New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor may finally be starting to heat up after an injury-plagued and disappointing first half of the 2026 season. In the Mets' 14-3 drubbing of the division-rival Atlanta Braves in Queens on Monday night, Lindor went 3-for-5 at the plate with two home runs, a triple, six RBI, and a walk to boost his season average to .233 and his OPS to .743. The 32-year-old five-time All-Star and four-time Silver Slugger winner is still only batting .233/.318/.425 on the year with eight home runs, 23 RBI, 26 runs scored, and two stolen bases across his 193 at-bats, but the Puerto Rican native could be a major asset down the stretch at a premium position. Since the All-Star break, Lindor has gone 12-for-40 (.300) with three home runs, two doubles, a triple, 11 RBI, and four runs scored in 10 games and 46 plate appearances. Lindor isn't going to reach the 30-homer mark for a fourth straight season, but if he's healthy, he could be a difference-maker for fantasy managers to close out the year.

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San Francisco Giants left-hander Erik Miller picked up his third save of the season on Monday night, throwing a scoreless ninth inning with two strikeouts in his team's 3-0 win over the Milwaukee Brewers. San Francisco has largely operated with a committee approach in the ninth inning so far this season. Still, Miller has a solid case as the team's best relief arm, as he's pitched to a 2.87 ERA and 1.40 WHIP with 44 strikeouts across 31 1/3 innings (36 games). The 28-year-old's command is spotty, as he's surrendered a 16.2% walk rate. However, he's averaging 96.9 miles per hour on his fastball and has struck out 32.4% of the batters he's faced on the year. For deep-league managers who are searching for saves on the waiver wire, Miller could be a name to target.

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Mets' SS Francisco Lindor had six RBIs going 3-for-5 with two home runs in a 14-3 win over the Braves on Monday, Jul. 27.

The Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox have each shown interest in trading for Los Angeles Angels left-hander Reid Detmers, multiple sources told Russell Dorsey of Yahoo Sports. Detmers has generated plenty of interest around the league as the Aug. 3 trade deadline approaches, and both the Cubs and White Sox need pitching as they look to finish the second half strong. The 27-year-old southpaw is currently 3-7 on the season with a 4.05 ERA (3.28 FIP) and 1.10 WHIP with 136 strikeouts and 37 walks in 120 innings across his 21 starts in his sixth year in the major leagues with the Halos. He has two more years of club control, making him one of the few available starting pitchers with that distinction, and would definitely fit the White Sox's young core as they seek to win the American League Central in 2026. The Cubs, meanwhile, have had an extremely banged-up starting rotation for most of the season. Detmers' teammate, right-hander Jose Soriano, should attract plenty of attention at this year's deadline as well if the Angels are serious about selling and rebuilding.

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New Boston Red Sox infielder Curtis Mead (hand) was forced from Monday's game early against the Athletics after he was hit by a pitch on his left hand in the fourth inning, per Tim Healey of The Boston Globe. Before being replaced by Anthony Seigler at second base, Mead went 0-for-1 at the plate with a strikeout and the hit-by-pitch. It's a bad start to Mead's tenure with the BoSox after being acquired from the Washington Nationals in a trade involving left-hander Connell Early over the weekend. Mead will most likely be taken for X-rays, at which point we'll have a better idea whether he'll need to miss additional time. The 25-year-old Australian native came out of nowhere to hit a career-high 17 home runs while driving in 48 and stealing six bases in 87 games and 327 plate appearances in Washington before the Red Sox traded for him. Mead previously had career highs of just three homers and 19 RBI from last year with the Tampa Bay Rays and Chicago White Sox. He's rostered in just over half of Yahoo leagues now and is slated to play regularly at second in Beantown, as long as he avoids a serious hand injury. Mead has added fantasy value thanks to first base, second base, and third base eligibility.

