Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Adolis Garcia (shoulder) was removed from Thursday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays early after pulling a muscle in his right shoulder area, according to Lochlahn March of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Garcia is being evaluated further. The 33-year-old Cuban was holding his right arm after making a throw to home plate while trying to throw out George Springer in the seventh inning of the Phillies' eventual 7-4 win at the Rogers Centre. Garcia was replaced in right field by Steward Berroa after he went 0-for-3 at the plate with a walk and a strikeout. Until we know more about the severity of Garcia's shoulder injury, we'll consider him day-to-day. If the injury isn't serious, Garcia could be back on the field for the Phillies as soon as Friday's series opener in Milwaukee against the Brewers after a scheduled day off on Thursday. The two-time All-Star has continued to trend downward in 2026 in his first year in Philly, as he's currently hitting under the Mendoza Line with seven homers, 21 RBI, 21 runs, and three steals across his 67 games played.

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New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone failed to provide an exact date but said that starting pitcher Max Fried (elbow) will undergo new imaging on his elbow later this week, per Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News. Fried has been on the 15-day injured list since mid-May due to a bone bruise in his pitching elbow, but he has advanced to throwing long toss and appears to be making steady progression towards a return. The 32-year-old recorded a 4-3 record with a 3.21 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, and 50 strikeouts across 61 2/3 innings (10 starts) before getting injured. Fried's 20.8% strikeout rate is underwhelming for fantasy managers, but he projects as an excellent source of both ratios and wins upon his return. Fried will likely need at least a few rehab starts before he's ready to return to the Yankees, so he's likely still multiple weeks away from his return at a minimum.

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Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz (hamstring) took part in infield drills for the second straight day on Wednesday and is scheduled for an MRI on Friday, per C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic. The 24-year-old was placed on the 10-day injured list with a hamstring strain on June 1, but he appears to be making a speedy recovery and could return to the Reds lineup in short order. Across 257 plate appearances before getting injured, De La Cruz hit .280/.346/.509 with 12 home runs, 37 RBI, 40 runs scored, and 10 stolen bases. De La Cruz's production fell off a cliff in 2025 when he attempted to play through a quad injury, which could lead the Reds to bring him along more slowly this time around. Fantasy managers should check back for a more definitive return timeline following the results of De La Cruz's upcoming MRI on Friday.

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Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell said that starting pitcher Matthew Boyd (knee, shoulder) was experiencing shoulder soreness after his most recent rehab start and will not return to the Cubs rotation over the weekend as originally planned, per Vinnie Duber of the Chicago Sun-Times. Boyd has been on the 15-day injured list since early May after suffering a torn meniscus in his knee. While it appears that the veteran left-hander is ready to return from the knee ailment, he may now be facing a larger issue with his shoulder. Boyd was arguably Chicago's best starting pitcher in 2025, recording a 14-8 record with a 3.21 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 154 strikeouts across 179 2/3 innings (31 starts). However, the injury bug has come back to bite Boyd, who pitched just 202 2/3 innings across a four-season stretch from 2021 through 2024. Fantasy managers should check back for further updates on Boyd.

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Baltimore Orioles closer Ryan Helsley (elbow) is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Norfolk on Thursday, per Roch Kubatko of MASN. Helsley has been on the 15-day injured list due to elbow inflammation since late April, but he appears to be on the doorstep of a return to the big leagues. Across 10 2/3 innings (12 games) before the injury, Helsley pitched to a 2.53 ERA and 1.31 WHIP with 15 strikeouts and seven saves. While Helsley's 15.2% walk rate in a small sample size is a bit of a concern, he averaged 98.9 miles per hour on his fastball and struck out 32.6% of the batters he faced. Upon his return, he should slot back in as the primary closer in Baltimore.

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Seattle Mariners right-hander George Kirby may have taken his sixth loss of the season in Wednesday's 7-2 loss to the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards, but he still pitched very well for his fantasy managers. Kirby picked up a quality start by allowing three earned runs on seven hits (one homer) while walking three and striking out a season-high 10 in six innings of work. Everything was going well for Kirby through five shutout innings before he gave up all three runs on three extra-base hits in the sixth frame. He has now been handed a loss in four of his last five outings, but Wednesday's outing hopefully will help the 28-year-old turn things around after he had an ERA over 7.00 in his last four starts. After his strong outing on Wednesday, Kirby now has a 4.07 ERA on the season and 1.31 WHIP with 74 strikeouts and 21 walks in 84 innings across his 14 starts for the M's. The Orioles aren't the best matchup in baseball, but fantasy managers should be willing to roll the dice and start Kirby again for his rematch with Baltimore next week.

