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Speaking on the Rich Eisen Show, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac said that the Steelers “have a first-round grade on Jaxson Dart, and they really like Shedeur Sanders,” but view drafting a defensive tackle as the priority.
Dulac said that defensive tackle prospects Mason Graham, Walter Nolen, Derrick Harmon and Kenneth Grant sit atop the Steelers’ draft board. The Steelers have reportedly offered Aaron Rodgers a one-year deal and are “willing to wait” for his decision, at least for now. Dulac said that the Steelers “are still spooked by the whole Kenny Pickett evaluation,” adding that “they took the best quarterback of a very average draft class, and I don’t think they want to make that mistake again.” Per Dulac, both Dart and Sanders will be “in the conversation” for the Steelers, if their preferred defensive linemen prospects are gone, but the “pecking order” is believed to be “defensive line, running back, wide receiver and quarterback, and you throw a cornerback in there somewhere.” Dulac “firmly” believes that the Steelers are “all in” on trading up for a “marquee” quarterback prospect in 2026, if nothing pans out this year.
Josh Smith (back) remains out of the lineup for Tuesday’s game against the Rockies.
Smith will sit out his second straight contest on Tuesday night due to back soreness. It doesn’t sound like a massive concern, but it’s a situation fantasy managers should monitor. There’s an opportunity for him to play everyday with Corey Seager on the injured list with a hamstring strain. It’ll be Ezequiel Duran filling in at shortstop on Tuesday in his absence.
Rangers activated C Kyle Higashioka from the 10-day injured list.
Higashioka rejoins the Rangers for Tuesday’s game against the Rockies after missing nearly two weeks recovering from an intercostal strain. He’ll split the catching duties with Jonah Heim going forward.
Rangers placed SS Corey Seager on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to May 11, with a right hamstring strain.
Seager heads to the injured list after re-aggravating a lingering right hamstring issue during Saturday’s two-homer performance against the Tigers. The 31-year-old fantasy superstar missed four of the club’s last five games due to the ongoing issue. He’s unlikely to require a lengthy absence, but hamstring issues can be complicated matters and the Rangers can’t really afford to take any chances. It’ll be Josh Smith taking over at shortstop in his absence.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters Tanner Houck will make his next start “as of now” on Sunday against Atlanta.
It’s not exactly a vote of confidence. It sounds like the Red Sox are leaving all options on the table before considering their next move, which could involve jettisoning Houck to the minors in what would essentially be a full-scale reset. The 28-year-old righty was torched for 11 runs on Monday in a loss to the Tigers. The move would leave rookie Hunter Dobbins in Boston’s rotation even after Walker Buehler (shoulder) returns next week from the injured list. We’ll have updates on the developing situation as it unfolds in the coming days.
Cubs selected the contract of C Moises Ballesteros from Triple-A Iowa.
Ballesteros joins the Cubs for Tuesday’s game against the Marlins after recording a sublime 368/.420/.522 triple-slash line with four homers and three steals over 34 games this season for Triple-A Iowa. The 21-year-old catcher still has some long-term defensive question marks left to answer, but his strong bat-to-ball skills enable him to avoid strikeouts, and he figures to offer enough power upside to make an impact for fantasy purposes. There may be some initial struggles as Ballesteros adjusts to life in the majors, but he’s worthy of a speculative roster spot in all fantasy formats.
Cubs placed OF Ian Happ on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to May 10, with a left oblique strain.
Happ heads to the injured list for some extra time off to rest and recover after missing three straight games with a lingering ailment. It doesn’t sound like the 30-year-old corner outfielder is facing a lengthy absence, but oblique issues can be tricky. The fantasy fallout is rather straightforward as Happ’s absence opens the door for burgeoning star Pete Crow-Armstrong to continue leading off for Chicago.