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San Francisco Giants infielder/outfielder Casey Schmitt (knee) was removed from Monday's game early against the Milwaukee Brewers after he was shaken up while rounding first base hard and then slamming on the brakes, according to Justice delos Santos of The San Jose Mercury News. Schmitt appeared to injure his knee, but we should get an update on his condition either after the game or early on Tuesday. Before being pulled, he went 1-for-1 at the plate. Schmitt was replaced at the hot corner at Oracle Park by Christian Koss. Fantasy managers will be hoping that the 27-year-old's injury isn't serious. He's having his best season easily in the big leagues in 2026, coming into Monday's series opener versus Milwaukee with a .269/.299/.482 slash line with a .781 OPS, and career highs across the board in home runs (21), RBI (55), runs scored (47), and stolen bases (nine) in 97 games across 408 plate appearances. In addition to Schmitt putting up career-best numbers, he's eligible at first base, second base, third base, and the outfield in Yahoo leagues. He's currently rostered in 81% of Yahoo leagues as one of the most-added players off waivers in 2026.

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Across 110 2/3 innings (22 starts) in 2026, Washington Nationals right-hander Cade Cavalli has recorded a 3.58 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, and 127 strikeouts. The 27-year-old has been particularly hot of late, allowing just four earned runs while notching 22 strikeouts across his last 18 innings (three starts). Cavalli generates a ton of ground balls and does not have a particularly strong defense behind him in Washington, which may continue to lead to a slightly elevated WHIP. Still, Cavalli owns an impressive 26.6% strikeout rate with a 7.1% walk rate. He's also been difficult to take deep, allowing just 0.73 HR/9. In any league where he's not already rostered, Cavalli should be viewed as a must-add waiver wire target.

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Entering play on Monday, Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Garrett Mitchell had hit .272/.361/.446 with eight home runs, 48 RBI, 46 runs scored, and seven stolen bases across 343 plate appearances. The oft-injured Mitchell has finally managed to stay mostly healthy in 2026, and he's emerged as a steady contributor in Milwaukee. Mitchell's 32.2% strikeout rate is a red flag in his profile, and his batting average has been buoyed by a heavily inflated .403 batting average on balls in play. However, Mitchell makes elite contact, as he's logged a 14.2% barrel rate and a 49.5% hard-hit rate. His ability to consistently hit the ball hard should keep his batting average from completely bottoming out, and Mitchell remains a high-upside power/speed threat to target on the waiver wire as long as he can continue to avoid the injury bug.

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After opening 2026 as a reliever, Tampa Bay Rays left-hander Ian Seymour was moved into more of a bulk role in early June. While Seymour has not exclusively operated as a full-time starting pitcher, he's thrown at least three innings in each of his last 10 outings, making six starts in that span. Across those 10 appearances, Seymour has recorded a 3-2 record with a 4.22 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, and 53 strikeouts. The 27-year-old has posted an impressive 28.1% strikeout rate and a 19.3% K-BB rate for the season. His inflated ERA is a symptom of his abnormally low 66.5% strand rate, which could regress closer to the mean over a larger sample size of innings. Now that he's a threat to rack up wins on a regular basis, Seymour could be worth targeting on the waiver wire.

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Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Tanner Scott has put together an excellent season so far in 2026, pitching to a 2.32 ERA and 0.80 WHIP with 55 strikeouts and 16 saves across 42 2/3 innings (45 games). The 32-year-old took over as the primary closer in Los Angeles early in the season when Dodgers right-hander Edwin Diaz (elbow) landed on the injured list due to elbow surgery. Diaz is scheduled to return from the IL on Wednesday, which could render Scott no longer a useful source of saves for fantasy managers. However, Diaz recorded a 10.50 ERA across seven games before getting hurt and is now attempting to jump back into a pennant race following a major elbow injury. Even if Diaz returns to his usual full-time closer role, Scott should remain an excellent source of ratios and could pick up an occasional save. In deeper fantasy leagues, Scott may still have utility as a waiver wire pickup.

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Across 271 plate appearances this season, Miami Marlins outfielder Heriberto Hernandez is hitting .245/.314/.482 with 15 home runs, 41 RBI, 28 runs scored, and seven stolen bases. The 26-year-old has been scorching hot of late, hitting .296 with six home runs across 77 plate appearances in July. Hernandez's batting average upside is limited by his elevated 25.2% strikeout rate. However, the young slugger has posted elite batted-ball metrics this season, logging a 13.2% barrel rate and a 51.1% hard-hit rate. Hernandez has also established an everyday role in left field and in the heart of the Marlins lineup in recent weeks, which should help him rack up counting stats. With his combination of high-end power upside and solid speed, Hernandez profiles as a priority waiver wire target.

