Coming off of the weekend post-All-Star break, we have a ton of news and notes. We have some prospect debuts of Brandon Marsh and Jarren Duran, with the latter making an immediate impact on Monday night. Jarred Kelenic returns, and Josiah Gray expects to make his debut on Tuesday. Although we have positive news, it comes with some significant injuries to Jazz Chisholm, Francisco Lindor, and Jacob deGrom. We’ll do our best to keep up to date with the fantasy-relevant news and notes from the past week.
Import your team to My Playbook for instant Waiver Wire advice
Angels
Adam Eaton (OF – LAA) Joins the Angels
After the White Sox released the veteran in Adam Eaton, the Angels signed him on Wednesday. The team needs outfield depth after losing Mike Trout and Justin Upton. We’ll see what role Eaton has given his historically solid OBP skills.
Brandon Marsh (OF – LAA) Recalled From Minors
As a power and speed threat, Brandon Marsh is someone to pick up in 15-team leagues. We could even argue his viability in 12-teamers with five outfielders. Back in 2019 at Double-A, Marsh hit seven home runs with 18 steals, a .300 batting average, and .383 OBP.
Although the production hasn’t been as great at Triple-A in 2021, Marsh has a 14.5% walk rate and .364 OBP to pair with three home runs and two steals. He came into the season with a shoulder injury, but we love the OBP skills that should boost his floor, assuming he receives playing time in the depleted Angels outfield.
Astros
No fantasy-relevant news and notes.
Athletics
No fantasy-relevant news and notes.
Blue Jays
Alek Manoah (SP – TOR)
On Monday, a report surfaced about Alek Manoah slipping on the stairs. Manoah has a back contusion, and the Blue Jays placed him on the injured list shortly after the news broke.
Thomas Hatch should fill in for Manoah, who pitched well in relief last season with a 2.73 ERA in 26 1/3 innings. At Triple-A this year, Hatch also made eight starts with a 2.15 ERA in 29 1/3 innings. Hatch is a tiny bit interesting, with a changeup eliciting a 19.8% SwStr% and a slider with a 16.9% SwStr% in 2020. However, his 9.2% K-BB% in 2020 and 14.2% K-BB% in 2021 look worrisome with the double-digit walk rates.
Braves
Joc Pederson (1B/OF – ATL) Traded to the Braves
On Thursday, the Braves traded for Joc Pederson and first baseman Bryce Ball to the Cubs. Given the injuries to the Braves outfield, Pederson should play often. Let’s see if he can heat up in the second half of the season. Pederson’s batted ball data looks about the same with a 10.2% barrel rate and 46.9% hard-hit rate compared to previous seasons.
Ian Anderson (SP – ATL) Lands on the IL
Ian Anderson is dealing with a shoulder issue, which means he won’t throw for 7-10 days.
As Mark Bowman notes, this could mean Anderson misses up to 3-4 weeks before returning, which puts the potential timeline into late August. Keep hanging onto Anderson until we hear more news. The Braves have some replacements coming back with Kyle Muller and Touki Toussaint, but Muller is the most fantasy-relevant one.
Stephen Vogt (C – ATL)
Interestingly, Atlanta acquired veteran catcher Stephen Vogt. They already have a veteran-heavy catching group that includes Kevan Smith and Jonathan Lucroy. Travis d’Arnaud is still working his way back, and they optioned William Contreras before the All-Star break.
Vogt isn’t fantasy-relevant, but the fantasy impact remains with the Diamondbacks. Carson Kelly is still on the injured list, so we should see Daulton Varsho play more often. A catcher-eligible player with stolen base potential is a valuable piece on a fantasy roster. Speaking of Varsho, he stole his second base over the weekend.
Touki Toussaint (SP – ATL) & Kyle Muller (SP – ATL)
After being sent down to Triple-A, Kyle Muller started on Monday. Muller flashed some upside with two breaking pitches eliciting a swinging-strike rate above 23%. He is a must roster player in 15-team leagues.
With Touki Toussaint and his 80-grade name, I’m less optimistic about his future production. The former 16th overall pick in 2014 has struggled in his brief MLB sample of 95 innings. Toussaint has a 5.97 ERA, 1.60 WHIP, a 24.3% strikeout rate, and a 14.3% walk rate in his MLB career. He is more of a player to watch and see if we can find any underlying metrics to buy into before we add and roster him.
Brewers
Devin Williams (RP – MIL) Lands On the IL
Although Devin Williams hasn’t factored into the saves conversation in 2021, he still provided solid ratios with a 2.97 ERA, yet it came with a 1.32 WHIP. As expected, Williams’ outlier 2020 season with a .194 BABIP allowed regressed a bit, and his 53% strikeout rate dropped to 36.1% in 2021.
