Houston Astros second baseman/outfielder Jose Altuve had three hits and hit a huge three-run homer in Wednesday's 11-4 win over the Athletics. Altuve left the game late after the Astros broke the game open but went 3-for-4 with two singles to go with his three-run blast, which came in the sixth inning off Tyler Ferguson as the Astros turned a 2-1 game into a 9-1 romp. Altuve has six multi-hit games in his last 11 contests and is hitting .349 over that span with four doubles, three homers, and a .446 wOBA. Altuve has anchored the middle of the Astros' lineup very effectively over the last few weeks, helping to compensate for the team's loss of Yordan Alvarez (hand). Over his last 26 games, he is hitting a robust .350 with a .426 wOBA and three stolen bases in four attempts.

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Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz homered for the third time in his last four games on Wednesday night, going 3-for-4 with two RBI, two runs scored, a double, and a home run. The home run was a solo blast in the ninth inning off Nick Hernandez after the game was already decided, but it continues Kurtz's impressive adjustment to the majors. At just 22, Kurtz was drafted less than a year ago but is already posting impressive numbers. In his last 13 games spanning a stint on the injured list, Kurtz has gone 16-for-50 (.320) with three doubles, seven home runs, 15 RBI, a .480 wOBA, and a 56.8% hard-hit rate. His pitch selection is still a work in progress, but his raw power gives him an elite ceiling, especially when playing at hitter-friendly Sutter Health Park.

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Athletics starting pitcher Ken Waldichuk (elbow) continues to progress in his recovery and will start a rehab assignment Sunday in Single-A for the Stockton Ports. Waldichuk missed all of last season with his elbow injury and underwent Tommy John surgery last May. The 27-year-old lefty went 4-9 in 35 games in 2023, including 22 starts. He compiled a 5.36 ERA and 5.30 FIP, while totaling 132 strikeouts in 141 innings. Before arriving in the majors in 2022, Waldichuk had a 6-4 record with a 2.84 ERA and 3.45 FIP in 21 starts in the minors. He was acquired by the A's from the Yankees in a trade deadline deal that sent Frankie Montas to the Bronx. Waldichuk will look to work his way back into a rotation spot in the second half. In other A's pitching news, lefty reliever Brady Basso (shoulder) was pulled off rehab and will be reevaluated. He has been sidelined all season with a shoulder strain.

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Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers (oblique) has started a hitting progression as he works towards his return from a left oblique strain that has sidelined him since June 6. Langeliers was hitting .237 with 10 home runs in his first 56 games this season with a .316 wOBA and 45.5% hard-hit rate. He is eligible to return from the injured list when he is ready, and it's great news that he started this progression. However, it isn't clear at this point if he will need a quick rehab assignment or come right back to the Athletics' major-league roster. When he returns, he'll step back in as the team's everyday catcher and be one of the better power options at the position. Until he's back, Austin Wynns and Willie MacIver will continue to fill in behind the plate.

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Houston Astros starting pitcher Cristian Javier (elbow) has progressed in his recovery from Tommy John surgery to the point that he will be ready to throw live batting practice on Friday in West Palm Beach, according to Astros manager Joe Espada. Javier threw off a mound for the first time since his surgery last Friday and was limited to just 15 pitches. He'll likely have another severe limitation in this session as he continues to recover and build up strength. Since he has been sidelined since May of last year, he'll likely need an extended minor-league rehab assignment before he's ready to rejoin the Astros' rotation, but this is another step towards his return, which could come in late July or August if he doesn't have any setbacks.

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Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher/designated hitter Shohei Ohtani will make his second start of the season on Sunday against the Nationals, the team announced early on Thursday morning. Ohtani won the National League MVP last year in his first year for the Dodgers, even though he never threw a pitch, but this year, the two-way sensation has been working his way back to his spot in the starting rotation after his second Tommy John surgery. The 30-year-old threw 28 pitches in his season debut on Monday night against the Padres in just one inning of work. His stuff looked good, even though he gave up two hits and a run while struggling with some control issues. He'll continue to ramp up but still be very limited in his start on Sunday, probably only pitching an inning or two as he continues his recovery.

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Seattle Mariners infield prospect Colt Emerson went 4-for-5 with a double and a home run during their contest against High-A Spokane on Wednesday. This was Emerson's second-straight game going deep and fourth-straight game tallying an RBI. In addition, this impressive outing extended his current hitting streak to six games. During this stretch, Emerson has posted a .480/.567/.880 slash line with four doubles, two home runs, two stolen bases, and a 5:3 K:BB. He has posted three multi-hit games during this surge. Through 60 games this season with High-A Everett, the top-ranked prospect in the Seattle system has posted a strong .267/.368/.423 line. Given his recent performances, Emerson could be in the mix to join Double-A early in the second half of the season.

