The Minnesota Twins recalled left-handed pitching prospect Kendry Rojas from Triple-A St. Paul on Thursday, the team announced. Rojas, the club's No. 9 prospect per MLB Pipeline, will make his return to the big leagues after appearing in six games (two starts) already this year for the Twins. The 23-year-old Cuban southpaw looked good in his six big-league outings, allowing three earned runs on 12 hits with 18 strikeouts, but he did walk 13 batters in 16 1/3 innings pitched. The 6-foot-2, 190-pounder has produced a 4.24 ERA and 1.50 WHIP with 24 strikeouts and nine walks in 23 1/3 innings pitched in nine outings (three starts) in 2026 on the farm with Single-A Fort Myers and St. Paul. Rojas' raw stuff -- a mid-90s fastball and tight slider -- carries high spin rates, but until he can improve his control, he'll be off the fantasy radar in mixed leagues in 2026. He'll also need to become more of a staple in Minnesota's starting rotation, which is not guaranteed in the second half.

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New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said that infield prospect George Lombard Jr. (finger) "might be a choice at some point" for the Yankees in 2026, according to Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News. Lombard is expected to start playing in rehab games around next week's All-Star break. Manager Aaron Boone thinks the 21-year-old is close to returning, and he has been hitting and fielding. The club's top prospect, per MLB Pipeline, is currently on the seven-day injured list at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The former 26th overall pick in 2023 has hit a combined .258/.387/.446 with an .833 OPS, eight home runs, 25 RBI, 12 stolen bases, and 48 runs scored in 62 games with Double-A Somerset and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. If the Yankees bring him up in the second half, he's expected to become the primary shortstop in the Bronx, which would warrant attention from fantasy managers in nearly all leagues. The 6-foot-2, 190-pounder has some swing-and-miss concerns, but his long-term power/speed upside makes him one of the most intriguing infield stashes in fantasy.

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Minnesota Twins right-hander Zebby Matthews (foot) will make his next scheduled start on Friday at home against the visiting Los Angeles Angels, per MLB.com. Matthews suffered a laceration on his right foot in his last start on Saturday against the New York Yankees and was pulled early, but he was able to complete his normal between-starts bullpen session this week and is ready to roll for his final outing of the first half of the 2026 season. The 26-year-old former eighth-round pick in 2022 out of Western Carolina University should be considered a strong streaming option on Friday despite coming off a foot injury last weekend. Since allowing a season-high seven earned runs to the Detroit Tigers on June 11, Matthews has gone 2-1 with a 3.28 ERA (4.90 FIP) with 21 strikeouts and seven walks in four starts against the Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Houston Astros, and Yankees. In 10 starts (61 innings) this year, he has a 4.43 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and 51 K's. Matthews will be facing an Angels team on Friday that leads the majors with 879 strikeouts.

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Kansas City Royals manager Matt Quatraro said that first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino (hand) could return from the 10-day injured list on Friday ahead of the team's weekend series against the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards, according to Jaylon T. Thompson of The Kansas City Star. Pasquantino has been out since June 14 with a fractured hamate bone in his right hand, but he appears ready to return for the final three games of the first half of the season this weekend. In two minor-league rehab games this week with Triple-A Omaha, the left-handed slugger has gone 2-for-6 with one RBI and three walks. The 28-year-old has been a disappointment so far in 2026, hitting .224/.309/.350 with a .660 OPS, six home runs, 32 RBI, 28 runs scored, and three stolen bases in his 254 at-bats, but don't forget he broke out to the tune of 32 homers and 113 RBI in 160 games played in 2025. The buy-low window on the Pasquatch is still firmly open, and he might be free to pick up off your league's waiver wire going into the All-Star break. He's currently rostered in only 64% of Yahoo leagues.

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The Boston Red Sox announced on Thursday that they placed left-hander Ranger Suarez (groin) on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to July 6) with a strained left groin and recalled infielder Brett Harris from Triple-A Worcester in a corresponding move. Suarez will now miss his final scheduled start of the first half of the season this weekend against the New York Mets after he was pulled from his last start on Sunday early against the Los Angeles Angels due to tightness in his left groin. He'll now be sidelined through the All-Star break, and it remains to be seen if he'll be ready to rejoin the rotation for the start of the second half next Friday. The 30-year-old Venezuelan hurler has pitched well enough in his first season in Boston to be held in all fantasy leagues while he recovers from his groin strain. Suarez has gone 4-3 with a 3.15 ERA (2.63 FIP) and 1.16 WHIP with 97 strikeouts and 26 walks in 91 1/3 innings pitched across his 17 starts. He continues to display strong control on the mound and has also posted a career-best 25.8% strikeout rate.