Part of the reason for the dip in production includes a one mph decrease in velocity, a lower swinging-strike rate on all pitches, and more contact allowed on his filthy changeup. Brad Boxberger and Brent Suter should take over the setup role in Williams’ absence for saves plus holds leagues.
Cardinals
No fantasy-relevant news and notes.
Cubs
No fantasy-relevant news and notes.
Diamondbacks
Zac Gallen (SP – ARI) Comes Off the IL
On Saturday, Zac Gallen returned from the injured list and faced the Cubs. He allowed three hits, two walks, and an earned run with seven strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings. The results were good for Gallen in his first start back, but it came with a 29% whiff rate and 29% CSW% overall. Hopefully, Gallen builds upon this start and stays healthy.
Dodgers
Gavin Lux (2B – LAD) Leaves With Hamstring Issue
Gavin Lux hasn’t lived up to expectations this season with a .227 batting average and .656 OPS. In 15-team leagues, fantasy managers should hold onto Lux. However, in 10-12 team leagues, Lux is cuttable for a streamer if necessary.
Update: The Dodgers placed Lux on the 10-day injured list. With the Dodgers hitting depth, Zach McKinstry, Chris Taylor, and others should fill in for Lux in the meantime.
Josiah Gray (P – LAD)
One of the top pitching prospects in Josiah Gray could start on Tuesday. In Gray’s minor league career, he has a 2.41 ERA and 0.93 WHIP in 198 innings pitched. Given the potential upside, Gray is someone to roster in all league sizes.
Giants
Brandon Crawford (SS – SF) & Buster Posey (C – SF)
With Buster Posey coming off the injured list, Brandon Crawford lands on the IL. Good news for Posey, and make sure to plug him back into lineups. However, it’s unfortunate news for Crawford, who already tied his career-high seven stolen bases and is on pace to smash his career-high 21 home runs back in 2015.
Unsurprisingly, Crawford is smashing career-bests across the board with his batted ball data with a 15.2% barrel rate, .538 xSLG, .382 wOBA, and .444 xwOBAcon. He is worth hanging onto in all formats, especially OBP leagues.
Indians
No fantasy-relevant news and notes.
Mariners
Jarred Kelenic (OF – SEA) Called Up
Jarred Kelenic is back, baby! He went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts on Friday. Kelenic has had a hit in all three games since returning to the majors. Hopefully, he will pick it up in the second half of the season.
Marlins
Pablo López (SP – MIA) Hits the IL
Pablo López lands on the injured list with a shoulder injury – a right rotator cuff strain. As noted in the tweet, López has dealt with shoulder issues in the past, which is worrisome.
Hang onto López, but they have an open spot in their rotation. Ross Detwiler pitched on Monday with a brutal outing where he allowed seven hits, eight earned runs, and zero walks with four home runs in one inning of work. Braxton Garrett came up as the 27th man on Monday, but Edward Cabrera is the name to monitor. However, the Marlins will likely ramp up Cabrera slowly after dealing with a biceps injury.
Garrett Cooper (1B/OF – MIA) Leaves With Elbow Issue
Once again, Garrett Cooper is hurt. When healthy, Cooper has produced, especially in July, with a .351 batting average, three home runs, eight runs, seven RBI, and a 1.111 OPS. Cooper will undergo an MRI on Monday, which should provide more information. In 15-team leagues, hold onto Cooper where you can given the high production when healthy.
Update: Cooper is dealing with a left elbow sprain based on an MRI. The Marlins placed him on the injured list on Monday. In leagues smaller than 15-teams, Cooper is cuttable, but I’d want to roster him in deeper leagues.
Jazz Chisholm (2B/SS – MIA) Hits the IL
Fortunately, X-rays came back negative on Jazz Chisholm’s shoulder. However, the power and speed threat has struggled in June and July, with a .701 and .698 OPS. In all formats, Chisholm is a must hold player.
Update: Chisholm has a bone bruise on his left shoulder, according to an MRI. The earliest Chisholm could return from the IL – sometime towards the end of July.
Mets
Francisco Lindor (SS – NYM)
Mets star shortstop Francisco Lindor left Friday’s game with a side issue. Lindor underwent tests on Saturday, which may shed light on the severity.
He was hitting better in July with a .333 batting average and .989 OPS compared to a .228 batting average and .702 OPS on the season. Jonathan Villar and José Peraza, to a lesser extent, will likely step into more playing time.
