Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Shane Bieber (elbow) was activated from the 60-day injured list on Tuesday and is set to make his 2026 season debut against the Houston Astros. The 31-year-old completed five minor-league rehab starts and reached 80 pitches over five innings in his final appearance. Bieber struggled during that outing, allowing five earned runs on seven hits, four walks, and two home runs while striking out two. However, the control issues appear to have been an outlier after he issued only one walk across his previous four rehab starts. His fastball also averaged 91.8 mph and reached 93 mph, placing his velocity near its usual range. Bieber went 4-2 with a 3.57 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and a 37:7 K:BB over 40 1/3 innings after returning from Tommy John surgery last season. He is already rostered in 62% of Yahoo leagues, but Bieber should be treated as a top waiver-wire pickup wherever he remains available. He should provide reliable ratios, even when his workload is limited.

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Colorado Rockies infielder/outfielder Willi Castro has become an increasingly useful waiver-wire option through his recent production and extensive positional eligibility. The 29-year-old is batting .275/.349/.395 with five home runs, 32 RBI, 33 runs, and five stolen bases across 233 at-bats this season. He has been especially productive over his last 30 games, hitting .311/.403/.447 with three homers, 16 RBI, 12 runs, and two steals. Castro is eligible at first base, second base, third base, shortstop, and outfield in Yahoo leagues, giving fantasy managers valuable lineup flexibility. His improved 42.5% hard-hit rate (compared to the 37.3% last season) provides some support for his recent production, although a 5.4% barrel rate limits his projected home-run ceiling. Castro's 52% Yahoo roster rate still leaves him available in nearly half of leagues, where his balanced production and broad eligibility can address several roster needs.

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Seattle Mariners pitching prospect Kade Anderson is making Double-A look easy at this point, cruising through six innings in his latest start where he did not allow a run, yielding only two hits and a walk while striking out eight batters. It was the fifth consecutive start in which the lefty did not allow a run, a stretch of 27 2/3 innings, and he's also struck out at least six batters in each of those contests, with 39 strikeouts compared to just three walks. The former third-overall draft pick owns a pristine 1.02 ERA, 0.65 WHIP, and an elite 37.4 percent K-BB%, all of which are tops in the minor leagues out of all pitchers who have thrown at least 50 innings. The Mariners have made it known that the southpaw is not part of their immediate plans in the major league rotation, but a test at Triple-A certainly appears to be on the horizon, and while a major league debut does not appear to be imminent, this kind of elite performance makes the 21-year-old a top pitching stash thanks to his high-strikeout upside coupled with strong command. Stash in an NA spot if available.

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Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena (hamstring) is not in the starting lineup for Tuesday's game at the Toronto Blue Jays after suffering a right-hamstring cramp in Monday's series opener, according to MLB.com. Raynel Delgado will start at shortstop and will bat ninth for the Astros against Blue Jays veteran right-hander Shane Bieber (elbow), who is making his first start of the 2026 season. Manager Joe Espada said that Pena will be available off the bench on Tuesday, which means his hamstring injury isn't considered very serious. It sounds like Pena has a good shot to return to Houston's starting lineup on Wednesday. The Astros can ill-afford to lose Pena for any more time this year with Carlos Correa (ankle) already out for the season. The 28-year-old Dominican shortstop has only 161 at-bats so far in 2026 but is currently hitting a strong .286/.345/.453 with a .798 OPS, six home runs, 18 RBI, 29 runs, and seven stolen bases. Fantasy managers will want to check back on Wednesday to see if he's ready to return to action.

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Minnesota Twins right-handed pitcher Yoendrys Gomez has worked his way into the center of the club's ninth-inning picture and should be rostered more widely in fantasy leagues. The 26-year-old owns a 3.65 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 35 strikeouts, and seven saves across 37 innings and 31 appearances this season. Those overall ratios are weighed down by a difficult nine-game stretch with Tampa Bay, where Gomez recorded a 6.23 ERA before being designated for assignment. Since joining Minnesota, Gomez has registered a 1.37 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, and 22 strikeouts over 19 2/3 innings while converting all six of his save opportunities. Manager Derek Shelton has not named an official closer, but Gomez has regularly handled the ninth inning with games on the line. A slightly lower arm slot and increased sweeper usage have helped drive his turnaround, with opponents batting .158 and slugging .184 against the pitch. Gomez is rostered in only 23% of Yahoo leagues, making him a priority pickup in 12-team formats for managers searching for saves.

