Stanton to be regular DH, Cubs hope to have Tucker back

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 17: Nola, already on IL, suffers another setback

Stephania Bell: Before his recent issues arose, Aaron Nola of the Philadelphia Phillies hadn't missed any starts due to injury since 2017. It was a remarkable run. Now, he's not only trying to come back from one injury, he has a second that cropped up during his stint on the IL. Nola suffered a right ankle sprain in mid-May and had progressed to throwing bullpens in early June when he began to experience stiffness in his right side. According to Phillies manager Rob Thomson, imaging revealed a stress reaction in his right rib cage. He is now projected to be out for additional weeks, potentially through the All-Star break.

The term "stress reaction" reflects an area of increased activity within the bone, indicative of injury. Not quite a full-blown fracture, the stress reaction is a warning that the bone is under duress and continuing to place stress on it could ultimately result in a break. Nola, while speaking to reporters, referred to his injury as a "stress fracture" which reinforces the continuum of the injury itself and the subtle gradation between the two. Managing the injury is essentially the same either way: rest from the offending activity (in his case, forceful throwing) to minimize stress on the bone caused by the muscular attachments.

As for how the problem came about, there is no definitive answer. Nola said he assumes it came from throwing, which makes sense as throwing is the primary aggravating factor. However, given that he has made a career of throwing, some might wonder why now when he's actually been throwing less during his ankle recovery.

It's possible the origin could link back to the ankle. After all, Nola made two starts after suffering the ankle sprain in early May, allowing 13 runs over just those outings. While the spring had not been particularly kind to Nola, an injury to his drive leg could easily have complicated matters. One of the more challenging things to do with an acute ankle sprain is to balance on one leg, especially while rotating, which is clearly a requirement for pitching.

After those unsuccessful two starts, he was placed on the IL to rehab the ankle. Is it possible that he was also over-relying on his trunk (and therefore muscles that attach to the rib cage) during those two outings, predisposing him to a rib injury? Perhaps. It's also possible that it was sitting just below the surface prior to the ankle injury and/or that it came about as he recently attempted to return to throwing off a mound.

Regardless, his return should be viewed with caution, given the overlap of the two injuries. Thomson noted that Nola would not even resume playing catch for at least two weeks, which would imply late June as the soonest for that exercise. Then comes the process of returning to more intensive throwing and monitoring the effects, as well as downhill throwing and facing live hitters. The positive is that it will allow a little extra time to ensure his ankle is no longer an issue -- not only from a discomfort standpoint, but also in terms of truly reinforcing his single-leg stability during his throwing motion.

Maybe Nola hitting the reset button for the second half of the season will be just what the doctor ordered.

June 17: What you need to know for Tuesday

Todd Zola: All 15 games on today's slate are evening affairs, leading off with a 6:10 p.m. ET contest.

• The Philadelphia Phillies might be without 2B Bryson Stott when they play the second game of their road set with the Miami Marlins. Stott was diagnosed with a hyperextended elbow, but the injury isn't considered serious. He has been in a rut, batting just .146/.212/.167 in June.

• Lance McCullers Jr. was scratched from Monday night's start and placed on the 15-day IL with a sprained right foot. Ryan Gusto took the hill in the club's 3-1 loss to the Athletics. Gusto was initially scheduled to start Tuesday, but instead the Astros could give the ball to Jason Alexander, who was called up to fill McCullers' roster spot. Alexander has been starting at Triple-A Sugar Land, posting a 1.74 ERA and 1.29 WHIP with 15 strikeouts spanning 20⅔ innings. The 32-year-old last pitched at the major league level in 2022.

• Giancarlo Stanton made his 2025 debut Monday night, going 2-for-4 in the New York Yankees' loss to the Los Angeles Angels. Stanton served as the DH with Ben Rice playing first base. At least initially, the plan is for Stanton to be the regular DH, with Rice, Paul Goldschmidt, Trent Grisham and Jasson Dominguez all losing playing time.

• Michael Toglia was batting .194/.266/.349 when the Colorado Rockies optioned him to Triple-A Albuquerque. In 11 games with the Isotopes, he posted a .273/.353/.568 line, earning a return to the show. Toglia is ticketed to be the Rockies' everyday first baseman. He fanned 29.1% of the time in the minors, but it was well down from the 39.1% mark he recorded with the big club earlier this season.

• The Chicago Cubs hope to have Kyle Tucker back Tuesday night. He had been playing through a sprained finger suffered on June 1, but the star outfielder sat out Sunday and the Cubs were off Monday. Manager Craig Counsell expressed optimism that Tucker would be better after two days of not having to grip and swing a bat. Through June 1, Tucker was batting .284/.394/.524. In the ensuing 12 games, Tucker posted a .231/.262/.385 line.

June 16: What you need to know for Monday

Zola: All seven of Monday's games are evening affairs, with the first pitch at 6:40 p.m. ET when the Miami Marlins host the Philadelphia Phillies.

• The Boston Red Sox open a series in the Pacific Northwest against the Seattle Mariners but they're going to need someone to occupy the two-hole after dealing Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants. Devers' fantasy production will suffer a bit since he's moving from one of the best hitting venues to one of the toughest. His former club can now keep all their young outfielders in the lineup with Jarren Duran, Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu (once he comes off the IL) rotating through DH. Read more on the fantasy impact of this trade here.

• The Los Angeles Dodgers are so desperate for pitching that they're using a position player to open Monday's contest. Of course, said player is Shohei Ohtani. Most pitchers go to the minors for their rehab assignments, but clearly that isn't a practical option for the best DH in the game. Ohtani will "open" in lieu of rehab, throwing more pitches from one outing to the next. The plan adds to the appeal of the day's primary pitcher, which in this case is Ben Casparius, since he doesn't have to complete five frames in order to qualify for a win.

• Speaking of the DH position, the New York Yankees expect Giancarlo Stanton to make his 2025 debut soon, perhaps as early as tonight. The slugger has been out due to tendinitis in both elbows. It's unclear how often Stanton will play since Ben Rice is holding his own as the team's DH versus right-handers. That said, Rice is slumping this month, posting a .125/.186/.200 line in June. However, manager Aaron Boone indicated that Rice could garner some action behind the plate. The Yankees open the week at home against the Los Angeles Angels, with three righties slated to pitch the first three games before LHP Tyler Anderson gets the nod on Thursday.

• The San Diego Padres visit the Dodgers for a three-game set. They'll be without OF Jackson Merrill after he was diagnosed with a concussion and placed on the 7-day IL.

• The Baltimore Orioles were without both Ryan O'Hearn and Colton Cowser yesterday, but hope to have both back tonight for the opener of a four-game road series with the Tampa Bay Rays. Cowser missed the last three games after crashing into the outfield wall on Thursday. O'Hearn sat out Sunday's 11-2 home win over the Angels due to a sore left ankle.

• The Washington Nationals will reportedly promote top prospect Brady House from Triple-A Rochester in advance of tonight's home date with the Colorado Rockies. House is expected to take over at third base after posting a .304/.353/.519 line in 65 games with the Red Wings.