We only have two more weeks until the Major League Baseball All-Star Break. This is a chance to make up ground on your league mates heading into the unofficial second half of the season. This week is front-loaded from a scheduling perspective. Only the Kansas City Royals and Tampa Bay Rays have Monday off. The Royals play only five games, while three teams play seven. There are also a few scheduling quirks caused by the FIFA World Cup that could affect fantasy baseball managers in leagues with multiple weekly scoring periods. I will touch on the key ones below in my Week 15 American League fantasy baseball lineup analysis. I will discuss the latest lineup changes for all 15 teams, along with news and notes that may impact waiver wire claims and start/sit decisions for the upcoming week.
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AL Fantasy Baseball Lineup Analysis for Week 15
Athletics
Zack Gelof had a painful end to his 23-game hitting streak, both literally and figuratively. The Athletics placed Gelof on the 10-day Injured List after his hand was stepped on in the field following his first at-bat on Tuesday. Henry Bolte has filled in as the team’s leadoff hitter in each of the four games since Gelof went down, and that will probably remain the case next week. The Athletics are home for six games and will face two left-handed starters. Jacob Wilson has missed three straight starts due to a shoulder injury, with Alika Williams batting ninth while replacing him at shortstop. Lawrence Butler and Colby Thomas have been platooning in right field. Jeff McNeil should play close to every day at second base, while Max Muncy plays third. Carlos Cortes looks like a drop, since he has not started a game since June 19.
Baltimore Orioles
Samuel Basallo has handled everyday catching duties with Adley Rutschman on the 7-day IL. Coby Mayo has handled designated hitter duties, working there in five of Baltimore’s last six games. Rutschman is eligible to come off the IL, but a return date has not yet been determined. When Rutschman returns, Mayo will have to compete with Blaze Alexander for starts at third base. If the previous week was any indication, Alexander holds the edge in that competition. Jeremiah Jackson started four consecutive games at second base recently while Jackson Holliday was dealing with an injury. Holliday should get the bulk of work at the keystone in Week 15. Baltimore is scheduled to face four right-handed starting pitchers and two left-handers this week, and they are off on Thursday.
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox will face three left-handed starters and three righties in Week 15. They have been platooning at multiple positions, including a cross-platoon with their DH slot. Jarren Duran is the team’s regular left fielder against righties, usually batting fifth. In Boston’s last two games versus a left-handed starter, Nate Eaton has played left field and hit leadoff. Duran was the DH for one game and sat out the other. Masataka Yoshida has been the primary DH when the Red Sox face a righty. I would expect Eaton and Yoshida to earn three starts apiece this week, limiting their fantasy appeal. Duran should start four or five games. Boston will also likely split starting duties at shortstop between Andruw Monasterio and Tsung-Che Cheng. The Red Sox called up Cheng to replace Marcelo Mayer, who the team placed on the IL with a forearm injury.
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox activated catcher Kyle Teel from the 60-day Injured List and optioned Edgar Quero to the Minors. Teel has started three of five games since his return and has batted third or fourth in all three. Make him a priority waiver add wherever he is still available. The former first-round pick has major offensive upside on the feel-good team of the 2026 season. Chicago is on the road for seven games this week, with five of them coming against right-handed starting pitchers. Tristan Peters and Jacob Gonzalez should earn a handful of starts. They have both been hot, albeit at the bottom of the lineup. Andrew Benintendi will also be on the right side of a platoon this week. He and Teel have been alternating between the third and fourth spots in the lineup.
Cleveland Guardians
Cleveland called up Cooper Ingle this week. Ingle hit three home runs in a Minor League game last week, but his primary position is catcher. He began playing the outfield earlier this month after the Guardians acquired Patrick Bailey as their primary catcher. Perhaps Cleveland considers Ingle to be their David Fry 2.0. Ingle has been the team’s DH in both games since being called up, which feels like the way to go considering his lack of experience in the outfield. If that holds, Rhys Hoskins loses whatever fantasy value he had. He would most likely only spell Kyle Manzardo at first base versus left-handers. Steven Kwan led off on Saturday, with Travis Bazzana hitting second. Time will tell if that was more than just a one-off. Like the White Sox, Cleveland will also play seven games, including five against righties, this week.
Detroit Tigers
Detroit is the first American League team on our list whose Week 15 schedule is impacted by the World Cup. They will be in Texas next weekend for a three-game set, but the break in this series occurs on Friday rather than the more typical Thursday off day. If you are playing in a league where you swap hitters in and out of the lineup on Friday, you should most likely bench your Tigers for the weekend. They will only have two games next weekend, while most teams will have three. In weekly formats, Detroit will play six games, with five coming against righties. I would continue to start the Tigers’ regular hitters in weekly leagues. The Tigers transferred Wenceel Perez to the 60-day IL this week following his orbital fracture. Fantasy managers can drop Perez if they haven’t already done so.
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros have moved Jose Altuve around in their lineup a few times this week. But those moves were more circumstantial than anything. Expect Altuve to remain in the five-spot in the lineup barring anything unforeseen. Other than that, there have not been many changes in the Astros lineup to delve into. Houston is home for six games this week, with Thursday off. They will face five right-handed starting pitchers and one left-hander. Houston’s platoon impact is minimal, with Joey Loperfido the only regular who sits when a lefty is the opposing team’s starting pitcher. Keep Loperfido and the rest of the Astros hitters in weekly lineups.
