New York Yankees outfield prospect Spencer Jones went 2-for-3 with a home run, double, and two walks in a 9-8 win over Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Jones was promoted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on June 27 and has torn the cover off the ball. He already has three homers in four games and also chipped in a stolen base. A cause for concern would be that he has already struck out seven times in 19 plate appearances. The 24-year-old performed well previously at Double-A Somerset, hitting .274/.389/.594 with 16 homers and 10 stolen bases in 208 plate appearances. Jones saw a similar issue, though, as he struck out 33.7 percent of the time in Double-A, which is very concerning. The 6'7" outfielder has a tantalizing skillset, but the hit tool may hold him back. Given his flaws and the strength of the Yankees' outfield, it seems unlikely that Jones makes it to the majors this season.

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Cleveland Guardians infield prospect Juan Brito went 1-for-5 with a grand slam in Wednesday's 13-0 victory against Triple-A Toledo. Brito doesn't have a ton of power, but he was able to deliver his fourth homer of the season tonight in grand fashion. His season line of .259/.361/.469 is pretty similar to his .256/.365/443 line at Triple-A in 2024 in 652 plate appearances. He is striking out more this season and isn't on pace to match his 21 home run output he had last year. The 23-year-old has a solid floor with his good approach and contact skills, but the ceiling may be lacking. There's a solid chance we see Brito in the majors at some point this season, in which case he would be a decent deep league or AL-only add.

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Toronto Blue Jays closer Jeff Hoffman finished off an 11-9 win over the New York Yankees on Wednesday for his 20th save of the year. Hoffman allowed a two-out infield single to Trent Grisham, but he retired the other three hitters he faced and fanned one in a scoreless, 14-pitch ninth inning. While the 32-year-old struggled earlier in the season, he allowed just two earned runs over 10 frames in June and has gotten off to an auspicious start in July. Hoffman's ERA has dropped from 6.04 to 4.71 since the beginning of June, while he also boasts 50 strikeouts against 10 walks and a 1.07 WHIP in 36 1/3 innings.

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Boston Red Sox left-handed pitcher Kyle Harrison took the loss on Wednesday, as he allowed three runs on five hits and two walks against Triple-A Syracuse. He struck out two. Harrison was a bit shaky again in his second start with Worcester as he allowed two homers. The 23-year-old again relied on his fastball in this outing, throwing it 47 percent of the time. However, it wasn't as effective as usual, inducing just two whiffs on 19 swings. His secondary offerings picked up some of the slack, though, with 8 whiffs on 18 swings total. Harrison has been looking for answers outside of his fastball, so while the surface numbers for this outing are not ideal, that is a bright spot to point to. Harrison will likely be back in the majors to make his Red Sox debut sometime this summer.

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Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy (knee) had to leave the team's game against the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday after suffering an apparent left knee injury in the sixth inning. Muncy required help getting off the field after tagging out Michael A. Taylor on a steal attempt. Taylor's helmet appeared to hit Muncy's knee on the play. The Dodgers replaced Muncy with Enrique Hernandez. They should have more on Muncy's status after the game. Muncy went 0-for-2 before departing, but the 34-year-old has been on a tear for several weeks. He's slashing .250/.375/.457 with 13 home runs and 55 RBI over 315 plate appearances.

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New York Yankees closer Devin Williams (2-3) took the loss in an 11-9 slugfest against the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday. With the Yankees' bullpen undermanned, they brought Williams in to pitch the bottom of the eighth inning in a 9-9 tie. He struck out Andres Gimenez to start the inning before encountering disaster. Williams walked George Springer and then issued an intentional pass to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Both runners advanced on a flyout by Alejandro Kirk. Williams was an out away from escaping trouble, but he uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Springer to score. Addison Barger then singled in Guerrero. Williams was charged with two earned runs on one hit, two walks, and a strikeout in a 25-pitch inning. The right-hander's ERA has increased to an unattractive 5.17 ERA across 31 1/3 innings, but that's largely because of an awful first month of the season. Wednesday's outing was the first time he gave up a run since June 3, breaking a streak of eight appearances.

