Two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal returned to Detroit's rotation Saturday, 38 days after surgery to remove a loose body from his left elbow. In the corresponding move, the Tigers placed Jack Flaherty on the 15-day IL after his left cleat gave way mid-delivery Friday night, causing a peroneal strain. Skubal touched 99.9 mph and struck out four Guardians in 4⅔ innings — allowing three runs, two earned — in a 3-1 Tigers loss. Flaherty will miss at least two turns.
Giancarlo Stanton tweaked his previously injured left calf while running bases during a rehab session, pushing back what had been a hoped-for June 16 return to the Yankees. Manager Aaron Boone said he 'felt a little something in there' and that imaging may be required. Stanton has not appeared in a major league game since April 24 — now approaching seven weeks lost.
Orioles closer Ryan Helsley, on the 15-day IL since May 1 with right elbow inflammation, was dominant in his first Triple-A rehab outing Thursday — striking out three batters in a clean inning on just 14 pitches (12 strikes). The team expects him to need only a couple more appearances before activation, pointing toward a late-June return. Before the IL stint, Helsley had a 2.53 ERA and converted all seven save opportunities.
Who's Hot This Week
The Rockies called up their sixth-ranked prospect on June 9 after Tyler Freeman hit the concussion IL. Carrigg hit .338/.414/.529 with 30 stolen bases in 57 Triple-A games — a patient, switch-hitting outfielder with legitimate gap power and elite speed. At Coors Field, he gets a significant park boost to an already dangerous contact-and-run game. If Colorado commits to regular at-bats — and the lineup situation suggests they will — a 20+ SB pace with double-digit power is realistic. Available in 85% of leagues and not for long.
Worth Reading
Pitcher List's midseason hitter update highlights Tyler Soderstrom's OPS explosion, James Wood's improved two-strike approach, and Ben Rice's ascent into the top 10. Essential reading before trade deadline negotiations heat up — the rankings reveal who the data actually supports versus who's running on empty.
RotoBaller's weekly FAAB budget allocation guide leads with Cole Carrigg's speed upside after his Rockies callup and covers the top two-start streaming pitchers for the week. The tiered FAAB recommendations are useful for leagues ranging from $100 to $1,000 weekly budgets.
Athlon's weekly closer grades call out Detroit's ninth-inning committee as the worst situation in baseball and grade Lucas Erceg as a drop candidate after five blown saves. Useful as a quick reference before Monday FAAB decisions on relievers.
Left hamstring strain (Grade 1) — his second IL stint of the season with the same injury. Placed on the IL June 10 after straining the hamstring running out a grounder against the White Sox. Manager Walt Weiss has not given a return date. With a repeat injury, the 10-day minimum is optimistic; budget at least three weeks.
Left peroneal strain after his cleat gave way mid-delivery in the first inning on June 13 against Cleveland. Flaherty slipped off the mound and was removed immediately. He will miss at least two rotation turns. He had posted a 5.00+ ERA and 1.57 WHIP in 15 starts before the injury.
Left calf strain — ongoing since April 24. Suffered a setback while running bases during his rehab on June 13, forcing the Yankees to delay his anticipated June 16 return. Manager Aaron Boone indicated imaging may be needed. Has not played in a major league game in nearly seven weeks.
Right elbow inflammation — on IL since May 1. Encouraging rehab outing Thursday (June 12): three strikeouts, one inning, 14 pitches, 12 strikes. On track to return before the end of June. Before going on IL, he had a 2.53 ERA and was 7-for-7 in save opportunities.
At 21 years old, Bryce Eldridge became the youngest player in MLB history to hit a walk-off grand slam on June 10 — erasing a nine-run deficit with one swing in the bottom of the ninth to beat the Nationals 11-10 at Oracle Park. The blast broke a record previously held by Roberto Clemente and came in just Eldridge's 38th major league game. It was not a fluke. The hit had an exit velocity of 98.1 mph and capped a 15-game stretch in which he has slashed .392/.475/.667, showing the star upside that made San Francisco draft him 16th overall in 2023.
The underlying metrics are as impressive as the highlight reel. Eldridge's 92.4 mph average exit velocity ranks in the top 15% of the league, while his 58.1% hard-hit rate and 10.8% barrel rate signal genuinely elite bat-to-ball contact. He is second among all qualified rookies with a 148 wRC+ and combines that power with a patient approach — over 14% walk rate — that forces pitchers into the zone rather than dancing around it. His xwOBA of .396 runs ahead of his overall production, meaning the best numbers may still be ahead.
His path to regular playing time was choppy in April, with the Giants rotating him in and out at first base and DH. Since committing to him full-time in mid-May, the results have been remarkable. Oracle Park's marine layer suppresses home run distance on elevated fly balls, which is the only real drag on his numbers — the contact quality is elite enough that the park factor is a mild headwind, not a ceiling.
Detroit has officially become the worst ninth-inning situation in baseball: Kenley Jansen on the IL, Kyle Finnegan's groin is questionable, and three pitchers blew saves in consecutive days. The Baltimore picture brightened significantly after Ryan Helsley's sharp rehab outing Thursday — his return should stabilize the Orioles' save situation by month's end. Minnesota's Gómez-Adams-Banda committee continues to generate more frustration than saves.
Read the full Ledger →| Closer | Team | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Will Vest | Detroit Tigers | 🔴 Committee | Kenley Jansen is on the IL, Kyle Finnegan's groin is questionable, and three different relievers have blown saves in consecutive days. Will Vest has been getting ninth-inning work but the situation is fully unrosterable in standard formats. The committee has no defined hierarchy. |
| Rico Garcia | Baltimore Orioles | 🟡 Watch | Bridging with Ryan Helsley (4 saves, 3 saves from Nunez) through Helsley's rehab. Hold Garcia for the bridge saves but be ready to flip your roster spot back to Helsley the moment he's activated — likely late June. Do not acquire Garcia at FAAB premium. |
| Yoendrys Gómez | Minnesota Twins | 🔴 Committee | Gómez leads the Twins' committee with 4 saves but Travis Adams and Anthony Banda are also receiving ninth-inning work. Manager Derek Shelton has not identified a clear closer. Viable in very deep leagues with two RP spots; skip in standard formats where the save risk is too high. |
| Bryan Hudson | Chicago Cubs | 🔴 Committee | Hudson earned his third save in a Cubs committee situation Saturday, working around a walk to retire Michael Harris II and Ozzie Albies in a high-leverage spot. The Cubs closer role is not settled, but Hudson is getting the most looks for now. Monitor for further consolidation. |
Jackson Merrill, Manny Machado, Samad Taylor, Gavin Sheets, and Rodolfo Durán all go deep in the Padres' 9-3 win over the Orioles at Camden Yards — five home runs as San Diego's offense erupts for one of the most complete offensive performances of the week.
Tarik Skubal's 2026 highlights compilation — including his June 13 return from elbow surgery, where he touched 99.9 mph and struck out four Guardians in 4⅔ innings. The two-time Cy Young winner's velocity and movement look completely intact.
Pete Crow-Armstrong homers on the first pitch of the game as the Cubs beat the Giants 6-1. PCA has quietly been one of the most impactful leadoff hitters in the NL this season, combining elite contact with surprising power.
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