Mark Vientos slugs two-run homer in loss to Braves

That means the team will push Mitch Keller to next week. It makes sense to use Jones, who is clearly on a pitch count, in the first start after the break because it means the bullpen will be fresh.

Nola will start on Thursday, there will then be a day off to accommodate the World Cup Final, and then Luzardo and Rangel will throw on Saturday and Sunday. The Phillies could have chosen to use Zack Wheeler on normal rest this weekend, but the veteran will likely get a two-start week against the Dodgers and Yankees instead.

Webb was a member of the NL All-Star team, but he did not pitch in the game on Tuesday. That will enable him to pitch over the weekend once regular-season games begin again. Tyler Mahle and Trevor McDonald will then follow on Monday and Tuesday against the Royals.

Ford came to the Nationals in the offseason in a trade for reliever Jose A. Ferrer and immediately became one of the top prospects in Washington’s system. He was sent to Triple-A, where he played through a shoulder injury and hit .223/.370/.335 in 58 games with four home runs, 34 runs scored, and 22 RBI. However, Ford has been improving of late, posting an .841 OPS in June and then hitting .292/.486/.542 in eight games in July with a 7/9 K/BB ratio. Keibert Ruiz is hitting .275/.302/.465 with seven home runs and 35 RBI in 62 games this season, so Ford is not going to immediately supplant him, but the young prospect could see regular starts against left-handed pitchers early on. He remains off the fantasy radar for now.

The White Sox will return from the break with their top three starters going. This will also set up Erick Fedde for a two-start week against Texas and Houston the following week.

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.

The move is retroactive to July 12th. The Nationals will need to add a back-up catcher to the roster before Friday.

No word yet on what the return will be, but this is a surprising development given how long McCullers has been a part of the Astros organization. The veteran is close to returning from a shoulder injury, but he also posted a 6.86 ERA in eight starts to begin the year so the Astros seem to feel he doesn’t fit into their rotation plans anymore. The Brewers have had plenty of success in the past with pitchers who have lower velocity, but a deep mix of pitches, so it wouldn’t be surprising if they were able to get a good run of production out of McCullers the rest of the way. We still wouldn’t add him in anything but deep 15 team leagues.

Bellinger delivered a two-run single off Phillies ace Cristopher Sánchez in the first inning that proved to be more than enough for the American League’s loaded pitching staff as they piled up 15 strikeouts and tossed a three-hit shutout. It was his lone hit in three at-bats during the low-scoring affair. The 31-year-old outfielder made an impact during his first Midsummer Classic appearance since 2019. The Yankees open the second half with a three-game series in New York against the defending World Series champion Dodgers starting on Friday.

Vargas supplied the lone hit for either side in a low-scoring Midsummer Classic when he took his former Dodgers minor league teammate Justin Wrobleski deep with a 433-foot blast into the second deck in left field in the eighth inning. The American League’s pitching staff was the story in this one, piling up an astronomical 15 strikeouts and tossed a three-hit shutout. Vargas was one of the driving forces behind Chicago’s rapid turnaround, finishing the first half with a .245/.355/.493 slash line with a career-high 21 homers, 59 RBI and 11 stolen bases across 409 plate appearances through 94 games. The White Sox kick off the second half with a road series against the Blue Jays.