Ohtani hit his 13th home run and reached base in all four plate appearances before being lifted for a pinch hitter in the seventh inning of the Dodgers' 8-6 win over Pittsburgh with left knee inflammation. The issue arose during a baserunning play, not a swing. Manager Dave Roberts called his concern level 'not high' and said he expects Ohtani in Friday's lineup. As both a two-way force (.305/.421/.543 hitting, 6-2/1.06 ERA pitching), Ohtani's health is the single most important fantasy variable in baseball right now.
The 21-year-old first baseman hit a walk-off grand slam to complete an 11-10 comeback over Washington after the Giants trailed 9-1 — becoming the youngest player in MLB history to hit a walk-off grand slam, breaking Roberto Clemente's record from 1956. Eldridge has slashed .426/.500/.766 over his last 13 games with seven doubles, three home runs, 10 RBI, and 15 runs scored. His overall line sits at .298/.384/.906 OPS on the season.
Promoted from Triple-A Charlotte on June 9, Montgomery became just the fifth player in baseball history to hit a walk-off home run in his MLB debut — a two-run opposite-field shot off Raisel Iglesias in the 10th inning of a 6-5 White Sox win over the Braves. The 23-year-old outfielder was the centerpiece of the Garrett Crochet trade with Boston and had been consistently hitting the ball as hard as anyone in Triple-A all season.
The two-time Cy Young winner is officially starting Saturday against Cleveland — 38 days after undergoing a NanoNeedle arthroscopic procedure to remove a loose body from his left elbow. Manager A.J. Hinch confirmed the return Friday morning. Skubal's June 7 rehab outing for High-A West Michigan was five shutout innings, six strikeouts, and 54 pitches — exactly what a medical staff wants to see before returning a full-health ace to a playoff race.
Who's Hot This Week
Mize was one of the quietly impressive starters in baseball before landing on the injured list, carrying a 2.28 ERA across nine starts. He is targeting a return on June 14 — two days away — making this a zero-risk stash with immediate upside. The Tigers have the pitching infrastructure and the favorable matchups to slot him back into a productive role. At 22% owned in most leagues, the majority of managers have already forgotten he exists. Do not make that mistake.
Worth Reading
The best week 12 waiver wire piece so far. Makes a persuasive statistical case that Sasaki's turnaround — 2.55 ERA and 38 strikeouts since May — is structural rather than a hot stretch, with the new splitter as the catalyst. Also covers Paredes, Eldridge, and Alex Lange for saves-starved leagues.
Deep-dive on the two best hitting adds of the week, with ownership data and FAAB bid ranges for each. Paredes' three-homer cluster gets proper statistical context here. Recommended reading before you finalize your Tuesday FAAB bids.
Razzball's category-by-category breakdown for week 12 with SGP-adjusted dollar values for each add. Best resource if you have a specific counting-stat hole — they rank separately by AVG, HR, SB, ERA, and strikeouts so you can target your deficiencies directly.
Exited Thursday's 8-6 win over Pittsburgh in the seventh inning with left knee inflammation, which appeared after a baserunning play rather than during a swing or pitch delivery. Manager Dave Roberts said concern level is 'not high' and he is optimistic Ohtani will start Friday. Not placed on the IL. He is hitting .305/.421/.543 with 13 home runs and posting a 6-2 record with a 1.06 ERA as a pitcher across 11 starts.
Placed on the 10-day IL with cervical headaches, joining Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton on a crowded Yankees injury list. His MRI came back negative and manager Aaron Boone said he hopes the stint will be short. Wells has been one of the least productive catchers in baseball in 2026 with a .533 OPS, so the fantasy damage is contained. J.C. Escarra recalled in the corresponding roster move.
Moved to the 60-day IL after announcing he will undergo Tommy John surgery this week. The right-hander is done for 2026 — and likely won't return until the second half of 2027. He had been dealing with right elbow inflammation for several starts before the Angels placed him on the 15-day IL in early June. Sam Aldegheri was recalled to fill the roster spot.
Placed on the 15-day IL with a lat strain, retroactive to June 9. Brash has been a key high-leverage arm for Seattle in 2026. His absence further thins the Mariners' bullpen behind Andrés Muñoz, who is already dealing with command issues and five blown saves on the year. The lat strain timeline is typically 3-6 weeks.
