Manager Terry Francona confirmed De La Cruz will be activated ahead of Tuesday's series opener against the Brewers, ending a 24-game absence after a right hamstring strain suffered May 31. De La Cruz appeared in three rehab games with Triple-A Louisville (2-for-8, a 441-foot homer), and Francona's tone all week indicated the Reds were not going to hold him back. Before the injury he was slashing .280/.346/.509 with 12 HR and 10 SB in 58 games.
Bieber was activated from the 60-day IL on Monday and is slated to start Tuesday against the Astros at Rogers Centre — his first MLB appearance since coming off shoulder surgery and then battling elbow inflammation all winter and spring. He pitched well in a handful of Triple-A rehab outings with Buffalo, and the Blue Jays bumped him back one day due to a rain-shortened schedule in Chicago. Last season he posted a 3.57 ERA and 1.02 WHIP in a limited return, showing 92.6 mph on his four-seamer.
Lindor played all nine innings with Triple-A Syracuse on Monday (0-for-4, a walk, a stolen base, a run), completing the final leg of his rehab from a strained left calf that has kept him out since April 23. Manager Carlos Mendoza confirmed the anticipated return window is Wednesday June 24 or Thursday June 25. Lindor's absence has been a significant drain on the Mets' offense and any fantasy team with him burning an IL slot.
Kyle Tucker exited in the second inning of Monday's game at Minnesota with lower back spasms after advancing to second base on a single, and the Dodgers declared him day-to-day. In the same game, catcher Dalton Rushing — Will Smith's replacement while Smith recovers from neck inflammation — took a sharp foul tip off his face mask in the first inning and exited to undergo concussion protocol, passing his initial test but unlikely to play Tuesday. The Dodgers are already without Smith (neck, IL), Diaz (season), Scott (elbow, IL), and Treinen (elbow, IL).
Who's Hot This Week
He makes his 2026 debut tonight but this is less about streaming and more about stashing. Bieber showed 92.6 mph on his four-seamer when he returned late last season, and his 37:7 K:BB over 40 innings demonstrated the command and pitch execution are still there post-Tommy John. At 22% owned he's sitting in waiver territory despite being one of the best pure-command pitchers in baseball when healthy. Buy the debut, hold through the velocity report — if he's in the 92-94 range tonight, he's a legitimate SP2 for the back half.
Worth Reading
Pitcher List's Monday waiver column for Week 13 leads with Stephen Kolek's command-over-stuff approach and flags Caleb Kilian's newly locked-in Giants closer role as the week's most actionable reliever add. The hitter section covers Matt McLain's xwOBA-to-reality gap and why the June surge is sustainable.
Razzball's Week 13 waiver feature (titled before Rushing entered concussion protocol Monday) covers Dalton Rushing's everyday role with Will Smith on the IL and flags Paul Goldschmidt's 10-game hitting streak (.400+ AVG, 4 HR, 13 RBI) filling the Yankees' injured lineup. The Rushing advice has changed with the concussion news, but the Goldschmidt section stands.
FanGraphs' FAAB auction guide for Week 13 breaks down bid values and contextual reasons for each add, covering Kolek, McLain, and Kilian with dollar-value FAAB recommendations. If you're running a FAAB-based league, this is the first read before submitting bids.
Exited the Dodgers-Twins game June 22 in the second inning after advancing to second base on an infield single. Diagnosed with lower back spasms; manager Dave Roberts said postgame there is no IL fear at this time. Tucker has been scuffling offensively in June (.212 AVG, 2 HR in 66 AB since June 1), so the context is a struggling player now managing a physical issue in Minnesota.
Exited Monday's game in the first inning after taking a sharp foul tip directly off his face mask. Passed his initial concussion test but was described as 'a little groggy' by manager Dave Roberts, who said a Tuesday start was 'pretty unlikely.' The Dodgers already have Will Smith on the IL with neck inflammation, making Rushing the team's only viable catcher.
On 7-day concussion IL (retroactive to June 19) after an errant throw struck him in the head June 18. Eligible to return June 26 when Baltimore opens a home series against Washington. Samuel Basallo was recalled and has filled in at catcher. Through 54 games: .254/.329/.458, 8 HR, 40 RBI.
Fractured rib (IL retroactive to June 14) from a wall collision June 14. Return target is June 24, which would be the start of Cleveland's series against the White Sox. The Guardians have not officially set a date, but their optimistic tone suggests a short trip. Slashing .263/.337/.408 with a team-leading 34 RBI when injured; Kahlil Watson recalled as the short-term replacement.
