White Sox top prospect Braden Montgomery hit a walk-off two-run homer in extra innings of his MLB debut, making him just the fifth player since 1900 to do so, as Chicago beat the Braves 6-5. The 23-year-old slashed .314/.422/.548 with a 53.8% hard-hit rate across Double-A and Triple-A this season. Manager Will Venable confirmed Montgomery will be in the lineup daily — he didn't travel this far to sit.
Skubal pitched five scoreless innings (6 K, 2 H, 54 pitches) for High-A West Michigan on June 7 after arthroscopic elbow surgery on May 6. The Tigers used a NanoScope procedure that dramatically cut recovery time, and Detroit is targeting Thursday's game vs. Cleveland for his return. Skubal said he needs one good week but sounds confident.
De La Cruz strained his right hamstring driving a ball into the gap on June 8 and is expected out 2–4 weeks on the 10-day IL. The Reds promoted top prospect Edwin Arroyo (age 22), who was hitting .323/.383/.562 across 250 Triple-A plate appearances. He'll start at second base with Matt McLain sliding to shortstop.
Out since May 8 with back spasms, Glasnow was moved to the 60-day IL after doctors still haven't cleared him to resume throwing. Manager Dave Roberts said 'the body is not allowing for it.' Earliest possible return is July 6, but that's optimistic with zero throwing activity on record. The Dodgers added Nick Frasso to the 40-man to cover.
Who's Hot This Week
If he dropped off rosters during his elbow surgery absence, grab him now. The five-inning, six-K High-A start on June 7 was the confirmation the Tigers needed, and they're targeting Thursday. At 68% owned, he's inexplicably on the wire in plenty of leagues — that number goes to 99% the moment he's reinstated.
Worth Reading
Full Week 11 add slate with ownership data. Strong pitcher-heavy edition covering Matthews, Reid Detmers (38% whiff rate in last 3 starts), and Jacob Young among others. Worth the full read before you lock in your adds.
CBS walks through every tier of adds and uses Sanchez's record-breaking streak as a launch pad for a wider pitcher rankings discussion. Good coverage of the sub-50% owned arms worth targeting this week.
ESPN's June 8 column covers Dodgers depth despite Glasnow going down and spotlights streaming options that pair well with the LA lineup for those chasing wins and Ks.
On the IL since April 26 with left shoulder inflammation, Crochet suffered a lat strain setback during a throwing session on May 31 and was moved to the 60-day IL on June 5. He's not yet throwing; the earliest he can return is late June, but July is the more realistic target. The lat strain is low-grade, but it reset the clock.
Back spasms have prevented Glasnow from resuming any throwing since May 8. Moved to the 60-day IL on June 7 with no throwing program started. Manager Dave Roberts said the doctors and the body are both saying no. Earliest return July 6, but mid-July is more likely.
Strained his right hamstring on June 8 while driving to the gap. MRI confirmed the strain; the Reds expect a 2–4 week absence on the 10-day IL. Prior to the injury he was one of the better SS options in fantasy with stolen base and power upside.
Cristopher Sánchez set the MLB record for consecutive scoreless innings by a left-handed pitcher, topping out at 50.2 innings before the streak ended in early June. His season line — 1.46 ERA, league-leading 3.3 fWAR through mid-June — is extraordinary, but the deeper analysis explains the mechanism: a devastating changeup at 38% usage rate, a ground-ball sinker, and a slider that funnel batters into a no-good-option situation. He's not throwing harder than last year; he's just become surgically precise about who sees which pitch.
FanGraphs notes that from 2025 to 2026, no pitcher who threw 100+ innings improved their SIERA more than Sánchez. The split data is staggering: he's holding left-handed batters to a 1.48 FIP and right-handed batters to a 2.08 FIP — essentially two different dominant versions. The sinker/changeup combination is perfectly engineered for opposite-hand hitters, and the slider cleans up against same-siders. There's no platoon to exploit.
The scoreless streak ending at 50.2 IP ranks 5th all-time and first among all left-handed starters since the mound was moved in 1893, passing Carl Hubbell. That it ended doesn't mean anything has changed — Orel Hershiser gave up runs after his 59-inning streak too, and still finished the season as the best pitcher in baseball.
The June 9 Leverage Ledger tracks continued volatility in the NL Central. The Reds' committee is the biggest active situation — Pagan targets a mid-June MRI before ramping up throwing, leaving Tejay Antone as the most likely save collector in the near term. The Athletics have split saves among six different arms all year with no sign of consolidation. Josh Hader reclaimed his Houston closer role after returning from a brief IL stint.
Read the full Ledger →| Closer | Team | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tejay Antone | CIN | 🔴 Committee | Emilio Pagan (Grade 2 hamstring, targeting MRI on June 13) is at least 2–3 weeks away. Antone has earned the most save chances in the interim and has the most trust from the dugout. Pierce Johnson and Brock Burke mix in too, but Antone is the best bet to collect saves for the next 2–3 weeks. Add him if available. |
| Hogan Harris | OAK | 🔴 Committee | Six different A's have recorded saves this season — Harris leads with 5. There's no emerging hierarchy and no sign of one forming. Best avoided in standard leagues; dart throw only in deeper formats with 2+ closer slots. |
| Josh Hader | HOU | 🟡 Watch | Back from a brief IL stint and earned Houston's last save. The Astros were vague about the injury that shelved him, which warrants a close eye. He appears to have reclaimed the role but a second IL trip would open a hot committee. Buy back if you dropped him, but monitor the injury situation. |
Braden Montgomery crushes a walk-off 2-run homer in the 10th inning of his MLB debut to beat the Braves 6-5. Bob Costas was on the call. Only the 5th player since 1900 to do this in a debut.
Dodgers vs. Pirates full game highlights from June 9 — LA scored 10 runs in the 7th inning to blow open a 2-2 game after Paul Skenes held them to 2 runs over 6 innings.
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