Kansas City Royals right-hander Alex Lange had a rough outing on Friday, allowing five earned runs while recording just one out in the seventh inning of his team's 22-1 loss to the Chicago White Sox. Lange has emerged as the primary closer in Kansas City, recording six saves in June. Entering play on Friday, the 30-year-old had allowed just two earned runs while notching 13 strikeouts across 10 innings pitched this month. The Royals were trailing 16-1 when Lange entered the game on Friday, which may help explain why he wasn't as locked in as he's been in recent appearances. Several of Kansas City's other high-leverage options, such as Lucas Erceg and John Schreiber, also allowed multiple earned runs on Friday in the blowout loss. Fantasy managers should take note of Lange's miserable showing, but should not necessarily panic given the circumstances.

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Colorado Rockies right-hander Antonio Senzatela logged his fourth blown save of 2026 on Friday, allowing three hits and an earned run in the ninth inning of his team's 9-8 loss to the Minnesota Twins. Senzatela's overall numbers for the season remain strong, as he's pitched to an 8-0 record with a 2.28 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 36 strikeouts, and three saves across 43 1/3 innings (24 games). However, the 31-year-old has hit a rough patch in June, posting a 5.23 ERA and a 1.74 WHIP across 10 1/3 innings this month. While Senzatela has notched four wins in June, he has not recorded a save since mid-May. The Rockies seem to prefer to deploy Senzatela in a fireman role rather than as a typical closer, which should continue to put him in a position to rack up wins but may bar him from future save opportunities. Senzatela also profiles as a prime trade candidate later this summer, and he's unlikely to close games for a contending team.

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Cincinnati Reds left-hander Caleb Ferguson picked up his first save of the season on Friday, allowing a hit and recording a strikeout while pitching a scoreless ninth inning in his team's 6-4 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Ferguson did not make his season debut until late May due to an oblique issue. He's pitched well since returning, recording a 1.32 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and 13 strikeouts across 13 2/3 innings (13 games). The 32-year-old has notched seven career saves across eight seasons in the big leagues and profiles more as a lefty specialist than a closer. However, the Reds are scrambling to fill their ninth-inning role with Emilio Pagan (hamstring), Graham Ashcraft (elbow), and Tony Santillan (oblique) all currently on the injured list. Pagan is nearing a rehab assignment and could return to the Reds around the All-Star break. Still, until then, Ferguson could be worth adding in deeper leagues as a potential source of saves.

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Baltimore Orioles closer Ryan Helsley picked up his eighth save of the season on Friday, throwing a scoreless ninth inning with a strikeout in his team's 3-1 victory over the Washington Nationals. The hard-throwing right-hander stumbled in his first two outings after returning from the elbow inflammation that sidelined him for nearly two months, allowing four earned runs across 1 2/3 innings. However, Helsley appears to have righted the ship with back-to-back scoreless outings. The 31-year-old has had some trouble with control this season, issuing a 14.3% walk rate. Still, his stuff looks as electric as ever, as he's averaged 98.8 miles per hour on his fastball and has struck out 31.7% of the batters he's faced this season. Helsley looks to be secure in the closer role in Baltimore, which gives him must-start value in most fantasy formats.

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White Sox's LF Tristan Peters had six RBIs going 2-for-5 with a home run in a 22-1 win over the Royals on Friday, Jun. 26.

White Sox's SS Jacob Gonzalez had five RBIs going 3-for-4 with a home run in a 22-1 win over the Royals on Friday, Jun. 26.

White Sox's 3B Miguel Vargas had five RBIs going 3-for-6 with a home run in a 22-1 win over the Royals on Friday, Jun. 26.

The St. Louis Cardinals are skipping right-hander Dustin May's (back) next start on Saturday against the Miami Marlins after he dealt with some lower-back tightness in Kansas City following his complete game the start prior on June 15 against the San Diego Padres, according to Jeff Jones of the Belleville News. Right-hander Andre Pallante will now take the hill on Saturday, with righty Kyle Leahy going in the series finale on Sunday. May will start the third game of the series next week against the Atlanta Braves. May struggled his last time out against the Royals, lasting just two innings while allowing six earned runs on six hits with one walk and two strikeouts. The 28-year-old's complete-game effort against the Padres appears to have taken a toll on him physically in the short term. Not only will May not start this weekend, but his next start will come against the first-place Braves. The former third-rounder by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2016 has been up and down in 2026 in his first year in St. Louis with a 4.30 ERA (3.32 FIP), 1.19 WHIP, and a still mediocre 22.5% strikeout rate in 83 2/3 innings pitched.