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Boston Red Sox infielder Caleb Durbin, who came into Wednesday's game at Tropicana Field against the division-rival Tampa Bay Rays with an average under the Mendoza Line and just one homer on the year, went 3-for-4 at the plate with two solo home runs to raise his season average to .204 and his OPS to .594. Both of the 26-year-old's long balls came off Rays relievers late in what was an eventual 7-5 loss on the road. Despite Durbin's ugly season-long numbers, he has actually been seeing the ball well of late, hitting .341 (15-for-44) with two home runs, five doubles, a triple, nine RBI, six runs scored, and a stolen base in his last 12 games played. Fantasy managers in shallow-mixed leagues are going to need to see more out of Durbin to consider adding him off the waiver wire after such a bad start to his first year in Beantown in 2026. The former 14th-round pick by the Atlanta Braves in 2021 out of Washington University in St. Louis is rostered in under 10% of Yahoo leagues.

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Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Drew Rasmussen was at his best on Wednesday at Tropicana Field in the team's 7-5 win over the division-rival Boston Red Sox. Rasmussen was dominant, tossing seven shutout innings with only two hits allowed, one walk, and a career-high 13 strikeouts to earn his sixth win of the season and lower his ERA on the year to 2.71. The 30-year-old veteran threw 66 of his 97 pitches for strikes and induced 20 swings and misses. Rasmussen is having a strong season for the first-place Rays, but he has been nearly unhittable of late, posting a 1.80 ERA, 0.64 WHIP, and 32:4 K:BB in 25 innings over his last four starts, putting up scoreless appearances in three of those outings. He'll be put to the test in his next scheduled start on the road against the defending World Series-champion Los Angeles Dodgers, but with the way he's been pitching of late, it's hard to recommend benching him. Rasmussen is no stranger to arm injuries, but when he's been healthy, he's been money for Tampa, posting an ERA under 3.00 in each of his four full seasons with the team.

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Kansas City Royals veteran right-hander Seth Lugo (head) was involved in a scary scene at Kauffman Stadium on Wednesday night against the visiting Texas Rangers, when he took a 106.6 mph line drive off his head off the bat of outfielder Brandon Nimmo, according to Kennedi Landry of MLB.com. Lugo got up quickly, but he had a sizeable lump on his forehead immediately and was pulled from the game as a precaution. The 36-year-old will be sent for concussion tests, at which point we'll have a better idea of whether he'll need to miss time. The good news is that Lugo was able to get up quickly, but that doesn't mean he won't be forced to go on the injured list. Before leaving, Lugo allowed an earned run on three hits while walking one and striking out two in 3 1/3 innings of work. Lugo is rostered in under half of Yahoo leagues because he has a strikeout rate under 20%, but in deeper leagues, he can still be useful as a matchup-based streamer. He entered his start on Wednesday with a 3.91 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, and 64:24 K:BB in 76 innings over 13 starts.

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Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (hamstring), who was placed on the 10-day injured list on Wednesday, has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 left-hamstring strain, manager Walt Weiss told Jesus Cano of The Athletic. Acuna is on the IL for the second time this year with the same injury, but the Braves don't believe that it is as bad as Acuna's strain in May, which kept him out for just over two weeks. All in all, it's good news for the 28-year-old former MVP. Barring a setback as he rehabs, Acuna could be back with the Braves before the All-Star break in mid-July. In the meantime, Mauricio Dubon and Eli White could share playing time in right field in Atlanta, with Dubon being the more attractive deep-league waiver-wire pickup. Acuna, a five-time All-Star and three-time Silver Slugger winner, should be stashed in all leagues, even though he's performing under his career levels so far in 2026 with a .251/.373/.421 slash line, seven homers, 22 RBI, 15 steals, and 31 runs scored in 195 at-bats.

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Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith's neck injury is progressing, but manager Dave Roberts said on Wednesday that an injured-list stint is "most likely," according to Maddie Lee of the Los Angeles Times. "We'll have to make that decision at some point in time tonight after the game," Roberts said. The 31-year-old veteran backstop was out of the starting lineup for a fourth straight game on Wednesday at PNC Park against the Pittsburgh Pirates and appears headed for an IL stint despite the Dodgers initially believing that his neck injury wasn't very serious. For however much longer Smith is out of action, Dalton Rushing will serve as the Dodgers' starting catcher. Smith, an All-Star in each of the last three seasons, hasn't been quite as productive as one of the top hitting catchers in fantasy, as he currently is sporting a .249/.338/.382 slash line with a career-worst .720 OPS, six home runs, 23 RBI, and 23 runs scored in 201 plate appearances across 52 games played. Rushing is worth a look for fantasy managers in need of a short-term upgrade at the position. In limited action, he's been better than Smith, going 30-for-105 (.286) with eight long balls, 21 RBI, and 19 runs scored.

