Atlanta Braves right-handed pitcher Owen Murphy was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett on Saturday, July 11, with James Karinchak optioned in the corresponding move. It is Murphy's second stint in less than a week. Braves manager Walt Weiss framed the 22-year-old as a long-relief option the first time around, so fantasy managers should not assume a rotation turn. Murphy has a 4.44 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and 92 strikeouts over 81 minor-league innings this season, including a 3.88 ERA and 1.08 WHIP across 11 starts at Gwinnett. The strikeouts make him interesting if Atlanta gives him multiple innings at a time, but the role could leave him short on wins and volume. Murphy is rostered in just 1% of Yahoo leagues, while RotoBaller places him in the 12-team add range. He is worth a bench gamble in deeper 12-team formats and a stronger pickup in 15-team leagues.

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The Colorado Rockies right-handed reliever Juan Mejia needed one pitch to finish Friday's 4-3 win over the San Francisco Giants, getting Bryce Eldridge to ground out with the bases loaded. Jordan Romano opened the ninth with a two-run lead but allowed a sacrifice fly and issued three walks before Mejia came in for his fourth save. It was another clean outing for Mejia, who has allowed one run with seven strikeouts and two walks over his last seven appearances and 8 2/3 innings. Still, one save does not make him the closer. Mejia owns a 5.74 ERA and 1.56 WHIP through 42 1/3 innings, while Romano remains the preferred ninth-inning option despite Friday's stumble. Colorado has already used 10 pitchers for saves, so Mejia could steal another chance when Romano is unavailable or runs into trouble. With a roster rate near 0%, he is a speculative add in 15-team leagues and deeper, not someone to chase in standard formats.

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Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Luis Lara has reached base in each of his first three major-league games since being recalled on July 7, adding his first extra-base hit on Saturday, July 11, against Pittsburgh. The 21-year-old earned the promotion after batting .321/.432/.470 with nine home runs, 42 RBI, 67 runs, and 24 stolen bases in 78 games at Triple-A Nashville. He walked 54 times while striking out only 48, an encouraging sign that the average and on-base skills can travel. The crowded outfield is the catch. Jackson Chourio, Sal Frelick, and Garrett Mitchell are all competing for starts, but Lara has already appeared at all three outfield spots, and Blake Perkins was optioned when he arrived. RotoBaller's latest waiver rankings put Lara at 10% rostered and recommend him in 10-team leagues. The speed and average should arrive first, while the nine Triple-A homers leave room for more than a two-category profile.

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New York Mets second baseman Marcus Semien (hip) will begin a rehab assignment after the All-Star Break. The level at which the assignment will begin has not been announced, but chances are this will be an extensive assignment given the news earlier in the week that the 35-year-old isn't expected to return to the Mets in July. Sidelined with a Grade 3 hip flexor strain on June 25, the veteran had an initial minimum recovery timeline of four to six weeks, which could effectively come to pass by the end of July. That being said, given that the Mets are seemingly out of a playoff spot for the time being, there is likely no rush to bring him back anytime soon. Semien has hit nine home runs and stolen six bases this season, albeit with a disappointing .214 batting average.

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New York Mets shortstop Bo Bichette (ankle) is out of the lineup for a second consecutive day with what is being described as sore legs and right ankle soreness. It has been reported that Bichette took several foul balls off his legs, though he is also dealing with lingering ankle soreness. The 28-year-old is expected to be available off the bench but plans to use Sunday's game and the All-Star Break as a full reset. Before this recent absence from the lineup, he had played in every game for the Mets, albeit with mixed results. The news is somewhat concerning, given Bichette's extensive injury history, which includes multiple lower-body injuries that have landed him on the Injured List three times over the past two seasons. Whether the next few days are enough for him to complete his planned reset remains to be seen, making this a situation worth monitoring as the second half of the season approaches.

