Fantasy baseball news: Muncy injured, Henriquez captures Marlins' closing role

Everything that happens in and around MLB has some additional context when viewed from a fantasy baseball perspective.From lineup changes to minor league call-ups to injuries and so much more, the news cycle will constantly affect player values in fantasy baseball.

Our fantasy baseball buzz file, with contributions from our ESPN fantasy writers, aims to provide fantasy managers with the intel they need as news breaks around MLB.

Key links: RP depth chart| Player Rater| Scoring leaders br/>Thursday's lineup advice| 10-day hitting forecaster

July 4: What you need to know for Friday

Todd Zola: The Independence Day schedule gets underway early with an 11:05 a.m. ET start featuring the Washington Nationals hosting the Boston Red Sox. There are six more afternoon contests (local time) followed by eight evening affairs.

• The Los Angeles Dodgers will be without 3B Max Muncy for a minimum of six weeks; he has an injured knee. Imaging indicated no structural damage, but Muncy is still facing an extended absence. Miguel Rojas, Enrique Hernandez and Tommy Edman are all expected to fill in at the hot corner.


• Los Angeles Angels rookie 2B Christian Moore was placed on the 10-day IL with a sprained left thumb. He hurt his hand while making a diving play on Wednesday. Moore batted just .189 in his first 18 games, but he hit three homers and was drawing walks at a 12.5% clip. Kevin Newman should handle the keystone with Moore out, though Luis Rengifo could also garner some action at second base once Yoan Moncada returns. Moncada may be back early next week.


• The Chicago White Sox will reportedly call up Colson Montgomery in advance of Friday's road date with the Colorado Rockies. He's hitting only .218/.298/.435 for Triple-A Charlotte, but the club wants to get a look at the 23-year-old shortstop. Montgomery is expected to play regularly, sliding Chase Meidroth to second base which relegates Josh Rojas to a utility role.


• Ronny Henriquez appears to have captured closing duties for the Miami Marlins. He logged the club's last three saves, including last night with Calvin Faucher handling the eighth inning for a hold in the 4-1 win over the Minnesota Twins. Henriquez has 57 strikeouts in 41 innings. Home runs were an issue with six long balls allowed over his first 31 innings, but the 25-year-old right-hander yielded just one home run over his past 9 innings.


• Yesterday, Cleveland Guardians SPLuis Ortizwas placed on non-disciplinary paid leave by MLB. He'll be unavailable through the All-Star break. Last night, Joey Cantillo was called up from Triple-A Columbus to make the start.

July 3: What you need to know for Thursday

Todd Zola: Thursday's 10-game schedule gets started at 12:10 p.m. ET in South Beach with the Miami Marlins and Minnesota Twins playing the rubber game of their interleague set. Yesterday, the Twins snapped the Marlins' eight-game winning streak to draw even in the series. There is one more matinee at 3:10 p.m. ET with the Colorado Rockies hosting the Houston Astros. The remaining eight contests will be played under the lights.

• After having yesterday off, 3B Royce Lewis should be back in the Twins lineup today. He returned on Tuesday after having spent a little more than two weeks on the IL due to a sore hamstring. Lewis has only played 31 games and has struggled, sporting a .206/.283/.314 line, but he was showing signs of getting back on track just before getting hurt last month.


• In other Minnesota news, SP Bailey Ober was placed on the 15-day IL as a result of a left hip impingement. Something hasn't been right lately as the usually reliable righty had posted a 9.00 ERA and a 1.53 WHIP over five June starts. Ober will be eligible to return after the All-Star break, but the Twins have not yet announced a timetable.


• A day after announcing that OF Yordan Alvarez experienced a setback in his recovery from a fractured hand, the Astros transferred him to the 60-day IL. However, the move was for administrative purposes to clear a roster spot. He had initially been placed on the 10-day IL back on May 4, so it's already been almost two months. On the field, RP Josh Hader was unavailable yesterday, so Bennett Sousa notched his third save in Houston's 5-3 win over the Rockies. Hader should be available for today's afternoon affair.


• The New York Yankees started a makeshift lineup last night with OF Trent Grisham and C Austin Wells remaining on the shelf to start the game. Both players, however, did make appearances later on in New York's 11-9 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. Aaron Judge did hit his 31st home run in the contest. Ben Rice was behind the plate last night, marking the 10th time he's appeared at catcher and thus gaining himself eligibility at the position in ESPN leagues.


