In The Field
3B Marcelo Mayer (forearm) was expected to return from the IL on Monday against the Reds. However, his recovery has been paused due to a bone bruise on his right foot. Mayer is hitting .220 with 3 HR, 19 R, 22 RBI, and 3 SB in 228 PA. In his short career, he has hit .223 with 7 HR, 39 R, 32 RBI, and 3 SB in 364 PA. OF Spencer Steer (wrist) is going to have a follow-up exam this weekend to determine the next steps in his recovery. He is expected to miss the remainder of the season. Steer was hitting .238 with 16 HR, 54 R, 50 RBI, and 3 SB in 384 PA before going on the IL. SS Xander Bogaerts left Wednesday's game early with a right hamstring injury. Bogaerts did not miss any time with this injury. He has provided fantasy value despite hitting .218 (11 HR/16 SB). 2B Ketel Marte (knee) is dealing with both a knee injury and personal issues. The Diamondbacks GM met with Marte on Thursday, and he was placed on the 10-day IL. GM Hazen did say that he expects Marte to rejoin the team once he is healthy. Marte is hitting .249 with 21 HR, 65 R, 67 RBI, and 4 SB in 519 PA. OF Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (adductor) started a rehab assignment on Tuesday. He missed the start of the year while recovering from ACL surgery, then missed time in May for a hamstring injury, and then an adductor injury in July. Gurriel Jr. has had just 189 PA (.207 AVG with 2 HR, 12 R, 21 RBI, and 1 SB). 3B Kyle Karros (concussion) has started baseball activities at the team's complex in Arizona. He is expected back this week. Karros has been a pleasant surprise for the Rockies and fantasy owners (.265 AVG with 10 HR, 58 R, 44 RBI, and 5 SB in 396 PA). 3B Mark Vientos (hand) is getting close to a rehab assignment. Vientos was hitting .211 with 11 HR, 25 R, 35 RBI, and 0 SB in 254 PA. The average wasn't great, but he was hitting the ball hard (10% Barrels) but unlucky (.234 BABIP). C Hunter Goodman was placed on the 10-day IL on Tuesday with a left shoulder strain. This is tough news for fantasy owners, as he has been the top-earning catcher unless Ben Rice has catcher eligibility in your league. Goodman is hitting .251 with 34 HR, 69 R, 69 RBI, and 5 SB in 460 PA. C Joe Mack (shoulder) was not in the Marlins lineup Monday or Tuesday but did return to the lineup on Wednesday. 3B Nolan Arenado (intercostal) missed Monday and Tuesday but was back in the D-Backs lineup on Wednesday. He is hitting .243 with 20 HR, 59 R, 63 RBI, and 4 SB in 463 PA. SS Willy Adames returned to the Giants lineup on Wednesday after missing four straight games with a back injury. Adames is hitting .229 with 19 HR, 59 R, 48 RBI, and 5 SB in 489 PA. OF Tyler Freeman (back) started a rehab assignment on Thursday with Triple-A Albuquerque. Freeman hasn't provided much fantasy value this season despite calling Coors Field home (.247 AVG with 3 HR/6 SB). C Will Smith (neck) is expected to start a rehab assignment this weekend. He has been out since June 5, so he is going to need several rehab games before being activated. Smith was hitting .249 with 6 HR, 23 R, 23 RBI, and 0 SB on 201 PA. OF Kyle Stowers (hamstring) is progressing toward returning. Stowers has had a disappointing season after his breakout last year. He is hitting .242 with 16 HR, 44 R, 52 RBI, and 1 SB in 399 