Shohei Ohtani’s return and more news for Sunday

June 14, 2026 No Comments

Fantasy baseball: Shohei Ohtani’s return and more news for SundayShohei Ohtani hit a home run in his return for the Dodgers last night. Zoe Davis/Getty ImagesESPN FantasyJun 14, 2026, 11:00 AM ETClose

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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.

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June 14: Sunday’s news to know

By Todd Zola

Today’s schedule gets an early start with a 12:15 p.m. ET matinee in Steel City as the Pittsburgh Pirates hosting the Miami Marlins, with Paul Skenes on the hill for the home team. The fantasy week closes with the Boston Red Sox going for the sweep over the Texas Rangers at 7:20 p.m. ET. By winning the first two games, the Red Sox have secured their first series win in Fenway Park since April.

Shohei Ohtani returned to the Los Angeles Dodgers lineup last night and delivered a home run in the club’s 7-1 win over the Chicago White Sox. He sat out the prior game after leaving Thursday’s game with knee irritation.
Jose Ramirez has been diagnosed with a broken hamate bone in his left wrist, the same injury suffered by Corbin Carroll, Francisco Lindor and Jackson Holliday in the spring. The normal timeframe is six to eight weeks. Carroll and Lindor played on Opening Day, around seven weeks after surgery, but Holliday didn’t debut until mid-May, despite having his surgery around the same time as the others. It’s unclear how the Cleveland Guardians will cover the hot corner in Ramirez’s absence.
Ramirez wasn’t the only Guardians’ casualty yesterday, as Chase DeLauter and Angel Martinez also left Saturday’s matinee with injuries. DeLauter has been diagnosed with a bruised right rib cage and Martinez with a bruised right foot, though X-rays were negative. More will be known about their status before the Guardians go for the home sweep against the Detroit Tigers.
The Kansas City Royals unveiled that 1B Vinnie Pasquantino is also dealing with a hamate injury, but to his right wrist. The severity hasn’t been determined, but if imaging reveals a fracture, he’s also looking at an extended IL stint.
The Tigers will send Casey Mize to the hill when they try to salvage the finale against the Guardians. The right-hander has been sidelined with right adductor inflammation since May 27. Mize made one rehab start, tossing 55 pitches for Single-A Lakeland. He could approach 70 pitches today, which should allow him to complete five innings.
Xander Bogaerts left last night’s game after being hit in the helmet by a 95.3 mph sinker. He initially stayed in the game and came around to score after being hit but left the game in the following inning. The San Diego Padres plan on monitoring the veteran overnight. More should be known about his status today.

Be sure to check out the just in fantasy lineup advice as well as the MLB betting tips for Sunday.

June 13: Saturday’s news to know

By Todd Zola

Spencer Strider allowed seven runs Friday before exiting in the fourth inning with right arm soreness. Dustin Satloff/Getty ImagesSaturday’s action gets underway at 2:10 p.m. ET with an interleague game between the St. Louis Cardinals and Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Nine more afternoon games follow, with five night games closing out the docket.

Spencer Strider left Friday night’s start in the fourth inning with right arm soreness. The righty gave up seven runs before exiting and was exhibiting decreased velocity before the trainers came to the mound and escorted him to the dugout. His status is unclear.
The already thin New York Yankees outfield incurred another injury, with Trent Grisham leaving Friday’s game after seemingly hurting his hamstring following a sixth-inning single. Max Schuemann took over in center field and would likely see more action, as would Jose Caballero, if Grisham is sidelined.
Evan Carter took a modest four-game hitting streak into Friday night’s game against the host Boston Red Sox. The Texas Rangers outfielder was 0-for-2 before leaving with right oblique soreness in the bottom of the fifth inning. Carter presumably suffered the injury making a diving catch in the previous inning. His status for Saturday is uncertain. Ezequiel Duran and Michael Helman would likely fill in if Carter misses action.
Shohei Ohtani missed Friday night’s game after experiencing knee inflammation Thursday night and had imaging, which revealed no structural damage. The Los Angeles Dodgers are optimistic that Ohtani will return to the lineup this weekend during their road series with the Chicago White Sox.
The Athletics placed Brent Rooker on the IL with a bruised left knee. His spot on the roster was filled by SS Jacob Wilson, who was activated from the 10-day IL prior to Friday night’s series opener with the Colorado Rockies at Las Vegas Ballpark.

June 12: Friday’s forecaster findings

By Tristan H. Cockcroft

Fantasy baseball’s Week 12 comes with some unusual scheduling quirks due to FIFA World Cup matches affecting games in Kansas City, Philadelphia and Texas. It’s the rare week where the only two days in which all 30 teams are scheduled to play are on Tuesday and Sunday.

