TL;DRSkim

The five fastest-moving roster calls of the morning, in priority order:

• ADD — Emilio Pagán (CIN, RP): nearing activation (clean rehab Friday, pitches again Sunday) to reclaim the Reds' closer role — grab the saves, especially with Tony Santillan now on the IL.
• ADD — Joe Mack (MIA, C, 4% owned): Liam Hicks to the IL with back tightness opens everyday catching reps — a speculative add in two-catcher formats.
• HOLD — Royce Lewis (MIN, 1B): a 3-for-5 walk-off night caps a real turnaround (.296/.346/.521, 4 HR, 9 RBI since returning) — a legit breakout to hold.
• WATCH — Grayson Rodriguez (LAA, SP): set for what may be his only rehab start Sunday before rejoining the Angels' rotation — an accelerated, bullish timeline.
• NOTE — Mets fire manager Carlos Mendoza (Andy Green interim) amid a June collapse — watch for lineup and bullpen-usage changes.

Pagán nears activation to reclaim the Reds' ninth

ADD · CIN · RP

Emilio Pagán is on the doorstep of a return: he threw a clean rehab inning Friday for Triple-A Louisville (six pitches, scoreless), is set to pitch again Sunday, and would be activated immediately after — stepping back into the closer role he held before his hamstring injury. The timing matters, because the Reds just lost Tony Santillan to the 15-day IL with a left oblique strain that manager Terry Francona called "pretty significant… we're going to lose him for a while," per Mark Sheldon. With Santillan (who'd been covering the ninth) out and rookie Zach McCambley the only fresh arm recalled, Pagán walks straight back into saves.

Action: Add Pagán wherever he's available — he has the clearest path to the Reds' ninth inning, and Santillan's injury removes the main competition. Don't chase the Reds' committee arms in the meantime.

Hicks to the IL; Mack steps into the Miami catching job

ADD · MIA · C

Liam Hicks was placed on the 10-day IL with a low-back strain, opening the primary catching reps for Joe Mack (4% owned), who's eligible immediately.

Action: Add Mack in 12-plus-team and two-catcher leagues for the everyday-reps upside; monitor the Marlins' catcher splits to confirm his playing-time floor.

Lewis caps his turnaround with a walk-off

HOLD · MIN · 1B

Royce Lewis went 3-for-5 and drove in the winning run with a walk-off hit, per @DanHayesMLB. Since returning, he's hitting .296/.346/.521 with 4 homers and 9 RBIs, with Hayes noting a visible swing change behind the production — exactly the kind of underlying shift that makes a turnaround stick rather than fade.

Action: Hold Lewis in all formats; he's a legitimate breakout, not a regression candidate, and a buy-low target if his owner still doubts the bat.

Grayson Rodriguez nears an accelerated return

WATCH · LAA · SP

Grayson Rodriguez is set to make a rehab start Sunday that, per manager Kurt Suzuki, may be his only one before rejoining the Angels' rotation, per @JeffFletcherOCR. A single-rehab-start return signals quick progress and high confidence in his readiness.

Action: Monitor Sunday's outing; expect a rotation return within 7-10 days if he comes through it clean — a bullish timeline for his mid-rotation value.

Mets fire Mendoza; Andy Green takes over on an interim basis

NOTE · NYM · TEAM

The Mets fired manager Carlos Mendoza and named Andy Green interim manager amid a brutal June that's dropped New York out of contention, per multiple reports. A managerial change of this scope can shift lineup construction and bullpen deployment.

Action: No immediate roster move, but watch the Mets' lineup cards and ninth-inning usage closely over the next week — interim-manager changes often reshuffle batting orders and leverage roles.

Tolle perfect through five against the Yankees

WATCH · BOS · SP

Left-hander Payton Tolle was perfect through five innings on just 51 pitches against the Yankees at Fenway, including a 10-pitch strikeout of the side in the second, per multiple Yankees and Red Sox beat writers. It's one of the cleaner efficiency lines of the week.