PA. The strikeouts have increased (31% K), and he is barreling fewer balls (11% Barrels). C Endy Rodriguez (hip) was placed on the 10-day IL last Thursday with left hip inflammation. He went to get a second opinion on the injury, but the Pirates haven't released the outcome. He is expected to miss more than just the minimum. Rodriguez had started to show his offensive upside at the catcher position (.267 AVG with 7 HR, 20 R, 20 RBI, and 6 SB in 159 PA). It is not hard to get excited about his fantasy profile if you extrapolate those numbers out over a full season. The flip side of this is that this has opened up playing time for C Rafael Flores Jr., who has taken full advantage of it. Flores Jr. is hitting .313 with 6 HR, 10 R, 12 RBI, and 0 SB in 56 PA. It is hard to forget that he hit .280 with 22 HR, 68 R, 88 RBI, and 6 SB in 576 PA at Triple-A last year. SS Dansby Swanson (oblique) was placed on the 10-day IL on Monday. He is expected to be out for 4-6 weeks. SS Nico Hoerner is going to play short while he is out. Swanson may not have been hitting for average (.216 AVG), but he was still a valuable fantasy commodity in the other four categories (18 HR, 78 R, 66 RBI, and 17 SB). He had also been much better since the beginning of June (.245 AVG with 11 HR, 44 R, 39 RBI, and 12 SB). 1B/OF Ryan O'Hearn (quadriceps) has started baseball activities. He is doing light swinging and playing catch. He is three weeks from going on the IL and was given a 6-8 week timeline, so it appears that he is tracking toward the shorter end of that timeline. O'Hearn has been a valuable piece of the Pirates offense this season (.270 AVG with 17 HR, 54 R, 69 RBI, and 1 SB in 398 PA). SS C.J. Abrams was out Thursday and Friday due to his left ankle injury, but he returned to the lineup on Saturday. Abrams has been one of the best players in fantasy this year (.279 AVG with 29 Hr, 77 R, 91 RBI, and 24 SB). SS Konnor Griffin has been cleared to transition out of the splint that he has been wearing. This means that he can now progress towards baseball activities. He is hoping to be back by the beginning of September, but the Pirates aren't going to rush their franchise player back, especially since they have fallen out of the playoff push. Griffin was hitting .276 with 5 HR, 35 R, 25 RBI, and 20 SB in 247 PA. SS Cooper Pratt returned from injury on Wednesday. Pratt has played well as a rookie (.264 AVG with 2 Hr, 20 R, 17 RBI, and 10 SB in 163 PA). OF Andy Pages fractured his left hand when he was hit by a pitch from Bubba Chandler. Manager Dave Roberts said that he expects Pages to return this season, but this seems aggressive. Pages was in the midst of repeating his breakout 2025 season (.272 AVG with 21 HR, 72 R, 80 RBI, and 12 SB). The Dodgers will likely mix and match in the outfield with a combination of Tommy Edman, Enrique Hernandez, and Alex Call. SS Masyn Winn injured his thumb sliding into a base on Wednesday. He missed Thursday and Friday as a result. 1B Luis Arraez left Saturday's game early due to lower-body cramps. He is day-to-day. 2B Jorge Polanco (ankle) is going to have season-ending surgery on his left ankle. He has appeared in just 37 games for the Mets this year. He will end his 2026 season hitting .148 with 2 HR, 7 R, 6 RBI, and 0 SB in 145 PA.
