Aug 17, 2026, 3:21 PM ET

Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner (knee) is back at shortstop and is batting second for Monday's series opener at home against the division-rival Miami Marlins and right-hander Janson Junk, per MLB.com. Turner fouled a ball off his right knee on Saturday against the Minnesota Twins and was held out of the series finale on Sunday at Target Field as a precaution. The veteran shortstop is ready to begin a new week and should be returned to starting lineups in traditional fantasy formats. The 33-year-old three-time All-Star and former Silver Slugger winner is hitting only .247 (122-for-493) after batting a league-high .304 last year, but he's three home runs and three stolen bases away from the fourth 20-20 season of his MLB career in his 12th year in the majors. Turner has gone 13-for-53 (.245) with a .675 OPS, only one home run, three doubles, four RBI, and seven runs scored so far in 13 games in August. He is searching for his first hit against Junk but has only had three career at-bats against him going into Monday's contest.--Keith Hernandez
Source: MLB.com

Aug 17, 2026, 3:12 PM ET

The Pittsburgh Pirates are activating outfielder Oneil Cruz (hand) from the 60-day injured list on Monday and are optioning outfielder Ronny Simon to Triple-A Indianapolis in a corresponding move, according to Danny Demilio of PGH Sports Now. Cruz will not be in the starting lineup for Monday's series opener at home against the visiting Detroit Tigers and left-hander Framber Valdez, but he will be the team's starting center fielder the rest of the way. The 27-year-old Dominican left-handed hitter should immediately be reinserted into all starting fantasy lineups as he returns from a fractured left hand that kept him out since June 7. Before his injury, Cruz was slashing .264/.350/.472 with an .822 OPS, 14 home runs, 44 RBI, 21 stolen bases, and 45 runs scored across 64 games and 283 plate appearances. In six minor-league rehab games with Indianapolis and Double-A Altoona, Cruz went 3-for-22 at the plate with a stolen base. Cruz is rostered in 95% of Yahoo leagues for his ability to contribute across all categories when he is healthy.--Keith Hernandez
Source: PGH Baseball Now - Danny Demilio

Aug 17, 2026, 3:05 PM ET

Seattle Mariners outfield prospect Lazaro Montes has three homers in his last five games after going on a three-game homer streak on Wednesday at Triple-A Tacoma. That brought Montes' homer total on the season to 35 between Double-A Arkansas and Tacoma. He has 87 combined RBI with 92 runs scored while hitting .251. The 21-year-old left-handed hitter is the No. 5 prospect in the Mariners system and has an elite power profile with 65-grade power. His hit tool is graded at 45, so his overall hitting and batting average could be a question mark for fantasy purposes, but his power display this season should leave fantasy managers anticipating his promotion to Seattle for an MLB debut. The Mariners could certainly use Montes' powerful bat in their lineup and he looks like a good end-of-season stash just in case he gets the call up.--Brian Buckey - RotoBaller
Source: Minor League Baseball

Aug 17, 2026, 2:56 PM ET

Miami Marlins outfield prospect Cam Cannarella is on his third minor-league team of the season after his second promotion of the year on July 17 to the Triple-A Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. Cannarella has played 21 games for Jacksonville and is hitting 21-for-74 (.284) with one homer and four RBI to go with six stolen bases. Between his three teams this season at age 22, Cannarella is hitting .341 with 13 homers and 49 RBI to go with 16 stolen bases. The No. 6 prospect in the Marlins system, Cannarella has a 60-grade run tool along with a 55-grade hit tool. The left-handed hitter still likely needs development time in the minors given that he started the season at High-A ball. He is best left on the waiver wire in redraft leagues and is more of a future asset in dynasty leagues.--Brian Buckey - RotoBaller
Source: Minor League Baseball

Aug 17, 2026, 2:44 PM ET

Cleveland Guardians first base prospect Ralphy Velazquez is doing everything in his power to prove himself MLB-ready with a power surge at Triple-A Columbus in August. This month, Velazquez is hitting .341 with eight homers and 14 RBI in 44 at bats. Velazquez, the No. 2 prospect for the Guardians, is a nice pickup in fantasy leagues in anticipation of a call-up. Redraft managers will hope for a promotion soon as the Guardians could use some extra power in their lineup despite making a trade-deadline move and acquiring first baseman Nate Lowe. At age 21, Velazquez is having a stellar season at Columbus with 21 homers and 68 RBI while hitting .284 with 60 runs scored. Cleveland already called up top prospect Angel Genao, but the power profile of Velazquez is still appealing and he has the ability to potentially play in the outfield. He is looking like a priority addition to fantasy teams.--Brian Buckey - RotoBaller
Source: Minor League Baseball

