In The Field
1B Ryan Mountcastle left Thursday's game early with a sore wrist. The injury occurred on a slide into second base in the second inning. He was not in the lineup on Friday or Saturday. OF Mickey Moniak left Thursday's game early due to left elbow irritation. He is considered day-to-day. OF Jazz Chisholm Jr. (elbow) was activated off the 10-day IL on Friday and returned to the lineup playing third and batting fifth. Chisholm Jr. is hitting .256 with 20 HR, 59 R, 61 RBI, and 27 SB. For the Yankees, he has hit .316 with 7 HR, 13 R, 11 RBI, and 5 SB in 14 GP. SS Bo Bichette (calf) has started running as he rehabs his calf injury. He has been able to do hitting and fielding drills so adding running to his process is a big step forward. 1B Tyler Soderstrom (wrist) was able to play catch before the Athletics game on Wednesday. He hasn't been able to take swings which is the next big step in his recovery. SS Jacob Wilson (hamstring) has been playing in rehab games both as DH and in the field. 1B Anthony Rizzo (forearm) is expected to start a rehab assignment this weekend with Double-A Somerset. He is targeting a return in early September. Rizzo was hitting .223 with 8 HR, 32 R, 28 RBI, and 0 SB in 70 GP. 1B Ben Rice and 1B D.J. LeMahieu have been platooning at first while Rizzo has been out. Once Rizzo returns, Rice is going to be in a limited role and DJ LeMahieu will be pushed into a super-utility role. SS J.P. Crawford (finger) took swings against a pitching machine on Wednesday. This was the first time that he had swung a bat since hitting the IL. He is expected to start a rehab assignment soon and could potentially be back before the end of next week. SS Leo Rivas will no longer be the starting shortstop. OF Victor Robles was out of the Mariners lineup on Wednesday with a sore hip. Robles has been a different player with the Mariners (.280 AVG with 3 HR, 17 R, 11 RBI, and 14 SB). However, a lot of his fantasy value is tied to his speed which a hip injury would greatly affect. Robles left Saturday's game after getting hit by a pitch but imaging revealed a contusion. 3B Alex Bregman is dealing with a right elbow injury. It is affecting his play in the field more than hitting but it is still a factor. He has been DH'ing as a result. Bregman is hitting .261 with 20 HR, 66 R, 60 RBI, and 3 SB. He is on pace for relatively the same season as a year ago with slightly lower counting stats. OF Wenceel Perez (oblique) is expected to start swinging a bat soon. The Tigers are hoping to get him back in early to mid-September. SS Brooks Lee (shoulder) is expected to start a rehab assignment this weekend. He has been out since August 9 with right bicep tendonitis. If everything goes well he could be activated early next week. Lee was hitting .253 with 2 HR, 8 R, 15 RBI, and 3 SB. He showed strong contact skills (8% BB and 15% K) but he doesn't hit the ball hard (5% Barrels and 22% Hardhit). C Ryan Jeffers left Friday night's game with a hand injury. He is considered day-to-day. OF Cedric Mullins was removed from Friday's game due to left quad tightness. OF Austin Slater has been his platoon partner in the outfield so if Mullins were to miss time he would be the most likely candidate to step in. SS Javier Baez was placed on the 10-day IL with lumbar spine and hip inflammation. Baez hasn't been fantasy-relevant since 2021 and is going to go down as one of the worst contracts in history. He is hitting .184 with 6 HR, 25 R, 37 RBI, and 8 SB. He missed a month earlier in the season for a similar injury so there's no guarantee that he is back quickly. OF Yordan Alvarez was scratched from the lineup on Friday due to neck discomfort. He was also not in the lineup on Saturday. 3B Yoan Moncada (thigh) is going to start a rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte next week. Moncada has only played in 11 G this year (.282 AVG with 0 HR, 4 R, 0 RBI, and 1 SB). OF Tyler O'Neill was not in the Red Sox lineup Friday night due to finger inflammation. He is day-to-day. OF Byron Buxton (hip) is making progress in his recovery but he was not activated on Friday as some expected. He is likely to return soon so this means that OF Austin Martin will see fewer at-bats. He will be in a battle with OF Manuel Margot (.242 AVG with 4 HR, 34 R, 29 RBI, and 4 SB) for playing time. Martin has hit .255 with 1 HR, 39 R, 14 RBI, and 7 SB. 1B Alex Kirilloff started his rehab assignment on Friday with Triple-A St. Paul. He has been out since the middle of June with back soreness and nerve