San Francisco Giants shortstop Willy Adames (back) is starting at the 6 and is hitting sixth for Friday's series opener in Denver against the division-rival Colorado Rockies and right-hander Ryan Feltner at Coors Field, per MLB.com. Adames will return to kick off the holiday weekend and will be trying to extend his modest hitting streak to five games after sitting out the last three games with lower-back spasms. The 30-year-old Dominican infielder has been a drain in batting average and on-base percentage, but he still has high-end power from the shortstop position with 14 long balls in his 321 at-bats in 2026. Adames really struggled at the plate in June, going 17-for-86 (.198) with six home runs, three doubles, nine RBI, 12 runs scored, seven walks, and 26 strikeouts across 23 games and 93 plate appearances. He'll have to turn things around against Feltner to extend his hitting streak, as he's batting .071 with a .204 OPS in 14 career at-bats against Feltner. With Adames back in action, utility man Casey Schmitt will start at third base and bat second on Friday.

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New York Yankees left-hander Carlos Rodon (elbow) said that he doesn't have any damage to his UCL, but he's dealing with heavy inflammation in his elbow, according to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. Rodon is hoping that he doesn't need a long recovery process. The Yankees placed the 33-year-old veteran on the 15-day injured list on Friday, which means he won't pitch again before the All-Star break. However, barring a setback once he resumes throwing, Rodon could have a shot to rejoin the team's starting rotation for the start of the second half later this month. In his 12th year in the big leagues (fourth with the Yankees), Rodon has gone 4-2 with a 3.30 ERA (3.46 FIP) and 1.25 WHIP with 52 strikeouts and 26 walks in 46 1/3 innings pitched across nine starts. He got a late start to 2026 after having surgery last October to remove loose bodies in his left elbow. Durability is obviously a concern with the veteran southpaw moving forward, but fantasy managers should keep him stashed in an IL spot for the second half of 2026.

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Houston Astros first baseman Christian Walker (back) is starting at first base and batting cleanup for Houston in Friday's contest against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays and right-hander Nick Martinez at Daikin Park, according to MLB.com. Walker will return to the starting nine following an off day on Thursday after he was removed from Wednesday's series finale early against the Minnesota Twins with stiffness in his lower back. Fantasy managers are hoping that the 35-year-old veteran right-handed slugger can get his bat going again with the All-Star break approaching quickly. After a hot start in 2026, Walker went 23-for-103 (.223) with three homers, six doubles, a triple, 13 RBI, nine runs scored, nine walks, and 31 strikeouts in 26 games in June to drop his season slash line down to .239/.310/.469 with a .780 OPS in 361 plate appearances. He has a good matchup to get back on track, as he's hitting .500 with a 1.371 OPS, one homer, and four RBI in 12 career at-bats against Martinez. Get Walker back in your starting fantasy lineups in traditional formats.

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The Baltimore Orioles announced on Friday that they placed right-handed closer Ryan Helsley (elbow) on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to June 30) with right-elbow discomfort and recalled right-handed reliever Anthony Nunez from Triple-A Norfolk in a corresponding move. It's a bad sign after Helsley already missed two months with inflammation in his right elbow earlier this year. The 31-year-old two-time All-Star has gone 0-4 in his first year with the O's with an elevated 4.11 ERA (4.68 FIP), 1.43 WHIP, eight saves, 21 strikeouts, and nine walks in 15 1/3 innings pitched. Helsley will now be out through the All-Star break and could struggle to return to Baltimore before the calendar flips to August. Veteran Andrew Kittredge could get some save opportunities given his experience, but the name fantasy managers want to target off the waiver wire is Rico Garcia, who picked up his first four career saves back when Helsley was on the IL the first time.

