TL;DRSkim

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

• ADD - Cade Cavalli threw six scoreless with 11 strikeouts, eight of them through three innings; his last 10 starts carry a 2.12 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, and 73 strikeouts against 13 walks.
• DROP - Edwin Díaz is back on the IL weeks after returning, closing the book on a Dodgers stint that produced three blown saves in four chances and an 11.57 ERA across 14 appearances.
• ADD - Andrés Chaparro went 3-for-4 with a homer and now owns a wRC+ over 200 in the second half, driven by finally solving right-handed pitching.
• WATCH - Ryan McMahon jammed his left thumb sliding into second and came out in the eighth as swelling built; X-rays were clean with more testing today.
• BUY LOW - Dustin May (25% owned) needed 36 pitches to escape a four-run first, undoing two starts that produced 13 innings of three-run ball.

Cavalli Keeps Building His Case

ADD · WSH · SP

Cade Cavalli threw six scoreless innings with 11 strikeouts as Washington blanked Texas 6-0, and he had eight of those strikeouts through three innings. Over his last 10 starts he's posted a 2.12 ERA and 0.86 WHIP with 73 strikeouts against 13 walks across 59⅓ innings.

Action: Add him anywhere he's available and start him without hesitation. Ten starts is well past the point where this qualifies as a hot streak, and the 73-to-13 strikeout-to-walk ratio is the number that says it holds - command that clean is the hardest thing to fake over two months. He's been the best available arm on this board for two weeks running, and the Nationals have no reason to limit him down the stretch.

Díaz Returns to the IL

DROP · LAD · RP

Edwin Díaz has been placed back on the injured list just weeks after coming off it, capping a stretch in which he blew three of four save chances and carried an 11.57 ERA across 14 appearances. He had surgery to remove loose bodies from his right elbow seven appearances into his Dodgers tenure and missed more than three months before this return.

Action: Drop him. We flagged last week that Roberts was publicly sticking with him only for lack of alternatives, and that question is now settled by the IL move. Don't chase the replacement either: Tanner Scott closed during the last absence but the Dodgers prefer him in a versatile late-inning role, while Evan Phillips, Alex Vesia, and Edgardo Henriquez have all been used inconsistently. Until someone converts two in a row, this is a committee to avoid rather than speculate on.

Chaparro's Second Half Keeps Getting Louder

ADD · WSH · OF

Andrés Chaparro went 3-for-4 with a home run in Washington's 6-0 win over Texas and now carries a wRC+ over 200 in the second half, with the improvement traced specifically to his production against right-handed pitching, previously the clearest weakness in his profile.

Action: Add him in all formats. A wRC+ over 200 across a half-season isn't batted-ball luck, and the mechanism matters more than the number: hitters who fix a platoon split have removed the exact thing that was capping their playing time. Washington is out of the race and has every incentive to let him play every day through September.

McMahon Jams His Thumb Sliding

WATCH · NYY · 3B

Ryan McMahon hurt his left thumb sliding into second in the second inning of the Yankees' 5-3 win at Camden Yards, caught trying to stretch an RBI single into a double. He stayed in the game but told Aaron Boone about increasing swelling, and Boone pinch-hit José Caballero for him in the eighth. X-rays showed no structural damage, with more testing scheduled today. "It's a little sore," McMahon said, adding that he hopes not to miss much time.

Action: Hold only in deep leagues. He's hitting .215 with a .649 OPS across 105 games, so even a clean bill of health leaves him a marginal fantasy asset - and thumb injuries specifically sap grip strength and power for weeks after a player returns. If the testing brings bad news, drop him without a second thought.

May Implodes in the First

BUY LOW · MIL · SP

Dustin May (25% owned) needed 36 pitches to get through the first inning and allowed four earned runs, a sharp break from his first two Milwaukee starts, which produced 13 innings of three-run ball with 11 strikeouts. He'd been one of the quieter effective deadline additions in the league.

Action: Hold, and buy if a frustrated manager makes him available. The pattern here matters: one ugly inning followed by an early hook is a command problem, not a stuff problem, and May's entire profile since arriving has been about a better defense and better run support turning contact into outs. He's the same pitcher who gave you two quality starts last week, and the Brewers, at the best record in baseball, have every reason to keep running him out there.

Polanco's Season Ends

DROP · NYM · DH

Jorge Polanco was placed on the 10-day IL with left ankle bursitis and will undergo surgery, ending his season. He finishes with 37 games, 20 hits, two homers and six RBIs.

Action: Drop in all redraft formats. There's no rehab timeline because there's no rehab - the surgery ends it.

Crow-Armstrong Joins the 30-30 Club Again

HOLD · CHC · OF

Pete Crow-Armstrong homered twice against the White Sox to become the 10th player in major league history with back-to-back 30-30 seasons.

Action: Hold, obviously. He's been a five-category producer all year, and the power surge in the second half only strengthens an already elite profile.

Nola Bounces Back

HOLD · PHI · SP

Aaron Nola (38% owned) threw seven innings of one-run ball with eight strikeouts against Miami for the win. Philadelphia is 69-58 and fighting for playoff position.

Action: Hold, and add in deeper leagues. That's his best start in weeks, and seven innings from a pitcher who'd been getting hooked early is the more meaningful development than the strikeout total.

