TL;DRSkim
The five fastest-moving roster calls of the morning, in priority order:
- HOLD - Corey Seager (80% owned) activated from the IL; slot him back in as your everyday shortstop.
- WATCH - A.J. Minter acquired by the Twins from the Mets; a contender adding a proven late-inning lefty, with his role in Minnesota's pen still to be defined.
- ADD - Noah Cameron (20% owned) threw eight shutout innings with seven strikeouts; a legitimate streaming target, especially for a two-start week.
- HOLD - Shane McClanahan exited with back tightness and a velocity dip; day-to-day for now, but the velocity loss is the part to watch.
- HOLD - Jazz Chisholm Jr. (98% owned) cramped in the 11th; trainers aren't concerned and he's expected back today.
Seager Activated; Rangers Get Their Shortstop Back
HOLD · TEX · SS
Corey Seager (80% owned) was activated from the 10-day IL after completing his rehab assignment, returning to everyday duty. The timing is ideal with Texas locked in a divisional fight and Josh Jung still out with calf tightness.
Action: Activate him everywhere. Early-August returns like this line up perfectly with the fantasy playoff push.
Twins Add Minter to a Bullpen That's Already Working
WATCH · MIN · RP
The Twins acquired left-hander A.J. Minter from the Mets, per @JeffPassan and @DanHayesMLB, absorbing the entirety of his remaining $3.3M salary and sending prospects Bruin Agbayani and Billy Amick to New York. It's Minnesota's second bullpen addition in three weeks after Tommy Nance, and it comes from a position of strength rather than need: Twins relievers posted a 3.00 ERA across 84 innings in July. With the club three games back in the AL Central and one out in the wild-card race, this is a contender buying depth for a stretch run and October, not patching a leak.
Action: Claim Minter if he's unowned in holds leagues. He's a quality left-handed arm entering a settled bullpen, so watch his first few appearances for where he slots - the save path isn't clear, and paying up for one would be premature.
Cameron Spins Eight Shutout Innings
ADD · KC · SP
Noah Cameron (20% owned) threw eight scoreless innings with seven strikeouts for Kansas City, per @spencernusbaum_. The command and the workload capacity both stand out at that ownership level.
Action: Claim him now. Eight innings of shutout ball from a 20%-owned arm won't stay available long, and he's a priority target if his next turn falls in a two-start week.
McClanahan Exits with Back Tightness
HOLD · TB · SP
Shane McClanahan left his start with a noticeable velocity drop attributed to back tightness, per @TBTimes_Rays. The left-hander doesn't expect to miss much time and plans to rest before returning. He's day-to-day.
Action: Bench him this week in redraft. His optimism is encouraging, but velocity loss paired with back tightness is the combination worth watching before you trust him in a lineup again.
Chisholm Cramps Late, Expected Back
HOLD · NYY · 2B
Jazz Chisholm Jr. (98% owned) exited with cramps in his right hamstring during the 11th inning, per @GJoyce9. Aaron Boone said trainers don't view it as a significant issue and Chisholm expects to be back in the lineup today.
Action: No move. Late-extra-inning cramping is usually a hydration and fatigue issue; reactivate him if you'd benched him.
Mead's Wrist Fracture Confirmed; Reimaging in Four Weeks
DROP · BOS · 2B
Curtis Mead has a nondisplaced left wrist fracture and will be reimaged in four weeks, per @IanMBrowne. Nondisplaced fractures typically need four to six weeks to heal without surgery, and the late-August imaging is the gate before any return timeline is set.
Action: Drop in redraft. Even the optimistic path has him reimaged in late August and then needing a ramp-up, which leaves almost nothing of the fantasy season.
Sasaki Rolls Through a Third Straight Strong Start
HOLD · LAD · SP
Roki Sasaki (43% owned) went 5.1 innings against Seattle, allowing two earned on five hits with seven strikeouts and three walks across 90 pitches, per @FabianArdaya. It's his third consecutive solid outing, and the hook came with traffic on base rather than any physical concern.
Action: Hold in all formats. The three-start run is real, but the walk rate still caps how far you can trust him in tight ratio weeks.
Baker Closes Out a Rays Win
HOLD · TB · RP
Tampa Bay beat Texas 3-2, with Bryan Baker (80% owned) working a clean inning with two strikeouts for the save.
Action: Hold; his grip on the ninth is unchanged.
