MLB News

San Diego Padres infielder/outfielder Luis Rengifo (knee) was removed early during Saturday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays. Rengifo was pulled late in the game due to a right knee sprain. He appeared to have suffered the injury while attempting a throw to home plate in the seventh inning. He finished this game 0-for-2 at the plate with a run scored and a walk. He's flying back to San Diego, where he'll undergo further evaluation. Fantasy managers shouldn't be shocked if Rengifo ends up getting placed on the Injured List. If that happens, Gavin Sheets and Austin Hays would be in line for increased playing time.

Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong helped his case in the NL MVP race with his performance against the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday. Crow-Armstrong went 4-for-6 at the plate with three home runs and six RBI in the blowout win. This was the first three-homer game for PCA during his young career. He started the first inning with a bang when he took Andrew Abbott deep for a solo shot. It didn't take long for Crow-Armstrong to homer again as he got Abbott again in the second frame. In his finale, he connected on a three-run shot off reliever Tony Santillan in the seventh inning. The 24-year-old is slashing .282/.377/.567 with 36 homers, 89 RBI, and 32 stolen bases this season. He'll continue to battle with Shohei Ohtani for the MVP award during the final month of the season.

New York Mets outfielder Luis Robert Jr. was placed on outright waivers on Saturday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports. Robert missed nearly three months of action due to a back injury. He hasn't been much of a help to the Mets this season, but he has been hot at the plate since August. He's slashing .286/.342/.557 with six home runs and 11 RBI across 79 plate appearances in August. Given his recent success, the Mets are trying to see if any other organization is willing to claim him and take on his remaining salary for the rest of the season. It's not unusual for non-contending teams to place expensive veterans on waivers to see if another organization will bite. His fantasy value has been on the rise this season, but it could drop if he remains in New York. The Mets have little incentive to play Robert down the stretch of the season.

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani (knee, biceps) won't make his scheduled start against the Detroit Tigers on Sunday. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said on Saturday that Ohtani won't pitch on Sunday or Tuesday against the St. Louis Cardinals, Noah Camras of SI.com reports. Ohtani didn't feel good coming off his bullpen session on Friday, so the Dodgers will take the cautious approach. He continues to deal with multiple injuries that have kept him off the mound since early July. There is no timetable for Ohtani's return to the mound, so fantasy managers shouldn't expect him to help them the rest of the way as a pitcher. The expectation is that the Dodgers will give an update on his status in the coming days.

New York Yankees infielder George Lombard Jr. (knee) was removed to make an early exit during Saturday's doubleheader against the Boston Red Sox. According to Gary Phillips, Lombard was pulled from this game due to right knee discomfort. Lombard appears to have tweaked his right knee during his plate appearance in the third inning. He finished the at-bat, but was replaced by Amed Rosario in the top of the fourth inning. Between the two games, Lombard went 1-for-5 at the plate with a single. He'll likely undergo further testing to determine the severity of the injury. For now, fantasy managers should consider Lombard as day-to-day until more information is known. Rosario could see additional playing time if Lombard is forced to miss time.

Minnesota Twins outfield prospect Emmanuel Rodriguez has gotten off to a great start in his return to Triple-A St. Paul this season with 10 homers and 27 RBI in 39 games while hitting .246 with 26 runs scored and seven stolen bases. Rodriguez recovered from thumb surgery and has only played a total of 48 games this season between three minor league levels on his way back. Rodriguez is the No. 5 prospect in the Twins' system and has 55-grade power with 55-grade speed. That power-speed combination is appealing to fantasy managers but with a 45-grade hit tool, the batting average is a concern. With Walker Jenkins and Kaelen Culpepper called up from the minors already this season, the Twins are most likely to allow Rodriguez to fully recover this season at Triple-A, but a call-up to Minnesota isn't out of the question.

Miami Marlins outfield prospect Cam Cannarella has risen up the minor league ranks at a nice pace this season and at age 22 has adjusted well to Triple-A Jacksonville after a July 17 promotion. Since arriving at Jacksonville, Cannarella, who started the season at High-A, has one homer and six RBI in 111 at bats while hitting .288 with 21 runs scored and 10 stolen bases. Cannarella is the No. 6 prospect in the Miami organization and has a 55-grade hit tool with 60-grade speed, but only 45-grade power. Between three minor league teams this season, the left-handed hitter has 13 homers and 51 RBI with 20 stolen bases. The speed looks to be the best skill set for Cannarella and he looks to be a major future stolen base threat. However, he still looks a year or two away from the big leagues, so he is more of a dynasty format player in fantasy leagues right now.

