July 20, 2025
Baltimore Orioles right-hander
Zach Eflin (back) had a successful rehab start in the rookie-level Florida Complex League on Friday. While Eflin allowed five unearned runs over four innings and 68 pitches, he came out of the start feeling "great" and confident about rejoining the Orioles' rotation soon. Eflin hasn't pitched in the majors since June 28 because of discomfort in his lower back. The team could reinstate him from the 15-day injured list during an upcoming series against Cleveland that runs from Monday to Thursday, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com. The 31-year-old has slumped to a 5.95 ERA with a 1.44 WHIP and 42:11 K:BB over 62 innings, but he could draw interest from starter-needy teams around the July 31 trade deadline.
--Connor ByrneSource: Roch Kubatko - MASNSports.com
July 20, 2025
Miami Marlins outfielder
Derek Hill (finger) is dealing with a minor finger injury and won't start Sunday's game against the Kansas City Royals, but he's available off the bench. The Marlins will start
Dane Myers in center field for the fourth straight game. Hill hasn't played since July 12, and he's hitting a meager .211/.276/.322 line with two home runs, seven RBI, and six stolen bases in 100 plate appearances.
--Connor ByrneSource: Nate Karzmer - Fish on First
July 20, 2025
San Diego Padres outfielder
Jackson Merrill (illness) is out of the team's lineup Sunday against the Washington Nationals with an illness.
Bryce Johnson will start in center field in Merrill's place and bat eighth in a meeting with Nationals left-hander
MacKenzie Gore. Merrill has slumped badly at the plate for several weeks, as the 2024 All-Star is just 26-for-130 (.200) with two home runs, 11 RBI, and 35:12 K:BB since June 1. The 22-year-old is hitting .259/.325/.406 with seven homers, 32 RBI, 34 runs, and just one stolen base over 281 plate appearances. Fantasy managers should check back Monday to see if Merrill returns to the lineup against the Miami Marlins.
--Connor ByrneSource: San Diego Padres
July 20, 2025
Toronto Blue Jays pitching prospect Khal Stephen has been promoted to Double-A New Hampshire and will make his first start there on Sunday. It is the second promotion of the season for Toronto's ninth-ranked prospect, who made 16 starts between Single-A and High-A so far this year. He posted a 1.75 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, and a 23.7 percent K-BB% in 87 2/3 innings pitched. The Jays' 2024 second-round draft pick features a mid-90s fastball and a mid-80s changeup as his two best pitches, and could make quick work of the minors, with a 2026 MLB debut a real possibility. He's not a must-stash in dynasty leagues, but he has the makings of a solid starter in the big leagues, so he's a name worth knowing.
--Jarod RuppSource: New Hampshire Fisher Cats
July 20, 2025
The Colorado Rockies announced that they have placed infielder
Ryan Ritter (finger) on the 10-day injured list with a laceration in his right middle finger. Infielder
Adael Amador is coming up from Triple-A Albuquerque to take Ritter's roster spot. Ritter, 24, made his major league debut on June 6 and has since struggled to a .238/.291/.347 line with one home run, 12 RBI, and a 31% strikeout rate over 31 games and 113 plate appearances. Ritter has gotten 29 of his starts at shortstop, but he handled second base over the previous couple of games with
Ezequiel Tovar back from injury. With Ritter out,
Kyle Farmer is starting at second against the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday. Along with Farmer, both Amador and
Orlando Arcia could see time at second in Ritter's absence.
--Connor ByrneSource: Colorado Rockies
July 20, 2025
Atlanta Braves third baseman
Austin Riley (abdomen) ran in the outfield and on the bases before their game against the New York Yankees on Sunday. He's on track to come off the 10-day injured list Tuesday, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports. It'll be a quick comeback for Riley, who suffered a strained right abdominal muscle in a win over the St. Louis Cardinals on July 11. The 28-year-old had appeared in all of the Braves' games this season before landing on the IL. Riley will reclaim the hot corner when he returns and try to build on a solid .274/.324/.441 line with 14 homers, 48 RBI, and 51 runs scored over 408 plate appearances.
Nacho Alvarez Jr. has filled in at third in Riley's absence and gone 4-for-15 with a double, a walk, and two runs in four games.
--Connor ByrneSource: Mark Bowman - MLB.com
July 20, 2025
Washington Nationals pitching prospect
Jarlin Susana (elbow) will begin a rehab assignment on Sunday with the team's High-A affiliate, the Wilmington Blue Rocks. The Nats' second-ranked prospect has been on the shelf for 2 1/2 months with a UCL sprain that ultimately did not require surgery. The 21-year-old right-hander logged a 4.15 ERA and an ugly 1.69 WHIP through his first six starts this season, due in part to some control issues that crept back in, walking batters at a 14.8 percent rate before the injury. The 6-foot-6 hurler rode his fastball that can hit triple digits to a 31.1 percent strikeout rate, and if he can regain control of the zone, then he could be an impactful pitcher for fantasy. The Dominican is a pitcher for dynasty managers to watch to see how he finishes out the year, as he could be in the majors as soon as 2026.
--Jarod RuppSource: Mark Zuckerman
July 20, 2025
Colorado Rockies shortstop
Ezequiel Tovar is not in the starting lineup against the Minnesota Twins on Sunday.
