Soto was removed in the sixth inning of Friday's 4–2 loss to the Dodgers after feeling discomfort while running the bases. Saturday's MRI confirmed a calf strain, and the Mets promptly placed him on the IL with a 2–3 week recovery window. Critically, this is the same calf that cost him two-plus weeks in April — a recurrence that raises legitimate durability questions for the rest of the fantasy season.
Shohei Ohtani has not pitched since July 3, skipped the All-Star Game, and will not make his next scheduled mound appearance. Manager Dave Roberts gave the least reassuring possible answer: 'It's gonna be some time, and I'd say that it's not gonna be a day-to-day thing.' Ohtani had fluid drained from his left knee during the break and continues to hit as the Dodgers' DH with no restrictions — slashing .289/.400/.543 with 22 home runs across 89 games.
Pena has hit safely in five straight games with eight hits, three home runs, six RBIs, and seven runs scored in that span. After a slow start to 2026 that left him in a large percentage of free-agent pools, the Astros shortstop looks to have found his timing heading into the second half. Houston's schedule is favorable over the next three weeks, and Pena historically runs in stretches rather than in a straight line.
Who's Hot This Week
Anderson has dominated Double-A all season with an 8-1 record and 1.36 ERA, and he's the top pitching prospect in Milwaukee's system. The Brewers are in playoff contention, their rotation has been taxed all summer, and Anderson is the in-system option most likely to get a call. No MLB appearances yet, so this is a pure stash — but the Double-A ERA is the kind of number that triggers call-up announcements. In 15-team-plus leagues, claim him at whatever FAAB cost it takes.
Worth Reading
Pitcher List's daily waiver write-up for July 24 leads with Jeremy Pena and Shane Drohan (Brewers SP, 3.51 ERA since joining the rotation June 1) as the top adds of the day, with additional sections on streaming arms for the upcoming weekend. The most time-sensitive read before Sunday's FAAB window opens.
RotoBaller's headline Week 18 waiver wire piece covers seven players still available in over 75% of Yahoo leagues with prioritized adds by format depth. Good companion to the Pitcher List piece if you're making multiple adds this weekend and want a broader consensus view.
The FAAB-specific companion piece to the must-adds article — includes suggested bid ranges for Week 18 targets by tier and league size. Essential if your league uses blind bidding rather than a standard waiver order.
Soto was removed in the sixth inning of Friday's game against the Dodgers after feeling discomfort running the bases. MRI on Saturday confirmed a calf strain and the Mets immediately placed him on the IL. Projected return: 2–3 weeks. This is the same calf that cost him two-plus weeks in April, making it a true recurrence and elevating concern about it becoming a chronic second-half issue. He had been slashing .303/.420/.571 with 18 home runs in his most recent stretch.
Ohtani has not pitched since July 3 due to left knee inflammation; had fluid drained during the All-Star break. Manager Dave Roberts confirmed there is no clear return timeline and it won't be a 'day-to-day' assessment. He continues to DH without restriction (.289/.400/.543, 22 HR, 89 G) but the mound date is genuinely open-ended heading into the second half.
Kurtz was placed on the 10-day IL on July 11 with a right thumb capsule sprain. He has cleared a hitting progression and fielded grounders, with manager Mark Kotsay noting a possible return for the upcoming weekend series. The 10-day minimum window has passed, so activation could come any day. No setbacks reported through the ramp-up.
Palencia has been on the 15-day IL with right elbow inflammation since mid-July and was expected to resume throwing after the All-Star break. Jacob Webb has been getting primary save opportunities in Chicago's ninth inning in his absence. No firm return date set, though a late-July or early-August return is plausible if the throwing program progresses.
Jordan Walker's Home Run Derby victory in Philadelphia wasn't a fluke performance from a hot hitter — it was a punctuation mark on the most convincing fantasy breakout of 2026. After being optioned to Triple-A just weeks into the 2024 season with a .155/.239/.259 line and no home runs, Walker has posted a .291/.346/.519 first half with 22 home runs, 74 RBI, and 11 stolen bases in 2026, and he's now 14.5 runs above average offensively — against a minus-13 career mark heading into this season. That is not a statistical blip. That's a different player.