Aug 17, 2026, 2:41 PM ET

The Milwaukee Brewers announced that shortstop prospect Luis Pena is being promoted to Double-A Biloxi this week. Pena earned the promotion to the Shuckers after hitting .298/.384/.420 with an .804 OPS, two home runs, 23 RBI, 27 stolen bases, and 40 runs scored in 51 games and 219 plate appearances at High-A Wisconsin this year. The Brewers dangled the 19-year-old Dominican infielder as the centerpiece in their offer to the Detroit Tigers for ace left-hander Tarik Skubal, who was eventually dealt to the Los Angeles Dodgers earlier this month. Pena had a scary incident in late April when he collapsed in the dugout due to being overheated, but he's fine now and will be looking to finish off his 2026 campaign strong at Biloxi. The 5-foot-11, 185-pounder swings from the right side of the plate and brings plenty of bat speed and high exit velocities, although he will need to improve his plate discipline and approach against offspeed pitches. Pena also brings plus speed and aggressiveness on the base paths. With top prospect Jesus Made ahead of him in the Brewers' pipeline, Pena will most likely move to second or third base in the long term if he sticks in Milwaukee.--Keith Hernandez
Source: Milwaukee Brewers

Aug 17, 2026, 2:28 PM ET

Fantasy managers in dynasty/keeper leagues who have been stashing Washington Nationals middle-infield prospect Seaver King all year shouldn't necessarily be expecting him to make his major-league debut late this year now that the Nats are moving CJ Abrams to second base, according to Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic. King, who is a top-100 prospect in MLB and Washington's No. 4 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, has had a breakout 2026 campaign at Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Rochester, slashing a combined .316/.398/.529 with a .928 OPS, 14 home runs, 59 RBI, 11 stolen bases, and 66 runs scored across 82 games played and 375 plate appearances. According to people familiar with the team's thinking, the Nationals are "reluctant" to rush King to the majors, and he can still benefit from more at-bats and defensive reps at Rochester. Nationals officials are also interested to see whether Abrams and Nasim Nunez can thrive in their flipped roles up the middle. Nunez offers more defensive upside and stability at the 6, but he's hitting just .228 with a .578 OPS in 408 plate appearances. In theory, Nusbaum writes that the Nationals could keep King at Triple-A for the rest of the season. There are multiple things to consider here for the Nats, but the optics of moving an All-Star (Abrams) off his primary position, and then having a rookie take his spot, "could have awkward consequences," especially if King is eventually moved off shortstop in the coming years.--Keith Hernandez
Source: The Athletic - Spencer Nusbaum

Aug 17, 2026, 2:18 PM ET

The San Francisco Giants are calling up left-handed pitching prospect Matt Wilkinson to the majors on Monday, sources told Jeff Passan of ESPN. Wilkinson was acquired in the trade that sent catcher Patrick Bailey to the Cleveland Guardians. The 23-year-old Canadian southpaw was taken by Cleveland in the 10th round in 2023 from Central Arizona College. Wilkinson will receive his first taste in the big leagues with San Fran after going 6-6 with a 3.40 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and 96:31 K:BB in 90 innings pitched over 20 starts across four minor-league stops this year in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League and at Double-A Richmond, Double-A Akron, and Triple-A Sacramento. MLB Pipeline doesn't currently have Wilkinson ranked among the Giants' top-30 prospects, but he could be getting a shot in the team's big-league starting rotation if veteran right-hander Logan Webb (back, shoulder) is forced to the injured list this week. At Sacramento, Wilkinson went 3-4 with a 5.15 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, and 43:17 K:BB in his 10 starts (43 2/3 frames). Only fantasy managers in NL-only leagues should be considering Wilkinson off the waiver wire if he enters San Francisco's starting rotation.--Keith Hernandez
Source: ESPN.com - Jeff Passan

Aug 17, 2026, 11:46 AM ET

Detroit Tigers outfield prospect Max Clark is the team's top overall prospect, per MLB Pipeline, and is also ranked as the No. 13 overall prospect in baseball. Since the Tigers brought Clark up for his major-league debut on July 31, he's gone 15-for-58 (.259) with a home run, two doubles, two triples, eight RBI, and seven runs scored in 15 games played and 63 plate appearances. The 21-year-old former third overall pick in 2023 got the call to the Show after slashing .276/.368/.434 with an .802 OPS, 11 home runs, 42 RBI, 21 stolen bases, and 65 runs scored in 90 games and 418 plate appearances at Triple-A Toledo. Clark is mostly intriguing for fantasy managers in single-year leagues the rest of the 2026 season for his plus-plus speed on the basepaths, but he also has enough pop from the left side to produce average power from his 5-foot-11, 205-pound frame. He's obviously still young, and although he's not going to make an immediate impact from a power standpoint, he can hit for average and steal plenty of bases in the final month and a half of the season. Clark is rostered in just over 30% of Yahoo leagues.--Keith Hernandez
Source: Baseball Reference