Ohtani Rests the Knee
HOLD · LAD · DH
The Dodgers beat Seattle 6-2 with Shohei Ohtani out of the lineup because of left knee soreness, per @FabianArdaya. Dave Roberts called it precautionary and said Ohtani will be back leading off today.
Action: Hold. A single scheduled rest day isn't a signal, though the knee is the same issue keeping him off the mound.
Ray Sharp in a Possible Giants Farewell
HOLD · SF · SP
Robbie Ray gave San Francisco six innings of one-run ball with six strikeouts, per @BNightengale, likely raising his value with the Giants positioned as sellers. It may have been his final start in a San Francisco uniform.
Action: Hold. Like most seller-side arms this week, a trade to a contender would improve his win equity without changing his skills.
Red Sox Keep Rolling: 27-8 in Their Last 35
HOLD · BOS · TEAM
Boston beat the Athletics 5-4 and is now 27-8 over its last 35 games, per @ChrisCotillo, one of the most dominant stretches in baseball this season.
Action: Favor Red Sox bats in streaming matchups against weak starters while the lineup stays hot.
Snell's Next Step Undecided
WATCH · LAD · SP
Dave Roberts hasn't decided whether Blake Snell needs another rehab outing after four scoreless innings in his most recent appearance, per @FabianArdaya. The Dodgers have a spot open in their six-man rotation he could fill directly.
Action: Monitor daily. Don't burn a roster spot until the activation is confirmed, but he's worth claiming the moment it is.
Agbayani Heads to the Mets in the Minter Deal
STASH · NYM · OF
Bruin Agbayani, 19 and Minnesota's 29th-ranked prospect, was traded to the Mets in the Minter deal and is reporting to St. Lucie, per @JonHeyman. A left-handed bat with speed and power upside, he's the son of former big leaguer Benny Agbayani.
Action: Deep dynasty stash only; skip in redraft.
Rogers Traded to Baltimore
DROP · BAL · C
Detroit traded catcher Jake Rogers to the Orioles for minor-league right-hander Zane Barnhart, per @Ken_Rosenthal. Rogers had been designated for assignment earlier in the week.
Action: Drop Rogers. He's worth noting only in two-catcher leagues if Adley Rutschman's wrist keeps him out longer than expected.
Susac's Sudden Power Surge
BUY LOW · ATH · C
Daniel Susac hit his third home run in two days, a two-run shot, per @susanslusser. His first two career homers came the day before, making this a dramatic and abrupt change in output.
Action: Claim if your catcher spot is shaky. Three homers in two days from a young catcher is worth a speculative add, but give it a week before treating the profile change as real.
García Jr. Slugging .562 Amid Trade Chatter
HOLD · WSH · 2B
Luis García Jr. hit a 436-foot home run, his 23rd, and finished a single shy of the cycle, per @spencernusbaum_. His .562 slugging percentage trails only Yordan Álvarez and Ben Rice league-wide.
Action: Hold and start with confidence. That kind of slugging from a second baseman is a genuine positional edge, and the trade noise hasn't touched his production.
Robert Drives In the Go-Ahead Runs
HOLD · NYM · OF
The Mets beat Miami 4-2, with Luis Robert Jr.'s eighth-inning single plating the go-ahead runs, per @AnthonyDiComo. New York improved to 47-63.
Action: Hold Robert; he's producing since returning from the IL, and any deadline move would likely land him somewhere with better lineup support.
Lile Homers Twice Against Atlanta
BUY LOW · WSH · OF
Daylen Lile changed his walk-up song looking for a spark and responded with two home runs against the Braves, per @JessicaCamerato.
Action: Claim in 12-plus-team leagues. One multi-homer game isn't a breakout, but Washington's lineup has been among the league's most productive, and the at-bats are there.
Lowder Commands His Way Through Cincinnati Start
HOLD · CIN · SP
Rhett Lowder turned in a strong outing with sharp command and an aggressive approach in the zone, per @CharlieG__.
Action: Hold; a reasonable streamer in favorable matchups and a target for two-start weeks.
White Sox Edge the Yankees in Extras
HOLD · CWS · TEAM
Chicago beat New York 2-1 in extra innings. The Yankees dropped to 1-8 in extra-inning games this season, per @BryanHoch.
Action: No moves; note the Yankees' extra-inning record when evaluating close-game outcomes.