Show notes
On The Wire Adam Howe and Kevin Hastings return after a three-week hiatus to catch up on a backlog of injuries and roster moves across the league, headlined by Kade Anderson's MLB debut for Seattle. The bulk of the episode covers hitter and pitcher FAAB targets by category, with an especially long look at closer/bullpen chaos in Kansas City, Chicago, Arizona, and beyond. Kevin closes with a stretch-run pep talk: with five weeks left, it's time to take on more risk if you're chasing, and to protect ratios if you're not. Welcome and News (0:00:00–0:20:00) Cardinals lose two more starters to the IL as Hunter Dobbins and Andre Pallante both hit injured listPlayers Discussed: Hunter Dobbins, Andre Pallante, Michael McGreevy, Quinn Mathews, Kyle Leahy, Matthew Liberatore Kyle Leahy could see shortened outings and skipped starts down the stretch as innings are managedPlayers Discussed: Kyle Leahy Yankees get Carlos Rodón back, but Max Fried hits IL and Ryan Weathers deals with forearm discomfort ahead of doubleheaderPlayers Discussed: Carlos Rodón, Max Fried, Ryan Weathers, Elmer Rodríguez, Will Warren, Cam Schlittler, Gerrit Cole Ryan McMahon hits IL with thumb sprain, Max Schuemann recalled as José Caballero sees increased playing timePlayers Discussed: Ryan McMahon, Max Schuemann, José Caballero, Paul Goldschmidt, Amed Rosario, Alí Sánchez Giancarlo Stanton suffers rehab setback and is likely done for the season, Aaron Judge unlikely to have fantasy impact in 2026Players Discussed: Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge Dodgers lose Andy Pages for the rest of the season, recall Alek Thomas to fill in at center fieldPlayers Discussed: Andy Pages, Alek Thomas, Tommy Edman, Alex Call, Kyle Tucker, Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman Athletics lose Jacob Wilson to the IL again, Donovan Walton and Carlos Cortes set to benefit from a soft home schedulePlayers Discussed: Jacob Wilson, Donovan Walton, Carlos Cortes, Zach Gelof, Nick Kurtz Diamondbacks place Ketel Marte on the IL with knee inflammation after a bizarre restricted-list saga, Ildemaro Vargas picking up playing timePlayers Discussed: Ketel Marte, Ildemaro Vargas, Ryan Waldschmidt Jordan Lawlar playing everyday in center field for Arizona since returning from the IL, though a Saturday benching raises a flagPlayers Discussed: Jordan Lawlar, Ryan Waldschmidt More News (0:20:00–0:35:00) Kade Anderson makes his MLB debut for the Mariners and is expected to stick for the rest of the seasonPlayers Discussed: Kade Anderson, Alex Bregman, Michael Busch Orioles get Samuel Basallo back from the IL, but Carlos Narváez still holding down the majority of catching duties versus leftiesPlayers Discussed: Samuel Basallo, Carlos Narváez Jorge Polanco to have season-ending ankle surgery for the MetsPlayers Discussed: Jorge Polanco Maikel Garcia hits the IL again with a hamstring injury just days after returning, Nick Loftin continues to benefitPlayers Discussed: Maikel Garcia, Nick Loftin, Bobby Witt Jr.., Salvador Perez Salvador Perez rarely catching these days as Carter Jensen takes over behind the plate, Luke Maile and Vinnie Pasquantino also in the mixPlayers Discussed: Salvador Perez, Carter Jensen, Luke Maile, Vinnie Pasquantino Royals bullpen shuffle as Lucas Erceg is optioned, Craig Kimbrel ties the all-time saves-with-teams record, but Steven Cruz remains the preferred armPlayers Discussed: Lucas Erceg, Craig Kimbrel, Steven Cruz, Nate Pearson FAAB Recommendations, Hitters (0:35:00–0:50:00) Power (RBI, HR)Players Discussed: Rafael Flores Jr. Jr., Abimelec Ortiz, Andrés Chaparro, Carlos Cortes Speed (R, SB)Players Discussed: Jorge Mateo, Tyler Tolbert, Dane Myers Opportunity (AB, AVG)Players Discussed: Charles McAdoo, Brett Bateman FAAB Recommendations, Pitchers (0:50:00–1:05:00) Volume (W, K)Players Discussed: Kade Anderson, Cody Bradford, Yusei Kikuchi, Chris Bassitt, Andrew Alvarez, Matthew Liberatore, Max Scherzer, Carson Whisenhunt, Griffin Jax Ratios (ERA, WHIP)Players Discussed: Andrew Alvarez, Dylan Lee Closers (Saves)Players Discussed: Mason Montgomery, Daniel Palencia, Jacob Webb, Justin Martinez, Aaron Ashby, Rico Garcia, Kodai Senga, Ben Joyce Wild Card and Closing Advice (1:05:00–1:10:00) Closer spec-adds are the play since most stash spots are already fullPlayers Discussed: Steven Cruz, Nate Pearson, Craig Kimbrel, Tyler Glasnow Time to embrace risk if you're chasingPlayers Discussed: José Urquidy, Aaron Ashby Join Our Discord & Support The Show: PL+ | PL Pro - Get 15% off Yearly with code PODCAST Proud member of the Pitcher List Fantasy Baseball Podcast Network Join Our Discord & Support The Show: PL+ | PL Pro - Get 15% off Yearly with code PODCASTProud member of the Pitcher List Fantasy Baseball Podcast NetworkHosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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