New York Mets outfielder Luis Robert Jr. (back) said he expects to return from his spine injury this season, according to Chelsea Janes of SNY. Robert said his back has been responding better in recent days, so he might run on the field by the end of the week. However, he doesn't know if the issue will fully subside or if it will be something he will have to play through the rest of the way. It's not exactly a ringing endorsement for fantasy managers who have been stashing the 28-year-old Cuban slugger, who is currently on the 60-day injured list. Robert has been sidelined since late May due to lumbar spine disc irritation. It sounds like he's making some progress of late, but there remains no timetable for his return to the Mets. Robert has always teased elite power/speed upside, but he has only delivered on that potential once, back in 2023 with the Chicago White Sox. There's no guarantee he'll be a reliable fantasy asset again in 2026 after hitting .224 (19-for-85) with two home runs, eight RBI, 10 runs, and two steals in 24 games to kick off his first year with the Mets. Robert is rostered in under half of Yahoo leagues currently.

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Detroit Tigers veteran right-hander Justin Verlander (hip) had a rough showing in his minor-league rehab start on Wednesday for Triple-A Toledo, allowing four earned runs on five hits (four home runs) while walking two and striking out three in 5 2/3 innings of work for the Mud Hens. It was in stark contrast to his first rehab start with Toledo on June 2, when he threw five shutout innings over 64 pitches. Despite the ugly results on Wednesday, the good news is that Verlander averaged 92.9 mph with his fastball and got up to 86 pitches in the outing, meaning his next start could be back in the big leagues for the Tigers against his former team, the Houston Astros. That would be a solid matchup for the 43-year-old three-time Cy Young winner and former MVP, but he still won't be recommended as a fantasy streamer after having not pitched in the majors since March 30. And in his lone start in 2026 for Detroit, Verlander allowed five earned runs in 3 2/3 innings to the Arizona Diamondbacks. He's going to be plugged back into the Tigers' starting rotation, but the future Hall of Famer doesn't have much left, and fantasy managers should have better upside options at their disposal.

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Kansas City Royals right-hander Seth Lugo's (head) CT scan came back clear, and he will continue to be monitored, according to the team. Lugo was hit in the forehead by a 106.6 mph line drive off the bat of Texas Rangers outfielder Brandon Nimmo on Wednesday night in a scary scene at Kauffman Stadium. The veteran hurler was able to get up right away, although he quickly had a large lump on his head and was pulled from the game as a precaution. The 36-year-old will also likely be put through concussion tests, but for now, he appears to have avoided a serious injury. Lugo's next scheduled start on Monday against the Washington Nationals is up in the air, though, and fantasy managers will want to check back again in the next few days. Before leaving on Wednesday, Lugo allowed an earned run on three hits with one walk and two strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings pitched. The savvy veteran doesn't light up the radar gun or punch out hitters at a high rate, limiting his fantasy upside, but he's still a matchup-based streaming option in the right matchups.

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Detroit Tigers right-handed reliever Kenley Jansen (pelvis) was a bit "rusty" in his minor-league rehab outing on Wednesday at Triple-A Toledo, but manager A.J. Hinch said he is still on track to be reinstated after a minimum stay on the 15-day injured list, according to Evan Woodbery of MLive Media Group. It points to Jansen returning for Friday's series opener in Cleveland against the division-rival Guardians, which is the first day he's eligible to come off the IL. The 38-year-old veteran allowed three earned runs on two hits while walking one and striking out one in two-thirds of an inning during his rehab outing on Wednesday with the Mud Hens. With Jansen out recently, the Tigers have mixed and matched in the ninth inning with right-handers Will Vest and Kyle Finnegan. Jansen wasn't exactly pitching great before his pelvis injury, going 1-3 with a 4.80 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, seven saves, and a 19:9 K:BB -- but given his experience, he's likely to be Detroit's primary option for saves again once he's activated. Just don't expect Jansen to have a very long leash if he continues to be inconsistent.

