The Yankees transferred Judge from the 10-day to the 60-day IL on July 18 after re-imaging confirmed his right first rib stress fracture has not healed enough to resume upper-body workouts. He has not thrown or swung a bat since June 2 and has no official return timeline; mid-August is the most optimistic realistic target. Before the injury he was slashing .248/.361/.546 with 17 HR and 38 RBI in 59 games.
Braves manager Walt Weiss said July 18 that Acuña (left hamstring) could return before the homestand ends July 23, after a smooth Triple-A rehab game at Gwinnett where he reached base twice on a single and a walk. He has been out since June 9 with a re-aggravated hamstring strain and logged full outfield reps in rehab this weekend — the missing piece before activation.
Bob Nightengale and Jon Heyman both reported July 18 that multiple contenders are pursuing Tigers ace Tarik Skubal ahead of the August 3 deadline, despite Skubal reportedly wanting to stay in Detroit. The Tigers sit 3.5 games back of a Wild Card spot and face an organizational decision — no asking price has been reported, but a return would have to be elite.
Jon Morosi reported July 19 that rival clubs have inquired on Oakland's active-roster outfielders as the A's fall 14 games under .500 after losing 10 of their last 11. All-star catcher Shea Langeliers (.258/.327/.490, 22 HR, 52 RBI) has also drawn trade interest with the Red Sox among teams linked; Carlos Cortes appears the most likely outfield name to move.
Who's Hot This Week
The Twins' #1 prospect and MLB's #14 overall just played in the All-Star Futures Game, slashing .272 with an .820 OPS across 31 Triple-A games alongside a near-even K/BB ratio that signals genuine readiness. Minnesota sits 2.5 games out of a playoff spot and is actively looking for an outfield jolt — a post-break callup is in play per multiple beat reports. With Royce Lewis potentially heading to the IL, the roster window is opening faster than expected. Claim him now in all 14-team leagues before the inevitable spike.
Worth Reading
Targeted breakdown of seven players to claim before Week 17, headlined by Curtis Mead's July power surge and Heriberto Hernandez's newly secured full-time role. Especially useful for identifying players who are dramatically under-rostered relative to their actual production.
Cross focuses on players available in under 40% of Yahoo leagues, with pitcher streaming analysis built around Shane Drohan's five-start run and Christian Scott's return-from-injury breakout. Includes schedule-based rationale and underlying Statcast metrics for each pick.
The weekly FAAB report pulls CBS and Yahoo add/drop rates to surface what the broader market is actually doing — flagging Lane Thomas and Heriberto Hernandez as the week's fastest-rising claims. Also includes NFBC Online Championship data for a high-stakes perspective.
Transferred from the 10-day to the 60-day IL on July 18 after re-imaging showed the right first rib stress fracture has not healed enough to resume upper-body baseball activities. He has not thrown or swung a bat since June 2 — over six weeks — and has no official return timeline, with mid-August the most optimistic realistic target. Before the injury: .248/.361/.546, 17 HR, 38 RBI in 59 games.
Left knee irritation has sidelined Ohtani from pitching with no IL placement announced. He received a lubricant knee injection before the All-Star break and was expected to return to the mound July 23 in Philadelphia, but could not complete a catch session without discomfort July 19. Manager Dave Roberts said a mound return is 'at minimum 2-3 weeks.' Crucially, he feels zero pain when hitting — fantasy impact is pitching-only.
Placed on the 10-day IL July 18 with a right adductor strain — his third IL stint of 2026 following a delayed ACL recovery and a May hamstring strain. Manager Lovullo is publicly optimistic for a 10-day turnaround (earliest activation ~July 28), but the volume of soft-tissue injuries this season is a red flag. Adrian Del Castillo was recalled as the corresponding move.
Left hamstring soreness surfaced July 18 before the game vs. Cubs; Lewis was held out and listed questionable for July 20. Manager Derek Shelton said he felt 'somewhat better' by game time but kept him out as a precaution. Given Lewis's extensive hamstring injury history — multiple IL stints — an IL placement by July 21 is a real possibility if he misses today's game.