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Miami Marlins outfield prospect Kemp Alderman has looked a bit rusty since returning from the injured list, going 3-for-19 (.158) in the five games since rejoining Triple-A Jacksonville. The Marlins' eighth-ranked prospect missed about a month with a fractured wrist, and had been hitting well before the injury, still sitting with a solid .287/.365/.503 slash line, even including the last five unproductive games. The concerning part is the fact that 50 percent of his plate appearances since his return have been strikeouts (11 out of 22), so he'll need to get that under control before he starts hitting for average again. Once he does, though, an MLB debut may not be too far off. Last season, the former second-rounder hit 22 home runs and stole 22 bases, and has shown that ability so far this year with 10 long balls and five steals through 45 games. If he can get back on track, the 23-year-old could be stash-worthy in deeper leagues for his ability to be a multi-category contributor on a team that has been hot lately, with the best record in June so far (14-4).

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The Kansas City Royals placed third baseman Maikel Garcia (hand) on the 10-day injured list with a left-hand muscle strain. Garcia had been dealing with lingering soreness before aggravating the injury during a June 16 game against the Washington Nationals. He missed three games, returned for two contests, and went 1-for-9 before Kansas City opted for an injured-list stint. The 26-year-old is batting .261/.320/.373 with three home runs, 30 RBI, 32 runs, and five stolen bases across 69 games this season. The Royals recalled infielder Josh Rojas from Triple-A Omaha in the corresponding move. Rojas could see time at third base while Garcia is sidelined, but he's best to be left on the waiver wire as he held a .180 AVG over 69 games in the majors last summer.

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Arizona Diamondbacks left-handed pitching prospect Mitch Bratt has joined the club's taxi squad and is expected to be activated to make his major-league debut against the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday. The 22-year-old is ranked as the No. 14 prospect in Arizona's system by MLB Pipeline. Bratt has gone 1-1 with a 2.84 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and 42 strikeouts across 44 1/3 innings and 11 starts for Triple-A Reno. His strong command has been the foundation of his success, although his arsenal is built more around location and pitch mixing than overpowering velocity. The left-hander recently returned from an injured-list stint caused by shoulder inflammation and allowed two runs over four innings while working on a limited pitch count. He may therefore have a restricted workload during his debut. Bratt is expected to fill the rotation opening created by Michael Soroka's glute injury, but Arizona has not guaranteed him an extended stay. He is worth a speculative addition in deeper leagues, while standard-league managers should monitor his workload and initial performance before using a roster spot.

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Miami Marlins first base prospect Deyvison De Los Santos stayed hot on Sunday, going 3-for-5 and extending his current hit streak to seven games, during which time he's gone 13-for-29 (.448) with three doubles, two home runs, and a pair of stolen bases. The latest hot stretch has pushed his season-long slash line to .273/.325/.445 with eight home runs and 11 steals. Last year at Triple-A, the powerful slugger recorded a 22.4 percent strikeout rate, but has lowered that to 18.8 percent in 2026, which should help make his case for a return to the majors. The 6-foot-1 Dominican made a brief three-game debut with the Marlins at the beginning of this season, going 2-for-7 with three strikeouts during his time there. The 23-year-old blasted 40 home runs in 2024, and though his power took a step back last year (12 home runs), he's still got an average exit velocity of 90.1 mph and a max EV this year of 113.1 mph (93rd percentile), so he's still hitting it hard. The right-handed hitter could get the call to the majors again soon, and with his home run upside and improved strikeout rate, along with the potential to add some steals, he makes for a solid stash option in deeper leagues.

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Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said that he doesn't expect left-hander Justin Steele (elbow) to start games this season, according to Bruce Levine of Marquee Sports Network. Hoyer pointed toward a healthy 2027 season for Steele but didn't rule out Steele helping in a relief role at some point late in the summer. The 30-year-old southpaw had surgery on his UCL last May and suffered a setback in late April when he was diagnosed with a flexor strain in his left arm. Steele resumed throwing on Monday, but fantasy managers can't count on him to be an asset as a starter this season, which won't make him stash-worthy in the majority of formats. The former fifth-rounder in 2014 was a first-time All-Star for the Cubs in 2023 in his third year in the big leagues, and he has a 3.30 ERA (3.49 FIP), 1.21 WHIP, 24.4% strikeout rate, and 7.3% walk rate in 506 2/3 innings across 102 big-league appearances (91 starts) in his five seasons with the Cubs. Steele is rostered in only 8% of Yahoo leagues.