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Washington Nationals right-handed pitching prospect Travis Sykora took a slight step back on Wednesday during his start against High-A Asheville. During this outing, Sykora tossed 5 2/3 innings with three hits, two runs, and a season-high four walks. He struck out seven. While Sykora was able to limit most of the damage, he struggled to command his pitches. The top prospect in D.C. opened the campaign with Low-A but needed just two starts to prove he was ready for High-A. Since joining High-A Wilmington, the No. 61-ranked prospect in the sport has posted an impressive 1.52 ERA with a stellar 0.68 WHIP across 23 2/3 innings. During this stint, Sykora has allowed just six walks and struck out 39 batters. Given his excellent production, Sykora could be in the mix to reach Double-A later in the second half.

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Minnesota Twins outfield prospect Walker Jenkins went 1-for-3 with a run, two walks, and two stolen bases during his return to Double-A on Wednesday evening. Jenkins has been held out of action since early April due to an ankle injury. Before being sidelined, Jenkins appeared in just two games with Double-A and went 1-for-8 with two strikeouts. He participated in a nine-game rehab stint, with most of the games being played with Low-A Fort Myers. During the rehab stint, Jenkins held a .269/.441/.385 line with a home run, two stolen bases, and a 6:7 K:BB. Jenkins battled injuries last summer as well, but was very productive when on the field. Through 34 games with High-A, Jenkins posted a .290/.382/.481 line. Fantasy managers should expect Jenkins to spend most of the summer with Double-A.

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Cleveland Guardians outfield prospect Chase DeLauter went 1-for-1 with a two-run shot and a walk during Wednesday's contest against the Triple-A Indianapolis. The game was eventually cut short in the fourth inning due to rain. DeLauter wasted little time making an impact, hitting his second Triple-A long ball this season in the opening frame. Later in the second, DeLauter brought in his third RBI via a walk. Since returning to Triple-A, DeLauter has looked quite competent, holding a .279/.405/.393 line with four doubles and a 13:10 K:BB. Last summer, DeLauter earned a six-game taste of Triple-A and posted a stellar .304/.407/.739 slash line with four singles and two home runs. Given his impressive production at Triple-A, DeLauter could earn the call to the majors in the coming weeks.

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Philadelphia Phillies infield prospect Otto Kemp (knee) was held out of action on Wednesday due to a knee injury. The infielder fouled a ball off his knee during Tuesday's contest, and the team is opting to exercise caution with him. Fantasy managers should keep an eye on his status leading up to the game on Thursday evening against the Miami Marlins. Kemp joined the MLB roster earlier this month when Bryce Harper (wrist) hit the injured list. Over his first 10 games in the big leagues, Kemp has been quite productive, posting a .278/.333/.306 line with a double, four RBI, and a 10:1 K:BB. Earlier this season, Kemp was one of the most dominant hitters at Triple-A, boasting a .313/.416/.594 slash line with 19 doubles and 14 long balls. If Kemp were to remain out on Thursday, Edmundo Sosa will likely remain in the starting nine.

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Cleveland Guardians second baseman Daniel Schneemann went 2-for-4 with a three-run home run in his team's 4-2 road win over the San Francisco Giants. He also singled to pick up his second multi-hit effort in his last three starts. Schneemann helped extend his team's lead to 4-0 with a 394-foot blast that scored teammates Carlos Santana and Lane Thomas. It was homer No. 8 for the San Diego native, who has already eclipsed the long ball total he accrued last season (five) in 36 fewer at-bats. He's been decent against right-handed pitching thus far (.252) and should continue serving on the strong side of the platoon at the keystone.

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San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Justin Verlander allowed four runs (three earned) on seven hits over 4 2/3 innings in Wednesday's 4-2 loss to the Cleveland Guardians. The veteran walked one and struck out six, falling to 0-4 in his return from a pectoral injury. Verlander gave up a run in the first frame on two consecutive one-out hits, but would quickly end the inning thereafter, limiting the damage. However, Cleveland got to him again in the fourth when a fielding error and a Lane Thomas single preceded a Daniel Schneemann three-run blast that'd prove all the Guardians needed to suss out a win on the day. It wasn't the 42-year-old's best, but it could have gone far worse. He'll look for better results when he next toes the slab, which projects to come next week against the Miami Marlins at home.