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The Cleveland Guardians recalled right-handed pitching prospect Franco Aleman from Triple-A Columbus on Friday, a source told Francys Romero. Aleman has been outstanding for Columbus this year, posting a 0.32 ERA with 43 strikeouts over 28 1/3 innings pitched. The 26-year-old Cuban hurler made his big-league debut with Cleveland earlier this year and allowed a solo home run with a walk and a strikeout in 2 2/3 relief innings. The former 10th-round pick in 2021 out of the University of Florida has been as dominant as they come out of the bullpen in the minors this year, although he will most likely be utilized in more of a middle-relief role in his return to the majors, limiting his overall fantasy upside. Aleman is not listed among the Guardians' top-30 prospects, per MLB Pipeline, and he's had a 4.36 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, and 293:77 K:BB in 198 1/3 innings over 151 outings (eight starts) over his five minor-league seasons.

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Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers (hand) is starting a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A St. Paul on Friday, according to Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic. Jeffers will serve as the Saints' designated hitter on Friday, roughly six weeks after having surgery for a fractured hamate bone in his left hand. It's unclear how long Jeffers will be on his rehab assignment, but barring a setback, he should have a shot to rejoin the Twins as their primary catcher before the All-Star break from July 13-16. Fantasy managers seeking an upgrade at catcher will want to consider stashing Jeffers now, too, after he was slashing .295/.408/.541 with seven home runs, 26 RBI, 26 runs scored and a stolen base in 148 plate appearances across 37 games before fracturing his hand. Veteran Victor Caratini has been seeing most of the starts behind the dish for the Twins with Jeffers out, with Alex Jackson serving as the No. 2. Jeffers is currently rostered in only 28% of Yahoo leagues.

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St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar (rest) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the Chicago Cubs. This appears to be a regular rest day for Nootbaar, with the Cubs sending southpaw David Peterson to the mound. Nootbaar has started in 11 straight games, so he could use a rest day. In his place, Jose Fermin will cover left field and bat seventh on Friday. Due to injuries, Nootbaar has only played in 23 games this season. He's slashing .300/.387/.463 with two home runs and eight RBI in 93 plate appearances. He could be an under-the-radar deep league addition at the moment.

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Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton (hip) remains out of the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the New York Yankees. This marks the fourth straight game that Buxton has missed due to a hip impingement issue. The Twins had an off day on Thursday and were hopeful Buxton could return here, but he'll remain out at least one more game. For now, Buxton should be considered day-to-day, but he could end up on the Injured List if he doesn't improve at all during the weekend. Ryan Kreidler will cover center field and bat seventh against right-hander Gerrit Cole on Friday.

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New York Yankees outfielder Trent Grisham (hamstring) was activated off the 10-day Injured List on Friday. As expected, Grisham has been activated ahead of the series opener versus the Minnesota Twins. Grisham has been sidelined since June 12 due to a right hamstring strain. Before going down, Grisham was swinging a hot bat to begin the month of June, but we'll see if that can carry over into July. Overall, this season, Grisham is slashing .232/.341/.406 with eight home runs, 35 RBI, and six steals in 57 games. He does offer some upside as a power bat, but is more worth a look in mixed leagues against right-handed pitching.

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St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Dustin May (ankle) was forced to make an early exit from Thursday's outing against the Atlanta Braves. He exited in the first inning due to a right ankle contusion, but the X-rays came back negative. On Friday, manager Oliver Marmol said that May's ankle is feeling better than expected. That is encouraging news for a pitcher who suffered an ankle injury less than 24 hours ago. He was planning to play catch ahead of Friday's game against the Chicago Cubs. Unfortunately, that didn't happen with thunderstorms looming over Wrigley Field. Given the improvement, the Cardinals are likely going to take this situation day-to-day. The right-hander could end up on the Injured List, but the team will probably wait and see how May progresses over the weekend.

