Chicago Cubs outfield prospect Kevin Alcantara stayed hot on Thursday by going 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. This extended his hitting streak to an eye-catching 10 games and an extra-base hitting streak to four games. Alcantara was in a bit of a slide through June as he held a disappointing 1.79 AVG but has clearly put those struggles way behind him as he is riding a season-best .365 AVG through July. The 22-year-old has enjoyed a nice season at Double-A and could see the final weeks of the season at Triple-A if he continues this strong play.

Kaushik Sampath of the Miami Herald writes that Miami Marlins relief pitchers Andrew Nardi and Huascar Brazoban could both be options to take over the team's closer role for the rest of the 2024 season if the team trades current closer Tanner Scott before next Tuesday's MLB trade deadline. The Marlins sent lefty reliever A.J. Puk to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday night. Nardi, like Scott, is a left-hander. The 25-year-old has a rough 5.03 ERA on the year, mainly after giving up eight runs in his first four outings of the season. But he's been much better since then and has fanned 51 hitters in 39 1/3 frames on the year. The 34-year-old Brazoban has also been much better of late and has a 3.14 ERA and 1.08 WHIP on the year with 31 K's and 11 walks in 28 2/3 innings. Nardi is probably the favorite for saves when/if Scott is traded, so fantasy managers scrounging for saves may want to grab him off the waiver wire now.

The Miami Marlins are calling up right-handed pitching prospect Max Meyer from Triple-A Jacksonville on Friday, and the expectation is that he'll make a start during the weekend series versus the first-place Milwaukee Brewers. Per MLB Pipeline, Meyer is Miami's No. 3 prospect, so he immediately deserves attention from pitching-needy fantasy teams in at least deep-mixed leagues. The 25-year-old will face a tough matchup against the Brew Crew this weekend, but he had a strong 2.12 ERA with 14 strikeouts and three walks in three starts over 17 innings earlier this year before the Fish sent him to the minors to help manage his workload. Meyer's fantasy upside may be somewhat limited the rest of the way as the Marlins continue to play it safe with him, but the combination of his triple-digit fastball and wipeout slider give him intriguing strikeout upside.UPDATE: Meyer will start on Saturday against the Brewers and won't be capped at three to four innings like he was at Jacksonville.

Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Walker Buehler (hip) said the plan is for him to make a minor-league rehab start with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Friday. Buehler was encouraged by Wednesday's bullpen session and his overall progress since going on the 15-day injured list before the All-Star break. He feels like his delivery is in a better spot now after tweaking his mechanics. Manager Dave Roberts said Buehler is expected to make two rehab starts with Oklahoma City and then rejoin the Dodgers in August. The Dodgers and fantasy managers will be hoping that the 29-year-old will look much better than he did when he posted a 5.84 ERA and 1.51 WHIP with 31 K's in 37 innings in his first eight starts after returning from Tommy John surgery. Given the fact that Buehler was one of the most dominant pitchers in the game pre-elbow surgery, he's worth giving another shot in fantasy.

Oakland Athletics right-hander Ross Stripling (elbow) will be activated from the 15-day injured list to start Thursday's series opener on the road in Anaheim against the division-rival Los Angeles Angels, according to manager Mark Kotsay. Not only was Stripling not a viable fantasy option in mixed fantasy leagues earlier this year before his injury, but the 34-year-old veteran is likely to be on a pitch count in his first start back on Thursday after only getting up to 56 pitches during his minor-league rehab assignment, which consisted of three subpar outings. The matchup is one of the best you can ask for, but Stripling was awful in his first 11 starts for the A's, going 1-9 with a 5.82 ERA and 1.59 WHIP with just 35 strikeouts in 55 2/3 innings pitched. There's no upside to speak of from a strikeout perspective with Stripling.

The Milwaukee Brewers are going with a bullpen game in Wednesday's series finale at Wrigley Field against the division-rival Chicago Cubs and will use left-hander Rob Zastryzny as the opener. Right-hander Bryse Wilson and left-hander Jacob Junis will both be available as bulk relievers. Zastryzny shouldn't be expected to go more than an inning in Chicago on Wednesday, so fantasy manager will want to avoid him as a streamer, even in a good matchup. The 32-year-old veteran Canadian southpaw has appeared in only eight games for the Brew Crew this year, and this will be his third time opening a game. He has yet to allow an earned run in 6 2/3 innings in 2024 with one walk and five strikeouts.

