Seattle Mariners third base prospect Tyler Locklear went 2-6 at the plate on Friday with a long ball, two RBI, and a swiped bag. Locklear has been showcasing high high-upside power all week with three long balls in his past seven games. During this stretch he has also tallied three doubles. In 40 games this season with Double-A Arkansas, the 23-year-old has an impressive .292/.404/.539 line with eight home runs and four stolen bases. The former second-round selection looks quite comfortable at this level compared to last season, where he posted a modest .260 AVG in 22 games at Double-A. The corner infielder is projected to reach the majors this season and should join Triple-A fairly soon, making him an intriguing stash candidate in dynasty leagues.

Oakland Athletics outfielder Miguel Andujar made his long-awaited season debut on Friday, going 3-for-4 with two RBI in a 6-3 loss to the Astros. Andujar is returning from a torn meniscus he suffered just prior to the beginning of the season. The 29-year-old had a strong showing in spring training, going 15-for-42 (.357) with five home runs and didn't strike out even one time. He also had a strong rehab stint where the right-handed hitter went 7-for-18 (.389) including four doubles and struck out just twice. If Andujar can find regular playing time and continue to hit, he could be a worthy waiver-add in fantasy, however, he's played no more than 45 games in a season since 2018. That season, the Dominican hit .297 with 27 home runs for the Yankees.

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitching prospect Tink Hence struck out a season-high 13 batters on Friday across six shutout frames. Hence has been one of the best arms in Double-A this season and is on the brink of moving up to Triple-A. Through 45 innings at Double-A, he has struck out 59 batters with a 2.76 ERA and 1.07 WHIP. His ERA is a bit inflated due to one poor outing where he allowed six earned runs. The top prospect in St. Louis is projected to reach the major leagues this season, according to MLB Pipeline, which means a promotion to Triple-A could be right around the corner. Hence is a top-10 right-handed pitching prospect and is worth stashing in dynasty leagues.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander struck out nine batters and picked up the win in Friday's 6-3 victory over the Athletics. The veteran scattered eight hits and hit a batter over six innings of work while walking none. It was the 41-year-old's fourth quality start in seven starts and a nice bounce-back game after giving up four runs in four-and-two-thirds-innings pitched. The righty is now 3-2 on the season and owns a 3.60 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, and a 12.6% K-BB%. Verlander gets a mouthwatering matchup with Seattle his next turn through the rotation on Thursday. The Mariners have the fourth-lowest team batting average on the season and have the most strikeouts in the entire league.

New York Yankees starting pitcher Carlos Rodon pitched six innings of shutout ball in Friday's 8-0 win over the Padres. The lefty allowed just three hits and three walks while striking out two. It was the 31-year-old's fourth straight quality start, improving his record to 6-2 and lowering his season ERA to 2.95. The veteran also has a good 1.18 WHIP, although fantasy managers who were hoping for a return to 33% strikeout rates are surely disappointed. His K-BB% of 14.8% is more in line with 2023's disastrous season, although slightly better as the southpaw has reduced his BB% by more than 2%. Rodon has also lowered his HR/FB% from 15.2% to 10.3%, which has contributed to his success this season. The 2x All-Star will draw the Angels in his next start in Anaheim on Thursday.