increase his season total to 42. Abrams carries a strong .282/.339/.513 with 13 stolen bases and a 21:62 BB:K ratio. Abrams remains an elite fantasy asset as he has showcased an elite combination of power and speed throughout the first half of the 2024 campaign. Under the hood, Abrams carries a stellar .293 xBA, which places him in the top 94th percentile among all hitters. The 23-year-old should remain in your lineup every day as he will always be given prime scoring opportunities batting in the leadoff spot of the Washington lineup.

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Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Paul Sewald tossed a clean ninth inning with one strikeout to earn his 11th save of the campaign. Since allowing one run in his first outing of the season on May 7, the 34-year-old has now tossed 14 consecutive shutout frames. Overall, he holds a near-perfect 0.57 ERA, 0.51 WHIP, and a 3:13 BB:K ratio. Sewald has strong metrics, such as a 5.6% barrel rate and 33.3% hard-hit rate, which suggest this dominance should continue in the second half of the season. The San Diego product remains a top option for saves and should continue to provide elite ratios along the way.

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Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zac Gallen tossed six shutout innings in his first start in over a month. Gallen has been on the 15-day injured list since May 31 with a right hamstring strain. He allowed just one hit to outfielder Brent Rooker in the opening frame and a free pass to first baseman Tyler Soderstrom in the second inning. He struck out seven batters. This is a great sign, as the 28-year-old posted one of his best outings of the season after missing a month of play. The North Carolina product carries a 2.83 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, and a 16:67 BB:K ratio into his next outing, which is tentatively scheduled for July 5 against the San Diego Padres.

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Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Hector Neris tallied his 11th save of the campaign on Saturday. The 35-year-old was able to work around a few base runners to toss his third straight shutout inning. Rhys Hoskins hit a lead-off single on a line drive to left field. Neris then got his first out off a Sal Frelick ground ball but then proceeded to walk Jake Bauers. With two runners on, Neris was able to tally two consecutive strikeouts to seal the victory. It has been a rough season for the veteran reliever, but he has recently begun to turn things around. He is still worth holding onto in deeper leagues, as he should remain a top candidate for saves in Chicago even if he continues to struggle.

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San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado went 2-for-5 with two long balls and five RBI on Saturday to lead the Padres to a victory. Machado hit a two-run shot in the third frame that scored Luis Arraez. Then, in the fifth, Machado hit a three-run blast that scored Jurickson Profar and Jake Cronenworth. The 31-year-old now sits with a .268/.319/.411 slash line with 10 home runs, 45 RBI, five stolen bases, and a 23:69 BB:K ratio. Machado should be expected to continue to be a top option at the hot corner for the remainder of the summer and have several prime RBI opportunities every game batting in the clean-up spot of a strong Padres lineup.

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Chicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ played hero on Saturday afternoon with a go-ahead two-run shot in the eighth inning to power the Cubs over their division rival Milwaukee Brewers. Happ broke a tie game with his 11th home run off the season off Brewer reliever Joel Payamps. This was Happ's second long ball in the past three games and fifth of the month. The everyday left fielder in the Northside now holds a .231/.346/.422 slash line with 44 RBI and a 44:88 BB:K ratio. He has posted an above-average 12.2% barrel rate and 43.1% hard-hit rate, which suggests this power surge could continue into the second half of the summer. Happ remains a more valuable fantasy asset in points leagues due to his stellar 13.3% walk rate.

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San Diego Padres starting pitcher Michael King tossed six innings of one-run ball on Saturday against the Boston Red Sox. He allowed five hits, one free pass, and struck out six. King's one mistake came off a solo shot by Boston outfielder Jarren Duran in the sixth inning. This was a big bounce-back for the 29-year-old right-hander as he allowed five earned runs in his previous start. In his first season as a full-time starter, King has posted a 3.61 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, and a 39:115 BB:K ratio through 99 innings. King has shown elite strikeout potential and should be started in most leagues in his next start on Friday, July 5 against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

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Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola tossed six innings of three-run ball with nine strikeouts, six hits, and no walks on Saturday afternoon. This is Nola's third start in a row earning a quality start. Nola's first mistake of the day came off a solo shot by Nick Gordon in the second inning. He then kept the Marlins quiet until the seventh, when he allowed two consecutive doubles, which caused the other damage. The 31-year-old now carries a solid 3.43 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and a 25:99 BB:K ratio with 107 logged innings. Nola is lined up to face the Atlanta Braves on Friday, July 5, in his next start.

