Toronto Blue Jays rookie catcher Brandon Valenzuela has impressed with his bat, glove, and arm in his first year in the big leagues in 2026. Offensively, Valenzuela has exceeded expectations with a .254/.338/.454 slash line, .792 OPS, seven home runs, 18 RBI, 17 runs scored, and a stolen base across his first 47 games and 149 plate appearances. The 25-year-old also has above-average arm strength behind the dish and has been solid defensively for the Jays while helping fill in after Alejandro Kirk fractured his thumb. The Mexican native has gone 9-for-28 (.321) at the plate with three home runs, two RBI, eight RBI, and four runs scored in nine games in June, but with Kirk now back from the injured list, Valenzuela's playing time is quickly drying up. Valenzuela definitely has earned more opportunities in his rookie season, but those chances might be fewer and further between with Kirk now healthy. He's currently rostered in 9% of leagues and is merely a catcher handcuff to keep stashed in deep two-catcher fantasy leagues.

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St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar didn't make his 2026 season debut until June 5 after having surgery on both of his heels in the offseason. The 28-year-old left-handed-hitting outfielder has appeared in 12 games and has gone 11-for-41 (.268) with two home runs, two doubles, six RBI, seven runs scored, seven walks, and 13 strikeouts in his 49 plate appearances. He has only had nine plate appearances against lefty pitchers, though, and he was out of the starting lineup again on Thursday against the Kansas City Royals for the third time that the Cardinals have faced a traditional southpaw starter. Nootbaar has teased multi-category upside in his first five seasons in the big leagues, but injuries have held him back, and he's never exceeded 14 home runs, 48 RBI, or 11 stolen bases for the Red Birds. The Cardinals are most likely easing Nootbaar in this year after his long absence, so he won't necessarily be in a strict platoon going into the second half of the season. With better health in both of his feet, Nootbaar could finally be ready to break out the rest of the way, making him worth a waiver flier in deeper mixed fantasy leagues. He's rostered in just 5% of Yahoo leagues right now.

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The Atlanta Braves acquired catcher Joey Bart (foot) from the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday night in exchange for right-hander Hunter Stratton, according to the team. To make room on the 40-man roster, the Braves designated catcher Sandy Leon for assignment. Bart has been on the injured list for over a month with a foot infection, but he is currently on a minor-league rehab assignment and looks ready to make his debut with Atlanta sooner rather than later. Drake Baldwin is the unquestioned starter for the Braves behind the dish, but Bart figures to serve as the team's backup with Sean Murphy (finger) still recovering from a broken finger that is expected to keep him out into the second half of the 2026 season. The move doesn't really make the 29-year-old Bart anymore attractive in deeper fantasy baseball leagues. Bart hit a career-high 13 home runs and drove in 45 runs in 80 games in his first year with the Pirates in 2024 after being acquired from the San Francisco Giants, but he had just four homers and 30 RBI in 93 games last year. Before going on the IL with his foot injury this year, he was hitting .259/.290/.379 with two homers, six RBI, two walks, and 21 K's in 21 games played.

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New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto has been red-hot at the plate recently, and it continued in the team's 6-4 win on the road in Philadelphia on Thursday night against the division-rival Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Soto went 2-for-4 at the plate with two solo home runs and a walk to boost his season average to .300 and his OPS to .980. The 27-year-old Dominican hit both of his home runs in his first two at-bats of the game to set the tone for the Metropolitans. It was his second multi-homer game of the season. The four-time All-Star and six-time Silver Slugger winner missed time this year with a calf injury, but other than that, he's been excellent despite the Mets' terrible season. Soto is now hitting .300/.398/.582 with 17 home runs, 38 RBI, 36 runs scored, and six stolen bases in his 249 plate appearances. And in his last eight games, he's been even better, going 14-for-29 (.483) with three long balls. As always, Soto is a must-start in all fantasy lineups as long as he's healthy.

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Texas Rangers outfielder Joc Pederson has been putting together a solid stretch of play lately. Over the last week. Pederson is slashing .357/.438/.571 with one home run and two RBI. He owns a .984 OPS over the last month of action. At this point in his career, Pederson is strictly a platoon bat, but that doesn't mean he can't offer fantasy value. He has blasted nine homers this season with 25 RBI and 28 walks in 68 games. The 34-year-old has enough pop in his bat to warrant looking at in deep leagues right now. His nine long balls have already matched his season total from a year ago. Fantasy managers should scoop him up while he's hot at the plate.

