Fantasy Baseball

Narvaez went 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored Saturday against the Mariners.

Narvaez has emerged as the primary catcher for the White Sox and extended his hitting streak to a modest seven games. That has pushed his average up to .294, though his counting stats are unlikely to be noteworthy due to his position in the bottom third of the batting order and the poor White Sox offense.

Murphy recorded a solo home run in his only at-bat on Saturday against the Diamondbacks.

Murphy entered the game in the eighth inning as a pinch-hitter and delivered the game-winning home run, his first of the season. He remains the backup catcher behind Chris Ianetta, seeing just 55 at-bats in 20 appearances as a result. He has recorded seven extra-base hits in his limited playing time, hinting at what he may be capable if given full-time at-bats.

Perez went 1-for-3 with a walk and a two-run home run in Saturday's 4-2 win over the Twins.

His first-inning shot off Lance Lynn gave the Royals a lead they wouldn't relinquish. Perez now has 14 homers on the year, putting him on pace for his fourth straight campaign with 20 or more, but his .223/.262/.405 slash line remains well below his usual standards.

Gomes went 1-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI on Saturday against the Rangers.

Gomes hardly stood out in the offensive barrage the Indians' lineup put together Saturday, but benefited from timely hits to have a productive night. He hasn't homered since July 3, but has seven runs scored and five RBI since then, solid numbers considering the lack of depth at catcher.

Casali went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Saturday's 6-2 loss to the Pirates.

In 19 games since joining the Reds. Casali is slashing .304/.385/.500 with two homers. His career production doesn't suggest he'll be able to keep up this pace for long, but GMs in deep NL-only formats can probably find a use for any catcher while he's hot at the plate.

The Twins optioned Astudillo to Triple-A Rochester on Saturday, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

To make room for the returning Logan Morrison (hip), Astudillo heads back to Rochester. The 26-year-old thrives on making contact but failed to make a big dent in his 19 major-league plate appearances (.263/.263/.368), though he'll return to build on a .290/.321/.489 Triple-A slash, which has been amplified by a stellar combo of seven homers and six stolen bases in 188 plate appearances. The 26-year-old's defensive versatility (catcher, second base, third base, outfield) will keep him on Minnesota's list of shuttle riders this season should another spot open up.

Belt went 1-for-4 with a solo home run Saturday against the Athletics.

Belt took Trevor Cahill deep in the fourth inning for his 14th home run of the season. Before the game, he was activated from the paternity list, though he only missed Friday's game before returning. This has been Belt's most productive season from a power standpoint, but this was his first home run since June 28 and only his third since May 20.

Desmond went 2-for-4 with a triple, run scored, RBI and stolen base Saturday against the Diamondbacks.

Desmond extended his hitting streak to eight games, during which he has gone 14-for-32 with one home run, seven runs scored, eight RBI and three stolen bases. That has helped him bring his average up to a relatively respectable .238 to complement his strong contributions across all of the counting categories.

Mauer went 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored in Saturday's 4-2 loss to the Royals.

It's his sixth multi-hit performance in his last 11 games, and Mauer's now hitting .328 (21-for-64) in July, albeit with only one homer, eight RBI and nine runs in 16 games. The veteran's lack of power continues to limit his fantasy value in shallower formats, but Mauer's batting average and OBP skills keep him viable in deeper leagues.

Rizzo led off both games of Saturday's doubleheader and combined to go 5-for-7 -- including three walks in the first game a 4-for-5 effort in the second -- with one RBI and a run scored.

That puts him at 13-for-24 as a leadoff hitter with seven walks in the last seven games. Rizzo has yet to hit a homer in July -- reflective of his overall down season of .258/.359/.426 with 12 big flies -- but he still has plated 63 RBI and scored 40 times as a member of this productive Cubs lineup. For however long manager Joe Maddon sticks with this configuration, expect Rizzo's RBI pace to taper off while he possibly finds more chances to cross the plate.

