August 1, 2025
Athletics outfield prospect
Denzel Clarke (hip) has begun a hitting and running progression. The 25-year-old has been sidelined with a Grade 2 adductor strain since July 22. However, seeing Clarke already begin participating in baseball activities suggests he could be in the mix to return in the near future. Earlier this season, Clarke made his MLB debut and posted a .230/.274/.372 slash line with eight doubles, three home runs, and six stolen bases. While he generated a modest .258 xwOBA in the batter's box, Clarke flashed immense upside as a defender. During his small taste of the majors, Clarke placed in the 98th percentile in Range and 97th percentile in sprint speed. While he remains on the sidelines, fantasy managers should expect
Lawrence Butler to see most of the opportunities in the center field.
--Andy SmithSource: MLB.com
August 1, 2025
Minnesota Twins second base prospect
Luke Keaschall (forearm) is expected to continue his rehab assignment with Triple-A St. Paul. Keaschall was serving as a DH throughout the majority of his first week of rehab and is now slated to see more time in the field before being slated off the 60-day injured list. Through his first 11 games of this rehab assignment, the former second-round pick has posted a .225/.319/.225 line with five stolen bases. Earlier this season, Keaschall made his MLB debut and immediately flashed upside at the major league level. Through his first seven games in Minnesota, Keaschall posted an elite .368/.538/.526 slash line with three doubles and five stolen bases. He is worth stashing in all standard formats ahead of his activation.
--Andy SmithSource: Dan Hayes
August 1, 2025
The Milwaukee Brewers announced on Friday that they placed outfielder
Jackson Chourio (shoulder) on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to July 30) with a right-hamstring strain and added outfielder
Brandon Lockridge to the active roster in a corresponding move. Chourio was forced from Tuesday's game early against the Chicago Cubs and didn't play in Wednesday's series finale. The 21-year-old star outfielder will miss at least the next 10 days, but the good news is it's not considered a serious hamstring strain, so there's a chance he'll be back from the IL when he's eligible to return on Aug. 9. The Brewers acquired Lockridge from the San Diego Padres on Thursday in exchange for injured lefty
Nestor Cortes, but
Blake Perkins should be the beneficiary of regular playing time in Milwaukee's outfield with Chourio out. Chourio is an absolute must-stash in all fantasy leagues.
--Keith HernandezSource: Milwaukee Brewers
August
1,
2025
The
St.
Louis
Cardinals
are
still
deciding
who
will
take
over
the
closer
role
after
they
shipped
relievers
Ryan
Helsley
and
Phil
Maton
away
at
this
week's
trade
deadline,
but
president
read more...
August 1, 2025
Katie Woo of The Athletic reports that St. Louis Cardinals infielder
Nolan Gorman (back) will come off the 10-day injured list before Friday's series opener against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Third baseman
Nolan Arenado (shoulder) will go on the IL in a corresponding move. Gorman started a minor-league rehab assignment with Double-A Springfield on Tuesday and homered on Wednesday. It remains to be seen how the Cardinals will handle third base duties with Arenado on the shelf without a timetable to return, but Gorman could see regular at-bats between second and third base. The 25-year-old continues to be a disappointment on offense in his fourth year in the big leagues, though, so fantasy managers in mixed leagues should probably be content to leave him on the waiver wire. Gorman has slashed .219/.310/.408 with nine homers and 29 RBI in just 66 games in 2025.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Katie Woo
August 1, 2025
The Athletic's Katie Woo reports that the St. Louis Cardinals will place third baseman
Nolan Arenado (shoulder) on the 10-day injured list before Friday's series opener against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park with a right-shoulder injury, according to sources. Arenado has been battling shoulder issues since early July and missed a handful of games to try to avoid the IL and hoped resting during the All-Star break would help. In his last 12 games, the 34-year-old veteran has hit .159/.213/.205 with two extra-base hits and one RBI. The 10-time Gold Glove winner remains excellent on defense, but his season OPS has dropped to .660, and he hasn't homered since June 21. There is no immediate timetable for Arenado's return, and fantasy managers definitely shouldn't feel compelled to hold onto him the rest of the year.