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The Chicago White Sox bats were red-hot on Friday night in the 22-1 rout over the division-rival Kansas City Royals, and corner infielder Miguel Vargas was right in the center of the action. Vargas finished the night 3-for-6 at the plate with a home run, a double, five RBI, two runs scored, and a strikeout to boost his season average to .246 and his OPS to .841. Vargas was just a triple short of the cycle, and it continued a hot stretch for the 26-year-old Cuban. He is now carrying a modest four-game hitting streak in which he has gone 7-for-18 with three extra-base hits and seven RBI. In his second full season with the White Sox, Vargas is now slashing .246/.357/.484 with a career-high 18 long balls, 50 RBI, 54 runs scored, and 10 stolen bases in 343 plate appearances. His breakout season in his fifth year in the big leagues for the surprising ChiSox is the reason why he's now rostered in over 90% of Yahoo leagues. Vargas came into Friday's series opener against KC with a .263 average (20-for-76) with four homers, three doubles, 11 RBI, 10 runs, and a steal in 20 games played.

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Chicago White Sox rookie infielder Jacob Gonzalez came into his 20th major-league game on Friday against the division-rival Kansas City Royals hitting a mere .189/.283/.245 with a .529 OPS, one homer, five RBI, five runs scored, five walks, and 16 strikeouts in 60 plate appearances. The 24-year-old former 15th overall pick in the 2023 MLB draft out of the University of Mississippi had a much-needed big game in the 22-1 blowout win over the Royals on Friday, though, going 3-for-5 at the plate with a home run, a double, five RBI, three runs scored, and a walk to boost his average to .228 and his OPS to .674. Gonzalez finished just a triple shy of the cycle and recorded the first three-hit game of his career in a game in which the White Sox's bats could not be stopped. He recently was mired in an 0-for-25 slump before picking up multiple hits in his last two games. Is he breaking out? Potentially, but fantasy managers in single-year mixed leagues are going to want to see more before considering adding him off the waiver wire.

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Chicago White Sox outfielder Tristan Peters had a big game in Friday night's 22-1 drubbing of the division-rival Kansas City Royals, going 2-for-5 at the plate with a career-high six RBI, three runs scored, and a walk to improve his season batting average to .289 and his OPS to .804. Most of Peters' damage came on a grand slam in the sixth inning. The 26-year-old has definitely been heating up with the weather, as he's hitting .288 with 16 RBI and 10 runs scored in 10 games during the month for the Pale Hose. The left-handed-hitting Canadian lacks a ton of fantasy upside as a platoon outfielder for the ChiSox, but he has hit a strong .289/.351/.453 with four long balls, 30 RBI, 28 runs scored, and four stolen bases in 226 plate appearances in 2026 in his first year in Chicago and second in the major leagues. Coming into Friday's contest, Peters was hitting .310 (54-for-174) with all three of his home runs against right-handed pitchers. He has just two hits in 25 plate appearances against southpaws, though.

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Washington Nationals second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. has been on a power binge in June, racking up eight home runs in his last 18 games. He's hitting .271 (16-for-59) over that span with a .426 wOBA and a 16.7% barrel rate. He has definitely risen to the point that he can be a solid option at 2B in almost all formats. Since power is scarce at 2B, Garcia can be a nice option off the waiver wire to offer your lineup some extra home runs and RBI if you can afford his lower batting average. The 26-year-old lefty is locked in at the plate, so use him as a streamer or a fill-in while he's on this hot streak.

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Kansas City Royals catcher Carter Jensen has been outstanding over the last 18 games, hitting .315 with four homers, 16 runs, and 16 RBI. He has eight doubles to go with those four homers in that span, producing a .399 wOBA with a 49.2% hard-hit rate. The 22-year-old made it to the majors very quickly after being a third-round pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, and he is starting to settle in and produce at this level. He has also hit leadoff in 14 of those 18 games, putting him in a great position for run-production and getting him extra at-bats. The lefty still has lots of room to grow, but since he fills a catcher spot where his production is even more unusual, he makes a great pickup at this point from the waiver wire in almost all formats.

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Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman/outfielder Ryan O'Hearn has been a solid part of the middle of the batting order for the Pirates and has been able to contribute solid power numbers and run production. He has 11 RBI over his last 11 games, going 15-for-48 (.313) with five doubles, a home run, and a .342 wOBA. The 32-year-old lefty has been very solid in his 67 games with the Pirates after joining them this past offseason on a two-year deal. O'Hearn is on pace to set a new career-high in homers and RBI if he stays healthy, and he can chip in solid run production for NL-only leagues or deep mixed leagues right away if you need some thump from the waiver wire.

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Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Payton Tolle turned in an impressive performance against the Yankees on Friday night, allowing just one hit in seven shutout innings and racking up seven strikeouts. He improved to 4-5 with the win and lowered his ERA to 2.78 with a 3.19 FIP on the year. The fiery 23-year-old lefty had allowed 10 runs in his previous three games, but his domination on Friday reminds everyone of his strikeout upside. He kept the strong Yankees lineup silent and can bring solid punchout production when he's at his best. While he has had some inconsistencies, his ceiling makes him worth adding as he continues to adjust to the majors. His emergence has been one of the few bright spots in a rough season for the Red Sox, and he can definitely make a solid addition, offering both rotation depth and upside in mixed leagues.

