The Tigers placed Torres on the 10-day IL Wednesday with a left oblique strain, retroactive to June 16 — the same injury that cost him more than a month earlier this season. He had returned from that first IL stint hitting .282/.355/.435 with four homers and 18 RBIs through 43 games when he exited Monday's game in Houston. Hao-Yu Lee and Zach McKinstry will split second base duties while Torres is out. The word 'oblique' plus 'second occurrence this season' is rarely a short-stint combination.
The Baltimore Orioles reinstated Ryan Helsley from the 15-day IL prior to Tuesday's opener against the Mariners. He had been shelved since April 29 with right elbow inflammation and produced two clean rehab appearances at Triple-A Norfolk — three strikeouts Thursday, two more Saturday — before getting the clearance. Before the injury, Helsley was 7-for-7 in save opportunities with a 2.53 ERA, having signed a two-year, $28 million deal in December to be Baltimore's primary closer.
Elly De La Cruz begins his rehab assignment Thursday with Triple-A Louisville — playing in Gwinnett this week — after a follow-up MRI showed his right hamstring is approximately 90% healed. Manager Terry Francona laid out the structured plan: five innings at short Friday, DH Saturday, full game Sunday. If the progression holds, the Reds can activate him as early as June 23 against Milwaukee. De La Cruz has been on the IL since June 8 after coming up limping on a base hit against the Braves.
Corbin Carroll drilled a grand slam — his fifth career, his 13th homer of 2026 — over the right field wall in the second inning to stake Arizona to a 5-1 lead in an eventual 8-1 rout of the Angels. Eduardo Rodriguez was sharp in support, working seven innings of one-run ball to become the ninth Venezuelan-born pitcher to reach 100 career wins. Carroll entered the game with four home runs in his last nine games, a stretch that has pushed him back into first-round conversation after a quiet April.
Who's Hot This Week
Montgomery was promoted June 9 and is getting everyday reps on the South Side while the White Sox build toward their future. He is a left-handed hitter with elite bat speed who projects as a 25-30 home run bat once he settles in — the pedigree is legitimate and the opportunity is real. His early sample is modest but he is getting the volume of plate appearances you need to develop at the major league level. At 18% owned the cost of a bench stash is low. Add now in 14-team leagues before his ownership catches up to the scouting consensus.
Worth Reading
A practical rundown of the week's top adds with an emphasis on two-start pitchers and streaming options heading into the final stretch of Week 12. The piece covers several names that became relevant over the June 15–17 weekend, including Carrigg's early production and a useful primer on the Texas closer situation before Latz's profile fully crystallized.
CBS Sports breaks down the week's key adds including Cole Carrigg's early Rockies run and Dustin May's re-emergence as a streaming option. Good context for FAAB bidding — Carrigg's ownership is rising fast, and this piece helps calibrate what dollar value makes sense against a thin wire this week.
Cross's weekly prospect stash rankings updated through yesterday's news cycle, covering Braden Montgomery's early MLB impression, Cole Carrigg's two-homer debut run, and several near-call-up arms worth queuing for June promotions. If you are managing a bench roster with an eye toward the second half, this is the reference list to bookmark.
Left oblique strain, placed on the 10-day IL Wednesday retroactive to June 16. Torres exited Monday's game in Houston after tweaking the same oblique that sidelined him for more than a month earlier in 2026. He was hitting .282 with a .790 OPS before the injury. Second oblique occurrences typically carry longer recovery arcs than the first — the Tigers have not provided a timetable.
Left hamstring strain, placed on the 10-day IL Tuesday retroactive to June 14. Arozarena exited Friday's game against the Nationals and an MRI revealed more inflammation than the Mariners anticipated. GM Justin Hollander indicated the team does not expect a stay beyond the minimum, making a June 24–25 return plausible. Victor Robles and Rob Refsnyder are handling outfield depth while he is out.
Transferred to the 60-day IL on June 17 after a setback halted his rehab from a left elbow impingement (valgus extension overload). Originally placed on the 15-day IL on May 8, Ragans experienced continued symptoms during his attempted return and the Royals are now seeking a second medical opinion. He is out at minimum through the first week of July, and the 60-day designation signals the team does not expect a quick resolution. Seth Lugo's expected return to the rotation is the key watch item for KC's streaming options.