Alonso went 2-for-5 with two home runs and three RBI on Saturday against the Rangers.

Alonso took Austin Bibens-Dirkx deep for both of his home runs -- a two-run shot in the fifth inning and a solo homer in the seventh inning -- and brought his season total to 15. Saturday was the first time Alonso was in the lineup post All-Star break as the Indians had faced left-handed starter Martin Perez on Friday. He wasted no time getting back into form, and that's a positive sign as he had entered Saturday's action with just a .403 slugging percentage over the past 30 days.

Bell went 4-for-4 with a double, a run scored and an RBI in Saturday's 6-2 win over the Reds.

The first baseman has endured a rough sophomore campaign so far, slashing only .267/.350/.407 with five homers in 98 games, but he's at least started to string together some hits -- Bell's posted a .355 batting average (22-for-62) over his last 19 games. If he can also re-discover the power stroke that allowed him to slug 26 homers last year, the 25-year-old could put together a big stretch run for a Pirates squad still in the wild-card race.

Marte went 2-for-3 and a walk with two runs scored Saturday against the Rockies.

Marte recorded his second consecutive multi-hit game and has been productive in the weekend set against the Rockies, knocking in four and scoring twice in two games. Despite hitting well since the start of June, Marte frequently bats in the bottom third of the Diamondbacks lineup, holding back his potential to post standout counting stats.

Odor went 2-for-4 with a stolen base Saturday against the Indians.

Odor batted second, a rare appearance toward the top of the Rangers' lineup this season. He took advantage by reaching base twice on two singles and stealing his seventh base in 13 attempts this season. While he has swung a hot bat of late -- his average has risen from .234 to .250 since July 7 -- he has hit for surprisingly little power, which is reflected in his .383 slugging percentage through 240 at-bats this season.

Wendle went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a single Saturday during the Rays' loss to the Marlins.

The vet delivered one of the few blemishes on Pablo Lopez's sterling line by charging a fastball over the center-field fence for his fifth big fly of 2018 in the fourth inning. It was his third bomb in July, during which he's rattled off a .400 average in 50 at-bats. The Rays will continue to mix and match playing time among at least two infield spots, but Wendle, who led off in this one, will stay on the card as long as he's keeping this going.

Baez was ejected from the second game of Saturday's doubleheader for arguing balls and strikes, Bruce Miles of the Chicago Daily Herald reports.

Baez and manager Joe Maddon were tossed after a checked swing that was called for strike three and wasn't appealed down the base line by umpire Will Little. It didn't appear that Baez said anything but was ejected after throwing his equipment to the ground. After going 3-for-4 with a stolen base and two RBI in the opening contest, the 2018 breakout gem will end the second game with an 0-for-3 and the controversial strikeout.

Baez went 3-for-4 with a steal, a run and a pair of RBI in the first half of Saturday's doubleheader against the Cardinals.

Baez has hardly changed his approach, walking just 3.7 percent of the time, but he's having a career year nonetheless. He's setting career highs in all three triple-slash categories (.295/.328/.564). His 19 steals easily surpass his previous high of 12, and he's on pace for 32 homers after previously hitting no more than 23. His 74 RBI lead the National League.

Zobrist went 4-for-4 with a walk and a pair of runs in Saturday's win against the Cardinals.

Somehow, the four hits didn't result in a single RBI despite Zobrist batting cleanup, but it was a good fantasy day for the veteran nonetheless. He scored twice on sacrifice flies, being driven in by Kyle Schwarber in the fifth inning and Victor Caratini in the seventh. The big day was the latest act in a bounceback season for the 37-year-old, whose 121 wRC+ is right in line with the figures he posted in 2015 (122) and 2016 (123) and far better than the 82 wRC+ he posted last year.

Chapman went 3-for-5 with two runs scored Saturday against the Giants.