Action: Watch the final line; if he closes out a strong start (6-plus innings, minimal damage), he's a stream candidate for SP-needy teams next week.

Rutschman trending toward activation

WATCH · BAL · C

Adley Rutschman, eligible off the concussion IL, took a full workday including on-field BP and is "trending in the right direction," per @masnRoch.

Action: Hold in all leagues; activation looks likely within 48 hours barring a setback.

Jobe throws live BP, eyeing a post-break return

STASH · DET · SP

Jackson Jobe, about 13 months removed from Tommy John surgery, throws live batting practice — his first time facing hitters since May 2025 — with A.J. Hinch signaling a return sometime after the All-Star break. (Separately, Wenceel Pérez was moved to the 60-day IL, an administrative step that doesn't change his orbital-fracture timeline.)

Action: Stash Jobe in dynasty and 14-plus-team leagues with IL flexibility; the accelerated rehab and Hinch's confidence point to a late-July/early-August window.

Trout reports good progress on light jogging

WATCH · LAA · OF

Mike Trout did some light jogging and said "it felt good," per @JeffFletcherOCR, though no return date is set — a normal early-recovery step in his hamstring rehab.

Action: Hold Trout in all leagues; the trajectory is positive, with activation likely in the 7-14 day range barring a setback.

Stanton starts low-volume work; Judge's re-imaging on hold

HOLD · NYY · OF / DH

Giancarlo Stanton (calf) has begun low-volume workouts, pointing to a possible 10-14 day return, while Aaron Judge's rib re-imaging remains indefinite ("not ready to go down that road yet," per Aaron Boone), per @BryanHoch.

Action: Hold both; expect Stanton within two weeks, Judge on a more cautious, open-ended timeline.

De Jesus earning a bigger role in the Tigers' pen

HOLD · DET · RP

Enmanuel De Jesus has a 1.04 ERA over 13 innings (13 K, 3 H) since May 21 and has pitched in three of the last four games, a clear usage uptick, per @evanwoodbery.

Action: Hold if rostered and monitor for higher-leverage work; not yet a closer candidate, but a reliable ratios arm trending up.

Koenig reinstated by the Brewers

WATCH · MIL · RP

The Brewers reinstated lefty Jared Koenig from the IL for the series opener against the Cubs, back from the elbow injury that had sidelined him since April, per @AdamMcCalvy.

Action: Monitor Koenig's leverage over the next few games; no immediate add trigger until his role clarifies.

Adell homers in another Angels loss

HOLD · LAA · OF

Jo Adell (79% owned) hit a two-run homer in the Angels' 9-3 loss to Oakland, per @RhettBollinger — a bright spot on a night Walbert Ureña's quality-start streak ended with a rough outing (7 ER).

Action: Hold Adell; the homer is a small positive, but his ownership already reflects his value.

Quiet contributors: Clemens, McCarthy, and France go deep

HOLD · Multiple · INF/OF

A few low-owned bats homered: Kody Clemens (MIN, 22% owned) added a homer and two RBIs, Jake McCarthy (ARI, 17% owned) went 3-for-5 with a homer and two RBIs, and Ty France (SD, 1% owned) homered with three RBIs.

Action: Hold all three if rostered; France in particular (48% hard-hit) is a deep-league power flier worth a look in 14-plus-team formats.

Liberatore scuffling through a June swoon

HOLD · STL · SP

Matthew Liberatore has allowed 17 earned runs and seven homers over his last four starts, and the Cardinals have signaled caution about his next outing, per @JohnDenton555.

Action: Hold with a watchful eye; another rough start could make him a drop in shallow leagues — check his velocity and spin next time out.

Morel released by the Marlins

DROP · MIA · OF

Christopher Morel was released by Miami, effectively ending his 2026 MLB stint, per @IsaacAzout.

Action: Drop Morel in all formats; released players don't return mid-season.