Kansas City Royals catching prospect Blake Mitchell (wrist) restarted his rehab assignment on Monday with the team's Arizona Complex League affiliate. The Royals' second-ranked prospect suffered a broken hamate bone in the spring and began a rehab assignment in early May, however, the 6-foot-1 backstop experienced lingering soreness, so he was shut down after just four rehab games. The left-handed hitter went 0-for-1 with a pair of walks and was caught stealing on Monday. If all goes well, the 20-year-old should join High-A at the end of the assignment, but with only five games under his belt at High-A and a 30.7 percent strikeout rate in 2024, the former first-rounder may spend the remainder of the year at that level. Fellow catching prospect Carter Jensen (Royals No. 3 prospect) was recently promoted to Double-A Arkansas and appears to have a leg up on Mitchell for now, but it looks like Kansas City has some options behind aging Salvador Perez.

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The New York Mets announced on Tuesday that they transferred outfielder Jesse Winker (oblique) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list to make room on the active roster for right-hander Frankie Montas (lat), who is returning from the 60-day IL to make his season debut on Tuesday against the division-rival Atlanta Braves. Winker has progressed very slowly from a strained right oblique and is at least several weeks away from a return, which means he probably won't be ready until after the All-Star break in mid-July. Before his injury, the 31-year-old veteran had gone 16-for-67 (.239) with one home run, 10 RBI, eight runs scored and one stolen base. When he returns, he's expected to fill a platoon role for the Mets in the outfield and potentially at designated hitter, leaving him limited fantasy value in deep-mixed and NL-only formats.

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Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran broke out in 2024 and had the seventh-best WAR in the league at 6.7, but ESPN's Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan point out that he overperformed his underlying metrics and was a bit fortunate. In 2025, his metrics have regressed and he's now underperforming them, suggesting he's better than the roughly 2 WAR that he's on pace for this season. It also makes him a decent trade candidate -- they peg him at a 25 percent of being traded this summer -- if the Red Sox fall further out of contention in the American League as the July 31 trade deadline nears. If Duran is traded, his best potential fits are the San Diego Padres, Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Guardians, Kansas City Royals, San Francisco Giants and Philadelphia Phillies. Duran has 15 steals in 79 games, but his power has been way down, as he only has five homers after posting a career-high 21 in 2024.

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ESPN's Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan put Miami Marlins right-hander Sandy Alcantara's chances of being traded this summer at 60 percent. Alcantara was the National League Cy Young winner in 2022 and then missed all of last year after having Tommy John surgery. He did not look like himself upon his initial return this year, but he's been tinkering with his pitch mix and locations and is slowly rounding back into form with a 2.74 ERA in his four June starts. Miami could wait to trade Alcantara until this winter, but if they do so earlier, teams like the Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros, Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, Arizona Diamondbacks, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres and Baltimore Orioles could all be in the market. The 29-year-old has two years left on his current deal and could be a difference-maker for a rotation down the stretch.

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Boston Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman (quadriceps) has a $40 million salary and the chance to opt into two more years at $40 million annually, which significantly shortens the list of teams that would be willing to trade for him this summer and take on his deal, according to ESPN's Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan. Bregman has leaned more into his power in his first year in Boston, with his barrel rate, maximum exit velocity, average launch angle and hard-hit rate all at career-highs. The 31-year-old two-time All-Star and former Silver Slugger winner is currently on the 10-day injured list with a quad injury, but before that, he was hitting .299 (59-for-197) with 11 home runs and 35 RBI as one of the team's most consistent hitters. The Red Sox and fantasy managers can only hope he'll be able to pick up where he left off when he returns from the IL.

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ESPN's Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan list Tampa Bay Rays closer Pete Fairbanks with a 60 percent chance of being traded this summer. Fairbanks raised his arm slot this year and now his more cutting action on his 97.1 mph fastball and more depth to his slurvy slider. It has led to a stingy 2.15 ERA (2.73 FIP), 13 saves, a 1.16 WHIP, 26 strikeouts and 14 walks in 29 1/3 relief innings in his sixth full season in Tampa. The 31-year-old veteran reliever has a team option for 2026 that should wind up in the $10 million range. McDaniel and Passan list the Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, Detroit Tigers, Atlanta Braves, Arizona Diamondbacks and Texas Rangers as the best potential fits for Fairbanks if he is traded this year. If Fairbanks were dealt by the July 31 deadline, Edwin Uceta would most likely become the Rays' primary closer the rest of the season.

