Betting

The history of pitchers returning from multiple shoulder surgeries is extremely bleak, but Woodruff has insisted that he plans on pitching again. The 33-year-old former fantasy ace will miss the remainder of the current season in addition to a significant chunk of next year as well. He missed nearly a year and a half after undergoing a similar capsule repair procedure back in 2023. This latest development certainly helps explain why Milwaukee went out and acquire Lance McCullers Jr. from the Astros earlier this week.

It hasn’t been officially confirmed by the Brewers, but Misiorowski resumed throwing earlier this week with the expectation that he would take the ball at some point during next weeks’ series against New York. The hard-throwing 24-year-old strikeout machine was scratched from his final first-half outing and didn’t pitch in the All-Star Game either due to fatigue. Milwaukee is probably going to have to get creative to effectively manage his workload over the final two-plus months, but all signs point to him getting the ball against the Mets next week.

Soto is back in New York’s lineup without missing any additional time following an early exit from Thursday’s second-half opener with left calf soreness. The 27-year-old fantasy superstar is at DH and hitting second to face Phillies lefty Jesús Luzardo on Saturday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park. Fantasy managers should continue to closely monitor his status throughout the weekend, but Soto doesn’t appear to be at risk of missing any additional game action.

Frelick is likely facing an extended absence after aggravating a lingering shoulder ailment on a throw from right field during Friday’s second-half opener against the Marlins. Brewers manager Pat Murphy told reporters afterwards that he could be down for a while. Frelick said that he’s been dealing with the shoulder issue for nearly two months and will undergo an MRI to determine the severity. There should be a definitive return timeline at some point in the coming days. Frelick’s absence opens the door for top prospect Luis Lara to play everyday in right field. He boasts an intriguing blend of fantasy-relevant tools and is worthy of a speculative roster spot in all formats.

The long-term extension, which was reported earlier this week, is now official and will keep Burns in Cincinnati through the 2033 season. The flame-throwing 23-year-old earned his first All-Star Game appearance, but declined to pitch in the Midsummer Classic because of groin soreness. He’s expected to make his first start of the second half against the Mariners next week. Burns has rapidly established himself as one of fantasy baseball’s upper-echelon starters, compiling a sparkling 2.54 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 118/37 K/BB ratio over 102 2/3 innings across 18 starts. It’s safe to say he’s exceeded even the loftiest expectations and should be among the first pitchers selected in fantasy drafts for years to come.

Sammon and Nusbaum add that trade discussions are in the preliminary stages at this point. They also didn’t offer any specifics regarding which teams have reached out to Washington. Garcia figures to be a popular trade target, if the Nationals are intent on moving him, since he’s put together an outstanding season, hitting .284/.317/.554 with a career-high 20 homers, 68 RBI and four steals in 319 plate appearances through. 90 games. He would make sense as a righty-mashing specialist on a contending roster capable of playing both first and second base.

Josh Bell takes over at first base in his absence with Twins manager Derek Shelton telling reporters that he’s already feeling better, but will still get an extra day off to rest and recover. Lewis went 0-for-4 during Friday’s second-half opener. He’s hit .258 (33-for-128) with seven homers, 16 RBI and three steals in 33 games since returning to the big leagues back on June 6.

Báez went deep for the first time since a two-homer explosion back on July 2. It was his 29th round-tripper of the year. The 23-year-old’s off-the-charts power/speed combination gives him a chance to be the most impactful fantasy prospect to receive the call to the majors in the second half. There are some lingering swing-and-miss issues that are probably the biggest reason why he’s still in the minors. He should have an immediate impact once he is promoted, which makes Báez a worthwhile stash candidate in all fantasy leagues.

Lombard went deep in his first contest back at Triple-A since June 16. The 21-year-old top prospect wound up missing just over one month recovering from a pair of sprained fingers on his throwing hand. There’s a real possibility he gets the call to New York at some point in the second half with neither Anthony Volpe or José Caballero having a firm grip on the starting shortstop role. It’ll likely come down to whether the Yankees are able to address the position at the trade deadline with a veteran stopgap before they decide whether Lombard is ready. He certainly is from a defensive standpoint, but he could use to extra time to continue his development at the plate on the doorstep of the big leagues.

Díaz has struck out six of the nine batters he’s faced, while allowing just one baserunner, across three rehab outings in the lower minors. The 32-year-old stopper figures to be close to making it back to Los Angeles’ late-inning mix and figures to take over the closing duties from Tanner Scott upon his return. There should be a definitive timeline when Dodgers manager Dave Roberts speaks to reporters at some point this weekend.