August 23, 2025
Texas Rangers second baseman
Marcus Semien (foot) will not play Saturday against the Cleveland Guardians, Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News reports. Semien, who also missed Friday's game, has a left-foot contusion and is in a walking boot. The 34-year-old has been in pain since he fouled a ball off his foot in a loss to the Kansas City Royals on Thursday and will undergo a fourth round of testing with a doctor on Sunday, according to McFarland. A stint on the 10-day injured list looks like a possibility for Semien, who has hit .230/.305/.364 with 15 homers, 62 RBI, 62 runs, and 11 steals in 534 plate appearances this year. The Rangers haven't released a lineup for Saturday yet, but they started
Ezequiel Duran in Semien's absence on Friday.
--Connor ByrneSource: Shawn McFarland - Dallas Morning News
August 23, 2025
New York Mets second baseman/outfielder
Jeff McNeil (shoulder) is returning to the lineup on Saturday in a meeting with the Atlanta Braves. He'll hit fifth against right-hander
Cal Quantrill after missing two straight games with soreness in his right shoulder. McNeil has hit a respectable .294/.342/.426 with one home run, eight RBI, and a 9:5 K:BB in 18 games this month. He owns an overall slash line of .259/.350/.442 with 10 homers, 40 RBI, 33 runs scored, and more walks (38) than strikeouts (36) in 342 plate appearances.
--Connor ByrneSource: MLB.com
August 23, 2025
The New York Mets announced that they have placed right-hander
Frankie Montas (elbow) on the 15-day injured list with a UCL injury in his pitching elbow, retroactive to Friday. The team recalled righty
Huascar Brazoban from Triple-A Syracuse in a corresponding move. UCL injuries often lead to long absences for pitchers, so it's possible that Montas won't return in 2025. Regardless, this has been a season to forget for Montas, who hasn't fared well since joining the Mets on a two-year, $34 million contract in free agency last winter. After Montas suffered a high-grade lat strain during the spring, he didn't make his season debut until June 24. Between then and Saturday's IL placement, Montas went 3-2 with a 6.28 ERA, a 1.60 WHIP, and 32:14 K:BB in 38 2/3 innings. The 32-year-old made his two most recent appearances in relief after failing to impress over seven starts.
--Connor ByrneSource: New York Mets
August
23,
2025
Philadelphia
Phillies
ace
Zack
Wheeler
(shoulder)
will
undergo
season-ending
surgery
for
venous
thoracic
outlet
syndrome,
the
team
announced.
Wheeler
will
need
six
to
eight
months
to
recover,
which
could
put
him
in
jeopardy
for
the
start
read more...
August 23, 2025
Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder
Oneil Cruz (head) will begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Altoona on Saturday, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. Cruz has been on the seven-day concussion injured list since Aug. 13. The hulking slugger got off a to a rough start in August before suffering the injury, as he went 5-for-41 (.122) with one home run, seven RBI, and 15:3 K:BB in 11 games. Cruz is an elite base stealer (34 SBs) who ranks among the best in the league in average exit velocity, hard-hit rate, and barrel percentage, but he has only managed a .207/.304/.398 line with 18 homers, 51 RBI, and 58 runs scored over 454 plate appearances.
--Connor ByrneSource: Noah Hiles - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
August 23, 2025
Chicago Cubs right-hander
Cade Horton (finger) will start on Saturday against the Los Angeles Angels, manager Craig Counsell announced. Horton left a loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday with a middle-finger blister, but it won't lead to any missed starts. The 24-year-old rookie has toed the rubber four times this month and posted a near-spotless .95 ERA with a mere nine hits allowed and 20:6 K:BB in 19 innings. Overall, Horton has gone 7-4 with a 3.08 ERA (4.18 xERA), a 1.20 WHIP, and 70:28 K:BB across 87 2/3 frames. While Horton has thrived in August, the Angels' offense ranks a below-average 19th in wOBA (.307) and 20th in runs (85) this month.
--Connor ByrneSource: MLB.com
August 23, 2025
Colorado Rockies left-hander
Kyle Freeland (finger) will start Saturday against the Pittsburgh Pirates. There was some question as to whether Freeland would be able to pitch after leaving his previous start with a blister on Monday against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He's good to go in Pittsburgh, which owns the majors' second-worst wOBA against lefties (.276). The Pirates should be a favorable matchup for Freeland, but regardless of opponent, it's hard to trust the struggling 32-year-old. He has gone 3-12 with a 5.16 ERA, a 1.50 WHIP, and 85:31 K:BB in 120 1/3 innings this season.
--Connor ByrneSource: MLB.com
August 23, 2025
Miami Marlins shortstop
Otto Lopez (illness) is not in the lineup on Saturday against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Maximo Acosta will play short and hit ninth in a matchup with right-hander
Jose Berrios. Lopez has been dealing with an illness and hasn't been in Miami's lineup since Tuesday. The 26-year-old has endured a nightmarish August, having hit .183/.247/.225 with no home runs, three RBI, and 11 strikeouts against five walks in 79 trips to the plate. Lopez does boast a solid .349 xwOBA this season, but his actual results have been unappealing. He's hitting a subpar .240/.309/.361 with 11 homers, 58 RBI, 52 runs scored, and 11 steals in 456 plate appearances.