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Los Angeles Angels catcher Travis d'Arnaud (foot) has progressed in his recovery from plantar fasciitis. First, on July 5, he resumed swinging a bat and throwing a baseball. Less than a week later, he ran the bases for the first time on Friday, a significant milestone as he continues to work his way back to the field. Limited in his playing time before the injury, the 37-year-old is still working to return from this significant injury and play again in 2026. While the Angels already have Logan O'Hoppe and Tyler Heineman, neither has run away with the job as an effective, fantasy-relevant catcher, making d'Arnaud a viable option only in deeper two-catcher leagues if he can return. That said, his offensive game is limited, making him a volume play at best.

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Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Edwin Diaz (elbow) will begin a rehab assignment with Single-A Ontario on Saturday. The 32-year-old pitcher recently started throwing live bullpen sessions to batters at the beginning of July and has now been deemed ready for game action. It's unclear how long this rehab assignment will last, but judging by the level of competition where he's starting, multiple appearances are likely in store. The former All-Star has been sidelined since April with loose bodies in his elbow that required surgery to remove. Now that his health is improving, he can and should be stashed on fantasy rosters with the expectation that he will rejoin the Dodgers at some point in August.

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The Athletics officially announced on Saturday that they placed first baseman Nick Kurtz (thumb) on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to July 10) with a right-thumb capsule sprain and recalled catcher Brian Serven from Triple-A Las Vegas in a corresponding move. Kurtz suffered the injury on Wednesday against the Detroit Tigers when he jammed his right hand while trying to catch a ball in the first inning. He will miss the end of the first half of the season, next week's All-Star Game in Philadelphia, and the start of the second half of the year next weekend. Joey Meneses was called up from the minors and made the start at first base for the A's on Friday night against the Chicago White Sox, and he and Jeff McNeil could see more playing time for the team until Kurtz can return. Kurtz needs to be held in all fantasy leagues as an elite source of power at the first base position. The 23-year-old left-handed slugger is hitting .266/.405/.497 with a .902 OPS, 20 homers, 66 RBI, 61 runs scored, and seven stolen bases in 334 at-bats after hitting 36 homers and driving in 86 in only 117 games played in 2025 as a rookie.

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The Pittsburgh Pirates transferred shortstop Konnor Griffin (finger) to the 60-day injured list on Saturday to open up roster spots for newly-acquired infielder Jacob Gonzalez and left-hander Brandon Eisert, according to Alex Stumpf of MLB.com. The Pirates placed Griffin on the 10-day IL on Tuesday with a torn tendon in his left ring finger, and he was given an eight- to 10-week timeline for a return, so he'll be out well into the second half of the season. The earliest he'll be able to return will be on Sept. 4. It's a tough break for the Bucs and for the 20-year-old rookie phenom, who was holding his own in his first 225 major-league at-bats, hitting .276/.332/.404 with a .736 OPS, five home runs, 25 RBI, 20 stolen bases, and 35 runs scored in his first MLB season in 2026. With Griffin out for the foreseeable future, Jared Triolo has been manning the 6 in Pittsburgh, but Gonzalez could see some time there as well after the Pirates acquired him from the Chicago White Sox on Friday night. Griffin is still rostered in 77% of Yahoo leagues despite his serious finger injury.

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Chicago White Sox corner infielder Munetaka Murakami will be the final entrant in this year's Home Run Derby, which will take place at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on Monday, according to MLB. Murakami just returned from the injured list after missing over six weeks with a hamstring strain in Friday's win over the Athletics and went 1-for-5 at the plate with an RBI double, a run scored, and four strikeouts. The 26-year-old Japanese native took the league by storm earlier this season before his injury in his first year in the States, and he's currently hitting .239/.375/.556 with a .931 OPS, 20 home runs, 42 RBI, 44 runs scored, and a stolen base across 58 games played and 251 plate appearances. Murakami should remain high up in Chicago's batting order going into the second half of the season. He's displayed plenty of power potential, but he also has a 33.5% strikeout rate and can go cold for stretches. Fantasy managers in redraft leagues may want to consider selling high before we even get to the second half. Murakami holds a .218 xBA and a .373 xwOBA (wOBA of .392), so regression is expected.

