Nick Loftin plates two as Royals crush Cardinals

Hernandez leads the entire minor leagues with 93 strikeouts and holds a strong 2.04 ERA and 0.98 WHIP across 57 1/3 innings over 13 starts this season. The 19-year-old prodigy, who was selected sixth overall in last year’s draft, is already one of the top pitching prospects in baseball and projects as a certifiable fantasy ace in the future. He’s still a couple hyperspace jumps from the majors, but it wouldn’t be shocking if his present trajectory puts him in Pittsburgh at some point later next year.

It’s been a hot minute since Meneses was an interesting fantasy option, but landing in extremely hitter-friendly Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento gives him a shot at deep-league relevance. The 34-year-old veteran hasn’t appeared in the big leagues since he was with the Nationals back in 2024. He earns another shot after hitting .347 with 11 round-trippers in 34 games at Triple-A Las Vegas.

Cabrera joins Arizona’s injury-depleted rotation that lost both Ryne Nelson (elbow) and Michael Soroka (glute) earlier this week. The 24-year-old righty doesn’t throw hard, but has compiled an impressive 3.69 ERA and 64/16 K/BB ratio across 61 innings over 12 starts for Triple-A Reno in the high-octane offensive environments of the Pacific Coast League. He’s a name to watch closely in deeper mixed leagues, but isn’t a must-add option in shallow fantasy formats.

Ohtani went deep off Orioles reliever Andrew Kittredge on the eve of Father’s Day shortly after the arrival of his second child earlier in the week. The 114.6 mph moonshot was traveled 413 feet and broke up a potential shutout in the ninth inning. The 31-year-old generational talent was back in Los Angeles’ lineup following a one-game absence during Friday’s series opener while on paternity leave. The two-way superstar is scheduled to make his next pitching start against the Twins at Target Field on Wednesday.

Reynolds was lifted for a pinch-runner following a ninth-inning single in a one-run ballgame. The 31-year-old corner outfielder returned to Pittsburgh’s lineup following a one-game absence due to left groin discomfort. He’s been sensational at the dish for a couple weeks, slashing .333/.425/.602 with six homers, 22 RBI and two steals over his last 30 games.

Edwards found himself back at second base and hitting cleanup after a brief one-game absence due to left thumb soreness. It doesn’t appear to be a significant concern moving forward.

Hicks received some extra time to rest and recover due to a back issue. The 27-year-old catcher went 1-for-5 with an RBI during Friday’s series opener. He’s been one of the most impactful backstop’s in the fantasy landscape this season as a middle-of-the-order run-producer for Miami, delivering 53 RBI through 73 contests, which is tied for seventh in baseball.

Harris rejoined Atlanta’s lineup for Saturday’s showdown following a two-game absence due to a lingering lower back issue that’s cost him a couple games in recent weeks. The positive news for fantasy managers is that he doesn’t appear to be in jeopardy of requiring a trip to the injured list. The 25-year-old outfielder has been swinging the bat extremely well in recent weeks, hitting .302 (35-for-116) with seven homers over his last 30 games.

Raley has remained out of Seattle’s lineup for five consecutive contests due to a combination of illness and back tightness. It’s undoubtedly a positive sign that the 31-year-old slugging corner outfielder was available off the bench during Saturday’s contest. There’s a chance he’s feeling well enough to return for Sunday’s series finale.

Clement has been held out of Toronto’s lineup for two consecutive contests with left hip soreness. The 30-year-old infielder has cobbled together an outstanding campaign, slashing .292/.311/.440 with seven homers, 28 RBI and two steals through 75 games. The lingering hip issue appears to be impacting him recently as he’s hitting just .179 (5-for-28) over his last seven games.