Update: Lindor lands on the 10-day injured list with a Grade 2 oblique strain. A timeline for his return is unknown, but we expect it to sideline him for longer than the minimum of ten days.
Jacob deGrom (SP – NYM) Hits the IL
On Sunday, Jacob deGrom hits the injured list with forearm tightness. deGrom will wait until the forearm tightness goes away before throwing again.
Mets starting pitchers on the injured list include deGrom, Carlos Carrasco, Joey Lucchesi, David Peterson, Noah Syndergaard, and Jordan Yamamoto. The Mets have four healthy starters in their rotation, with Tylor Megill and Jerad Eickhoff as the newer starters. Megill is an intriguing starter that has pitched well in recent weeks.
Megill looks solid with a 2.63 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, a 27.7% strikeout rate, and an 8.9% walk rate in 24 innings. Granted that it’s a small sample, but his 89.1% LOB% is a bit high, and the .283 BABIP allowed could rise. Even if Megill’s ERA jumps to the mid-3.00’s, that is still a solid pitcher given his waiver wire status a few weeks ago.
Megill primarily uses a four-seamer, slider, and changeup, with the latter two pitches looking filthy with a 16.8% SwStr% on the slider and a 20% SwStr% on the changeup. He’s a must-add player in even 10-12 team leagues. I prefer Megill over Eickhoff since we haven’t seen positive indicators for Eickhoff since back in 2016.
Nationals
Victor Robles (OF – WSH) Leaves With Dizziness
On Friday, Victor Robles left the game with dizziness that is possibly due to the heat.
Robles didn’t record an at-bat before leaving. Hopefully, it was just precautionary for Robles, but fantasy managers and the Nationals need him to heat up.
Update: Robles went hitless in five plate appearances (two games) with one stolen base since leaving on Friday.
Orioles
John Means (SP – BAL) Activated From the IL
John Means will start against the Rays on Tuesday after not pitching since June 5. Hopefully, he will get back on track towards his breakout season. We expect the ratios to regress given his 100% LOB% and .192 BABIP allowed, but let’s see if the four-seamer and changeup remain effective. Means’ curveball is the wildcard to monitor with a 6.5% SwStr% yet 6.1 inches more horizontal movement than the average curveball.
Padres
Ryan Weathers (P – SD)
It appears that Ryan Weathers fractured a bone in his ankle. Weathers can walk fine, but it’s a matter of pain tolerance. However, early indications provide hope to return by the end of July, even though it could take longer than that.
The only two healthy Padres pitchers heading into the weekend include Joe Musgrove and Chris Paddack. Thankfully, Blake Snell (expected)/made a start on Saturday, but that still puts the Padres at three healthy starting pitchers.
Reiss Knehr came up last week against the Rockies. Knehr made a brief start of 3 2/3 innings where he allowed three hits, two earned runs, and four walks with three strikeouts. His minor league profile isn’t that exciting either, with a career of 4.43 ERA and 1.29 WHIP.
Mason Thompson is another pitcher on the Padres 40-man roster in Triple-A. However, like Knehr, his minor league profile doesn’t look great with a 5.23 ERA and 1.43 WHIP.
It sounds like MacKenzie Gore is still working on his mechanics and probably isn’t in the cards to come up soon. That means, stay away for now unless the Padres make a trade deal to solidify their fourth and fifth starter roles.
Dinelson Lamet (SP – SD)
We have no new updates with Dinelson Lamet. However, Lamet will throw some bullpen sessions and eventually live batting practice. Hopefully, we’ll receive more of a timeline in the coming days.
Blake Snell (SP – SD) & Yu Darvish (SP – SD) Come Off the IL
On Saturday, the Padres activated Blake Snell off of the injured list. Although the Padres won on Sunday, Snell’s start wasn’t great with six hits, four earned runs, four walks, and three strikeouts in four innings of work. Snell finished with a 23% whiff rate and 20% CSW% overall on 74 pitches. With Snell’s inconsistencies, it’s hard to roster him, but it seems we have no other choice to bench or start based on matchups with the upside.
With Darvish, he should make two starts this week on Monday and Saturday. There is still an open rotation spot for the Padres, but they have their four main starters locked in for now, even with some shakiness from Snell.
Phillies
No fantasy-relevant news and notes.
Pirates
No fantasy-relevant news and notes.
Rangers
No fantasy-relevant news and notes.
Rays
No fantasy-relevant news and notes.