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Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Josh Naylor (shoulder) is returning to the team's lineup for their meeting with the hosting Chicago White Sox on Tuesday. John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM reported the news. Naylor exited Monday's matchup early when he showed some discomfort after taking a hack at the dish. However, it appears to be a minor tweak as he'll reenter the starting nine a day later. The Canadian native is batting a cool .303 through 75 appearances in 2025, with nine homers, ten swipes, 51 RBI, and 41 runs scored.

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With Chicago White Sox rookie right-hander Mike Vasil not being used in Monday's loss to the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks, he's expected to be used as the team's bulk reliever on Tuesday following opener Jordan Leisure. Neither Vasil nor Leisure will be recommended fantasy streamers against Arizona, even without outfielder Corbin Carroll (hand) and third baseman Eugenio Suarez (hand). Vasil has started in each of his last three appearances for the White Sox and has allowed eight earned runs on 14 hits while walking six and striking out 11. In those three starts, the 25-year-old hasn't gone beyond four innings, so fantasy managers shouldn't expect any kind of length on Tuesday. Overall, the former eighth-rounder of the New York Mets in 2021 out of Virginia has a 2.94 ERA (4.87 FIP), a save, 1.35 WHIP and 38:27 K:BB in 49 innings pitched.

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Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Josh Naylor (shoulder) will be in the starting lineup as the team continues their series in Chicago against the White Sox and right-handed opener Jordan Leasure, according to Arizona Sports' John Gambadoro. Naylor injured his right shoulder on an aggressive swing during Monday's series-opening win over the White Sox, but it turned out to be nothing serious and he'll return the very next day. It's good news for a D-backs club that will place star outfielder Corbin Carroll (hand) on the 10-day injured list and had third baseman Eugenio Suarez (hand) leave Monday's game early after being hit by a pitch. The 28-year-old Naylor has only nine home runs in 287 at-bats, but fantasy managers can't complain about his .303 average, .824 OPS, 51 RBI, 41 runs or 10 stolen bases in his first year in Arizona.

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Washington Nationals reliever Derek Law (forearm) will have his minor-league rehab assignment moved from Double-A Harrisburg to Triple-A Rochester, per Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com. The veteran has been held out of the season until this point due to forearm inflammation that occurred during spring training. He yielded four hits and three earned runs (one home run) over 2 2/3 innings pitched for the Senators. The stats aren't great, but the important thing is that Law built himself up to 33 pitches in his most recent outing. He'll have some ups and downs as he continues to build stamina. The 34-year-old boasted a stellar 2.60 ERA and 1.18 WHIP across 90 innings last season.

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Matthew Leach of MLB.com reports that Minnesota Twins third baseman Royce Lewis (hamstring) is encouraged by his progress as he works back from another hamstring injury. The former first-overall pick began running again late last week and did some change-of-direction work on Monday, noting that he's participating in all other baseball activities. It's excellent news for Lewis, who appears to be nearing minor-league rehab games if he can avoid any setbacks. Despite a .202 average through 30 games, he looked to be heating up before hitting the shelf again, going 11-for-28 (.393) over nine appearances before the injury. Furthermore, he sports a fine .264 xBA.

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John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM reports that Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suarez (hand) will be out of Tuesday's lineup for the middle game of their road series with the Chicago White Sox. Suarez was plunked in the hand on Monday and forced from their 10-0 win against Chicago early, looking to be in considerable pain. Fortunately, initial imaging returned clean, but he'll need at least one day out of the lineup to recover. Teammate Ildemaro Vargas replaced him at the hot corner in Monday's victory, though Tuesday's starting nine has yet to be disclosed. The 33-year-old is slashing a solid .251/.323/.569 with 25 home runs, 67 RBI, and 48 runs scored.

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Per MLB.com, Minnesota Twins second baseman Luke Keaschall (forearm) has started hitting off a tee, but his baseball activities are still limited. The first-year pro sustained a fractured forearm near the end of April, and it's good news that he's begun striking a ball again. The initial timetable for Keaschall's return was "a couple months," so mid-to-late July is still in the cards for him. Minnesota's No. 3 prospect came out of the gates hot in his big-league debut, batting 7-for-19 (.368) with three doubles, five steals, and a 5:2 BB:K ratio over his first seven games as a pro. Keaschall will need a minor-league rehab stint, but should slot back into an everyday role upon his return.

