In The Field
OF Sal Frelick (shoulder) is getting close to starting a rehab assignment, according to his manager Pat Murphy. Frelick was hitting .236 with 4 Hr, 33 R, 34 RBi, and 6 SB before his injury. OF Oneil Cruz (hand) was cleared to start a rehab assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday. Cruz was hitting .264 with 14 HR, 45 R, 44 RBI, and 21 SB in 283 PA. He was on pace for a 30 HR/40 SB season with a batting average that wouldn't hurt you. Once he does return, it will force OF Jake Mangum into a part-time role given the emergence of OF Esmerlyn Valdez. Mangum has played well for the Pirates offensively (.298 AVG with 3 HR, 40 R, 24 RBI, and 20 SB in 335 PA). 1B Jake Bauers (abdomen) was out on Thursday but returned to the Brewers lineup on Friday. Bauers has been excellent this year for the Brewers (.270 AVG with 20 HR, 68 R, 64 RBI, and 8 SB in 403 PA). OF Jordan Lawlar (hamstring) started a rehab assignment this week with Double-A Amarillo. He had a lot of people excited after a big spring training and has looked good in a limited sample (.316 AVG with 1 HR, 6 R, 4 RBI, and 4 SB in 44 PA), but he has not been able to stay on the field. 1B Freddie Freeman (hand) was hit by a pitch on the hand on Wednesday, but X-rays came back negative after the game. He was right back in the lineup on Friday. Freeman is hitting .310 with 15 HR, 57 R, 54 RBI, and 5 SB in 481 PA. OF Jordan Walker sat out Tuesday and Wednesday due to knee inflammation but returned to the lineup on Friday. Walker continues to have a breakout season (.285 AVG with 22 Hr, 68 R, 81 RBI, and 14 SB). C Daulton Rushing (elbow) is unlikely to catch again this year, which puts him on the bench with Shohei Ohtani taking up the DH at-bats. Rushing is hitting .253 with 12 HR, 37 R, 36 RBI, and 0 SB in 245 PA. SS Xander Bogaerts left Tuesday's game early after fouling a ball off his foot, but X-rays were negative, and he returned to the lineup on Wednesday. Bogaerts continues to struggle (.227 AVG) for the Padres but has at least provided some fantasy value with 9 HR and 16 SB. 3B Matt Chapman (abdomen) was reported to be going to see a specialist next week, but news came out Saturday that he is going to have season-ending surgery on Tuesday. Chapman was hitting .235 with 7 HR, 35 R, 42 RBI, and 0 SB. 1B Bryce Eldridge was out of the Giants lineup on Monday and Tuesday but returned on Wednesday. This is an injury to keep an eye on for the rookie. He is hitting .252 AVG with 11 HR, 36 R, 28 RBI, and 1 SB. OF James Wood was placed on the 10-day IL on Tuesday with an oblique strain. This is tough news for fantasy owners as we are getting closer to the end of the season. Wood has been fantastic this year (.265 AVG with 30 HR, 100 R, 73 RBI, and 17 SB). OF Carson Benge had to be removed from Friday night's game after colliding with the left-field wall in Pittsburgh while making a catch. He was out of the lineup on Saturday and is considered day-to-day. Benge has been a nice surprise to both the Mets and fantasy owners (.270 AVG with 13 HR, 61 R, 46 RBI, and 18 SB). 3B Marcelo Mayer (forearm) is hoping to get cleared to start a rehab assignment next week. He has struggled at the major league level (.223 AVG with 7 HR, 39 R, 32 RBI, and 3 SB in 364 PA. C Endy Rodriguez was scratched from the Pirates lineup on Saturday with left hip discomfort.
