MLB News

Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman (personal) has been scratched from the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the Houston Astros. The veteran slugger has reportedly left the team to deal with a family issue. It's unclear how long Freeman is going to be gone while dealing with this problem. Cavan Biggio will take over at first base and bat seventh versus lefty Framber Valdez on Friday. Fantasy managers should get Freeman out of their lineups ahead of first pitch.

Cleveland Guardians first baseman Josh Naylor is out of the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies. The lefty slugger has started in 10 straight games with only five hits during that time. That being said, Naylor could use a day off to rest and recover before getting back in the lineup. In the meantime, Jhonkensy Noel will start at first base and bat fifth versus left-hander Christopher Sanchez. Fantasy managers should adjust their lineups with Naylor sitting out prior to first pitch.

Chicago Cubs third baseman Christopher Morel is out of the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the Kansas City Royals. The young slugger needs to clear his head after going hitless with four strikeouts during his previous series against the Milwaukee Brewers. Morel has plenty of potential with the bat, but he hasn't put it all together yet. In his absence, Miles Mastrobuoni will play third base and bat seventh versus right-hander Brady Singer. Fantasy managers should adjust their lineups accordingly.

Kansas City Royals infielder Maikel Garcia is out of the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the Chicago Cubs. Fantasy managers shouldn't worry as this appears to be a routine rest day for Garcia. In his absence, Nick Loftin will cover third base and bat seventh versus right-hander Kyle Hendricks on Friday. This is a favorable matchup for Loftin but he doesn't offer great upside with the bat. Fantasy managers should be able to find better production elsewhere.

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Adam Mazur has been recalled to take the ball against the Baltimore Orioles on Friday. The 23-year-old was demoted a few weeks ago after struggling during a handful of starts with the Padres. Mazur holds an ugly 7.84 ERA, 1.84 WHIP, and 21/19 K/BB across seven starts in the big leagues. This is a tough assignment for Mazur given how strong the O's offense has been this season. Fantasy managers should look for a better streaming option ahead of Friday's game.

New York Yankees third baseman DJ LeMahieu is out of the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the Boston Red Sox. It's not shocking to see the 36-year-old taking a seat given how poorly he's swinging the bat. Oswaldo Cabrera will take over at third base and bat ninth versus right-hander Brayan Bello on Friday. Fantasy managers should adjust their lineups with LeMahieu sitting out.

Chicago Cubs catcher Christian Bethancourt has been recalled from Triple-A Iowa on Friday. The Cubs were in need of another catcher with Tomas Nido (knee) heading to the injured list. Bethancourt gives the Cubs depth behind the plate but he isn't much of an upgrade with the bat. He was hitting well below .200 before being let go by the Miami Marlins in early July. The Cubs have been looking for reliable production from the catcher spot all season long. However, it's unlikely that Bethancourt is the answer to their problems. Fantasy managers can continue to ignore him with Miguel Amaya likely getting most of the time behind the plate.

New York Yankees outfielder Giancarlo Stanton (hamstring) is expected to be activated from the injured list on Monday. The 34-year-old has been out since late June due to a left hamstring strain. Before that, Stanton was slashing .246/.302/.492 with 18 home runs and 45 RBI in 69 games this season. The Yankees don't believe Stanton will require a rehab stint and can get back in the lineup early next week. He'll face live pitching over the weekend, so fantasy managers should get a better idea after that. For now, fantasy managers should expect Stanton to return on Monday.

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout (knee) underwent an MRI exam on his surgically repaired left knee and said it came back clean. Trout said some scar tissue broke up in his knee and it didn't feel right at the time when he started his minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Salt Lake on Tuesday. He said he's not running right now but is days away. The 32-year-old 11-time All-Star was pulled off his rehab assignment this week and returned to LA for evaluation. It's a sigh of relief for Trout and his fantasy managers after having surgery on his meniscus earlier this year. If Trout can restart his rehab assignment sooner than later, he could be back with the Angels in mid-August. The suddenly injury-prone superstar still deserves to be stashed in all fantasy formats, but he's no longer an elite fantasy asset on one of the worst teams in baseball.