Kansas City Royals
Bobby Witt Jr. returned to shortstop on Saturday after spending Friday as the team’s DH following a six-game absence. Witt should be good to go for Week 15. Just keep in mind that Kansas City is only playing five games this week. The Royals placed Maikel Garcia on the IL this week. They called up Josh Rojas, but Rojas only started two of five games, and none at third base. Nick Loftin has been playing third base every day in Garcia’s stead. Two of Kansas City’s five games this week will be against left-handed starters. Jac Caglianone has a higher batting average and slugging percentage versus lefties this year, so I would not shy away from starting him based on any perceived platoon disadvantage. Lane Thomas has hit cleanup in three straight games and could be a decent streamer if you account for the lower volume.
Los Angeles Angels
The Los Angeles Angels have made several roster moves this week. They activated Jorge Soler from the IL and recalled Josh Lowe from Triple-A. They released Nick Madrigal and optioned Christian Moore to the Minors. On the field, the ascension of Denzer Guzman has rendered Vaughn Grissom the odd man out. Guzman has hit second in the lineup in two of the last three games, both times against righties. The Angels will also have a game affected by the World Cup, although the fantasy implications are quite small. Seattle is hosting a World Cup game on Wednesday, so the three-game series between the Angels and Mariners will take place on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Los Angeles plays six games this week and will face two left-handed starting pitchers, both next weekend.
Minnesota Twins
As is the case with the Angels, the Minnesota Twins will face two left-handers in Week 15, and both of those games will also occur next weekend. Trevor Larnach and Tristan Gray are the most likely Twins to hit the bench during those two games. Gray is still on the better side of a platoon at shortstop with Ryan Kreidler, though I suppose it’s fair to speculate if that continues long-term. Gray has a 79 wRC+ at the plate and -7 defensive runs saved in less than 200 innings at shortstop. I’m not exactly sure what he does well. Austin Martin will likely replace Larnach in the leadoff spot and in left field against the two lefties Minnesota faces next weekend. All other Twins regulars should start five or six games.
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees placed Ryan McMahon on the Injured List and called up Oswaldo Cabrera this week. New York has faced four straight lefty starters since calling up Cabrera, and the switch-hitter has started none of them. Jose Caballero and Amed Rosario have been splitting time at third base with McMahon out. McMahon should rejoin the team in time for next weekend’s series, while outfielder Trent Grisham may come back earlier in the week. Spencer Jones is probably going to be sent down once Grisham is ready to return. The Yankees are home all week, which includes an off day on Thursday. They are scheduled to face four righties and two lefties this week. Paul Goldschmidt should still play close to every day, while hitting in the middle of the order against right-handed starting pitchers.
Seattle Mariners
Seattle dropped Cal Raleigh to the six-hole in Saturday’s lineup. Hopefully, this move gets Raleigh going, but it’s ugly right now. Last year’s runner-up for MVP has struggled to say the least in 2026. Raleigh has a .571 OPS in over 200 plate appearances this season. Nasim Nunez has a higher OPS, and Chandler Simpson has a higher slugging percentage than Raleigh’s .310 mark. The Mariners activated Randy Arozarena from the IL this week and optioned Connor Joe to the Minors. With Raleigh dropped in the order, Dominic Canzone has hit fourth or higher in back-to-back games. That includes Friday’s game against a left-handed starter. Canzone should be in for a big week with Seattle only facing right-handed starting pitchers this week. Luke Raley, Cole Young, and Colt Emerson should play every day as well.
Tampa Bay Rays
The top of Tampa Bay’s lineup continues to do the heavy lifting. Junior Caminero has been on another planet this week, with six home runs in five games. Yandy Diaz has scored at least one run in each of those games, and Jonathan Aranda has an RBI in all five. Jonny DeLuca and Ryan Vilade are the only other Rays with an OPS of greater than .650 among the dozen players with at least 100 plate appearances. Vilade only starts against lefties, while DeLuca has started six of nine games since returning from the IL. Tampa Bay faces five righties in six games in Week 15, so it is difficult to trust DeLuca to earn enough playing time to warrant streaming him this week.
Texas Rangers
Texas activated Corey Seager from the IL this week. The Rangers rested him on Friday, but he should be back to his customary third spot in the lineup going forward. Texas does face three left-handed starters in their six-game week, but I would still start Seager in all formats. Wyatt Langford missed Saturday’s game with a hamstring injury. Langford has been one of the best fantasy players in all of MLB over the last three weeks. That includes his two stolen bases this week. It would be a bummer if this hampered his ability to steal bases. But as long as he is in Monday’s lineup, he should continue to produce for fantasy managers. Nicky Lopez continues to start every day at second base, but Ezequiel Duran is likely to split time there with Seager back at shortstop. Duran can also play the outfield if Langford’s injury lingers.
Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto has made several roster moves in the past few days. They placed Jesus Sanchez on the IL and optioned Davis Schneider and his mustache to the Minor Leagues. The Blue Jays recalled Yohendrick Pinango and Sean Keys from the Minors. Keys hit sixth in Saturday’s lineup, while Pinango batted eighth. Toronto only faces one left-handed starting pitcher in Week 15, so both players should see solid playing time. The streets are saying that George Springer is about to go on the Paternity List, but no official move has been made yet. With Toronto having a day off on Thursday, it would be hard to justify starting Springer in weekly leagues if he were to miss multiple games. He has not produced anything remotely resembling last year’s numbers this season.
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