Since being called up for his MLB debut on June 16, Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Cooper Pratt is hitting .211/.295/.237 with zero home runs, two RBI, four runs scored, and five stolen bases across 44 plate appearances. The 21-year-old does not profile as much of a power threat, as he's logged a 3.4% barrel rate in the majors after posting a 3.7% barrel rate across 261 plate appearances at Triple-A before his promotion. However, Pratt is known as an elite defensive prospect at shortstop, which should help extend his runway as the Brewers' everyday shortstop. Pratt has demonstrated an ability to get on base, logging a 13% walk rate at Triple-A and an 11.4% walk rate in his small sample of big league plate appearances so far. As long as that holds, Pratt should be able to continue to provide value on the basepaths. Fantasy managers should temper their overall expectations for Pratt, but he could be a viable source of speed to target on the waiver wire.

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Across 25 1/3 innings (25 games) in 2026, Washington Nationals right-hander Clayton Beeter has recorded a 3-1 record with a 3.20 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 28 strikeouts, and six saves. The 27-year-old's control of the strike zone remains a major concern, as he's posted a 16.5% walk rate this season and owns a 16.2% walk rate for his big-league career. Still, Beeter is averaging 95.6 miles per hour on his fastball and has struck out 25.7% of the batters he's faced this season. Washington has opted for a committee approach to the ninth inning so far this season, so fantasy managers should not expect Beeter to see every save opportunity for the Nationals. Still, Beeter missed nearly a month of action earlier this season with a forearm injury and is still first in saves among relievers currently on Washington's active roster. Fantasy managers in need of saves should target Beeter on the waiver wire in leagues where he remains available.

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Across 184 plate appearances entering play on Tuesday, San Francisco Giants outfielder Heliot Ramos was hitting .267/.310/.436 with five home runs, 21 RBI, and 21 runs scored. Ramos missed over a month after suffering a quad strain in mid-May, but he returned to the Giants lineup on Sunday and homered in his second game back on Monday. The 26-year-old has been a consistent presence at the plate in recent seasons, topping 20 home runs and 65 RBI in both 2024 and 2025. Ramos' underlying power metrics remain strong so far in 2026, as he's logged a 13.6% barrel rate and a 49.6% hard-hit rate. Ramos is a poor defensive outfielder and has been much better against left-handed pitching than right-handed pitching in his career, both of which may keep him out of the Giants lineup on occasion. Still, he profiles as a quality source of power and run production for fantasy managers to target on the waiver wire.

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After opening 2026 in a bullpen role, New York Mets left-hander Sean Manaea was moved back to the team's rotation in mid-June. Across 20 innings (four starts) since the switch, Manaea has recorded a 4.05 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 19 strikeouts. At 34 years old, Manaea should no longer be expected to provide the same production he once did at his peak. The veteran's average fastball velocity is down to 90.6 miles per hour this season, and he posted a 5.64 ERA across 60 2/3 innings (15 games, 12 starts) in 2025. Still, Manaea posted a 24% K-BB rate even amidst his struggles last season, and he's still just two years removed from logging a 3.47 ERA and 12 wins across 181 2/3 innings in 2024. Now that he's back in the Mets rotation, Manaea could be a viable starting pitcher streamer for fantasy managers to target on the waiver wire.

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Chicago White Sox catcher Kyle Teel had the start of his 2026 season delayed by knee and hamstring injuries that held him out until June 22. Across 30 plate appearances since returning, Teel is hitting .231/.333/.346 with one home run, six RBI, and four runs scored. The 24-year-old has struggled to find his timing at the plate, striking out in 40% of his plate appearances. However, Teel was impressive after making his MLB debut in 2025, hitting .273 with eight home runs, 35 RBI, 38 runs scored, and three stolen bases across 297 plate appearances. Teel also dominated Triple-A pitching in his rehab appearances before returning this season, logging a 1.054 OPS across 34 trips to the plate. Once Teel finds his rhythm, he could provide top-12 catcher production for fantasy managers in the second half of 2026.

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Washington Nationals infielder Nasim Nunez has struggled at the plate so far this season, hitting .232/.319/.274 with zero home runs, 27 RBI, and 33 runs scored across 279 plate appearances. However, the 25-year-old has been a major fantasy asset on the basepaths, logging an MLB-high 32 stolen bases in 35 attempts. Nunez also profiles as a high-end defender at second base, which has helped keep him in the Nationals lineup on a near-everyday basis despite his limited output at the plate. With a 0.0% barrel rate and a 19.9% hard-hit rate, fantasy managers should not expect Nunez to provide any real value outside of stolen bases. Still, for deeper league managers who have power to spare but might be in desperate need of speed, Nunez could be worth targeting on the waiver wire.