Gausman Exits Early with a Hand Issue

WATCH · CHC · SP

Kevin Gausman left his start after 4⅓ innings with a right hand and thumb issue.

Action: Check for an IL move before your next lineup lock. This is more concerning than the innings total suggests - Gausman's splitter is his separator, and grip-dependent pitchers lose that pitch first when a thumb is compromised.

Peña Exits with a Hand Contusion

WATCH · HOU · SS

Jeremy Peña took a 100 mph pitch off his right hand and left the game with a contusion, disappearing into the tunnel with a trainer. Nick Allen replaced him.

Action: Check today's lineup and have a middle infielder ready. Houston's lineup is thin enough that they'll push to get him back quickly, but a contusion from a pitch that hard typically costs several days even when nothing is broken.

Ureña Solid but Not Sharp

STREAM · LAA · SP

Walbert Ureña (22% owned) struck out seven over five innings but allowed three earned runs against Houston.

Action: Stream him in favorable matchups only. The strikeout rate is legitimate and the season ERA is strong, but the Angels give him among the worst run support in the league - which means you're buying ratios and strikeouts, not wins.

Pecko Debuts as Houston's 17th Starter

STASH · HOU · SP

Ethan Pecko made his major league debut, throwing 89 pitches over 3⅔ innings with three hits, three walks, four strikeouts and two runs. He's the 17th different starter Houston has used this season, matching the franchise record set in 1965.

Action: Dynasty monitoring only. Three walks in under four innings is the reason to wait, though the sheer attrition in that rotation means he'll likely get more chances than his debut earned.

Cortes Agrees to a Phillies Deal

WATCH · PHI · SP

Nestor Cortes has agreed to a major league contract with Philadelphia pending a physical, with Brian Keller designated for assignment in the corresponding move. Cortes had arm surgery last fall and has been throwing for teams in free agency.

Action: Dynasty interest only for now. Even once the physical clears, he'll need weeks of minor-league buildup before he's usable, which puts a meaningful contribution near the end of your fantasy season rather than during it.

Rogers Records a Hit with a Fourth Team

HOLD · CWS · C

Jake Rogers became one of seven players in major league history to record a hit for four different teams in the same season, as the White Sox snapped an eight-game losing streak at Wrigley with a 3-0 win over the Cubs. Sean Newcomb extended a scoreless relief streak to 12⅓ innings.

Action: No action. Rogers is a backup catcher wherever he lands, but it's a genuinely remarkable season-long footnote.

Mesa Jr. to the IL

WATCH · TB · OF

Tampa Bay placed Victor Mesa Jr. on the injured list and recalled catcher Kenny Piper and right-hander Chris Roycroft from Triple-A Durham. The injury details weren't disclosed.

Action: Drop in shallow formats. Without a diagnosis there's nothing to plan around, and he wasn't holding an everyday role.

Winn Keeps Producing for St. Louis

HOLD · STL · SS

Masyn Winn recorded his first three-extra-base-hit game as the Cardinals won six of their last nine to reach 64-63.

Action: Hold. The bat has caught up to the elite defense over the past few weeks, which makes him a startable shortstop again rather than a defensive specialist you tolerate.

Paredes Hasn't Struck Out in 35 Plate Appearances

HOLD · HOU · DH

Isaac Paredes has gone 35 consecutive plate appearances without a strikeout, second only to Nico Hoerner's 38 among active streaks.

Action: Hold. Contact at this level props up your batting average through cold stretches, which is exactly what you want from a corner bat when the power goes quiet.

Twins Bullpen Rolling Since July

HOLD · MIN · RP

Minnesota's relievers have posted a 3.03 ERA over 119 innings since July 10, third in baseball by win probability added, with Yoendrys Gómez (14% owned) and Jeff Hoffman (39% owned) leading the group.

Action: Hoffman is the one with the save path; Gómez is a holds-league piece. Don't roster both expecting saves from each - a bullpen this effective still only has one ninth inning.

Stewart Homers After an Intentional Walk to De La Cruz

STASH · CIN · IF

St. Louis intentionally walked Elly De La Cruz in extra innings Monday, and Sal Stewart followed with a home run to give Cincinnati a 3-2 lead.

Action: Dynasty stash. Punishing a club for pitching around the hitter ahead of him is the sort of at-bat that earns a young player a longer look in the lineup.

Nationals Promote Tolman

STASH · WSH · SP

Washington promoted left-hander Erik Tolman from Triple-A Rochester and optioned Yovanny Cruz. Tolman, a 14th-round pick, has returned from two elbow surgeries and a freak leg injury.

Action: Dynasty stash. Watch the debut for velocity and strike-throwing before spending anything on him.

Glasnow Nears Activation

HOLD · LAD · SP

Tyler Glasnow (78% owned) is expected to make his final rehab appearance before rejoining the Dodgers rotation.

Action: Hold, and add where he's been dropped. He should be active within the week, which lands him in your rotation for the entire fantasy playoff run.

Chourio Jams a Knee Stealing

WATCH · MIL · OF

Jackson Chourio jammed his right knee sliding into second on a steal attempt but stayed in the game after a trainer's visit.

Action: Check today's lineup. Staying in is the encouraging sign, but a knee issue quietly costs you steals even when the player is technically available.