Betting

It’s not hyperbolic to suggest that Bolte has been one of the hottest hitters in the entire minors this season, slashing an absurd .348/.418/.658 with 12 homers and 17 steals across 37 games in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. The 22-year-old offers an interesting blend of power and speed, and has made some noticeable strides in the contact department, while also adding some additional hard contact this season. His biggest obstacle to immediate fantasy relevance is how the Athletics get his bat into the lineup as he figures to platoon with Carlos Cortes in left field for now. He’s talented enough to warrant a speculative roster spot in all fantasy formats, but managers should keep expectations in check as he adjusts to everyday life in the big leagues.

According to the Athletics training staff, Wilson will begin a rehabilitation program to strengthen and stabilize his shoulder before he’s cleared to resume baseball activities. There is no timetable for his return and fantasy managers should anticipate a lengthy absence. The 24-year-old contact-oriented shortstop was hitting .292/.311/.398 with three homers, 19 RBI and two steals in 39 games prior to suffering the injury during Sunday’s game against the Orioles. It’ll likely be Darrell Hernaiz taking over at shortstop in his place.

Murphy hit the injured list prior to Tuesday’s series opener against the Cubs with a fractured left middle finger. The 31-year-old, who missed nearly six weeks to open the year recovering from offseason hip surgery, will likely be sidelined until after the All-Star break in mid-July. It’ll be journeyman Sandy León taking his roster spot as Drake Baldwin’s primary caddy during his absence.

Mendoza added that Robert will be evaluated by specialists and remains without a definitive return timetable. The 28-year-old center fielder hit the shelf with a herniated disc in his back on April 30. It’ll be rookies Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing playing regularly alongside generational talent Juan Soto in New York’s outfield for the foreseeable future. It’s a considerable lift to Ewing’s immediate fantasy outlook since it appears he’s been brought to the majors to play everyday. He offers enough batting average and stolen base appeal to be an impactful contributor in deeper mixed leagues.

No surprise here with lefty Patrick Corbin taking the ball for Toronto in this one. Simpson told reporters he’s feeling better and could potentially be available off the bench after departing the late stages of Monday’s one-sided affair with left leg cramping. He’ll be reevaluated prior to Wednesday’s series finale. It doesn’t sound like a serious concern. Fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day.

It’s awful timing for Caballero, who officially became the Yankees’ starting shortstop when Anthony Volpe was demoted to Triple-A, rather than activated off the injured list, last week. Volpe will now have an opportunity to make his case for the job. Greatly outproducing his exit velocity numbers, Caballero is batting .259/.320/.400 with four homers and 13 steals this season, though he also leads the league with five caught stealings.

Volpe was hitting just .205 in nine Triple-A game, but 18 of his 30 balls in play were hit hard. He was also 4-for-4 overall stealing bases in 18 minor league games since returning from shoulder surgery. Although he’s not starting tonight because he’s in transit to the ballpark, he should be the regular shortstop while José Caballero is out, making him worth picking up in mixed leagues. If he excels, the Yankees could turn Caballero into a utilityman once he returns.

Basallo is back at DH and hitting fifth after being scratched from Monday’s lineup with left knee discomfort. The 21-year-old prodigy appears to be fine from a physical standpoint after being involved in a home-plate collision during Sunday’s contest against the Athletics. He’s been on fire at the plate recently, hitting .382 (21-for-55) with two homers and nine RBI over his last 15 games.

Tyler Black was sent down to make room. Yelich is back from a groin strain suffered exactly one month ago. He’ll surely DH most of the time for the Brewers, which will typically leave just one lineup spot for Garrett Mitchell and Jake Bauers against right-handers. That’ll have the Brewers picking between defense and offense, with Mitchell in center and Jackson Chourio in left or Chourio in center and Bauers in left. Bauers probably ought to be dropped in leagues in which he was picked up.

The current CBA expires on Dec. 1, at which point MLB is widely expected to lock out the players. The league is going to argue for a salary cap system, which the players, of course, want no part of. Most likely, the lockout will linger into at least February and quite possibly March but hopefully no longer before an agreement gets done.