We're almost done with July, and the Fantasy Baseball landscape doesn't feel particularly settled, does it? Partly, that's because the trade deadline looms next week with the potential to shake up the Fantasy value of dozens of players around the league. But it's also because we're still waiting for the return of some really big names from injuries, and those could have a seismic impact on the landscape, too.
I wrote about the deadline Tuesday, with my five dream scenarios for Fantasy Baseball. That featured Jazz Chisholm to the Yankees, Isaac Paredes to the Astros, and more, which you can check out here as another preview of the deadline. And on the injury front, Scott White wrote about the looming returns of Clayton Kershaw, Kodai Senga, and Robbie Ray this week, with Jeffrey Springs potentially just a week or so behind them. All four of them have been difference makers in Fantasy in the recent past – last year, in three of the four cases – and Scott wrote about what he's expecting from them as they get set to debut.
We're still taking things day by day here at the FBT Newsletter, but with the deadline just around the corner, we also know things could change very, very quickly, and we'll be here every step of the way as we head into the home stretch of the season. So, while we wait for the ground to shift beneath our feet yet again, let's get to everything you need to know from Tuesday's action around MLB:
Wednesday's waiver targets
Tyler Fitzgerald, SS, Giants (3%) – Before Fitzgerald, the last Giants player to homer in five straight games was Barry Bonds, nearly 20 years ago. In the 141 years the Giants have existed as a franchise, eight players have done it, including four Hall of Famers and three other multi-time All-Stars. And then there's Fitzgerald, a 26-year-old shortstop who has basically never been a prospect of note in the Giants system and who had just two homers in 44 career games prior to this streak. He hasn't shown much underlying raw power – his hardest-hit ball in the majors is just 105.2 mph – but he has nonetheless actually hit for decent power in the minors, including 28 homers in 119 games at Triple-A. I don't expect this to last, but Fitzgerald does have enough speed that he could matter for Fantasy if he can be even a decent hitter. Skepticism is a reasonable response to this streak, but if you're in a deeper league, I also don't mind taking a flier just to see if there's something here.
Lawrence Butler, OF, Athletics (58%) – This is just getting absurd. Butler went 3 for 4 Tuesday, falling just a single short of the cycle in what was his sixth straight game with multiple hits. He's been absurdly hot so far in the month of July and is now hitting .417 with eight homers and 24 RBI in just 17 games. It's still not clear if the A's are ever going to trust him to play against lefties regularly, and he might not be able to hack it if they do. But at this point, don't they have to give him a chance just to see? A team with nothing to play for but the future should be doing everything they can to see if his elite tools are finally turning into something other than the occasional highlight.
Connor Norby, 2B, Orioles (10%) – The Orioles are calling Norby up, but they aren't, you know, officially calling him up. They're keeping an eye on Jorge Mateo's elbow after he left Tuesday's game, and if he has to go on the IL, they will officially recall Norby, but he's traveling to join the team just in case. It would likely be just for a short time if they do recall him, just like last time, when he played just four games before being sent back down, so Norby doesn't have to be a super high-priority add right now. But we are talking about a top-100 prospect who has hit .296/.371/.505 with 41 homers in 227 career games in Triple-A, so it's worth keeping an eye, just in case he does get the chance.
Jesus Sanchez, OF, Marlins (14%) – Sanchez has been putting up the best underlying numbers of his career, and it's finally starting to be reflected in his actual production. Sanchez hit his fifth homer in July, a 114.7-mph shot that was the hardest hit ball of any player in the league Tuesday, and he's now up to a .321/.345/.696 line in the month. Like Butler, Sanchez rarely plays against lefties, and unlike Butler, that probably isn't likely to change much moving forward, so there's only so much value he can provide. But Sanchez is worth using when he's this hot, at least.
Jeff McNeil, 2B, Mets (3%) – Okay, what's happening here? McNeil homered for the second game in a row, the fourth time in five games, and the fifth time in July, after hitting just four in the first three months of the season. Is there something real here? If you look at the month as a whole, nothing really stands out under the hood – McNeil's average exit velocity of 88.5 mph is a little up from his season average, but right in line with his very bad June, and his average launch angle is basically identical. He is hitting the ball to the pull side more often in July, which helps, but I'm not sure I see much here to suggest that McNeil is suddenly a brand new hitter. It's likely just a hot streak from a guy who might not be quite as washed up as he looked, but I think it's pretty unlikely McNeil is going to be a must-start Fantasy player moving forward.