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Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Jose Soriano (chest) was scratched ahead of his scheduled start against the Athletics on Thursday. Soriano is dealing with chest tightness and leg soreness, so the team will give him another day to rest. Angels' manager Kurt Suzuki confirmed on Thursday that Soriano will take the ball against the Athletics on Friday. It looks like they wanted to give Soriano an extra day to get 100 percent healthy. Soriano was unhittable to begin the season, but he has come back down to Earth. Over the last nine starts, Soriano has a 4.74 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, and a 43:26 K:BB ratio. Fantasy managers should get him back in their lineups ahead of Friday's game.

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Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (knee) was forced to make an early exit from Thursday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals. Witt appears to have suffered a right knee injury when he landed awkwardly while trying to make a play in the fourth inning. He was replaced by Tyler Tolbert shortly after that. Before leaving the game, Witt went 2-for-2 at the plate with a home run and two RBI. The team is calling it right knee discomfort, which means Witt should be considered day-to-day right now. The Royals could have Witt undergo further testing. Fantasy managers should check back for another update on Friday, but Tolbert could see more action at shortstop for a few days.

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Chicago Cubs catcher Moises Ballesteros was optioned to Triple-A Iowa on Thursday. The struggling slugger will head to the minor leagues and hopefully work out some kinks. This season, Ballesteros is slashing .231/.303/.385 with six home runs, 23 RBI, and 17 walks in 59 games. Over the last 34 games, Ballesteros is hitting .128 with one homer and seven RBI, so a reset could be needed. The Cubs haven't made a corresponding move, but will need to do that ahead of Friday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays. The expectation is that the Cubs will likely mix in different options at designated hitter with Ballesteros in Triple-A.

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Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Hunter Greene (elbow) is set to begin a minor league rehab assignment with rookie level Arizona Complex League on Thursday. Greene has yet to pitch this season after having surgery to remove bone chips from his right elbow. He has finally been cleared to begin a rehab assignment after a few successful bullpen sessions. The right-hander will likely need several rehab starts before rejoining the Reds' rotation. Greene is heading in the right direction, but likely won't make his MLB debut until some point in July.

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New York Yankees infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. (groin) was pulled from Thursday's contest against the Chicago White Sox in the fourth inning after fouling a ball off his groin area, according to Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News. Chisholm fell to the ground and was eventually removed from the game after a trainer came out to check on him. Before leaving early, Chisholm went 0-for-1 at the plate in the Bronx in the series finale against the Pale Hose. He was replaced at second base by Jose Caballerlo, who moved over from shortstop. We should know more about the 28-year-old's status shortly, but for now, we'll consider him day-to-day. Chisholm came into Thursday's contest with a weak .229 batting average (57-for-249) and .317 on-base percentage, but he's also one of just a few players in the league already with 10 home runs and 20 stolen bases in his first 69 games played. He's also added 30 RBI and 37 runs scored in his 284 plate appearances and is rostered in 99% of Yahoo leagues as the top fantasy second baseman.

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Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman (head) was hit in the side of the helmet by an errant throw while trying to beat out a groundball on the infield with one out in the ninth inning in Thursday's 3-0 loss in Seattle to the Mariners, according to Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun. Rutschman was noticeably shaken up and left the game with a trainer, likely to be checked for a concussion. The 28-year-old switch-hitting backstop went 0-for-4 at the plate on the day with two strikeouts to drop his season average to .254 and his OPS to .787. At the very least, Rutschman most likely won't be in the starting lineup for Friday's series opener in Los Angeles against the Dodgers, and if he has a concussion, he'll likely land on the seven-day injured list. The good news for the O's is that they have a more than capable catcher already on the roster in Samuel Basallo to pick up the slack if Rutschman misses extended time. Rutschman is universally rostered in fantasy for his power and run production at the weak position of catcher. He came into Thursday's series finale at T-Mobile Park with a .259/.335/.467 slash line, eight homers, 40 RBI, and 26 runs scored in 197 at-bats.