issues. Kirilloff was hitting .201 with 5 HR, 20 R, 20 RBI, and 0 SB in 178 PA before the injury. SS Trevor Story is getting close to a rehab assignment. The Red Sox are currently figuring out the best plan for his recovery. He has been taking live BP but he has been out since the middle of April with a fractured shoulder. Normally they would take it slow and get him a bunch of at-bats to get his timing back but the Red Sox are still hanging on in the Wild Card race. OF Kyle Tucker could be back in early September according to GM Dana Brown. With that being said, he is still experiencing soreness in his leg when pushing it and hasn't progressed to running bases. Tucker has been out since the beginning of June. SS Carlos Correa (heel) does not have a timetable for his return but has been able to run, hit, and field. The issue is that he is still having discomfort in his foot. Plantar fasciitis is a tough injury for athletes in season. 3B Jordan Westburg (hand) was cleared to begin taking ground balls and one-handed swings on Tuesday. He will need to take BP before we have a clear timetable for his return. 3B Ramon Urias has been the Orioles' everyday third baseman while he has been out. OF Taylor Ward has been the Angels leadoff hitter this past week which has led to more at-bats but will limit his RBI opportunities. OF Lane Thomas has only started five of the Guardians' last ten games. This makes it hard to have him in active lineups. 1B Nolan Schanuel is going to be out Saturday and Sunday in order to give his back injury time to heal.
On The Mound
Casey Mize (hamstring) went 3.1 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 2 Bb, and 5 K's in his rehab start for Triple-A Toledo on Sunday and had another rehab start on Saturday. He is expected to be activated next week. Mize had a 4.23 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, and 11% K:BB through 16 GS. The pure stuff has not translated to success at the major league level. He has never been able to miss bats at a consistent level which has left him vulnerable to luck on balls in play. He should only be considered in desperate situations. Jacob deGrom went 2 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 0 BB, and 3 K for Double-A Frisco. The pure stuff was on display with his fastball regularly hitting 99 mph and his vintage slider. He threw 29 pitches in this outing so he will continue to build up his pitch count as he readies for a return to the Rangers rotation. Max Scherzer (shoulder) did not make his rehab start on Friday as expected. The Rangers have not given details as to why but it is obvious that he was not physically ready to start. Scherzer has had a rough year in terms of injuries and rehab. Zach Eflin (shoulder) was placed on the 15-day IL on Tuesday with right shoulder inflammation. He believes that he will return on September 1 when he is first eligible. Eflin has a 3.72 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and 17% K:BB across 135.1 IP. He has been really good for the Orioles in a small sample (2.13 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 23% K:BB) so both parties are hoping that he is correct in his return date. Drew Thorpe (forearm) has been able to throw from 60 ft. as he progresses in his rehab. Once he starts throwing bullpens and faces live hitters we will have a better understanding of a return date. Clarke Schmidt (lat) had a rehab start on Friday for Double-A Somerset. His goal was 50 pitches. He will need to get stretched out before returning because he has been out since 5/26 with this injury. Schmidt was in the midst of a breakout season before the injury (2.52 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and 19% K:BB). Luis Gil (back) was placed on the 15-day IL with a lower back strain. He is eligible to return on September 5. The Yankees were likely cautious with Gil knowing that he has far exceeded (124.2 IP) his innings total from the past two seasons (4 IP in 2023 and 25.2 IP in 2022). Tyler Mahle was placed on the 15-day IL on Tuesday with right shoulder tightness. He had made three starts for the Rangers (4.97 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, and 11% K:BB). The Rangers activated Jon Gray from the IL to take his spot in the rotation. Gray has 3.75 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and 14% K:BB in 17 GS and 21 G. Alex Cobb was placed on the 15-day IL on Monday with a fractured nail on his pitching hand. Shane Baz was scratched from his start on Sunday because he has the flu.