Chayce McDermott, SP, Orioles (7%) – McDermott is getting the call to start for the Orioles Wednesday, and he's getting a nice soft landing spot for his MLB debut against the Marlins. McDermott is by no means a can't-miss prospect, but he brings an interesting skill set to the table, with a five-pitch mix he mixes up well, including a cutter, slider, and changeup that all have whiff rates above 40% in Triple-A. That's how he's posted a 32.3% strikeout rate this season, and he's been pretty close to that throughout his minor-league career. The problem is, he has trouble consistently commanding his pitches, leading to a 13.5% walk rate. He's also had trouble keeping the ball on the ground, though that actually hasn't led to a ton of homers even in the homer-happy International League, and with Camden Yards as his home park, that might be something he's able to avoid in the majors, too. If you're desperate for a streamer, maybe McDermott can catch the Marlins by surprise, and if he can keep the walks down, he has a non-zero chance of being a useful Fantasy option with the Orioles backing him up.
News and Notes
Julio Rodriguez was placed on the IL with a right ankle sprain. He was initially labeled as day-to-day, but manager Scott Servais confirmed it was a high-ankle sprain, an injury that likely carries with it a multi-week timetable. It's unlikely to be a season-ending injury for Rodriguez, but there's a pretty decent chance we don't see him until mid-August at this point unfortunately.
Mike Trout was removed from his rehab game at Triple-A Tuesday due to left knee soreness. That's the same knee he had surgery on, and it was in his first rehab appearance, so that's not a good sign. As of publication, we don't really have any more details than that, but I'm not expecting Trout back this weekend, at least.
Royce Lewis expects to play two rehab games with Triple-A before being activated from the IL on Friday. Let's hope he can stay healthy this time.
Max Scherzer will start on Thursday against the White Sox. He left his last start due to arm fatigue, and at this point, I need to see some standout performances from Scherzer before I trust him in my lineup.
Jasson Dominguez took live batting practice Monday and is expected to join Triple-A to play in games within a week. He's been out since mid-June with a strained left oblique, and this return is a lot quicker than I had anticipated. If the Yankees don't make a big move for an outfielder at the deadline, it could be because they are expecting Dominguez to make a big second-half impact, and if you have the roster space to stash him, Dominguez is certainly worth a roster spot in category-based leagues.
Austin Riley was placed on the paternity list and will miss up to three games.
Luis Rengifo was activated and back in the Angels lineup, batting second.
Jorge Mateo was removed Tuesday due to a left arm injury. X-rays came back negative but he'll undergo an MRI.
Jared Jones is hoping to be ready to throw a bullpen by this weekend. He threw on flat ground Tuesday for the second day in a row as he works his way back from a Grade 2 right lat strain. I'm hoping for a mid-August return.
Starling Marte progressed to on-field running Tuesday. He's been out since late June due to a right knee bone bruise and isn't expected back until August.
Jose Miranda will begin a minor league rehab assignment Wednesday and could return by Friday.
Tigers Manager AJ Hinch said that Reese Olson's right shoulder injury is considered mild after the pitcher underwent further testing. That's good news, though it could still be a multi-week absence.
Christian Scott was placed on the IL with a UCL sprain in his right elbow. That's a scary sign for a young pitcher, though it might help explain why Scott has been so underwhelming.
The Braves sent Hurston Waldrep to rookie-level Florida Complex League to begin a rehab assignment. He's been out more than a month with right elbow inflammation and might have a chance to make an impact down the stretch if he gets right.
Ty France cleared waivers Tuesday and was outrighted off the Mariners. Tyler Locklear was recalled and in the Mariners lineup, batting sixth. He's worth a look in deeper leagues, but players in 12-team leagues will need to see something from him at the MLB level before considering adding him.
Both Ryan Weathers and Braxton Garrett have been cleared to play catch. Weathers is working his way back from a left index finger strain while Garrett has a strained left forearm.
