07/16/2026:

Keegan Akin underwent Tommy John surgery on Wednesday, the Orioles announced.

A really tough break for Akin, who will be a free agent for the first time at season’s end. He might be back down the stretch next year if his rehab goes well. The 31-year-old had a 5.68 ERA in 25 1/3 innings this season. He has a lifetime 4.55 ERA in 393 1/3 innings, all for the Orioles.

07/16/2026:

Sandy Alcantara will start Friday’s game against the Brewers.

The Marlins will open the second half with Alcantara on Friday, Max Meyer on Saturday, and Eury Pérez on Sunday. No major surprises here as these are the three main starters for the Marlins. All three of them are worthy starters in 12-team leagues coming out of the break.

07/16/2026:

Athletics optioned RHP Mason Barnett to Triple-A Las Vegas.

Barnett had a couple of saves for the A’s last month, but he’d given up nine runs in six innings since July started, taking his ERA from 1.17 to 4.64. He was a starter in Triple-A before being called up, but given that we’re in the second half, it might make sense to keep him in the pen for now and see if he can resume being of use there later.

07/16/2026:

Athletics recalled LHP Brady Basso from Triple-A Las Vegas.

Basso is back for a third stint in the pen after giving up six runs over 4 1/3 innings in the first two. He’s been throwing his Barry Zito-like curveball a less of late, instead focusing on his cutter to go along with his four-seamer. It doesn’t really seem to have paid off, as he was sporting a 5.11 ERA in Triple-A. He’ll need to take a step forward here in the second half if he wants to stick on the 40-man this winter.

07/16/2026:

Jake Bennett will start Friday for the Red Sox against the Rays.

He’ll head up the first game of a double-header. The Red Sox don’t have a declared starter for Game 2 of the doubleheader yet, but Patrick Sandoval and Sonny Gray will follow on Saturday and Sunday. Bennett finished the first half 4-3 with a 2.64 ERA in 47 2/3 innings while striking out 35. The Rays aren’t an easy matchup, but we can understand giving Bennett a chance in mixed leagues.

07/16/2026:

Padres recalled RHP Jhony Brito from Triple-A El Paso.

Brito was sent down Saturday after allowing two runs in 4 1/3 innings in four days with the Padres. He’ll probably return to Triple-A before the weekend is up.

07/16/2026:

ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports the Reds have agreed to a seven-year, $105 million contract with Chase Burns.

Burns has been absolutely electric in opening up the season 11-1 with a 2.54 ERA while striking out 118 in 102 2/3 innings before the All-Star Break. Opponents are hitting .223 against his fastball and .154 against his slider, which has been Burns’ main putaway pitch so far this year. It’s hard to forecast seven years out for any pitcher, but if a smaller market team is to invest in one for the long term, it’s hard to do much better than Burns.

07/16/2026:

Mike Burrows, who went on the IL with right elbow neuritis, could resume throwing in 7-10 days.

Burrows was sent down a week ago, only to have the option rescinded after he complained of the arm issue. He could get another look in Houston’s rotation in September, depending on how things work out.

07/16/2026:

Cade Cavalli will start Friday’s game against the Athletics.

The Nationals will open the second half with Cavalli on the mound. He’ll be followed by Zack Littell (who has been opened for recently) on Saturday. and Foster Griffin on Sunday. Cavalli’s first half ended with a 3.83 ERA and 110 strikeouts in 98 2/3 innings. He’s been going deeper into starts lately and is a viable 12-team starter against West Sacramento on Friday.

07/16/2026:

Giants sent RHP Eric Cerantola outright to Triple-A Sacramento.

Cerantola was claimed off waivers from the Royals on July 6 and had since made two appearances in Triple-A. This is his first outright, so he’ll remain with Sacramento.

07/16/2026:

Athletics designated RHP Aaron Civale for assignment.

The Athletics’ surprising $6 million investment in Civale over the winter worked out well initially — he started off 5-1 with a 2.70 ERA through nine starts — but it always figured to end badly. He loses his spot now after allowing 31 earned runs over 28 innings while going 0-6 in his last seven starts. He’ll become a free agent after clearing waivers and should quickly land a minor league deal, if he wants one. Jacob Lopez is probably the favorite to replace Civale in the rotation next week.

