The Toronto Blue Jays and Kansas City Royals are potential trade partners ahead of the Aug. 2 MLB trade deadline, and Toronto is among the teams with interest in outfielder Andrew Benintendi. The Royals have appealing bullpen arms as well. The rebuilding Royals will be sellers this year, and Benintendi is perhaps their most valuable trade chip. The former Boston Red Sox outfielder only has three home runs on the year, but he's hitting .303/.368/.391 with 27 RBI, 28 runs scored and a stolen base in 304 plate appearances over 72 games in his second year with Kansas City. His counting stats would likely improve if he were traded to a contender like the Blue Jays, especially in the hitter-friendly environment at Rogers Centre.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (foot) remains out of the starting lineup on Wednesday against the Philadelphia Phillies. Acuna hasn't played since fouling a ball off his foot last Saturday, and although X-rays were negative for any fractures, he's missed three straight games and could still wind up on the injured list if he doesn't improve soon. The 24-year-old remains in Atlanta to receive treatment, but his fantasy managers will be hoping that he can join the team in Cincinnati for a series against the Reds this weekend. Adam Duvall is in right field again while hitting seventh on Wednesday, and Travis d'Arnaud will serve as the designated hitter and bat second against Phillies left-hander Ranger Suarez.

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Luis Castillo was excellent in his latest outing on Tuesday. The right-hander struck out 11 batters in six scoreless innings, allowing just five hits and three walks against the Chicago Cubs, securing a win in the process. The veteran also logged 23 swinging strikes on 123 pitches and turned in a 33% CSW rate. For the season, the 29-year-old now owns a 3.32 ERA and a 3.21 FIP in 57 innings of work. He's logged 60 strikeouts compared to just 21 walks. What's more, Castillo has given up three runs or fewer in all but one of his starts.

Atlanta Braves right-hander Charlie Morton allowed a pair of earned runs in his most recent start against the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday. Morton also surrendered seven hits and four walks while striking out five hitters. He threw 102 pitches on the day. Additionally, the veteran logged a 25% CSW rate and registered nine swinging strikes. So far this season, Morton has pitched to a 4.73 ERA and a 4.15 FIP in 80 innings while striking out 91 batters and allowing 30 walks. He's been much better lately, though, with a 2.81 ERA, a 3.21 FIP, and 37 strikeouts compared to five walks allowed in 25.2 innings over his last four starts.

San Francisco Giants infielder Wilmer Flores isn't in the team's lineup on Wednesday for a matchup with the Detroit Tigers and right-handed starter Rony Garcia. The 30-year-old is currently hitting .243 with a .318 on-base percentage and nine home runs in 274 plate appearances for the Giants this season. Instead, Donovan Walton will step in at second base and bat eighth. Walton is currently hitting .167 with a .194 on-base percentage and a home run in 62 plate appearances this season. Fantasy managers looking for streaming help are likely best off looking elsewhere.

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Patrick Corbin has not been a fantasy contributor for some time, but he showed flashes of his old self Tuesday, striking out 12 Pittsburgh Pirates in a 3-1 win. Corbin went eight innings, allowing one run on five hits and two walks. Now with a 4-10 record for the season, this performance improved his ERA and WHIP to 6.06 and 1.79, respectively. It would take several more strong performances in a row to make Corbin even close to a fantasy option.

Boston Red Sox outfielder Rob Refsnyder once again made the most of his opportunity to play Tuesday, going 2-for-5 with a home run and three RBI from the leadoff spot. He was also caught stealing. Refsnyder has appeared in 13 games this season, slashing .368/.444/.632 with two home runs, eight runs scored, and nine RBI in 42 plate appearances. While there is more playing time available to him at the moment due to injuries and unvaccinated players being ineligible to travel to Toronto, Boston would be hard-pressed to keep Refsnyder's hot bat out of the lineup for the time being.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez faced off against the New York Mets Tuesday night and quieted their potent offense, allowing just six hits and two walks in eight shutout innings. He struck out five batters and earned his eighth win of the season against just three losses. This is Valdez's 12th consecutive quality start, and 13th in 15 tries this season. He has a 2.65 ERA and 1.12 WHIP, with his 80 strikeouts in 95 innings being the only statistic that has not been superlative thus far.

Houston Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker filled up the stat sheet in a 9-1 victory over the New York Mets Tuesday, going 1-for-3 with a home run, a walk, three RBI, three runs scored, and a stolen base. He now has 15 homers and 14 steals on the year, putting him on pace for a 30-30 season. While it's expected that Tucker will fall short of this benchmark in the speed category, it shows just how rare and valuable a talent Tucker is for fantasy managers. He has an .842 OPS with 32 runs scored and 51 RBI, all of which could be even better if not for considerable early-season bad luck.

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jon Gray earned his fourth win of the season Tuesday, throwing seven innings of one-run ball on five hits and two walks. He struck out eight batters. While the Kansas City Royals offense isn't the most formidable, this marks the fourth consecutive strong outing for the right-hander. Fantasy managers should take note, as Gray has allowed just four earned runs in 25 2/3 innings in that span while striking out 29 batters. He's a worthy add in most league formats.

The San Francisco Giants activated outfielder LaMonte Wade Jr. (knee) from the 10-day injured list on Wednesday and optioned catcher/infielder Yermin Mercedes to Triple-A Sacramento in a corresponding move. Wade is starting in right field and is batting leadoff in his first game back on Wednesday against Detroit Tigers right-hander Rony Garcia. The 28-year-old has been sidelined since May 20 with left knee inflammation, and he hit .261/.357/.478 with a home run, five RBI and four runs scored on his minor league rehab assignment. Before his injury, Wade had gone 6-for-25 (.240) with a home runs, five RBI and four runs scored. Wade should play regularly in San Francisco's outfield against right-handers, making him an option in deep mixed and NL-only leagues.