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Milwaukee Brewers left-hander Kyle Harrison (elbow) has been battling some soreness on the outside of his left elbow in recent weeks, and he said something about it on Wednesday during his start against the St. Louis Cardinals, which is why he departed early, according to Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. The 24-year-old southpaw lasted four innings on Wednesday and allowed three earned runs on four hits while walking none and striking out two to take just his second loss of the season. In his last four starts, Harrison has a 5.00 ERA (3.28 FIP) with 21 strikeouts and two walks in 18 innings pitched. The former third-rounder by the San Francisco Giants in 2020 has been excellent in 2026 in his first year in Milwaukee, going 8-2 with a 3.01 ERA (3.12 FIP) and 1.08 WHIP with 101 strikeouts and 20 walks in 83 2/3 innings across his 17 starts, but he has slowed down considerably to close out the first half of the season. The good news is that Harrison didn't sound overly concerned, and he will now have the upcoming All-Star break next week to rest up his left elbow.

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Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras (foot) is not in the team's starting lineup for Thursday's series finale in Chicago against the White Sox, according to MLB.com. Brett Harris will make the start at first base and will bat eighth against White Sox left-hander Anthony Kay after being called up from Triple-A Worcester. Contreras left Wednesday's game early after fouling a ball off his left foot, but he told reporters he doesn't think he has anything worse than a bruise and described himself as "day-to-day." Fantasy managers will need to remove him from their lineups on Thursday and check back on Friday to see if he's ready for the series opener in New York against the Mets. The 34-year-old Venezuelan has been a must-start in all fantasy leagues in 2026 in his first year in Beantown, as he's hitting .285/.379/.542 with a .921 OPS, 20 home runs, 61 RBI, 46 runs scored, and two stolen bases across his 312 at-bats. It's unclear if Contreras' foot injury will keep him from participating in the Home Run Derby on Monday.

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Across 422 plate appearances in 2026, Baltimore Orioles outfielder Taylor Ward is hitting .254/.382/.353 with five home runs, 24 RBI, 55 runs scored, and three stolen bases. It's been a strange season from a power perspective so far for Ward, who posted a 13.7% barrel rate and slugged 36 home runs in 2025 but has seen his barrel rate dip to 5.8% this season. Ward reportedly suffered a bone bruise in his hand in mid-April that he's been playing through ever since, which could help explain the power outage. While it's possible that Ward's slugging ability simply will not return this season, the All-Star break may be the rest he needs to get closer to full health in the second half. The rest of Ward's profile remains strong, as he owns a 16.6% walk rate and has established an everyday spot at or near the top of the Orioles lineup. Fantasy managers may want to explore buy-low trades for Ward ahead of a potential power resurgence.

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The Minnesota Twins officially announced that they reinstated right-hander Bailey Ober (elbow) from the 15-day injured list and placed left-hander Connor Prielipp (finger) on the 15-day IL with a left middle-finger blister in a corresponding move. Ober will return to the starting rotation on Thursday to face the division-rival Cleveland Guardians at Target Field. He has recovered from a right flexor strain in his elbow that put him on the IL on May 30. The 30-year-old veteran is returning to a 6-3 record, 4.59 ERA (4.98 FIP) and 1.21 WHIP with 46 strikeouts and 18 walks in 66 2/3 innings across his 12 starts in his sixth year in the big leagues. The Guardians make for a pretty good matchup with an OPS (.677) that ranks 29th in baseball this season, but the soft-tossing Ober still won't be a recommended streamer in his first start back with the Twins. He had a 5.97 ERA (6.08 FIP) with 17 strikeouts and five walks in 28 2/3 frames in his five starts in May and has a career-low 16.4% strikeout rate so far in 2026.

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Across 402 plate appearances in 2026, Baltimore Orioles first baseman Pete Alonso is hitting .250/.341/.468 with 20 home runs, 62 RBI, 55 runs scored, and two stolen bases. The 31-year-old got off to a slow start to his first season in Baltimore, hitting .198 with four home runs through the end of April. However, Alonso has turned it on and looked like his usual self since then, crushing 16 home runs across 268 plate appearances since the start of May. Alonso's 12.5% barrel rate is down slightly from his career mark of 14.7%, but he's still making tons of hard contact (53.7% hard-hit rate). Now that the early-season adjustment to a new environment is behind him, Alonso profiles as one of the most reliable and durable power sources in fantasy baseball. In leagues where his value may still be lagging due to his slow start, Alonso profiles as a clear buy candidate for fantasy managers.

