Infielder Whit Merrifield officially announced his retirement from professional baseball on Tuesday, according to his agency. Merrifield, 36, was originally a ninth-round pick by the Kansas City Royals in 2010 out of the University of South Carolina. He spent the first six full seasons of his MLB career with the Royals before also playing with the Toronto Blue Jays, Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves. In his prime, Merrifield was an elite speed threat that made plenty of contact at the plate, leading the league in steals three separate times and making the All-Star team three times. Merrifield finishes his nine-year major-league career with a .280/.328/.414 with a .741 OPS, 94 home runs, 485 RBI and 218 stolen bases in 1,147 regular-season games. He ranks seventh in Royals franchise history with 174 steals and 13th with his .286 career average.

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Houston Astros right-hander Luis Garcia (elbow) threw his first live batting practice session on Tuesday at Daikin Park before the team's game against the visiting Philadelphia Phillies. Garcia threw 20 pitches in the outing as he continues to work his way back from Tommy John surgery that kept him out all of last season. The 28-year-old Venezuelan hurler will need at least a couple more live BP sessions before he's cleared to begin what should be a lengthy minor-league rehab assignment. Barring any setbacks when Garcia begins pitching in games, he could be an option for the Astros' starting rotation at some point in August. He was a reliable member of the team's rotation before his elbow injury, but he made only six starts in 2023 and will likely be on a strict and limited workload when he returns to the big leagues later this season.

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Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Alek Manoah (elbow) threw 25 pitches over one inning in a live batting practice session in Florida on Tuesday, according to Sportsnet's Arden Zwelling. "It went really well," said Blue Jays manager John Schneider. "Velo was up to 95. Best he's felt in a while." The next step for Manoah will be to build up to a multi-inning live BP session. The 27-year-old had a hybrid Tommy John/internal-brace procedure last June and has yet to pitch in 2025, but barring a setback, he should be an option for Toronto's starting rotation at some point in the second half (possibly August). Manoah was an American League Cy Young finalist in 2022 before the wheels fell off in 2023 and he was sent to the minor leagues. He made only five starts last year before having elbow surgery. Manoah has the stuff to bounce back, but it remains to be seen if his mechanical tweaks will allow for it later this season.

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New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez came out of the game early on Tuesday at Triple-A Syracuse due to a heat/dizziness issue, according to SNY's Andy Martino. Alvarez went 0-for-1 at the plate before being replaced by Jakson Reetz behind the plate. It's unclear if Alvarez will be feeling good enough to return to the lineup for Syracuse on Wednesday. The Mets optioned the 23-year-old backstop to the minors on Sunday after he slashed .236/.319/.333 with a 27.5 percent strikeout rate in 35 games with the Mets this year. It didn't help his cause that he fractured the hamate bone in his left hand back in spring training, which kept him out for the first month of the regular season. Alvarez will work on his swing mechanics at Syracuse before rejoining the big-league club at some point in the second half. In the meantime, Luis Torrens will be New York's starting catcher.

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San Francisco Giants third baseman Matt Chapman (hand) thinks he could return from the 10-day injured list for the team's final homestand before the All-Star break that runs from Monday, July 7, through Sunday, July 13. Chapman will get in work at the team's spring training complex in Arizona while the team is on the road, and he would prefer not to go on a minor-league rehab assignment unless it's needed. He is back to throwing and took 20 swings off a tee on Tuesday. The 32-year-old veteran is no longer wearing a splint on his injured right hand. Until he returns, Casey Schmitt is expected to continue serving as San Fran's primary third baseman. There's no reason Chapman should be available on the waiver wire in fantasy leagues while he's on the injured list. Before getting hurt, he was slashing .243/.360/.452 with an .812 OPS, 12 homers, 30 RBI, 35 runs and seven steals in 65 games.

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Miami Marlins right-hander Max Meyer (hip) is scheduled to have season-ending left-hip labral repair surgery on Friday with Dr. Thomas Byrd in Nashville, according to MLB.com's Christina De Nicola. The recovery timeline for Meyer will be roughly six to eight months, so he should be ready for the start of the 2026 season, barring a setback during his rehab in the offseason. Obviously, the 26-year-old can now be dropped in all single-year fantasy leagues now that he won't pitch again in 2025. The former third overall pick is losing appeal in dynasty/keeper leagues, too, as he just hasn't been able to overcome injuries to make an impact at the big-league level yet. Meyer returned from Tommy John surgery in 2024 to post a 5.68 ERA and 1.42 WHIP with a 46:19 K:BB in 11 starts and had a 4.73 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 68:20 K:BB in his 12 starts this year before his hip injury.