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St. Louis Cardinals left-handed pitching prospect Quinn Mathews is showing off his upside this season. In 15 starts at Triple-A Memphis, Mathews has a 4-3 record with a 3.95 ERA and 83 strikeouts in 66 innings pitched. Since serving up four runs on May 22, the southpaw has logged 30 1/3 innings to the tune of a sharp 2.08 ERA and a 0.89 WHIP. The high strikeout upside is the first thing that stands out and makes him extremely enticing as a fantasy starter. He has allowed 11 home runs, which is fairly high at this point in the season, but his overall numbers are very good. The fourth-round pick out of Stanford is eyeing a promotion to St. Louis and is looking for a spot in the rotation. Right now, the MLB rotation has five solid starters, so a call-up could depend on an injury. But Mathews has proven himself at the Triple-A level this season and could be an excellent addition in deep leagues as a wait-and-see target.

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New York Yankees third baseman Ryan McMahon (illness) was activated off the 10-day Injured List on Friday. McMahon has been out since June 21 due to a throat and ear infection. He figures to resume his role as a platoon option at third base. So far this season, McMahon is slashing .210/.269/.360 with eight home runs, 23 RBI, and three steals in 69 games. The 31-year-old offers some power upside, but being a platoon player doesn't help his fantasy value. At the moment, fantasy managers shouldn't view McMahon as anything more than a source of power in deep leagues.

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Minnesota Twins outfield prospect Walker Jenkins has found his way back from a sprained left shoulder AC joint and has rejoined the St. Paul Saints at the Triple-A level. In 114 at-bats with St. Paul this season, Jenkins is hitting .272 with two homers and 11 RBI to go with seven stolen bases. In an injury-limited season, Jenkins has shown off his five-category ability. The former No. 5 overall pick has room to improve the power numbers in his limited at-bats but is more than capable of doing so. He has shown nice speed on the base paths and is hitting for a good average. The question is what he can do at the big-league level, but he has been considered one of the top outfield prospects in the minor leagues over the last few years. He could reward fantasy managers who take a chance and add him prior to his call-up to Minnesota. Jenkins has the talent to help teams win fantasy titles late this season, making him a worthy stash target in deeper five-outfielder leagues with N/A spots.

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Washington Nationals shortstop prospect Seaver King has had a productive year in the minor leagues in 2026, hitting .306 between Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Rochester with 10 home runs and 51 RBI, along with nine stolen bases. The former No. 10 overall pick out of Wake Forest is pushing hard for a look at a promotion to Washington but has seen his numbers dip slightly with his promotion to Triple-A. With stud shortstop CJ Abrams manning the position in Washington along with Nasim Nunez providing depth, it might be hard for King to break through for a spot with the Nationals in the short term. King's five-tool profile, however, makes him a good candidate to add in mid-to-deep-sized leagues. He should help contribute at the middle infield positions and would be a must-start should Abrams or Nunez suffer an unfortunate injury.

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New York Yankees starting pitcher Carlos Rodon (elbow) was placed on the 15-day Injured List on Friday. Rodon heads to the shelf for hopefully a minimal stint due to left elbow inflammation. The Yankees believe this is an injury that can be managed without Rodon needing to undergo surgery. There isn't a clear timetable for Rodon, so the Yankees will just give him time to rest before they make any further decisions. The southpaw owns a 3.30 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, and a 52:26 K:BB ratio across nine starts this season. When healthy, Rodon is a stud, but keeping him on the mound has been a problem. It's unclear at the moment who is going to take over his spot in the rotation.

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Milwaukee Brewers infield prospect Jett Williams was shipped to the NL Central this winter as the headliner piece in the Freddy Peralta trade. Williams is a big-time talent who is hitting .225 this season at Triple-A Nashville with nine homers and 41 RBI. He has shown off the speed with 19 steals and looks to be a plus contributor in the steals department for fantasy managers. The shortstop position is a bit crowded for the Brewers with Cooper Pratt playing at the big-league level and Jesus Made manning the position as one of the top Double-A prospects. But Williams offers solid speed, with a season-high 45 steals across three levels of the minors in 2023. Fantasy managers will look for him to raise his batting average at Triple-A before taking a chance on him. He has the upside to make him worth a stash, but that would have to be in deep leagues as he battles stiff competition on his own team for a big-league spot.