San Diego Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. (wrist) expects to begin swinging a bat full speed in two weeks. Tatis visited with the same doctor on Tuesday that had surgery on his fractured wrist. "This was the first time I came out happy after a doctor's appointment," Tatis said. After he starts swinging full speed off a tee, he'll progress to hitting pitches from a machine 10 days after, and a minor league rehab assignment is expected to follow. How long Tatis stays in the minors will depend on how he's feeling and how quickly he gets up to speed at the plate. It's unlikely that the 23-year-old makes his season debut before the All-Star break, but fantasy managers should be expecting him to return early in the second half, barring any setbacks.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Tommy Pham (back) was scratched from Tuesday's starting lineup against the Chicago Cubs with lower-back stiffness. Fantasy managers should consider Pham day-to-day until we know more about his back injury. In his place, Max Schrock will start in left field and hit sixth against Cubs right-hander Keegan Thompson. Schrock has just 11 at-bats for Cincy this season and is still searching for his first home run while going 3-for-11 (.273) with an RBI, no walks and two strikeouts. Pham is slashing .245/.339/.412 on the year with 10 home runs, 30 RBI, 43 runs scored and five stolen bases in 271 plate appearances over 64 games played.

Chicago White Sox catcher Yasmani Grandal (back) has begun taking swings off a tee. According to Scott Merkin of MLB.com, Grandal's back pain has "subsided to some degree," but he still has hurdles to clear, most notably with his running. He has yet to begin running since landing on the injured list about two weeks back. Though one could also argue the 33-year-old has yet to begin running since the 2022 season began based on his 1st percentile sprint speed. Merkin reports that Grandal remains without a timetable for a rehab assignment, suggesting that fantasy managers can expect to be without his services for at least another few weeks.

Seattle Mariners first baseman Carlos Santana will be hitting fifth in the lineup in his debut with the team Tuesday. Prior to the game, the Mariners optioned infielder Drew Ellis to Triple-A to clear space for Santana. The 36-year-old veteran has slashed just .216/.349/.341 with four home runs, 21 RBI and 17 runs over 52 games this year, but he's been showing some promising signs at the plate in June. He has a .357/.478/.554 slash line this month that's supported by a .607 xSLG and a 92.3 mph average exit velocity.

Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker stated on Tuesday that relievers A.J. Minter and William Smith will handle closing duties while the team's primary closer, Kenley Jansen (heart), is out. Jansen was placed on the 15-day injured list on Tuesday due to an irregular heartbeat, so he will miss at least the next two weeks. The Braves are fourth in the majors in saves this year with 24, so it's safe to expect the team to have several save chances while Jansen is sidelined. Minter has been more effective than Smith overall this year, pitching to a 1.69 ERA and a 0.81 WHIP -- Smith has a 3.41 ERA and 1.31 WHIP -- but Smith has received five save opportunities while Minter has only earned two. Also, keep in mind that Smith saved 37 games for the team last year. If you need to gamble on just one of the relievers, Smith seems like the favorite for ninth-inning work. However, based on Snitker's report Tuesday, it sounds as if Minter will get his chances as well.

San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado (ankle) will remain on the bench for Tuesday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The 29-year-old is nearly 10 days removed from suffering an ankle sprain and he hasn't played since. On Tuesday, he continued to increase his pre-game workouts. He ran the bases, took grounders and threw to first without showing any noticeable pain. According to Padres beat writer Kevin Acee, it was the first time Machado looked like he was ready to play since he sustained the injury. Based on his increased work and Acee's report, it seems as if there's a good chance we see Machado back on the field for Wednesday's series finale. Make sure to be on the lookout for Wednesday's lineup card.

The Detroit Tigers have transferred outfielder Austin Meadows (Achilles) to the 10-day injured list due to strains in his left and right Achilles. Meadows had just recently cleared COVID-19 protocols and was about to begin a rehab assignment, but now he'll remain sidelined for a new reason. The 27-year-old has been held to just 36 games this year due to various ailments. He's still searching for his first home run in a Tigers jersey and he owns a .250/.347/.328 slash line on the year.

The Los Angeles Angeles placed right-handed pitcher Archie Bradley (elbow) on the 15-day injured list on Tuesday. The 29-year-old was diagnosed with a broken right elbow and he will be facing a lengthy absence. Fellow right-hander Chase Silseth was called up from Double-A in a corresponding move. Bradley has struggled to find consistency in his first year with the Angels. Over 21 appearances, he's posted a 4.82 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP while converting 2-of-4 save opportunities.

New York Mets starting pitcher Max Scherzer's (oblique) minor league rehab start for Double-A Binghamton on Tuesday has been pushed back to Wednesday, but the move is simply precautionary due to the nature of the injury. "Listening to Max and watching him and everything, just felt like we had the benefit of an extra day... We're listening to Max more than anything, and the people that have been working with him since this started... There's no reason to rush it. We're not gonna make that mistake. It's not gonna affect the number of times [he pitches]. He's right where he needs to be," skipper Buck Showalter said. Those that were freaking out that Scherzer might have suffered a setback can relax. Assuming he gets out of Wednesday's start fine, the 37-year-old ace is expected to come off the injured list and return to the rotation next week.