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Chicago Cubs outfield prospect Kevin Alcantara went 2-for-5 with a home run and two RBI in Wednesday's 10-6 win over Triple-A Omaha. Alcantara slugged his 10th homer of the season and is knocking on the door for 10 stolen bases with nine so far in 282 plate appearances. The 22-year-old is coming off a strong month of June, slashing .306/383/.486 with a 9:22 BB:K. He's consistently made hard contact with a 49 percent hard-hit rate for the year. However, the 6'6" outfielder has some contact issues as he also owns a 30% strikeout rate. The upside is through the roof with Alcantra's power and speed combo, although we are unlikely to see him in the majors this season.

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Boston Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman converted his 15th save of the year in a 5-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday. Pitching in the continuation of Tuesday's suspended game, the left-hander tossed a perfect, 12-pitch ninth inning with one strikeout for his 350th career save. Chapman, who has gone 15 straight appearances without yielding an earned run, is showing no signs of slowing down in his age-37 campaign. The seven-time All-Star has blown just one save while registering a 1.29 ERA with 51:10 K:BB and a 0.77 WHIP in 35 innings.

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Minnesota Twins closer Jhoan Duran nailed down his 13th save of the year in a 2-1 win over the Miami Marlins on Wednesday. Duran allowed a one-out single to Connor Norby, but he quickly put out the fire by forcing Dane Myers to ground into a game-ending double play. The right-hander needed just nine pitches to get through the ninth inning and log his third straight scoreless appearance. Duran's ERA is down to a sparkling 1.64 with 42:14 K:BB and a 1.07 WHIP in 38 1/3 innings.

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San Diego Padres closer Robert Suarez shut the door on the Philadelphia Phillies in a 6-4 win during the first game of a doubleheader on Wednesday. It wasn't easy for Suarez, who had to extinguish a Phillies rally for his 24th save of the season. The right-hander entered a 6-3 game in the bottom of the ninth and allowed one run on three singles before striking out Kyle Schwarber to end it with runners on second and third. The 34-year-old has given up at least one earned run in back-to-back games and has totaled just three scoreless appearances in his past eight outings. He had an outstanding 1.78 ERA before that stretch, but the number has soared to 4.04 over 35 2/3 innings. Suarez still owns a solid 37:12 K:BB and a 1.15 WHIP, while he's tied for the second-most saves in the majors.

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Baltimore Orioles outfielder Tyler O'Neill (shoulder) will come off the injured list when the team begins a series against the Atlanta Braves on Friday, according to Sam Cohn of the Baltimore Sun. O'Neill has been out of action since going on the 10-day IL with a left shoulder impingement on May 18. The 30-year-old has also spent time on the IL this season with a neck injury. When he has been healthy enough to play, O'Neill has posted a miserable .188/.280/.325 line with two home runs, 10 RBI, and two stolen bases across 24 games and 93 plate appearances. O'Neill has upside as a two-time 30-HR hitter, including last season with Boston, and will try to regain that form upon his return.

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New York Mets right-hander Edwin Diaz cruised to a four-out save in a 7-3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 2 of a doubleheader on Wednesday. Diaz entered the game with men on first and second base and two outs in the top of the eighth inning. He fanned Jake Bauers to wiggle out of trouble before pitching a perfect ninth with two more strikeouts. The 31-year-old threw 21 pitches (13 strikes) in his first appearance since last Thursday. After his numbers dipped in 2024, Diaz has returned to dominant form this season. The two-time All-Star has converted 17 of 18 save opportunities while pitching to a 1.91 ERA with 49 strikeouts, 12 walks, and a 0.95 WHIP over 33 frames.

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Los Angeles Angels second baseman Christian Moore (thumb) departed the team's 8-3 loss to the Atlanta Braves with left thumb irritation, according to Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. Moore exited after diving for a ground ball in the bottom of the sixth inning, and the Angels replaced him with Kevin Newman. Moore is undergoing tests to determine the severity of the injury. Before exiting, Moore drew two walks in his only plate appearances of the night. The 22-year-old rookie has hit .189/.302/.396 with three homers, eight RBI, and eight runs scored in 64 plate appearances since debuting on June 13.

