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Happy Tuesday, everyone! It was an extra short slate on Monday, but Pirates top prospect Oneil Cruz wasted zero time making an exciting impact after being called up for the first time this season. Cruz is one of the most physically imposing middle infield prospects I can ever remember since I started watching baseball. He has better-than-realized speed and the ball jumps off his bat. But in his debut, it was his fielding -- specifically his throwing arm -- that drew oohs and aahs from the crowd. Cruz ripped a 96.7 mph throw from the infield to first base -- a toss that has only been topped by one player in the Statcast era.

But that's not to say Cruz didn't also get the job done with his bat. He went 2 for 4 with a double, four RBI and a 113 mph exit velocity on the double. Sheesh!

We'll dive into all of the action from Monday, but first, make sure you're all caught up with everything going on from the Fantasy Baseball Today team over at CBSSports.com/Fantasy/Baseball. Scott White took a deep dive into the buzziest names near the top of this past weekend's free agent budget splurge -- Riley Greene, Cruz, Alex Kirilloff and C.J. Abrams -- here is everything you need to know about what to project from each player moving forward. Chris Towers took a look into some of baseball's hottest players and whether you should sell high in his trade values column you can find here. And if you're looking for waiver wire options, Scott has you covered here

And of course, as always, you can follow to make sure you get the latest episodes of Fantasy Baseball Today right when they drop on Apple and Spotify

Cole dominates as Yanks win race to 50

The Yankees are the first team to win 50 games this season, and it only took them 67 games. With breakout performances from players in key roles like Nestor Cortes and Clay Holmes, and post-hype bounce-back from players like Anthony Rizzo, we're soon going to be discussing whether or not they have an opportunity to be the greatest regular-season team in MLB history. 

On Monday, it was a dominant performance from Gerrit Cole that really set the tone. Cole took a no-hitter into the eighth inning and finished his dismantling of the Rays with 12 strikeouts on 111 pitches. It was a rough start to the season for Cole, but his ERA is now down to 3.14 overall.

Holmes actually allowed a run for the first time since opening day -- that's a 31 1/3 inning streak snapped. Rizzo went yard -- again -- for No. 19. 

More prospect call-ups

The Rays recalled OF Josh Lowe back up. He's just 20% rostered in CBS leagues but his bat has been red hot in May at the Triple-A level. Lowe batted .299 with six homers and six stolen bases in May. Monday against Cole, Lower hit one 415 feet straight away to center. At the very least it was a good sign of what's on the horizon.

The Red Sox called up Jeter Downs, but it's a little less exciting when you consider how much he struggled at the minor league level so far in 2022 and where he figures to factor in from a lineup standpoint. Downs was batting .180 so far this season with a 31% strikeout rate in the minors.

Statcast standouts

Barrel rate for the season (power metric) :

June barrel percentage standouts:

June hard-hit rate standouts:

News and lineup notes

Every night the Fantasy Baseball Today team dives into all of the happenings around the MLB from top performers to injuries, trades and more. The podcast is a must listen for any diehard, if I do say so myself. Tune in to the podcast to hear the FBT crew expand on the news and notes below.

  • Manny Machado was on the bench Monday with that left ankle sprain. The team is optimistic he'll be able to avoid the IL. 
  • Max Scherzer will make his rehab start Tuesday at Double-A and if all goes well, he could return to the Mets this weekend. 
  • Joe Musgrove has been able to throw while on the COVID IL but is expected to miss at least one turn in the rotation. Instead, Mike Clevinger will start Wednesday against the D-Backs. 
  • Brandon Woodruff said he expects to make his second rehab start at High-A on Thursday. He threw 51 pitches in his first rehab outing. 
  • Aaron Ashby was placed on the IL with left forearm inflammation, retroactive to June 17. This comes one day after he was cleared to make his next start. Apparently, Ashby isn't particularly worried about the injury. 
  • Jack Flaherty is expected to target around 75 pitches in his second start of the season Tuesday.
  • Kris Bryant is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment Tuesday at Triple-A. 
  • Ketel Marte has now missed four straight with that hamstring injury. He's expected back at some point during this series with the Padres
  • Tyler O'Neill was placed on the IL due to left hamstring tightness. Juan Yepez should see increased playing time in O'Neill's absence. 
  • Franmil Reyes is expected to return Tuesday and is 67% rostered.
  • Aroldis Chapman is scheduled to throw a live batting practice session Tuesday at the Yankees' spring training complex in Tampa. He's on the IL with left Achilles tendinitis. 
  • Yoan Moncada was placed on the IL yet again, this time with a strained right hamstring. That should ensure playing time for Jake Burger
  • Anthony DeSclafani is likely to make his return Tuesday and start against the Braves. He was not great early on but was very solid last year. He is 60% rostered.
  • Jeff McNeil is considered day-to-day after leaving Monday's game with hamstring tightness. 
  • Ken Giles was finally reinstated by the Seattle Mariners. He's 13% rostered.
  • Pirates starting pitcher Zach Thompson was placed on the IL with right forearm nerve inflammation. 
  • Marcus Stroman, on the IL with shoulder inflammation, is expected to throw a bullpen session within the next few days. 
  • Luis Patiño is scheduled to make his next rehab start Tuesday at Triple-A. He's 22% rostered.