TL;DRSkim

The five fastest-moving roster calls of the morning, in priority order:

• HOLD - Paul Skenes pulled after 65 pitches with his fastball at a season-low 95.7 mph, never touching 97; the velocity has dropped two mph since 2024.
• DROP - Trey Yesavage had meniscus surgery Tuesday and is week-to-week; Toronto hasn't ruled out a return, but a wild-card-dependent timeline is a long shot.
• WATCH - Kyle Stowers placed on the 10-day IL with a hamstring strain; expect the minimum to be a floor, not a timeline.
• ADD - Shane McClanahan makes a Triple-A rehab start today; a clean outing could put him back in Tampa Bay's rotation next week.
• WATCH - Brice Turang suffered a sprained thumb with Milwaukee in a playoff push; bench him and watch for an IL move.

Skenes Pulled After 65 Pitches as Velocity Craters

HOLD · PIT · SP

Paul Skenes was lifted after five innings and just 65 pitches in a 2-0 loss to Miami, and the reason wasn't the line - five hits, two runs (one earned), one walk, four strikeouts. It was the fastball. He averaged a season-low 95.7 mph and never touched 97 all night, topping out at 96.5 against a season average near 96.9. Miami hit the ball hard regardless: eight hard-hit balls, four hits averaging 101 mph off the bat, including Esteury Ruiz's third-inning homer on a chest-high fastball over the middle and a Griffin Conine drive that Bryan Reynolds pulled back over the left-field wall to end Skenes' night.

The trend is the concern. His four-seamer has declined every season since his rookie year, from 98.8 mph in 2024 to roughly 96.8 now, and in his first six career starts he touched 98-plus 222 times. He posted a 6.25 ERA across six July starts, the worst month of his career.

Don Kelly pointed elsewhere: "Yes, the velo is down. I think command has been a bigger thing, at least for me. That could come from multiple things. From trying too hard or trying to be too perfect. Maybe trying to get the velo back." Skenes didn't argue the hook and hasn't raised an injury concern.

Action: Hold - you're not dropping a pitcher of this caliber over one start. But this is the item on today's board most worth acting on if you're contending. Two mph of decline over two seasons, a career-worst July, and a 65-pitch hook all point the same direction, and he's lined up to face Boston on Sunday. If you can move him at name value to a manager who only sees the Cy Young pedigree, that's a defensible sell. If you're holding, watch Sunday's velocity readings closely - that's the number that tells you whether this is fatigue or something structural.

Toronto's Rotation Fractures: Yesavage to Surgery, Taillon to the IL

DROP · TOR · SP

Trey Yesavage underwent surgery Tuesday to repair the meniscus in his left knee, an injury that surfaced when the knee buckled as he warmed up before the second inning on Aug. 4 in Houston. John Schneider called him week-to-week and pointedly did not rule out a return: "The meniscus is weird. Sometimes it can be fairly quick depending on how the person responds. I don't want to say I'm very optimistic, but I like the fact it's not the year." Yesavage was 5-5 with a 3.65 ERA and 91 strikeouts in 18 starts, though a 4.4 walks-per-nine rate has been the sore spot.

The same day, Jameson Taillon landed on the 15-day IL with right forearm tendinitis after an MRI, having exited his first home start after four scoreless innings. Chase Lee was recalled from Triple-A Buffalo.

Action: Drop Yesavage in redraft. Even the optimistic path requires Toronto staying in a wild-card race they trail by 3½ games, and a pitcher's lead leg is the worst possible location for meniscus damage. Taillon is a hold only with IL space - forearm tendinitis is often the first chapter of an elbow story, and his 5.68 ERA gives you little to protect anyway.

Stowers to the IL with a Hamstring Strain

WATCH · MIA · OF

Kyle Stowers was placed on the 10-day IL after exiting Monday's game against the Angels with hamstring discomfort.

Action: Drop in shallow formats, stash in deeper ones. Hamstring strains routinely run past the minimum for outfielders, and Miami has no competitive reason to rush him back in mid-August.

McClanahan Makes His Rehab Start

ADD · TB · SP

Shane McClanahan will test his previously tight back in a Triple-A rehab outing with Durham. A clean result could put him back in Tampa Bay's rotation as soon as next week.

Action: Add him now if he's floating in your league. Tampa Bay is on a heater and holds a comfortable division lead, so a healthy McClanahan slots into meaningful games right as fantasy playoffs begin. Claiming him before the rehab start is how you get him without a bidding war.

