Chicago Cubs infielder Nico Hoerner has not looked like himself at the plate lately. Hoerner is normally one of the most consistent hitters at his position, but has struggled over the last few weeks. Coming into Thursday's game, Hoerner is slashing .212/.293/.250 with zero home runs and three RBI over the last 14 days. It's worth noting that Hoerner has recorded a hit in four straight games coming into Thursday's contest against the Athletics. This is hopefully a sign that Hoerner is beginning to snap out of his cold streak at the plate. Fantasy managers should continue to stick with Hoerner through his struggles, as he could be turning the corner very soon.

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Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Juan Mejia has hit a rough patch lately. Mejia was pitching well in a high-leverage role for the Rockies, but might've pushed himself down on the depth chart lately. Over the last five outings, Mejia has allowed eight earned runs and has only thrown one clean inning. The right-hander currently holds a 5.79 ERA, 1.67 WHIP, and a 31:16 K:BB ratio with three saves in 25 appearances. It has been a struggle for Mejia lately, but a few quality outings could quickly put him back on the closer radar. Fantasy managers should keep an eye on Mejia as a possible saves candidate in the near future.

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New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (rib) has been diagnosed with a stress fracture of his first rib on his right side. The Yankees have announced that Judge is going to be sidelined 4-6 weeks because of this issue. The superstar slugger needs a rest period before the team can do more imaging. Judge will head to the Injured List, which is obviously going to be a huge blow to this lineup. He's going to need time to ramp back up as well, so fantasy managers should expect to be without Judge for an extended period of time. The MVP slugger is irreplaceable, but the assumption is that Max Schuemann, Jose Caballero, and possibly Spencer Jones will get a look in right field while Judge is sidelined. As mentioned, Judge needs a recovery window before more tests can be done, so fantasy managers will need to stay tuned for more updates on his status in the coming weeks.

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Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Jake Bennett could be back on the big league roster soon. According to Ian Browne, Bennett could return to the starting rotation as early as Tuesday. The Red Sox need another starting pitcher after optioning Brayan Bello on Tuesday. The 25-year-old is the No. 6 prospect in the Red Sox farm system. He has already made two starts for the team this season. Bennett has pitched extremely well in the minor leagues and has earned another chance at the big league roster. He'd be worth a look in deep leagues if he does receive the call back to The Show next week.

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Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Brayan Bello is being optioned to Triple-A Worcester, according to Mac Cerullo. Bello has been putting together a miserable season, and it continued on Thursday. The right-hander allowed eight earned runs on seven hits while walking three batters across five innings of work in the loss to the Baltimore Orioles. After that outing, Bello holds a 6.34 ERA, 1.67 WHIP, and a 44:24 K:BB ratio across 12 appearances this season. The organization is hopeful that he can work out these issues in the minor leagues. The team hasn't announced who is coming up in his place, but Jake Bennett is believed to be the favorite to take over the roster spot.

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Los Angeles Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel (ankle) is scheduled to begin a minor league rehab assignment with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga on Friday. Schanuel is currently working his way back from a left ankle injury that he suffered in late May. If everything goes well, Schanuel should be able to return to the Angels lineup by the weekend. This season, Schanuel is slashing .262/.313/.387 with four home runs, 24 RBI, and 13 walks across 208 plate appearances. He's someone worth considering stashing in deep leagues with his return on the horizon.

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Athletics outfielder Brent Rooker (knee) is out of the starting lineup for Thursday's game at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs because he is dealing with some knee soreness, according to Martin Gallegos of MLB.com. Manager Mark Kotsay said Rooker is day-to-day. "This is more caution just to get him a day to see if we can get ahead of it as opposed to continuing to go in the wrong direction," Kotsay said. Catcher Shea Langeliers is serving as the designated hitter on Thursday and will hit third, with Jonah Heim doing the catching for right-hander J.T. Ginn and batting sixth against Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga. The knee soreness for the 31-year-old Rooker could be the reason why he's still hitting under the Mendoza Line at .196 (32-for-163) as we start June. Rooker has added eight home runs, 26 RBI, 16 runs scored, and two stolen bases with an ugly .277 on-base percentage and .362 slugging percentage through 43 games. Fantasy managers will want to check back on Friday to see if the right-handed slugger is available to play for the series opener in Houston against the division-rival Astros.

