July 18, 2025
Washington Nationals shortstop
CJ Abrams (shoulder) is back at shortstop and is batting leadoff for Friday's series opener against the visiting San Diego Padres and right-hander
Dylan Cease to start the second half of the season. The Nationals scratched Abrams from the lineup for the final game of the first half of the season on Sunday with shoulder soreness, but he's feeling better now after having the All-Star break to rest up. Even though Abrams has gone hitless in six career at-bats against Cease, fantasy managers will want to get him back in their starting lineups against a pitcher that has really struggled in 2025. The 24-year-old shortstop is in the midst of a career year in his third full season in D.C., as he enters the second half slashing .287/.353/.483 with 12 home runs, 33 RBI, 61 runs scored and 20 stolen bases in 82 games.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
July 18, 2025
Tampa Bay Rays shortstop
Ha-Seong Kim (foot) is back at shortstop and will hit eighth in Friday's series opener against the division-rival Baltimore Orioles and right-hander
Charlie Morton. Kim was pulled from the final game of the first half of the season on Sunday after fouling a ball off his left foot, but he had the All-Star break to rest this week and will be back for the first game of the second half. The 29-year-old middle infielder had offseason shoulder surgery and didn't make his debut for Tampa until the Fourth of July. In six games since his return, Kim has gone 5-for-22 (.227) with a homer, double, three RBI, two runs scored and one stolen base. Fantasy managers shouldn't expect the South Korean native to be as good as he was in 2023 with the Padres, but he can at least provide some modest speed for fantasy managers as a middle infielder in deep-mixed leagues.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
July 18, 2025
Cleveland Guardians All-Star outfielder
Steven Kwan will not be in the lineup for Friday's series opener against the visiting Athletics to begin the second half of the season. The Guardians will give Kwan another day off with a left-hander on the mound after he took part in the All-Star activities this week.
Nolan Jones will make the start in left field and will hit fifth against A's lefty
JP Sears, while center fielder
Angel Martinez will bat leadoff. This will be Kwan's first day off since June 11. Jones, who also swings from the left side, won't be a popular DFS sleeper target in a lefty-lefty matchup. The 27-year-old is hitting just .229/.319/.330 with three home runs, 23 RBI, 18 runs and six steals in his 227 at-bats this year. Against lefties, he's gone 8-for-38 (.211) with none of his three homers and 14 strikeouts in 46 plate appearances.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
July 18, 2025
Philadelphia Phillies third baseman
Alec Bohm (ribs) is back at the hot corner and is batting cleanup for Friday's series opener against the visiting Los Angeles Angels and right-handed opener
Ryan Zeferjahn to begin the second half of the season. A bruised left rib kept Bohm out for the final game of the first half of the season on Sunday, but after resting during the All-Star break, the 28-year-old is ready to roll to kick off the second half. There's a lot to be desired from a power standpoint from Bohm -- he only has eight homers in 349 at-bats -- but he's also batting .281 (98 hits) in one of the best lineups in baseball and has added 42 RBI. He's been hot so far in July, going 9-for-31 (.290) with a homer, triple, five RBI and six runs scored. Get Bohm back into your starting fantasy lineups, especially with the Angels rolling with a bullpen game.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
July 18, 2025
The Los Angeles Angels will go with a bullpen game to open the second half of the season in Friday's series opener in Philadelphia against the Phillies, per The Athletic's Sam Blum. Right-hander
Ryan Zeferjahn will get the opening assignment. This will be the first time all season that the Angels have gone outside of their five-man starting rotation, and it will be Zeferjahn's first opening assignment. The 27-year-old will not be a realistic fantasy streamer, as he's thrown just two innings in one of his 40 relief appearances for the Halos in 2025. The former third-rounder by the Boston Red Sox in 2019 out of Kansas does have 41 punchouts in 35 innings this year, but he's also sporting a rough 5.66 ERA, 1.60 WHIP and 22 walks while also picking up his first two career saves. Avoid Zeferjahn in Philly.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Sam Blum
July 18, 2025
The Tampa Bay Rays reinstated infielder
Brandon Lowe (oblique) from the 10-day injured list on Friday and optioned infielder
Curtis Mead to Triple-A Durham in a corresponding move. The Rays haven't released their starting lineup for Friday's series opener against the division-rival Baltimore Orioles yet to begin the second half of the season, but Lowe should be back at second base as he looks to continue what has been a fantastic campaign for him. The 31-year-old veteran made his second All-Star team this year by slashing .272/.324/.487 with an .811 OPS, 19 home runs, 50 RBI, 54 runs scored and three stolen bases in 84 games played. Because of injuries, Lowe has played in over 100 games in only three of his seven MLB seasons. But if he can stay healthy the rest of the way, he could have a shot at challenging his career high of 39 long balls, set in 2021.
