Stroman Sharp

The Mets bullpen desperately needed some rest. Taijuan Walker didn't make it out of the first inning on Sunday. Jerad Eickhoff lasted 3.2 innings on Monday and Robert Stock went one inning before leaving with an injury on Tuesday. Marcus Stroman provided exactly what the Mets needed on Wednesday. Stroman pitched eight scoreless innings and allowed one hit, walked one and struck out seven. He is 7-8 with a 2.59 ERA and 1.08 WHIP. Dominic Smith hit a grand slam in the second inning in the 7-0 win over the Reds.

Tatis Jr. Pushing for MVP

Fernando Tatis Jr. continues to make his case as National League MVP. Tatis went 2-for-3 with a home run, two RBI and a walk in a 3-2 win over the Braves in Game 1 of a doubleheader. The Padres shortstop has a line of .295/.375/.654 with 74 runs, 29 home runs, 66 RBI and 22 stolen bases. Game 2 was suspended due to weather with the Padres leading 5-4 in the bottom of the fifth inning. No makeup date has been announced.

Arozarena Heating Up

Randy Arozarena started to lose some at-bats prior to the All-Star break and was struggling. He's doing what he can to make sure he stays in the lineup. Arozarena had multiple hits for the third consecutive game, going 3-for-5 with two home runs. He has homered three times in the last two games and is batting .256 with 13 home runs and 45 RBI.

Home Run Derby in Buffalo

Two of the better offense met with the Red Sox and Blue Jays meeting up and the long ball was on display. J.D. Martinez, Enrique Hernandez, Michael Chavis, Rafael Devers and Hunter Renfroe homered for the Red Sox, while Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Teoscar Hernández, and George Springer homered for the Blue Jays in a 7-4 loss.

Flores Foils Jansen

Wilmer Flores lifted the Giants to a win with a two-run homer in the top of the ninth off Kenley Jansen. The homer gave the Giants a 3-2 lead and the Giants added another to win 4-2. Jansen allowed a run for the first time since May 28th on Sunday. Jansen allowed three hits, three runs and two walks. One day after allowing a walk-off home run to Will Smith, Tyler Rogers pitched a 1-2-3 inning to get his 11th save.

Polanco Quietly Producing

One of the best values in fantasy has been Jorge Polanco and it feels like he's rarely talked about. He went 3-for-4 with a double, home run, three runs, three RBI, and a walk. He has a line of .260/.325/.449 with 53 runs, 14 home runs, 49 RBI, and nine stolen bases.

Bad News for Castellanos

In the first game after the All-Star break, Nick Castellanos left the game after being hit by a pitch on the right wrist. He appeared as a pinch-hitter Monday and hasn't played since. Castellanos had a CT scan yesterday and has a microfracture in his wrist. Castellanos said he feels 50 percent and needs a few more days of rest.

Betts Remains on Bench

Another day, another game with Mookie Betts out of the lineup. Betts left Saturday's game with a hip injury and hasn't started since. Betts did make an appearance as a pinch-hitter on Monday and struck out, so an IL stint is still possible.

Rojas Leaves with Injury

Josh Rojas has been a productive fantasy player and solidified an every day role with Arizona. He left Wednesday's game with a dislocated finger after a head-first slide into second base. Rojas is batting .268 with 50 runs, ten home runs, 28 RBI, and seven stolen bases. Rojas went 2-for-4 with a run, walk, and stolen base before leaving.

Torrid Torrens Goes Yard Again

Luis Torrens hasn't been catching much recently, but he's been being used as the designated hitter and he played first base Wednesday. The Mariners are finding a way to keep his bat in the lineup since he's showing power. Torrens hit his 11th homer of the season and has homered nine times in the last 23 games.

Brujan Sent Down

Many were excited when Vidal Bruján got the call to the majors. He was called up on July 9th, but like many young players this season, he struggled. Brujan went 0-for-5 and struck out with the bases load in the bottom of the ninth and was sent back to Triple-A. In ten games with the Rays, Bruan hit .077 (2-for-26) with eight strikeouts and no walks. He will likely return when rosters expand later in the season.

Kirilloff Needs Surgery

Since early May, Twins outfielder Alex Kirilloff has been bothered by a wrist injury. He has decided to undergo surgery on his right wrist. He batted .251 with 23 runs, eight home runs, 34 RBI, and one stolen base in 49 games.

Betting Favorites for Thursday

There aren't many big favorites on Thursday. The Dodgers are the biggest one at -172. They will host the Giants with Walker Buehler facing Anthony DeSclafani, who has faced the Dodgers three times and had his worst start of the season against them allowing ten runs in 2.2 innings. In the three starts, he has pitched 12.1 innings and allowed 19 hits, 15 earned runs, five home runs, walked nine, and struck out 12. The highest total is ten runs with the Yankees playing in Boston.