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The Athletics are currently using a closer-by-committee approach to the ninth inning, but left-handed reliever Hogan Harris might deserve some more consideration off the waiver wire from fantasy managers in need of saves going forward. The 29-year-old southpaw has been a reliable late-inning option for the A's this year and picked up his third win of 2026 in Wednesday night's 5-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, throwing a hitless and scoreless inning with no walks and two strikeouts. Justin Sterner ended up with the save in the ballgame, but Harris, Mark Leiter Jr., and Scott Barlow are still the best ninth-inning options for manager Mark Kotsay. Since blowing his first save of the year on April 28 against the Kansas City Royals, Harris has tightened things up with three earned runs allowed, seven walks, 16 strikeouts, four saves, three holds, and a win in 15 appearances for the A's. He has not allowed a run in 12 of his last 13 appearances. Fantasy managers should jump on Harris now, and he's only rostered in 11% of Yahoo leagues.

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Infielder George Lombard Jr. is the team's top overall prospect, per MLB Pipeline, and he could be on track to make a much earlier than expected debut in the big leagues in 2026. Lombard was promoted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre at the end of April after hitting .312 (24-for-77) with four home runs, 10 RBI, 18 runs scored, and four stolen bases in just 20 games with Double-A Somerset. The 21-year-old is already considered major-league-ready in terms of his glove, so he might not be far off from getting the call to the Bronx. The former 26th overall pick in 2023 out of Gulliver Preparatory School in Florida has played in 31 games at Triple-A and has gone 22-for-114 (.193) with two homers, 12 RBI, 23 runs, and six stolen bases in 149 plate appearances. Lombard has a patient approach and a maturing power profile, but he'll need to make more consistent contact to help fantasy managers down the road in the average department. With the expectation that Lombard has a good shot to make his MLB debut in 2026, fantasy managers in deeper leagues may want to get ahead of their league mates and stash him now. Lombard is rostered in just 4% of Yahoo leagues right now.

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Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts acknowledged that two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani (finger) is dealing with a "small" blister on the middle finger of his pitching hand, according to Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register. Ohtani was seen picking at his blister during his start on Wednesday against the Arizona Diamondbacks, but it's a "non-issue" for his pitching starts going forward, per Roberts. The 31-year-old four-time MVP wasn't really bothered by the blister during his outing in Arizona, as he gave up just two hits in six shutout innings with six strikeouts to earn his sixth win of the year. The Dodgers are giving the Japanese superstar a day of rest on Thursday as a hitter in the series finale in the desert, but it has nothing to do with his blister, and he should be back in action as the designated hitter for L.A. for the start of the Freeway Series on Friday against his former team, the Los Angeles Angels. Ohtani is now hitting over .300 after a slow start at the plate, and the four-time All-Star is firmly in the National League Cy Young race with a 6-2 record, 0.74 ERA, 0.79 WHIP, and 67:18 K:BB in 61 innings over his 10 starts in 2026.

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Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte (back, hamstring) is starting at second base and batting leadoff for Thursday's series finale against the division-rival Los Angeles Dodgers and left-hander Justin Wrobleski, according to MLB.com. The D-backs kept Marte out of the lineup as a precaution for Wednesday's game due to minor back and hamstring injuries, but he's back in action just a day later. The 32-year-old Dominican switch-hitter should be returned to all starting fantasy lineups in traditional leagues against Wrobleski, whom he has never faced in his career. Marte enters Thursday's action with a .259/.315/.456 slash line, .771 OPS, 10 home runs, 36 RBI, and 36 runs scored across 57 games and 251 plate appearances this year. Fantasy managers will be hoping he can turn things around after going just 1-for-18 with a homer, four RBI, two runs, four walks, and three punchouts in his last five games. Marte has hit better against lefties in a smaller sample size, going 19-for-65 (.292) and with three of his 10 homers on the year.