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San Francisco Giants third baseman Matt Chapman (hand) will take on-field batting practice Thursday, Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Chapman, who previously took BP on Monday, will face live pitching and a high-velocity machine in the next step in his recovery from a sprained right hand. The 33-year-old went on the 10-day IL on June 9, which interrupted a productive start to his season. Chapman was hitting .234/.360/.452 with 12 homers, 30 RBI, 35 runs scored, and seven stolen bases over 272 plate appearances when he suffered the injury. The Giants have sent third base backups Casey Schmitt and Christian Koss to the injured list this week, making it all the more important for Chapman to return soon.

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Chicago White Sox left-hander Martin Perez (elbow) is hoping to pitch in an injury rehab game by Aug. 2, according to Scott Merkin of MLB.com. Perez joined the White Sox on a one-year, $5 million deal in the offseason and pitched to a 3.15 ERA over 20 innings in April before hitting the shelf with flexor tendon strain. It initially looked as if Perez would require surgery, but he has avoided going under the knife for a season-ending procedure. The 34-year-old is optimistic he'll pitch again in 2025. Perez told Merkin that the next steps in his rehab will include three throwing sessions from 120 feet and two "touch and feel" bullpen sessions. If those go well, he expects to resume throwing from a mound.

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Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr. (hamstring) took batting practice and did some pregame running before the club's contest against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday. Robert hasn't played since last Tuesday because of a strained left hamstring. The injury forced him to the 10-day IL on June 26, continuing a brutal start to the season for the former All-Star. Robert has batted a personal-worst .185/.270/.313 with eight runs, 32 RBI, and 27 runs scored over 285 plate appearances. The lone bright spot has been his work on the bases, as Robert has already tallied 22 steals. He's just one swipe away from tying the career-high 23 he amassed last year.

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Longtime major league outfielder Kevin Pillar announced his retirement on the Foul Territory podcast on Wednesday. Now 36 years old, Pillar began his professional career as a 32nd-round pick of the Toronto Blue Jays in 2011 and turned into an improbable success story. He debuted in the bigs in 2013 and eventually earned a reputation as a high-end defensive outfielder who could also contribute with the bat and on the base paths. Pillar spent the majority of his career in Toronto, but he made several other stops after Toronto traded him to San Francisco in 2019. He spent time with Colorado, Boston, the New York Mets, both Los Angeles teams, Atlanta, the Chicago White Sox, and the Texas Rangers from 2020-25. He appeared in 20 games with the Rangers this season and struggled to a .209/.209/.256 line in 20 games before the team released him. Pillar hangs up his cleats a lifetime .255/.293/.405 hitter with 114 home runs and 111 stolen bases over 1,234 games and 4,409 plate appearances.

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Boston Red Sox outfielder/designated hitter Masataka Yoshida (shoulder) will get "light work" at first base during his rehab assignment. However, he's unlikely to see game action at the position, Sean McAdam of MassLive.com reports. "I don't anticipate him starting at first base," Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. "but if something crazy happens, at least he can catch throws and knock down a ground ball." Yoshida, who has been out all season after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery, embarked on a rehab assignment this week and should make his 2025 debut soon. He played almost exclusively at the DH position last year and hit .280/.349/.415 with 10 homers, 56 RBI, and 45 runs scored in 421 plate appearances.

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Texas Rangers outfielder Wyatt Langford (oblique) took a successful live batting practice Wednesday and will begin a minor league rehab assignment Thursday, according to Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News. Langford, on the 10-day injured list since June 25 with a strained left oblique, is targeting a return to the Rangers' lineup on Sunday. The 23-year-old has hit .232/.308/.421 with 13 homers, 31 RBI, 32 runs scored, and 11 stolen bases in 292 trips to the plate this season.

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Texas Rangers right-hander Jon Gray (wrist) could begin a rehab assignment if he doesn't deal with any setbacks from Wednesday's live bullpen session, Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News reports. Gray has now thrown four bullpen sessions as he works back from the fractured right wrist that he suffered during spring training. The 33-year-old should make his season debut sometime in the coming weeks, but he's unlikely to land on most fantasy managers' radars. He threw 102 2/3 innings of 4.47 ERA ball with 7.54 K/9 and 2.45 BB/9 in 2024.

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