In The Bullpen
Hunter Harvey (back) had a setback on Tuesday in his recovery so Lucas Erceg's hold on the closer's role will not see any competition until at least September. Erceg was able to pick up two saves this week and has been fantastic for the Royals (0.00 ERA, 0.39 WHIP, 40% K:BB, and 3 SV). The Rays placed closer Pete Fairbanks on the 15-day IL on Monday due to a right lat strain. He had been having a good year (3.57 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and 23 SV) but is now likely to miss extended time. Edwin Uceta and Manuel Rodriguez picked up saves in Fairbanks's absence. Uceta is the guy to pick up in Tampa Bay. He has been working in high-leverage situations and has the skills to succeed in the role (0.90 ERA, 0.57 WHIP, and 30% K:BB). Seranthony Dominguez picked up two saves this week but also took two losses as the Orioles closer. He has been missing bats (32% K) and controlling the strike zone (9% BB) in August but has struggled with home runs (4 HR in 9 IP). Kenley Jansen (24) and Chris Martin (1) each saved a game for the Red Sox. Martin continues to be an excellent setup man (2.94 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, and 27% K:BB). Clay Holmes picked up save #26 on Friday night. Chad Green secured a win and a save this week. On the year, he has a 1.77 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 15% K:BB, and 13 SV. John Brebbia is the presumed closer in Chicago but hasn't picked up a save since Michael Kopech was traded at the deadline. The Tigers bullpen has been all over the place this year. They appear to be back at Jason Foley being the closer. He got the save on Friday night. Mason Miller is now up to 20 SV with a 1.85 ERA, 0.78 WHIP, 9% BB, and a ridiculous 45% K. Despite blowing a save, Kirby Yates had 1 W (5) and 2 SV (22) this week.
Players to add this week:
RP Edwin Uceta (TBR)- Edwin Uceta and Manuel Rodriguez picked up saves in Fairbanks's absence. Uceta is the guy to pick up in Tampa Bay. He has been working in high-leverage situations and has the skills to succeed in the role (0.90 ERA, 0.57 WHIP, and 30% K:BB).
RP Seranthony Dominguez (BAL)- Seranthony Dominguez picked up two saves this week but also took two losses as the Orioles closer. He has been missing bats (32% K) and controlling the strike zone (9% BB) in August but has struggled with home runs (4 HR in 9 IP). However, as long as he is getting save chances for one of the best teams in the league he needs to be rostered and active.
3B Ernie Clement (TOR)-Ernie Clement is playing every day at either short or third for the Blue Jays. He is hitting .272 with 10 HR, 35 R, 43 RBI, and 8 SB. He doesn't make much hard contact (4% Barrels and 24% Hardhit) but he also doesn't strike out much (8% K). He puts enough balls in play and hits enough fly balls that he has double-digit power despite not hitting the ball hard. He isn't elite in any category but solid across the board.
SP Zebby Matthews (MIN)-Zebby Matthews has made two starts for the Twins (10 IP, 4 ER, 9 H, 2 BB, and 6 K). He doesn't have much of a track record in the minors but he showed the ability to miss bats with near-elite control. This is the type of profile that succeeds at the major league level. The Twins are also good at getting the most out of their starters so he is worth taking a shot on.
OF Jhonkensy Noel (CLE)-Jhonkensy Noel is in the Guardians lineup on most nights. He is hitting .250 with 10 HR, 14 R, 19 RBI, and 0 SB. This is a power-only play but he has proven that his power is legit. He hits the ball in the air (51% FB) and hard (17% Barrels). Noel is also a batting average risk (30% K) but power can be hard to come by in some leagues.
SP Jon Gray (Tex)- Jon Gray is taking the spot of Tyler Mahle who was placed on the 15-day IL. Gray has a 3.75 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and 14% K:BB through 17 GS and 21 G. His strikeout rate is not great (20% K) but his swinging strike rate (12%) suggests there is room for growth. He is not a league winning pick up but can provide solid back-of-the-rotation production. His 4.22 SIERA supports that.
SP Bowden Francis (TOR)- Bowden Francis has now made 8 GS and 22G at the major league level. He has a 4.02 ERA and 1.07 WHIP. The skills underneath are average (22% K and 6% BB). His 3.90 SIERA suggests that he is mixed-team viable and someone who should be rostered. He has also pitched very well in the second half (2.16 ERA, 0.64 WHIP, 27% K, and 2 % BB).
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