07/16/2026:

Gerrit Cole will start for the Yankees in Friday night’s second half opener against the Dodgers.

Cole will be followed by Ryan Weathers on Saturday and Cam Schlittler on Sunday. The 35-year-old hurler had a solid first half in his return from Tommy John surgery, posting a 4.04 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and a 47/11 K/BB ratio over 49 innings of work through his first nine starts.

07/16/2026:

MLB.com’s Kennedi Landry reports Jacob deGrom’s next start is “still TBD.”

The Rangers will open with Cal Quantrill and MacKenzie Gore against the Braves on Friday and Saturday, leaving a TBA slot open for deGrom on Sunday. DeGrom missed his last start before the All-Star break with what was announced as a “mild left glute strain.” There’s no reason to think that he’s going to go on IL over this yet, and deGrom did tell reporters that he was going to throw off the mound in Atlanta. It’s possible he’s pushed back beyond Sunday.

07/16/2026:

Reid Detmers will start for the Angels in Friday’s second half opener against the Tigers.

Detmers has been a viable fantasy option for most of the first half of the season despite winning only three games, as he registered a 4.19 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and a 123/35 K/BB ratio across 108 2/3 innings through his first 19 starts. He’ll be followed in the Angels’ rotation by Grayson Rodriguez and Ryan Johnson in their weekend series against the Tigers. Jose Soriano and Walbert Urena will pitch on Monday and Tuesday respectively against the Cardinals.

07/16/2026:

Brendan Donovan (groin) began his rehab assignment in the Arizona Complex League on Wednesday.

Donovan batted leadoff and was the designated hitter. He’s been on the injured list with a strained groin since May 17th, so Donovan will likely need a few weeks of games before he’s back up in Seattle. How the playing time shakes out now that Cole Young and Colt Emerson are both up will be the other question that needs to be answered.

07/16/2026:

Astros acquired OF Jadyn Fielder from the Brewers for RHP Lance McCullers and LHP Colton Gordon.

McCullers is making $17 million this year in the final year of a five-year deal, so this was mostly a salary dump to free up money for other trades. Fielder, who is the son of Prince Fielder, is hitting .233/.415/.398 in 45 games at Single-A with three home runs, 34 runs, 23 RBI, and 10 steals. He also doesn’t seem to have a real defensive position, so he’s a long shot to push for MLB at-bats in the future.

07/16/2026:

Tyler Glasnow (back) threw a bullpen session last weekend.

He’s progressing slowly, per The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya, and is trying to clear each step without his back flaring up. Glasnow looks likely to be out for quite a bit longer given how slow he’s been to start throwing. An August return is probably on the table, but it might be mid-to-late August at this point.

07/16/2026:

Brewers acquired LHP Colton Gordon and RHP Lance McCullers Jr. from Astros for OF prospect Jadyn Fielder.

Gordon has only thrown 9 1/3 innings for the Astros this season, but he’s posted a 3.69 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and 55/14 K/BB ratio in 70 2/3 innings in Triple-A. Gordon, much like Shane Drohan and Chad Patrick, has experience both as a starter and a reliever, so he will provide some organizational depth and potential bulk innings for the Brewers down the stretch.

07/16/2026:

Brewers GM Matt Arnold said he’s receiving positive reports from Kyle Harrison, who went on the IL on Saturday with forearm tightness.

Arnold said the Brewers wouldn’t rush Harrison back. At this point, however, it doesn’t seem like the left-hander is in store for a lengthy absence.

07/16/2026:

Pirates acquired OF Robert Hassell III from the Nationals for a player to be named later or cash considerations.

Hassell was outrighted off the 40-man roster on Sunday, so he won’t cost a 40-man roster spot for the Pirates. He’s hit just .215/.304/.289 with two homers in 258 plate appearances at Triple-A Rochester. The Pirates will likely see if some time in Indianapolis will bring his bat back to life.

07/16/2026:

Logan Henderson will start Friday’s game against the Marlins.

