Athletics infielder Luis Urias is absent from the starting lineup ahead of Monday's game against the Houston Astros. This appears to be a routine rest day for Urias who has started in seven straight games. During that span, Urias has recorded at least one hit in six of those seven contests. His fantasy value hasn't been great this season, but at least Urias is heating up with the bat. Despite some success, Urias still doesn't bring enough to the table to warrant rostering in most fantasy formats. Max Schuemann will cover second base and bat ninth versus right-hander Ryan Gusto on Monday.

From RotoBaller

Athletics starting pitcher J.T. Ginn (quad) has been activated from the 15-day injured list on Monday. It appears Ginn is ready to return to the mound after missing about a month of action due to a strained quad. It's unclear whether Ginn will be used in the starting rotation or out of the bullpen. There's a decent chance he gets the ball at some point during the upcoming four-game series against the Houston Astros. Ginn has allowed three earned runs or more in three of his first four outings of the season. That being said, he's not a recommended fantasy option at the moment.

From RotoBaller

Athletics outfielder Denzel Clarke is out of the starting lineup ahead of Monday's game against the Houston Astros. Clarke will head to the bench after starting in each of the last three games. During that span, Clarke went 3-for-12 with a double, a stolen base, and one run scored. His defensive skills have been great, but Clarke isn't bringing much to the table with his bat right now. That being said, Clarke isn't worth rostering in most fantasy formats until he starts hitting better. In his absence, JJ Bleday will cover center field and bat seventh versus right-hander Ryan Gusto.

From RotoBaller

Baltimore Orioles corner infielder Coby Mayo is absent from the starting lineup ahead of Monday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays. Mayo will head to the bench after starting in each of the last two games. He was productive in those games, going 3-for-7 with an RBI and a walk. Unfortunately, the O's aren't ready to commit to Mayo being a full-time player. Instead, Mayo has been playing exclusively against left-handed pitching, which is why he's sidelined on Monday. That being said, Mayo isn't going to offer much value outside of deep leagues with him only platooning. Ryan O'Hearn will cover first base and bat fifth versus right-hander Ryan Pepiot.

From RotoBaller

Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Kameron Misner is out of the starting lineup ahead of Monday's game against the Baltimore Orioles. Misner will head to the bench after starting in each of the last four games. During that span, Misner went 2-for-15 at the plate, so he could use a day off. Misner has been struggling at the plate this month and is a tough player to justify rostering right now. Josh Lowe, Christopher Morel, and Jake Mangum will cover the outfield on Monday.

From RotoBaller

Baltimore Orioles first baseman Ryan O'Hearn (ankle) is starting at first base and batting fifth for Monday's series opener against the division-rival Tampa Bay Rays and right-hander Ryan Pepiot at George M. Steinbrenner Field. O'Hearn suffered a left-ankle injury last Friday and missed the final two games of the series against the Los Angeles Angels, but he's feeling better now and is ready to go for a new week. The 31-year-old left-handed slugger has been one of the team's best bats this year and should be returned to fantasy lineups. In his six career at-bats against Pepiot, he has three hits and two RBI. O'Hearn has feasted off of righties so far in 2025, slashing .325/.404/.552 with a .956 OPS, all 10 of his home runs and 26 of his 27 RBI on the season. However, he's hit only .200 (7-for-35) with a homer and six RBI in 10 games in the month of June.

From RotoBaller

Baltimore Orioles outfielder Colton Cowser is back in the team's starting lineup for Monday's series opener against the division-rival Tampa Bay Rays and right-hander Ryan Pepiot after missing the last three games due to general soreness from crashing into the outfield wall last Thursday against the Detroit Tigers. Cowser is starting in left field and batting eighth. The 25-year-old former fifth overall pick in 2021 out of Sam Houston State has missed time this year due to injury and has appeared in only 13 games, going 9-for-48 (.188) with three home runs, three RBI and 17 strikeouts in 52 plate appearances. Cowser is a regular in Baltimore's outfield when he's healthy after hitting 24 homers in 2024, but fantasy managers are still waiting for him to get rolling in 2025. He's batting .200 in just five career at-bats versus Pepiot.

From RotoBaller

New York Yankees first baseman Paul Goldschmidt finds himself on the bench for the second straight game on Monday for the series opener in the Bronx against the visiting Los Angeles Angels. Ben Rice will start at first base and hit second against Angels right-hander Jose Soriano in the first game with slugger Giancarlo Stanton (elbows) back in the lineup as the designated hitter. Nothing is concrete, but Stanton's return from the injured list could result in Rice and Goldy serving in a platoon at first base moving forward, which would obviously be bad news for the 37-year-old veteran in what has been a bounce-back year in his first season in pinstripes. Goldschmidt is still hitting over .300 on the year, but he's gone 9-for-47 (.191) with a homer, three RBI, six runs and 14 strikeouts in 13 games in June and only has seven long balls on the season.

