August 18, 2025
St. Louis Cardinals second baseman/outfielder
Brendan Donovan (foot/groin) will sit out Monday's series opener against the Miami Marlins, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. Donovan hasn't played since last Wednesday as he continues to deal with pain in his left foot that has caused soreness in his groin. The Cardinals do not intend to place Donovan on the 10-day injured list, though, and are holding out hope that he'll return to the lineup on Tuesday. In nine games this month, Donovan has gone just 7-for-34 with one extra-base hit (a double), three RBI, five strikeouts, and a walk. The first-time All-Star has taken 476 trips to the plate this season and slashed an above-average .279/.348/.402 with nine homers, 45 RBI, and 57 runs scored.
--Connor ByrneSource: Derrick Goold - St. Louis Post-Dispatch
August 18, 2025
Houston Astros designated hitter/outfielder
Yordan Alvarez (hand) has a chance to return from the 60-day injured list later this week, according to general manager Dana Brown. Alvarez, out since May 2 with a fractured right hand, will begin a rehab assignment at the Double-A level on Tuesday. He'll get Wednesday off and then try to play in back-to-back games on Thursday and Friday. If the three-time All-Star isn't back in the majors by this weekend, he should be in the Astros' lineup for the start of a series against the Colorado Rockies on Aug. 26. Alvarez hit just .210/.306/.340 with three home runs and 18 RBI in 121 plate appearances before he suffered his injury, but he was an elite hitter from 2021-24. Based on his track record, the 28-year-old slugger should provide a boost to the Astros and fantasy managers during the last several weeks of the season.
--Connor ByrneSource: Chandler Rome - The Athletic
August 18, 2025
Seattle Mariners All-Star catcher
Cal Raleigh gave the kids at the 2025 MLB Little League Classic something to cheer about on Sunday night, as he went 2-for-5 with two RBI, one run scored, and a two-run blast in the seventh inning as the Mariners were defeated by the New York Mets 7-3. The home run was Raleigh's 47th long ball of the season, and he leads the league in that category, with the next closest being
Kyle Schwarber with 43. Raleigh continues to put together one of the best offensive seasons for a catcher in MLB history. With
Aaron Judge missing some time in late July with an elbow injury and being limited to designated hitter of late, the odds for the AL MVP race have gotten significantly tighter and in favor of Raleigh (plus-110, according to ESPN). Fantasy managers can continue to lock Raleigh into their lineups without thinking twice, as he's been the best fantasy catcher by far.
--Nicho RoesslerSource: ESPN
August 18, 2025
Boston Red Sox utilityman
Kristian Campbell has continued to play well in Triple-A Worcester of late, hitting .323 with a .943 OPS in 26 games since the All-Star break. When asked this weekend about Campbell's progress, though, Alex Cora was evasive and said, "I've been watching the at-bats," Cora said. "He's producing, but there's still work to do", Jen McCaffrey of the Athletic reports. Cora also went on to say that pitch recognition is something that Campbell needs to work on, and that it's hard to replicate in Triple-A, because the pitching down there is not as good as it is in the majors. Campbell was sent down to the minors in June after struggling at the MLB level in his first stint, slashing .223/.319/.345 with six home runs, 21 RBI, 24 runs scored, and a 27.4 percent strikeout rate over 229 at-bats. Campbell is still one of the Red Sox's top prospects, but at this time, he remains a dynasty stash.
--Nicho RoesslerSource: The Athletic
August 18, 2025
Cincinnati Reds catcher
Tyler Stephenson (thumb) sat out of Sunday's contest and was available in case of an emergency after injuring his thumb during the series in Pittsburgh on August 8 and re-aggravated it on August 15 against the Brewers.