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The Kansas City Royals announced on Thursday that they placed right-hander Stephen Kolek (personal) on the family medical emergency list and selected the contract of infielder Josh Rojas from Triple-A Omaha in a corresponding move. Kolek could be away from the Royals for anywhere from three to seven days while he deals with a personal matter. It's unclear if he'll be back with the team in time to make his next scheduled start on Tuesday at home in a plus matchup against the Texas Rangers. The 29-year-old isn't much of a strikeout artist, leaving his fantasy ceiling rather low, but he has pitched well in 2026 in his first full year with the Royals, going 4-1 with a career-best 3.32 ERA (4.10 FIP) and 0.97 WHIP with 27 strikeouts and only eight walks in 38 innings across his six starts. Kolek had a quality start his last time out in a no-decision against the Cincinnati Reds, spinning seven innings with only two earned runs allowed, two walks, and a season-high eight strikeouts. He allowed six runs (four earned) with one walk and five K's in five innings in a loss on May 29 in his first meeting with the Rangers on the road.

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Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager (back) is expected to return from the 10-day injured list this weekend, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The Rangers entered Wednesday ranked 23rd in runs per game and two games below .500, so they desperately need both Seager and outfielder Wyatt Langford (forearm) back in their lineup. The 32-year-old Seager started a minor-league rehab assignment on Tuesday and should be good to go by the weekend, barring a setback. The five-time All-Star and two-time World Series MVP has gotten off to a bad start to the 2026 season, slashing just .179/.286/.353 with a .638 OPS, but he did have seven home runs in 156 at-bats before injuring his back. Seager has had trouble staying healthy at various points in his career, but the Rangers need him to stay on the field the rest of the year to have any chance at getting into the postseason. In fantasy, Seager's buy-low window remains open if you're willing to take on the risk that he cannot overcome his slow start.

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Tampa Bay Rays pitching prospect Brody Hopkins' season-long stats for Triple-A Durham don't look so good on the surface (3.56 ERA, 5.00 FIP, 1.54 WHIP), but progress can be seen in his five May outings, where he pitched to a 1.77 ERA (3.89 FIP) and 1.38 WHIP while opponents hit just .143 against him. The main issue has been the walks, which have persisted even throughout May, as the right-hander carries a Triple-A-worst 20.2 percent walk rate (minimum 30 innings pitched), which has almost canceled out a solid 25.8 percent strikeout rate, giving him a paltry 5.6 K-BB% for the year, while he's also delivered the second-most wild pitches (eight) among Triple-A hurlers. A 35.8 percent whiff rate (88th percentile) shows what kind of swing-and-miss stuff the Rays' top pitching prospect has, and if he can get the command under control, there is plenty of strikeout upside there. The 24-year-old walked just one while striking out nine in his latest appearance, and if he can continue that trend, the Rays might find a role for him on the big league club later this season, and with his stuff, Hopkins could end up being a stash target for fantasy.

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Minnesota Twins outfield prospect Walker Jenkins (shoulder) was gaining momentum for a promotion to the major leagues before suffering a Grade 2 AC joint sprain in early May. The Twins' top-ranked prospect was 9-for-21 (.429) with four doubles, a home run, a 6:4 BB:K, and two steals during a six-game hit streak before hitting the injured list. The oft-injured former first-round draft pick was slashing .256/.396/.389 with a pair of home runs, five steals, and more walks (19) than strikeouts (18) through 25 games before injuring his shoulder. The left-handed slugger is expected to start a rehab assignment next week, per Twins general manager Jeremy Zoll, and should he get rolling again, he will find himself in the mix for a major league debut in the second half of the season. The talented 21-year-old has the skills to be an impactful fantasy player once he gets a shot in the majors, but with a debut likely more than a month away, he's not a must-stash at the moment.

