Ryan Helsley (right elbow) was placed on the 15-day IL July 3 — his second elbow IL stint of the season — and Tyler Wells has converted both save chances since. Wells owns a 3.02 ERA and 1.06 WHIP across 41.2 innings with a scoreless streak in nine of his last 10 outings (0.60 WHIP, 31.9 K-BB%). Manager Brandon Hyde's go-to line is 'everything is on the table,' but Wells is clearly first in line.
O'Hearn went grand slam in the first, three-run shot in the third, three-run shot in the sixth in Pittsburgh's 12-4 rout of Atlanta — setting a Pirates franchise record. He joined Shohei Ohtani (2024) and 15 others in the 10-RBI single-game club. He's also hit .304 with four home runs and eight RBI in his last 15 games.
The Pirates rookie phenom tore the tendon in his left ring finger making a diving catch against the Nationals on July 5. The injury puts his return timeline around early September, essentially costing him the stretch run. Jack Brannigan has been added to the taxi squad as the likely roster replacement.
Buxton aggravated a nagging right hip injury leaving Sunday's game in the first inning and was placed on the 10-day IL — his third IL stint of the season. He earned fan voting to start the All-Star Game but will miss the Midsummer Classic at Citizens Bank Park on July 14. Alan Roden recalled from Triple-A.
Who's Hot This Week
Kremer returned from a 60-day IL stint (right quad strain) on July 1 and has been sharp in three outings: 3.18 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 20:3 K:BB across 17 innings. His peripheral metrics are elite — 31.8% chase rate, 31.6% whiff rate, 30.8% strikeout rate. The Orioles are a playoff contender, win opportunities are there, and he's being stretched out gradually. Own him before the All-Star break at 22% rostered.
Worth Reading
Full FAAB breakdown covering Zebby Matthews, Dean Kremer, Tommy Edman's return to the Dodgers lineup, and Javier Sanoja. Good mix of hitter and pitcher targets with specific bid amounts by league size.
Pitcher List's FAAB guide focuses on streaming arms and hitter surges heading into the All-Star break. Includes ownership projections and bid ranges for the top 15 adds of the week.
Expert consensus adds for Week 15 — shows where analysts agree (Kremer, Matthews) and where there's disagreement worth exploiting for FAAB value.
Torn tendon in left ring finger, sustained July 5 on a diving catch. Expected to miss 8-10 weeks — an early September return at the earliest.
Right hip strain, third IL stint of the season. Aggravated while stealing a base Sunday, July 7. No clear timetable — budget for at least two weeks minimum.
Placed on the 7-day concussion IL after taking a throw off the back of his helmet on a double-play attempt. Eligible to return Friday, July 10. Don't drop him.
Right elbow discomfort, his second elbow-related IL stint of the season. No timetable for return. Tyler Wells is handling closing duties in his absence.
Cam Schlittler is the best story on the 2026 American League All-Star pitching staff. The 25-year-old Yankees right-hander went from Double-A Trenton at the start of 2025 to one of the best playoff starts in franchise history by October — and hasn't slowed down. Through July 8, he leads all qualified AL starters in ERA (2.01) and FIP (2.58), ranking fourth in the AL in both WHIP (0.93) and strikeouts (131) across 112 innings pitched.
The production is real. Schlittler has halved his walk rate from 2025 while maintaining elite whiff rates on an upper-90s three-fastball mix. He's allowed one earned run or less in 14 of 19 starts, including a dominant outing where he struck out a career-high 13 batters in six scoreless innings against Cincinnati. FanGraphs' preseason projection was a 4.04 ERA in 121 innings; he's running well ahead of that pace through the first half.
Dylan Cease (Toronto) and the ageless Aroldis Chapman (Boston) also earned All-Star nods, but Schlittler is the deserving starter on July 14 in Philadelphia. At his current 3.6 WAR pace, he's on track for one of the best Yankee pitcher seasons by WAR this century. The FIP says this isn't luck — it's skill.
Mason Miller locked down save No. 23 for San Diego with a clean ninth and two punchouts. Tyler Wells converted his second straight save for Baltimore in Helsley's absence. Jordan Romano has quietly notched two saves since being recalled by Colorado. Pete Fairbanks continues to struggle in Miami, with his grip on the closer role eroding by the day.
Read the full Ledger →| Closer | Team | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tyler Wells | BAL | 🟡 Watch | Two for two since Helsley went on the IL. Strong peripherals (3.02 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 31.9 K-BB% over the last month) and the clear organizational preference — add everywhere. |
| Aroldis Chapman | BOS | 🟡 Watch | Still an All-Star (2.36 ERA, 18 saves) but the last-place Red Sox are 90% likely to trade him before the August 3 deadline per ESPN's Passan. He'll close until dealt, but a new team likely uses him differently. Explore a trade now. |
| Jordan Romano | COL | 🟡 Watch | Recalled from the minors and immediately handed two save chances for Colorado. The Rockies' bullpen is thin and Romano has closing experience — worth a speculative add in deep leagues chasing saves. |
| Pete Fairbanks | MIA | 🟡 Watch | Fairbanks has allowed a run or more in three straight outings. With Anthony Bender on the IL, Michael Peterson (2.25 ERA, 0.81 WHIP, 23 K in last 16 IP) is next in line. The role could change any day. |
Christian Walker and Isaac Paredes both homered as four Astros pitchers combined for a shutout, taking 2 of 3 from Tampa Bay.
Jake Rill broke the news in real time: Tyler Wells warming in the ninth for Baltimore with Helsley freshly on the IL. The first signal to pivot immediately.
Jacob Calvin Meyer flagged the Baltimore Sun's full closer breakdown — Wells vs. Kittredge vs. Cano — giving the most complete picture of the Orioles' bullpen hierarchy.
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