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Seattle Mariners first baseman/outfielder Luke Raley (forearm) is sitting out for a third straight game due to a forearm injury in Tuesday's game against the division-rival Los Angeles Angels, per MLB.com. Weston Wilson is making the start in right field for the M's and is batting ninth against Angels right-hander Jose Soriano. Raley remains day-to-day for now, and it's unclear if his forearm injury is serious enough to land him on the 10-day injured list. The left-handed-hitting slugger has been pretty beat up of late and has hit just .125 (7-for-56) with a homer, two doubles, four RBI, three runs scored, four walks, and 20 strikeouts in 19 games played during June. Raley is now only rostered in 13% of Yahoo leagues after his tough month of June. His upside is limited in mixed fantasy leagues because he's in a platoon in Seattle's outfield against right-handed pitchers. Despite a .283 average (49-for-206) on the year, Raley does have some value for his left-handed pop (14 homers) in the right matchups when he's in the starting lineup.

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Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager (back) exited Tuesday's game early against the Cleveland Guardians with back discomfort, according to Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News. Seager was unable to get loose and was removed from the contest before even taking an at-bat. Cameron Cauley will take over at the 6 in Cleveland. The severity of Seager's back injury is unknown right now, but for an aging player who has already been on the injured list multiple times in 2026, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Texas shut the 32-year-old down going into July. In addition to injuries limiting Seager to 50 games in his 12th year in the big leagues, he has hit a disappointing .182/.292/.374 with a career-worst .667 OPS, 10 home runs, 25 RBI, 28 runs scored, and a stolen base in 219 plate appearances. Although he has walked 12.8% of the time, Seager is also sporting a career-worst 26.9% strikeout rate. Check back for an update on Seager's status, which should come no later than Wednesday morning.

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Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani will not pitch in Wednesday's series finale in Sacramento against the Athletics and will be pushed back to start in Friday's game at home against the division-rival San Diego Padres, according to Katie Woo of The Athletic. The Dodgers will go with a bullpen game on Wednesday at Sutter Health Park. Ohtani will have a final start in the first half of the season on July 10 against the division-rival Arizona Diamondbacks. The 31-year-old four-time MVP and five-time All-Star has been outstanding on the mound for the Dodgers in 2026, going 8-2 with a 1.58 ERA (2.56 FIP) and 0.90 WHIP with 86 strikeouts and 24 walks in 79 1/3 innings pitched across his 13 starts. Ohtani has been a bit more vulnerable on the mound lately, though, allowing 11 runs (nine earned) on 18 hits (one homer) while walking six and striking out 19 in 18 2/3 frames in his last three starts. In his first meeting with the Friars on May 20, Ohtani threw five shutout innings with two walks and only four K's for his fourth win of the year. Despite being a bit more human of late as a pitcher, Ohtani should be considered a must-start this Friday in L.A. against a weak Padres offense.

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San Francisco Giants shortstop Willy Adames (back) is sitting out for the second straight game on Tuesday against the division-rival Arizona Diamondbacks due to back spasms, according to MLB.com. Casey Schmitt will make the start at the 6 again and will bat third in the order versus D-backs right-hander Brandon Pfaadt. Adames left Sunday's contest against the Philadelphia Phillies early with back spasms and hasn't played since. For now, he's being considered day-to-day. Fantasy managers will want to check back on Wednesday to see if Adames is active for the series finale in the desert. If he doesn't play on Wednesday, Adames' next chance to play will be in Friday's series opener in Denver against the Colorado Rockies after a day off on Thursday. The 30-year-old Dominican is hitting just .231 (74-for-321) on the year, but he's on track for a third straight 30-homer campaign with 14 long balls in 81 games played. Adames will be glad to see the calendar flip to July, as he went 17-for-86 (.198) with six homers, three doubles, nine RBI, 12 runs, seven walks, and 26 strikeouts in 23 games in June.