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Los Angeles Angels outfielder Jo Adell stayed hot at the plate in the team's 13-1 blowout win over the division-rival Texas Rangers on Wednesday on the road at Globe Life Field, going 2-for-4 with two home runs, five RBI, three runs scored, and a strikeout to raise his season average to .251 and his OPS to .703. The 27-year-old right-handed slugger is now up to 13 homers, 52 RBI, 42 runs scored, and three stolen bases in 92 games across 385 plate appearances in 2026 in his seventh year in the majors. He's added a .296 on-base percentage and .407 slugging percentage. After three hitless games to begin July, Adell is now on a three-game hit streak, and he's batting .276 (16-for-58) with three homers, three doubles, a triple, 11 RBI, and six runs scored in his last 15 games, dating back to June 20. Adell has lowered his strikeout rate to 22.1% this year, but his walk rate sits at a career-low 2.9%, which makes him a drain in OBP leagues. The former first-rounder can be streaky, but he proved last year by hitting 37 homers and driving in 98 runs that he can carry a fantasy squad with his power when he's on.

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Baltimore Orioles outfielder Tyler O'Neill is pushing for more playing time. The 31-year-old veteran right-handed slugger came off the bench in Wednesday night's 9-7 loss to the visiting Chicago Cubs at Camden Yards to go 2-for-2 at the plate with two solo home runs. O'Neill is hitting just .193 (28-for-145) on the year with five home runs, 11 RBI, 19 runs scored, a stolen base, and a 27.7% strikeout rate in 166 plate appearances, but three of his five long balls on the year have come in his last 10 plate appearances. The former third-round selection by the Seattle Mariners in 2013 reached the 30-homer mark for the second time in his career in 2024 in his lone season with the Boston Red Sox, but he has fallen off a cliff the last two years in Baltimore, slashing .196/.293/.368 with a .661 OPS, only 14 homers, 37 RBI, 41 runs scored, five steals, 41 walks, and 97 strikeouts across 109 games (375 plate appearances). Since the beginning of June, O'Neill has been much better, going 13-for-50 (.260) with three homers, five doubles, three RBI, six runs, and a stolen base in 19 games.

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Across 383 plate appearances in 2026, Boston Red Sox outfielder Wilyer Abreu is hitting .260/.331/.423 with 10 home runs, 41 RBI, 43 runs scored, and six stolen bases. While Boston largely deployed Abreu in a big-side platoon role in both 2024 and 2025, the 28-year-old has proven he can hit lefty pitching so far this season. Across 118 plate appearances against lefties, Abreu is slashing .356/.436/.525 with an 11.9% walk rate and a 14.4% strikeout rate. Abreu's underlying contact metrics also remain strong, as he's logged a 10.3% barrel rate overall this season while lowering his strikeout rate to a career-best 20.9%. While Abreu may not carry high-end fantasy upside in any one category, he profiles as a solid compiler now that he's established himself as an everyday player. Fantasy managers in need of outfield help may want to explore Abreu's value on the trade market.

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Across 101 1/3 innings (18 starts) in 2026, New York Mets starting pitcher Nolan McLean has recorded a 6-5 record with a 3.73 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, and 118 strikeouts. It's been a rollercoaster ride of a season so far for McLean, who pitched to a 2.55 ERA through the end of April but then struggled to a 6.10 ERA in May. The 24-year-old has been prone to blow-up outings this year, as he's allowed six earned runs or more on three separate occasions. Still, McLean pitched well in June (2.79 ERA), and his underlying numbers still hint at ace upside. McLean is averaging 96.3 miles per hour on his fastball and owns a stellar 19.2% K-BB rate. Fantasy managers may want to explore buying low on McLean ahead of the All-Star break due to his second-half breakout potential.

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Across 108 1/3 innings (19 starts) in 2026, San Diego Padres starting pitcher Michael King has recorded a 6-7 record with a 3.41 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, and 92 strikeouts. On the surface, King's numbers appear to be right in line with the quality level that he has established in recent seasons. However, the veteran right-hander's strikeout rate continues to decline. After posting a 27.7% strikeout rate in his first year with the Padres in 2024, King's strikeout rate fell to 24.7% in 2025 and is now down to 20.8% in 2026. King's 11.1% K-BB rate is below-average, and both his xERA (4.55) and FIP (4.03) suggest that he's currently outpitching his peripherals. The 31-year-old has also dealt with myriad injury issues in his career and has reached his current innings workload in just one other season. Between his declining strikeout rate and his shaky health track record, King might be a sell-high candidate for fantasy managers ahead of the All-Star break.

