Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirmed Monday that Shohei Ohtani will not make his scheduled Wednesday start and is being shut down from pitching entirely for an indefinite period due to left knee inflammation. Roberts did not offer a return date — 'It's going to be some time, and I'd say that it's not going to be a day-to-day thing' — though the club expects him to pitch again in 2026. Ohtani has been pitching through discomfort since at least last week; he skipped a bullpen session July 25 before the decision was made to shut him down as a starter. He will continue hitting as a DH.
Cody Bellinger was placed on the 10-day IL Sunday after MRI confirmed a Grade 2 left hamstring strain suffered running the bases Friday in Philadelphia. Manager Aaron Boone projected 4-to-6 weeks, pushing Bellinger's return into September. Spencer Jones, the Yankees' top outfield prospect, was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and is expected to play every day. The Yankees are now without Judge, Bellinger, and Stanton simultaneously — an extraordinary injury toll on their outfield and DH corps.
Athletics All-Star catcher Shea Langeliers underwent season-ending surgery Monday for a torn right meniscus, ending a breakout campaign in which he'd hit 23 home runs. Right-hander Mark Leiter Jr. also had season-ending surgery the same day. Langeliers was injured on the basepaths in late July and initially listed as day-to-day before doctors recommended surgery after further evaluation. Kyle McCann is the expected primary catcher going forward for Oakland.
The Dodgers will activate Edwin Diaz from the 60-day IL on Wednesday (July 30) after he posted nine strikeouts in five scoreless innings across his final rehab appearances. Diaz has been out since April 19 following elbow surgery to remove loose bodies. Manager Dave Roberts confirmed Diaz retakes the closer role immediately, with Blake Scott moving to setup. Diaz signed with LA in the offseason on a three-year, $69 million deal and brings a proven high-leverage track record.
Who's Hot This Week
Jones just got the rarest thing a prospect can earn: a guaranteed everyday role at the major league level. With Bellinger (hamstring, 4-6 weeks), Judge (IL), and Stanton (IL) all out, the Yankees need Jones in center field right now — and there's no timeline on when that changes. He put up 35 home runs between Double-A and Triple-A last year with walk rates that suggest real plate discipline. The strikeout rate (37% in Triple-A) is the legitimate risk, but in an outfield emergency in one of baseball's most powerful lineups, he's a dynasty cornerstone and a second-half redraft value. Claim before the Bellinger coverage draws mainstream attention.
Worth Reading
RotoBaller's week-opening must-add list targets players rostered under 25% in Yahoo leagues — with today's Bellinger news now adding urgency to the outfield section. The article was published before Monday's injury wave, making the already-identified adds look even better in context. A useful starting checklist before your FAAB window opens.
Pitcher List's FAAB guide uses a four-tier investment system instead of dollar amounts, making it useful across leagues regardless of FAAB budget size. The pitching recommendations — Gasser, Singer, Montgomery returning from rehab — align closely with what today's news makes actionable. Worth reading to calibrate how much to spend on Edwin Diaz before Wednesday.
FanGraphs' data-driven FAAB targets for Week 18, grounded in xwOBA and expected-stats analysis. Published today with the full injury picture baked in — the Spencer Jones and Diaz sections should be read before Monday night's deadline. The bid-calibration methodology is particularly useful for leagues with tight FAAB budgets after the Mead acquisition yesterday.
Season-ending torn right meniscus confirmed Monday. Langeliers was having a breakout All-Star season — 23 HR, elite defensive value — before going down on the basepaths. Surgery performed July 28. Kyle McCann takes over the primary catcher role for Oakland's remaining games.
Grade 2 left hamstring strain confirmed by MRI, 4-to-6 weeks projected return. Injured legging out a double in Philadelphia on Friday; placed on IL Sunday. Manager Boone indicated he won't rush him back given the severity. Spencer Jones recalled as the outfield replacement.
Shut down from pitching indefinitely due to left knee inflammation. Roberts said the shutdown is 'not a day-to-day thing' and no return date has been set for the mound. Ohtani remains active as a hitter/DH and feels no pain when hitting. His pitching stats for 2026 — whatever they were — are likely done for the season.
FanGraphs broke down Saturday's biggest trade deadline deal — Curtis Mead to Boston for Connelly Early — from a pure baseball value lens, and the analysis validates what fantasy managers already suspected: Mead is the clear winner here. His .254/.352/.500 line with 17 home runs, 48 RBI, and an .852 OPS (133 OPS+) in 87 games wasn't the product of a favorable park or a bloated BABIP. xwOBA and barrel rate were aligned with the production, confirming a legitimate breakout from the 25-year-old who was DFA'd by the White Sox just three months ago.
The most compelling part of the piece for fantasy purposes is the park-factor analysis. Mead has a right-handed pull-heavy profile with a strong fly-ball tendency — exactly the batted-ball type that Fenway Park converts into extra bases and singles off the Green Monster. His fly-ball outs at Nationals Park that were simply caught in the track become doubles in Boston. The article projects a batting average uptick of 15-20 points without any change in underlying contact quality.
Early's side of the deal is thornier — the article notes the elbow inflammation is documented and no structural damage was confirmed, but the uncertainty is real. For fantasy purposes, Early is a stash in Washington's rotation (they need pitching desperately), but his value depends entirely on a clean return from the IL in August. The article rates this an A-grade deal for Boston and a low-cost gamble for Washington that could pay off handsomely if Early is healthy.
Sunday's Leverage Ledger noted that 810 saves have been distributed across 211 pitchers this season — on pace to approach historic levels of save dispersion. Jordan Romano recorded his second consecutive save for Colorado, pulling ahead in the Rockies' 6-man closer committee. The broader closer landscape continues to feature more instability than any recent season, with three confirmed committees and several locked-in roles vulnerable to one blown save.
Read the full Ledger →| Closer | Team | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tyler Wells | BAL | 🔴 Committee | Ryan Helsley was transferred to the 60-day IL Monday — extending his absence further than initially projected. Wells, Yennier Cano, and Grant Wolfram share duties. Wells has been the most deployed option recently and has the slight edge, but manager Albernaz has confirmed no permanent appointment. Add Wells in any format where saves are scarce; pair with Cano in 14-team-plus leagues. |
| Jordan Romano | COL | 🔴 Committee | Romano has earned 2 of Colorado's last 3 saves and is emerging as the preferred option in a Rockies committee that has used six different relievers for saves this season. His 7.71 ERA and 2.14 WHIP since joining Colorado are ugly, but save opportunities at Coors come regardless of ratios. Roster-able only in deep leagues (14-team-plus) where the opportunity alone justifies the spot. |
| Alex Lange | KC | 🟡 Watch | Lange has 8 of the Royals' 9 saves since June 1 and holds the primary role, but his underlying numbers are concerning — K-BB of 8.8%, ranking 146th of 173 qualified relievers. He's one blown-save string away from a committee. Hold now but have a replacement ready; if he blows consecutive saves, the Royals have younger arms waiting for the role. |
Munetaka Murakami celebrated White Sox bobblehead day by crushing a two-run home run in the first inning against the Astros, finishing 3-for-4 with two homers and six RBI in a 12-3 rout. His 22nd HR of the season tied him for the MLB lead at the time.
MLB Highlights compilation of Munetaka Murakami homering in three consecutive games for the White Sox, including the bobblehead day blast. Three straight multi-hit games with home run production.
Official full game highlights from Cubs vs. Pirates at PNC Park (July 26). The Cubs' offense continues rolling heading into the deadline stretch — the depth of Chicago's lineup is on full display.
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