Red Sox
Jarren Duran (OF – BOS) Makes MLB Debut
After conversations regarding Jarren Duran and the USA Olympic Team, he finally made his MLB debut on Thursday. Duran will be a source of power and speed with 15 home runs and 12 stolen bases with a .270 batting average at Triple-A. In previous seasons, Duran hit eight total home runs throughout 880 plate appearances with 70 stolen bases.
So what changed? Per an article in The Athletic, Duran made a swing change in the minors to unlock some power. Duran’s 28.8% HR/FB% looks a bit unsustainable, but it’s a massive jump with him pulling the ball at a career-best 42%. Let’s see if those power gains stick in the majors that make him an immediate waiver wire player.
Update: Duran batted second against a righty and hit an opposite-field home run with a 99.5 mph exit velocity.
Christian Arroyo (2B – BOS)
On Sunday, Christian Arroyo left the game with a hamstring strain. Since July 5, Arroyo is hitting .310 with two home runs, four runs, and six RBI. Heading into Sunday, Arroyo had six hits amidst a three-game hit streak. Hopefully, Arroyo doesn’t miss too much time because he is valuable in 15-team leagues, even if he typically bats in the bottom third of the lineup.
Update: Arroyo hits the IL. Given his recent hot stretch, fantasy managers could make a case to hang onto him in 15-teamers.
Reds
Nick Castellanos (OF – CIN)
Yikes. Nick Castellanos took a hit by pitch off of his wrist on Friday. Castellanos left the game, and he underwent X-rays, which came back negative. A hitter with a hand or wrist issue is worrisome, but hopefully, it doesn’t impact him too much. Castellanos missed Sunday and Monday’s game.
Rockies
No fantasy-relevant news and notes.
Royals
Danny Duffy (SP – KC)
During Danny Duffy’s start on Friday, he took a liner off of his knee. It seems that Duffy left as a precaution since it tightened up.
In Duffy’s start, he allowed two hits, an earned run, and one walk with three strikeouts in four innings. Before Duffy’s initial injury, he was dominant. Hopefully, this doesn’t sideline him for too long, and he can get back on track.
Nick Pratto (1B – KC) & Bobby Witt Jr. (SS – KC) Move to Triple-A
Both Nick Pratto and Bobby Witt Jr. moved up to Triple-A, which means there is a chance one or both players could receive the call up to the majors later this season. Most of us know about Witt, so we won’t spend time detailing the power and speed potential.
However, let’s spend a bit of time on Pratto. In 2018 at Single-A, Pratto hit 14 home runs with 22 steals and a .280 batting average. Then at High-A in 2019, Pratto struggled with nine home runs and 17 stolen bases yet a .191 batting average. Pratto’s strikeout rate boomed to 34.7% in 2019 from right under 28% in 2018.
However, at Double-A this season, we saw several positive signs with the career-best 16.5% walk rate paired with 15 home runs and seven stolen bases. Amongst qualified hitters, Pratto’s .978 OPS ranks 2nd in the Double-A Central League behind Jose Miranda and in front of another Royals’ prospect in MJ Melendez. In almost any dynasty league where available, I tried scooping up Pratto. Now that Pratto is at Triple-A with Witt Jr., it makes both possible call-up candidates in 2021.
Tigers
No fantasy-relevant news and notes.
Twins
No fantasy-relevant news and notes.
White Sox
No fantasy-relevant news and notes.
Yankees
Luis Severino (SP – NYY) & Corey Kluber (SP – NYY)
We received an update on Luis Severino and Corey Kluber. Severino has thrown some bullpen sessions and will face live hitter soon. He expects to return by early August.
For Corey Kluber, we have less positive news that he won’t return until September. That said, he is droppable in all league sizes, given that he likely won’t pitch again in 2021, or it won’t be impactful for fantasy purposes.
Jonathan Loaisiga (P – NYY) Tested Positive
Yankees pitcher Jonathan Loaisiga tested positive for COVID-19, which led to other Yankees players going through COVID protocols. Assuming no other issues, Loaisiga could return sometime in late July.
COVID Protocols
Other notable Yankees in COVID protocols include Aaron Judge and Gio Urshela. Both players will need to miss ten days and progress through the COVID protocols.
View your league’s top available players with My Playbook
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | SoundCloud | iHeartRadio
If you want to dive deeper into fantasy baseball, be sure to check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Baseball Tools as you navigate your season. From our Lineup Assistant – which provides your optimal lineup based on accurate consensus projections – to our Waiver Wire Assistant – that allows you to quickly see which available players will improve your team and by how much – we’ve got you covered this fantasy baseball season.
Corbin Young is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Corbin, check out his archive and follow him @corbin_young21.