All three of Chapman's hits were singles, though he came around to score the game-winning run in the 11th inning. After a power surge to begin the season -- he had six home runs by the end of April -- Chapman has managed just four homers in his last 192 at-bats. He was sidelined for just over two weeks with a hand injury throughout the second half of June, and has 13 hits -- including five doubles -- in 52 July at-bats since returning to action.

Beltre went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run Saturday against the Indians.

Beltre was the lone bright spot for the Rangers Saturday when he took Carlos Carrasco deep in the seventh inning for his fifth home run of the season. It was his first homer and just his third extra-base hit since June 23, a stretch that caused his slugging percentage to briefly dip below .400. While that's no longer the case, Beltre has provided a strong batting average with little else through 240 at-bats this season.

Gyorko sat for both games of Saturday's doubleheader due to an illness, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

The nature of what's afflicting him is unknown, so it's difficult to ascertain how long Gyorko may be out of action. Another update on his condition is likely to come Sunday.

Carpenter combined to go 2-for-4 in the Cardinals' doubleheader Saturday and hit a solo home run in both games, including a pinch-hit homer in the second contest.

The surface of the sun has nothing on Carpenter, who now has eight homers in a six-game streak, highlighted by his historic trio during a seven-RBI effort Friday. Carpenter tagged Tyler Chatwood in the third inning of the first contest and lifted one off Randy Rosario as a pinch hitter in the nightcap. For the year, he's hitting .277/.386/.593 with 25 homers, 53 RBI and 64 runs scored in 394 plate appearances. Heading into Saturday, he was slashing .352/.470/.926 for this month, and he now has 10 home runs in July.

Andujar went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles, an RBI and three runs scored Saturday against the Mets.

Andujar doubled twice against Mets starter Steven Matz. He scored as part of a three-run rally in the fourth inning and against in the sixth and eighth. The young third baseman has had a strong season at the plate so far, hitting .287/.322/.497 with 12 homers and 29 doubles in 86 games.

Donaldson (calf) is going through a running program at the Blue Jays' minor league complex with "good intensity" but still doesn't have a timetable for his return, MLB.com's Gregor Chisholm reports.

Given that Donaldson hasn't played since May 28 and already has had one setback in his attempt to return, look for him to have more than a token rehab assignment once he advances to that stage.

DeJong went 0-for-4 in the first game but rebounded to go 2-for-4 with two RBI in the second contest of Saturday's doubleheader split with the Cubs.

DeJong put his forgettable first effort behind him to make two vital offensive plays in the second: a sacrifice fly in the first inning and a go-ahead, run-scoring double in the ninth. The infielder has a hit in 10 of his 12 games since returning from the disabled list but has struggled to follow up on his breakout 2017 campaign, slashing just .258/.336/.434 with eight homers and 21 RBI in 223 plate appearances.

Taylor went 1-for-4 with two RBI in Saturday's 4-2 loss to the Brewers.

His two-run single in the first inning gave Clayton Kershaw an early lead, but the Dodgers' defense helped sabotage the ace's ability to protect it. Taylor's now hitting .290 (18-for-62) over his last 15 games with two homers and 14 RBI, pushing his slash line on the year up to .255/.332/.454.

Iglesias went 2-for-3 with a home run and four RBI in Saturday's win over the Red Sox.

The shortstop put the offense on his back while batting eighth, roping a two-run double down the left-field line off Brian Johnson in the second and clearing the left-field fence off Tyler Thornburg with a runner on in the sixth. Iglesias only has left the yard three times this season and went 0-for-12 in his previous four games, but he broke out of the slide nicely. The 28-year-old has not wowed with his .269/.307/.385 seasonal slash, but he's already set his personal record with 12 stolen bases on the season, which -- despite him being caught five times -- makes him more useful in deeper mixed leagues than he's been in the recent past.

Rosario went 3-for-4 with a run, and RBI and a steal in Saturday's loss to the Yankees.