Jose Trevino replaced him behind the dish and would continue to do so if Stephenson needs additional time. It appears that Stephenson has been experiencing thumb discomfort for weeks, which may explain some of his struggles at the plate. Over his last seven games, he's gone 0-for-11 and only gotten on base one time. On the season, he is also slashing a poor .226/.313/.393 with nine home runs, 36 RBI, and 32 runs scored. At this time, Stephenson is not a recommended fantasy option and can remain on the waiver wire in all formats.
--Nicho RoesslerSource: MLB.com
August 18, 2025
New York Mets catcher
Francisco Alvarez (thumb) appeared to injure his thumb diving into second base after doubling in the seventh inning of the Little League Classic on Sunday. He will return to New York on the off-day, Monday, to undergo an MRI. Alvarez is considered day-to-day at this time, and fantasy managers will want to wait for the MRI results to decide how to proceed with Alvarez. He's been on fire of late at the plate, slashing .450/.450/1.050 in his last seven games, which have spanned 20 at-bats, during which he's smacked three home runs and accumulated nine RBI, and seven runs scored. On the season, he is producing a .265/.349/.438 slash line and remains a low-end catcher to start in redraft leagues, but that could change if the MRI results come back clean and he continues to stay on fire at the plate.
--Nicho RoesslerSource: MLB.com
August 18, 2025
San Francisco Giants outfield prospect
Drew Gilbert went 2-for-4 with his first-career home run during their victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday afternoon. Gilbert would hit a solo shot in the seventh inning off Tampa Bay relief pitcher
Mason Englert. Before Sunday's two-hit effort, Gilbert got off to a slow start in the majors. Through his first seven MLB games, Gilbert went 1-for-18 at the dish with a 5:0 K:BB and added a stolen base. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status as he is continuing to see close to every day at-bats. Earlier in the season at the Triple-A level, Gilbert held a .253/.363/.448 line with an .811 OPS and 12 home runs. He remains a target reserved for deeper formats given his slow start to his MLB career.
--Andy SmithSource: MLB.com
August 18, 2025
Colorado Rockies first base/outfield prospect
Charlie Condon continued to stay hot in the batter's box on Sunday. Facing Double-A Harrisburg, the former third overall pick went 1-for-2 with a home run and a walk. Since the start of the month, Condon has held a strong .288/.422/.500 line with a .922 OPS, three doubles and two home runs. Since joining Double-A Hartford early this season, Condon has held a .244/.352/.420 line with seven doubles and four home runs. However, given is a recent surge, it appears the Georgia product is beginning to take the next steps at this level. Earlier in the campaign, Condon held a dominant .312/.431/.420 line with an .851 OPS through 35 games at High-A. If he continues to turn the corner, he should be in the mix to open the 2026 season at Triple-A.
--Andy SmithSource: MiLB.com
August 18, 2025
Athletics shortstop prospect
Leodalis De Vries is earning the call to join Double-A. This is a surprising move as the shortstop is only 18 years old. De Vries was the headliner piece that the Athletics acquired in the deal that sent relief pitcher
Mason Miller to the San Diego Padres before the trade deadline. Throughout the entire regular season, De Vries has spent his time at High-A with both clubs. Through 97 total games at the level, De Vries has held a .249/.354/.426 line with a .780 OPS. During this stretch, De Vries has tallied 21 doubles, hit 10 home runs, and swiped nine bags. In 2024, De Vries had an .802 OPS at the Low-A level. De Vries currently sits as the No. 3-ranked prospect in baseball on MLB.com. Given his quick promotion to Double-A, De Vries could be in the mix to spend time at Triple-A as early as next summer.
--Andy SmithSource: MiLB.com
August 18, 2025
Philadelphia Phillies right-handed pitching prospect
Andrew Painter was able to bounce back in his most recent outing at Triple-A. After allowing a hefty nine hits and seven earned runs in his outing on August 10 against Scranton Wilkes/Barre, Painter tossed five innings of three-run ball (two earned) en route to picking up the victory over Buffalo. In this start, Painter allowed four hits and held a modest 5:3 K:BB. While his command continued to be an issue in this start, seeing him bounce back was a positive sign. Since the start of July, Painter has struggled to find his footing at Triple-A as he has carried a 6.37 ERA and a 1.54 WHIP. Despite his struggles, Painter remains a top pitching prospect to stash as he could find a path to the majors very soon, with
Zack Wheeler recently hitting the injured list due to blood clots.