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San Francisco Giants top prospect Bryce Eldridge (hamstring) is dealing with a "moderate" right-hamstring strain and will need three to four weeks to rehab at the team's spring training complex in Arizona, according to the San Francisco Chronicle's John Shea. Eldridge, a 20-year-old first baseman, is considered the No. 18 overall prospect in all of baseball, but he'll miss some key development time this summer in the minors due to his injury. He was injured over the weekend with Triple-A Sacramento while running the bases. Since being promoted to Triple-A, Eldridge has gone 14-for-61 (.230) with three homers, 13 RBI, five runs scored and 21 strikeouts in 16 games played. The 6-foot-7, 240-pound hulking first baseman unsurprisingly has elite raw power and should be stashed already in dynasty/keeper leagues, but this injury lowers his chances of making his MLB debut later in 2025.

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MLB.com's Martin Gallegos reports that Athletics left-hander Ken Waldichuk (elbow) will make his next minor-league rehab start on Saturday for Triple-A Las Vegas. Waldichuk threw three shutout innings with four strikeouts in his first rehab start with Single-A Stockton on Sunday. The 27-year-old southpaw has been out all season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in May of last year, but he could be ready to join the A's at some point in the second half of the season. But after missing all of last year, fantasy managers shouldn't be expecting much from him the rest of this year. It's not like Waldichuk has been fantasy relevant to begin with after making his MLB debut for the Athletics in 2022. In 42 big-league appearances (29 starts), he's recorded a 5.28 ERA (5.10 FIP) and 1.49 WHIP with an 8.5 K/9 mark and 4.1 BB/9 in 175 2/3 frames.

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The Washington Nationals placed catcher Keibert Ruiz (head) on the 10-day injured list on Tuesday with a head contusion and recalled catcher Drew Millas from Triple-A Rochester in a corresponding move. Ruiz was sent to the hospital on Monday night for a CT scan after he took a foul ball to the side of his head off the bat of James Wood in the victory against the San Diego Padres. He's going to miss time, but the good news is Ruiz is not in the league's concussion protocol. Still, it's an injury on top of an already disappointing season for Washington's primary catcher. The Venezuelan backstop goes on the shelf hitting .247/.278/.320 with a .598 OPS, only two home runs, 24 RBI and 19 runs scored in 247 at-bats. The good news is he should be able to return from the IL when eligible. Riley Adams will now become the Nats' primary catcher for at least the next 10 days.

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Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers (oblique) will begin a minor-league rehab assignment on Wednesday with Triple-A Las Vegas, according to MLB.com's Martin Gallegos. Langeliers could be activated from the 10-day injured to return at some point this weekend if he avoids any setbacks with his left-oblique strain after a couple rehab games in the minors. The 27-year-old backstop has been out of action since June 6 with his injury, but he should immediately return to being the team's starting catcher once he's activated. Austin Wynns and Willie MacIver have been splitting playing time behind the dish in Sacramento with Langeliers sidelined. Langeliers isn't going to hit for much of an average for his fantasy managers, but he proved last year he has high-end power at the catching position by hitting 29 balls over the wall in 137 games. He has 10 through his first 56 contests in 2025.

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Colorado Rockies left-hander Kyle Freeland (back) had a successful bullpen session on Tuesday and is expected to return from the 15-day injured list and make the start on Friday in Milwaukee against the Brewers. Freeland will be returning to Colorado's starting rotation for the first time since landing on the IL on June 15 with back stiffness. Although he shouldn't be limited from a workload perspective after a minimum IL stay, the 32-year-old veteran southpaw will be a pretty shaky fantasy starter in his return this weekend against a strong offense. In his third start of the year against the Brew Crew on April 8, Freeland allowed five earned runs on eight hits (one homer) while walking none and striking out five in 6 1/3 innings for a loss. The former first-rounder has struggled in 2025 to a 1-8 record, 5.13 ERA and 1.53 WHIP with only 57 K's in 73 2/3 innings over 14 starts.

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Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Josh Naylor (shoulder) has been scratched from the starting lineup on Tuesday against the hosting Chicago White Sox. Naylor was pulled from Monday's series-opening win early due after tweaking his right shoulder on an aggressive swing. The 28-year-old left-handed slugger was initially included in Tuesday's starting lineup before being scratched, and Pavin Smith will now take over at first and bat third against White Sox right-handed opener Jordan Leasure. The fact that Naylor was initially in the lineup on Tuesday means he shouldn't need a trip to the injured list, but it's unclear if he'll be back on Wednesday. The Canadian's name has been floating around as a potential trade option this summer after hitting a strong .303/.358/.467 with an .824 OPS, nine homers, 51 RBI and 10 stolen bases in his first year with the Snakes.