The centerpiece of the change is mechanical. Walker spent the offseason at Driveline working on a back-hip collapse that was preventing him from generating lift. The fix held. His rate of batted balls hit at a launch angle of 10 degrees or lower fell from 53% in 2025 to 40% in 2026, and his contact profile now runs alongside names like Aaron Judge, Kyle Schwarber, and Oneil Cruz in terms of power metrics. The July numbers reinforce it: Walker is slashing 1.116 OPS with four home runs post-Derby. Breakouts that hold up under July scrutiny after a strong first half are the ones you trust.
At 23 years old with elite raw power, a durable mechanical fix, and a stolen base dimension (11 so far) that most sluggers at his tier don't offer, Walker belongs in the same conversation as the top-25 fantasy players for the rest of the season. If he's somehow available in your league — yes, it's still happening in some formats — add him at full FAAB price. If you already own him, his second-half schedule is workable and there's nothing in his profile that suggests regression.
Thursday's Leverage Ledger covered 17 games with 11 saves logged across MLB. The headline was Carmen Mlodzinski's first blown save of 2026 — Ben Rice's three-run homer in the ninth against the Yankees erased a Pirates lead and opened real questions about Pittsburgh's ninth-inning depth. The broader theme heading into the trade deadline: fewer than half of MLB's teams have a truly locked-in closer, and the next two weeks of deadline activity will reshuffle several bullpens further.
Read the full Ledger →| Closer | Team | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grant Taylor | CWS | 🔴 Committee | The White Sox committee of Taylor, Sean Newcomb, and Seranthony Dominguez is arguably the most interesting save situation in baseball right now. Chicago wants to develop Taylor as a starter long-term — which paradoxically makes him the most likely closer in the near term while that transition plays out. He's the blue-chip arm of the three and gets the highest-leverage ninth-inning deployment. Own him in 14-team-plus leagues; add all three in 15-team-plus if saves are a priority. |
| Jacob Webb | CHC | 🟡 Watch | With Daniel Palencia on the IL (elbow), Webb is Chicago's primary save option. He's converted multiple saves in the role and the Cubs are competitive enough to generate save opportunities. Add him in 14-team-plus formats as a short-term hold until Palencia returns — which doesn't appear imminent. |
| Carmen Mlodzinski | PIT | 🟡 Watch | Mlodzinski's first blown save of 2026 on Wednesday (Ben Rice homer, three-run ninth) cracked his previously clean record. Don't drop him — Pittsburgh has no obvious alternative. But the performance warrants monitoring. If he gives up a second blown save in the next two weeks, the Pirates will go committee and his save value collapses. Hold in 12-team leagues; streaming candidates in shallower formats. |
| Jordan Romano | COL | 🟡 Watch | Romano has converted both Rockies saves since signing a minor-league deal July 4 and appears to be Colorado's preferred ninth-inning option ahead of Antonio Senzatela and Brennan Bernardino. Slim save opportunities in Colorado, but Romano's role is about as defined as it gets for a Rockies reliever. Pure speculative add in 15-team-plus leagues. |
Full game highlights from the Cubs' win over the Pirates on July 24. With Mlodzinski's situation firmly in the news, this game has direct fantasy relevance — see how Pittsburgh's bullpen was deployed and whether any alternative ninth-inning options surfaced during the game.
Full game highlights from the Yankees–Phillies matchup on July 24. Two deep lineups with multiple fantasy assets on both sides — useful tape for anyone streaming arms against New York or Philadelphia over the upcoming weekend.
Full game highlights from the Astros–White Sox game on July 24. The White Sox closer committee is the most volatile save situation in baseball right now. This game shows exactly how Taylor, Newcomb, and Dominguez were deployed and whether any of the three is pulling ahead in manager Grady Sizemore's confidence.
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