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Across 57 plate appearances this season, Kansas City Royals utility man Tyler Tolbert is hitting .373/.411/.510 with two home runs, five RBI, 17 runs scored, and 10 stolen bases. The 28-year-old has been utilized as a pinch runner and a defensive replacement for most of 2026. However, Tolbert has moved into more of an everyday role of late and has been red-hot, collecting 12 hits in his last 16 plate appearances. Tolbert has never demonstrated much power throughout his professional career, so fantasy managers should not expect his current surge to be a sign of a full-scale breakout. Still, Tolbert offers elite speed, which has helped him log a .327 batting average across 114 career MLB plate appearances. For fantasy managers in need of stolen bases and some batting average upside, Tolbert could be worth targeting on the waiver wire.

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Cincinnati Reds infielder Sal Stewart was seeing the ball well in the team's 11-5 rout over the visiting Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday night at Great American Ballpark, going 2-for-4 at the plate with three RBI and a walk to raise his season batting average to .256 and his OPS to .822. In what has been a breakout first half for the 22-year-old former first-rounder in 2022, he now has a .341 on-base percentage, .481 slugging percentage, 19 home runs, 64 RBI, 50 runs scored, and 11 stolen bases in 91 games and 396 plate appearances in his first full season in the big leagues. Wednesday's contest was Stewart's second multi-homer performance of his career. After a lull following a hot start at the plate, Stewart has picked things up heading into the All-Star break, going 17-for-54 (.315) with five home runs, five doubles, 10 RBI, and 10 runs scored in 13 games across 58 plate appearances since June 24. He has done enough in the first half in his second year in the majors to earn his first All-Star appearance in 2026. Stewart is now rostered in 94% of Yahoo leagues.

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Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong continued his strong start to July in the team's 9-7 victory over the hosting Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday night at Camden Yards. Crow-Armstrong went 2-for-4 at the plate as the leadoff man with two solo home runs, three runs scored, a walk, and two strikeouts, to become the league's first 20-20 player in 2026. The 24-year-old left-handed-hitting outfielder has an eight-game hitting streak in which he's gone 13-for-28 (.464) with four home runs, a double, seven RBI, nine runs scored, and three stolen bases. His strong run of late offensively has boosted his season line to .296/.386/.542 with a .928 OPS, 21 home runs, 52 RBI, 23 stolen bases, and 60 runs scored in 92 games and 400 plate appearances. Crow-Armstrong is proving he's the real deal after hitting 31 homers, driving in 95 runs, and stealing 35 bases in his second full season in the big leagues in 2025 with the Cubbies. After a brutal second half last year, he has rebounded and displayed better plate discipline.

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Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Dylan Cease nearly had the second no-hitter of his career in Wednesday night's 10-0 shutout victory over the hosting San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. Cease was marvelous, allowing just one hit and no runs while walking three and striking out 11 to win his sixth game of the year and lower his ERA to 2.56. The 30-year-old took a no-hitter into the ninth inning, but outfielder Heliot Ramos led off the frame with a single to break it up. Cease threw 81 of his 118 pitches for strikes and recorded his sixth game of the 2026 season with double-digit strikeouts. In addition to his strong 2.56 ERA, Cease also has a 1.13 WHIP and American League-leading 148 strikeouts in 98 1/3 innings in his first year in Toronto. The former sixth-rounder of the Chicago Cubs in 2014 now has back-to-back shutouts going into the All-Star break after tossing seven shutout frames with a walk and nine strikeouts his last time out against the division-rival Seattle Mariners. Cease is certainly in play to start the All-Star Game next week for the AL.

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Minnesota Twins shortstop/third baseman Brooks Lee has been a key contributor for the Twins this season and has climbed from the bottom of the lineup to the second spot in the batting order. Through 89 games, the 25-year-old switch-hitter is hitting .252 with 14 homers, 13 doubles, and 55 RBI. Last season, he had 16 homers, but needed 139 games to get there with a .286 wOBA. This season, his wOBA is up to .323, and he has hit eight homers in his last 34 games with a .340 wOBA since May 31. He's added five stolen bases as well, and his solid overall counting stats can be a big boost to your roster if you need help on the left side of the infield. While his contact metrics won't blow anyone away, his consistent, solid production and premium spot near the top of the batting order make him a well-rounded addition from the waiver wire or via trade to fortify your infield.

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