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The Pittsburgh Pirates announced on Wednesday that they placed outfielder Oneil Cruz (hand) on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to June 8) with left-hand fourth and fifth metacarpal non-displaced fractures and recalled outfielder Billy Cook from Triple-A Indianapolis in a corresponding move. Cruz initially injured his left hand while sliding in Saturday's game against the Atlanta Braves, and he's expected to be out for a month, which means he probably won't return until after the All-Star break in mid-July. Jake Mangum made another start in center field for the Pirates on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Dodgers, and he figures to become a lineup regular going forward, at least against right-handed pitchers. The 27-year-old Cruz should not be dropped in any traditional fantasy formats while he's sidelined. He has one of the quickest bats in baseball and makes some of the loudest contact when he connects, not to mention his high-end speed on the basepaths. Through 64 games in 2026 in his sixth year in the big leagues, Cruz is slashing .264/.350/.472 with an .822 OPS, 14 homers, 44 RBI, 21 stolen bases, 45 runs scored, and a league-leading 98 strikeouts in 283 plate appearances.

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Athletics outfielder Brent Rooker (knee) is out of the starting lineup for the second straight day on Wednesday in Las Vegas against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers due to knee soreness that the team is managing, according to Martin Gallegos of MLB.com. Manager Mark Kotsay said the A's will wait to see how Rooker feels during Thursday's off day before potentially deciding on whether to place him on the injured list. With Rooker out again on Wednesday, Carlos Cortes will serve as the team's designated hitter and bat in the cleanup spot, with Lawrence Butler starting in right field and hitting sixth against Brewers right-hander Brandon Sproat. It's been a pretty rough season for the 31-year-old Rooker so far. The two-time right-handed slugger enters Wednesday's action with a .200/.281/.389 slash line, .670 OPS, 10 home runs, 29 RBI, 20 runs scored, and two stolen bases in 180 at-bats in 2026. He has looked better in seven games in June, going 6-for-25 (.240) with two homers, a double, three RBI, and five runs scored, but now he might be headed for a stay on the IL.

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Boston Red Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet (lat) told The Boston Globe's Peter Abraham that his lat strain "is a lot worse than what we thought," and he has "no idea" when he might be cleared to throw again. When Crochet initially went on the 15-day injured list in late May, he was diagnosed with a low-grade lat strain. That diagnosis was apparently wrong, and now it's looking like we may not see the talented southpaw back in Boston's starting rotation until after the All-Star break in mid-July. The 26-year-old has since been placed on the 60-day injured list. Crochet still deserves to be stashed in all traditional fantasy leagues, but his return is no longer around the corner. The two-time All-Star was as advertised in Beantown in 2025 in his first year with the team, going 18-5 with a 2.59 ERA (2.89 FIP), 1.03 WHIP, and a league-high 255 strikeouts in a league-best 205 1/3 innings over 32 games. Things have not gone as planned in Year 2 in Boston, though, as he currently has a 6.30 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, and 37:11 in just six starts.

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Colorado Rockies outfielder Jake McCarthy (illness) was scratched from the starting lineup for Wednesday's game against the visiting Chicago Cubs at Coors Field due to an illness, according to the team. Troy Johnson will make the start in right field for the Rockies and will bat seventh against Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga. McCarthy is under the weather, but he could be back in the lineup as soon as Thursday's series finale in Denver against Chicago. The 28-year-old speedy left-handed hitter has seen an increase in playing time in the past month with both Mickey Moniak (ankle) and Brenton Doyle (oblique) on the injured list, and he's taken advantage, hitting .282 (49-for-174) with four home runs, 27 RBI, 22 runs scored, and 11 stolen bases in 56 games in his first year with the Rockies. McCarthy has been especially hot recently, going 18-for-59 (.305) with two homers, four doubles, eight RBI, 10 runs, and two steals in 14 games since May 24. If you need speed in deeper leagues, McCarthy is worth a look off the waiver wire.