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The Cincinnati Reds officially activated shortstop Elly De La Cruz (hamstring) from the 10-day injured list on Tuesday and optioned outfielder Will Benson to Triple-A Louisville in a corresponding move, according to Charlie Goldsmith of FOX 19. Fantasy managers should be ready to get De La Cruz back into their starting lineups against the division-rival Milwaukee Brewers and right-hander Brandon Sproat on Tuesday. The 24-year-old has yet to play in June due to a strained right hamstring, but now that he's back, he'll return to being a must-start fantasy asset in all formats. Middle infielder Matt McLain will shift back to second base with De La Cruz back in the fold. De La Cruz is a five-category contributor as one of the elite athletes in the big leagues. He is returning to a .280/.346/.509 slash line with an .855 OPS, 12 home runs, 37 RBI, 10 stolen bases, and 40 runs scored across his 58 games played and 257 plate appearances. De La Cruz has had at least 22 homers and 37 stolen bases in his first two full MLB seasons.

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Cincinnati Reds right-handed reliever Emilio Pagan (hamstring) threw a 25-pitch live bullpen session on Monday and said he expects to start a minor-league rehab assignment on Thursday with Triple-A Louisville, according to C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic. The original plan was for Pagan to pitch in rehab games on Thursday and Saturday, but he's hoping he can return from the 15-day injured list sooner than that. The 35-year-old veteran is finally nearing a return to the back end of Cincy's bullpen after being sidelined since early May due to a Grade 2 left-hamstring strain that he suffered at Wrigley Field against the division-rival Chicago Cubs. Right-handed reliever Tony Santillan has pitched better recently as manager Terry Francona's preferred closing option in the ninth inning, but the expectation is that Pagan will return to the closer's role when he returns from the IL, potentially this weekend. Even though Pagan wasn't exactly pitching well before his hamstring injury, he did have six saves in 15 outings, and he has 71 career saves in 10 big-league seasons. Pagan is rostered in 63% of Yahoo leagues. Fantasy managers in need of saves need to pick him up now.

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Chicago Cubs left-hander Matthew Boyd's (knee, shoulder) next start will be with the Cubs, manager Craig Counsell told Meghan Montemurro of The Chicago Tribune. It's unclear when Boyd's next start will come, but Thursday at the New York Mets is in play. However, things could change after the team's game against the Mets was postponed on Monday due to inclement weather. If Boyd is pushed back to this weekend, he'll have a much more difficult matchup on the road against the division-rival Milwaukee Brewers. The 35-year-old veteran southpaw will be a shaky fantasy play, regardless, in his first game back after being sidelined since early May after having surgery on his meniscus. Boyd then had a setback due to left-shoulder soreness that kept him sidelined even longer. After making the All-Star team for the first time in his career in 2025, Boyd has gone 2-1 for the Cubs this season with a 6.00 ERA (2.35 FIP), 1.29 WHIP, and 31:6 K:BB in 24 innings across five starts. Fantasy managers shouldn't expect him to be as good as he was in 2025, but Boyd still offers plenty of streaming potential as a crafty veteran with excellent command.

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After posting a .653 OPS across his first 129 plate appearances of the season, Miami Marlins catcher Agustin Ramirez was optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville in early May. Since his demotion, Ramirez has shown off his five-category upside, hitting .240/.309/.424 with six home runs, 17 RBI, 21 runs scored, and 11 stolen bases across 139 plate appearances. The 24-year-old also proved he can produce at the big-league level in 2025, hitting 21 home runs and stealing 16 bases across 585 plate appearances. Defense is the big question mark for Ramirez, who graded out as one of the worst defensive catchers in baseball last season. Still, Miami recently placed catcher/designated hitter Liam Hicks (back) on the 10-day injured list, which could be the opportunity Ramirez needs to get back to the Majors. Fantasy managers in need of upside at the catcher position may want to consider stashing Ramirez ahead of his impending return.

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Miami Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said that right-hander Eury Perez (thigh) felt great on Monday during his pitch design and was "sneezing 95," according to Marlins reporter Jeremy Tache. It sounds like Perez is getting close to coming off the 15-day injured list and rejoining the Marlins' starting rotation. The 23-year-old could be reinstated from the IL to start on Wednesday in a good matchup against the Texas Rangers as long as he recovers well from his throwing session on Monday. Perez has been sidelined for four weeks due to a right-gracilis muscle strain. Although a matchup against Texas this week is enticing for fantasy managers, keep in mind that Perez only threw 51 pitches in his lone minor-league rehab start, so he will likely be limited from a pitch-count perspective if he returns to the rotation this week. The Dominican hurler will be returning to a 3-6 record, 4.60 ERA (4.66 FIP), and 1.26 WHIP with 72 strikeouts and 28 walks in 62 2/3 innings across his 12 starts. Perez has a nice 27.2% strikeout rate this year, but he also carries a career-high 10.6% walk rate.