From RotoBaller

New York Yankees outfielder Jasson Dominguez will head to the bench for Monday's series opener versus the visiting Los Angeles Angels in the Bronx. Cody Bellinger is shifting over to left field and will hit cleanup against Angels right-hander Jose Soriano. Dominguez hasn't really lived up to his lofty expectations in his first full season in the big leagues in 2025 and is hitting .206 (7-for-34) with a double, two RBI and two steals with 10 strikeouts in his first nine games in June. Overall, he's slashing a mediocre .237/.326/.387 with a .712 OPS, six long balls, 26 RBI, 29 runs scored and nine stolen bases in 194 at-bats. The 22-year-old Dominican's .235 xBA doesn't bode well for a rebound in the second half of the season, either. Additionally, Giancarlo Stanton's return to the lineup could mean fewer at-bats for Dominguez going forward.

From RotoBaller

New York Yankees right-handed reliever Jake Cousins (elbow) is scheduled to have Tommy John surgery on Wednesday, according to manager Aaron Boone. Cousins has been out all season and will now miss the rest of the 2025 campaign and most likely at least half of 2026 as well. The 30-year-old veteran injured his right elbow back in spring training and recently had a setback, which has led to Tommy John surgery. It's a disappointing development for Cousins, who was looking good in a late-inning setup role for the Yankees late last year and into the postseason. The former 20th-round selection by the Washington Nationals in 2017 out of Pennsylvania had a career-low 2.37 ERA (4.06 FIP), a 1.05 WHIP, his first career save, 53 strikeouts and 20 walks in 38 relief innings during the regular season in his first year with the Yankees in 2024.

From RotoBaller

The Washington Nationals announced on Monday that they optioned outfield prospect Robert Hassell III to Triple-A Rochester on Monday and recalled outfield prospect Daylen Lile in a corresponding move. The Nationals will swap outfield prospects and give Lile another shot after Hassell hit .218 (17-for-78) with a home run, double, eight RBI, six runs scored and a stolen base in his first 21 major-league games. The 23-year-old former eighth overall pick by the San Diego Padres in 2020 should be back in the majors later this year as outfield depth, but for now he'll head back to the farm for more development. The team's No. 11 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, is currently a better speed and defensive asset at the highest level. Hassell has questionable power and was hitting .288/.337/.405 with four homers, 24 RBI and nine steals at Rochester before his call-up.

From RotoBaller

The Washington Nationals announced on Monday that they recalled outfield prospect Daylen Lile from Triple-A Rochester and optioned outfielder Robert Hassell III and infielder Jose Tena to Rochester in corresponding moves. The team also designated infielder Juan Yepez for assignment. Lile, the team's No. 9 prospect per MLB Pipeline, is starting in right field and batting eighth on Monday against the Colorado Rockies and rookie left-hander Carson Palmquist. The 22-year-old made his major-league debut earlier this year and went 6-for-31 (.194) with three doubles, a triple, two RBI, four runs scored an seven strikeouts in 36 trips to the plate over 11 games. He most likely will not have a consistent outfield role in D.C. while he battles for playing time with Jacob Young and Alex Call. The left-handed hitter has below-average power but has the ability to steal 20-plus bases over a full season.

From RotoBaller

Washington Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz, designated hitter Josh Bell and second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. are all out of the starting lineup for Monday's series opener against the visiting Colorado Rockies with a left-hander on the mound. Riley Adams is doing the catching and hitting seventh, James Wood is the DH and is batting second, and Amed Rosario is at the keystone and in the five-hole versus rookie lefty Carson Palmquist. Andres Chaparro is manning first base and batting cleanup. Ruiz actually has reverse splits against lefties in 2025 with a .298 average (14-for-47) with one of his two home runs, but he has been sitting more frequently of late against lefty pitchers. Even though there's a lefty on the mound, Wood is an intriguing DFS play against the rookie southpaw. He's hitting .272 (25-for-92) with five of his 17 homers against lefties on the year.

From RotoBaller

The San Francisco Giants are saying that right-hander Justin Verlander (pectoral) will come off the 15-day injured list to start on Wednesday against the Cleveland Guardians. Despite the fact that Verlander hasn't pitched in a major-league game since May 18, he is skipping a minor-league rehab assignment after throwing a 65-pitch simulated game last Wednesday and a bullpen session over the weekend. The 42-year-old future Hall of Famer will an even riskier fantasy streaming option in his first start back and will probably be capped around 80 to 90 pitches on Wednesday against the Guardians, a team ranked 24th in the league with a .678 OPS. Verlander is no longer the dominant ace he was in his prime, but he can still be useful as a streamer in deeper leagues in the right matchups. He's returning to a 4.33 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and 41 K's in 52 innings over his 10 starts.