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Chicago White Sox outfielder Sam Antonacci has become a fixture at the top of the exciting young lineup on the South Side. Antonacci is hitting .307 with five doubles, three homers, nine walks, and four stolen bases. He has a .386 wOBA and a .466 SLG, showing he has some very solid power to go with his speed. Antonacci is up to four homers and 11 stolen bases on the season and has scored 37 runs as well. Especially against righties, Antonacci can be a solid source of run creation with the potential to pick up power numbers and add solid stolen base production. He still has multi-positional eligibility in many formats and can be a versatile way to fill in your roster with the potential to contribute across the board, while not hurting your roster in any category.

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Los Angeles Dodgers right-handed pitching prospect River Ryan (hamstring) is heading to the seven-day minor-league injured list with a hamstring issue, sources told Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Ryan missed time earlier in Triple-A Oklahoma City's season with hamstring trouble and had his start skipped this week. The 27-year-old former 11th-round pick by the San Diego Padres in 2021 out of the University of North Carolina at Pembroke is currently listed by MLB Pipeline as L.A.'s No. 6 prospect. He made his big-league debut with the Dodgers in 2024 and looked good in a small sample size of just four starts, allowing only four runs (three earned) on 15 hits while walking nine and striking out 18 in 20 1/3 innings pitched. In eight starts at OKC in 2026, Ryan has gone 3-1 with a 4.46 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, and 43:8 K:BB in 36 1/3 innings pitched. It's a tough break for Ryan to go on the minor-league IL, but it doesn't mean he won't be an option for the Dodgers' starting rotation in the second half of the 2026 season. He's currently rostered in 11% of Yahoo leagues and is still a pitching prospect to stash in deeper leagues.

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The Atlanta Braves announced on Friday that they recalled right-hander Hurston Waldrep from Triple-A Gwinnett to replace the injured Robert Suarez (elbow) on the major-league roster. Waldrep will be making his 2026 season debut when he gets into a game for the Braves after having surgery back in February to remove loose bodies from his right elbow. The 24-year-old former 24th overall pick in 2023 out of the University of Florida posted a 3.52 ERA and 1.17 WHIP with 13 strikeouts and 11 walks in 15 1/3 innings over just five starts in the rookie-level Florida Complex League and at Double-A Columbus and Gwinnett this year before Friday's call-up. He could start in a relief role in Atlanta, but with Spencer Strider, AJ Smith-Shawver, and Spencer Schwellenbach all on the injured list, Waldrep figures to get a shot in the starting rotation sooner rather than later. Waldrep looked great at the big-league level in 2025, going 6-1 with a 2.88 ERA (3.21 FIP) and 1.19 WHIP with 55 K's and 22 walks in 56 1/3 innings across 10 appearances (nine starts). Fantasy managers desperate for pitching upside should swoop on Waldrep now. He's rostered in only 5% of Yahoo leagues.

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The Atlanta Braves announced on Friday that they placed right-handed reliever Robert Suarez (elbow) on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to June 23) with right-elbow inflammation and recalled right-hander Hurston Waldrep from Triple-A Gwinnett in a corresponding move. The Braves initially said that Suarez hasn't pitched since last Friday due to tightness in his right forearm, but now they're saying he has elbow inflammation. The 35-year-old will most likely undergo more tests to determine if he's dealing with any structural damage in his arm. Even if an MRI exam comes back clean, Suarez will be out through the All-Star break in the middle of July. The Venezuelan reliever was an All-Star in each of the last two seasons with the San Diego Padres, when he racked up 76 saves as their closer, but he has taken a back seat to Raisel Iglesias in 2026 in his first year in Atlanta. Suarez has still been lights-out as a high-leverage setup man, going 4-0 with a 0.56 ERA (2.45 FIP), 0.84 WHIP, four saves, 26 strikeouts, and six walks in 32 innings pitched. With Suarez out at least until late July, Dylan Lee should serve as Atlanta's primary setup man in front of Iglesias.

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Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson (shoulder) remains out of the starting lineup for Friday's series opener in Anaheim against the division-rival Los Angeles Angels, according to MLB.com. Alika Williams will make another start at the 6 for the A's and will bat ninth against rookie right-hander Walbert Urena. It will be the second straight game that Wilson has missed after leaving Wednesday night's game early against the San Francisco Giants with a left-shoulder injury. As of now, Wilson is being considered day-to-day, but that could change quickly if he cannot get back on the field during this weekend's series against the Halos. The 24-year-old former sixth overall pick in 2023 out of Grand Canyon University has a career-high 11.7% strikeout rate and career-low 4.7% walk rate, but Wilson still makes contact more than most and sits at a .277 batting average (56-for-202). The problem is he lacks power (four homers) and speed (two stolen bases) upside at a premier position. Check back to see if Wilson is ready to return to the starting nine on Saturday.

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