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Across 276 plate appearances entering play on Thursday, Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez had hit .245/.351/.433 with nine home runs, 32 RBI, 36 runs scored, and 21 stolen bases. While the 33-year-old's .784 OPS this season still represents above-average production, it's well below the .868 OPS he posted across back-to-back top-five finishes in the American League MVP vote in 2024 and 2025. Still, Ramirez's 7% barrel rate is right in line with his career norms, and his 44.8% hard-hit rate is actually the best mark of his career. Ramirez's plate skills also remain elite, as he's drawn 39 walks on the season and struck out just 35 times. Ramirez is already an elite source of speed, and there's plenty of reason to believe that the rest of his fantasy profile will return to elite status over the remainder of 2026.

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Miami Marlins pitching prospect Thomas White (shoulder) was coming off a stellar 2025 campaign where he posted a 2.31 ERA (2.27 FIP), 1.18 WHIP, and a .172 opponent batting average while striking out 145 batters across 89 2/3 innings of work, which was good for a massive 38.6 percent strikeout rate. Walks have always been a concern, even in 2025 when they reached 13.6 percent, but a 17.0 percent swinging-strike rate while allowing two home runs all season helped limit the potential damage. That is why it was a bit of an eye-opener to see him struggle to a 4.34 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, and an opponent batting average of .257, which includes four home runs allowed to begin the Triple-A campaign in 2026. The Marlins' top-ranked prospect has been on the 7-day injured list since May 19, but has no clear timetable to return after Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix said last week that White is recovering from "a bit of a shoulder thing." If he can return soon and log a couple of good starts at Triple-A, the southpaw could soon get the call to the majors with the big league rotation desperately in need of reinforcements. Fantasy managers should monitor for any updates, as once the 21-year-old starts pitching again, he'll likely be one of the top pitchers to stash in fantasy leagues.

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San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado has struggled mightily so far in 2026, hitting .172/.263/.344 with 10 home runs, 30 RBI, 28 runs scored, and one stolen base across 241 plate appearances. It's a startling decline for the veteran, who entered 2026 riding a streak of five consecutive seasons with at least a .258 batting average, 27 home runs, and 91 RBI. Machado's issues at the plate have been at least partially fueled by bad luck, as his .177 batting average on balls in play is significantly below his career mark of .296. However, there are some worrying signs in his underlying metrics. Machado's 8.2% barrel rate is his worst since 2019, and his 44.3% hard-hit rate is his lowest since 2020. The 33-year-old's strikeout rate has also slipped to a career-worst 23.2%. Machado's production feels likely to regress to the mean over a larger sample, but he may finally be exhibiting signs of age-related decline.

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Cleveland Guardians first base prospect Ralphy Velazquez is off to an excellent start to the 2026 season in the minor leagues, hitting .298/.389/.521 with seven home runs, 31 RBI, 28 runs scored, and one stolen base. The 21-year-old's production has slowed down a bit since being promoted from Double-A Akron to Triple-A Columbus on May 20. Still, Velazquez has progressed rapidly through the Guardians' farm system since opening the 2025 season at High-A and could be on the fast track to the big leagues. Cleveland has gotten decent production from the first base/designated hitter combination of Kyle Manzardo and Rhys Hoskins, but neither represents a major impediment for Velazquez if he continues to produce. In deeper leagues, fantasy managers may want to consider stashing Velazquez off the waiver wire.

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Cincinnati Reds infielder Sal Stewart got off to a hot start to the 2026 season, hitting .283/.373/.570 with nine home runs, 29 RBI, 20 runs, and seven stolen bases through the end of April. However, the 22-year-old cooled off considerably in May, hitting .240/.336/.375 with three home runs, eight RBI, 14 runs, and three stolen bases across 119 plate appearances. Given Stewart's age, it's not a surprise to see him struggle after the league has some time to gather information on him. Still, Stewart will now need to counter with an adjustment of his own. Even with his relatively rough May baked in, Stewart's 12.5% walk rate and 14.7% barrel rate suggest an elite combination of plate skills and power. The young slugger is also locked into everyday playing time in Cincinnati and should have an extended runway to work his way out of his current slump. Managers may want to slightly downgrade expectations for Stewart, but he remains a high-upside fantasy hitter.

From RotoBaller