Houston Astros manager Joe Espada said that right-hander Luis Garcia (elbow) threw a 35-pitch bullpen session before Friday's series opener against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers and didn't have any issues. Garcia ramped up his workload on Friday after tossing 15 pitches in his previous bullpen session last Saturday. The 27-year-old continues to recover from Tommy John surgery and could be cleared to start facing live hitters soon. Eventually, he'll need to go on a lengthy minor-league rehab assignment before potentially joining the Astros' starting rotation to close out the 2024 campaign. Garcia has been a solid starter for Houston since debuting in the shortened 2020 season, but fantasy managers in mixed leagues should temper expectations once he returns on what will likely be a limited workload.

Houston Astros manager Joe Espada said that right-hander Justin Verlander (neck) will throw a bullpen session on Saturday. Verlander threw a 40-pitch bullpen session last weekend and was scheduled to throw another on Wednesday, so he's clearly getting closer to going out on a minor-league rehab assignment as he attempts to return from a neck ailment that has kept him on the 15-day injured list since June 18. If the 41-year-old future Hall of Famer and three-time Cy Young winner doesn't suffer a setback on Saturday, he could be cleared to move to a rehab assignment. Verlander is no longer as dominant towards the end of his illustrious career, but he's still useful in the right matchups in most fantasy leagues when he's healthy. He's posted a 21.3% strikeout rate with a 3.95 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 51:17 K:BB in 10 starts (57 innings) for the 'Stros this year.

Houston Astros manager Joe Espada said that outfielder Kyle Tucker (shin) is doing some work in the outfield prior to Friday's contest against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers. Tucker is "improving but not at the pace we would want him to." Fantasy managers have been extremely disappointed with the fact that Tucker remains on the 10-day injured list despite suffering a right-shin contusion way back in early June. While the 27-year-old left-handed slugger is expected to return before September, he's running out of time to make a significant impact in fantasy the rest of the way. Tucker continues to do baseball activities, but his final hurdle will be running the bases at full speed. When healthy, he's one of the most valuable fantasy players in the game, so he needs to remain stashed everywhere.

The Toronto Blue Jays are acquiring outfield prospect Jonathan Clase from the Seattle Mariners on Friday in exchange for right-handed reliever Yimi Garcia, according to sources. Clase was Seattle's No. 10 prospect, per MLB Pipeline. The 22-year-old will now have a new start in the American League East. Clase made his major-league debut with the Mariners this year and struggled to a .195/.233/.220 slash line with a double, three RBI, three steals and 14 strikeouts in 19 games played. The 5-foot-10, 150-pounder could get more run with the Jays to close out the year, making him worth a look in AL-only leagues. Despite his small frame, Clase could develop some legitimate power, but speed is going to be his primary calling card. The Dominican outfielder stole 26 bases in 59 games for Triple-A Tacoma and had 79 swipes in the minors in 2023.

The Seattle Mariners are acquiring right-handed reliever Yimi Garcia from the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday, according to sources. The main return for the Blue Jays is outfield prospect Jonathan Clase. Garcia was one of the best relievers available at this year's trade deadline. The M's make another significant move after acquiring outfielder Randy Arozarena from the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday night. While Garcia probably won't come in and take over the closer role from Andres Munoz in Seattle, the 33-year-old veteran remains highly valuable in fantasy leagues that count holds in 2024. The Dominican hurler went 3-0 in Toronto this year with a strong 2.70 ERA (2.64 FIP), a 0.80 WHIP, five saves, 42 strikeouts and only eight walks in 30 innings out of the bullpen. Garcia should have even more opportunities for holds for the contending M's.

Baltimore Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins is on the bench for Friday's series opener against the visiting San Diego Padres despite a right-hander being on the mound. It's the second straight game that Mullins will start on the bench with a right-handed starter on the mound for the opponent. Rookie Colton Cowser will start in center field and will bat eighth for the O's versus Padres rookie right-hander Adam Mazur. Mullins does have 17 stolen bases in 285 at-bats in 2024, but otherwise he's been a disappointment with a .214 average (61-for-285) and 10 home runs in 93 games. The Orioles have plenty of young outfield options, which hasn't helped his cause. The 29-year-old left-handed hitter has gone just 9-for-46 (.196) in 17 contests in July with a homer, two doubles, four RBI, three walks and 15 strikeouts.