Corbin Young puts Dylan Cease under the microscope as the most interesting sustainability case heading into the second half. Cease posted a historic first half for the Blue Jays — a 2.56 ERA and 1.13 WHIP across 98.1 innings, leading the AL with 148 strikeouts over 17 starts. He became the first Blue Jays pitcher to start an All-Star Game since Roy Halladay in 2009 and set a modern-era record with nine consecutive starts of at least seven strikeouts while allowing four or fewer hits.
What's changed in Cease's arsenal: a deliberate uptick in changeup usage against left-handed hitters — 18.8% in 2026 versus prior years — and the pitch is punishing them (.183 wOBA, 19.9% whiff rate). His Stuff+ (108) sits at career norms and his swinging-strike rate (15%) is above his lifetime mark, meaning the strikeout volume is not luck. The one caution: Command+ has dipped to 98, and if his sinker and changeup location slip, walks can pile up quickly.
Young's conclusion is broadly bullish: Cease's 2.20 FIP and AL-leading 3.7 WAR confirm he's earning his results. The changeup evolution gives him a new ceiling rather than a regression floor — this is genuine improvement, not sequencing luck. He starts tonight in Tampa Bay in a matchup where the schedule sets up well.
The July 19 Leverage Ledger flags Paul Sewald (ARI) as a closer to drop or trade — he's allowed at least one run in 8 of his last 10 appearances, ballooning his ERA from 3.08 to 4.58. The issue also spotlights Pittsburgh's three-headed ninth-inning committee (Soto, Montgomery, Mlodzinski) and flags San Francisco as a likely 'changing of the guard' scenario before August 3. Cade Smith (CLE, 27 saves) is highlighted as one of the few truly stable closer assets in a season with unprecedented saves volatility.
Read the full Ledger →| Closer | Team | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tyler Wells | BAL | 🔴 Committee | Ryan Helsley is back on the IL (right elbow) and Felix Bautista remains on the 60-day IL with a shoulder injury, leaving Baltimore without an established closer for the second time in 2026. Wells, Rico Garcia, Yennier Cano, and Andrew Kittredge are all active ninth-inning candidates — the front office confirmed 'everything is on the table.' Genuine four-way committee with no handshake deal. |
| Gregory Soto | PIT | 🔴 Committee | Manager Don Kelly has been publicly noncommittal all season, using matchups and leverage as his guide. Soto holds the plurality of saves, but Mason Montgomery (30%+ K rate) and Carmen Mlodzinski are both live in close games. True rolling committee — hold only if you're desperate for saves in a deep league. |
| Daniel Palencia | CHC | 🟡 Watch | On the 15-day IL with right elbow inflammation (flexor strain) and no clear return timeline. In his absence the Cubs are running Caleb Thielbar, Phil Maton, and Jacob Webb in the ninth — none with a defined closer pedigree. Chicago saves are essentially unownable until Palencia's elbow clarifies, and the deadline could bring in a veteran arm anyway. |
| Tanner Scott | LAD | 🟡 Watch | Scott has been solid filling for Edwin Diaz (2.56 ERA, 13 saves), but Diaz began a rehab assignment with Single-A Ontario on July 11 and is working his way back. Dave Roberts stressed Diaz still has 'a command of getting major-league hitters out' to prove — but once cleared, Scott reverts to setup. Every save Scott earns right now has an expiration date. |
| Clayton Beeter | WAS | 🔴 Committee | Ten different Nationals pitchers have combined for 27 saves in 2026. Beeter returned from forearm soreness and was handed back-to-back ninth-inning leads, making him the organizational favorite — but Gus Varland (2.46 FIP in the interim) has better underlying metrics and could reclaim the role at any point. Manager Blake Butera has made no public commitment. |
Full game highlights from the Orioles' 5-2 win over the Astros. Brandon Young dominated with 7 IP, 1 ER, and 7 Ks; Coby Mayo added a solo home run as Baltimore extended their season-best winning streak to seven games.
MLB's official account posted Luke Raley's pinch-hit go-ahead home run off Giants reliever Adrian Houser in the sixth inning, lifting Seattle to a 6-3 win and moving the Mariners to within a half-game of the AL West-leading Rangers.
MLB Network's Jon Morosi confirmed Jacob Misiorowski (MLB leader: 167 K, 1.62 ERA, 0.76 WHIP) is returning to the Brewers rotation for the July 20–22 series against the Mets after skipping his final pre-All-Star start due to arm fatigue.
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