August 1, 2025
Philadelphia Phillies outfielder
Johan Rojas is the odd man out on the big-league roster after the Phillies added outfielder
Harrison Bader and reliever
Jhoan Duran at the trade deadline this week, as he was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Friday. The move shouldn't really come as a surprise to anyone after the team acquired Bader from the Minnesota Twins on Thursday. The 24-year-old Rojas has been solid with the glove in center field since debuting in the big leagues in 2023, but he's lacked any upside offensively. In 71 games this year, Rojas was hitting just .224 (34-for-152) with a homer, 18 RBI, 23 runs and 12 stolen bases in 172 plate appearances. In Rojas' 250 games at the big-league level, he's slashing a mediocre .252/.294/.340 with only six home runs, 73 RBI and 51 steals.
--Keith HernandezSource: Philadelphia Phillies
August 1, 2025
New York Mets outfielder
Juan Soto (foot) is back in right field and will bat third in the lineup against the visiting San Francisco Giants and left-hander
Robbie Ray at Citi Field. Soto was pulled from the game on Tuesday in San Diego against the Padres after fouling a ball off his foot, and he was also held out of the series finale on Wednesday as a precaution. After a scheduled day off on Thursday, the 26-year-old All-Star is back in action for the weekend. Fantasy managers will want to get him back into starting lineups everywhere despite the lefty-lefty matchup. In 22 career at-bats against Ray, Soto is hitting .273 with a home run and two RBI. The Dominican superstar is hitting under .250 on the year and struggled to a .210 average in July, but he remains a must-start in fantasy when active and has provided 25 homers, 62 RBI, 75 runs and 15 steals.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
August 1, 2025
Houston Astros infielder
Carlos Correa (illness) is back in action on Friday and will start at third base and bat cleanup in Friday's series opener against the Boston Red Sox and right-hander
Cooper Criswell at Fenway Park in his return to the Astros. Correa was held out of the lineup for the Twins on Wednesday after experiencing lightheadedness the day prior, but he's back now after an off day on Thursday after being traded to the Astros. The 30-year-old Puerto Rican spent the first seven years of his career in Houston and won a World Series with the club in 2017. With
Jeremy Pena (ribs) returning from the injured list, Correa will move from shortstop to third base with
Isaac Paredes facing a season-ending hamstring injury. Correa has hit .267 (90-for-337) with only seven home runs and 31 RBI in 2025, but he will be gaining third base eligibility for the 2026 campaign.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
August 1, 2025
The Houston Astros reinstated shortstop
Jeremy Pena (ribs) from the 10-day injured list before Friday's series opener on the road against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, according to MLB.com's Brian McTaggart. Pena will return to shortstop and will bat leadoff against Red Sox right-hander
Cooper Criswell, who will be making his first start of the year. The 27-year-old will be returning to Houston's starting lineup for the first time since June 27. The Astros reacquired former shortstop
Carlos Correa from the Minnesota Twins at Thursday's trade deadline, but Pena will remain at short and Correa will slide over to third base. Pena was having a career year before his injury, hitting .322/.378/.489 with 11 home runs, 40 RBI, 48 runs and 15 steals in 317 at-bats, so fantasy managers will want to get him back into their starting lineups immediately this weekend.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Brian McTaggart
August 1, 2025
Kansas City Royals second baseman
Jonathan India (shoulder) is starting at second base and batting leadoff for Friday's series opener on the road in Canada against the Toronto Blue Jays. The Royals pulled India out of the game early on Tuesday, and he didn't play on Wednesday before getting an extra day off on Thursday. The 28-year-old will return this weekend but hasn't really moved the needle for fantasy managers in his first year with the Royals. The former National League Rookie of the Year enters Friday's action slashing an empty .240/.322/.342 with five home runs, 32 RBI, 47 runs scored and no stolen bases in 383 at-bats. He was even worse in the month of July in 23 games played, going 19-for-87 (.218) with a homer, eight doubles, nine RBI and 14 runs scored in 101 trips to the plate.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
