The Angels recalled 22-year-old Denzer Guzman from Triple-A Salt Lake on Monday, with manager Kurt Suzuki confirming he will 'essentially' be the everyday third baseman. In 58 Triple-A games this season, Guzman has hit .336/.403/.571 with 12 home runs, 57 RBI, 9 stolen bases, and a 10.1% walk rate — a .974 OPS line that triggered the callup after both Vaughn Grissom (oblique) and Adam Frazier (elbow) landed on the IL.
Aaron Judge's rib stress fracture (retroactive IL to June 2) now has a confirmed 4-6 week re-imaging window, making any return before the All-Star break essentially impossible, with August the realistic target. Austin Wells separately landed on the 10-day IL with cervical headaches; his MRI results are pending. Combined with Giancarlo Stanton also on the IL, the Yankees are navigating their deepest injury hole of the season.
Baltimore placed RHP Chris Bassitt on the 15-day IL (retroactive to Friday) after low back discomfort emerged following his last start. Manager Craig Albernaz said the timeline was 'too soon to tell' — a warning sign with any back issue in a 37-year-old. Trey Gibson (3.65 ERA in 3 Orioles appearances) was recalled and starts Tuesday vs. Seattle.
The Pirates' Konnor Griffin, placed on the 10-day IL on May 31 with a right forearm flexor strain, is now looking at what GM Ben Cherington called a 'more relaxed timetable.' Griffin has not been throwing at all during recovery, and a rest-of-June absence has become the base case. He hit .267 with 7 HR and strong underlying metrics in 58 games before the injury.
Who's Hot This Week
The Red Sox's 23-year-old lefty hasn't allowed more than three earned runs in any of his seven starts, with 46 strikeouts against just 11 walks in 41 1/3 innings. FanGraphs' rookie pitching class analysis (Part 2, June 8) identifies Tolle as the xERA leader for the entire 2026 class — driven by a 96 mph four-seamer with 98th-percentile extension (7.4 feet) that genuinely plays as elite-grade velocity. At roughly 14% owned, this is the stash of the season in any 14+ team format.
Worth Reading
FantasyPros breaks Week 11 waiver targets by category — runs, RBI, steals, ERA, WHIP — making it easy to address your specific team needs rather than chasing generic rankings. Includes FAAB bid recommendations calibrated for leagues of all sizes.
ESPN's waiver column targets Angels hitters as a priority add block — context that gains even more momentum with Guzman's Monday callup into an everyday role. A useful companion read before FAAB to understand the depth of LA targets given their recent roster churn.
Five-metric composite analysis of the 2026 rookie pitching class — Payton Tolle leads on xERA with Logan Henderson and Trey Yesavage close behind. Essential reading before finalizing any pitcher adds this week; the underlying numbers tell a different story than surface stats for the most underowned arms in the class.
Right hamstring strain (Grade 1-2) placed De La Cruz on the IL with a 2-4 week initial timeline from manager Terry Francona. He had been one of baseball's most productive players heading into June and saw his MLB-leading 276-game consecutive games streak end. Edwin Arroyo (.323/.383/.562 in Triple-A, 11 HR, 9 SB) takes over as Cincinnati's everyday shortstop.
Rib stress fracture placed retroactive to June 2. The Yankees plan 4-6 weeks before re-imaging, making any return before the All-Star break near-impossible, with August the most realistic target. Giancarlo Stanton is also on the IL, meaning Spencer Jones steps into a full-time outfield role with meaningful lineup protection around him.
Low back discomfort landed the 37-year-old on the 15-day IL retroactive to Friday. Manager Craig Albernaz said the timeline was 'too soon to tell' — back issues in older starting pitchers frequently extend well beyond initial projections. Bassitt was 4-4 with a 5.27 ERA this season. Trey Gibson (3.65 ERA in 3 Orioles appearances) takes the rotation spot.