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Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani (knee) said, "The goal is to be able to throw according to regular schedule" after the All-Star break, according to Alden Gonzalez of ESPN. Ohtani will have his left knee drained and will receive a pain-relieving injection on Sunday. "Although I could've started today, it would've still been pushing the envelope a little bit," Ohtani said on Friday. The Dodgers scratched the four-time MVP from his scheduled start on Friday night versus the division-rival Arizona Diamondbacks, but he still took his regular spot in the starting lineup as the designated hitter and went 1-for-4 at the plate with a solo homer in the 9-3 loss. The 32-year-old should avoid a trip to the injured list to begin the second half of the season, but unfortunately, we won't get to see him in next week's All-Star Game in Philadelphia. Ohtani remains a must-start in all fantasy lineups as both a hitter and pitcher whenever he's active. He's hitting .290/.403/.540 with a .943 OPS, 21 homers, 57 RBI, 63 runs, and six steals as a hitter and is 8-2 as a pitcher with a sharp 1.79 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and 95:26 K:BB in 85 2/3 innings and 14 starts in 2026.

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Los Angeles Dodgers right-handed closer Edwin Diaz (elbow) threw live batting practice for the second time on July 8 and is getting closer to starting a minor-league rehab assignment, according to MLB.com. Diaz was initially placed on the 15-day injured list on April 20 due to loose bodies in his right elbow. He eventually had surgery and was transferred to the 60-day IL on May 10. Barring a setback once Diaz begins his rehab assignment, he's expected to rejoin L.A.'s bullpen in late July. The 32-year-old Puerto Rican veteran and three-time All-Star has only appeared in seven games for the Dodgers in his first year with the team in 2026 due to his elbow injury, and he was uncharacteristically bad before that, allowing seven earned runs on nine hits (one homer) while walking five and striking out 10 in six innings pitched. Diaz also had four saves, and with 257 career saves over nine-plus years in the league, he's expected to resume primary closing duties for manager Dave Roberts when he returns from the IL. If for some reason Diaz is available on your league's waiver wire, scoop him up immediately. He's rostered in 81% of Yahoo leagues right now.

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Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Kirby Yates pitched a scoreless ninth inning on Friday to earn the save against the Minnesota Twins. The 39-year-old surrendered a one-out double to Trevor Larnach before retiring the final two batters of the game. The save was Yates' third of the season, and he has provided a stable presence in an otherwise unsettled Angels bullpen. On the year, he owns a 3.00 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP while posting a 32.6% strikeout rate and an 8.1% walk rate across 21 innings. Fantasy managers are encouraged to add Yates in all formats, as he is currently the Angels' most trusted option at the back end of the bullpen.

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Seattle Mariners top pitching prospect Kade Anderson has continued to showcase elite upside at the Double-A level during his first professional season. Through 14 total starts, the former LSU standout has posted an elite 1.46 ERA, 0.69 WHIP, and a sharp 108:10 K:BB over 72 2/3 innings. Over his last six outings, the left-hander has struck out at least eight hitters in all but one and has even hit the nine-punchouts mark in four of these outings. Overall, in his profile, Anderson has allowed two runs or fewer in 13 of his 14 starts, with his lone five-run outing on May 15 remaining a distinct outlier this season. However, given that Seattle has ample depth on their MLB roster, Anderson remains potentially far from a call-up. Despite this, his upside per start makes him an elite stash target in all 12-team leagues with N/A spots.

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Seattle Mariners top outfield prospect Lazaro Montes was recently bumped up to the top club in the system following his impressive production at Double-A. To open the season, the 21-year-old carried a .234/.369/.550 line with a sharp .919 OPS over 79 contests at Double-A. During this stretch, Montes hit 25 home runs and chipped in five stolen bases. However, what prompted his promotion was the .253/.413/.614 line and 1.064 OPS he held over the final 25 games at Double-A. While the 21-year-old has gotten off to a slower start at Triple-A, going just 2-for-18 over the first four games, managers should continue to closely monitor his production as his power upside is among the highest in the sport. If Montes can find his footing, the No. 26-ranked prospect in the sport could compete for a late-season promotion to Seattle.