The Brewers will lead off the second half of the season with Henderson on Friday, Shane Drohan on Saturday, and Robert Gasser on Sunday against the Marlins. Henderson was 3-1 with a 3.13 ERA and 0.99 WHIP over the first half while missing some time due to a back strain. He’ll make for a nice 12-team starter on Friday.

07/16/2026:

The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya reports Enrique Hernández (oblique) will start a rehab assignment and could be active by July 28.

Hernández only played a game and change after coming off the injured list in late May from a surgically repaired elbow. The versatile utility man figures to have little fantasy value, but will be a boost for the Dodgers if he can get back on the field.

07/16/2026:

Griffin Jax will start for the Rays for their second half opener against the Red Sox.

The Rays are expected to go with Mason Englert, either as a traditional starter or behind an opener for the second game of Friday’s doubleheader. Ian Seymour will then get the ball on Saturday and Shane McClanahan will start in Friday’s series finale.

07/16/2026:

Gage Jump will start Friday’s game against the Nationals.

The A’s will set their rotation to start the second half as Jump on Friday, J.T. Ginn on Saturday, and Jacob Lopez on Sunday in their three-game set against the Nationals. Jump, 3-4 with a 3.51 ERA, struggled a bit towards the beginning of July but bounced back against the White Sox. He’s definitely a viable mixed-league starter when he’s not pitching at home.

07/16/2026:

Nationals activated RHP Max Kranick (elbow) from the 60-day injured list.

Kranick underwent flexor tendon surgery in August of last season and will make his season debut when he gets into a game. The 28-year-old posted a 3.65 ERA over 37 innings with the Mets last year and should be a solid contributor to the Nationals’ bullpen, something they desperately need.

07/16/2026:

Dean Kremer will start for the Orioles on Friday evening against the Astros in Houston.

The 30-year-old right-hander will get the ball for the O’s in their second half opener. Injuries limited him to just four starts in the first half where he posted a 4.09 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and a 24/4 K/BB ratio over 22 innings of work. Trevor Rogers will follow on Saturday with Kyle Bradish getting the ball in Sunday’s series finale.

07/16/2026:

Peter Lambert will start for the Astros in Friday’s second half opener against the Orioles.

The 29-year-old right-hander had a terrific first half for the Astros, compiling a 3.14 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and an 81/33 K/BB ratio across 86 innings through his first 15 starts. At this stage, he should be considered a viable weekly option in all mixed leagues. Spencer Arrighetti will follow him on Saturday with Hunter Brown getting the ball in Sunday’s series finale in Houston.

07/16/2026:

According to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic, the Diamondbacks plan to promote Tyler Locklear from Triple-A Reno prior to Friday’s second-half opener.

He’ll take the roster spot that was vacated when Tommy Troy (shoulder) landed on the injured list. Lockler, 25, has slashed an impressive .313/.394/.502 with eight homers and 36 RBI in 241 plate appearances over 54 games at Triple-A Reno this season. He should get an opportunity to see regular action at first base and could make for an interesting deep league or NL-only pickup.

07/16/2026:

The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner and Brendan Kuty believe George Lombard Jr. could play shortstop for the Yankees “well before the calendar turns to September and rosters expand.”

They condition this with the idea that he’ll need to show his injured fingers are fine and he’ll need to keep producing for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre when he returns. But in their eyes, the Yankees have no confidence in Anthony Volpe or José Caballero at this point. They also quote Yankees GM Brian Cashman as saying that Lombard “might be a choice at some point.”

07/16/2026:

Independent reporter Francys Romero reports the Marlins have signed first-round pick SS Jacob Lombard to a deal with a $5 million signing bonus.

Lombard, the brother of George Lombard Jr., will immediately profile as one of the Marlins’ top prospects after unexpectedly sliding to their slot with the 14th overall pick in last Saturday’s draft. He does carry some swing-and-miss risk, but is one of the best athletes in the class and should be on the dynasty radar immediately.

07/16/2026:

Brewers acquired RHP Lance McCullers Jr. and LHP Colton Gordon from the Astros for OF Jadyn Fielder.