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The Toronto Blue Jays announced that first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (back) has been scratched from Tuesday's starting lineup against the visiting New York Mets due to back tightness. Sean Keys will make the start at first base for Toronto and will bat cleanup against Mets right-hander Nolan McLean. It's a bit concerning for Guerrero's fantasy managers after he left last Friday's game against the Chicago Cubs early with a back injury. The 27-year-old Canadian returned the very next day, but his back issue has cropped up again, which means he's likely to sit out at least a few days this time around. Perhaps the five-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger winner hasn't been fully healthy for much of the first half of the season, which would help explain his .268/.347/.348 slash line with a .695 OPS, only four home runs, 34 RBI, 45 runs scored, and six stolen bases in his 299 at-bats. For now, we'll consider Vladdy day-to-day, but this could quickly turn into an injured-list situation if he is unable to return to the Jays' lineup by this weekend.

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The Miami Marlins announced that they activated catcher/first baseman Liam Hicks (back) from the 10-day injured list. Hicks is starting at first base and is batting leadoff for the Fish on Tuesday on the road against the Colorado Rockies and right-hander Tanner Gordon at hitter-friendly Coors Field. Fantasy managers will want to get the 27-year-old Canadian back in their starting lineups immediately. It's a great week for him to return from the IL with games in Denver and at hitter-friendly Sutter Health Park in Sacramento this weekend. The former ninth-rounder by the Texas Rangers in 2021 out of Arkansas State University is having a breakout campaign in 2026, slashing .278/.359/.472 with an .831 OPS, 13 home runs, 53 RBI, 40 runs scored, and a stolen base in his 248 at-bats in just his second year in the majors. In just three career at-bats against Gordon, Hicks has a home run and two RBI. Fantasy managers have caught on and added Hicks before he landed on the IL. He's now rostered in 83% of Yahoo leagues.

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Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona said that middle infielder Matt McLain worked out in center field on Tuesday, according to FOX 19's Charlie Goldsmith. The Reds have a need in center field with both Blake Dunn (elbow) and Dane Myers (shoulder) going on the injured list recently, and McLain could give them a right-handed bat at the position to close out the first half of the season. The 26-year-old former 17th overall pick in 2021 out of UCLA is batting just .199/.303/.344 with a .646 OPS, eight home runs, 25 RBI, 31 runs scored, and 11 stolen bases across 256 at-bats in his third year in the big leagues, leading to rookie Edwin Arroyo taking over the majority of the playing time at the keystone in 2026. McLain moving to center field would open up another avenue for him to get into Cincy's lineup, but it remains to be seen if he'll see enough starts there to gain outfield eligibility in fantasy leagues. TJ Friedly is starting in center and batting ninth for the Reds on Tuesday against the division-rival Milwaukee Brewers and right-hander Brandon Sproat.

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Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona said that right-hander Hunter Greene (elbow) will come off the 60-day injured list to make his 2026 season debut on Saturday versus the Baltimore Orioles, according to Charlie Goldsmith of FOX 19. The hard-throwing former second overall pick threw 82 pitches in 6 1/3 scoreless innings in his final minor-league rehab start on Sunday with Triple-A Louisville, and he didn't allow a single run in 14 1/3 minor-league innings while striking out 13 and walking two during his three rehab starts. Greene has been on the IL since having surgery on March 11 to remove bone spurs from his right elbow, but he's finally ready to rejoin the Reds' starting rotation. Since he shouldn't be facing any restrictions with his workload on the Fourth of July, fantasy managers should be looking to throw him right into the fire against the O's, a team that ranks third in strikeouts in 2026. Green is rostered in 73% of Yahoo leagues and is an absolute must-add anywhere he's still available. He has the potential to be a fantasy ace in the second half of the season.

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The Kansas City Royals announced on Tuesday that right-hander Stephen Kolek has been transferred from the paternity list to the family medical emergency list. Kolek missed his last start on Friday in a matchup against the Chicago White Sox, and he could now miss another start this Thursday against the Tampa Bay Rays. It's unclear if his move to the family medical emergency list is at all related to his paternity leave, and it's unclear when Kolek might rejoin KC's starting rotation. The 29-year-old former 11th-round pick by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2018 out of Texas A&M University has only made nine starts (52 innings) in 2026 in his first full season with the Royals, going 4-2 with a 4.15 ERA (4.54 FIP) and 1.19 WHIP with 34 strikeouts and 11 walks. With a career strikeout rate of just 16.9%, Kolek is primarily a low-upside, matchup-based streamer in deeper fantasy baseball leagues. If he rejoins the team soon and starts on Thursday against Tampa, we wouldn't recommend using him as a streamer.

