Hunter Greene strikes out 12 in win over Cubs

Emerson started the year as the top prep bat in the class, and did nothing over his senior season to drop him from that spot. If anything, the 18-year-old has seen his stock rise while showing the potential to be a five-tool player. The best of these tools is a swing that is built to make hard contact to all parts of the field, and on top of a chance to hit for a high average, there’s 25-plus homer potential in his left-handed swing. He’s an above-average runner who should steal plenty of bags, and there’s nothing that suggests he won’t be able to play shortstop at the highest level. Emerson will need at least a little time in the minors before he can make an impact, but in terms of pure fantasy upside, no player in the class -- regardless -of level -- has a better chance of being a star.

The Mets aren’t going to take any chances with the All-Star break looming at the conclusion of the weekend. Virtually every player is dealing with bumps and bruises at this juncture of the season. Bichette has delivered at the dish recently, hitting .309 (38-for-123) with five homers and 19 RBI over his last 30 games. There’s a decent chance he’s back for Sunday’s first-half finale. It’ll be Brett Baty taking over at the hot corner for the second straight contest.

Sure, why not. Durbin has been on a roll over the last few weeks, hitting .290 (27-for-93) with eight round-trippers in 26 games since a two-homer outburst back on June 10. He’ll get a chance in place of Romy Gonzalez, who is on the bench in this one, with Willson Contreras continuing to serve a five-game suspension through the All-Star break.

Cholowsky was one of the most productive hitters in college baseball in his time at UCLA, and finished his junior season with .320/.452/.686 slash along with 23 homers over 60 games with the Bruins. The 21-year-old has significant power from the right side, and while the hit tool projects slightly below his power, he makes enough hard contact with a solid approach to suggest he can hit for a solid average as well. The only thing Cholowsky isn’t projected to do offensively is steal bases, as he’s only swiped 14 bags in his three seasons in college. Despite that lack of speed he’s a terrific defender who does project to stick at shortstop. Cholowsky has tremendous upside, and he has a real chance to be the best player in the class.

Rivera draws the starting assignment for Saturday’s game against the Mets in place of an injured Ranger Suarez. The 23-year-old tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings during a relief appearance for the Red Sox back on April 22. He’s posted a strong 2.44 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 62/24 K/BB ratio across 48 innings at the Triple-A level this year. He’s an interesting young arm, but too risky to trust for fantasy purposes, despite a tasty road matchup against the Mets.

Harris went 0-for-2 in his lone game with the Red Sox after being acquired from the Athletics in a trade earlier this week. His departure opens a roster spot for Eduardo Rivera to start Saturday’s game in place of an injured Ranger Suarez. He should return in a bench role later this month.

Thorton figures to draw the starting assignment instead of Kodai Senga and should factor into New York’s rotation plans down the home stretch, especially if they decide to move some pitching talent at the trade deadline in a couple weeks.

Peters gets the call to Philadelphia alongside teammate Munetaka Murakami for next week’s Midsummer Classic as a replacement for an injured Nick Kurtz (thumb). The unheralded 26-year-old hit for the cycle during Friday’s blowout win over the Athletics and has been an unexpected revelation for the upstart White Sox, slashing .303/.357/.484 with six homers and five steals in 89 games. This is his first career All-Star Game selection. It comes just a few years after Peters played for the Savannah Bananas back in 2021. He’ll add some much-needed flair to the All-Star Game for the American League.

Díaz remains on track to rejoin the Dodgers’ bullpen sometime after next week’s All-Star break, with Tanner Scott continuing to handle the ninth inning until then. The 32-year-old former All-Star closer has been sidelined since early April, when he underwent arthroscopic surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow. He got off to a rocky start during his Los Angeles debut, but his track record suggests a return to form is well within reach, but only if his health cooperates. His fastball velocity and ability to generate swinging strikes during his rehab assignment will be the key indicators that fantasy managers need to closely monitor.