Orlando Arcia will take Tovar's place and bat eighth versus right-hander
Joe Ryan. Tovar is likely getting a routine day off after his recent return from the injured list. The 23-year-old missed a month and a half with an oblique strain and just came back Friday. He had a huge game Saturday, going 3-for-4 with a homer, three RBI, and two runs scored. Tovar, who also sat out a month earlier in the season with hip inflammation, has played in just 34 games and totaled 146 plate appearances so far. He's hitting .272/.313/.434 with four home runs and 13 RBI.
--Connor ByrneSource: MLB.com
July 20, 2025
Cleveland Guardians first base/outfield prospect
C.J. Kayfus continues to mash, going 3-for-4 with a single, a double, a solo home run, and two runs scored for Triple-A Columbus on Saturday. The Guardians' fifth-ranked prospect now owns a .313/.405/.573 slash line between Double and Triple-A this year, with 13 of his 14 home runs coming in 60 games with the Clippers. The 23-year-old's strikeout rate jumped from 17.5 percent at Double-A to 28.9 percent at Triple-A this season, but he's still walking at an above-average 11.7 percent rate at the higher level. A promotion to the big leagues could happen in the coming weeks, so managers in deep redraft leagues looking for some pop should consider stashing the former third-round draft pick, who is eligible at both 1B and OF in Yahoo! leagues.
--Jarod RuppSource: MiLB.com
July
20,
2025
The
New
York
Yankees
plan
to
have
left-hander
Max
Fried
(finger)
make
his
first
start
of
the
second
half
of
the
season
in
Wednesday's
series
finale
against
the
division-rival
Toronto
Blue
Jays
in
Canada,
according
to
read more...
July 20, 2025
MLB.com's Christina De Nicola reports that Miami Marlins right-hander
Edward Cabrera (elbow) will make his next start on Tuesday versus the visiting San Diego Padres. Right-hander
Eury Perez will get the ball for the series opener on Monday, while right-hander
Sandy Alcantara will start in the series finale on Wednesday. Cabrera was pulled from his final start of the first half of the season last Friday with elbow discomfort after going four innings. Thankfully, the 27-year-old doesn't have any structural damage in his arm and will take his next turn in the rotation following the All-Star break. The Dominican hurler enters the second half with a 3.61 ERA and 1.26 WHIP with 86 strikeouts in 82 1/3 innings over his 16 starts for the Fish. Cabrera will be a bit more risky than normal on Tuesday, but he'll also be facing a Padres offense that ranks only 23rd in team OPS (.690) this year.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Christina De Nicola
July 20, 2025
Chicago Cubs first baseman
Michael Busch is retreating to the bench with a tough left-hander on the mound in Sunday's series finale at Wrigley Field against the visiting Boston Red Sox. Veteran
Justin Turner is at first base and will bat eighth versus Red Sox southpaw
Garrett Crochet. Although Busch is having a great year for the first-place Cubbies, he has struggled against lefties this year, going 11-for-56 (.196) against them with only two of his 20 home runs, five walks and 17 strikeouts in 62 plate appearances. The 27-year-old lefty hitter just needs two more home runs in 2025 to set a new career high in his second season with the Cubs. Busch is also slashing a strong .289/.374/.552 with a .926 OPS, 60 RBI, 47 runs and four steals in 92 games. Turner has faced Crochet only three times in his career and has one hit. He'll be a poor DFS play in the eight-hole.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
July 20, 2025
New York Mets first baseman
Pete Alonso (hand) has a "right-hand contusion" near the base of his thumb, according to manager
Carlos Mendoza. The good news is that X-rays came back negative, and although he's not in the starting lineup for Sunday's series finale against the Cincinnati Reds, he could be available off the bench. It's the first time that Alonso has been out of the lineup since May 30 of 2024. If he doesn't come in later in the game, it would snap his franchise-record streak of 353 straight games played, per MLB.com's Anthony DiComo.
Mark Vientos will start at first base and bat cleanup against Reds left-hander
Andrew Abbott on Sunday. If Alonso doesn't appear in Sunday's contest, his next chance to play would be on Monday in the series opener at Citi Field against the visiting Los Angeles Angels. Fantasy managers will want to check back then.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Anthony DiComo
July
20,
2025
Tampa
Bay
Rays
first
baseman
Jonathan
Aranda
will
get
the
day
off
on
Sunday
in
the
series
finale
against
the
division-rival
Baltimore
Orioles
with
left-hander
Trevor
Rogers
on
the
mound.
read more...
July 20, 2025
Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher
Shane Bieber (elbow) will make his next rehab appearance on Tuesday with one of the Guardians' minor league affiliates, according to MLB.com. Bieber is working his way back from the Tommy John surgery he underwent in April 2024. He's made two rehab appearances in the Arizona Complex League, throwing 4 1/3 innings with 11 strikeouts. A setback delayed the 30-year-old in June, but he appears to be back on track for a late-season return in 2025. Bieber's last full season came in 2023, when he threw 128 innings (21 starts) and went 6-6 with a 3.80 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, and 107 strikeouts. He's likely at least a few more rehab outings away from a big-league return, but this latest news is an encouraging sign.
--Will BradySource: MLB.com
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