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San Diego Padres outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. hit his 15th homer of the season on Monday night in a 10-6 loss to the Nationals. He finished the game 1-for-5 with three RBI after connecting on the three-run blast in the ninth inning off relief pitcher Zach Brzykcy. After a rough stretch in May, Tatis has started mashing again with a 63.2% hard-hit rate over his last 13 games while going 14-for-46 (.304) with a .415 wOBA. Of his 15 homers this season, 11 have come at Petco Park, where he has a .284 home batting average and a .396 home wOBA. Tatis and the Friars continue their homestand with two more games against the Nats before going on the road to Cincinnati and Philadelphia, two homer-friendly parks. If he keeps catching barrels, Tatis should remain an excellent fantasy option in all formats.

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Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams went 3-for-5 with three runs scored and a stolen base against his former team, the Padres. He helped carry the Nats to a 10-6 win in the first game of his series back in San Diego. Abrams has been picking up his production lately with seven multi-hit performances in his last 14 games while going 21-for-57 (.368) with four doubles, three homers, five stolen bases, and a .450 wOBA. He is locked into the leadoff spot of a productive batting lineup and brings both power and speed potential in every matchup. The 24-year-old has actually been much better on the road than at home this year, which sets him up well for the rest of this series in San Diego and the Nats' upcoming weekend set in Anaheim against the Angels.

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Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood connected on his 22nd home run of the season on Monday night, as he powered his team to a win in San Diego. Wood's three-run blast in the eighth inning was the capstone to a great night at the plate, and he finished 3-for-5 with three runs scored and four RBI. His home run provided Washington with some extra breathing room by expanding the lead to 9-3 at the time, and after a late comeback by the Padres, the Nats held on to win 10-6. The impressive 22-year-old lefty is hitting .284 this season and has 22 homers to go with 50 runs scored and 61 RBI. His 57.9% hard-hit rate and 19.6% barrel rate each rank in the top six of all eligible hitters in the majors, and he also has the seventh-highest average exit velocity. Wood has quickly become one of the top hitters in baseball, and it's amazing that he won't turn 23 until September. He's a top fantasy asset in all formats with a bright future and high ceiling.

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Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. continues to make up for lost time after missing a year recovering from an ACL injury. On Monday night, he went 2-for-5 with a home run and a stolen base to help fuel his team's 3-2 victory over the Nets in New York. His home run came in the third off Mets' starter Paul Blackburn and increased the Braves' lead to 2-0 at the time. Acuna has nine homers, three stolen bases, a .396 batting average, and a .510 wOBA in his 28 games since returning from the injured list, and his presence at the top of the Braves' lineup has jump-started the offense. He's a top play in all formats, especially as he returns to being aggressive on the basepaths. His game on Monday showcased exactly the kind of dual-threat production fantasy managers dream of from a healthy Acuna.

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Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman/outfielder Matt Gorski was transferred from the 7-day injured list to the 60-day injured list, meaning the 27-year-old will be out until after the All-Star break. There has been no news on exactly what injury Gorski is dealing with, but he won't be back in action for a while. Before the injury, the 27-year-old made some headlines early in the season when he made his debut with the Pirates and homered in his first at-bat. He hit .195 in his 15 games in the majors with two homers and a .259 wOBA. He was returned to Triple-A when Spencer Horwitz was able to return from his injury. Gorski played just four games and went 1-for-9 after heading back to Indianapolis before landing on the injured list. He could get another chance for the Pirates late in the season, depending on what exactly the injury is that he's battling.

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The White Sox agreed to a minor-league deal with 32-year-old righty Noah Syndergaard. Syndergaard was an effective starter for the Mets early in his career but has not pitched in the majors since 2023, when he went 2-6 in 18 starts with the Guardians and Dodgers, compiling an ugly 6.50 ERA and 6.20 FIP while struggling with his control. He did manage four quality starts with some encouraging outings despite his inconsistency, but he was released by the Guardians towards the end of the 2023 season. Last November, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that Syndergaard had dropped 30 pounds and was working on a comeback, but no team was known to have interest until this signing. Syndergaard still has a long way to go before he's back on a major league mound, but it will be a fun story to watch Thor attempt a comeback, although it probably will have minimal fantasy impact.

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Chicago White Sox outfielder Mike Tauchman (groin) missed a fourth straight game on Monday, although manager Will Venable said that the 34-year-old lefty would take batting practice before the game and could be available off the bench. The White Sox were blown out on Monday against Arizona and lefty Eduardo Rodriguez and did not end up calling on Tauchman, but it seems like the lefty could be back in the mix on Tuesday against righty Ryne Nelson. Tauchman is hitting .258 with four homers and a .362 wOBA in his 28 games for the White Sox, and they'll hope he can get back in action soon.

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