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Seattle Mariners starting pitching prospect Kade Anderson has turned in a dominant June at Double-A Arkansas and is coming off a start in which he allowed his first two earned runs of the month. Overall, he completed June with a 4-0 record and an 0.79 ERA with 32 strikeouts in 22 2/3 innings pitched. It doesn't get much better than that at any level, and fantasy managers would like to see Anderson and his lefty dominance at the Triple-A level sooner rather than later. Anderson has shown a mastery of Double-A with an 8-0 record and 1.22 ERA with 99 strikeouts in 66 2/3 innings pitched. The talented former No. 3 overall pick would likely need some time in Triple-A before the Mariners take a look at him in Seattle. But his numbers show that he could be ready for a close-up and is definitely worth picking up and stashing off the waiver wire in leagues of all sizes.

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Just as Minnesota Twins shortstop prospect Kaelen Culpepper returned from a two-week stint on the injured list with a left hip strain, he injured his hand earlier this week and is now day-to-day. Despite the recent injury bug, Culpepper is still a priority stash ahead of his call-up to the major leagues. If not for the injuries, the talented former first-round pick likely would have already received the call to the major leagues. Through 250 Triple-A at-bats this season, Culpepper is hitting .272 with 14 homers and 43 RBI to go with 15 stolen bases. The Twins have the luxury of some quality players to play on their big-league infield, including Brooks Lee, Kody Clemens, and Ryan Kreidler, but Culpepper could eventually force his hand should he demonstrate he can stay healthy, and his production should follow him to the major leagues. He looks like a priority stash target in mid-to-deep size leagues and could be a quality piece for the stretch run for many fantasy managers.

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San Diego Padres manager Craig Stammen said on Friday on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM that right-hander Randy Vasquez's (ankle) X-rays "were negative and all tests came back pretty clean." Vasquez has been given the all-clear after also fainting at Dodger Stadium following his abbreviated three-inning outing in the series opener on Thursday, in which he was hit by a Mookie Betts line drive in the ankle in the first inning. The 27-year-old Dominican hurler has been released from the hospital, but it remains to be seen if he'll make his next scheduled start. Vasquez started the year strong in SD's starting rotation, but like the team, he has faded of late and is now 6-6 with a 4.71 ERA (4.92 FIP) and 1.50 WHIP with 60 strikeouts and 27 walks in 84 innings across his 17 appearances (16 starts) after he gave up four earned runs in three innings versus L.A. on Thursday in three innings. Vasquez will be an extremely risky fantasy streamer if he makes his next scheduled start next week.

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For some reason, Los Angeles Dodgers left-handed relief pitcher Tanner Scott just isn't gaining much traction in fantasy baseball leagues in 2026, even though he leads the team in saves with Edwin Diaz (elbow) on the injured list for the foreseeable future. It's probably because of Scott's disastrous first season in L.A. in 2025, in which he lost the closer's gig and finished with a 4.74 ERA and 1.26 WHIP with a 60:18 K:BB despite saving a career-high 23 games in 57 regular-season innings pitched. The 31-year-old southpaw has turned things around in 2026 in his second year with the Dodgers, posting a 2.08 ERA (2.54 FIP), 0.72 WHIP, 11 saves, 42 strikeouts, and only three walks in 34 2/3 innings pitched. It's a modest number of saves for the first-place Dodgers, but Scott's other numbers suggest that he should be rostered in more than 53% of Yahoo leagues. Since last allowing a run on June 11 against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Scott has been lights-out in his last seven appearances, throwing seven shutout innings with no walks, 10 strikeouts, five saves, and a hold. Manager Dave Roberts does deploy Scott in some non-traditional save situations earlier in the game, but that shouldn't deter fantasy managers from chasing him until Diaz returns later in the second half.

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