San Francisco Giants shortstop Tyler Fitzgerald continued his homer streak in a 5-2 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday. Fitzgerald went 3-for-3 with a homer and two RBI but it wasn't enough as the Giants lost to their division rivals. On the bright side, the rookie infielder set a Giants rookie record, becoming the first San Francisco rookie to homer in five straight games. The last Giants player overall to homer in five straight games was Barry Bonds back in 2004. Fitzgerald is now hitting .322 with six homers, 18 runs, 13 RBI, and seven stolen bases across 90 at-bats this year. If Fitzgerald is able to homer in a sixth consecutive game, it would set a new MLB record. He will look to accomplish the feat on Wednesday against Dodgers starter Tyler Glasnow.

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Colin Rea turned in a great start in Tuesday's 1-0 win over the Cubs. Rea pitched five innings, allowing four hits and two walks with eight strikeouts. The 34-year-old has pitched well both in a traditional starter's role and as a bulk reliever, going 9-3 with a 3.60 ERA, a 6.87 K/9 rate, and a 2.70 BB/9 rate in 20 appearances (17 starts) and 110 IP. While his results have been respectable, Rea has allowed a lot of hard contact, so fantasy managers should be wary of potential regression in the second half. Until then, he and fantasy managers will look to take advantage of a middling Braves matchup in his next scheduled start.

The Miami Marlins designated right-hander Yonny Chirinos for assignment on Tuesday and recalled right-hander Kyle Tyler from Triple-A Jacksonville in a corresponding move. Tyler made the start for the Fish on Tuesday against the visiting Baltimore Orioles. Chirinos gets the boot off the Marlins' 40-man roster a day after surrendering five runs on nine hits while walking four in five innings in a loss to the division-rival New York Mets. The 30-year-old veteran predictably has not been very good in his six starts (30 innings pitched) for Miami in 2024, going 0-2 with a 6.30 ERA (6.11 FIP) and 1.87 WHIP with 25 strikeouts and 13 walks. The veteran Venezuelan could latch on with another organization to close out the 2024 season but he won't be much more than an innings-eater if he finds his way back to the big leagues.

Miami Marlins left-hander Ryan Weathers (finger) has resumed playing catch this week as he recovers from a strained left index finger that landed him on the 15-day injured list in early June. Fantasy managers have probably been frustrated that Weathers is just now throwing again after missing six-plus weeks with a finger injury. The good news is that he's throwing, but the 24-year-old southpaw still has a ways to go before he's a realistic candidate to rejoin Miami's starting rotation. Given the way that he was throwing the baseball before his unfortunate finger injury, fantasy managers in deeper leagues should keep him stashed in an IL spot. Weathers was looking good in his first full year in South Beach with a 3.55 ERA and 1.14 WHIP with a 22.5% strikeout rate and a career-low 6.7% walk rate in 71 innings and 13 starts.

Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker confirmed that right-handed pitching prospect Allan Winans will be recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett to make the start on Wednesday versus the visiting Cincinnati Reds. Winans is coming into his eighth major-league start on a roll after giving up just one run in 10 1/3 innings in his last two starts for Gwinnett. The 28-year-old former 17th-round pick by the New York Mets in 2018 out of Campbell University has gone 4-3 for the Stripers this year with a 2.74 ERA and 1.09 WHIP with 75 K's and 22 walks in 82 innings over 15 outings (13 starts). In his lone appearance with the Braves this year on April 11 against the Mets, he gave up seven runs (six earned) while walking two and striking out only one in a loss over five innings. Winans had a 5.29 ERA and 1.39 WHIP in his first six big-league starts in 2023 and won't be a recommended streaming option against Cincy.

Chicago Cubs outfield prospect Kevin Alcantara has gone deep three times in his past five games and is riding an impressive eight-game hitting streak. Since the start of July, the 64th-ranked prospect on MLB.com has held a dominant .345/.369/.603 line with four home runs, 20 RBI, and one stolen base. Alcantara has spent the entire 2024 campaign with Double-A Tennessee and has held a solid .274/.329/.413 line with eight home runs, 36 RBI, and six stolen bases across 67 games. The 22-year-old could see time at Triple-A Iowa later this summer, which opens the door for a potential 2025 major league debut.

Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Gavin Lux continued a frustrating trend when he struck out twice in Monday's 3-2 win over the San Francisco Giants. Lux, who finished 0-for-3, has struck out twice in four of his last six games as Monday's game offset a two-game stretch that saw him go 5-for-6 with a pair of homers, three RBI and three runs scored. He's hitting .222/.273/.330 with five homers, 27 RBI, and 31 runs scored with four steals in five attempts. Fantasy managers can find more consistent options at second as Lux appears unlikely to come close to the promise that once made him a top-tier prospect.