August 1, 2025
The Toronto Blue Jays reinstated outfielder
Daulton Varsho (hamstring) from the 10-day injured list before Friday's series opener against the visiting Kansas City Royals and placed outfielder
George Springer (concussion) on the seven-day concussion IL in a corresponding move. Varsho is starting in center field and batting seventh in his return on Friday versus Royals right-hander
Michael Wacha. It will be Varsho's first game in the big leagues since May 31. He got a late start to 2025 and has only played in 24 games, and although he's hitting just .207 (19-for-92), he has cleared the fences eight times. Varsho isn't going to be an asset for fantasy managers in the batting average department, but hopefully he can continue his power stroke now that he's back. The 29-year-old has a hit in just two career at-bats against Wacha.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Keegan Matheson
August 1, 2025
The Toronto Blue Jays placed outfielder
George Springer (concussion) on the seven-day concussion injured list on Friday and reinstated outfielder
Daulton Varsho (hamstring) from the 10-day IL in a corresponding move. Springer was hit in the head by a pitch on Monday. The 35-year-old was reportedly feeling better a few days later, but the Blue Jays will play it safe and hold him out until at least next Tuesday. It sounds like he'll have a good shot at being ready to play in Colorado against the Rockies by then. Fantasy managers will want to keep Springer rostered everywhere until he returns, as he's having a bounce-back campaign in 2025 with a .291/.383/.506 slash line, .889 OPS, 18 long balls, 57 RBI, 66 runs scored and 12 steals for the Jays. The newly acquired
Ty France could serve as the primary DH for Toronto until Springer is back.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Keegan Matheson
August 1, 2025
Washington Nationals outfield prospect
Robert Hassell III is being promoted to the major leagues. Hassell made his MLB debut earlier this season but struggled during his first stint. Through 21 games in D.C., Hassell posted a .218/.228/.269 slash line with one double, one home run, and one stolen base. However, since returning to the top level of the minor leagues, Hassell has been one of the most dominant hitters at Triple-A. Through 33 games, Hassell has held a stellar .336/.435/.519 slash line with six doubles, six home runs, and seven stolen bases. With the Nationals out of the playoff picture, they could opt to give Hassell nearly every day at bats as he looks to take the next step in his development. For now, he is worth a look in deeper five-outfielder formats given ability to hit for power and steal bases.
--Andy SmithSource: Washington Nationals
August 1, 2025
Houston Astros right-hander
Spencer Arrighetti (thumb) allowed six runs (five earned) on six hits (two homers allowed) while walking four and striking out five in 4 2/3 innings in his minor-league rehab start on Thursday for Triple-A Sugar Land against Triple-A Tacoma. It was Arrighetti's third rehab start, but first with Sugar Land. The 25-year-old threw 50 of his 79 pitches for strikes in the outing. Even though the results weren't pretty, the fact that he nearly threw 80 pitches means that Houston could activate Arrighetti from the 60-day injured list to make his next start in the big leagues for a rotation that needs the reinforcements. He would line up for a plus matchup against the Miami Marlins next week, too. He's been out since April 8 due to a freak right-thumb fracture, but Arrighetti should be fantasy relevant in mixed leagues the final two months.
--Keith HernandezSource: Milb.com
August 1, 2025
The Los Angeles Dodgers have acquired outfield prospect
Zach Ehrhard from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for right-handed pitcher
Dustin May. In this return, the Dodgers also acquired outfield prospect
James Tibbs III. Ehrhard was drafted by the Red Sox in the fourth round of the 2024 MLB Draft out of Oklahoma State. Ehrhard made his professional debut at the High-A level following the draft and held a modest .156/.264/.195 line through 22 games. This season, Ehrhard opened the season with High-A and took a significant step forward, posting a .342/.471/.459 line. He was then bumped up to Double-A where he posted a modest .227 AVG with .717 OPS. Fantasy managers should expect Ehrhard to remain at Double-A in the Los Angeles system.