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Minnesota Twins infielder/outfielder Willi Castro (wrist) continues to sit out of the starting lineup for Tuesday's contest against the visiting Seattle Mariners. With Castro still out, Kody Clemens will start at second base and bat seventh, with Harrison Bader manning left field and batting out of the nine-hole against Mariners right-hander Luis Castillo. Although X-rays came back negative on Castro's injured wrist, he hasn't played since suffering the injury on Saturday and will miss his third straight game. The 28-year-old switch-hitting Puerto Rican super-utility man is primarily useful in deep-mixed leagues for his multi-position eligibility. There's limited power and speed with Castro, although he was a first-time All-Star in 2024, when he had 12 homer, 60 RBI and 14 steals in 158 games. He's currently batting .280 (54-for-193) with seven long balls, 17 RBI and three steals in 56 games for the Twins.

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Colorado Rockies second baseman Thairo Estrada (hand) is back at second base and will hit fifth in Tuesday's series opener at Coors Field against the division-rival Los Angeles Dodgers and left-hander Jack Dreyer. Estrada is returning to action after missing each of the team's last five games with a bruised right hand. The 29-year-old former San Francisco Giants second baseman got a late start to the 2025 season due to injury but is now active as Colorado's starting second baseman. The Venezuelan infielder has hit a decent .288 (19-for-66) in the early going but with only one home runs, eight RBI and six runs scored in 16 games for the Rockies. Estrada will see regular playing time, but he has limited power and won't rack up the counting stats for fantasy managers while playing for the worst team in baseball.

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Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Daulton Varsho (hamstring) suffered a setback during his rehab process while running the bases on Monday. The Blue Jays are going to slow down Varsho's rehab process after he suffered renewed soreness in his hamstring. The hope was that Varsho could go on a rehab assignment soon, but that might be pushed back now. Varsho has been sidelined since the beginning of June due to a left hamstring strain. Fantasy managers will need to check back for another update on his status in a few days.

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Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper (hand) is expected to go through his regular pre-game routine ahead of Tuesday's game against the Houston Astros. Harper won't play in this game, but it sounds like he's on the verge of returning. This routine includes 50 swing, fielding grounders, and a throwing program. It seems like an intense workout, so it sounds like Harper is doing well. There is no timetable for his return, but hopefully he can get back in the lineup by July. Harper might be able to avoid a rehab assignment and rejoin the organization within the next series or two.

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Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Garrett Mitchell (oblique, shoulder) could require another surgery on his shoulder after suffering an injury during a minor-league rehab game on Friday. Brewers manager Pat Murphy said Mitchell will get a second opinion on his injured shoulder. If he has surgery, Mitchell would likely miss at least another two months which would basically end his season. Mitchell has been sidelined since late April due to an oblique strain. Now, a shoulder injury might end his 2025 campaign. Mitchell isn't someone that needs to be rostered in fantasy formats right now.

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Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suarez (hand) is likely going to miss some time after getting hit by a pitch during Monday's game. Suarez is reportedly dealing with a ton of swelling in his right hand. Once the swelling subsides, Suarez will undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the injury. The organization is hopeful that Suarez will avoid a trip to the injured list. Fantasy managers aren't going to know anything until the MRI results come back. For now, Suarez is considered day-to-day and is likely to miss multiple games. Ildemaro Vargas will cover the hot corner on Tuesday and figures to see increased playing time while Suarez is out.

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Houston Astros starting pitcher Cristian Javier (elbow) was able to throw a 20-pitch live batting practice session last week. Javier reportedly looked good during the session and was able to hit 95 mph on his fastball, according to Astros' manager Joe Espada. It's nice to see Javier progressing to face live hitters. He continues to work his way back from Tommy John surgery from last year. The assumption is Javier is going to need a few rehab outings before rejoining the Astros rotation. Hopefully, Javier can be an asset to this pitching staff in the second half.

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Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. (foot) has resumed playing catch and was able to throw off the mound on Monday. It looks like McCullers is progressing well from a right foot sprain that landed him on the injured list. It's unclear if McCullers is going to require a rehab assignment or not. The Astros are likely going to wait and see how his foot responds to throwing off the mound. If everything goes well, McCullers could be back on the mound by early July.

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