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Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Tyler Glasnow (back) threw around 25 pitches, with his fastball sitting at 95-97 mph, during a live bullpen session at Dodger Stadium on Friday, according to Katie Woo of The Athletic. Glasnow will throw at least one more live session before he goes on a minor-league rehab assignment. The 32-year-old veteran hasn't pitched with the Dodgers since May 6 due to lower-back issues. He is getting closer, but Glasnow will most likely need around two or three rehab starts before the Dodgers feel comfortable returning him to their starting lineup for the stretch run. Remember, the Dodgers' primary goal is to have all their injured stars ready for the playoffs in October, so they will not rush Glasnow back. In a best-case scenario, he might be back for fantasy managers in early September. Before getting hurt, the former All-Star was looking great with a 3-0 record, 2.72 ERA (3.26 FIP), a 0.83 WHIP, and a 49:13 K:BB in 39 2/3 innings over just seven starts. Glasnow is being stashed in an IL spot in 88% of Yahoo leagues.

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Kansas City Royals infielder/outfielder Maikel Garcia (hand) will start a minor-league rehab assignment with Double-A Northwest Arkansas on Tuesday, the team announced on Monday. Barring a setback with his hand injury, Garcia could be ready to rejoin the big-league roster this weekend or early next week. He's been out for over a month with a muscle strain in his left hand, which has limited him to 69 games in his fifth year in the majors with KC. After Garcia was a first-time All-Star in 2025, he has disappointed in 2026 with a .261/.320/.373 slash line, .693 OPS, only three home runs, 30 RBI, 32 runs scored, and five stolen bases in 294 plate appearances. He was just four home runs away from his first 20-20 campaign last year, though, and his power/speed abilities have kept him rostered in 81% of Yahoo leagues despite his lengthy IL stay. Garcia has had at least 23 stolen bases in each of the last three seasons with the Royals, so fantasy managers are hoping that he'll start to run more the rest of the way after he's activated.

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Pittsburgh Pirates rookie outfielder Esmerlyn Valdez (wrist) left Monday's game early against the Arizona Diamondbacks after he was hit by a pitch in the left wrist area in the fourth inning, according to Alex Stumpf of MLB.com. Before leaving the contest early, Valdez went 0-for-1 at the plate. He was replaced in right field by Tyler Callihan, who moved from first base. Valdez will almost certainly go for X-rays on his hand/wrist to determine if he's dealing with any cracked bones. The 22-year-old Dominican outfielder has burst onto the scene in the Steel City in 2026 in his first year in the big leagues, as he came into Monday's series opener with a .293/.385/.707 slash line, 1.092 OPS, 14 home runs, 36 RBI, and 26 runs scored in 37 games across 143 plate appearances. His strong start to his MLB career has earned him an everyday role and has made him one of the most popular recent waiver-wire pickups in fantasy baseball leagues. For now, we'll consider Valdez day-to-day until we know more about his hand/wrist injury.

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Texas Rangers outfielder/designated hitter Joc Pederson continued his strong month of July on Monday in the team's 7-3 win over the division-rival Seattle Mariners at Globe Life Field, going 2-for-4 as the team's leadoff hitter with two home runs, four RBI, and a strikeout to boost his season average to .254 and his OPS to .856. The 34-year-old left-handed slugger's damage came early, as he hit a leadoff homer against right-hander George Kirby before blasting a three-run homer in the second inning. Pederson now has two multi-homer games in 2026 and 22 in his career. The two-homer performance extended his current hitting streak to 10 games, during which he's gone 14-for-36 (.389) with five home runs, nine RBI, and a stolen base. Pederson is now slashing .254/.343/.513 with 19 home runs after the two-time All-Star hit just nine homers in 96 games played in 2025 in his first year with the Rangers. For his power stroke from the left side, Pederson needs to be considered as a waiver-wire pickup in more mixed leagues. He's currently rostered in only 5% of Yahoo leagues.

