The Yankees placed LHP Carlos Rodón on the 15-day IL, retroactive to June 30, with left elbow inflammation. His UCL is intact, but the treatment plan includes a PRP injection, orthovisc injection, and a multi-day throwing shutdown. Rodón had been pitching well — 3.30 ERA across nine starts, 52 K in 46.1 IP — before the setback. This is his second IL stint of 2026; he also began the season on the IL following October 2025 surgery to remove loose bodies from that same elbow.
Milwaukee's Brandon Woodruff is back on the injured list with right shoulder labrum inflammation — his second stint this season for the same issue. His first absence ran from early May through mid-June, approximately six weeks. If this recovery follows the same timeline, he won't return until at least early August. With the rotation spot open, Logan Henderson — Milwaukee's top pitching prospect, rehabbing a back strain — is expected to rejoin the club after one more minor-league start.
Atlanta placed Ha-Seong Kim on the 10-day IL retroactive to July 1 with inflammation in his right middle finger — the same digit that required surgery in January and delayed his 2026 debut until May 12. Kim managed just a .068/.171/.068 slash line across 82 plate appearances since returning. Kyle Farmer was activated and JR Ritchie recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett in the corresponding moves.
Who's Hot This Week
Henderson has been sidelined since late May with a lower back strain but is one rehab start away from rejoining Milwaukee's rotation. When healthy he has been exceptional — a 2.23 ERA and 1.01 WHIP across 48 combined MLB innings spanning two seasons, with a strikeout rate north of 33% and zero starts allowing more than two earned runs. His low-slot delivery and elite changeup make him one of the more deceptive young starters in the game. Brandon Woodruff's second IL stint just opened a guaranteed rotation spot in Milwaukee, and Henderson steps directly into it. Grab him in every league that has an IL slot open — he should be active before next Tuesday.
Worth Reading
CBS Sports' Week 16 waiver guide leads with the rotation void created by Woodruff's second IL stint and ranks Logan Henderson, Jake Bennett, and Ian Seymour among the top pitching adds. A solid one-stop read if you have multiple SP slots to fill before Tuesday's deadline.
Yahoo's Week 16 hitter breakdown builds the case for Clemens and Esmerlyn Valdez (6 HR in 78 PA, 15.4% barrel rate) as the top power-upside streaming adds of the week, with favorable Twins matchup breakdowns and advanced-stat backing for each recommendation.
Dedicated streaming SP breakdown for Week 16 including Ian Seymour and Troy Melton with matchup-specific confidence grades. Best companion to the CBS waiver wire article above for managers filling two or more rotation spots.
Placed on the 15-day IL retroactive to June 30 with left elbow inflammation. UCL confirmed intact; treatment plan includes PRP injection, orthovisc injection, and a throwing shutdown of several days. Rodón had a 3.30 ERA in 9 starts (46.1 IP, 52 K) before the move. This is his second IL stint of 2026 — he also began the season on the IL after October 2025 elbow surgery to remove loose bodies. Manager Aaron Boone estimated the no-throw period at days, not weeks. Mid-July return is the realistic target.
Back on the IL with right shoulder labrum inflammation — his second stint this season for the same issue. His first absence ran from early May to mid-June (approximately six weeks). If this recovery mirrors the first timeline, he would not return until early August. No official timetable has been set. This is the second time in 2026 a labrum flare has derailed him.
Placed on the 10-day IL retroactive to July 1 with inflammation in his right middle finger — the same digit that required surgery in January and cost him the first six weeks of the 2026 season. Kim posted a .068/.171/.068 slash line across 82 plate appearances since his May 12 debut. No return timeline established. Kyle Farmer was activated and JR Ritchie was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett in the corresponding moves.
Boston's Jake Bennett entered 2026 as a low-profile trade acquisition — a southpaw Craig Breslow plucked from the Cubs' system last December for righty prospect Luis Perales. After a promising initial MLB run (0.86 ERA in his first 21 innings), he was optioned to Worcester when Boston needed bullpen flexibility. He returned in June a meaningfully better pitcher, and the underlying data backs up what the surface stats are already showing.
The adjustment that changed everything is fastball usage. In his first stint, Bennett leaned heavily on his mid-80s changeup and threw his four-seamer only 29% of the time. Since returning, he's flipped the script — four-seam usage is up to 40%, he's commanding it higher in the zone consistently, and the pitch has picked up about two inches of additional arm-side run. That fastball location change opened his entire repertoire: hitters now have to respect the high heat, which creates more chase opportunities for the changeup down and away. The result is a 40.4% chase rate, a 53.4% groundball rate, and a 3.8% walk rate — a contact-suppression profile that doesn't require elite strikeout stuff to generate quality starts.
His overall 2026 line — 3.10 ERA / 0.98 WHIP across seven starts — undersells how good the last four have been (2.78 ERA, 24.1% K rate). His K-BB% of 16.5% is the mid-rotation benchmark, and his average exit velocity allowed of 87.4 mph confirms the contact quality is genuine. Bennett was traded for a fringe prospect and is pitching like a rotation piece worth paying for. At 25% ownership, he's the biggest undervalued arm still available in most leagues.
The July 6 Leverage Ledger covered Sunday's slate in a Clint Eastwood-style breakdown — The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. Sean Newcomb (CWS) converted his third save of 2026 with 1.2 scoreless frames against Cleveland; Jacob Webb (CHC) handled a two-inning committee save against the Cardinals; Jordan Romano recorded his fifth save of the year and first as a Rockie, striking out two in a clean ninth.
Read the full Ledger →| Closer | Team | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jacob Webb | CHC | 🔴 Committee | Daniel Palencia (elbow) is confirmed out through the All-Star break, leaving Webb as the leading save option in Chicago's bullpen committee. He leads the group with three saves and has converted his opportunities cleanly, but Trent Thornton and Caleb Thielbar are also in the closer mix. Add Webb in 12-team-plus leagues while Palencia remains out — the Leverage Ledger numbers make him the clear first option when the Cubs protect a late lead. |
| Baltimore Orioles Committee | BAL | 🔴 Committee | Ryan Helsley remains on the IL with elbow discomfort (second stint this season). Rico Garcia continues to lead the committee — 0.68 ERA, 0.61 WHIP, 99th-percentile whiff rate — and should be owned in every league. No formal closer designation from manager Brandon Hyde; add Garcia and stream save opportunities whenever Baltimore holds a late-inning lead. |
| Jordan Romano | COL | 🟡 Watch | Romano recorded his first save as a Rockie on July 6 — fifth of 2026 overall — and appears to be settling into the Colorado ninth-inning role. The Rockies' win total limits save volume, but Romano has the track record and the stuff to accumulate counting stats in a hitter-friendly environment. Stream in 14-team-plus leagues and deep formats while this new arrangement solidifies. |
Frank Stampfl, Scott White, and Chris Towers recap a busy weekend — covering Woodruff's second IL stint, the Brewers' rotation void, and the week's most impactful injury news heading into Week 16 add decisions. The Woodruff-Henderson walkthrough is the centerpiece.
Hitter-focused waiver wire breakdown for Week 16 targeting deep stashes with Statcast backing, covering Kody Clemens, Esmerlyn Valdez, and other power upside adds available in the majority of leagues heading into favorable matchup weeks.
Pitcher-first waiver wire guide for Week 16 identifying starters worth streaming based on matchup data and underlying metrics — covers Ian Seymour, Jake Bennett, and Logan Henderson's imminent return to Milwaukee's rotation.
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