FanGraphs' mid-June feature on Matt McLain opens with the gap between expectation and execution that has defined his 2026 season. His wOBA (.300) trails his xwOBA (.327) by a significant margin — which sounds technical, but translates to a simple conclusion: McLain has been hitting the ball better than his counting stats show. His average exit velocity (88.8 mph) and barrel rate (9.9%) are modest by power-hitter standards, but his contact quality in-zone has been quietly ticking upward since June 1. The article notes his hard-hit rate is slightly down from 2025 but his barrel rate is up, pointing to a player who's squaring up more often on fewer total balls in play.
The other layer of the McLain story is the temporary positional move. With Elly De La Cruz on the IL since May 31, the Reds moved McLain from second base to shortstop for the month-long stretch. He handled the transition cleanly in the field, but the plate approach took a few weeks to settle as he adjusted to a new defensive routine. FanGraphs argues this disruption partially explains the early-June cold stretch — and that the recent eight-game surge (3 HR, 3 SB, 1.150 OPS, .419 OBP) is the real McLain re-emerging now that the position change has become routine.
The timing of Elly's return (activated June 23) means McLain goes back to second base. The article's case, however, doesn't rely on positional circumstances — it relies on the underlying contact quality. An xwOBA that consistently exceeds wOBA across a full season's sample isn't noise; it's a repeating pattern. The schedule helps this week: Great American Ballpark and Yankee Stadium, two of the most favorable run-scoring environments in baseball. If you're looking for the buy-low moment on McLain, this piece makes the case it was weeks ago and you're still early.
Monday's Leverage Ledger highlights the Giants' newly settled closer situation — Caleb Kilian has exclusive ninth-inning rights after eight straight scoreless appearances. The Twins' committee (Gómez, Adams, Morris) continues to share saves unevenly. The A's and White Sox situations both saw volatile outings: Elvis Alvarado gave up a go-ahead two-run homer in the ninth for Oakland, while Jordan Hicks allowed a bases-loaded walk-off for the White Sox, raising questions about both roles. The Angels' Sam Bachman recorded his first career save.
Read the full Ledger →| Closer | Team | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caleb Kilian | San Francisco Giants | 🟡 Watch | Formally named closer June 13, converting saves since. Eight consecutive scoreless appearances going into this week. Role is clear but 'watch' status applies because the Giants' win total limits his opportunities — they're a .490 club. Add him for the saves volume opportunity, not a steady ratios play. |
| Jacob Webb / Committee | Chicago Cubs | 🔴 Committee | Palencia began a throwing program this week (right elbow flexor strain, second stint on IL). At minimum 10 more days of committee saves before Palencia can be evaluated for a return. Webb leads the committee with the most saves and the most high-leverage appearances — grab him at 1% owned and stream through Palencia's return. |
| Alex Vesia / Committee | Los Angeles Dodgers | 🔴 Committee | Edwin Diaz is out for the year, Tanner Scott is on the IL with elbow inflammation, Blake Treinen joined Scott on the IL last week with the same. Vesia and Jack Dreyer are the remaining late-inning options in a true two-man rotation. Stream individual high-leverage appearances — don't commit permanent roster space to Vesia in standard leagues. |
| Alex Lange | Kansas City Royals | 🟡 Watch | Has converted four consecutive save opportunities since taking over from Lucas Erceg. The deployment pattern is unmistakably clear; the formal announcement has not come. At under 20% owned, add now and hold through the official word — Royals are winning close games and the saves will continue to flow. |
| Yoendrys Gómez | Minnesota Twins | 🟡 Watch | Four saves in June, 1.65 ERA, 1.10 WHIP since joining Minnesota. The Twins used 11 different relievers for saves in 2026 and the committee label technically still applies, but Gómez has been the primary arm in the highest-leverage spots. Standard-league consideration; deep-league must-add. |
A's right fielder Colby Thomas robs Jo Adell of a home run with a perfectly timed leap at the right-field wall in West Sacramento — the ball left the bat at 96.5 mph and would have been a homer in 14 other ballparks. Thomas crashes hard back to the ground on the other side of the wall, pops up, and holds the ball. A's starter Jack Perkins gives the immediate fist pump.
Shohei Ohtani crushes a leadoff home run — his 17th of the season and 30th career leadoff homer — off the Twins' opening starter in the first inning at Target Field. Typically devastating exit velocity; the ball is on the facing of the upper deck before the outfielder takes a step.
Kazuma Okamoto hammers his 17th home run of the season for the Toronto Blue Jays in the Astros series opener at Rogers Centre — the ball clears the left-field wall with ease on a 95 mph fastball middle-in. Okamoto's power has been consistent all season and this is his third multi-hit game of the month.
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