The Chicago Cubs acquired minor-league right-hander Jesus Tinoco from the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday in exchange for cash considerations. In a corresponding move, the Cubs optioned reliever Daniel Palencia to Triple-A Iowa. The 29-year-old Tinoco has a 4.58 ERA in 57 career major-league games, including nine games with the Texas Rangers in 2024. In his 10 innings pitched out of the bullpen with Texas, he gave up nine earned runs on 11 hits (two homers) while walking seven and striking out nine. At Triple-A Omaha for the Royals, he posted a 4.05 ERA and 1.05 WHIP with a save, 10 strikeouts and one walk in just 6 2/3 innings. Tinoco has a career 4.58 ERA and 1.49 WHIP with one save and an 18.1% strikeout rate in his five major-league seasons. He'll operate as relief depth for the Cubbies and isn't anywhere near the fantasy radar.

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Free-agent infielder/outfielder Nick Senzel signed a major-league deal with the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday. Senzel was recently released by the Washington Nationals after being designated for assignment and going unclaimed on waivers. The 29-year-old former second overall pick in 2016 out of Tennessee by the Cincinnati Reds didn't pan out as the Nationals' third baseman in the first half of the 2024 season, slashing just .209/.303/.359 with a .663 OPS, seven home runs, 18 RBI, 25 runs scored and 53 strikeouts in 235 trips to the plate in 64 games in his sixth year in the big leagues. Senzel will now get an opportunity with the worst team in baseball and could get a shot at the hot corner in the Windy City, at least until Yoan Moncada (groin) returns from the injured list. Senzel also has experience as an outfielder, though, so he could get some playing time there as well.

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San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Robbie Ray (elbow) looked fantastic in his ninth rehab start Sunday with Single-A San Jose. Ray pitched five scoreless innings, striking out nine hitters while working up to 74 pitches. The 32-year-old has looked good overall while recovering from his May 2023 Tommy John surgery, pitching with San Jose, Triple-A Sacramento, and the rookie-level Arizona Complex League. Ray was a standout fantasy pitcher in 2021 and 2022 and could be poised to join the Giants sometime shortly after the All-Star break, so he should be on fantasy managers' radars in all leagues at this time.

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Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase ensured an American League win in Tuesday's 5-3 All-Star Game against the National League. Clase came on to pitch the top of the ninth inning up by two. He struck out Pete Alonso for the first out and got Elly De La Cruz to ground out for the second out. He allowed a single to Jackson Merrill but struck out Bryan Reynolds to end the game. The 26-year-old has now been to three All-Star games and has served as a top fantasy closer throughout his career. He has converted 29 of 32 save opportunities this season with a minuscule 0.81 ERA, a 0.68 WHIP, and a 23.8% strikeout rate.

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Oakland Athletics closer Mason Miller recorded a win in his first All-Star Game appearance in Tuesday's 5-3 win over the National League. Miller pitched a scoreless fifth inning, tossing a 1-2-3 inning while striking out Shohei Ohtani and Trea Turner. To top it off, the 25-year-old threw the hardest recorded pitch in All-Star Game history, coming in at 103.6 MPH. Miller has been impressive on all accounts this season, converting 15 of 17 save opportunities with a 2.27 ERA, a 0.86 WHIP, and a ridiculous 46.7% strikeout rate. His 100.9-MPH average fastball velocity is the fastest in baseball and he should continue to use his fastball-slider combination to strike hitters out at an elite clip.

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Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani brought the star power in Tuesday's 5-3 All-Star Game loss to the American League. Ohtani went 1-for-2 with a three-run home run, a walk, and a strikeout. The 30-year-old provided the first runs of the game, obliterating a third-inning Tanner Houck splitter into the right-field seats. The two-way star managed to produce as one of fantasy's top players in the first half without providing any pitching stats, slashing .316/.400/.635 with 29 HR, 75 runs scored, 69 RBI, and 23 stolen bases in 429 plate appearances. He should continue to be a five-category force in the second half while hitting in the middle of one of baseball's best lineups.

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Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran was awarded the Ted Williams All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award on Tuesday, with the American League team defeating the National League team 5-3. Duran went 1-for-2 with a go-ahead, two-run home run. The 27-year-old put the American League up for good in the bottom of the fifth inning, clobbering a Hunter Greene offspeed pitch into the right-center field seats. Duran became the first Red Sox player to hit an All-Star homer since Adrian Gonzalez in 2011. He was also an All-Star from a fantasy perspective in the first half, slashing .283/.342/.476 with 10 HR, 62 runs scored, 41 RBI, and 22 stolen bases in 440 plate appearances.