This move was reported a few hours ago and is now official. McCullers was up to 77 pitches in his last rehab start, so there’s a chance that he could join the Milwaukee rotation shortly. The Brewers are picking up the $2.5 million remaining on McCuller’s contract. It’s a worthwhile flier given their recent injuries and the Brewers still have time to look for rotation upgrades before the August 3 trade deadline.

07/16/2026:

Brewers acquired RHP Lance McCullers Jr. and LHP Colton Gordon from the Astros for minor league OF Jadyn Fielder.

This move was reported a few hours ago and is now official. McCullers was up to 77 pitches in his last rehab start, so there’s a chance that he could join the Milwaukee rotation shortly.

07/16/2026:

Brewers GM Matt Arnold indicated that Lance McCullers Jr.'s next outing could take the form of a major league start.

Arnold also indicated that fellow acquisition Colton Gordon will likely head to Triple-A for now. If McCullers, who has been on the IL for two months with shoulder inflammation, is activated, one imagines he’d be part of a six-man rotation the first time through. He could bump Robert Gasser afterwards if he proves worthy. McCullers made his last start July 7, giving up four runs — two earned — in four innings for Triple-A Sugar Land.

07/16/2026:

Michael McGreevy will start for the Cardinals in Friday’s second half opener on Friday against the Diamondbacks in Arizona.

McGreevy had an outstanding first half for the Cardinals, posting a 3.01 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and a 66/23 K/BB ratio over 101 2/3 innings through his first 18 starts. Dustin May will follow on Saturday with Andre Pallante taking the ball in Sunday’s series finale.

07/16/2026:

Athletics optioned 1B Joey Meneses to Triple-A Las Vegas.

The A’s demoted Meneses and Brian Serven from the position player side. Donovan Walton, who was just claimed off waivers from the Angels, is taking one spot. The other spot has yet to be filled, but it’ll probably be a callup (Darrell Hernaiz?), since it doesn’t sound like any of the team’s injured position players are ready to be activated. Meneses is 3-for-20 with three walks in his nine games with the A’s this year.

07/16/2026:

Bryce Miller will start Friday’s game against the Giants.

The Mariners will open the second half with Miller on Friday, Bryan Woo on Saturday, and Logan Gilbert on Sunday. All three of them have been gifted a good matchup against a Giants team that has struggled at the plate this year.

07/17/2026:

MLB Network’s Jon Morosi reports that Jacob Misiorowski “is likely to return to the starting rotation during the July 20-22 series versus the Mets.”

Misiorowski had his final start before the All-Star break skipped due to fatigue, and then was not in the rotation announced this weekend. The Brewers have said they will get creative with Misiorowski’s usage down the stretch because he is already at 111 innings this season. He did throw 129 innings between the Majors and minors last year, so we’d expect the Brewers to be comfortable with him getting to at least 140 during the regular season, if not more, so that’s plenty of time for him to positively impact fantasy teams. He may just have a start pushed back here and there to make sure he’s fresh for the postseason.

07/16/2026:

MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy believes the Brewers are “going to require some creativity in the coming months” around Jacob Misiorowski’s workload.

The Brewers, at 59-37, are in no jeopardy of losing a playoff spot at this point. Misiorowski is already within 31 innings of his total from last year in the minors, majors and postseason. We don’t want to read too much into this — all we know for sure is that Misiorowski isn’t expected to start in the first series after the break, but it’s definitely possible that Misiorowski is managed carefully down the stretch of the season and has lower pitch and inning limits ahead of the postseason. McCalvy writes that Misiorowski is expected to have “an extended breather over the All-Star break and into the second half.” We knew about the All-Star break, but it’s worth noting that based on that quote he may miss some time early in the second half of the season as well.

07/16/2026:

Bailey Ober will start for the Twins as they open the second half of the season against the Cubs in Chicago on Friday evening.

He’ll be followed by Taj Bradley on Saturday afternoon and Zebby Matthews on Sunday afternoon at Wrigley Field. The expectation is that Joe Ryan would then start on Monday against the Guardians in Cleveland. Ober is coming off of a decent first half where he registered a 4.40 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and a 51/19 K/BB ratio over 71 2/3 innings in his first 13 starts.