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Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Jordan Romano allowed one earned run on one hit and three walks while blowing a save opportunity on Friday against the San Francisco Giants. The 33-year-old had converted two consecutive saves before this stumble. It's also worth noting that Juan Mejia recorded the save by getting the final out in the bottom of the ninth inning. On the season, Romano owns a 7.71 ERA and a 2.14 WHIP between his time with the Los Angeles Angels and the Rockies. While those numbers are ugly, he still appears to have a tenuous grip on the closer's role in Colorado. No lead ever feels particularly safe with the Rockies, but the club has been searching for a reliable late-inning option all season. Ten different pitchers on the staff have recorded at least one save, and none has more than four. Even so, Romano has closing experience and has picked up two saves during his brief four-game stint with Colorado. For now, fantasy managers are encouraged to stick with the 33-year-old, but they should be prepared to replace him at a moment's notice.

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St. Louis Cardinals left-handed pitching prospect Quinn Mathews turned in another stellar showing at the Triple-A level this past week and has potentially solidified himself as the top pitching prospect to stash ahead of the All-Star break. On July 9, the left-hander logged seven innings (which marked a season high) with just two hits allowed, no runs, and a sharp 7:2 K:BB. Since May 28, the former Stanford standout has been borderline elite at the top club, posting a 1.87 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, and a 53:18 K:BB over 43 1/3 innings of work. Prior to this surge, the 25-year-old posted a much higher 5.55 ERA over the first 35 2/3 innings. Given his current run at Triple-A, Mathews has put himself into the elite tier of stash candidates as his MLB debut could come shortly after the All-Star break.

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Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Kyle Harrison (forearm) has been placed on the 15-day Injured List with left forearm tightness. The move is retroactive to July 9, 2026. The 24-year-old southpaw revealed that he had been dealing with soreness on the outside of his left elbow for the past few weeks, which helps explain his recent decline in performance. While Harrison himself wasn't too concerned about the injury, the team deemed it necessary to move him to the Injured List nonetheless. Over his last two starts, Harrison totaled just 6.2 innings while striking out only five batters, all while experiencing diminished velocity. There is no clear timetable for his return, but it appears likely that he will miss more than the minimum 15 days given the nature of the injury and the fact that he has been dealing with it for several weeks. Left-handed pitcher Robert Gasser was recalled in the corresponding move, just a few days after a strong outing against the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday.

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Milwaukee Brewers infield prospect Luke Adams has enjoyed a recent surge at the Triple-A level and has put himself on the stash radar for those in deeper redraft leagues. On Friday evening, the 22-year-old went 4-for-5 with a home run and a stolen base. This was another strong showing for Adams as he now carries an elite .344/.463/.688 line with three doubles, one triple, two home runs, two stolen bases, and a 7:5 K:BB. Through 40 total games at the Triple-A level this season, the former 12th-round selection out of Hinsdale Central HS has posted a .264/.412/.581 line with a .993 OPS, six doubles, 11 home runs and six stolen bases. While Adams will likely need more time at Triple-A, he has already begun to showcase high-end power upside. If he maintains this pace, he could replace their current third baseman, Joey Ortiz, on the MLB roster early in the second half.

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Pittsburgh Pirates outfield prospect Edward Florentino has enjoyed an impressive power surge at the High-A level and continues to solidify himself as one of the top outfield prospects to roster in dynasty formats. Over his last 16 contests, Florentino has carried a sharp .258/.319/.606 slash line with three doubles, one triple, and six home runs. However, overh is last seven games, Florentino has been even more impressive, hitting five of these home runs with an eye-catching 1.015 OPS. Overall this season, Florentino, the No. 30-ranked prospect in baseball, has posted a .213/.335/.426 line with 12 home runs and four stolen bases. While he needed some growing pains, the 19-year-old has gradually begun to turn the corner. While a late-season Double-A debut remains in play, fantasy managers should continue to view Florentino as an elite budding dynasty asset.

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