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New York Mets starting pitching prospect Christian Scott has struggled to generate strikeouts at an elite rate in the big leagues as he did in the minor leagues earlier this summer. Through his past three starts in the majors, Scott has logged 15 innings to the tune of a 5.17 ERA and 1.15 WHIP with only 10 punchouts. However, earlier this summer at Triple-A, the Florida product struck out 55 batters in just 42 frames. In addition, last season at Double-A, the right-hander tallied 77 strikeouts in just 62 innings. The 25-year-old's workload is also being monitored by the Mets, which could play a role in his second-half production. Scott is still worth holding onto in standard leagues as he has showcased elite strikeout potential in the past, but his ceiling may remain limited as he continues to get accustomed to the big leagues.

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Baltimore Orioles infield prospect Jackson Holliday has performed very well in July and is nearing a return to the major leagues. Since July 1, the former first overall selection in the 2022 MLB Draft has posted a .297/.469/.541 slash line with one home run, two stolen bases, and an excellent 12:9 BB:K ratio. This is great to see, as Holiday got into a bit of a slump in June, where he held a lower .222/.444/.378. Holliday earned a small stint in the majors earlier this season but struggled over his brief 10-game stint. The 20-year-old should see time in the majors later this season and is a popular stash candidate, as he should make an immediate impact in his second stint in the big leagues.

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Houston Astros outfield prospect Joey Loperfido has struggled to find consistent playing time in his latest major league stint, which, unfortunately, has begun to affect his performance. Since June 30, Loperfido has held a .233/.294/.467 line with one home run, two doubles, nine RBI, and a 2:9 BB:K ratio. Also, the Duke product has never started more than three games in a row in this span. However, Loperfido has done very well in hitting fastballs with a .346 BA and .500 SLG against them, but his poor .080 BA and .120 SLG against breaking balls have brought his production down. If the 25-year-old could begin to earn more stable playing time, he could work out these struggles. Until then, he remains a target only in deeper formats.

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Arizona Diamondbacks third base prospect Deyvison De Los Santos has continued to post elite production at Triple-A and is nearing his major league debut. Since June 28, the 21-year-old has held a solid .265/.294/.571 line with four home runs and 17 RBI. Through 44 total games at Triple-A Reno, De Los Santos has posted a .297/.340/.611 line. The young infielder began the season with his second look at Double-A and needed only 38 games to prove he was ready for the top level of the minor leagues. Arizona has lacked offensive firepower at the hot corner this season, with Eugenio Suarez sporting a disappointing .210 AVG with only 11 long balls. De Los Santos is worth stashing in deeper leagues and could become a 'must-stash' player if he continues to dominate Triple-A after the All-Star Break.

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Minnesota Twins shortstop prospect Brooks Lee has looked quite comfortable in his first stint at the major leagues. Through 11 games, the Cal Poly product has posted a solid .273/.313/.432 line with two home runs, nine RBI, one stolen base, and a 3:7 BB:K ratio. He has posted four multi-hit games and has only gone hitless four times. In addition to his performance in the batter's box, Lee has made starts at shortstop, second base, and third base, which suggests the Twins may want Lee up in the majors for the long haul. The former eighth-overall pick should be considered a must-add in all standard leagues as he should always have a spot in Minnesota's starting nine with his defensive flexibility during the second half.

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Free-agent relief pitcher Trevor Rosenthal (elbow) is reportedly throwing 95 mph and could be an attractive veteran reliever for a contending team looking to fortify their bullpen in the second half of the season. The former All-Star closer has 132 career saves in eight major-league seasons, but he hasn't pitched in the big leagues since 2020, when he spent time with the Kansas City Royals and San Diego Padres. The 34-year-old veteran had his UCL fixed last June and also underwent surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome and hip surgery since he last pitched in the majors, so he's a complete wild card. Rosenthal did have a nice 1.90 ERA and 0.84 WHIP with 38 K's and 11 saves in 23 2/3 innings in 2020, but it's unlikely that he'll be able to secure a high-leverage bullpen role with a contender later this season, let alone stay healthy.

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The Kansas City Royals placed outfielder MJ Melendez (ankle) on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to July 15) with a left-ankle sprain on Tuesday. The move to the IL comes after Melendez sprained his ankle in Sunday's contest against the Boston Red Sox. At the very least, the 25-year-old will miss the first six games of the second half of the season. He'll be eligible to return to the Royals on July 26. Melendez, a left-handed hitter, does have 11 home runs in 85 games this year and is on track to set a new career-high in that category, but he's also hitting just .192 (51-for-265) and lacks speed (two steals). For however long he's out, both Dairon Blanco and Garrett Hampson could see more playing time in Kansas City in left field. Melendez has hit .273 (9-for-33) with three homers in 10 games in July.