The steal was Rosario's seventh of the year. His season has been unremarkable overall at the plate, as he's posted a modest .249/.292/.379 slash line with just four homers in 92 games.

Hechavarria exited Saturday's game against the Marlins with left oblique soreness.

He was pinch-hit for by newly recalled Justin Williams in the bottom of the seventh inning, and it remains unclear how Hechavarria sustained the injury. Williams entered the game in right field, shifting Carlos Gomez to second base as the Rays reshuffled their infield alignment. The 29-year-old should be considered day-to-day for now and will be re-evaluated Sunday.

Hechavarria, who was a late addition to Friday's lineup after Matt Duffy was scratched with back spasms, went 2-for-5 with an RBI single in a loss to the Marlins.

Hechavarria's season has had a bit of a "nine lives" quality to it thus far, as he's come back from a hamstring injury and an apparent demotion to a bench role while continuing to contribute. The veteran was thought to be in his final days as a Ray upon returning from the disabled list in mid-June, as the promising Willy Adames had been called up and deemed the everyday shortstop. Hechavarria reportedly kept a positive attitude and it's now paid off, as Adames has been sent back down to Triple-A Durham for the moment, while Hechavarria has put together a solid body of work at the plate thus far in July. Factoring in Friday's production, he's hit safely in seven straight games and .283 overall on the month.

Garcia went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run Saturday against the Mariners.

Garcia took Felix Hernandez deep in the fourth inning to record his 10th home run of the season. It was his first game since July 8 -- he was sidelined by his second hamstring injury of the season -- and he did show some signs of rust by striking out in his other three at-bats. Through 146 at-bats this season, Garcia has flashed impressive power by slugging .555.

Pence went 3-for-5 with a double, two RBI and a stolen base Saturday against the Athletics.

Pence got a rare start Saturday and took advantage by posting his first three-hit game of the season. He also stole his third base of the season, though he has not attempted more than one stolen base in any month this season. Given his sparse playing time and poor performance, this may go down as one his better performances of the season.

McCutchen went 0-for-3 with two walks and a stolen base Saturday against the Athletics.

McCutchen didn't record a hit but still managed to swipe his ninth base of the season and third in his past 10 games. He is almost certain to surpass 11 stolen bases, his highest mark since 2015. However, his disappointing .411 slugging percentage is a career low and has held back his production this season.

Souza went 3-for-4 with two RBI on Saturday against the Rockies.

Though Souza's average sits at an unsightly .212 through 85 at-bats, Saturday's effort marked his third multi-hit effort in his last five starts. Since coming off the disabled list on July 5, he has gone 11-for-42 with a home run, seven RBI, a stolen base and two runs scored.

Pham went 0-for-2 with two walks in the first game but went 2-for-4 with two RBI in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader split with the Cubs.

Pham plated two on a ninth-inning double to build the Cardinals' lead to three and help seal the win. Heading into the twin bill, Pham had gone 8-for-11 with a homer, six RBI and six runs scored, helping his fantasy shareholders regain some optimism for the second half. Despite a mixed slash (.256/.340/.415), he's complemented it with 14 homers, 10 stolen bases, 41 RBI and 66 runs in 371 plate appearances.

Springer went 1-for-4 with a walk and a grand slam in Saturday's 7-0 win over the Angels.

The sixth-inning blast gave Springer 16 homers on the season to go along with his .249/.335/.421 slash line. His overall numbers are down somewhat from his usual -- his .756 OPS would be the lowest of his career if he can't pull it up -- but he's still on pace for his third straight campaign with 25 or more homers.

Hernandez (8-8) allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits and two walks while striking out seven across five innings to take the loss Saturday against the White Sox.

Hernandez's first start since July 6 got off to a good start, as he pitched three hitless innings before unraveling to allow all four of his runs in the fourth inning. The big blow came on three-run homer by Avisail Garcia, which marked the fourth consecutive start that Hernandez has allowed a home run. Despite the disappointing inning, he tied his season high with seven strikeouts and induced 13 swinging strikes on 80 pitches. His velocity was not notably different than his season-long marks, so his swing-and-miss stuff may have been the result of a matchup against the poor White Sox lineup.