Toronto Blue Jays corner infield prospect Sean Keys is having a nice month of August at Triple-A Buffalo and could make a return appearance in Toronto before the season is over. Keys had a stint with the Blue Jays earlier in the season and could be called back up based on his strong August, which has seen him hit .360 with six homers and 23 RBI with 20 runs scored in 89 at bats. With the Blue Jays, Keys was 6-for-36 with one homer and five RBI. Keys is the No. 6 prospect for the Blue Jays with 55-grade power and a 45-grade hit tool. The power that Keys has shown between two levels of the minors this season is encouraging as he has 27 homers and 78 RBI in 351 at bats. That type of power could play for the Blue Jays late this season and could also be helpful to fantasy managers in redraft leagues.

Colorado Rockies first base/outfield prospect Charlie Condon has slowed down in the month of August at Triple-A Albuquerque, hitting just .218 with two homers and 14 RBI. He has shown better signs with four RBI in his last three games, but he is well off the pace he set earlier this season. At Albuquerque this season, Condon has 22 homers and 79 RBI while hitting .272 with 93 runs scored. The right-handed hitter is the No. 3 prospect in the Rockies' organization with a 55-grade hit tool and 55-grade power. Despite his struggles, Condon is still worth a look in redraft leagues. The former third overall draft pick in 2024 has a very high upside and can still aid fantasy managers across the board in the hitting categories. The Rockies could still add Condon to the big-league roster when rosters expand, and he would be a big help in fantasy leagues.

Cleveland Guardians catcher prospect Cooper Ingle is struggling a bit in August at Triple-A Columbus, hitting just .239 with two homers and 10 RBI. The left-handed hitter had a stint with Cleveland earlier in the season but struggled hitting just 2-for-21 with two RBI in the big leagues. He's had a relatively tough month back at Columbus and is unlikely to be called up to Cleveland again this season with the Guardians already having the tandem of Austin Hedges and Patrick Bailey healthy at the catcher position. Ingle is the No. 5 prospect in the Cleveland organization and has a 55-grade hit tool. The Guardians have tried him a bit in the outfield but he is unlikely to stick there. Ingle looks to be more of a dynasty league play and makes for a risky addition in redraft leagues.

Cleveland Guardians first base prospect Ralphy Velazquez hit another home run on Friday night to continue his scorching-hot month of August at Triple-A Columbus. Velazquez has 15 homers and 32 RBI in this month while hitting .357. The first base prospect is forcing the Guardians to consider adding him to the major league roster, making a September call-up the most likely scenario. Between Double-A Akron and Columbus this season, Velazquez has hit .292 with 28 homers and 86 RBI along with 69 runs scored. The left-handed hitter is the Guardians' No. 2 prospect with 60-grade power along with a 50-grade hit tool. At 21 years old, Velazquez is a league-winning type addition to fantasy rosters and looks like a real difference-maker down the stretch in redraft leagues.

Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton (hip) remained out of the starting lineup on Saturday, as he continues to recover from hip discomfort. The 32-year-old was removed from Tuesday's game after re-injuring his hip, which is something that has been bothering him all season long. With Saturday's exclusion from the lineup, he will have missed three consecutive games, giving some reason for concern that he could find himself on the Injured List in the near future. In addition to that, there has been some talk of offseason hip surgery, leading one to believe that he may not have much more to offer fantasy baseball managers for the rest of the 2026 season. While the offseason plans can be examined later, for now, it's important to focus on whether or not he can successfully return to the lineup this weekend. That is in doubt, but no formal announcement either way has been made just yet.

New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto (calf) was reinstated from the 10-day injured list by the Mets on Saturday. The 27-year-old went through a full workout on Friday, and with that being a success, the decision was made to activate him on Saturday and insert him back into the lineup. In his first game back, he is batting second in the lineup and is serving as the team's designated hitter. It's unclear how often he will play in the field down the stretch, but the important part for fantasy purposes is that he is back and will be at the plate. Fantasy baseball managers should activate him as soon as they can and play him daily for the rest of the season without any concerns.

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (knee) isn't feeling 100% healthy, and as such, manager Dave Roberts said that he may not be able to pitch his scheduled one-inning outing on Sunday. In addition to his already injured knee, it's been made known that Ohtani's bicep continues to give him trouble, which is an issue that bothered him earlier in the season. The team is in the process of deciding what works best for him going forward, though the expectation is that he will pitch in a game at some point over the next week or two. With the MLB playoffs being the main concern for the Dodgers, and Ohtani's offense being a key part of that, it's fair to assume that the 32-year-old will not be pushed too hard or too fast, as any major injury could set the team back in October. As such, his pitching contributions should not be relied on down the stretch during the fantasy baseball playoffs.

Detroit Tigers outfielder Riley Greene (hamstring) is set to begin a rehab assignment on Saturday with Triple-A Toledo. The expectation is that he will serve as the team's designated hitter and bat leadoff on Saturday before returning to left field on Sunday. If that plan comes to fruition and there are no setbacks, Greene could very well be back with the Tigers on Monday when they begin an important three-game series at Minnesota. The 25-year-old will be a welcome addition to Detroit's outfield, as his 16 home runs put him in third place on the team. Fantasy managers should be prepared to immediately place him back in their lineups as soon as he is ready to return.

Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin (finger) is going to start a minor league rehab assignment on Sunday with Double-A Altoona. The 20-year-old had recently started swinging a bat at the Pirates' training facility in Florida, and it went well enough to warrant this next step. He is eligible to return on September 4, and Griffin himself has said that he is targeting that date for a return. As such, fantasy baseball managers should prepare to have him ready to be inserted back into their lineups for the stretch run here in September. Despite only playing in 59 games this season, Griffin has been impressive, hitting five home runs, stealing 20 bases, and posting a .278 batting average.

New York Yankees right-handed pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez will make another start for the Yankees on Monday on the road against the Los Angeles Angels, manager Aaron Boone told Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. Rodriguez, the team's No. 3 overall prospect per MLB Pipeline, made his return to the big leagues on Wednesday for only his fifth MLB start, and the 23-year-old allowed three earned runs on two hits while walking two and striking out a career-high six batters to pick up a quality start in a no-decision against the Houston Astros. The Puerto Rican hurler will stick around in New York's starting rotation for at least one more start, and the matchup is as good as they come against the lowly Angels, making the former fourth-rounder by the Boston Red Sox in 2021 a nice streaming candidate in hopes that he can put together back-to-back nice starts. After his nice outing against Houston, Rodriguez now has a 4.70 ERA (4.91 FIP) and 1.52 WHIP with 16 strikeouts and 13 walks in 23 innings in his first five starts with the Yanks this year. As with most young hurlers, Rodriguez's lack of control is what has hurt him so far in the majors. He is only rostered in 3% of Yahoo leagues and will be worth a look as a streamer to begin next week.

Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll entered Friday's game against the division-rival San Francisco Giants with an 0-for-14 stretch over his previous four games, but he broke out of his funk by going 1-for-3 at the plate with a two-run home run, three RBI, a walk, and a strikeout in the team's 10-6 win in the Bay Area. The 26-year-old former first-rounder and National League Rookie of the Year hasn't had the kind of power he displayed last year, when he hit a career-best 31 home runs, but the left-handed hitter continues to produce across the board for fantasy managers, slashing .248/.344/.486 with an .830 OPS, 19 home runs, 61 RBI, 20 stolen bases, and 82 runs scored in his fifth year in the league in 2026. Carroll has been a bit more mediocre since the All-Star break with a .238 average (35-for-147) with six homers, nine doubles, six triples, 16 RBI, 10 steals, and 28 runs in 39 games played, but he's been better in August, going 24-for-95 (.253) with four homers, six doubles, four triples, 12 RBI, 17 runs scored, and five steals in 26 games. The five-category contributor is unlikely to reach the 30-homer mark in back-to-back seasons, but a fourth-straight 30-steal campaign is still within reach for the five-category contributor.

There were reasons to be skeptical going into the 2026 season that Houston Astros veteran left-handed closer Josh Hader might be fading as a top-tier fantasy closer. The 32-year-old veteran southpaw got a late start to his season due to left-shoulder issues, but once he put that in the rearview mirror, he has not looked back. The six-time All-Star threw a perfect inning in Friday's 3-1 win over the New York Mets at Citi Field with two strikeouts to pick up his 20th save of the season. In his 10th year in the big leagues (third with the Astros), Hader has been electric, going 4-1 with a 0.76 ERA (1.67 FIP) and 0.68 WHIP with 48 strikeouts and 11 walks in 35 1/3 innings pitched out of the bullpen. Hader has yet to blow a save in 2026, with his last blown save dating all the way back to July 12 of 2025. Since the All-Star break, he has allowed just one earned run on seven hits while walking three and striking out 23 in 20 innings for a win and 10 saves. Hader has allowed a run in just three of his 36 appearances this year and has been reliable as ever.

Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero is having another phenomenal season for the Rays and fantasy managers in 2026 in his fourth season in the big leagues after breaking out with 45 home runs, 110 RBI, 93 runs scored, and seven stolen bases in 154 games played in 2025. Caminero is currently slashing .280/.366/.528 with a career-best .895 OPS, 35 home runs, 85 RBI, 82 runs scored, and three stolen bases across 134 games and 584 plate appearances. The 23-year-old Dominican is one of the best young hitters in the game, and he is riding an 11-game hitting streak into Game 2 of the weekend series in Tampa against the San Diego Padres on Saturday. During his current streak, Caminero has gone 15-for-43 (.349) with zero home runs, two doubles, six RBI, and five runs scored in 46 plate appearances. Although he has only hit seven home runs in 40 games since the All-Star break, he is still hitting a strong .282 (44-for-156) with an .821 OPS in 173 plate appearances. Caminero is not slowing down whatsoever and is a fantasy staple at the third base position.