• Bo Bichette missed his third consecutive game last night -- all three of Toronto's wins over the Yankees. The shortstop is nursing a sore knee. His availability is unclear for today's finale when the Jays go for a rare four-game sweep over their AL East rivals.


• Jurickson Profar hit a home run in his return from an 80-game suspension. He's slated to be the Atlanta Braves' regular left fielder, though if the club turns it around and makes the postseason, Profar won't be eligible for the playoff roster. Alex Verdugo's stint with the club ended as he was designated for assignment to clear Profar's roster spot.


• The Braves also announced that pitcherSpencer Schwellenbach has a fractured pitching elbow and will miss at least a month of action -- and likely more -- though the pitcher is optimistic he can return this season. Atlanta's rotation is already withoutChris Sale (rib cage), Reynaldo Lopez (shoulder) and rookie AJ Smith-Shawver (elbow).


• Josh Naylor was back in the Arizona Diamondbackslineup last night, serving as the DH after being out for four games. Naylor went 1-for-4 with an RBI as the club fell 6-5 to theSan Francisco Giantsin 10 innings.


• Max Muncy hurt his knee on a play at third base last night, leaving the game with a trainer. His status is unclear, but the Los Angeles Dodgers expect Muncy to undergo imaging. Clayton Kershaw fanned the next batter to record the 3000th strikeout of his Hall of Fame career.


• The Seattle Mariners are 14 days into a 17-game stretch without an off day, so they're bringingLogan Evansback again from Triple-A Tacoma to start tonight, pushing Bryan Woo until Friday. Evans has made seven starts for Seattle over the first half of 2025, recording a solid 3.38 ERA, but his WHIP is a gaudy 1.33 and he punched out just 30 batters over 40 MLB frames. He'll take the hill at home in the finale of a four-game series with the Kansas City Royals. The Mariners took the first and third games of the set.

July 2: What you need to know for Wednesday

Todd Zola: Somewhere, Ernie Banks is smiling. The Chicago Cubs aren't playing two, but there are three doubleheaders on Wednesday's docket, along with the resumption of a suspended game. All four games fell victim to Tuesday night's rain along the Atlantic Coast.

The doubleheaders are all day-night affairs, featuring the Philadelphia Phillies hosting the San Diego Padres, the Washington Nationals entertaining the Detroit Tigers, and the New York Mets taking on the Milwaukee Brewers. In addition, the Boston Red Sox and Cincinnati Reds will pick up their suspended game in the top of the fourth inning with the Red Sox up 2-1. In ESPN leagues, only players active on Tuesday will accrue statistics from the resumption of the contest.

The slate's first game gets underway at 12:10 p.m. ET with the Tampa Bay Rays hosting the Athletics. Of the 18 full games, 13 are evening affairs.

• An already depleted Baltimore Orioles catching corps may be down another player after Gary Sanchez took a foul tip off his hand Tuesday night. Sanchez has been filling in for Adley Rutschman, who is out until at least the All-Star break. With reserves Chadwick Tromp and Maverick Handley also on the shelf, the club called up journeyman Jacob Stallings to be the backup. The Orioles are hopeful that Sanchez can play today, but it merits keeping an eye on the lineups as they come out.


• William Contreras left Tuesday's night's game after being hit in the hand by a Paul Skenes fastball. Initial X-rays were negative and Contreras was listed as questionable for today's matinee when the St. Louis Cardinals attempt to avoid being swept by the Pittsburgh Pirates. With a 12:25 p.m. ET first pitch, it wouldn't be surprising for Contreras to sit out, then return on Friday after Thursday's off day.


• After initially indicating that C Hunter Goodman was ticketed for the IL, the Colorado Rockies reversed course and Goodman was back in the lineup last night after missing four straight games with a hamstring injury. He hit two home runs.


• On the other hand, Josh Naylor was in theArizona Diamondbacks' original lineup, but he was a late scratch with lingering neck soreness. Naylor missed his fourth consecutive contest.


• The Houston Astros announced that OF Yordan Alvarez suffered a setback in his recovery from a fractured right hand. He had been tracking toward a return, perhaps as soon as this weekend. Alvarez is scheduled to see a specialist, at which time his status will hopefully be clarified.


• Jacob Wilson was scratched Tuesday night due to a sore right hamstring. The Athletics shortstop has emerged as one of the leading candidates for AL Rookie of the Year with a first half line of .339/.380/.473, along with solid defense. Manager Mark Kotsay indicated that Wilson will probably be held out of Wednesday's afternoon affair with the Rays.