On The Mound
Kyle Freeland left his start early on Wednesday due to neck tightness. Ben Brown (neck) threw against live hitters on Friday. He has been out since June 24. His role with the team is unknown at this point. He has pitched out of the bullpen previously, but has transitioned well to the rotation this year (1.85 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 25% K, 7% BB, and 3.54 SIERA). Either way, for the Cubs, they will welcome him back with open arms as they contend for a playoff spot. Justin Steele (elbow) is close to facing live hitters, according to manager Craig Counsell. He had revision surgery on his UCL in late April. It is unlikely that they get him built back up to be a starter, but a return to the bullpen is not out of the question. Kevin Gausman left his latest start with a left-hand cramp. Gausman has struggled in the second half (5.52 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, 19% K, and 6% BB). He should be able to make his next start. Tyler Glasnow looked good in his most recent rehab start (5.1 IP, 1 ER, 1 H, 1 BB, and 9 K). He is expected to start Tuesday against the Braves. Nick Pivetta (forearm) has had his throwing program moved to the Padres complex in Arizona. He has been able to play catch and is in the build-up phase. Edward Cabrera (blister) was placed on the 10-day IL one start after being activated. Reynaldo Lopez (knee) is going to start a rehab assignment with Triple-A Gwinnett on Sunday. Given that he struggled as a starter prior to the injury (3.64 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 22% K, 10% BB, and 4.30 SIERA), there is a chance that they will utilize him as a reliever down the stretch. Corbin Burnes (elbow/shoulder) threw a 20-pitch live BP session on Friday. He is scheduled for 35 pitches and 2 IP on Tuesday. Zac Gallen (elbow) threw 35 pitches to live hitters on Thursday. He is going to throw a bullpen on Saturday, and his recovery from both sessions will determine the next steps. Gallen has struggled when on the mound this year (6.34 ERA and 1.56 WHIP). Brandon Woodruff (shoulder) did not have surgery on his right shoulder as was expected. He is scheduled to start a throwing program next Wednesday. Woodruff was good when on the mound (2.98 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 27% K, and 6% BB in 45.1 IP). Justin Wrobleski (forearm) is going to move to the bullpen when he returns from the IL. Joe Musgrove (elbow) is going to need one more rehab start before making his 2026 debut.
In The Bullpen
Edwin Diaz was placed on the 15-day IL on Tuesday with neck inflammation. He has been really struggling (11.85 ERA, 2.56 WHIP, and 4.20 SIERA). Dodgers manager told reporters Saturday that Diaz will pitch in low-leverage situations when he does return from the IL. Tanner Scott did what he normally does this season and picked up two saves this week. He is now the guy in LA. Daniel Palencia (elbow) was activated on Friday. He had been the Cubs' primary closer before going on the IL, so it will be interesting to see his usage out of the gate. He had a 2.70 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 27% K, 9% BB, and 3.34 SIERA. Jacob Webb has filled in as the closer while he has been out (2.25 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 27% K, 9% BB, and 3.21 SIERA). Webb didn't get any saves this week but did get 2 W. Anthony Bender (shin) started a rehab assignment on Tuesday and had it put on pause after developing soreness in his right shin. He has been out since June, so he will need multiple appearances before returning. Bender has pitched well for the Marlins this year (2.62 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 29% K, 9% BB, and 3.00 SIERA). Raisel Iglesias had two saves and now has 26 SV with a 3.09 ERA and 1.18 WHIP. Emilio Pagan had a win and a save this week (4.30 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 5 W, and 16 SV). Trevor Megill had back-to-back saves on Thursday and Friday. He now has 24 SV to go along with excellent ratios (2.34 ERA and 0.82 WHIP). The Mets had three save opportunities this week, and Kodai Senga picked up two and Daniel Duarte the other. Senga, as a reliever, has a 4.74 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 26% K, and 13 % BB. Jhoan Duran had a big week with 3 SV and now has 28 SV this year. Mason Montgomery has held onto the Pirates' closer role despite the addition of Luke Weaver. He had a save Tuesday and then picked up a win Wednesday. Dylan Smith got a save on Wednesday. Riley O'Brien had three saves this week and is second in the league behind Bryan Baker in saves (33 SV).
Players to add this week:
C Rafael Flores Jr. (PIT)-Rafael Flores Jr. has continued to make a strong case for more playing time, hitting .333 with 3 HR, 8 R, 10 RBI, and a 67% HardHit rate over his last 32 PA. That recent production builds on a season line of .288 with six homers in just 60 PA, and his 20% season Barrel rate gives the power legitimate support. He is striking out 28% of the time, but the combination of power, hard contact, and a 13% walk rate makes that easier to live with at catcher. Flores is an upside add, particularly in leagues where catcher production is thin.