After opening 2026 with a 6.35 ERA through April, Roki Sasaki's season looked like an expensive cautionary tale for the Dodgers and the fantasy managers who drafted him in the first few rounds. Then, around the first week of May, something clicked: Sasaki broke out a new split-finger fastball — or rather, brought back an old one. The pitch more closely resembles the splitter that made him dominant in NPB with the Chiba Lotte Marines and in the 2023 World Baseball Classic for Team Japan. He restructured his arsenal around it, pairing the split with a new slider, and the results have been immediate.
Since May 1, Sasaki owns a 2.55 ERA with 38 strikeouts against just eight walks in 35.1 innings. He is sitting around 98 mph with the four-seamer — that has always been there — but the splitter now gives him a legitimate put-away pitch against right-handed hitters who were previously sitting dead-red on the fastball. His most recent start against the Angels was the apex of the run: seven shutout innings and 10 strikeouts, arguably the best start of his Dodgers career.
The mechanical change matters because it is structural, not a hot stretch. FanGraphs notes the splitter generates elite vertical drop and is the same pitch Sasaki wielded when he was dominant in Japan. The slider complements it by working the other side of the zone. With two legitimate secondary weapons and a mid-to-high-90s fastball, Sasaki now has the full arsenal the Dodgers paid for — and he is still available in roughly 25% of CBS leagues. The window to add him ahead of ownership catching up is right now.
The June 11 Leverage Ledger covers an active week-12 opening for bullpens across the league. Alex Lange locked down another consecutive save for Kansas City with Carlos Estevez still weeks from returning. The Cincinnati committee remained chaotic with multiple arms seeing ninth-inning work and no clear hierarchy. The Twins' revolving-door closer situation — 10-plus pitchers with a save already in 2026 — showed no signs of consolidating. Andrés Muñoz retained Seattle's closing role despite five blown saves, helped in part by the absence of alternatives with Matt Brash now on the IL.
Read the full Ledger →| Closer | Team | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zach Maxwell | CIN | 🔴 Committee | Maxwell earned his first career save on June 10 and holds short-term momentum in the Reds' wide-open committee. Emilio Pagan (Grade 2 hamstring) is still not throwing, leaving Maxwell, Tejay Antone, Pierce Johnson, and Brock Burke rotating through the ninth. Maxwell's nine-pitch, three-up-three-down save gives him the inside track for the next few days, but nothing in Cincinnati is stable. Best used as a streaming add only — do not expect two or three saves in a week. |
| Yoendrys Gomez | MIN | 🔴 Committee | Minnesota has used 10-plus different pitchers in save situations this season — a franchise record pace. Gomez is the most reliable arm (four saves, 16:4 K:BB, one earned run in 12⅔ innings) and manager Derek Shelton's clear preference, but Cole Sands and Trevor Megill keep getting mixed in. Viable in deep leagues with two closer spots; avoid in standard 10- to 12-team formats unless every better option is already rostered. |
| Alex Lange | KC | 🟡 Watch | Five consecutive saves without a blown opportunity since taking the job from Lucas Erceg (MLB-leading six blown saves). Carlos Estevez (left foot contusion) is still weeks from returning. Lange has the closing pedigree — 26 saves with Detroit in 2023 — and is handling the role cleanly. At roughly 20% owned he represents one of the widest ownership gaps in fantasy saves. Priority add in any league with two closer spots. |
| Andrés Muñoz | SEA | 🟡 Watch | Five blown saves and a career-worst 8.9 hits per nine innings in 2026, yet the Mariners have not moved toward replacing him. His slider grip issue — something he disclosed himself in April — has shown incremental improvement and he converted his first save since May 22 just this week. With Matt Brash now on the IL and the Seattle bullpen thinned out, Muñoz's hold on the role is secured partly by default. Hold him if you rostered him; do not overpay to acquire him right now. |
Shohei Ohtani hits his 13th home run of 2026 — his third in five games — before exiting with left knee inflammation in the seventh inning. The clip shows the at-bat quality and his movement throughout the game before the precautionary departure.
Full highlights from Dodgers-Pirates on June 11 — all four of Ohtani's plate appearances (home run, single, two walks), his seventh-inning exit, and the Dodgers' 8-6 win.
Seiya Suzuki hits his 10th home run of the season — a grand slam — in the Cubs' win over the Rockies. A reminder of how quietly productive Suzuki has become in Chicago's lineup.
Free. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.