On The Mound
Hunter Greene (elbow) has a partially torn UCL and is going to have surgery next week. It is not clear what procedure he is going to have, but he had bone chips removed in May and Tommy John surgery in 2019. It has become a troublesome pattern for the talented right-hander. He made 19 starts in 2025 and just 5 this year. It looks like he will miss a good chunk of 2027 as well, which makes it hard to project him moving forward. Nick Pivetta (forearm) is going to pause his rehab after walking off the mound after 14 pitches in his latest rehab assignment. Connelly Early (elbow) felt tightness in his forearm during a live BP session on Tuesday. The Nationals are likely to slow-play his recovery, and it looks like he might not pitch on a major league mound again this year. Early had a 3.44 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, and 4.01 SIERA through 91.2 IP. Andrew Painter (hamstring) left Wednesday's start early with hamstring tightness, but an MRI revealed no damage, so he is expected to make his next start. Painter has struggled mightily this year (6.48 ERA and 1.57 WHIP). Nick Lodolo (blister) is going to start for the Reds on Tuesday against the White Sox. Lodolo has changed his grip on his breaking ball in order to try not to get blisters. He has 4.60 ERA and 1.47 WHIP with 18% K and 10% BB in 62.2 IP. Kyle Harrison left his start on Wednesday with calf cramps, but he looked dominant before that (5 IP, 0 ER on 1 H, 1 BB, and 10 K). Harrison has quietly emerged as a dependable fantasy starter, recording a 2.84 ERA and 1.04 WHIP over 88.2 IP while pairing a 31% strikeout rate with an excellent 25% K-BB% and 2.93 SIERA. Tyler Glasnow (back) is scheduled for a rehab start on Sunday, and the plan is three innings pitched or 45 pitches. He continues to build his pitch count up for a return to the Dodgers rotation. Blake Snell (elbow) is going to make his next start at the major league level on Tuesday against the Royals, according to manager Dave Roberts. He has been out since May 15. In his last rehab start, he was able to go 73 pitches, but the Dodgers are likely to be very careful with his workload with the playoffs on the horizon. Mike Soroka (glute) gave up 1 ER on 3 H, 2 BB, and 1 K in a rehab start on Tuesday. His velocity was down in this start, but the Diamondbacks do not seem concerned because he is going to start on Monday against the Rockies. He has pitched well this year (3.07 ERA and 1.09 WHIP). Edward Cabrera (hamstring) made his second rehab start on Wednesday (4 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 0 BB, and 8 K) for Triple-A Iowa. The Cubs made additions to their rotation at the trade deadline, which means there is no guarantee that Cabrera has a spot in the rotation. He has struggled this year (5.10 ERA and 1.40 WHIP). Clay Holmes (fibula) made his Cubs debut on Saturday. He came into the game with a 2.39 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and 4.43 SIERA through 52.2 IP. Corbin Burnes (elbow/teres major) threw a bullpen session on Tuesday. Burnes wants to return by September, but based on his current progress, that looks like a stretch. It is important to remember that he had a teres major strain during his rehab from Tommy John surgery, so being cautious is going to be important. Mitch Keller was placed on the 60-day IL, ending his season on Monday due to a right arm teres major muscle injury. Keller has fallen out of fantasy relevancy this year (5.29 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, and 4.71 SIERA). Joe Musgrove (elbow) went 2.2 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, and 3 K in his latest rehab start for Single-A Elsinore. He threw 39 pitches, which means he will need at least 2-3 more rehab starts before making his 2026 debut. Merrill Kelly left his start on Friday with a right leg cramp. It is not considered to be a serious injury, and he is expected to make his next start. Max Meyer (neck) is going to be evaluated next week, as he has been shut down from throwing since hitting the IL on July 20.
In The Bullpen
Robert Suarez (forearm) has been playing catch since right after the All-Star break but hasn't progressed beyond that. The Braves want him to be 100% pain-free before moving forward, with the hopes of not having a setback before the playoffs. Raisel Iglesias blew the save on Friday night, but overall has been good (24 SV, 3.02 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 27% K, 7% BB, and 3.15 SIERA). A.J. Puk (elbow/shoulder) has been shut down for the season. Jacob Webb picked up saves on Wednesday and Friday to bring his season total to 7 SV. The Reds continue to roll with Emilio Pagan as their closer, and he got back-to-back saves on Tuesday and Wednesday. He has 13 SV to go along with a 4.26 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 26% K, 8% BB, and 3.66 SIERA. Edwin Diaz has not looked good since returning from injury: 3 IP, 4 ER, 2 BB, and 4 K. He blew the save on Friday night. Tanner Scott is sitting in the background, having done the job successfully and has looked awesome this year (2.33 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 34% K, and 6% BB). The Brewers had three saves this week, with Trevor Megill getting back-to-back saves on Tuesday and Wednesday before Chad Patrick picked up the save with Megill working two nights in a row. The Pirates traded for Luke Weaver at the trade deadline and were using Mason Montgomery as their new closer in favor of Gregory Soto. The Pirates have not had a save chance since trading for Weaver, so it is not clear how he will be used just yet, but the presumption is that he will be the closer. Dylan Smith is the guy to roster in the Giants bullpen after picking up the save on Friday night. The skills are concerning (25% K, 12% BB, and 4.01 SIERA). Riley O'Brien continues to chug along with two more saves, bringing his season total to 28.