Turang and Contreras Banged Up in Milwaukee

WATCH · MIL · 2B / C

Brice Turang suffered a sprained thumb, with Pat Murphy noting the timing given where the Brewers sit. William Contreras was struck on the arm and is expected to be sore but available.

Action: Bench Turang and watch for an IL move over the next day. Thumb sprains sap power for weeks even after a player returns, so temper expectations on the bat regardless of whether he avoids the IL. Contreras is a hold.

Angels Clean House on the Pitching Staff

WATCH · LAA · TEAM

Los Angeles fired pitching coach Mike Maddux, bullpen coach Dom Chiti, and assistant pitching coach Darryl Scott. Tim Leveque takes over as interim pitching coach and Michael Wuertz as interim bullpen coach.

Action: Watch the bullpen closely over the next week. New coaching staffs frequently redistribute leverage innings quickly, and the Angels' ninth inning has been unsettled all season - this is exactly the kind of change that produces a surprise saves source.

Altuve Sore After a Foot HBP

HOLD · HOU · 2B

Jose Altuve exited the loss to San Francisco after being hit on the left foot. Joe Espada said imaging came back negative, but Altuve called the foot "pretty sore," and a second round of imaging is scheduled for today.

Action: Hold everywhere. Negative imaging is the good outcome, but check the lineup before you lock.

Perdomo Exits with Knee Soreness

WATCH · ARI · SS

Geraldo Perdomo left the game with left knee soreness and is day-to-day.

Action: Check today's lineup. His value leans on volume and steals, both suppressed by a knee issue even if he plays.

Hanner Called Up by the Yankees

WATCH · NYY · RP

New York recalled right-hander Bradley Hanner, who posted a 2.10 ERA with 61 strikeouts in 51.1 Triple-A innings. Kervin Castro was optioned.

Action: Deep-league flier only until he gets leverage innings, but that strikeout rate is worth remembering.

Greene Pulled as a Precaution

WATCH · DET · OF

Riley Greene was hit on the leg by a 92-mph sinker, waved off the trainer, and scored from first on a Spencer Torkelson double before Detroit removed him in the third to evaluate the contusion.

Action: Monitor today's lineup; running the bases normally afterward suggests caution rather than a real problem.

Vest Undergoes Hip Surgery

DROP · DET · RP

Will Vest had right hip surgery, his second procedure of the season after the elbow stress fracture. AJ Hinch confirmed a lengthy recovery.

Action: Drop in all formats.

Okamoto Sits a Second Straight Day

WATCH · TOR · 3B

Kazuma Okamoto (47% owned) was out again with a left knee contusion from fouling a ball off it earlier this week.

Action: Bench him; back-to-back absences warrant more caution than the initial "not serious" framing.

Whisenhunt Sharp in a Giants Win

WATCH · SF · SP

Carson Whisenhunt turned in a strong outing in a 4-1 win over Houston, showing a deeper arsenal than his two-pitch reputation.

Action: Deep-league watch; track whether San Francisco keeps handing him starts.

Padres Rout Milwaukee

HOLD · SD · TEAM

San Diego won 11-2 with contributions throughout the order, including Austin Hays. The Padres are 64-56.

Action: No moves. Hays is a deeper-league look if he's holding regular at-bats.

Rutschman Activated by Boston

HOLD · BOS · C

Adley Rutschman is back from the IL, resolving Boston's three-catcher crunch.

Action: Activate him, but give the bat a week - wrist injuries suppress power on return.

Phillies Swap Bullpen Arms

WATCH · PHI · RP

Philadelphia recalled Alex McFarlane and optioned Alan Rangel, who threw 55 pitches Monday eating innings.

Action: No action; McFarlane is low-leverage until proven otherwise.

Toglia Called Up by Cincinnati

STASH · CIN · 1B

The Reds recalled first baseman Michael Toglia from Triple-A Louisville after a productive 2024 and a rough season in Colorado.

Action: Deep-league stash only, and only with regular at-bats.

Boone Expects Bellinger and Stanton Back Before Judge

WATCH · NYY · OF/DH

Aaron Boone said Cody Bellinger and Giancarlo Stanton will probably return before Aaron Judge. Bellinger is doing light outfield work, Stanton is running the bases, both weeks out.

Action: Hold all three with IL space. The sequencing matters for planning.