--Andy SmithSource: Boston Red Sox
August 1, 2025
Houston Astros right-hander
Cristian Javier (elbow) didn't fare very well in his fourth minor-league rehab start on Wednesday for Triple-A Sugar Land, allowing three earned runs on two hits while walking four and striking out three in 3 1/3 innings. He threw only 33 of his 64 pitches for strikes. The 28-year-old hasn't had great results in his four starts on the farm -- he has a 6.10 ERA, 1.84 WHIP and 9:11 K:BB in 10 1/3 innings -- but the most important thing is that he hasn't had any setbacks in his recovery from Tommy John surgery in 2024. The Astros aren't going to rush Javier back off the 60-day injured list, and when he is finally activated, he is probably going to be eased in after making only seven starts last year. Fantasy managers are going to want to temper expectations for Javier in the final two months of the season.
--Keith HernandezSource: Milb.com
August 1, 2025
The New York Yankees announced on Friday that they released veteran right-hander
Marcus Stroman. In additional moves, the team added their recent trade acquisitions in right-handers
David Bednar,
Jake Bird and
Camilo Doval and infielder/outfielder
Jose Caballero to the active roster. Stroman leaves the organization after picking up his third win of the year on Thursday over the Tampa Bay Rays. The 34-year-old just was not very effective in his nine starts in the Bronx in 2025, sporting a career-worst 6.23 ERA (5.15 FIP) and 1.54 WHIP with only 26 strikeouts and 16 walks in 39 innings pitched. It remains to be seen if Stroman will latch on with another team before the end of the season, but if he does, it will likely come on a minor-league contract with no guarantee that he'll be back in the big leagues by October.
--Keith HernandezSource: New York Yankees
August 1, 2025
The Minnesota Twins are promoting outfield prospect
Gabriel Gonzalez to Triple-A St. Paul. Gonzalez has been one of the most productive hitters in the Minnesota system this season and is being rewarded with another promotion. The 21-year-old opened the 2025 campaign with High-A and needed just 34 games to prove he was ready to move up to Double-A. At High-A, Gonzalez posted a .319/.378/.529 line with a .907 OPS. Then, at Double-A Wichita, Gonzalez continued to swing a scorching hot bat. Through 55 games, the outfielder posted an elite .344/.429/.509 slash line with 19 doubles, four home runs, five stolen bases, and a .938 OPS. Given his quick progression this season, Gonzalez should be in a great position to make his MLB debut in 2026.
--Andy SmithSource: Bobby Nightengale
August 1, 2025
The Minnesota Twins have promoted right-handed pitching prospect
Travis Adams to the major leagues. Adams made his MLB debut earlier this season and logged 12 1/3 innings to the tune of an 8.03 ERA with a 1.62 WHIP. During this stretch, Adams posted a low 15.3% K rate but showed elite command, posting a 5.1% walk rate. The No. 21-ranked prospect in the Twins system on MLB.com has spent the majority of the campaign with St. Paul. Through 63 2/3 innings at Triple-A, the right-hander has posted a 3.68 ERA with a 1.23 WIHP. He has struck out 58 hitters with 20 free passes. Fantasy managers should expect Adams to likely have a long relief role out of the bullpen for the time being. However, he could eventually earn a few stars at the end of the campaign.
--Andy SmithSource: Minnesota Twins
August 1, 2025
Philadelphia Phillies outfielder
Max Kepler (triceps) is back in left field and will hit seventh for Friday's series opener against the visiting Detroit Tigers and right-hander
Jack Flaherty at Citizens Bank Park. Kepler was scratched from the lineup on Wednesday with triceps soreness but is feeling good enough to return after Thursday's scheduled off day. The 32-year-old veteran outfielder is hitless in just two career at-bats against Flaherty and won't have a ton of DFS sleeper appeal in his return. Kepler is barely hitting over .200 on the season over 305 at-bats and has added 11 home runs, 33 RBI and 40 runs. The German native was not good in July, going 11-for-56 (.196) with two homers and five RBI in 18 games. If he doesn't pick it up soon, Kepler could be in danger of losing at-bats against right-handed pitchers to the newly-acquired
Harrison Bader.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
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