Right forearm strain placed Jansen on the 10-day IL retroactive to June 4, making him eligible to return around June 16. Manager Skip Schumaker noted that 'anytime you're dealing with an arm, it's always tricky.' Kyle Higashioka fills in as Texas' primary catcher, with newly signed Elias Diaz as the backup.
Payton Tolle leads the 2026 rookie pitching class in xERA according to FanGraphs' five-metric composite analysis, separating himself from the next tier of Logan Henderson and Trey Yesavage. The 23-year-old Red Sox lefty has not allowed more than three earned runs in any of his seven starts, striking out 46 against just 11 walks across 41 1/3 innings. His results are being supported by genuine elite underlying metrics — this is not a hot streak.
The engine behind Tolle's success is a rare physical advantage: at 6-foot-6, he generates 7.4 feet of release-point extension (98th percentile league-wide), which adds meaningful perceived velocity to his 96 mph four-seam fastball. His four-seam Stuff+ ranks third among all pitchers with 50+ innings since 2025, behind only Jared Koenig and Jacob Misiorowski. Combined with 15-16 inches of induced vertical break, the pitch plays like a mid-to-upper 90s heater in batter response time.
Logan Henderson (DET) is the second star of the analysis, profiling with elite Z-Contact%, K-BB%, and CSW% figures. His HardHit% ranks in the top 9% of the league despite not having Tolle's raw stuff — it is a movement and deception profile rather than a velocity profile. Both arms belong on fantasy rosters immediately, and both are currently priced far below their production and projection.
Monday's Leverage Ledger featured Josh Hader recording a save on his first appearance back from the IL, immediately reclaiming the Astros' ninth inning and resetting Houston's bullpen hierarchy. The save market continues its historically unprecedented 2026 volatility — 118 different relievers had earned saves through just the first quarter of the season. Kansas City's Alex Lange emerged as the clearest new save source following Lucas Erceg's complete collapse.
Read the full Ledger →| Closer | Team | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Lange | KC | 🟡 Watch | Lucas Erceg has completely unraveled — 6 blown saves, 6.33 ERA, 1.922 WHIP, velocity down 1.5 mph. Manager Matt Quatraro moved to a matchup-based ninth-inning approach, but Lange went 2-for-2 on back-to-back save chances June 4-5 and is the de facto closer. Best bet for KC saves until further notice. Add in 12+ team leagues. |
| Kyle Finnegan | DET | 🔴 Committee | Kenley Jansen is on the IL (groin, no timetable), Will Vest has been a disaster as interim closer (7.41 ERA, 0-for-3 save conversions), and Finnegan has the best profile to stabilize the role long-term. It is a genuinely messy situation. Too volatile for standard leagues; monitor daily in 15-team formats only. |
| Tanner Scott | NYM | 🔴 Committee | Edwin Diaz had surgery and is targeting a post-All-Star break return, leaving Tanner Scott and Alex Vesia splitting ninth-inning work for the Mets. Scott has the superior track record and is the safer of the two to roster. The window is 4-6 weeks before Diaz returns — viable in 15-team leagues, borderline in standard. |
| David Bednar | PIT | 🟡 Watch | Still getting ninth-inning work but posting a 4.50 ERA and 1.58 WHIP on a deadline-shopping Pirates team. The role has not changed yet, but Pittsburgh is actively seeking bullpen reinforcements. A deadline acquisition or continued struggles could cost him the job before August. Sell if you can get fair value. |
Official highlights from Red Sox vs. Rays (June 8) featuring Marcelo Mayer blasting a solo home run — one of Boston's young bats making consistent noise in a competitive AL East matchup.
Full game highlights from Yankees vs. Guardians (June 8) — the first real look at how New York deploys its lineup without Aaron Judge, who landed on the IL with a rib stress fracture.
Full highlights from Phillies at Blue Jays (June 8) featuring Cristopher Sanchez on the mound — the best SP2-or-better arm still sitting on waiver wires in most standard leagues this week.
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