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Washington Nationals left-hander Foster Griffin had another solid outing on Wednesday at Oracle Park against the San Francisco Giants, although he did not factor into the decision. Griffin allowed just one earned run on six hits (one homer) while walking none and striking out five in six innings for a quality start. Since allowing 14 earned runs in 9 1/3 innings on May 14 and May 19 against the Cincinnati Reds and New York Mets, the 30-year-old southpaw has steadied the ship by giving up only five earned runs on 16 hits (five homers) while walking three and striking out 20 in 22 innings over his last four starts. Griffin's strong start on Wednesday in the Bay Area dropped his season ERA to 3.46 (4.75 FIP) and his WHIP to 1.09 in his 14 starts. He has struck out 74 and walked 21 in 78 innings pitched. Griffin is due for some regression the rest of the way, but fantasy managers should consider picking him up off the waiver wire for his next scheduled outing against the Kansas City Royals, who rank 25th in baseball with a .693 OPS.

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Despite a recent rough patch, Washington Natinals right-handed reliever Clayton Beeter is the best source of saves in D.C. Beeter hasn't had the best start to June -- he's allowed four earned runs on five hits while walking one and striking out four in 3 2/3 innings in three outings -- but he entered the month with a 2.30 ERA, 15 strikeouts, 12 walks, a win, four saves, and two holds for the Nationals as their top option for the ninth inning. Overall, the 27-year-old former second-round pick by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020 out of Texas Tech University has gone 2-1 with a 3.72 ERA (4.81 FIP), 1.29 WHIP, four saves, three holds, 19 strikeouts, and 13 walks in 19 1/3 innings pitched. Before the calendar flipped to June, Beeter had six straight scoreless appearances for the Nats to solidify his role as their closer. We're not saying that Beeter is a high-end closing option in fantasy, but for managers scrounging for saves, he's rostered in just 11% of Yahoo leagues.

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Colorado Rockies veteran right-hander Antonio Senzatela has looked like a different pitcher this year after being moved to a relief role. In his first 16 outings out of the bullpen in 2026 through May, Senzatela had a 1.36 ERA (3.23 FIP) with 26 strikeouts, nine walks, a 4-0 record, three saves, and two holds. The 31-year-old Venezuelan hurler is being hit hard by regression so far in June, though, giving up five runs (four earned) on nine hits (one homer) while walking two and striking out six in 5 1/3 innings pitched in four appearances. He's gone 2-0 in those outings, but he's blown three saves, including on Wednesday night against the Chicago Cubs at Coors Field in an eventual 3-2 victory. All three of his blown saves on the season have come in his last four appearances. Overall, Senzatela is still 6-0 with a 2.11 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, three saves, and 32 strikeouts in 38 1/3 innings pitched, but his 3.39 FIP shows that more regression is likely in store. The Venezuelan hurler has just a 7.5 K/9, which isn't ideal for a late-inning arm. A likely trade candidate this summer, Senzatela isn't a must-roster reliever despite his shiny surface stats.

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With Seattle Mariners closer Andres Munoz not living up to his lofty expectations so far in 2026, left-handed reliever Jose A. Ferrer is gaining some steam as one of the top handcuff relievers in baseball. The 26-year-old Dominican southpaw did blow a save chance on Tuesday at Camden Yards against the Baltimore Orioles, allowing two earned runs on three hits (one homer) while striking out one, but he also backed into his first win of the season. Despite his hiccup earlier this week, Ferrer has been solid in late-inning, high-leverage situations for Seattle in 2026 and is 1-1 with a 2.10 ERA (3.24 FIP), 1.33 WHIP, three saves, 26 strikeouts, and only seven walks in his 30 innings out of the bullpen. He has allowed a run in only five of his 33 outings for the M's in his fourth year in the majors (first in Seattle), and if Munoz continues to struggle, don't be surprised if Ferrer is given more save opportunities by manager Dan Wilson. Ferrer's 19.7% strikeout rate isn't ideal, but he's also walking just 5.3% of the batters he faces. Fantasy managers looking for a closer handcuff should look no further than Ferrer, who is rostered in only 7% of Yahoo leagues.

