Betting

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.

Rodríguez went through a full pregame workout prior to Friday’s series opener at T-Mobile Park before indicating to reporters that he’s “trending” in the right direction. The 25-year-old fantasy stalwart has been sidelined with a concussion for nearly two weeks. He’s seemingly cleared every hurdle necessary to return, leaving the door open for Seattle to activate him as early as Saturday’s contest. Simply put, Rodríguez is close to returning.

Vogt didn’t rule out the possibility before Friday’s postponement due to poor air quality that Ramírez could return without a minor league rehab assignment. The veteran third baseman is working his way back from left hamate surgery last month and is now nearly five weeks removed from the procedure after initially being given a five-to-seven week recovery timeline. While his return doesn’t appear imminent, he’s already progressed to facing live pitching, leaving open the possibility that he rejoins Cleveland’s lineup within the next couple weeks. It’s an encouraging development for fantasy managers coming out of the All-Star break.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone reiterated on Friday that he believes Judge will return this season, but he remains without a definitive return timetable. The 34-year-old franchise icon told reporters that it’ll be a couple weeks before he undergoes re-imaging to determine his next steps. He remains limited to lower-body work and neck exercises, with no upper-body or overhead lifting at this juncture. He’s been on the shelf with a rib fracture since early June.It’s pure speculation at this point, but even in a best-case scenario, Judge appears unlikely to return before the middle or end of August. There’s also a realistic chance his absence stretches into September. Fantasy managers shouldn’t expect him back anytime soon.

Acuña’s latest minor league rehab game for Triple-A Gwinnett was postponed due to rain on Friday. The 28-year-old is in the final stages of his rehabilitation process from a hamstring strain that put him on the shelf back in early June. The Braves have two games left with the Rangers this weekend before hosting the Padres for a four-game set that gets underway on Monday. It seems highly likely that Acuña will return at some point in the next few days, which is a huge development for fantasy managers coming out of the All-Star break.

White Sox manager Will Venable downplayed concern while speaking to reporters following the contest. Vargas will undergo precautionary evaluation after after being hit in the left hand by a 93.3 mph sinker in the eighth inning of a one-sided affair. He was lifted for pinch-runner Luisangel Acuña at the time, finishing 1-for-4 with a run scored. The 26-year-old, who launched a solo homer during his first career All-Star Game appearance earlier this week, has blossomed into Chicago’s middle-of-the-order force, hitting .245/.356/.490 with a career-high 21 homers, 59 RBI and 11 steals in 95 games this season.

The Red Sox extended their winning streak to 11 consecutive games by sweeping Friday’s doubleheader against the division-leading Rays at Fenway Park. Contreras took Tampa Bay reliever Mason Englert deep in the opening frame of the nightcap affair, his first contest back following a five-game suspension for his on-field actions against the Nationals earlier this month. The 34-year-old has served as Boston’s primary offensive catalyst with 21 round-trippers through 89 games. He’s on pace to easily eclipse the 30-homer threshold for the first time in his career becoming the latest example of a veteran right-handed power hitting finding success immediately upon arrival at Fenway Park, much like J.D. Martinez did last decade.

Chaparro’s first homer was projected at 467 feet off José Suarez. He then hit a ball 406 feet off Yunior Tur two innings later. Those drove in five runs and his two singles accounted for three additional runs, giving Chaparro the eighth eight-RBI game in ExpoNats history. The previous two came in 2018, with Trea Turner knocking in eight runs on July 5 and Mark Reynolds driving in 10 two days later in the same series against the Marlins. Chaparro is now hitting .220/.352/.424 in 71 at-bats. He’d typically be on the bench Saturday against right-hander J.T. Ginn, but maybe the huge showing will get him a nod at DH at the expense of Dylan Crews or Jacob Young.