07/16/2026:

Padres placed LHP Wandy Peralta on the bereavement list.

Peralta’s father passed away just prior to the break. The reliever will be eligible to rejoin the Padres this weekend.

07/16/2026:

Geraldo Perdomo received a cortisone injection in his sore left hand over the All-Star break.

The 26-year-old shortstop had been playing through some soreness since the start of the season, so he got a cortisone injection to help out. Diamondbacks’ manager Torey Lovullo told reporters on Thursday that it’s not something that should hinder him going forward and isn’t something that should cause him to miss any time. It sounds like fantasy managers don’t have anything to worry about here. He’s considered day-to-day.

07/16/2026:

MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo believes Brooks Raley and A.J. Minter are “as good as out the door.”

Both left-handers can become free agents at the end of the season, and the Mets aren’t close to the playoffs. We may not see a huge sell-off from the Mets while they look to compete again in 2027, but pending free agents should definitely be on the radar.

07/16/2026:

Roki Sasaki will start the Dodgers’ second half opener against the Yankees on Friday evening in New York.

He’ll be followed by Emmet Sheehan on Saturday and Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Sunday. The Dodgers have not announced when Shohei Ohtani will return to the rotation. That makes it likely that it’ll be Justin Wrobleski and Eric Lauer in some order for the first two games against the Phillies in Philadelphia to open next week.

07/16/2026:

Athletics optioned C Brian Serven to Triple-A Las Vegas.

Serven has served two brief stints with the A’s this month, going 1-for-4 in two appearances. He’ll head back to Triple-A and continue to serve as insurance in case Shea Langeliers or Jonah Heim gets hurt.

07/16/2026:

Diamondbacks sent 1B Pavin Smith outright to Triple-A Reno.

No one thought it was worth taking on the rest of Smith’s $2.25 million salary in the hopes that he’d bounce back. The 30-year-old had hit just .141/.236/.192 in 89 plate appearances since returning from elbow surgery. He was pretty good in limited action the previous two years, batting .262/.357/.475 in 446 plate appearances between 2024 and ’25. The Diamondbacks don’t have much ahead of him at first base, so if he rebounds, he might get another chance. That said, Tyler Locklear is probably ahead of him in line for a look.

07/16/2026:

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he has “no idea when” Will Smith (neck) will return.

Same. Roberts lead with saying he expects Smith back this year, but this is not exactly a ringing endorsement that it will be any time soon. Smith has been swinging, but The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya describes his recovery as “stagnant.” Dalton Rushing figures to remain the Dodgers’ main catcher going forward and should be rostered in most leagues at this point.

07/16/2026:

Diamondbacks placed OF Tommy Troy on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to July 12, with a sprained right AC joint.

Troy, who was hurt crashing into the wall in Saturday’s game, will exit the outfield mix for at least the first week back from the All-Star break, resulting in probably an additional start or two for Loudres Gurriel Jr. and Max Kepler.

07/16/2026:

Athletics selected the contract of RHP Yunior Tur from Triple-A Las Vegas.

Tur, a 26-year-old signed out of Cuba in 2023, will be making his major league debut. He had a 4.41 ERA and a 64/26 K/BB over 51 innings in five starts and 22 relief appearances for Las Vegas. He’s been a one- and two-inning guy of late, so expect the A’s to use him in low-leverage relief for now.

07/16/2026:

Rangers released RHP Austin Voth.

Voth was just signed to a minor league deal a couple of weeks ago and apparently requested the move, so we’re going to assume he’s on his way back to Asia. The 34-year-old pitched for Chiba Lotte in Japan last season, posting a 3.96 ERA in 125 innings. He’d given up 11 earned runs in 10 innings for the Blue Jays and Twins this season.

07/16/2026:

Brewers transferred LHP Rob Zastryzny to the 60-day injured list with a left trapezius strain.

This rules out Zastryzny through July 30. He still hasn’t pitched in a major league game this season; he missed the first two months with a shoulder strain, was activated May 31 and then was put back on the IL on June 3 without having made an appearance.