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Los Angeles Angels right-hander Walbert Urena picked up the fourth win of his first season in the big leagues on Tuesday night over the visiting Houston Astros, tossing five scoreless innings while allowing three hits, walking five, and striking out seven. The 22-year-old Dominican hurler is now 4-4 in his rookie season for the Halos with a 2.44 ERA (4.01 FIP) and 1.35 WHIP with 55 strikeouts and 33 walks in 55 1/3 innings pitched over his 12 appearances (10 starts). Urena has exceeded expectations so far in his first big-league season, but his lack of control is something that is keeping him from being a true breakout candidate in his first year. He threw only 59 of his 107 pitches for strikes on Tuesday against Houston, and he has at least three walks in each of his last four starts. His five-walk performance this week was his second such outing of 2026. If Urena can start to limit the free passes, he'll become much more attractive off the waiver wire. Right now, Urena is rostered in 31% of Yahoo leagues.

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Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal (elbow) will return from the 15-day injured list and start on Saturday against the Cleveland Guardians, manager A.J. Hinch told Jason Beck of MLB.com. Right-hander Jack Flaherty will go in the series opener on Friday, with Casey Mize (groin) returning from the IL to pitch in the series finale on Sunday. Skubal had surgery on his left elbow in early May to remove loose bodies from his arm, but he has made a rapid recovery and will return this weekend for the Tigers and fantasy managers. In his lone minor-league rehab start for High-A West Michigan on Sunday, the back-to-back American League Cy Young winner threw five scoreless innings and struck out six while tossing 54 pitches. Skubal will probably be a bit limited length-wise on Saturday in his first start back in the Tigers' rotation, but fantasy managers shouldn't expect too much. The 29-year-old southpaw and two-time All-Star went 3-2 with a 2.70 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and 45 strikeouts in 43 1/3 innings across his seven starts this year before landing on the IL.

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Detroit Tigers right-hander Casey Mize (groin) is likely to return from the 15-day injured list to start against the division-rival Cleveland Guardians on Sunday in the series finale, but the Tigers are waiting for him to complete his bullpen session on Thursday before setting that in stone, according to Evan Woodbery of MLive Media Group. Right-hander Jack Flaherty will get the ball for Friday's series opener, with lefty Tarik Skubal (elbow) returning from the IL to pitch on Saturday in Game 2. Mize has been sidelined with inflammation in his right groin since late May, but he looked good during his lone minor-league rehab start, allowing just one run in five innings with five strikeouts for Single-A Lakeland on Tuesday. The 29-year-old former first overall pick in 2018 out of Auburn University has never been a big strikeout artist, but he has a career-best 26.5% strikeout rate in 2026 and has posted a strong 2.27 ERA (2.41 FIP) and 0.96 WHIP with 49 strikeouts and 12 walks in his nine starts for Detroit before landing on the IL. Don't dismiss Mize as a matchup-based streamer in fantasy leagues. He's rostered in just over half of Yahoo leagues.

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San Francisco Giants third baseman Matt Chapman is definitely starting to heat up as the summer approaches. In the team's wild 11-10 win at Oracle Park on Wednesday night over the visiting Washington Nationals, Chapman went 4-for-5 at the plate with two home runs, a double, three RBI, and three runs scored to boost his season average to .262 and his OPS to .754. Both of the 33-year-old's homers were of the solo variety as the Giants marched back from an eight-run deficit to win the ballgame. So far in June, Chapman has gone 15-for-32 (.469) with five home runs, two doubles, 18 RBI, and seven runs scored in 10 games played. The former first-rounder by the Athletics in 2014 out of California State University, Fullerton, only has six home runs on the season, but it looks like he might be coming out of his early-season funk, especially in the power department. Under the hood, he still ranks in just the 22nd percentile in xwOBA and the 29th percentile in hard-hit rate.

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Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Ryan Ward could be playing his way into a larger role with a great start to his MLB career. The 28-year-old lefty is 8-for-30 (.267) with a pair of doubles, three home runs, and a 14.3% barrel rate through his first nine games. He's currently in a strict platoon with Alex Call, starting against righties and sitting against lefties, but he has shown enough power potential to be worth a look in deep leagues. In Triple-A before his promotion, he was hitting .254 with six homers and a .370 wOBA. He is getting enough playing time in an excellent lineup to be a deep-league add right away, and he could work his way to standard-sized league relevance if he keeps mashing.

