Washington Nationals starting pitcher Michael Soroka shined in what was one of the most unlikely pitcher duels of the 2025 season. Soroka and Patrick Corbin went to battle on the mound in one of the more surprising pitcher duels of the season. Soroka was excellent as he tossed six shutout innings, allowing two hits, and striking out seven batters in the win. The bullpen took over and finished it off as Corbin took a complete game loss on Friday. This was a nice outing from Soroka who hasn't pitched very well this season. He'll take a 4.86 ERA into his next outing versus the New York Mets. That's not a favorable matchup for Soroka, so fantasy managers might want to look elsewhere for help.

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Detroit Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson came up clutch for his team during Friday's game against the Chicago Cubs. It was a low scoring affair with a 1-1 tie heading into the bottom of the sixth inning. Torkelson changed that quickly with a go-ahead solo home run off right-hander Ben Brown. It was his 15th home run of the season as Torkelson went 2-for-4 with a single, homer, and one RBI in the win. His stats have taken a dip lately, but Torkelson is still worth rostering in most fantasy formats.

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Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal continued his excellent campaign against the Chicago Cubs on Friday. Skubal had a tough challenge in this game, but stepped up and delivered for his team. The southpaw threw 7 innings, allowing one earned run on eight hits while striking out six batters in the win. The only damage against Skubal was an RBI double by Kyle Tucker in the sixth inning. Outside of that, Skubal was once again excellent on the mound. He'll take a 2.16 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, and 105/7 K/BB ratio into his next start against the Baltimore Orioles.

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Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Endy Rodriguez (elbow) was forced to make an early exit from Friday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies. Rodriguez exited the contest with right elbow discomfort while warming up in the second inning. It's never good to see a player leave with an elbow injury. The expectation is that Rodriguez will undergo further testing to determine the severity of the elbow issue. Henry Davis took over behind the plate and should see additional playing time if Rodriguez ends up on the shelf.

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Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno (hand) was forced to make an early exit from Friday's game against the Cincinnati Reds. Moreno was taken out of the contest after getting hit in his throwing hand by a wild pitch. The expectation is that Moreno will undergo further testing to determine the severity of the issue. For now, fantasy managers should consider Moreno as day-to-day until more news is announced. He went 0-for-2 at the plate before leaving the contest. Jose Herrera took over behind the plate and figures to see additional playing time if Moreno misses time.

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San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Justin Verlander (pectoral) was able to throw a successful simulated game on Friday. Verlander threw around 35 pitches over two innings of work during this session. The 42-year-old reportedly felt good and could miss a rehab assignment and rejoin the Giants rotation. The organization might wait a few days and see how Verlander feels, but it sounds like the veteran right-hander is ready to return. Verlander has been sidelined since mid-May due to a pectoral strain. He's not a great fantasy option, but is worth a look in deep leagues.

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Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora said that third baseman Alex Bregman (quadriceps) is feeling a lot better, has started his running progression and is "locked in." Bregman appears to be making good progress, but fantasy managers may want to temper expectations after it was originally announced that he was dealing with a significant right-quadriceps strain in his leg. There's still no timetable for the 31-year-old veteran to return to the big-league roster, and it's very possible that won't happen until early July, depending on when Bregman is cleared to begin a minor-league rehab assignment. Until he's able to return, rookie prospect Marcelo Mayer should continue to start at the hot corner against right-handed pitchers. Bregman was one of Boston's best hitters before getting hurt, so he should be stashed in all fantasy leagues while he heals up.

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Cleveland Guardians right-hander Shane Bieber (elbow) will be shut down from throwing until the middle of next week after soreness surfaced in his surgically-repaired right elbow last week, according to MLB.com's Zack Meisel. Bieber will be re-evaluated then to determine if he's ready to continue his throwing progression. After reporting soreness following a recent bullpen session, Bieber was scratched from his scheduled minor-league rehab start with Double-A Akron on Friday, and he was also scheduled to meet with Dr. Keith Meister. It sounds like the 30-year-old veteran doesn't have any structural damage after having Tommy John surgery in April of last year. In a best-case scenario, Bieber probably won't make his 2025 debut until August. He's a two-time All-Star and former Cy Young winner, but Bieber will be a true wild card when he returns and will also have a strict cap on his workload.