Only two teams are schedule for seven games in Week 12 — and both hail from the AL West, the Athletics and Los Angeles Angels. The Athletics, who return “home” to Sacramento’s Sutter Health Park, are the only team scheduled for as many as seven home games. It’s the second consecutive week in which they have one of the most hitter-friendly schedules in the league. While Sutter Health Park isn’t as favorable an offensive environment as Las Vegas Ballpark, where the team spent Week 11, it’s still arguably the second most-favorable hitters’ park among regular 2026 homes.
The Pittsburgh Pirates are one of two visiting teams to Sutter Health Park — the Angels are the other (four weekend games) — playing three week-opening games there before heading to Colorado’s Coors Field for a three-game weekend set. The second highest-scoring offense since the beginning of May (entering play on Friday), averaging 5.35 runs per game, the Pirates have far and away Week 12’s most favorable hitting matchups. Of course, visiting such offensively oriented environments makes their pitchers much riskier fantasy plays, including ace Paul Skenes, whose projection for his scheduled Saturday start at Coors didn’t even crack the top-50 pitching rankings.
The Detroit Tigers-Houston Astros three-game series to begin the week could mark the returns of two prominent starting pitchers. Hunter Brown, the Astros’ Opening Day starter and the No. 3 finisher in 2025’s AL Cy Young Award voting, is expected to rejoin the rotation in time to start one of the three games (depending upon the team’s desired amount of rest for him, Kai-Wei Teng and Peter Lambert). Justin Verlander, the active wins leader, struggled in his most recent minor league rehabilitation start, but still seems likely to be activated to face his former team on either Tuesday or Wednesday.

June 12: Friday’s news to know

Despite his having to leave a game early, the Dodgers don’t seem all that concerned with Shohei Ohtani’s knee issue. APBy Todd ZolaAfter a bevy of matinees over the past two days, all 15 of tonight’s games are evening affairs. Action gets underway at 6:40 p.m. ET with the Pittsburgh Pirates hosting the Miami Marlins.

Shohei Ohtani left yesterday’s game in the seventh inning due to left knee inflammation. Prior to leaving, he was 2-for-2 with a home run, two walks, and two runs scored in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 8-6 win over the Pirates. Ohtani was born with bipartite patella, a rare condition where he has two unfused bones in his knee, causing occasional irritation. He had the issue surgically addressed in 2019 and there is no indication the current ailment is related. In addition, the inflammation is reportedly behind his knee, near the hamstring. Manager Dave Roberts indicated the club has limited concern and expects Ohtani to be in tonight’s lineup when they visit the Chicago White Sox.
Will Smith will not be in the Dodgers lineup after being placed on the 10-day IL yesterday due to neck inflammation. He has not appeared since last Friday, and the club finally decided to give him time to heal. Dalton Rushing will be the primary backstop with Chuckie Robinson summoned from Triple-A Oklahoma City to serve as the backup behind the plate.
The White Sox will send Anthony Kay to the hill in the interleague matchup with the Dodgers. Kay was slated to start last night’s postponement with the Atlanta Braves. Martin Perez was supposed to start for the Braves, but they will keep Spencer Strider on schedule for tonight’s game with the New York Mets and bump Perez to Saturday. The rainout will be made up on Thursday, August 20.
Javier Assad is set to join the Chicago Cubs rotation tonight, taking Jameson Taillon’s spot. Taillon is out at least through the All-Star break, and Matthew Boyd’s return has been delayed after he experienced shoulder soreness after what was hoped to be his final rehab effort last weekend. Assad last appeared on June 7, the day Taillon got hurt, throwing 6 1/3 scoreless innings in relief against the Giants at home. Tonight’s start is a rematch, this time at Oracle Park.
The Arizona Diamondbacks are expected to activate Jordan Lawlar from the 60-day IL prior to tonight’s road date with the Cincinnati Reds. He has been out since early April thanks to a broken right wrist. He played eight rehab games, the last five with Triple-A Reno, batting a modest .200/.261/.400 with seven strikeouts in 23 plate appearances (a 30.4% strikeout rate). Longterm, his role is unclear with Ryan Waldschmidt patrolling center field, but Lawlar should see action in left until Lourdes Gurriel Jr. returns, perhaps as early as Monday. However, Gurriel can also serve as the DH.
Closer Kenley Jansen is expected to be activated from the 15-day IL and be available when the Detroit Tigers visit the Cleveland Guardians. He was out for the minimum amount of time, but wasn’t sharp in his sole rehab appearance, yielding three earned runs in just 2/3 of an inning. Jansen will continue his quest to be the third pitcher to log 500 career saves. He’s only 17 short of the milestone.