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Baltimore Orioles infielder/outfielder Blaze Alexander (knee) was pulled from Monday's game early against the Los Angeles Angels with discomfort in his right knee, according to Rich Dubroff of BaltimoreBaseball.com. Manager Craig Albernaz said that Alexander has a muscle contusion from fouling a ball off his knee, and it locked up on him when he sat down ahead of the third inning. Albernaz said Alexander will be fine, but he could be held out of the starting lineup for Tuesday's contest against the Angels. Alexander was hitless in his only at-bat on Monday with a strikeout before Coby Mayo replaced him at third base in the eventual 6-1 win in Anaheim. The 27-year-old should be considered day-to-day for now. Alexander has been a huge asset for the O's in 2026 in his first year in Baltimore, hitting .310 (53-for-171) with three home runs, 23 RBI, eight stolen bases, and 22 runs scored across 67 games played. He's eligible at second base, third base, shortstop, and the outfield in Yahoo leagues and is rostered in 18% of those formats.

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Boston Red Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet (shoulder, lat) won't resume throwing yet, interim manager Chad Tracy said on Monday. Crochet had a scheduled re-evaluation of his shoulder on Monday, which showed that he is "improving." However, it wasn't enough for Crochet to take the next step in his recovery. The 27-year-old southpaw has been on the injured list since late April with inflammation in his left shoulder, and he encountered a setback along the way in early June when he suffered a low-grade lat strain. Crochet said that his shoulder is the bigger issue. He has been throwing a plyometric ball while he rehabs, but he's not to the point where he can pick up a real baseball yet. We already know that Crochet will be out beyond the mid-July All-Star break, and we don't have a specific timetable for when he might be able to rejoin Boston's big-league starting rotation. The two-time All-Star has league-winning upside when fully healthy, but he's been a major disappointment in 2026 in his second year in Boston, posting a 6.30 ERA and 1.47 WHIP with 37 strikeouts in 30 innings over just six starts.

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Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena (hamstring) was pulled from Monday's game early against the Toronto Blue Jays with a cramp in his right hamstring, the team announced. Before leaving the contest, Pena was 1-for-2 at the plate with a run scored as the Astros' leadoff hitter. Raynel Delgado moved from third base to shortstop to fill in for Pena to finish out the 4-2 loss to Toronto at the Rogers Centre. Carlos Correa (ankle) is out for the season, and Nick Allen (hamstring) is also on the injured list, so if the 28-year-old Pena misses more time with his hamstring injury, the Astros' infield depth will be tested. It doesn't sound like a very serious injury for Pena, though, and he should be considered day-to-day for now. Check back later on Tuesday to see if he's available to return to the starting nine as the series in Toronto against the Jays continues. Pena has missed time with injuries already this year, but he's hitting a strong .286/.345/.453 with a .798 OPS, six homers, 18 RBI, seven steals, and 29 runs scored in his 42 games across 177 plate appearances.

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Entering 2026, San Diego Padres outfielder Samad Taylor had logged just 14 big league plate appearances since the start of 2024. However, the 27-year-old posted a .906 OPS across 222 Triple-A plate appearances to open the year, earning himself a promotion to the big leagues in early June. Taylor has performed well in a limited sample size since being called up, hitting .340/.400/.420 with one home run, eight RBI, 11 runs scored, and four stolen bases across 57 plate appearances. Taylor has struck out in 28.8% of his trips to the plate, so his batting average is likely to drop as his .485 batting average on balls in play regresses to the mean. Still, Taylor offers elite speed upside as long as he can hold onto a regular role. He stole 44 bases across 137 games at Triple-A in 2025 and 50 across 136 Triple-A games in 2024. For deeper league managers in need of speed, Taylor is a viable waiver wire target.

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The Minnesota Twins activated outfield prospect Walker Jenkins (shoulder) from the seven-day injured list at Triple-A St. Paul on Tuesday, according to Milb.com. Jenkins has been sidelined since May 3 with a Grade 2 AC joint sprain in his left shoulder, but he's expected to rejoin the Saints' starting lineup on Tuesday. Now that Jenkins is back in action, fantasy managers in deeper redraft leagues should consider stashing the Twins' top prospect with the first half of the season coming to an end soon. The 21-year-old former fifth overall pick in 2023 has hit an impressive .302/.422/.481 with a .903 OPS, four home runs, 12 RBI, 20 runs scored, and five stolen bases in just 29 games in 2026 with St. Paul, Single-A Fort Myers, and High-A Cedar Rapids. The 6-foot-3, 210-pounder has a smooth and repeatable swing from the left side of the plate and offers plus raw power potential for the long term in Minnesota. Jenkins is currently rostered in 5% of Yahoo leagues.

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