Betting

Although he wasn’t dominant in finishing with four strikeouts and seven whiffs, this seems like a good sign that McClanahan’s July will more closely resemble his May (4-0, 1.41 ERA) than his June (0-3, 5.79 ERA). McClanahan walked none for the fourth time this year, leaving him with a 77/28 K/BB through 79 2/3 innings. His next start will come at home against the Yankees.

Skenes’ command was off tonight, and his fastball velocity was down 0.7 mph from his season average. Still, he probably could have gotten through four allowing one run with just a little help. In the second, he should have had Gabriel Rincones Jr. struck out on what was called ball three, but the Pirates were afraid to challenge the pitch after already burning one. He went on to walk, and then, with the bases loaded, Justin Crawford hit a little chopper to third that Nick Gonzales got no outs on after his throw home hit Alec Bohm. Trea Turner went on to homer in a five-run inning. In the fourth, the Phillies hit Skenes very hard, but Bryce Harper’s two-run double could have been caught if the Pirates didn’t have an infielder in Tyler Callahan playing left. No pitcher in the league has been let down more by his defense this year than Skenes. It’s not wholly responsible for his decline, but it’s a big part of it. He’ll take a 3.63 ERA into his next start against the Braves.

Miguel Rojas takes over at shortstop with Max Muncy moving into the cleanup spot against his former club. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters they made the decision to scratch Betts out of an abundance of caution. It doesn’t sound like a significant concern, but fantasy managers should closely monitor his status heading into Friday’s series opener against the division-rival Padres.

There was optimism that Smith would make it back to Los Angeles at some point in early July, but those odds seemed to get longer in recent weeks while Smith remained shut down from baseball activities. The 31-year-old is working his way back from neck inflammation and the Dodgers have zero incentive to rush him and risk any setbacks. There should be a clearer timeline at some point in the coming weeks. It’ll be former top prospect Dalton Rushing continuing to handle the bulk of the catching duties for the Dodgers.

Rooker will undergo a procedure to address cartilage issues after hitting the injured list with a bone bruise in his left knee back in early June. The latest development comes just days after he began a running and hitting progression. The 31-year-old power-hitter finishes with an underwhelming .200/.281/.389 slash line with 10 homers, 29 RBI and two steals in 203 plate appearances over 48 games. His absence is a significant hit to the Athletics’ playoff hopes as it’ll be challenging to replace his presence as a middle-of-the-order run-producing threat.

Giants skipper Tony Vitello told reporters earlier this week that Adames was trending in the right direction and it sounds like there’s a chance he’ll be ready for Friday’s series opener against the Rockies at Coors Field. The 30-year-old is sitting out his third consecutive contest due to back spasms. It’ll be Christian Koss filling in at shortstop in his absence.

Chapman receives some time off to rest and recover after playing through an abdominal issue since April. The 33-year-old defensive stalwart has hit .235/.324/.368 with seven homers and 42 RBI across 352 plate appearances through 84 games. He figures to be on the move to a contender ahead of next month’s trade deadline.

McGonigle’s homer was a 422-foot blast that cleared the bullpens in right-center field. If there’s been anything to complain about with him from a fantasy perspective this year, it has been the absence of a power ceiling, as Wednesday’s homer was his seventh. Fantasy managers will surely take the rest of what he has provided, and with a player of his prospect pedigree, it’s only a matter of time until his power stroke takes hold. McGonigle entered the day with 3.4 fWAR, leading all rookie hitters.

Melton allowed one walk and two hits. He was in line for the victory before Drew Anderson blew the save in the ninth, though Detroit still won in extras. Melton now has a 2.05 ERA through seven starts after missing most of the first two months with an elbow injury. Additionally, he has a 23:4 K/BB ratio over his past four starts. Melton will be a must-start fantasy option next time out at home against the A’s.

It’s an extremely encouraging update based on initial imaging after Early hit the injured list after being removed from Tuesday’s start against the Nationals with elbow discomfort. It doesn’t appear that he’s dealing with any UCL damage or other structural issues, which would’ve resulted in an extended absence. There should be a definitive return timetable at some point in the near future, but it sounds like Early has managed to avoid a worst-case scenario. He’s worth hanging onto in all fantasy formats with the exception of extremely shallow mixed leagues.