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The Baltimore Orioles announced on Friday that they reinstated outfielder Ramon Laureano (ankle) from the 10-day injured list and designated outfielder Jordyn Adams for assignment in a corresponding move. The club also acquired right-hander Scott Blewett from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for cash considerations. Laureano is serving as the designated hitter and is batting third in Friday's series opener against the Athletics and left-hander JP Sears. The 30-year-old Dominican has been decent as outfield depth for the O's this year and will return to a .266/.320/.532 slash line with an .852 OPS, six homers and 11 RBI in his 36 games played. With both Tyler O'Neill (shoulder) and Cedric Mullins (hamstring) on the IL, Laureano should return to regular playing time. Laureano provides outfield depth for those in AL-only fantasy leagues.

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Baltimore Orioles first baseman Ryan Mountcastle (hamstring) has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 right-hamstring strain and will be out for eight to 12 weeks, according to interim manager Tony Mansolino. Depending on how his rehab goes, Mountcastle probably won't make it back now until August. It's good news for infield prospect Coby Mayo, who has been splitting playing time at first base with the left-handed-hitting Ryan O'Hearn since Mountcastle landed on the 10-day injured list last Saturday. The former first-rounder (36th overall) in 2015 isn't a must-hold corner infielder in deep-mixed fantasy leagues now that we know he'll be out for multiple months. Before getting hurt, Mountcastle had a very mediocre .246/.280/.348 slash line with a weak .628 OPS, only two home runs, 15 RBI, 19 runs and a steal in 187 at-bats for the O's.

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Athletics first base prospect Nick Kurtz (hip) will tart a minor-league rehab assignment on Saturday with Single-A Stockton, according to MLB.com's Martin Gallegos. Barring a setback this weekend, Kurtz is expected to return to the big-league roster for Monday's series opener against the division-rival Los Angeles Angels. The 22-year-old left-handed slugger was placed on the 10-day injured list on May 25 with a left hip-flexor strain, but he's made progress and is ready to return to the A's soon. When Kurtz returns, he should go back to playing regularly at first base, which will push Tyler Soderstrom back to left field. The former fourth overall pick in 2024 out of Wake Forest has big-time power upside with his 6-foot-5, 240-pound frame. After quickly rising through the farm system, Kurtz went 23-for-94 (.245) with five homers and 15 RBI in his first 28 MLB games before getting injured.

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Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson is out of the starting lineup on Friday for the series opener in Sacramento against the Athletics with left-hander JP Sears on the mound. Jorge Mateo will get the nod at shortstop and will bat ninth against Sears at Sutter Health Park. In four games in the month of June, Henderson has gone 5-for-17 with a solo homer and five strikeouts. The 23-year-old was a first-time All-Star in 2024 in what was a breakout season. The former American League Rookie of the Year hit .281/.364/.529 with 37 home runs, 92 RBI and 21 stolen bases in 159 regular-season games. He hasn't been able to find that groove quite yet in 2025, though, and is currently slashing .257/.314/.436 with a career-low .749 OPS, eight homers, 16 RBI and six steals in 54 games. Mateo has 14 steals in 58 at-bats but is also hitting a lowly .190 with a homer and three RBI as a bench player.

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The Athletics announced on Friday that they placed catcher Shea Langeliers (oblique) on the 10-day injured list and recalled catcher Jhonny Pereda from Triple-A Las Vegas in a corresponding move. Langeliers injured himself in Thursday's game against the Minnesota Twins and will now be out for at least 10 days. Given the nature of his injury, though, there's a good bet that the 27-year-old's absence could extend longer than that and possibly into July. In the meantime, the A's will use Pereda and Willie MacIver behind the plate in Sacramento. MacIver is getting the start behind the dish on Friday and is hitting eighth against Baltimore Orioles right-hander Dean Kremer. For his power alone at the weak catching position, Langeliers should be stashed in fantasy leagues. He is hitting .237 (49-for-207) on the year with 10 homers, 27 RBI, 25 runs and four stolen bases.

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Los Angeles Angels outfielder Jorge Soler (groin) is back in right field and is hitting fifth for Friday's divisional clash against the visiting Seattle Mariners at Angel Stadium. Soler returns to the lineup following an off day after he was pulled from Wednesday's game early in Boston against the Red Sox due to tightness in his groin. The 33-year-old veteran is feeling better now, but he'll be a boom/bust DFS play on Friday night against a solid young pitcher. Soler has gone hitless in just two career at-bats against Miller and is striking out 27.8% of the time in his 234 plate appearances in his first year in Anaheim. He's hit .200 in his last 15 games with two home runs and eight RBI. The strong right-handed slugger currently has a weak .672 OPS and an xBA of .214, so his underlying batted-ball metrics don't exactly paint a pretty picture, either.

