TL;DRSkim
The five fastest-moving roster calls of the morning, in priority order:
- ADD - Shohei Ohtani faced live hitters Saturday and could pitch in a game next week; Roberts says the knee issue is behind him.
- DROP - Michael Soroka to the 15-day IL with right shoulder inflammation, thinning an Arizona rotation already stretched thin.
- WATCH - Willy Adames left with a left elbow injury after sliding at home; MRI pending, and he was already managing back trouble.
- WATCH - Kyle Leahy (36% owned) threw four shutout innings but is capped around 65 pitches; the ratios play, but no wins or strikeout volume until St. Louis lifts the limit.
- HOLD - Casey Mize (39% owned) had clean ankle imaging and is on track for his next start.
Ohtani Faces Hitters, Could Pitch Next Week
ADD · LAD · DH/SP
Shohei Ohtani threw 30 pitches across six simulated plate appearances against Will Smith on Saturday, his first time facing a hitter since his last start on July 3. Dave Roberts said Sunday that Ohtani could pitch in a major league game as soon as next week, pending a bullpen session during this week's series in Atlanta.
"If it were up to Shohei, he'd be in a game in a few days," Roberts said. On the knee that shut him down: "I'd like to think the knee thing is behind us. I think certainly given the buildup, we'll be able to manage it."
The buildup will be more aggressive than last year's. Ohtani will likely open with a single inning and stretch toward five by season's end, with Eric Lauer moving to the bullpen to follow him and absorb the bulk innings. Before the knee flared, Ohtani was 8-2 with a 1.79 ERA in 14 starts.
Action: If you're in a league where Ohtani's pitching stats count separately, this is a significant add. For everyone else, the value is real but staged - one-inning outings won't move your ratios much in the first two weeks, and the strikeouts only start mattering once he's stretched out. Plan for meaningful contribution in the last two weeks of the fantasy season rather than immediately.
Soroka to the IL Again
DROP · ARI · SP
Michael Soroka was placed on the 15-day IL with right shoulder inflammation shortly after returning from his previous injury. Zack Littell was designated for assignment in the same set of moves.
Action: Drop Soroka everywhere. A shoulder issue resurfacing this quickly after a return means the rest of his season is a coin flip, and Arizona's rotation has been too volatile all year to speculate on the replacements.
Adames Exits with an Elbow Injury
WATCH · SF · SS
Willy Adames left Sunday's game with a left elbow injury after sliding awkwardly at home, with an MRI pending. He'd already been managing recurring back trouble that's made pregame work difficult.
Action: Bench him and line up a replacement shortstop today. A new injury layered on top of a back problem he was already playing through is the profile that usually ends in an IL stint rather than a day off.
Leahy Effective but Capped at 65 Pitches
WATCH · STL · SP
Kyle Leahy (36% owned) threw four shutout innings on a 63-pitch limit, part of a St. Louis workload management plan holding him around 65 pitches per outing.
Action: Add only in deeper leagues, and know exactly what you're buying. A hard 65-pitch cap means he almost never qualifies for a win and won't accumulate strikeouts at a useful rate no matter how well he pitches - he's a pure ERA and WHIP contributor until the Cardinals raise the limit. If they stretch him out in September, the calculus changes and he becomes a genuine add.
Mize's Imaging Comes Back Clean
HOLD · SD · SP
Casey Mize's ankle imaging was negative after he slipped on the dugout steps, and he's day-to-day and hopeful to make his next start.
Action: Hold, but watch the velocity in that start. The clean scan resolves the ankle question, not the 88.4 mph sinker that preceded it - that reading is still the more meaningful data point.
Donovan to the Concussion IL
WATCH · STL · IF
Brendan Donovan was struck in the head by a baseball in the batting cage and placed on the 7-day concussion injured list, retroactive to Aug. 22. He's eligible to return as soon as Aug. 29.
Action: Bench or stash depending on your roster space. The seven-day window is the floor, not a forecast - concussion returns depend entirely on symptom-free workouts, and freak cage injuries carry no useful precedent.