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Los Angeles Angels right-hander Jose Soriano (chest) has been scratched from his scheduled start in Sacramento on Thursday night against the division-rival Athletics due to a chest injury, according to MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger. Ryan Johnson was called up from Double-A Rocket City to make the start against the A's in Soriano's place. The 27-year-old Soriano complained of chest and leg injuries during his last start on Saturday against the Tampa Bay Rays, and he apparently still isn't feeling great. It's unclear at this time if Soriano's injuries are serious enough to send him to the injured list. Fantasy managers will want to check back later on Thursday night or early on Friday for more information on his status. The Dominican hurler has gone 8-4 with a 2.79 ERA (3.88 FIP) and 1.23 WHIP with 92 strikeouts and a league-high 42 walks in 87 innings across his 15 starts in 2026 in his fourth year in the majors. Soriano was nearly unhittable in the first month-plus of the season, but he has come back to Earth in his last eight starts since May 4, posting a 4.67 ERA (4.88 FIP), 43 strikeouts, and 26 walks in 44 1/3 frames. His sell-high window has closed quickly.

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Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner (calf) left Thursday night's game against the division-rival New York Mets early at Citizens Bank Park after he was hit by a pitch in his right calf in the bottom of the first inning, according to Paul Casella of MLB.com. It's the second time this week that Turner left early after being hit by a pitch. Turner initially stayed in the game after being hit and came around to score in the first frame, but he was eventually replaced at the 6 by Edmundo Sosa. The severity of the 32-year-old three-time All-Star's injury is unknown as of right now, but we'll consider him day-to-day until we know more. The fact that Turner stayed in the game initially leads us to believe that he should be alright. In his 12th year in the big leagues, Turner has shown signs of decline at the plate, as he entered Thursday's clash with the Mets with a .223/.274/.334 slash line, career-low .608 OPS, seven home runs, 21 RBI, 15 stolen bases, and 42 runs scored in 72 contests over 318 plate appearances. If Turner is forced to the injured list, Sosa would take over as the Phillies' starting shortstop.

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With All-Star outfielder Mike Trout (hamstring) going on the 10-day injured list on Thursday, the Los Angeles Angels are calling up second baseman Christian Moore from Triple-A Salt Lake in a corresponding move, according to The Athletic's Sam Blum. Moore was drafted as a second baseman and has seen most of his time in the minors at the keystone, but he had recently been playing left field with the Bees and is starting in left field on Thursday against the division-rival Athletics and rookie left-hander Gage Jump in his first game back in the big leagues. The 23-year-old former eighth overall pick in 2024 out of the University of Tennessee rose quickly through the Angels' farm system and made his major-league debut in 2025, but he hit under .200 with a .284 on-base percentage, .655 OPS, seven home runs, 16 RBI, 20 runs, three steals, and a 33.7% strikeout rate in 53 games played. Moore hit .333/.468/.585 with a 1.053 OPS, nine homers, 45 RBI, 55 runs, and 10 steals in 51 games at Salt Lake before his call-up. For his power alone, Moore is worth a look off the waiver wire in deeper fantasy leagues, and he could gain outfield eligibility fairly soon.

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Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout (hamstring) is heading to the 10-day injured list with a hamstring injury, sources told Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. In a corresponding move, the Angels are calling up infielder Christian Moore. It's unclear exactly how serious Trout's injury is, but he'll be on the shelf until at least June 28 with yet another injury. The 34-year-old three-time MVP and 11-time All-Star has had a resurgent 2026 season to this point, and he was in the midst of an eight-game hitting streak with three home runs, five RBI, seven runs, and two steals before landing on the IL. In his 16th year in the big leagues, Trout has hit .234/.394/.472 with an .866 OPS, 17 home runs, 36 RBI, a league-leading 54 runs scored, and seven stolen bases across 74 games and 335 plate appearances. If his hamstring injury isn't that serious, Trout could return to the Angels before the All-Star break in mid-July. In the meantime, Jose Siri will likely start in center in Anaheim. Although Trout no longer hits for average, he can still contribute elsewhere, and he still gets on base plenty. Keep him stashed in an IL spot everywhere.