Covey (4-5) allowed two hits and two walks while striking out five across 8.1 scoreless innings to earn the win Saturday against the Mariners.

This was Covey's longest start of his career, and the first time he's pitched more than five innings in a start since June 13. He generated 12 groundball outs, limiting the Mariners' opportunity to do any damage against him. However, he generated only seven swinging strikes, making him dependent on limiting hard contact to be successful. While he has flashed that ability for several starts at a time, he has not gotten results consistently enough to be a reliable fantasy asset.

Cahill allowed one earned run on two hits and three walks while striking out five across 5.2 innings Saturday against the Giants. He did not factor into the decision.

Cahill turned in just his second start since June 2, but improved his results from his last start July 12. He generated an impressive 13 swinging strikes on only 79 pitches and got 12 of his 17 outs via either strikeout or groundball. If he can remain healthy, Cahill has flashed the potential to be useful in many formats thanks to his 2.95 ERA and 1.02 WHIP through 58 innings.

Bumgarner allowed three earned runs on two hits and six walks while striking out five across four innings Saturday against the Athletics. He did not factor into the decision.

Bumgarner threw just 47 of his 92 pitches for a strike, leading to his shortest outing of the season. He has exhibited unusually poor control throughout his nine starts and has surrendered a career-worst 3.9 BB/9 as a result. He has been able to limit damage via the long ball this season -- keeping his numbers respectable -- but in order for him to return back to ace status he will have to improve his walk rate.

Godley allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits and four walks while striking out six across five innings Saturday against the Rockies. He did not factor into the decision.

Godley didn't allow a home run for the fifth consecutive start but was derailed by struggles with his control, evidenced by four walks and two wild pitches. Free passes have been the major culprit for his struggles throughout the campaign, as in the six starts he has allowed only one walk this season, he has allowed only nine earned runs across 37.2 innings.

Freeland allowed four earned runs on five hits and three walks while striking out three across five innings Saturday against the Diamondbacks. He did not factor into the decision.

This start marked just the fourth time this season and first time since June 10 that Freeland allowed more than three earned runs in an outing. While he didn't allow an extra-base hit, his shaky control came back to haunt him in the fourth inning when he allowed the first three batters he faced to reach base on two walks and a hit by pitch. Given that his walk rate is 3.1 per nine innings through 120.2 of work, his struggles with control don't figure to be a major issue moving forward.

Davis allowed one hit and one walk but struck out two to earn his 28th save in a scoreless inning Saturday against the Diamondbacks.

Returning from a stomach issue that kept him out Friday, Davis allowed the tying run to reach scoring position with two outs, but struck out Nick Ahmed to secure the win. He is now tied with Kenley Jansen for the National League lead in saves and has successfully converted his last eight opportunities.

Jones (arm) has been shut down for two weeks after suffering a setback during throwing work, but he's expected to pitch again this season, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

The right-hander has been sidelined since mid-June with a muscle strain in his right arm. Jones lined up as a candidate for consistent save chances in 2018, Joakim Soria's relative success and Jones' health issues have held him back. Jones has fanned 9.9 per nine frames while holding a 2.55 ERA, though that's not supported by his 4.61 FIP, and his 5.11 BB/9 and 4-for-7 record on save conversions don't back up his chances of usurping Joakim Soria unless Soria is traded. He might not be in game shape to help the White Sox or fantasy players until the final month or so.

Peralta struck out one in a perfect ninth inning Saturday to record his third save of the season in a 4-2 win over the Twins.

There haven't been many save chances to go around in Kansas City since Kelvin Herrera was shipped off to Washington, but Peralta has successfully converted all three of the ones he's been given. With neither Tim Hill nor Brandon Maurer proving to be reliable, Peralta could continue to emerge as the Royals' best closing option.