Players to add this week:
SS Cooper Pratt (MIL)-Cooper Pratt has hit .280 with 2 HR, 20 R, 17 RBI, and 10 SB through 155 PA, and his recent production has been encouraging, with a .333 average, 1 HR, 7 R, 9 RBI, and 3 SB over 47 PA. A 13% walk rate and 19% strikeout rate during that stretch reinforce the idea that there's enough plate discipline here for him to continue contributing in deeper leagues.
SP Clay Holmes (CHC)-Clay Holmes has quietly put together a strong season, posting a 2.39 ERA and 1.10 WHIP across 52.2 IP with a 21% strikeout rate, 13% K-BB%, and 3.97 SIERA. The 56% ground-ball rate and just 0.51 HR/9 give him a solid run-prevention foundation, making him an intriguing waiver-wire option if the strikeout rate can climb.
SP David Peterson (CHC)-David Peterson has been much better since joining the Cubs, with a 4.03 ERA and 1.24 WHIP over 38.0 IP, but the 16% strikeout rate and 8% K-BB% leave little margin for error. A .254 BABIP and 4.81 SIERA suggest the surface results may be a little better than the underlying performance, so he's more of a matchup-based streamer than a must-add.
3B Willi Castro (COL)- Willi Castro is hitting .266 with 13 HR, 52 R, 48 RBI, and 7 SB through 387 PA, and he's been on a tear over the last two weeks, batting .333 with 4 HR, 8 R, and 5 RBI across 38 PA. The recent surge has come with a 23% Barrel rate and 36% HardHit rate, although the 29% strikeout rate and .389 BABIP suggest some regression is coming.
RP Luke Weaver (PIT)-Luke Weaver was traded to the Pirates at the deadline. He has quietly been excellent out of the bullpen, posting a 1.80 ERA and 0.84 WHIP across 45.0 IP with a 26% strikeout rate, 19% K-BB%, and 3.22 SIERA. The Pirates haven't said who would be the Pirates' closer, and they have been using Mason Montgomery in the role most recently. Weaver, working as his team's closer, with the combination of a 14.3% SwStr%, 0.60 HR/9, and 84% strand rate, would give him the skills to hold the job and make a meaningful impact in saves leagues.
RP Brandyn Garcia (ARI)-Brandyn Garcia has been nearly unhittable in 32.2 IP, carrying a 2.20 ERA and 0.80 WHIP with a 30% strikeout rate, 24% K-BB%, and an outstanding 2.27 SIERA. He's also allowed just 0.28 HR/9 while generating a 64% ground-ball rate, and with the closer role in hand, that elite combination of skills makes Garcia one of the more appealing saves targets on the waiver wire.
C Tyler Stephenson (CIN)-Tyler Stephenson has produced 10 HR, 27 R, and 33 RBI with a .248 average in 316 PA, but his last two weeks have been less convincing, with a .242 average, 2 HR, 6 R, and 5 RBI over 40 PA despite a strong 14% Barrel rate; the 30% strikeout rate in that span is worth watching. The power (barrel%) potential in a good hitters' park is worth buying at this point in the season.
OF Hector Rodriguez (CIN)-Hector Rodriguez has yet to establish himself in the majors, but his Triple-A numbers make him an interesting deeper-league addition after he hit .260 with 7 HR, 34 R, 20 RBI, and 9 SB over 230 PA. The 16.5% strikeout rate, .144 ISO, and 38.2% HardHit rate point to a player whose contact skills and speed could provide fantasy value if he earns regular at-bats.
C/1B Endy Rodriguez (PIT)-Endy RodrÃguez has hit .267 with 7 HR, 20 R, 20 RBI, and 6 SB in 159 PA, and the last two weeks have been productive with a .286 average, 2 HR, 5 R, 4 RBI, and 4 SB in 37 PA; the 32% strikeout rate is still a concern, but a 48% HardHit rate gives him some upside. He is also starting to get more playing time of late. *He was scratched from the lineup on Saturday, so check for updates on Sunday*
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