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Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Gregory Soto got the job done on Wednesday to earn his ninth save, but it wasn't a clean and neat outing. He only needed eight pitches, all strikes, to get through the inning, but he gave up two hits, including a two-run blast by Shohei Ohtani. The 31-year-old lefty is 4-1 in his 30 games this season with a 3.38 ERA and 3.10 FIP, and he has racked up 34 strikeouts in 29 1/3 innings. While he has been effective overall, he has given up five runs in his last two appearances, so he'll need to get things turned around if he wants to maintain his role as the team's top closer. If he continues to struggle, Dennis Santana and Evan Sisk could be more in the mix for saves for the Pirates.

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Chicago White Sox relief pitcher Bryan Hudson issued one walk but no hits in his one shutout inning to earn his third save of the season on Wednesday night against the Braves. Seranthony Dominguez worked a clean eighth inning ahead of Hudson, with both relievers preserving a narrow 2-1 lead. The White Sox will continue to mix and match Dominguez, Grant Taylor, and Hudson, but for now, Hudson is definitely growing into enough of a role to be worth grabbing in deeper leagues. Hudson has a 2.32 ERA in 31 innings with a 21.1% K%.

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Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher Garrett Cleavinger earned his second save of the season on Wednesday in his team's 7-5 win over the Red Sox. Cleavinger gave up a home run to Caleb Durbin and issued a walk ot Isiah Kiner-Falefa, but he struck out Andruw Monasterio to end the game. Closer Bryan Baker had worked in each of the previous two games, earning back-to-back saves. Baker has a 1.98 ERA and 18 saves this season, tied for the second-most in the majors. Cleavinger isn't likely to supplant Baker anytime soon, barring injury, but he has been effective in a setup role and could earn an occasional save chance like this one. The 32-year-old lefty is 1-2 with a 4.70 ERA and 4.02 FIP across his 15 1/3 innings this season. Cleavinger can be useful in leagues that value setup stats, but he's best left for deep leagues, while Baker continues to be so effective.

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Mariners' SP George Kirby recorded 10 strikeouts in 6 innings but took the loss in a 7-2 loss to Baltimore on Wednesday, Jun. 10.

Rays' SP Drew Rasmussen recorded 13 strikeouts in 7 innings collecting the win in a 7-5 win over the Red Sox on Wednesday, Jun. 10.

New York Mets right-hander Kodai Senga (arm, back) will resume a minor-league rehab assignment on Thursday for Double-A Binghamton, according to MLB.com's Anthony DiComo. Senga was scratched from a rehab start on Tuesday with ulnar nerve irritation in his right arm, but it apparently wasn't a very serious issue. The Japanese native originally went on the injured list due to lumbar spine inflammation in late April. The 33-year-old has only made five starts for the Mets in 2026 in his fourth year in the majors, and he did not look good, going 0-4 with 21 runs allowed (20 earned) on 26 hits (five homers) while walking 13 and striking out 23 in 20 innings pitched. Senga was an All-Star in his first year with the Mets in 2023, going 12-7 with a 2.98 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and 202:77 K:BB in his 29 starts, but he only made one start the following year due to injury. He had a solid 3.02 ERA in 22 starts in 2025, but he fell off late in the year and was sent to the minors to work on his mechanics. He has not bounced back since and is now on the waiver wire in most mixed fantasy leagues. It's unclear how many rehab starts he might need before being an option to return to Queens.

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Houston Astros right-hander Hunter Brown (shoulder) looked good on Wednesday night in what could be his final minor-league rehab start with Triple-A Sugar Land, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits while walking two and striking out seven in five innings against Triple-A Sacramento. Brown threw 45 of his 74 pitches for strikes in the contest and generated 11 swings and misses while averaging 96.4 mph on his fastball. The 27-year-old could very well be making his next start with the Astros after working his way back from a Grade 2 strain in his right shoulder that landed him on the injured list in early April. If Brown is reinstated from the 60-day IL to rejoin Houston's starting rotation, his next outing would come next week versus the Detroit Tigers. The former fifth-rounder in 2019 out of Wayne State University will be a must-start when he returns after proving to be a fantasy ace in his breakout season in 2025. In his two starts this year before injuring his shoulder, he had a 0.84 ERA and 1.03 WHIP with 17 K's in 10 2/3 innings.

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