Minnesota is calling up 23-year-old Kaelen Culpepper before Friday's game in Milwaukee and plans to use him as its primary shortstop. The 2024 first-round pick hit .271/.367/.478 with 14 homers, 17 steals, and a 39:64 BB:K over 74 games at Triple-A St. Paul despite hand and glute injuries interrupting the season.
An MRI showed a mild left-glute strain, sending Ryan to the 15-day IL after recent back discomfort and a sharp second-half slide. He has allowed 17 runs in 15 1/3 innings since the break with only 10 strikeouts against 73 batters, and his four-seam velocity dipped to 92.1 mph in his latest start from a 93.4 mph season average. The move can be backdated to Aug. 6, making Aug. 20 his earliest return.
The Yankees promoted Lombard, optioned Anthony Volpe, and immediately installed their top prospect at shortstop. Lombard turned his second major-league plate appearance into a 100.2 mph, 392-foot homer and handled two double plays in a 2-0 debut win. He reached New York after a .261/.400/.432 line with 15 doubles, five homers, and eight steals in 48 Triple-A games.
Cruz will begin a Triple-A Indianapolis rehab assignment Friday, his first game action since fracturing his left hand two months ago. Pittsburgh would prefer several rehab games, but a playoff chase could shorten the ramp. Cruz hit .264/.350/.472 with 14 homers and 21 steals in 64 games before the injury; RotoWire currently estimates an Aug. 14 return.
Who's Hot This Week
Jenkins is healthy at Triple-A and remains only 5% rostered in a recent public Yahoo snapshot. He was hitting .308 with a .912 OPS, four homers, and seven steals over 130 at-bats after returning from a shoulder sprain, and his latest 10-game run reached .325/.475/.600 with two homers and two steals. Aug. 14 is the key calendar date for preserving 2027 rookie eligibility. Stash now in 15-team leagues or any format with an NA spot, but understand Minnesota has not promised a promotion or an everyday role.
Worth Reading
A position-by-position waiver pass that puts Lombard and Rodríguez beside established options such as Yainer Díaz, Spencer Torkelson, and Willi Castro. Useful for deciding whether the new prospects actually improve your current roster.
The clearest explanation of the Aug. 14 rookie-eligibility threshold and why elite Triple-A prospects such as Jenkins may arrive soon after it. Read before using the final bench spot on a prospect stash.
A prescient, Twins-specific case for Culpepper's promotion built around his age, six-week Triple-A surge, strike-zone control, and Minnesota's season-long weakness at shortstop.
| # | Player | Pos | PA | 14d Ago | Now | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ben MalgeriDetroit Tigers | RF | 52 | .342 | .404 | +0.062 |
| 2 | James McCannArizona Diamondbacks | C | 104 | .276 | .324 | +0.048 |
| 3 | Luis UríasToronto Blue Jays | 2B | 59 | .282 | .322 | +0.040 |
| 4 | LaMonte Wade Jr.Houston Astros | LF | 84 | .317 | .357 | +0.040 |
| 5 | Ryan WaldschmidtArizona Diamondbacks | CF | 178 | .301 | .333 | +0.032 |
| 6 | Javier BáezDetroit Tigers | SS | 110 | .280 | .309 | +0.029 |
| 7 | Alejandro KirkToronto Blue Jays | C | 158 | .301 | .329 | +0.028 |
| 8 | Cooper PrattMilwaukee Brewers | SS | 151 | .343 | .371 | +0.028 |
| 9 | Jacob YoungWashington Nationals | CF | 345 | .283 | .310 | +0.027 |
| 10 | Ali SánchezNew York Yankees | C | 60 | .273 | .300 | +0.027 |
A mild left-glute strain will sideline Ryan until at least Aug. 20. The diagnosis is encouraging, but the injury follows arm fatigue, back discomfort, a velocity dip, and 17 runs allowed in 15 1/3 second-half innings. Hold everywhere and wait for a pain-free bullpen update before planning his return.
Cruz begins a Triple-A rehab assignment Friday after missing two months with fractures in his left hand. Pittsburgh may accelerate a return because it is in the playoff race, but several rehab games remain the preferred path. Keep him stashed and make room for a possible Aug. 14 activation.
San Diego paused Pivetta's rehab for at least a few days after elbow tightness ended his first Single-A appearance after 14 pitches. He threw another 20-30 pitches in the bullpen afterward, but skipped Thursday's scheduled bullpen and will miss his next rehab start. The club is optimistic this is not a major setback; fantasy managers should stop counting on an August return until he resumes game work.
The Yankees already believed Lombard's glove was ready for the majors. His winter work focused on closing the offensive gap: he added strength and moved his hands higher in his stance, a change designed to help him reach his launch position more consistently without sacrificing his feel for the zone.
The early Double-A results were substantial. Lombard opened 2026 at .312/.400/.571 with four homers, eight doubles, 12 walks, and four steals in 20 games. His 154 wRC+ and .260 isolated power represented real gains over 2025, while the elite defense and ability to move around the infield gave the Yankees confidence to challenge him quickly.
That defensive floor now matters for fantasy. New York optioned Anthony Volpe instead of squeezing Lombard into a utility role, so an ordinary rookie slump should not immediately cost him the lineup spot. The risk is still clear: he is 21, his Triple-A power was moderate, and a debut homer can make the market price outrun the projection.
Thursday's 11-game slate produced four saves and four blown saves. Louis Varland blew his first chance but remained atop Toronto's hierarchy; Samy Natera Jr. earned his second save for the Angels; and Closer Monkey moved Ben Joyce to the front of that committee while warning that his injury history will prevent consecutive-day work initially. The actionable split is Joyce for ceiling, Natera for Joyce's off days, and a hold on Varland rather than a panic drop.
Read the full Ledger →| Closer | Team | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ben Joyce | LAA | 🔴 Committee | Closer Monkey now puts Joyce first, but the Angels do not expect him to work consecutive days initially, if at all this season. Add for the best pure save upside; do not budget for a traditional closer's workload. |
| Samy Natera Jr. | LAA | 🔴 Committee | Recorded his second save with six whiffs on 23 pitches, finishing the eighth and retiring all three hitters in the ninth. He is the deep-league hedge because Joyce's workload restrictions create planned save chances on off days. |
| Louis Varland | TOR | 🟡 Watch | Allowed Alex Bregman's game-tying two-run homer for his first blown save, but the hierarchy remains Varland, Tyler Rogers, then Braydon Fisher. Hold him; monitor the declining strikeout rate and note that Rogers is Friday's vulture-save option after Varland worked back-to-back games. |