Strop was charged with a blown save after giving up a run in the eighth inning during the second game of Saturday's doubleheader.

After recording the save Thursday, Strop entered in the seventh inning, giving up a walk but getting a strikeout to get out of a jam. He faltered in the eighth, though, despite retiring the first two batters: He allowed a single and a walk before a Yairo Munoz double tied the game up. It's notable that he was used before the ninth inning in a tight spot, which signals that for however long Brandon Morrow (biceps) is sidelined -- which isn't expected to be longer than another week or so -- the Cubs will use a closer committee that probably involves Strop, Steve Cishek and Carl Edwards Jr.

Norris worked around a hit to register a scoreless inning and his 18th save of the season Saturday against the Cubs.

After reports of possible arm issues keeping him out of action last Saturday, he's been available since Thursday but got his first chance to resume his closer role in this contest. He allowed a leadoff single to Jason Heyward but induced a popout and a double play to quell the rally. Despite reports of clubhouse tension between Norris and Jordan Hicks, interim manager Mike Shildt threw his stopper back into the role at his first post-break opportunity. The veteran is thriving in 2018 as the owner of a 2.97 ERA, 50 strikeouts, six walks and 18 saves across 39.1 frames.

Gant didn't factor into the decision during the Cardinals' win Saturday but threw five scoreless innings while allowing four hits, walking three and striking out two Cubs.

The right-hander boasts a 3.17 ERA after this brief but effective outing. He's started seven of his 13 major-league outings this year, and while his success is probably inflated (7.5 K/9, 4.2 BB/9, 3.66 FIP), the 25-year-old has served St. Louis well in each role. If he sticks in the rotation, he'll be tasked to tame this Cubs lineup again Friday.

Encarnacion went 2-for-5 with two doubles, two RBI and a run scored Saturday against the Rangers.

Encarnacion turned in his second consecutive multi-hit game, and has returned from the All-Star break with a flourish by going 5-for-10 with two doubles, three RBI and four runs scored across two games. He's still hitting just .233 for the season but has produced excellent counting stats, including 22 home runs, 52 runs scored and 68 RBI through 330 at-bats.

Martinez (upper body) expects to be in Sunday's starting lineup against the Tigers, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

Martinez was held out of the lineup Saturday due to upper-body soreness after he crashed into the wall on a running catch Friday night. The true test will come Sunday morning, but at this point it looks like the 30-year-old slugger will return to the lineup soon.

Frazier (concussion) shifted from the minor-league disabled list to the Yankees' 10-day disabled list Saturday, Conor Foley of The Scranton Times-Tribune reports.

Frazier exited Thursday's game at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre with possible concussion symptoms and was subsequently placed on minor-league DL, only to be moved onto the major-league DL on Saturday. The 23-year-old missed a chunk of spring training and the first part of the season with a concussion (while on the major-league DL), but it's not exactly clear what prompted the shift. Regardless, the team will want to be extra caution as Frazier deals with his second concussion in five months.

Davidson is not in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Mariners.

Davidson will hit the bench for the second consecutive game with Daniel Palka once again serving as designated hitter for the White Sox. Davidson started the season strong with nine home runs by the end of April but only has five home runs -- and a .657 OPS -- in 171 at-bats since then.

Gattis is not in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Angels, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Gattis will head to the bench Saturday as he is currently mired in a 2-for-27 slump over his last seven games. Tony Kemp will serve as designated hitter and bat seventh Saturday for the Astros.

Martinez is not in Saturday's lineup as he is dealing with soreness after colliding with an outfield wall Friday night, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald reports.

Martinez made a running catch into the wall during the third inning Friday, although he was not forced to exit the game. The 30-year-old is apparently experiencing general body soreness after the collision but will not undergo additional testing, so it seems to be a minor issue. Martinez should be considered day-to-day for the time being.