New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz picked up his 12th save of the season in Monday's 6-4 win over the Marlins. Diaz came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth inning up by three. He got the first out on a strikeout, loaded the bases on two singles and a walk, got the second out on an RBI groundout, and ended the game with a pop-out. The 30-year-old has been disappointing by his standards this season, blowing five save opportunities with a 4.08 ERA, a 12.24 K/9 rate, and a 3.45 BB/9 rate. However, he has been much better since returning from the injured list in mid-June, allowing one run in 10 appearances while converting seven save opportunities.

Oakland Athletics right-hander Ross Stripling (elbow), who is working his way back from a strained right pitching elbow, was set to throw a bullpen session on either Monday or Tuesday after a five-inning minor-league rehab start with Triple-A Las Vegas last Friday. Stripling got up to 52 pitches in his latest rehab start for the Aviators and may only need one more rehab start before being reinstated from the injured list. Although the 34-year-old veteran wasn't very good prior to his injury, he should return to a starting role for the lowly A's. In his first 11 starts in Oakland in the first half of the season, Stripling went just 1-9 with a 5.82 ERA (4.00 FIP) and 1.59 WHIP with just 35 strikeouts and 12 walks in 55 2/3 innings pitched. Fantasy managers in mixed leagues should continue to ignore Stripling when he's back with the A's.

San Francisco Giants left-hander Ethan Small (oblique) threw one scoreless inning and gave up a hit in a minor-league rehab outing in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League on Saturday, July 20. Small was acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers over the offseason and was in the running for a bullpen spot in San Francisco before suffering a moderate right-oblique strain. The 27-year-old southpaw has yet to pitch for the Giants in 2024 but is nearing a return and could be a relief option for the Giants in the big leagues down the stretch. When he's activated from the 60-day injured list, he could also be sent to Triple-A Sacramento. In his two seasons with the Brewers the last two years, he had an 8.71 ERA, a 2.61 WHIP, one save, 13 strikeouts and 10 walks in 10 1/3 innings. Small is well off the fantasy radar.

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he had a good conversation with right-hander Walker Buehler (hip) and believes the time away did him some good. Buehler will throw a bullpen session on Monday and will need a couple of minor-league rehab starts, depending on how everything keeps progressing. The 29-year-old went 1-4 with a rough 5.84 ERA (6.05 FIP) and 1.51 WHIP with a career-low 18.5% strikeout rate in eight starts this year after returning from Tommy John surgery before being placed on the 15-day injured list with right-hip inflammation. The two-time All-Star has worked on his mechanics away from the team while also rehabbing, and the Dodgers and fantasy managers are hoping he'll be more effective whenever he returns to LA's starting rotation. That's unlikely to happen until at least early August, and the Dodgers aren't going to rush him back.

Colorado Rockies starting pitcher German Marquez (elbow) has been placed on the 15-day injured list with right-elbow inflammation, retroactive to July 19. The right-hander is working his way back from Tommy John surgery, so Marquez having a setback shouldn't be shocking. He made one start since coming off the injured list. He pitched against the New York Mets ahead of the All-Star break. Marquez will now be sidelined for at least another two weeks. In a corresponding move, right-hander Noah Davis has been recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque. Davis hasn't offered much upside to the Rockies pitching staff over the last few seasons. Fantasy managers can ignore Davis going forward.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Michael Siani is not in the team's starting lineup on Monday for the series opener on the road in Pittsburgh against the division-rival Pirates. In his absence, Lars Nootbaar will get the start in center field for the Red Birds and will bat in the six-hole against Pirates right-hander Mitch Keller. Alec Burleson is in right field and is batting second, Willson Contreras is the designated hitter and batting third, and Pedro Pages will do the catching and hit out of the nine-hole for St. Louis. Siani started all three games against the Braves over the weekend but will take a break to begin the new week. Aside from his speed (13 steals in 204 at-bats), the 25-year-old hasn't produced much for fantasy managers in NL-only leagues with a .235 average and 14 RBI. Nootbaar is an interesting DFS pick with a homer, two RBI and a .417 average in 12 career at-bats against Keller.

The Seattle Mariners optioned infielder Ryan Bliss after the team's 6-4 win over the Houston Astros on Sunday and called up Jason Vosler to take his spot on the roster. Bliss has struggled in his first year in the big leagues, hitting just .220 with one home run, three doubles, and seven RBI across 31 games. The 24-year-old has also not seen much playing time over the past few weeks, starting just once since June 26. That demotion has led to Vosler getting called up for the first time this year. He played 20 games with the Cincinnati Reds last year, where he hit .161 with three HRs and 10 RBI. As a result, he doesn't need to be added in any fantasy leagues.