Padres ship Alek Jacob back to Triple-A

Lebron is one of the most fascinating -- and one of the more volatile -- prospects in this year’s draft class. The positives are obvious, he’s a shortstop with considerable power in his right-handed bat, and that along with his 70-grade speed (on the 20-80 scouting scale) helped him hit 16 homers while stealing a whopping 42 bases in 43 attempts in 2026. He also hit just .277, which is a number that is not terribly impressive with metal bats at the college level for a top prospect -- and he struck out 177 times in as many games in his three seasons with the Crimson Tide. The good news is that there’s no real concern about the defense, and there’s no reason to think he can’t stick at shortstop, although he’d likely make an excellent center fielder if a team wanted to give him a shot. The upside for Lebron is huge -- not the first time that sentence has been typed -- but there’s a wide variety of outcomes for the 21-year-old.

Valdez took Milwaukee starter Brandon Sproat deep with a 421-foot blast to center field in the early stages of the contest before propelling Pittsburgh ahead with a seventh-inning grand slam off Brewers relief ace Aaron Ashby. The power-hitting 22-year-old rookie also added a run-scoring single just for good measure. It was his first career multi-homer performance and gives him nine round-trippers through just 26 games this season. He’ll continue to strike out more than fantasy managers would prefer, creating some batting average risk once his near-.400 BABIP inevitably regresses, but the power is real enough to justify the gamble.

Frelick took Pittsburgh starter Braxton Ashcraft deep for his first home run since April 30.

Soto was summoned to protect a one-run lead in the final frame and immediately got into trouble when he surrendered a leadoff single to Christian Yelich before issuing a one-out walk to Brice Turang and a single to William Contreras. He somehow managed to wriggle out of the bases-loaded jam completely unscathed by coaxing a game-ending double-play ball from ensuing batter Andrew Vaughn. He’s converted 12 of 16 save chances for the Pirates this season to go along with a lackluster 4.05 ERA across 40 innings.

Ashcraft concluded a strong first-half performance with a bit of a dud against Milwaukee’s loaded lineup. He coughed up five hits, including home runs to Jake Bauers and Sal Frelick. The 26-year-old is headed to next week’s All-Star Game in Philadelphia after posting a respectable 3.49 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 128/27 K/BB ratio across 113 1/3 innings across 19 starts.

Sproat wrapped up the first half by requiring a staggering 83 pitches (51 strikes) to complete three frames in an abbreviated outing to kick off Saturday’s doubleheader at PNC Park. The 25-year-old heads into the All-Star break with a pedestrian 5.16 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 87/39 K/BB ratio over 82 innings. He’s been much better over the last few weeks, but has consistently struggled to work deep into outings.

Hughes was one of the most dominant hitters in all of college baseball while hitting a sensational .375/.510/.735 for the Red Raiders and bashing 18 homers. There are not many offensive concerns with the 21-year-old, but the bat is going to have to max out because he projects as a below-average defender who likely plays in left field. He also won’t steal many bases, but if he shows a semblance of the offensive ability he did in the Big 12, he could be a middle-of-the-order hitter someday for the Astros.

This is not the best prep pitching prospect class, but Rojas is the best of the eligible arms, and he’s not a consolation prize. He’s a 6-foot-4 left-hander who still offers projection in his left arm, but already gets his fastball up to 98 mph, and there’s enough life to the offering it could be a plus-plus offering at the next level. He also shows a slider that flashes 60 grades on the 20-80 scouting scale, but that pitch and an average change still need work. There’s plenty of time for that to improve considering he just turn 19 at the end of June, and he repeats his delivery well enough to project solid command of his arsenal. He’s probably closer to mid-rotation than a frontline starter, but if the secondary pitches do make a jump, he can reach the latter.

Jung has gone 2-for-7 with three runs scored in a pair of games after missing three contests earlier this week due to right knee soreness. It doesn’t appear to be a concern heading into the All-Star break.

Helfrick was a considerable source of power for the Razorbacks, hitting 33 homers in his sophomore junior seasons including 18 in 2026. The 21-year-old swings from the right side, and as you can probably guess from those power numbers, there’s potential for plus pop in his swing; the type you see in hitters who routinely hit 30 homers or thereabouts. The hit tool, however, is more of a question mark. He struck out 55 times in 62 games for Arkansas last season, and while it also came with 55 walks, the patience along with long levers makes him someone who likely won’t hit for a high average; even if he does post a solid on-base percentage. He should be a solid defender behind the plate, and hitters who can pile up the homers while playing backstop always have a place on a roster.