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Colorado Rockies catching prospect Cole Carrigg extended his hitting streak to three games on Thursday evening against Double-A Portland. In this contest, Carrigg went 4-for-6 with a home run and three RBI. Over his past three games, Carrigg has posted a stellar .467 AVG with a 1.333 OPS and added six RBI. Through 50 games at Double-A this season, Carrigg has held his own, posting a .255/.341/.453 slash line with seven doubles, two triples, nine home runs, and 13 stolen bases. Last summer, the No. 3-ranked prospect in the Colorado system flashed elite speed upside, swiping 51 bags across 111 games at High-A. He was productive at the plate as well, holding a .280/.358/.475 line. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his progression at Double-A as he could be in the mix to reach Triple-A during the second half of the season.

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Colorado Rockies rookie left-hander Ryan Rolison will serve as the team's "opener" for Friday's series opener at Coors Field against the visiting New York Mets, according to MLB.com's Thomas Harding. Rolison has been converted to a relief role this year, but he has been used as an opener and scheduled multi-inning pitcher. Right-hander Antonio Senzatela is expected to be the bulk reliever in this game against the Mets after Rolison leaves early. The 27-year-old Rolison will be making the first start of his MLB career after appearing all seven times in relief in his rookie season this year. In 10 innings out of the 'pen, Rolison has allowed five earned runs on 10 hits (one homer) while walking six and fanning eight. Fantasy managers should avoid both Rolison and Senzatela on Friday against the first-place Mets at hitter-friendly Coors Field.

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The Colorado Rockies announced on Friday that they placed shortstop Ezequiel Tovar (oblique) on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to June 3) with a left-oblique strain and selected the contract of infield prospect Ryan Ritter from Triple-A Albuquerque in a corresponding move. Tovar has been out since injuring his oblique on Monday, and there's a good chance he won't be ready to come off the IL when he's eligible later this month given the specific nature of his injury. After a breakout 2024 season in which he hit .269 with 26 homers, 78 RBI and six steals, Tovar has been mostly a disappointment in 2025 due to injuries and will head to the IL with a .258/.301/.406 slash line with only three homers and 10 RBI in 32 games played. Ritter should have a shot to play regularly at the 6 with Tovar out, and he's making his debut on Friday against the Mets while hitting in the sixth-hole.

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The San Diego Padres have non-tendered left-handed pitcher Jay Groome. Groome was suspended for one season after violating the league's gambling policy. In 2023, the southpaw spent his entire campaign with Triple-A El Paso. Across 134 2/3 innings, the left-hander posted a high 8.55 ERA with a 2.10 WHIP. During this stint, he struck out 137 batters but served up a high 112 free passes. However, during the 2022 campaign, Groome showed potential at the Triple-A level. Across time with Worcester and El Paso, Groome held a 3.34 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP across 67 1/3 innings of work. Given his struggles during the 2023 season, fantasy managers should not expect Groome to draw much interest in free agency. If he were to sign a contract, he would likely spend the remainder of the season in the minor leagues.

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New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (toe) will miss a second straight game in Friday's series opener at Coors Field against the hosting Colorado Rockies. Lindor fractured his right pinkie toe when he was hit by a pitch in Wednesday's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers and will now miss his second straight game. The good news is that Lindor isn't expected to land on the injured list because of the injury, and he could return as soon as Saturday. It will be more of a pain-tolerance issue for the 31-year-old All-Star. Fantasy managers can only hope that it won't affect his offensive production moving forward. The Puerto Rican infielder is one of the best shortstops in the game and currently has a .279/.353/.490 slash line with an .843 OPS, 14 long balls, 36 RBI, 42 runs and 11 steals in 247 at-bats. Ronny Mauricio is at short and is batting ninth on Friday against lefty opener Ryan Rolison.

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Washington Nationals infield prospect Brady House is nearing his MLB debut. According to Mark Zuckerman of MASN, the infielder has performed well at Triple-A, and it is only a "matter of when" until he earns a promotion. House made his Triple-A debut during the 2024 campaign but struggled during his first taste of the upper levels of the minor leagues. Across 54 contests, House posted a .250/.280/.375 line with 10 doubles and six home runs. However, this season, the No. 94-ranked prospect in baseball on MLB.com has taken a significant step forward at Triple-A. Through 57 games at Triple-A, House has posted an elite .296/.351/.527 slash line with 14 doubles and 12 long balls. With Jose Tena and Amed Rosario providing inconsistent production at the hot corner, House would provide a significant upgrade at that position. For now, fantasy managers in 12-team leagues should view him as a solid stash candidate.

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