Michael Taylor Taking Friday Off

Minnesota Twins outfielder Michael Taylor will get a day of rest on Friday against the visiting Texas Rangers. Joey Gallo will patrol center field instead and will hit eighth in the batting order against Rangers right-hander Dane Dunning. It's an odd time for a day off for Taylor, as he hit two home runs in […]

Esteury Ruiz Getting Another Day Off

Oakland Athletics outfielder Esteury Ruiz is out of the starting lineup again on Friday with the team taking on the Chicago White Sox. With Ruiz slumping at the plate, the A's will give him a second straight day off to mentally and physically recharge. The 24-year-old speedster has really struggled offensively since returning from the […]

Shohei Ohtani In The Lineup Friday

Los Angeles Angels two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani (elbow) is serving as the designated hitter and batting in the two-hole on Friday against the New York Mets and right-hander Kodai Senga. Ohtani received bad news on Wednesday night when he was diagnosed with a torn UCL in his right elbow, and he won't pitch again the […]

Wilyer Abreu Retreats To The Bench

Boston Red Sox rookie outfielder Wilyer Abreu will get a day off on Friday against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers. Masataka Yoshida is playing left field and batting cleanup, with Justin Turner serving as the designated hitter and batting third against Dodgers right-hander Lance Lynn. Abreu has burst on the scene in his first three […]

J.T. Realmuto Getting A Breather Friday

Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto is getting a day off on Friday with the team taking on the visiting St. Louis Cardinals. With Realmuto starting on the bench, Garrett Stubbs will catch left-hander Cristopher Sanchez and will bat in the nine-hole against Cardinals right-hander Miles Mikolas. Stubbs is hitting just .210 (17-for-81) on the year […]

James McCann Back For The Orioles

Baltimore Orioles catcher James McCann (hand) is back behind the plate doing the catching and is hitting sixth for the Orioles against the visiting Colorado Rockies and left-hander Kyle Freeland on Friday. McCann will return to action after missing the team's last few games due to a bruised left hand. The 33-year-old veteran backstop has […]

Cedric Mullins Sitting Against Southpaw

Baltimore Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins is starting on the bench on Friday against the visiting Colorado Rockies with left-hander Kyle Freeland on the mound. Ryan McKenna will get the start in center field and will bat eighth in the order against Freeland. Mullins is an everyday player for Baltimore, but he hasn't been as productive […]

Keibert Ruiz Back In Action Against Marlins

Washington Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz (head) is back in the lineup as the designated hitter and is batting cleanup on Friday against Miami Marlins left-hander Braxton Garrett. Riley Adams will do the catching and bat seventh. The Nationals scratched Ruiz due to light-headedness in Thursday's series finale against the New York Yankees after he took […]

Javier Baez Returns To Friday's Lineup

Detroit Tigers shortstop Javier Baez (illness) has returned to the starting lineup on Friday against the visiting Houston Astros and left-hander Framber Valdez, playing shortstop and batting eighth in the order. Baez is feeling better after sitting out the team's last two games. Not much has gone right for the free-swinging infielder in 2023. He's […]

Nolan Gorman Activated From Injured List

The St. Louis Cardinals activated infielder Nolan Gorman (back) from the 10-day injured list and optioned infielder Jose Fermin to Triple-A Memphis in a corresponding move. The Cardinals also placed right-hander Drew VerHagen on the bereavement list and recalled right-hander Guillermo Zuniga from Memphis. Gorman spent the minimum 10 days on the IL with a […]

Tony Kemp Hits Fourth Home Run Of The Year

Oakland Athletics outfielder Tony Kemp did something in Thursday night's 8-5 win over the Chicago White Sox that he normally doesn't do, hit a home run. Kemp finished the game 2-for-4 with a home run a double, RBI and two runs scored. Outside of his 12 stolen bases this year, fantasy managers haven't gotten much […]

Brent Rooker Goes Deep In Win Over White Sox

Oakland Athletics outfielder Brent Rooker added to his strong season on Thursday by homering in the team's 8-5 win over the Chicago White Sox. Rooker finished the game 1-for-4 with a solo home run, his 22nd of the season. Before 2023, Rooker's career-high for home runs was nine, set back in 2021 with the Minnesota […]

Brewers Sign Fernando Abad To Minor-League Deal

The Milwaukee Brewers signed free-agent left-hander Fernando Abad to a minor-league deal on Thursday. Abad began the 2023 season with the Colorado Rockies but was released after posting a 4.26 ERA (8.16 FIP), 2.21 WHIP, three walks and two strikeouts in just 6 1/3 innings out of the bullpen. The 37-year-old veteran southpaw was a […]

William Smith Gives Up Game-Winning Hit Thursday

Texas Rangers relief pitcher William Smith allowed the game-winning hit in Thursday's 7-5 loss to the Minnesota Twins during his inning of work when he came in with the bases loaded and no outs. Smith allowed a two-run home run to catcher Ryan Jeffers and didn't walk or strike out a batter. Josh Sborz was […]

