TL;DRSkim
The five fastest-moving roster calls of the morning, in priority order:
- WATCH - Aaron Judge took overhand batting practice for the first time since going on the IL; Boone says "he looks good" and a mid-September return is on track.
- DROP - Shane Bieber shut down from throwing for two weeks retroactive to Aug. 21, with no timeframe set; a reversal of last week's add.
- ADD - Roman Anthony is at Triple-A Worcester and says Friday in New York is in play; grab him before the activation.
- WATCH - Max Fried threw four innings of live BP and could be an option for Saturday's doubleheader against Boston.
- HOLD - Zac Thornton threw six innings of one-run ball and holds a 2.88 rookie ERA; the ratios are real, the role is the question.
Whisenhunt Tears His UCL; Giants Lose a Third Starter to Tommy John
DROP · SF · SP
Carson Whisenhunt exited Monday's game against Cincinnati in the third inning with left elbow pain, and Tuesday's MRI revealed a torn UCL with surgery recommended. He'd been dealing after 47 pitches and said the pain arrived on his final two deliveries: "I felt great. It's honestly probably the best I felt all year. Just mechanical, pitch shapes, velo, everything. Just felt really good today until the last two pitches."
He becomes the third Giants starter to face Tommy John this season, after Hayden Birdsong and Trevor McDonald. A full reconstruction carries a 12-to-18-month recovery, which likely costs him all of 2027 as well. San Francisco recalled Spencer Bivens from Triple-A Sacramento.
Action: Drop in every format including dynasty, where the roster spot is worth more than a pitcher who won't throw a competitive inning until 2028. The broader read matters for anyone streaming against San Francisco: with Whisenhunt gone and Houser exiting a night later, the Giants have almost nothing behind Logan Webb and Landen Roupp.
Bieber Shut Down for Two Weeks
DROP · TOR · SP
Shane Bieber was placed on the 15-day IL retroactive to Aug. 21 and will be shut down from throwing entirely for two weeks. John Schneider said the club has no timeframe but remains hopeful he pitches again in 2026.
Action: Drop in redraft. This is a reversal of the add we recommended five days ago on the strength of seven innings of one-run ball, and the math no longer works: two weeks of no throwing plus a rebuild means early-to-mid September at the absolute earliest, and any return would likely come in relief. Hold only in leagues with deep IL slots.
Wilson's Season Ends
DROP · ATH · SS
Jacob Wilson (37% owned) was transferred to the 60-day IL, formally ending his 2026 season.
Action: Drop everywhere. There's nothing left to wait on.
Anthony Says Friday in New York Is in Play
ADD · BOS · OF
Roman Anthony remains on his Triple-A Worcester rehab assignment and told reporters he has no flight booked to Boston yet but feels close, adding that Friday's game in New York is realistic.
Action: Add him now in every league where he's available. This is the last window before an activation announcement makes him a bidding war, and he'll hit near the top of Boston's order immediately. Yesterday's framing had him staying down through this week; the player's own timeline moved that up.
Uribe Eligible to Return Today
ADD · MIL · RP
Abner Uribe (43% owned) completed a bullpen session and is trending toward activation, becoming eligible to come off the 15-day IL today.
Action: Add in holds leagues and saves-plus-holds formats. He was Milwaukee's primary setup arm before the forearm strain, and a bullpen on the league's best team generates leverage innings nightly.
Houser Exits with Forearm Tightness
WATCH · SF · SP
Adrian Houser left early the night after Whisenhunt's injury with forearm tightness, telling reporters it felt similar to a flexor strain he had in 2022 but "not near as bad." An MRI will clarify the severity. Tristan Beck and Matt Wilkinson are candidates to be promoted if the diagnosis is serious.
Action: Bench him pending imaging. Two Giants starters leaving with arm injuries on consecutive nights is a genuinely alarming pattern, and forearm tightness is the same category of symptom that preceded Whisenhunt's diagnosis.
Waldschmidt Walks It Off Again
HOLD · ARI · OF
Ryan Waldschmidt hit a walk-off homer in the ninth as Arizona rallied from a 4-0 deficit entering the eighth to beat Chicago 5-4. It's his second walk-off homer of August, and he was reportedly considered untouchable at the deadline.
Action: Hold, and add in deeper leagues. Two walk-offs in a month from a young bat the front office refused to trade is a signal about his role for the rest of the season.