Brendan Donovan,
Nolan Gorman and
Thomas Saggese are all options at 3B.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Katie Woo
August 1, 2025
Chicago Cubs outfielder
Ian Happ (shin) is starting in left field and will hit seventh in Friday's series opener at Wrigley Field against the visiting Baltimore Orioles and left-hander
Trevor Rogers. Happ did not play in Wednesday's series finale against the Milwaukee Brewers after fouling a ball off his left shin on Tuesday, but he's feeling better after also having a scheduled off day on Thursday and will return to action to begin the weekend. Fantasy managers may want to leave him out of their lineups, though, against a left-hander that is having a resurgent season in 2025 for the O's. The switch-hitting Happ is batting .243 (28-for-115) against left-handed pitchers this year, but he's hit only three of his 15 home runs on the year against them. Happ is also hitting .231 with three home runs since the All-Star break in mid-July.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
August 1, 2025
The Washington Nationals have four vacant active roster spots following Thursday's trade deadline, and outfield prospect
Robert Hassell III was scratched from Triple-A Rochester's lineup on Thursday, suggesting that he's poised to be called back up on Friday. He'd be taking the roster spot of
Alex Call, who was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Hassell, the team's No. 9 prospect per MLB Pipeline, made his major-league debut earlier this year and went 17-for-78 (.218) with a homer, double, eight RBI, six runs scored and a steal in 21 games played. However, the 23-year-old was swinging the bat well at Rochester after being sent back down and now figures to be in line for regular playing time the rest of 2025 in the big leagues for the rebuilding Nats, at least until
Dylan Crews (oblique) comes off the injured list. Hassell is a former first-rounder by the Padres in 2020.
--Keith HernandezSource: MASN Sports - Mark Zuckerman
August
1,
2025
MASN's
Mark
Zuckerman
writes
that
the
back
end
of
the
Washington
Nationals
bullpen
is
going
to
be
a
problem
the
rest
of
the
year
after
they
shipped
closer
Kyle
Finnegan
and
relievers
read more...
August 1, 2025
The Chicago Cubs optioned rookie catcher/designated hitter
Moises Ballesteros and right-hander
Gavin Hollowell to Triple-A Iowa on Friday to make room for their newly acquired trade assets in infielder
Willi Castro, right-hander
Andrew Kittredge and left-hander
Taylor Rogers. After being called up on Wednesday, Ballesteros, the team's No. 2 prospect per MLB Pipeline, went 1-for-2 with a three-run double for the Cubs. The 21-year-old backstop will now head back to the farm to continue his development before potentially becoming an option again for depth in Chicago when rosters expand in September. The Venezuelan catcher doesn't have much left to prove at Iowa, as he's hit .332/.393/.496 with an .889 OPS, nine home runs, 57 RBI, 48 runs scored and four stolen bases in 86 games.
--Keith HernandezSource: Watch Marquee - Taylor McGregor
August
1,
2025
Boston
Red
Sox
right-hander
Cooper
Criswell
will
make
the
start
on
Friday
for
the
BoSox
in
the
series
opener
against
the
Houston
Astros,
according
to
Chris
Cotillo
of
Mass
Live.
He'll
be
followed
by
right-hander
read more...
August 1, 2025
According to Roch Kubatko, Baltimore Orioles general manager Mike Elias said he is hopeful that prospects
Samuel Basallo and
Dylan Beavers can play in the majors this season. The move to bring up Beavers would make sense given the O's just traded
Cedric Mullins and
Ramon Laureano. Beavers has been crushing the ball in Triple-A and is looking worthy of a chance to prove it at the big league level. As for Basallo, that situation seems more problematic with
Adley Rutschman being the everyday catcher in Baltimore. There is certainly a way to put one of them at designated hitter and still use both players. The Orioles season doesn't appear to be going anywhere, so bringing up their prospects isn't a bad idea.
--Andy WebbSource: Roch Kubatko
August 1, 2025
Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher
Grayson Rodriguez (elbow) is debating on having surgery, which would likely sideline him for the rest of the season. The right-hander got a second opinion on his elbow and might undergo surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow. The right-hander has been sidelined all season long due to lat and elbow issues. Given the Orioles record, Rodriguez returning this season doesn't necessarily need to happen. The Orioles might decide to go with the surgery and correct the issue ahead of the 2026 season.
--Andy WebbSource: Roch Kubatko
August 1, 2025
According to Robert Murray, outfielder
Jakob Marsee is being called up by the Miami Marlins on Friday. The Marlins traded
Jesus Sanchez on Thursday, which opened up a spot for Marsee on the big league roster. The 24-year-old was traded to Miami in the deal that sent
Luis Arraez to the San Diego Padres. This season, Marsee is slashing .246/.379/.438 with 14 home runs, 37 RBI, and 47 steals in 98 games in Triple-A. He'll likely only be a platoon option, so his fantasy value figures to be limited right now.
--Andy WebbSource: Robert Murray
August 1, 2025
Cincinnati Reds outfielder
TJ Friedl was reinstated from the paternity leave list on Friday. He has been away from the team since Tuesday while his family welcomes a baby into the world. Friedl won't be playing on Friday as he'll now head to the restricted list. The expectation is that this is a procedural move, so they don't need to make any roster changes with an early game on Friday. The expectation is that Friedl will be back in the lineup on Saturday.
Will Benson will cover center field and bat eighth in place of Friedl on Friday.
--Andy WebbSource: Cincinnati Reds
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