--Keith HernandezSource: Rays Communications
July 18, 2025
Major League Baseball has extended the paid leave for Cleveland Guardians right-hander
Luis L. Ortiz through Aug. 31 as they continue their investigation for a possible gambling-related offense, according to Zack Meisel of MLB.com. The league has been looking into Ortiz since early July. Depending on what MLB finds, it's possible that the 26-year-old won't pitch at all for the rest of the 2025 season. Fantasy managers have to prepare for that possibility. Before going on paid leave, the 26-year-old Dominican had gone 4-9 for the Guards with a 4.36 ERA (4.13 FIP) and 1.38 WHIP with 96 strikeouts and 42 walks in 88 2/3 frames over 16 starts in his first season with the team. With Ortiz out at least another month, lefty
Joey Cantillo figures to remain in Cleveland's rotation. Cantillo had an ERA just south of 5.00 with 18 K's and six walks in his three starts for the Guardians.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Zack Meisel
July
18,
2025
New
York
Yankees
right-hander
Ian
Hamilton
will
serve
as
the
team's
opener
to
kick
off
the
second
half
of
the
season
in
Friday's
series
opener
against
the
hosting
Atlanta
Braves
at
Truist
Park,
according
to
The
read more...
July
18,
2025
According
to
The
Athletic's
Chris
Kirschner,
New
York
Yankees
left-hander
Max
Fried
(finger)
isn't
listed
as
a
starter
for
the
first
series
of
the
second
half
of
the
season
this
weekend
in
Atlanta
against
his
former
read more...
July 18, 2025
Atlanta Braves left-hander
Joey Wentz will get the starting nod for Saturday's contest at Truist Park against the visiting New York Yankees in Game 2 of the first series of the second half. The Braves are the third team that Wentz has pitched for already in 2025. The 27-year-old southpaw was claimed off waivers from the Minnesota Twins on July 11 and then threw three shutout innings of relief with one walk and six strikeouts in his only appearance for the Braves a day later. Because Wentz isn't stretched out like a typical starter, he won't be a recommended fantasy streamer, especially against the Bronx Bombers. In his 26 relief appearances for the Braves, Twins and Pittsburgh Pirates this year, Wentz holds a 6.32 ERA (4.78 FIP) and 1.70 WHIP with 34 K's and 21 walks in 37 innings, so he hasn't been very good at all.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
July 18, 2025
Cleveland Guardians second base prospect
Travis Bazzana (oblique) was officially activated from the seven-day injured list at Double-A Akron on Friday to begin the second half of the season. Bazzana will return to action in the minors for the first time since mid-May due to a right-oblique strain. The 22-year-old is the club's top prospect, per MLB Pipeline, after being taken first overall in 2024 out of Oregon State. The Australian infielder has only hit .252/.362/.433 with four home runs, 17 RBI, 29 runs scored and eight stolen bases in 33 games at Akron in his first full season as a professional. Given the fact that Bazzana has been injured this year and hasn't exactly lived up to his draft stock yet in the lower levels of the minors, it seems more likely than not that he won't be in line to make his major-league debut until next year.
--Keith HernandezSource: GuardsInsider
July 18, 2025
The Chicago Cubs have signed free-agent pitcher
Spencer Turnbull on Friday. Turnbull started the year with the Toronto Blue Jays, but was designated for assignment after making only three appearances. The 32-year-old was a solid swingman with the Philadelphia Phillies last season. He posted a 2.65 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and a 58/20 K/BB ratio across 17 games (seven starts) with the Phillies in 2024. He figures to serve in a similar role with the Cubs down the stretch of the second half. There's unlikely to be fantasy value here unless Turnbull becomes a full-time starter.
--Andy WebbSource: Jon Heyman
July 18, 2025
The San Francisco Giants have set their starting rotation for the upcoming second-half series against the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday. The organization announced that right-hander
Justin Verlander will take the ball in the second half opener. After that,
Logan Webb will get the starting nod on Saturday. Then,
Robbie Ray is set to pitch in the series finale on Sunday. Verlander is still seeking his first win of the season as he takes an 0-7 record with a 4.70 ERA and 1.42 WHIP into Friday's outing. The 42-year-old is looking like basically a deep league option at this point in his career.
--Andy WebbSource: Alex Pavlovic
July 18, 2025
Chicago Cubs third baseman
Matt Shaw is in the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the Boston Red Sox. Shaw sat out the final three games ahead of the All-Star break, but will get another chance on Friday. The rookie slugger has been awful this season, going 1-for-27 at the plate during the month of July. The expectation is that the Cubs are going to add a third baseman at the trade deadline. It honestly might be too late for Shaw to save his everyday job, but a hot start to the second half could help him. Shaw isn't someone that needs to be rostered in most fantasy formats right now. He figures to lose playing time in the second half of the season.
--Andy WebbSource: mlb.com
July 18, 2025
Boston Red Sox outfielder
Masataka Yoshida is out of the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the Chicago Cubs. Yoshida started in four of the last five games ahead of the All-Star break. He was hitless in the final two games ahead of the break and finds himself on the bench ahead of Friday's game. The expectation is that Yoshida is only going to play against right-handed pitching. However, he's not even going to start all those games as he takes a seat against right-hander
Colin Rea on Friday. The Red Sox are going with the youth movement, so Yoshida is unlikely to see enough playing time to warrant rostering in most fantasy formats.
--Andy WebbSource: mlb.com
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