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Seattle Mariners rookie infielder Cole Emerson (back) remains out of the starting lineup on Wednesday against the Baltimore Orioles due to back spasms, but he took swings in the cages and is feeling a little bit better, according to Adam Jude of The Seattle Times. Emerson is expected to avoid a stint on the injured list. Cole Young is making another start at the 6 and is batting leadoff, with Miles Mastrobuoni starting at second base and hitting eighth against Orioles right-hander Brandon Young. It will be the third straight game that Emerson will start on the bench due to back spasms, but he could return to the starting nine as soon as Thursday's series finale at Camden Yards. With J.P. Crawford (hand) on the IL right now, Emerson will be Seattle's preferred option at shortstop when he recovers from his back injury. In his first 62 major-league at-bats, the 20-year-old former first-rounder in 2023 has hit .242 (15-for-62) with four home runs, five doubles, 10 RBI, and nine runs scored across 69 plate appearances. Emerson is one of the more intriguing young infield prospects in the majors.

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Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Daulton Varsho (wrist) is missing a fifth straight game on Wednesday against the visiting Philadelphia Phillies due to a left-wrist injury, according to MLB.com. Myles Straw is making another start in center field and is batting eighth against Phillies left-hander Jesus Luzardo. An MRI exam on Varsho's wrist came back negative on Tuesday, so he should be considered day-to-day with a good chance to return in Friday's series opener against the division-rival New York Yankees after a scheduled day off for Toronto on Thursday. Varsho entered Tuesday's game against Philly off the bench as a pinch-runner and recorded a stolen base in a win over the Phils. The 29-year-old left-handed-hitting outfielder hasn't really moved the needle all that much for fantasy managers in 2026, producing a .256/.331/.408 slash line, .738 OPS, five home runs, 17 RBI, five stolen bases, and 27 runs scored across his 211 at-bats. Straw has hit .333 with three RBI in nine career at-bats against Luzardo, but he's still an easy fade in DFS.

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Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith (neck) is missing a fourth straight game on Wednesday against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park, according to MLB.com. Dalton Rushing will make another start behind the dish and catch right-hander Shohei Ohtani while batting eighth against Pirates right-hander Jared Jones. Manager Dave Roberts initially said that Smith's neck injury was not serious, but with each passing day that he remains out, the possibility of him landing on the injured list increases. The good news is that the 31-year-old veteran backstop did some throwing and took batting practice in the batting cage before Tuesday's win over Pittsburgh. Check back to see if Smith is feeling good enough to play in Thursday's series finale against the Bucs. The three-time All-Star could be starting to slow down offensively in his eighth year in the big leagues, as he enters Wednesday's contest with a disappointing .249/.338/.382 slash line with a career-low .720 OPS, six home runs, 23 RBI, and 23 runs scored in his 52 games played in 2026.

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The Toronto Blue Jays announced that they reinstated veteran right-hander Max Scherzer (forearm, ankle) from the 15-day injured list, and he will start Wednesday night's game against the visiting Philadelphia Phillies. Not only is Scherzer not nearly as dominant as he was in his prime, but he has battled injuries continuously over the last couple of seasons. The future Hall of Famer is back in Toronto's starting rotation, though, and he will look to tame the surging Phillies in his first big-league start since April 24. Scherzer has been sidelined with right-forearm tendinitis and also battled inflammation in his left ankle. The three-time Cy Young winner only got up to 3 2/3 innings and 73 pitches in his final minor-league rehab assignment last week, so fantasy managers shouldn't expect him to have a very long leash on Wednesday night at the Rogers Centre. We recommend fading the 41-year-old veteran after he recorded a 9.64 ERA, 1.61 WHIP, and 10:8 K:BB in 18 2/3 innings over his five starts for the Blue Jays earlier this year.

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Minnesota Twins right-hander Mick Abel (elbow) is starting a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A St. Paul on Wednesday, according to MLB.com. The 24-year-old has been out since late April with right-elbow inflammation, but he will return to game action on the farm and should be back in Minnesota's starting rotation by the end of the month. He is scheduled to throw three innings or around 50 pitches in his first rehab start on Wednesday with the Saints, meaning he will likely need at least one or two more starts in the minors before being reinstated from the 15-day injured list. The former first-rounder in 2020 by the Philadelphia Phillies has only appeared in four games (three starts) for the Twins in 2026, posting a 3.98 ERA (2.76 FIP) and 1.57 WHIP with 23 strikeouts and 10 starts across 20 1/3 innings pitched. Because of his strikeout upside and guaranteed rotation spot with the Twins this year, Abel is worth a look as a stash candidate as he nears a return to the big leagues. Abel is currently rostered in only 13% of Yahoo leagues.

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