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Houston Astros right-hander Luis Garcia (elbow) has been returned from his minor-league rehab assignment. Garcia, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery last May, hasn't pitched since July 4 at Double-A Corpus Christi. He made two rehab appearances with the Hooks but apparently didn't bounce back well from those outings, and his rehab assignment is now on pause. It's unclear when the 27-year-old Venezuelan hurler will be cleared to resume his rehab assignment, but when he does, he's probably going to need the full 30-day window before he's reinstated to the major-league roster. Whenever he does make his 2024 debut, fantasy managers will want to temper expectations. In four big-league seasons with the Astros, Garcia has gone 28-19 with a 3.61 ERA (3.79 FIP) and 1.16 WHIP with a 25.3% strikeout rate in 352 innings pitched.

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Houston Astros catcher Victor Caratini (hip) has been sent out on a minor-league rehab assignment with the rookie-level Florida Complex League Astros. Caratini has been sidelined since June 20 with a left hip-flexor strain. It's unclear if Caratini will only need a few rehab games in the Florida Complex League this week or if he'll eventually move his rehab assignment to a higher minor-league affiliate. Either way, the 30-year-old veteran backstop could be back with the Astros' big-league squad early in the second half of the season after this week's All-Star break. When healthy, he'll return to being a backup catching option for Yainer Diaz, leaving him very little fantasy appeal. In his first 105 at-bats in 2024, Caratini hit .248/.287/.429 with four home runs, 17 RBI and 13 runs scored in 39 games in his first year with the team.

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Minnesota Twins shortstop Carlos Correa (foot) will not play in this year's All-Star game on Tuesday after he was held out of Saturday's game against the San Francisco Giants on Sunday after undergoing an MRI exam, which revealed plantar fasciitis in his right foot. Correa is being replaced by two-time World Series MVP and Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager on the American League roster. Correa is still expected to attend the All-Star festivities this week in Arlington, Texas. The 29-year-old missed the final two games of the first half of the season last weekend, although his recent bout of plantar fasciitis isn't expected to be as severe as when he dealt with it in his right foot for most of last season. It's unclear if Correa will be ready to go for the start of the second half this Saturday against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers, so fantasy managers will want to check back then to see if he's active.

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The Oakland Athletics sent third baseman Abraham Toro (hamstring) to the rookie-level Arizona Complex League to begin a minor-league rehab assignment on Monday. Toro will now resume playing in games after missing almost a month with a right-hamstring strain. It remains to be seen if the 27-year-old will be ready to come off the injured list when the second half of the 2024 season starts on Friday after this week's All-Star break. Before injuring his hamstring, Toro was the team's starting third baseman and was hitting at the top of the batting order, making him worth rostering in at least all AL-only fantasy leagues. The switch-hitting Canadian hit .260/.303/.386 with six home runs, 24 RBI and 32 runs scored in 277 at-bats.

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Chicago Cubs outfielder Mike Tauchman (groin) started his minor-league rehab assignment on Monday in the Arizona Complex League and went 0-for-2 with a strikeout while playing right field. It remains to be seen if Tauchman will be ready to come off the 10-day injured list to rejoin Chicago's big-league roster when the second half of the season starts on Friday, but if he's not, he should return early in the second half, barring a setback. The 33-year-old left-handed slugger has been sidelined nearly a month with a left-groin strain but is getting closer to returning to the big leagues. When healthy, he should play regularly for the Cubbies in the outfield or at designated hitter against right-handed pitching. Before his injury, he was hitting .259 (57-for-220) with five homers, 19 RBI and five stolen bases in 256 plate appearances and 66 games in his second year with the Cubs.

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Oakland Athletics outfielder Esteury Ruiz (wrist) played in another minor-league rehab game on Sunday with Single-A Stockton and went 2-for-3 with an RBI while playing seven innings in left field. Ruiz played a full game for Stockton on Friday as the designated hitter and then had the day off on Saturday. The 25-year-old has hit safely in all four of his rehab games for Stockton to this point and could come off the injured list to rejoin the big-league roster when the second half of the season starts on Friday following the All-Star break. Ruiz led all of baseball with 67 stolen bases last year, but he was hitting .200 (11-for-55) with only five steals in 29 games this year before his injury. He's obviously valuable for his speed, but the A's made it clear earlier this season that they won't guarantee Ruiz regular playing time when he's healthy.

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