--Connor ByrneSource: MLB.com
August 23, 2025
Toronto Blue Jays first baseman
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (hamstring) remains out of the lineup on Saturday against the Miami Marlins.
Ty France will handle first base and hit sixth in a meeting with right-hander
Janson Junk. It'll be the fourth straight game off for Guerrero, who hasn't played since he left a loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday with inflammation in his left hamstring. The five-time All-Star has begun participating in baseball activities since then, though it's unclear if he'll be ready to return on Sunday. Guerrero, who's having yet another stellar offensive season, has slashed .298/.396/.498 with 21 homers, 69 RBI, 83 runs scored, and five stolen bases in 545 plate appearances.
--Connor ByrneSource: MLB.com
August 23, 2025
The Atlanta Braves will start right-hander
Cal Quantrill, who was claimed off waivers from the Miami Marlins on Thursday, against the division-rival New York Mets on Saturday after they decided to skip right-hander
Spencer Strider this weekend, according to MLB.com's Mark Bowman. Right-hander
Erick Fedde has also been moved to the bullpen. Quantrill, a 30-year-old Canadian native, was not good in Miami before being cut, going 4-10 with a career-worst 5.50 ERA (4.59 FIP) and 1.39 WHIP with 82 strikeouts and 30 walks in 109 2/3 innings over 24 starts. It's unclear if Quantrill will receive additional starts for Atlanta down the stretch, but we would suggest avoiding him as a fantasy streamer versus New York this weekend. Quantrill is in the 20th percentile in hard-hit rate and the 16th percentile in strikeout rate this year.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Mark Bowman
August 23, 2025
Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora said that outfielder
Rob Refsnyder (oblique) could return from the 10-day injured list next week after running sprints before Friday's series opener in the Bronx against the New York Yankees. Refsnyder last played in a game for the Red Sox on Aug. 13 before suffering a left-oblique strain. It sounds as though the 34-year-old veteran will not have to go on a minor-league rehab assignment before rejoining the major-league squad. When he's back, he's going to be a right-handed-hitting outfield/designated hitter option for Boston only against left-handed pitching, making him avoidable in all but the deepest of fantasy formats. The South Korea native is slashing .272/.357/.471 with an .827 OPS, six homers, 22 RBI and 23 runs on the season. With young outfielders
Roman Anthony and
Jhostynxon Garcia around, playing time will be harder to come by for Refsnyder.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Mike Monaco
August
23,
2025
The
Minnesota
Twins
announced
on
Saturday
that
they
recalled
right-handed
pitching
prospect
Mick
Abel
from
Triple-A
St.
Paul
and
designated
right-hander
Jose
Urena
for
assignment
in
a
corresponding
move.
Abel,
the
read more...
August 23, 2025
Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora said that outfielder
Wilyer Abreu (calf) hit on Friday and moved around in the outfield. Abreu is feeling better and could return from the 10-day injured list next week, as well as outfielder
Rob Refsnyder (oblique). Abreu suffered from right-calf tightness on Aug. 17 and was placed on the IL this week. The 26-year-old will be eligible to rejoin the big-league roster next Thursday, so he could rejoin the team for their series finale in Baltimore againt the division-rival Orioles. Since Abreu has been sidelined, rookie
Roman Anthony has shifted to right field, and the BoSox also called up prospect
Jhostynxon Garcia. Abreu will return to regular duties in right field for Boston when he returns, as he's been very productive in 2025 with a .253/.325/.486 slash line, .811 OPS, 22 home runs, 69 RBI, 52 runs and six stolen bases in 352 at-bats.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Mike Monaco
August
23,
2025
New
York
Yankees
third
baseman
Ryan
McMahon
and
outfielder
Jasson
Dominguez
will
both
start
on
the
bench
for
Game
2
of
the
series
in
the
Bronx
against
the
division-rival
Boston
Red
read more...
August 23, 2025
New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that reliever
Fernando Cruz (oblique) will return from the injured list either Sunday or Monday, per Max Goodman of NJ Advance Media. Cruz has been on the 15-day injured list since late June due to a left oblique strain. The 35-year-old right-hander was having a solid season before getting injured, recording a 3.00 ERA and 1.00 WHIP with 54 strikeouts and two saves in 33 innings. He posted an excellent 41.2% strikeout rate and 30.5% K-BB rate. Cruz should provide some much-needed support to a Yankees bullpen that has struggled in the second half of the season, even after adding
David Bednar and
Camilo Doval at the trade deadline. Still, Cruz is unlikely to unseat Bednar as the closer in New York.
--Will BradySource: NJ Advance Media - Max Goodman
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