From RotoBaller

Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto will take a seat for Monday's series opener against the division-rival Miami Marlins on the road. Rafael Marchan will catch rookie right-hander Mick Abel and will bat eighth against Marlins right-hander Sandy Alcantara. Realmuto gets a day off after starting in each of the team's last six games. The 34-year-old veteran got off to a slow start this year but is starting to pick things up in June, going 13-for-39 (.333) at the plate with three doubles, five RBI and seven runs scored in 11 games played. Realmuto hasn't homered since May 21 but does have four multi-hit games in his last six contests. Fantasy managers are hoping he can keep this up to close out the first half. Marchan will be a poor DFS sleeper choice near the bottom of the batting order. The 26-year-old has gone 7-for-42 with a homer and five RBI in a backup role in 2025.

From RotoBaller

With Houston Astros right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. (foot) landing on the 15-day injured list, rookie right-hander Ryan Gusto is being moved up to start Monday's series opener against the Athletics. Gusto was originally scheduled to start Game 2 of the series in Sacramento, but he'll be moved up a day due to McCullers' foot strain. The 26-year-old will now have a two-start week with two great matchups in the A's and Los Angeles Angels. In his first 15 major-league appearances (nine starts) in 2025, Gusto has gone 4-3 with a 4.56 ERA (4.01 FIP) and 1.60 WHIP with 52 strikeouts and 22 walks in 49 1/3 innings pitched. Surprisingly, the A's are in the top 10 in team OPS (.738) on the season, so it won't be a cakewalk for Gusto on Monday. He's more of a control artist than a strikeout guy with a 23% strikeout rate and .285 batting average against.

From RotoBaller

The Houston Astros placed right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. (foot) on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to June 13) on Monday with a right-foot sprain and recalled right-hander Jason Alexander from the minors in a corresponding move. It's unclear when McCullers suffered the injury, but he'll now be out for at least two weeks and may not be back in Houston's starting rotation until after the All-Star break. Right-hander Ryan Gusto will now start on Monday against the Athletics. The 31-year-old former first-rounder made his return to the big leagues this year for the first time since 2022 due to various forearm setbacks. McCullers has shown flashes of his pre-injury form, but he's mostly been inconsistent for fantasy managers and is currently sporting a 4.91 ERA (4.23 FIP), 1.43 WHIP and 39:16 K:BB in 29 1/3 innings over his seven starts in 2025.

From RotoBaller

Los Angeles Dodgers outfield prospect Josue De Paula went 0-for-3 on Sunday for High-A Great Lakes, ending his nine-game hit streak, however, he was able to draw two walks, steal two bases, and score once in the contest. The 20-year-old continues to get on base at an excellent rate, as his 19.6 percent walk rate allows him to boast a phenomenal .423 OBP. The 20-year-old is hitting .278 with an .871 OPS, eight home runs, 18 steals, and a 52:49 BB:K through 61 gamesfor the Loons. Expect the youngsterto get a look at Double-A later this year and be knocking on the door to the majors in 2026. With big power, a keen eye, and the ability to steal bases, he's got the makings of an impactful futurefantasy performer.

From RotoBaller

Chicago Cubs outfield prospect Owen Caissie homered again on Sunday, the fourth time he's done so in his last seven games, going 1-for-3 with a walk and two RBI for Triple-A Iowa. The home run was a 449-foot shot to dead center and extended his current hit streak to 10 games, during which time he's gone 12-for-34 (.353) with three doubles, four home runs, 10 RBI, nine runs scored, and a 5:12 BB:K. For the season, the Cubs' top offensive prospect is now slashing .263/.367/.512 with 11 home runs and a strong 12.9 percent walk rate. Unfortunately, the big power comes with a big strikeout rate of 33.1 percent. Nevertheless, the 22-year-old is likely to get a shot in the majors at some point this season, but with a healthy outfield, there is currently no path to playing time. The left-handed slugger could be worthy of a roster spot in deep and NL-only leagues when he gets the call, but the strikeout rate likely won't improve in the majors, which will limit his ability to hit for average and dampen his fantasy value.

From RotoBaller

New York Mets left-handed reliever Brooks Raley (elbow) will start a minor-league rehab assignment with Single-A St. Lucie on Tuesday, according to MLB.com's Anthony DiComo. Raley is recovering from Tommy John surgery and an internal-brace procedure in May of last year, so his rehab assignment will be an extended one and will last several weeks, if not the full 30 days. Barring a setback, the 36-year-old veteran southpaw should be an option for the Mets' bullpen after the All-Star break in the second half of July. When healthy, the former sixth-round pick by the Chicago Cubs in 2009 out of Texas A&M will provide a lefty arm at the back end of their bullpen. Raley made only eight appearances in 2024 before being shut down but had a nice 2.80 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, three saves, 61 strikeouts and 25 walks in 54 2/3 innings for New York in 2023.

From RotoBaller