RP Kodai Senga (NYM)-Kodai Senga's season-long numbers are ugly, with a 7.82 ERA and 1.68 WHIP, but his move into the bullpen has completely changed the fantasy equation. Over his last 10 innings, he's posted a 3.60 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and 15% K-BB%, and he's already picked up four saves. The strikeout rate hasn't returned to the level we expected from Senga, but the recent 3.98 SIERA is a major improvement over his season mark and suggests the surface ERA is no longer telling the whole story. If the Mets continue giving him the ball in save situations, Senga is worth an aggressive waiver claim because the opportunity is much more valuable than his season-long ratios suggest.
RP Mason Montgomery (PIT)-Mason Montgomery has quietly turned into one of the more interesting relief options on the waiver wire, posting a 3.33 ERA and 1.11 WHIP with a ridiculous 39% strikeout rate and 30% K-BB% over 51.1 IP this season. The recent numbers are even better, as he has a 1.64 ERA, 0.64 WHIP, 56% K rate, and an absurd 51% K-BB% over the last 30 days. His 17.5% SwStr% and 0.47 SIERA during that stretch show the strikeouts aren't a fluke, and he has picked up four saves recently. If you're looking for a high-upside reliever who could become a bigger part of Pittsburgh's late-inning mix, Montgomery should be near the top of the list.
3B Joey Ortiz (MIL)-Joey Ortiz has been one of the more productive hitters over the last two weeks, batting .313 with 2 HR, 8 R, 9 RBI, and a stolen base across 38 PA. That comes with a significant improvement in contact quality, including a 59% HardHit rate, although his 32% strikeout rate during the stretch is something to keep an eye on. His season line is less exciting at .249 with 7 HR and 9 SB, but the recent power and run production give him more upside than the season numbers suggest. He's a particularly useful add for managers looking for middle-infield production with some speed and the potential for a late-season power spike.
OF Zac Veen (COL)-Zac Veen has made an immediate impact since joining Colorado, hitting .263 with 2 HR and 7 RBI in just 20 PA, while his 18% Barrel rate and 111.3 mph max exit velocity suggest the power isn't coming purely from Coors Field. The 40% strikeout rate is obviously a concern, but that has been paired with a .333 BABIP and plenty of hard contact, giving him some room to maintain a useful batting average if the contact improves. Veen is more of a speculative add than a must-start player right now, but the combination of prospect pedigree, power potential, and Coors Field makes him worth grabbing in deeper leagues.
OF Jordan Lawlar (ARI)-Jordan Lawlar has shown flashes of the offensive upside that made him such a highly regarded prospect, hitting .283 with 2 HR, 8 R, 7 RBI, and 4 SB in 59 PA this season. Lawlar is a better speculative add in keeper/dynasty formats, but his speed and prospect pedigree make him worth a flier in deeper redraft leagues if he's getting regular at-bats.
2B Matt McLain (CIN)-Matt McLain's .198 season average makes him easy to overlook, but his recent numbers are at least moving in the right direction, with a .217 average, 2 HR, 8 R, 5 RBI, and 2 SB over his last 52 PA. The 25% strikeout rate during that stretch is manageable, and his 12% Barrel rate is actually better than his season mark, suggesting the power hasn't completely disappeared. He already has 12 HR and 15 SB despite the poor batting average, giving him a path to meaningful fantasy value if the contact improves. McLain is a good buy-low waiver add for anyone willing to absorb the batting-average risk in exchange for legitimate 15/15 upside.
RP Didier Fuentes (ATL)-Didier Fuentes has been electric since moving into the Braves' bullpen, striking out 32% of hitters with a 26% K-BB% and 2.60 ERA over 55.1 IP on the season. The recent performance has been even more dominant, with a 48% strikeout rate, 44% K-BB%, 0.90 SIERA, and 23% SwStr% across his last 13.2 innings. He's also converted four saves during that stretch, giving him a much clearer fantasy path than his season-long role might suggest. With a 120 Stuff+ and the combination of strikeouts and recent saves.
RP Tanner Scott (LAD)-Tanner Scott's 2.28 ERA and 0.92 WHIP over 51.1 innings look good enough on their own, but the 32% strikeout rate and 26% K-BB% make him a particularly appealing fantasy reliever. With Edwin Diaz back on the IL it time for Scott to shine once again.
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