St. Louis

Cardinals

No immediate reason was given for Helsley’s removal. He had a busy first half, but considering that he’s pitched just once in the last 10 days, he’s pretty rested at the moment. It’s the first All-Star nod for Finnegan, who has a 2.45 ERA and 25 saves as the Nationals’ closer.

Wetherholt missed close to half the season while dealing with a hamstring injury, and while his numbers were certainly good when he was on the field (.331/.372/.589), they pale in comparison to his sophomore campaign (449/.517/.787). Despite that dip there’s a reason many believe he’s the middle-infield prospect in the class with a chance to hit for average, steal bases and provide solid -- if unspectacular -- power numbers. He has a chance to stick at shortstop, but most believe that second base is his ultimate landing spot. The bat can certainly play at both, and Wetherholt’s advanced skill set should make him a fantasy contributor in a (relatively) short time.

The stolen base was his third of the season, but Donovan has continued to be a solid super-utility bat, hitting .276/.345/.411 on the season. His batting average upside and mild power/speed combination put him firmly on the fantasy radar in deeper formats.

Burleson took Jameson Taillon deep in the sixth inning for his 17th home run of the season to go along with 53 RBI and a .288/.320/.494 triple slash. He was an afterthought in the Cardinals’ outfield heading into the season but has proven to be a more than capable MLB starter. The Cardinals should keep his bat in the lineup even if they get fully healthy in the second half of the season.

The 35-year-old allowed six extra-base hits and four home runs on the day. He now has a 5.13 ERA heading into the All-Star break and should not be started next week against the Braves on Saturday. He could also be in danger of losing his rotation spot if the Cardinals decide to pursue starting pitching at the deadline.

Contreras caught both games of the doubleheader Saturday so it’s no surprise to see that he gets a day off for the finale against his former team. Pedro Pages is the starting catcher with Nolan Arenado the designated hitter and Brandon Crawford manning the hot corner.

Contreras victimized his former team in the opening inning with a 364-foot (103.9 mph EV) solo shot off of Javier Assad. He then started the Cardinals’ go-ahead rally in the eighth inning with a leadoff walk and then raced home on Nolan Arenado’s go-ahead two-run single. He’s having an impressive season at the dish, slashing .273/.405/.517 with 10 homers, 24 RBI and three stolen bases in only 50 games.

Helsley made things interesting as he allowed a one-out single to Seiya Suzuki — who then advanced to second on a wild pitch. He rallied though to get Ian Happ on a ground ball to third base and Christopher Morel on strikes to end it. Helsley has been an unstoppable force out of the Cardinals’ bullpen this season, posting a 2.36 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and a 48/17 K/BB ratio over 42 innings while securing 32 saves in 34 chances.

The 36-year-old right-hander also allowed two free passes on the night while striking out three. All of the scoring done against him came in the second inning, as Miguel Amaya clubbed a two-run homer, while Nico Hoerner and Seiya Suzuki chipped in run-scoring singles. Gibson generated nine swings and misses on 97 pitches on the night, registering an underwhelming CSW of only 23 percent. He finishes a tumultuous first half with a 7-3 record, 4.16 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and a 96/41 K/BB ratio over 101 2/3 innings through his first 18 starts.

Burleson knocked a base hit in the first inning and scored on an error. He then capped off a nine-run opening frame with a three-run blast off Hayden Wesneski. Burleson added a double in the third inning and was later replaced by Matt Carpenter with the Cardinals comfortably ahead in the blowout win. The 25-year-old outfielder is slashing .288/.322/.485 with 16 homers, 51 RBI, and seven steals across 332 plate appearances.