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Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz (shoulder) is serving as the team's designated hitter and is batting leadoff for Tuesday's contest in Kansas City against Royals left-hander Noah Cameron, according to MLB.com. Jonathan Aranda is starting at first base and batting second. Diaz was pulled from Sunday's series finale against the Arizona Diamondbacks with a strained left shoulder, but he's back in there for Tuesday's series opener against KC after a scheduled day off on Monday. Fantasy managers will want to get him back into their starting lineups in all traditional formats, especially with how well he has swung the bat in June. The 34-year-old Cuban veteran has gone 36-for-92 (.391) with a homer, six doubles, 15 RBI, and 14 runs scored in 25 games and 109 plate appearances, boosting his season slash line to .336/.416/.515 with a .932 OPS. Diaz is also hitting .400 with a .900 OPS and an RBI in a small sample size of five career at-bats against Cameron.

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New York Yankees left-hander Max Fried (elbow) will throw another live batting practice session on Sunday, manager Aaron Boone told Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. Fried threw a two-inning simulated game at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday for the first time since going on the injured list in mid-May and apparently didn't suffer any setbacks. If he has another successful live session on Sunday, the Yankees could clear him to start a minor-league rehab assignment. The 32-year-old southpaw and three-time All-Star is making good progress, but fantasy managers shouldn't expect him to be a realistic option to rejoin New York's starting rotation until after the All-Star break in mid-July. He has been a must-start since joining the Yankees before last season, going 23-8 with a 2.94 ERA (2.98 FIP) and 1.08 WHIP with 239 strikeouts and 70 walks in 257 innings pitched across his 42 starts. Fried was 4-3 this year with a 3.21 ERA (2.71 FIP), 1.00 WHIP, and 50:19 K:BB in 61 2/3 innings across 10 starts before going on the IL with an elbow injury.

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Updating a previous report, Atlanta Braves manager Walt Weiss said on Tuesday that it's a "long shot" that outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (hamstring) will return before the All-Star break in mid-July, according to Chad Bishop of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Acuna is going through a full pre-game workout at Truist Park on Tuesday, but the Braves aren't going to rush him back after his second stint on the injured list this year with a strained left hamstring. It means that Eli White should continue to see regular playing time in Atlanta's outfield to close out the first half of the 2026 campaign. Acuna's fantasy managers must remain patient and hope he's ready to roll right after the All-Star break, which runs from Monday, July 13, through Thursday, July 16. The five-time All-Star and former MVP hasn't lived up to expectations so far this year with a .251/.373/.421 slash line, .793 OPS, seven home runs, 22 RBI, 15 steals, and 31 runs scored in his 53 games played across 236 plate appearances. Acuna has league-winning five-category upside when healthy, but he hasn't played in over 100 games since 2023.

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Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton (hip) is sitting out of the team's starting lineup on Tuesday versus the Houston Astros at Daikin Park, according to MLB.com. Ryan Kreidler is starting in center field and will hit seventh for the Twins against Astros right-hander Mike Burrows. Buxton will miss the first two games of the series in Houston after an MRI exam showed a right-hip impingement. For now, we'll consider the All-Star outfielder to be day-to-day. If he doesn't return for Wednesday's series finale against the Astros, Buxton's next chance to play will be in Friday's series opener in the Bronx against the New York Yankees after a scheduled day off on Thursday. The 32-year-old veteran has been money for fantasy managers again in 2026 and has managed to stay healthy, slashing .268/.325/.573 with an .898 OPS, 25 home runs, 43 RBI, 56 runs scored, and seven stolen bases in his 302 at-bats. After setting new career highs with 35 home runs and 83 RBI in 126 games last year, Buxton is on pace to best those numbers if he can stay healthy the rest of the way.

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The Milwaukee Brewers announced on Tuesday that they optioned left-hander Robert Gasser to the rookie-level Arizona Complex League and selected the contract of right-hander Garrett Stallings from Triple-A Nashville in a corresponding move. Gasser is being sent to the lower levels of the minors for a bit after allowing three earned runs on seven hits (one homer) while walking one and striking out five in 5 2/3 innings against the division-rival Cincinnati Reds on Monday for a no-decision in the team's 5-3 victory. In his third year in the majors, the 27-year-old former second-round pick in 2021 by the San Diego Padres out of the University of Houston has gone 1-3 with a 4.54 ERA (4.98 FIP) and 1.29 WHIP with 36 strikeouts and 13 walks in 35 2/3 innings across his seven starts. Gasser's 23.4% strikeout rate and 8.4% walk rate are improvements from last season, and he should be a candidate to re-enter Milwaukee's rotation in the second half of the season after the mid-July All-Star break.

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