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Colorado Rockies outfielder Jordan Beck went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 3-1 road win against the Washington Nationals. The Tennessee alum also doubled and struck out. Beck delivered a solo insurance bomb off a hanging Jose A. Ferrer changeup in the eighth inning to extend his team's lead to 3-1 -- his ninth long ball of the season. Most of his underlying metrics have improved from his first stint in the big leagues last season, and he's particularly squaring the ball up well. The 24-year-old boasts LA SwSp% (37.4%) and barrel-rates (12.9%) in the 76th and 78th percentiles, respectively, with modest increases in average exit velocity (88.1 MPH) and hard-hit rate (40.0%). Furthermore, he's hitting both lefties (.288) and righties (.256) well.

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Kansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia went 3-for-4 with a three-run home run in his team's 6-3 win against the Texas Rangers. He also singled, scored twice, and knocked in another RBI with a triple. The 25-year-old mashed his eighth home run of the season in the top of the third inning to give Kansas City a 4-2 lead, and one they'd hold the rest of the contest. Garcia nearly had a fourth hit, but flew out on a ball with a .630 xBA off the bat. It's been a stellar few months for him, slashing a strong .318/.377/.500 through 72 contests. The Venezuelan native has dropped his strikeout percentage to a personal best 13.8% and is impacting the ball at some of the best rates in his career with an 85th percentile xBA (.285).

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Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero went 4-for-5 with two RBI in Wednesday's 12-8 win against the visiting Baltimore Orioles. He added two runs scored and struck out. Baltimore jumped on the Rays early, notching eight runs in the second inning. However, Caminero and his teammates would chip away at and eventually take the lead while clubbing a lone home run across the lineup. All four of the 21-year-old's hits were singles, marking his second four-hit game since May 31. After closing out last month with a homer binge, he's heating up again, collecting a hit in five straight outings and multi-hit efforts in his previous three. Caminero holds a robust 1.082 OPS through his last 25 appearances.

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Chicago Cubs catcher prospect Moises Ballesteros went 2-for-4 with a double and three RBI in Wednesday's 5-4 win against Triple-A Nashville. Ballesteros racked up three hard-hit balls on Wednesday night and continues to see the ball well at Triple-A. He's hitting .315/.371/.537 with two homers and a 6:9 BB:K in 54 at-bats in June. During his brief stint with the Cubs earlier this season, the 21-year-old only played DH and didn't have much production. His defensive value appears limited, which will impact the amount of playing time he may get with the big league club. Barring injury, he likely won't be on fantasy radars until more down the road.

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St. Louis Cardinals pitching prospect Quinn Mathews allowed one hit and two walks over five scoreless innings as he picked up the win against Triple-A Norfolk. Mathews was efficient in this outing, needing only 72 pitches. He generated 13 swings and misses on 31 swings for an excellent 42 percent whiff rate. The left-hander has been good through three starts in June, holding a 1.38 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, and 17:6 K:BB in 13 innings. His WHIP for the season still sits at a poor 1.55 as he's dealt with inconsistent control. He has walked at least three batters in five of nine starts this season. Mathews is trending in the right direction and should see time at the major-league level at some point this summer. His strikeout upside isn't huge, though, which limits his fantasy relevance to deeper formats.

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MLB.com's Mark Feinsand speculates that the Arizona Diamondbacks could look to move first baseman Josh Naylor at this year's July 31 trade deadline with the 27-year-old set to reach free agency after this season. Third baseman Eugenio Suarez could be another trade candidate. A number of teams could use a big corner-infield bat this summer, and Feinsand mentions the San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers and Boston Red Sox as potential fits for Naylor. However, the D-backs have climbed back into the playoff race with a good start to June and are within striking distance of a wild-card spot in the National League. How the next month plays out could drastically affect whether they seriously consider moving Naylor, who entered Wednesday hitting a strong .302/.356/.474 with an .830 OPS, nine homers, 49 RBI, 37 runs and nine stolen bases in 268 at-bats.

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The New York Mets are considering an injured list stint for infielder Brett Baty (groin), who missed his second straight game in Wednesday's loss to the Atlanta Braves with a groin injury, according to MLB.com's Anthony DiComo. Baty is making progress, but slower than the Mets had hoped. They are likely to make a decision before Thursday's series finale in Atlanta. Regular third baseman Mark Vientos (hamstring) is already on the IL, so if Baty heads there, too, young infielder Ronny Mauricio would continue to see the majority of the starts at the hot corner in Queens. Baty hasn't played since Sunday and has gone just 6-for-44 (.136) with two homers, four RBI, a steal and 14 strikeouts in 14 games in the month of June after having his best month offensively in May. Mauricio has intriguing long-term upside but lacks plate discipline and came into Wednesday's game hitting just .184 in 11 games in 2025.

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