Taillon Targets a Friday Rehab Start
WATCH · TOR · SP
Jameson Taillon is scheduled for a rehab game with Triple-A Buffalo on Friday with a 50-pitch target. If it goes well, Toronto plans to slot him back into the rotation the next time through.
Action: Stash in deeper leagues pending Friday. A 50-pitch outing means at least one more rehab appearance or a very short first start, so don't plan on immediate innings.
Judge Takes Overhand BP
WATCH · NYY · OF
Aaron Judge took overhand batting practice for the first time since landing on the injured list, with Aaron Boone saying "he looks good." He remains on track for a mid-September return.
Action: Hold in every format. Mid-September lands him in your lineup for the final two weeks of most fantasy seasons, which is worth the roster spot if you can carry him.
Fried Could Pitch Saturday's Doubleheader
WATCH · NYY · SP
Max Fried threw four innings of live batting practice, and Boone indicated he could be an option for Saturday's doubleheader against Boston.
Action: Stash him. Four innings of live BP is a meaningful checkpoint, and a doubleheader creates the kind of roster opening that accelerates a return.
Nola Gets No Support
HOLD · PHI · SP
Aaron Nola (45% owned) threw six scoreless innings with seven strikeouts in Philadelphia's 1-0 loss to Seattle.
Action: Hold and start him. Six scoreless is the third strong outing in a row - the results have stabilized even when the win doesn't come.
Grissom Homers Twice in an Angels Loss
HOLD · LAA · 2B
Vaughn Grissom went 2-for-5 with two home runs and three RBIs, but the Angels blew a 5-0 lead and fell 8-6 in 10 innings to Cleveland, with Blake Weiman allowing the decisive two-run double.
Action: Hold, and consider adding in deeper leagues. A two-homer game from a player who's been finding his footing is worth a look, though the Angels' lineup context limits the ceiling.
Moore Homers for the First Time This Season
HOLD · LAA · 2B
Christian Moore hit a solo homer in the second inning, his first of the year, a night after narrowly missing a game-tying shot in the ninth.
Action: Deep-league monitoring only until the playing time is more consistent.
Lavender Opens His Career with Nine Scoreless
ADD · NYM · RP
Nate Lavender has begun his career with nine consecutive scoreless appearances, retiring 28 of 31 batters faced while allowing one hit.
Action: Add in deeper and holds leagues. Nine scoreless outings to open a career is the kind of run that earns a young reliever leverage innings quickly.
Benge Keeps Hitting
HOLD · NYM · OF
Carson Benge recorded his third multi-hit game in five days, with 11 hits over that stretch, and has hit .305 since late April.
Action: Add in deeper leagues. A .305 mark over four months isn't a hot streak, and he's one of the Mets' untouchables from deadline talks.
Thornton Delivers Six Strong
HOLD · NYM · SP
Zac Thornton threw six innings of one-run ball against Milwaukee, holding a 2.88 ERA in his rookie season.
Action: Hold, and monitor whether the Mets commit to him as a starter. The ratios have been excellent; the role is the open question.
Astros Beat the Yankees 9-7
HOLD · NYY · TEAM
Houston handed New York a rare bullpen loss. The Yankees are 74-57, 3½ games behind Tampa Bay and 1½ up on Boston in the AL East.
Action: No moves. One off night from a bullpen that's been strong all season isn't a signal.
Smith Cleared for a Rehab Assignment
WATCH · LAD · C
Will Smith (64% owned) has been cleared to begin a rehab assignment as he works toward a September return from the 60-day IL.
Action: Hold. Catcher production at his level is worth the wait, and a September activation still gives you meaningful games.
Pirates Blank the Padres 1-0
HOLD · PIT · TEAM
Pittsburgh beat San Diego 1-0 in a duel between Michael King and Paul Skenes.
Action: No moves, though Skenes taking a hard-luck no-decision continues a season-long pattern that has nothing to do with how he's pitching.
Smith Locks Down Cleveland's Ninth
HOLD · CLE · RP
Cade Smith (97% owned) worked a scoreless inning with two strikeouts for the save.
Action: Hold. As secure as any closer job in baseball.
Hader Works a Four-Out Save
HOLD · HOU · RP
Josh Hader (83% owned) recorded a four-out save, going 1⅓ innings with a strikeout.
Action: Hold. Four-out usage in late August signals how much Houston trusts him down the stretch.