Gregory Polanco went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer, a walk, and a stolen base against the Indians on Friday. Polanco helped fuel Pittsburgh's five-run first inning en route to an 11-10 victory with his seventh homer of the year. He also picked up his seventh steal as well, putting him on pace for a potential 20/20 campaign. The long ball was only his second of June, however, and he has yet to record a multi-hit game this month, which helps explain why his average is down to .206. It's been another rough year for Polanco, who just hasn't been able to get himself untracked after batting .153/.214/.325 last year. His plate discipline has taken a major step back in recent seasons, as he has a 43:178 BB/K ratio since the beginning of 2019. Now 29, Polanco seems to be on the downward slope of his career and can be ignored in most fantasy formats.
Max Fried evened his record at 4-4 after hurling seven innings of one-run ball against the Cardinals on Friday, limiting them to one run on two hits and two walks with six strikeouts. Fried gave up a quick run in the first inning but was able to settle down after that, holding St. Louis scoreless after the first while Atlanta built up a 9-1 lead. The seven innings matched a season-high for Fried, who has pitched three straight quality starts and allowed only one earned run in six of his last eight starts. Fried is on fire after a rocky start to the year, looking more like the pitcher who went 24-6 with a 3.57 ERA in 2019 and 2020 combined. He'll look to stay hot against the light-hitting Mets on the road in his next start.
Adam Duvall powered the Marlins to a 10-2 win over the Cubs on Friday, going 3-for-4 with two homers, three runs, six RBIs, and a walk. Duvall unloaded for his first multi-homer game and three-hit effort since April 13, smashing a go-ahead grand slam in the third inning before tacking on a two-run shot in the seventh. After starting June in an 0-for-15 slump, Duvall has caught fire over his last 10 games with five homers and 15 RBIs. While his 14 dingers and 48 ribbies are impressive, he's been very boom or bust this year with a .215 average and an abysmal 14:72 BB/K ratio. The four steals help soften the blow a bit, but ultimately his low average and OBP make his production hard to stomach. His pop is worth owning, just make sure you have other players with skillsets that balance him out.
Ozzie Albies went 3-for-5 with a double, a homer, three runs, and three RBIs vs. the Cardinals on Friday. Albies paced Atlanta's 9-1 win by crushing multiple extra-base hits in the same game for the first time since May 22, which was also the last time he homered. The big game snapped Albies out of a 5-for-30 rut over his last seven games. Despite the recent slump, June has been a productive month for Albies with 11 extra-base hits and 16 RBIs in 16 games. While his .257 batting average is a bit below his career mark, the rest of Albies' numbers are more or less in line with his career rates. He's been an extra-base hit machine with 36 thus far, as the 24-year-old continues to prove why he's one of the best second basemen in baseball.
Joc Pederson continued his strong June with another big game on Friday, going 2-for-4 with two solo homers out of the leadoff spot for Chicago. Pederson went deep in each of his first two at-bats for his second multi-homer game of the year and first since May 25. He's been on fire in June, too, with seven homers in his 15 games this month. While Pederson is a streaky hitter with significant platoon splits, he's worth starting as long as he continues to bat at the top of Chicago's order.
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