Right hamstring strain, on the IL since June 8. Follow-up MRI showed approximately 90% healing. Rehab plan begins today at Triple-A Louisville/Gwinnett: five shortstop innings Friday, DH Saturday, full game Sunday. Earliest activation is June 23 against Milwaukee. The structured ramp-up is cautious but on-track — Terry Francona's explicit plan through the weekend is a reassuring signal that the Reds are managing this correctly.
Jacob Latz is 30 years old. He lost the competition for Texas's fifth rotation spot in spring training and was assigned to the bullpen. Fewer than three months later, he is among the most dominant relievers in baseball. His surface numbers — 1.69 ERA, 0.63 WHIP, 10+ saves — are the kind that earn waiver wire columns. His underlying mechanics are why those numbers are not going away.
The key is his four-seam fastball, which sits 94 mph but moves like it goes 98. Latz throws from a 52-degree arm angle — tied for seventh-highest among qualified left-handed relievers — and 43.1% of his four-seamers produce at least 19 inches of induced vertical break. The result is a pitch that perpetually rides above the barrel. Among four-seamers thrown at least 100 times this year, his ranks third most effective in all of baseball by wOBA, behind only Dodgers reliever Will Klein and Padres starter Randy Vasquez. Statcast confirms: 99th percentile xERA, 99th percentile expected batting average.
He protects against platoon exposure with a plus changeup — 10 mph slower, dropping off the fastball shoulder — and leans on a slider against same-side lefties. The result: left-handed hitters batting .163 against him, right-handed hitters .079. New Rangers manager Skip Schumaker has not hesitated to deploy him in the ninth, and the fantasy community's ownership numbers have not caught up to the production. Add before they do.
Wednesday's slate featured Andrés Muñoz back in Seattle pitching triple digits and looking sharp for the first time since his spring hamstring scare. Tony Santillan continued his steady run as Cincinnati's most consistent save source. Gregory Soto converted his fourth June save chance but his WHIP sits at 2.452 across 3.2 June innings — a yellow flag for owners relying on him in tight leagues. The Cubs remain the only team yet to record a save since May 15.
Read the full Ledger →| Closer | Team | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Helsley | Baltimore Orioles | 🟡 Watch | Reinstated Tuesday from a 47-day IL stint (right elbow inflammation) after two clean Triple-A appearances with five strikeouts and zero earned runs. Before the injury he was 7-for-7 in saves with a 2.53 ERA — legitimate top-10 closer numbers. Watch his first post-IL outing; if velocity and location hold, he is locked in. Anthony Nunez was optioned to clear the roster spot, so the role is his to keep. |
| Grant Taylor | Chicago White Sox | 🟡 Watch | Taylor has two saves and is forcing Chicago's hand with a 1.93 ERA and 50:9 K:BB across 32.2 innings — among the best ratios of any AL reliever. The nominal closer Seranthony Dominguez (4.82 ERA) is struggling and the White Sox have publicly described his role as 'flexible,' with Taylor receiving ninth-inning opportunities. Add him in 12-team leagues before the formal announcement makes him a priority pickup everywhere. |
| Elvis Alvarado | Oakland Athletics | 🔴 Committee | Recalled June 5, Alvarado has two saves and four consecutive scoreless appearances — the cleanest recent run from any Oakland pitcher in high leverage. The A's have used six different pitchers for their 19 saves this season and have not named a closer, but Alvarado is the current front-runner. Viable in deep formats (14+ team) where any save opportunity has value; too volatile for standard leagues given the committee nature. |
MLB's highlight compilation of Corbin Carroll's 2026 triples — eight at time of posting, double the next-closest player in baseball. The video captures his elite speed, route-running, and instincts in a way that a box score never will.
Full game highlights from the Toronto Blue Jays vs. Boston Red Sox AL East clash on June 17 — two playoff-chasing teams with daily-relevant fantasy players throughout both lineups.
Full game highlights from Game 2 of the San Francisco Giants vs. Atlanta Braves doubleheader on June 17 — the second Atlanta game after Drake Baldwin's IL return and one of Caleb Kilian's first appearances as the Giants' newly named primary closer.
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