The Baltimore Orioles are acquiring right-hander Zach Eflin from the division-rival Tampa Bay Rays on Friday, according to sources. The Rays will receive three unnamed minor-leaguers in the deal. After sending outfielder Randy Arozarena to the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night, the Rays will now send one of the best available starting pitchers on the trade market to their division rivals. The 30-year-old Eflin hasn't been as good in Tampa this year as he was in 2023, but he'll give the first-place O's a big boost in their rotation to close out the season. He's currently 5-7 with a 4.09 ERA (3.65 FIP) and 1.16 WHIP with 87 strikeouts and only 13 walks in 110 innings over 19 starts. Eflin's strikeout rate has dropped from 26.5% last year to 18.9% in 2024, his lowest mark since 2019 with the Philadelphia Phillies. Staying in the American League East won't drastically affect his fantasy value, other than having a much better offense backing him now. UPDATE: The Rays are receiving right-hander Jackson Baumeister (O's No. 17 prospect), outfielder Matthew Etzel and super-utility man Mac Horvath (O's No. 10 prospect).

The Colorado Rockies have told MLB teams that All-Star third baseman Ryan McMahon won't be moved at this year's trade deadline, according to a source. McMahon made the All-Star squad for the first time in his eight-year career in 2024 and is currently hitting .270/.355/.447 with a career-best .802 OPS, 15 home runs, 47 RBI and 50 runs scored in 99 games for the last-place Rockies. His trade value will probably never be higher, and he's also under contract in Colorado through the 2028 season. Apparently the Rockies want to build around the 29-year-old left-handed-hitting infielder for years to come. McMahon resides in one of the most hitter-friendly parks in baseball in Coors Field, so staying in Colorado is probably best for his fantasy value for the rest of the 2024 campaign and beyond.

The Detroit Tigers announced on Friday that they placed outfielder Riley Greene (hamstring) on the 10-day injured list with a right-hamstring strain and recalled infielder/outfielder Ryan Vilade from Triple-A Toledo in a corresponding move. Greene's hamstring injury isn't considered all that serious, so it sounds like the 23-year-old could be back with the Tigers after the minimum of 10 days out. With Greene on the shelf, Mark Canha is starting in left field for Detroit and is batting fifth against the visiting division-rival Minnesota Twins and right-hander Pablo Lopez. Canha, Vilade and Bligh Madris are all candidate for playing time in Detroit's outfield while Greene is out. Greene was a first-time All-Star this year and is currently slashing .264/.357/.485 with a career-high .842 OPS, 17 homers, 51 RBI and four steals in a career-high 101 games played.

Cleveland Guardians right-hander Tanner Bibee (knee) is penciled in as the team's probable starter for Monday's contest against the hosting division-rival Detroit Tigers. Bibee dealt with some cramping in his right knee in his most recent start against the Tigers on Wednesday, but it obviously isn't a serious enough issue to keep him from taking his next turn in Cleveland's rotation. The 25-year-old former fifth-rounder in 2021 out of Cal State Fullerton gave up just one earned run in five innings while walking one and striking out four on Wednesday against Detroit and should be rolled out in starting fantasy lineups again on Monday. Bibee has been solid for the Guards in his second year in the big leagues in 2024, going 8-4 with a 3.50 ERA (3.40 FIP) and 1.09 WHIP with 130 strikeouts and only 31 free passes issued in 115 2/3 innings over his 21 starts.

Milwaukee Brewers general manager Matt Arnold said on Friday that closer Devin Williams (back) is expected to come off the 60-day injured list "in the next few days." Williams missed the entire first half of the 2024 season due to multiple stress fractures in his back, but he's worked his way back and is now on the cusp of rejoining Milwaukee's bullpen. While the 29-year-old could be eased back into high-leverage situations at the end of the game, he's fully expected to return to full-time closing duties in Milwaukee when the club feels he's ready. It means that fantasy managers that have been riding Trevor Megill all year are going to have to move in another direction soon. Williams was an All-Star in each of the last two years for the Brew Crew while posting a stingy 1.73 ERA, a 0.96 WHIP, 51 saves and a 183:58 K:BB in 119 1/3 innings. If he's on your league's waiver wire, grab him ASAP.