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Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager (wrist) left Saturday's game early after getting hit by a pitch in the wrist. Seager fell down in clear, visible pain and was immediately removed from the game. Before the injury, Seager launched his 15th long ball of the season. While there has not been any update on Seager's status, fantasy managers should pay close attention to the 30-year-old's status prior to Sunday's game. Seager has posted a strong .258/.342/.439 with 36 RBI and a 34:56 BB:K ratio in 71 games this season. However, he holds a stellar .280 xBA and .540 xSLG, which suggests he may have been very unlucky through the first half of the season. If Seager were to miss an extended period of time, Josh Smith is the top candidate to receive the majority of starts at shortstop.

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Los Angeles Angels infielder Brandon Drury (illness) remains out of the starting lineup ahead of Saturday's game against the Detroit Tigers. This marks the ninth game in a row that Drury has missed due to an illness. It's unknown why Drury is still on the active roster and hasn't been placed on the injured list. Luis Rengifo will cover second base while Miguel Sano plays the hot corner versus right-hander Reese Olson on Saturday.

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Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been on a tear at the plate lately. His success continued during Saturday's game against the New York Yankees. Guerrero went 3-for-5 with a home run and six RBI in the win. He kicked off the game with a two-run homer in the opening frame. He didn't stop there as he cleared the bases in the sixth inning and added another run in the eighth inning. The 25-year-old corner infielder is slashing .296/.374/.470 with 13 home runs and 50 RBI this season. Fantasy managers that held Guerrero through his struggles are getting rewarded now.

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Minnesota Twins infielder Royce Lewis is out of the starting lineup ahead of Saturday's game against the Seattle Mariners. This appears to be a routine rest day for the 25-year-old superstar. The oft-injured infielder has been struggling to stay healthy, so it's not surprising to see the Twins giving him extra rest days. Jose Miranda will cover third base while Trevor Larnach functions as the designated hitter versus right-hander Bryce Miller on Saturday.

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Seattle Mariners outfielder Luke Raley (shoulder) is back in the starting lineup ahead of Saturday's game against the Minnesota Twins. Raley makes his return after missing each of the last two games due to shoulder soreness. He'll bat fifth and cover left field against right-hander Pablo Lopez on Saturday. Fantasy managers should adjust their lineups with Raley back in the mix.

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New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto (hand) was scratched from Saturday's lineup after suffering an injury during Friday's game. The 25-year-old injured himself while sliding headfirst at home plate on Friday. The good news is that Soto appears to have avoided a serious injury. Yankees' manager Aaron Boone told reporters that the X-rays on Soto's hand came back negative. The Yankees are off on Monday, so it wouldn't be shocking to see Soto sit out on Sunday in order to give him extra rest. It sounds like Soto has avoided a trip to the injured list.

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Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Chris Bassitt was sharp on the mound during Sunday's outing against the New York Yankees. The right-hander allowed one run (zero earned) with eight strikeouts over six innings of work in the win. This marks the third straight outing that Bassitt has thrown a quality start. The 35-year-old takes a 3.24 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, and a 91/37 K/BB ratio into his next start against the Houston Astros.

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Catcher Korey Lee homered on Saturday in an 11-3 rout of the Colorado Rockies on Saturday. Lee hit his eighth homer in the eighth inning. Lee is hitting .234 with eight home runs, 23 RBI, five stolen bases, and 20 runs in 2024. He is a name to watch especially in two catcher leagues due to getting more playing time over veteran Martin Maldonado. The power and speed combination provides Lee value at a premier position in fantasy baseball.

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