Phillies Post the Best Month of On-Base Baseball in Years
HOLD · PHI · TEAM
Philadelphia leads the majors with a .370 on-base percentage in August, the highest monthly mark by any team since Atlanta in June 2023 and by a Phillies club since July 2007. They ranked last in baseball at .303 through the end of July, a 67-point swing in a month, and have cut Atlanta's division lead from nine games to 2.5.
Action: Start Phillies bats broadly and stream them aggressively. A team-wide on-base surge of this size lifts run and RBI totals for everyone in the lineup, not just whoever homered last night.
Alvarez Sets a Franchise Intentional Walk Record
HOLD · HOU · DH
Yordan Alvarez set the Astros' single-season record for intentional walks, passing Jeff Bagwell's mark from 1997. He also fouled a ball off his right foot and was visibly in pain afterward.
Action: Hold, and check the lineup today. The foot is the actual news here - the walk record is a compliment that quietly suppresses his RBI opportunities.
Dodgers Get Smith and Pages Updates
WATCH · LAD · C/OF
Will Smith begins a rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Tuesday, nearing a return from the neck inflammation that has kept him out since June 11. Andy Pages had a compression screw inserted into his left hand to speed healing.
Action: Hold Smith and prepare to activate once the rehab clears - catcher production at his level is worth the wait. Pages is a drop in shallow formats; hardware in the hand means weeks.
Arraez and Hill Both Day-to-Day
WATCH · PHI · 2B/OF
Luis Arraez was removed with lower-body cramps and Derek Hill exited with neck stiffness, both listed day-to-day.
Action: Check the lineup on Arraez before locking - he's an everyday piece in a lineup that's scorching right now, so a missed game costs you. Hill is bench depth.
Bericoto Tweaks a Knee
WATCH · SF · OF
Victor Bericoto twisted his right knee chasing a fly ball and remains sore, walking gingerly afterward. He's day-to-day.
Action: Deep-league monitoring only, though it compounds a rough day for San Francisco's lineup alongside the Adames injury.
Naylor Gets a Spot Start Behind the Plate
WATCH · MIL · C
Bo Naylor, acquired from Cleveland at the deadline, was added as a 27th man to catch one game for Milwaukee.
Action: No action. He's behind William Contreras and won't see regular reps.
Nick Martinez Spins Six Scoreless
HOLD · TB · SP
Nick Martinez threw six scoreless innings allowing just one hit.
Action: Add in deeper leagues. Six innings on one hit is a legitimate start, and Tampa Bay's rotation has enough churn that his spot is stable.
Bennett Grinds Through for Boston
HOLD · BOS · SP
Jake Bennett turned in what the Boston beat called a gutty outing, helped by two strong outfield catches behind him.
Action: Hold as a bench arm. He's been inconsistent since the strong early run, so treat him as matchup-dependent.
Chapman Converts Another for Boston
HOLD · BOS · RP
Aroldis Chapman (92% owned) worked a clean inning with a strikeout for the save, holding his grip on Boston's ninth.
Action: Hold. No role questions, though he's been more adventurous than the save total suggests.
Closer Roundup: Baker, Harris, Latz All Convert
HOLD · TB / ATH / TEX · RP
Bryan Baker (79% owned) saved a game for Tampa Bay. Hogan Harris (5% owned) converted for the Athletics, and Jacob Latz (60% owned) closed one out for Texas with two strikeouts.
Action: Hold all three. Harris is the interesting name at 5% owned - a reliever converting saves at that ownership is worth a claim in any league counting the category.
Rangers and Astros Deadlocked
HOLD · TEX · TEAM
Texas and Houston are tied at 65-65 after the Astros lost to the Athletics, with Houston holding the tiebreaker. Texas's rotation carried them through a winning homestand despite continued offensive struggles.
Action: No moves. Rangers arms remain useful, but the lineup isn't supporting them.