Enrique Hernandez Busy In Win Over Guardians

Los Angeles Dodgers infielder/outfielder Enrique Hernandez was right in the middle of the team's 9-3 victory over the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday, going 3-for-5 with a home run, two doubles, two RBI, two runs scored and a strikeout. Hernandez's home run was his first since Aug. 7, and he's now hitting .296 (24-for-81) with two […]

Brandon Belt Homers Again In Losing Effort

Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Brandon Belt went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, a walk and a strikeout in the team's 5-3 loss to the division-rival Baltimore Orioles on Thursday. Belt now has four home runs in his last four games to bring his season total to 15 through 301 at-bats in his first […]

Chase Anderson Gives Up Three Runs In Rehab Start

Colorado Rockies right-hander Chase Anderson (shoulder) allowed three earned runs on five hits (one homer) while walking one and striking out one in 2 2/3 innings in his minor-league rehab start for Triple-A Albuquerque on Thursday. Anderson is getting closer to a return to the Rockies after missing almost a month due to right-shoulder inflammation. […]

Hunter Greene To Start Friday

Cincinnati Reds right-hander Hunter Greene is listed as the team's starter for the Friday night game against the Arizona Diamondbacks after he was initially scheduled to go on Saturday on five days of rest. The 24-year-old was torched for nine runs (eight earned) on 10 hits (five home runs) in just three innings against the […]

Josh Jacobs Should Be Bell-Cow Back When He Returns

Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs led the team with 393 touches in 2022, with the next closest running back being Ameer Abdullah with 29 touches. Zamir White, a fourth-rounder last year, has taken the bulk of carries in training camp practices with Jacobs holding out this summer. White is a bigger back, but […]

Sean Clifford To Serve As Backup Quarterback

Green Bay Packers rookie fifth-round quarterback Sean Clifford was named the backup QB by head coach Matt LaFleur on Thursday. Clifford led the league in passing yards per game and ranked third in completion percentage through two preseason games. By the first week of training camp, he had passed Danny Etling, who spent all of […]

Richie James Has Been Impressive

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Richie James, a six-year veteran, was one of the team's most impressive players during training camp this summer. The Chiefs will throw the ball plenty, and James looks to be a reliable option for quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The 27-year-old has the talent to be an effective slot receiver alongside Skyy […]

Calvin Ridley Standing Out At Training Camp

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Calvin Ridley looks explosive and has another gear compared to the rest of the team's other talented receivers. It's reasonable to expect some type of adjustment to regular season game speed due to the fact that he hasn't played in nearly two years and is learning a new offense, but Ridley […]

Josh Downs Has Become A Volume Target

Indianapolis Colts wide receivers Michael Pittman Jr. and Alec Pierce are the team's top receivers, but rookie Josh Downs, an undersized yet shifty wideout out of North Carolina, brings a different feel to the receiving corps that has allowed him to become a volume target throughout training camp and the preseason, according to The Athletic's […]

C.J. Stroud Showing The Ability To Rebound

Houston Texans rookie first-round quarterback C.J. Stroud had a forgettable preseason debut, but head coach DeMeco Ryans insisted there wasn't any panic within the organization. Stroud showed growth in the second preseason game, rebounding from a rough opening series to complete his next five pass attempts to four different receivers. He will certainly face some […]

Luke Musgrave Looks Dynamic

Green Bay Packers rookie second-round tight end Luke Musgrave has dazzled throughout training camp despite sporadic drops and has showcased a combination of size, speed and pass-catching prowess that has the team running him on jet sweeps, go routes and everything in between. The Athletic's Matt Schneidman writes that the Packers haven't had a tight […]

Sam LaPorta Could Be Jared Goff's Second-Favorite Target

We knew the Detroit Lions had big plans for rookie tight end Sam LaPorta when they took him with the 34th overall pick in this year's draft. LaPorta has been with the first-team offense since the start of training camp this summer and he has shown the ability to make catches in traffic, provide yards […]

Merrill Kelly Suffers Hamstring Cramp Thursday

Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Merrill Kelly (hamstring) suffered a right-hamstring cramp during his start on Thursday night against the Cincinnati Reds, but it doesn't sound like a serious concern going forward. Before leaving before the eighth inning, Kelly was fantastic, tossing seven scoreless innings while giving up just one hit, walking none and striking out 12 […]

Greg Dulcich Could Be Used In "Joker" Role

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton said that tight end Greg Dulcich could be used in a "joker" role that will help him find matchups to exploit. The Broncos also have Adam Trautman, who has experience in Payton's offense, but Dulcich will remain the top tight end target in the passing game. The Athletic's Nick […]

Jake Ferguson Could Have Significant Role

Dallas Cowboys second-year tight end Jake Ferguson's stock has taken a noticeable upturn during training camp, according to The Athletic's Saad Yousuf. Ferguson will be taking over No. 1 tight end duties in Dallas this year after the departure of Dalton Schultz, who was one of quarterback Dak Prescott's favorite targets. The 24-year-old caught 19 […]

David Njoku Should Be Targeted Often

The Athletic's Zac Jackson advises fantasy football managers to stock up on shares of tight end David Njoku during draft season. Njoku has had a phenomenal training camp this summer, gets open on a regular basis and has seen a lot of passes come his way. The Browns are dealing with the loss of speedy […]