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Top New York Yankees prospect George Lombard Jr. (fingers) was placed on the seven-day injured list at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre with "a couple" sprained fingers on his left hand, according to Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News. Lombard was injured in Tuesday's game with the Rail Riders when a runner slid into his glove at second base. The good news is that aside from Lombard's sprained fingers, tests on his left hand came back clean. The Yankees have "no idea" how long Lombard might be out for. He's considered baseball's No. 18 prospect in 2026, and he's currently hitting .258 with an .833 OPS in 62 games this year with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Double-A Somerset, adding eight homers, 25 RBI, 12 steals, and 48 runs scored across 287 plate appearances. The 21-year-old should be stashed in dynasty/keeper leagues, and he could be an alternative option for the Bombers later this season at the 6 if they aren't happy with the combination of Anthony Volpe/Jose Caballero. In Yahoo leagues, Lombard is eligible at second base, third base, and shortstop, and he's rostered in only 4% of leagues.

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New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (calf) will start a minor-league rehab assignment for Double-A Binghamton on Friday, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post. It lines up with a previous report that the Mets expect Lindor to return from the 10-day injured list before the end of June. The 32-year-old five-time All-Star and four-time Silver Slugger has been sidelined since the end of April with a left-calf strain, but he's nearing his return to the major-league roster. When Lindor returns to Queens, he'll resume starting duties at shortstop, allowing the Mets to move Bichette back to third base. It will mean less frequent playing time for the left-handed-hitting Brett Baty. Before landing on the IL, Lindor was hitting just .226 (21-for-93) with two home runs, five RBI, 14 runs scored, and two stolen bases for the Mets in his first 24 games played. Although it wasn't a great start, Lindor still has plenty of time to turn things around in 2026, and he should be rostered everywhere.

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Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers (hand) has been running, throwing, lifting weights, doing catching drills, and, as of June 10, taking dry swings, according to MLB.com. Jeffers landed on the 10-day injured list on May 19 with a left-hamate bone fracture in his hand and had surgery on May 20. His next steps will be determined by how he handles his current workload. The next step for the left-handed-hitting backstop will be to gain clearance to face live pitching. After that, he'll likely require a minor-league rehab assignment before returning to the major-league roster. At this time, it's unclear if Jeffers will have enough time to make it back before the All-Star break in mid-July. Before fracturing his hand, the 29-year-old former second-rounder in 2018 out of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington was hitting a strong .295 (36-for-122) with seven home runs, 26 RBI, 26 runs scored, and a stolen base as the Twins' primary catcher. At the moment, he's only rostered in 30% of Yahoo leagues while he rehabs. With Jeffers out, Victor Caratini and Alex Jackson have been sharing time behind the plate in Minnesota.

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The Detroit Tigers are calling up outfield prospect Trei Cruz to the big leagues on Thursday after placing utility man Wenceel Perez (face) on the 10-day injured list, a source told Ari Alexander of 7 News. Cruz is the son of former big-leaguer Jose Cruz Jr. and the grandson of Jose Cruz. He becomes a third-generation big-leaguer now that he's in the majors for the first time. The 27-year-old Canadian native will give manager A.J. Hinch plenty of options off the bench for however long he's up in the majors. Cruz, a former third-round pick in 2020 out of Rice University, has hit just .225/.331/.326 with a .657 OPS, two home runs, 17 RBI, 20 runs scored, and a stolen base in 38 games in 2026 with Single-A Lakeland and Toledo. His biggest strength is his versatility, being able to hit from both sides and play pretty much every position on the diamond (he has experience everywhere except catcher, pitcher, and first base). MLB Pipeline has Cruz listed as Detroit's No. 22 prospect. What Cruz lacks in power, he makes up for with a mature approach at the plate and a high hard-hit rate. Most likely, Cruz will be a bench player for the Tigers.

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Kansas City Royals infielder/outfielder Maikel Garcia (hand) remains sidelined for Thursday's series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals, according to MLB.com. Nick Loftin will make another start at the hot corner for KC and will bat seventh against Cardinals left-hander Matthew Liberatore. Garcia is dealing with soreness in his left hand and will miss a second straight game. It's an injury that he has been dealing with for a while now, and it's unclear if it's serious enough to land him on the injured list. Fantasy managers will want to check back on Friday to see if Garcia is back in action. The 26-year-old Venezuelan has hit .257 (9-for-35) in 11 games in June with a double, a triple, nine RBI, four runs scored, and a stolen base through 39 plate appearances. Garcia is rostered in most fantasy leagues because of his ability to contribute across all categories, although his counting stats have been lacking a bit so far in 2026. He enters Thursday's game with a .266/.326/.378 slash line, .705 OPS, only three home runs, 30 RBI, 32 runs scored, and five steals in his 259 at-bats for the Royals.

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