Kyle Higashioka homers, pitches vs. Angels

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.

Cease took the ball for the American League and delivered an impressive performance in his first Midsummer Classic. He struck out Kyle Schwarber with a nasty slider before blowing a 98-mph fastball past Juan Soto. It was Freddie Freeman who extended the inning with a nine-pitch walk, but Cease rebounded to strike out CJ Abrams and escape the frame completely unscathed. The 30-year-old righty wrapped up a phenomenal first half in his Blue Jays debut with a 2.56 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 148/44 K/BB ratio over 98 1/3 innings. He’s performed like a bona fide fantasy ace and will open the second half with a home start this weekend against his former club, the upstart White Sox.

Sánchez drew the starting assignment for the National League in front of his hometown fans and labored through a 34-pitch opening frame. He struck out Mike Trout with a devastating changeup before giving up a sharp single to center field to Yordan Alvarez and walking Shea Langeliers on four pitches. After coaxing a harmless ground out from Junior Caminero, he issued a free pass to Bobby Witt Jr. to load the bases. Cody Bellinger followed with a two-run single to center field and Ben Rice tacked on an RBI single before Sánchez escaped the inning by striking out Riley Greene. The 29-year-old southpaw put together a remarkable 50 2/3 scoreless innings streak and finished the first half with a 2.62 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 144/25 K/BB ratio across 127 1/3 innings. He’s lined up to face the Dodgers at home in his second-half debut next week.

It’s a massive relief for Tampa Bay, and fantasy managers, as Caminero appears to have avoided serious injury based on initial imaging. The 23-year-old rising superstar was struck on the left hand by a 97-mph heater from Cardinals closer Riley O’Brien in the third inning and immediately left the exhibition contest. He’ll undergo further evaluation and treatment in the coming days, but it seems like there’s a decent chance that he’s ready to roll when the Rays kick off the second half with a doubleheader against the Red Sox on Friday at Fenway Park.