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New York Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger (hamstring) has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 strained left hamstring and is expected to miss four to six weeks, manager Aaron Boone told Brendan Kuty of The Athletic. Bellinger injured his hamstring in Saturday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies and was placed on the 10-day injured list on Sunday. The 31-year-old former MVP and three-time All-Star won't be back anytime soon, but he's stash-worthy in all fantasy leagues until he fully recovers. The Yankees still have outfielders Aaron Judge (ribs) and Giancarlo Stanton (calf) on the IL as well, so rookie outfielder Spencer Jones was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre again on Sunday, and he will see regular playing time against right-handed pitchers in New York's outfield going forward. Bellinger was an All-Star in 2026 for the third time in his career (first with the Yankees) and is currently slashing .259/.350/.420 with a .770 OPS, 11 home runs, 53 RBI, 52 runs scored, and 10 steals across 102 games and 434 plate appearances.

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New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto (calf) said he "100%" expects to play again this year, according to Chelsea Janes of SNY. Soto added that he thinks he's young enough to recover quickly while taking things day to day after the Mets placed him on the 10-day injured list over the weekend due to a Grade 2 strained left calf. The 27-year-old Dominican and five-time All-Star doesn't have a clear timetable for a return, though, so fantasy managers are going to have to be patient with the left-handed slugger as we head into August this weekend. At the very least, Soto is expected to miss three weeks of action after also spending time on the IL in the first half of the season with a right-calf strain. Until he can return, rookie outfielder A.J. Ewing is expected to be New York's primary left fielder. Soto has missed time this year due to injury, but when healthy, he has been his typical high-end fantasy self, slashing .283/.408/.539 with a .947 OPS, 21 home runs, 52 RBI, 46 runs scored, and seven stolen bases across his 293 at-bats. Keep him stashed in an IL spot in all fantasy leagues, even though it might not be until late August when Soto is back.

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Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers (knee) was seen by Dr. Banffy in Los Angeles on Monday, and he recommended surgery for Langeliers' torn meniscus in his right knee. He will undergo surgery on Tuesday morning, which is likely to be season-ending. The news of Langeliers' torn meniscus surfaced on Sunday. The A's haven't announced anything officially that the 28-year-old backstop is out for the year, but that's the likely outcome, especially with the A's currently sitting nine games back of the final American League wild-card spot entering a new week. It's a tough blow for the A's and Langeliers' fantasy manager, as he has once again been one of the best-hitting catchers in baseball in 2026. In 93 games and 416 plate appearances before injuring his knee, Langeliers hit .263/.332/.497 with an .829 OPS, 23 home runs, 51 RBI, 55 runs scored, and two stolen bases. With Langeliers likely out for the rest of the year, the lefty-hitting Jonah Heim will now step in and take over as the A's primary catcher down the stretch.

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Chicago White Sox infielder Colson Montgomery (shin) is serving as the designated hitter and is batting cleanup for the White Sox in Monday's series opener at home against the visiting New York Yankees and left-hander Max Fried, per MLB.com. Montgomery missed Sunday's series finale against the Houston Astros after fouling a ball off his right shin again on Saturday, but he's back in action after a day off and will have a tough matchup against the lefty Fried, whom he has gone 2-for-3 against in his career. The 24-year-old former 22nd overall pick in 2021 is one of the best young power bats in baseball, although he strikes out 31.9% of the time and is batting just .218 (80-for-367) on the year. Montgomery has actually hit better against lefties in 2026, going 29-for-114 (.254) against them with eight of his 24 home runs on the season, but he has also struggled to a .206 average (14-for-68) with a .614 OPS, three homers, two doubles, 10 RBI, eight runs scored, four walks, and 23 strikeouts in 17 games so far in July. DFS managers should definitely be looking to fade Montgomery for Monday's matchup against Fried.

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Colorado Rockies prospect Charlie Condon has consistently produced at Triple-A Albuquerque this season including a nice month of July. In 56 July at bats, Condon has two homers and six RBI with eight runs scored and a .321 batting average. Altogether, Condon has hit 20 homers and driven in 62 runs this season with 77 runs scored all while hitting .292. The No. 3 prospect for Colorado, Condon, the right-handed hitting first baseman/outfielder, is a valuable stash as a Rockies call up could lead to promising numbers. If he plays his home games at Coors Field, he could show off even more statistically. Fantasy managers will want to get ahead of the game and add Condon from the waiver wire if he is not already added. He is a premium prospect who could shine soon in the big leagues.

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