--Andy SmithSource: MiLB.com
August 18, 2025
The Boston Red Sox are finalizing a deal with first baseman
Nathaniel Lowe. Earlier this week, the Nationals opted to designate Low for assignment. However, the 30-year-old first baseman was able to find a new home rather quickly. He will now join a Boston lineup that has had a revolving door at first base, including Romy Gonzalaez and
Abraham Toro. With Washington, Lowe held a .216/.292/.373 line with 16 home runs and a stolen base. He has tallied an impressive 68 RBI and scored 50 runs. However, under the hood, he carries a .309 xwOBA, .235 xBA, and a .386 xSLG, all of which are well below the average marks of qualified hitters. Fantasy managers should expect Lowe to likely be deployed on the strong side of a platoon lineup at first base, which should give him value in most deeper leagues batting in a deep lineup.
--Andy SmithSource: Jeff Passan
August 18, 2025
The Arizona Diamondbacks could look for a trade partner for second baseman
Ketel Marte in the offseason. According to Mike Rodriguez, teammates of Marte have expressed "dissatisfaction regarding his behavior and attendance." Bob Nightengale of USA Today noted that the team is considering accepting trade offers for him during the offseason. Fantasy managers should keep a close eye on his status. Before the trade deadline, the Diamondbacks opted to trade
Eugenio Suarez and
Josh Naylor to the Seattle Mariners in hopes of rebuilding their prospect system. Despite the Diamondbacks falling short of expectations this season, Marte has remained an elite producer, posting a .297/.397/.55 line with 23 home runs. Even if he were to find a new club in 2026, Marte would likely be viewed as the consensus No. 1 2B in all leagues next season.
--Andy SmithSource: Mike Rodriguez
August 17, 2025
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder
Lars Nootbaar (cramping) was pulled from the game after seven innings in Sunday's 8-4 loss to the Yankees. While it was initially concerning, it turned out that he was just experiencing muscle cramping, reports Derrick Goold of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He was 3-for-4 in the game before being replaced by
Garrett Hampson. There was no specific muscle region mentioned by team officials, so this seems to just be a minor inconvenience that isn't expected to be an ongoing issue. The 27-year-old is slashing .233/.326/.386 with 13 home runs on the year and will hope to recover enough to return to the lineup on Monday.
--Jeremy HeistSource: Derrick Goold
August 17, 2025
Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher
Wade Miley (forearm) was pulled from his rehab assignment after experiencing soreness during his first outing with Double-A Chattanooga on Friday, reports Pat Brennan of The Cincinnati Enquirer. The soreness was presumably in his throwing forearm, which is what has kept him sidelined since June 15. There are no updates on the severity of the soreness or what the next plan of action will be, but any significant setback would likely keep the 38-year-old out for the rest of the season. The veteran only appeared in three games in 2025, in which he allowed nine runs in 12 innings of work.
--Jeremy HeistSource: Pat Brennan
August 17, 2025
San Francisco Giants relief pitcher
Erik Miller (elbow) felt something in his elbow during a rehab outing on Friday and is headed for an MRI, Justice delos Santos of The San Jose Mercury News reports. This isn't good news at all for the lefty, who has been on the injured list since the beginning of July due to an elbow sprain. It seems that the injury wasn't fully healed or he re-injured it in the early going of his rehab assignment, and a setback at this stage could jeopardize his ability to return this season. The 27-year-old was solid when healthy, posting a 1.50 ERA through 30 innings this season.
--Jeremy HeistSource: Justice delos Santos
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