Aug 17, 2026, 11:33 AM ET

Washington Nationals right-handed reliever Clayton Beeter is the Nationals' primary closer and is widely available on the waiver wire if you need saves down the stretch -- he's rostered in only 17% of Yahoo leagues. The 27-year-old hasn't been perfect by any means, but he has 10 more saves than the next closest reliever in the Nats' bullpen. In his third major-league season and first full year in D.C., Beeter has recorded a 5-3 record, 3.55 ERA (5.13 FIP), a 1.26 WHIP, a career-high 12 saves, and a 39:24 K:BB in 38 innings pitched over his 40 appearances out of the bullpen. Since the All-Star break, he's allowed five runs (four earned) on six hits (two homers) while walking six and striking out eight for two wins, a loss, five saves, one blown save, and a hold. Beeter's 15% walk rate makes him volatile for sure, but fantasy managers in deeper leagues may have no choice, and the good news is that nobody else in Washington's bullpen is really challenging him for saves.--Keith Hernandez
Source: Baseball Reference

Aug 17, 2026, 11:23 AM ET

Baltimore Orioles right-handed reliever Cam Sanders came on to record the final out for the Orioles in their win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday, and he picked up a second consecutive save (his third on the year) in Saturday's victory. Yennier Cano was brought in for the ninth on Friday but gave up three runs before the O's called on Sanders to lock it down. The 29-year-old former 12th-round pick by the Chicago Cubs in 2018 out of LSU began the 2026 season with the Pittsburgh Pirates. His outing on Saturday was only his sixth appearance with Baltimore, and he's sporting a bloated 6.32 ERA (3.97 FIP), 1.66 WHIP, three saves, and a 19:12 K:BB in only 15 2/3 innings pitched in his second year in the majors. Late-inning relievers Ryan Helsley (elbow) and Felix Bautista (shoulder) remain on the injured list, with the Orioles going with a closer committee involving Cano, Andrew Kittredge, and Rico Garcia. Sanders' save chances over the weekend probably won't become a regular occurrence, and fantasy managers should have better save options to target on the waiver wire.--Keith Hernandez
Source: Baseball Reference

Aug 17, 2026, 11:14 AM ET

Chicago White Sox left-handed reliever Bryan Hudson struck out a batter in a perfect ninth inning on Saturday in the win over the division-rival Detroit Tigers for his fifth save of the season and his first since July 22. In his first full season with the White Sox, Hudson has gone 3-4 with a 3.14 ERA (2.87 FIP), 1.28 WHIP, and a 50:17 K:BB in 51 2/3 innings pitched across 54 appearances (six starts). The 29-year-old southpaw is part of a crowded committee situation for saves in Chicago, with Grant Taylor, Sean Newcomb, and Jordan Hicks also involved. Newcomb picked up the save for the Pale Hose on Sunday, and Taylor leads the back end of the bullpen with six saves on the year. So far in six appearances out of the bullpen in August, Hudson has allowed three earned runs on seven hits while walking none and striking out six for one save and two holds. He is probably more attractive in holds leagues, but fantasy managers desperate for saves in deeper formats could also give him a look. Hudson is rostered in just 1% of Yahoo leagues.--Keith Hernandez
Source: Baseball Reference

Aug 17, 2026, 11:07 AM ET

Los Angeles Angels right-handed reliever Ben Joyce didn't make his 2026 debut until Aug. 5 due to a shoulder injury that sidelined him for the entire first half of the season. The hard-throwing righty has thrown five scoreless innings with one hit allowed, one walk, and six strikeouts to get started, and he has recorded saves in each of his last two appearances. The Angels might continue to use a closer-by-committee down the stretch, also involving left-hander Samy Natera Jr. (he had a save last Tuesday) and right-hander Jose Fermin, but Joyce has a great opportunity to lead the team in save chances to close out the 2026 campaign. The 25-year-old former third-round pick in 2022 from the University of Tennessee had four saves in the 2024 season and has gone 4-1 with a 2.83 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and 50:25 K:BB in 54 innings with the Halos since he made his major-league debut back in 2023. Fantasy managers in deeper leagues who are searching for saves should look Joyce's way off the waiver wire. He's rostered in only 12% of Yahoo leagues.--Keith Hernandez
Source: Baseball Reference

Aug 16, 2026, 11:47 PM ET

The Boston Red Sox are promoting outfield prospect Justin Gonzales to Double-A Portland, an MLB source told Ari Alexander of 7 News. Gonzales gets the call to Portland after hitting .271 with 17 home runs, 58 RBI, 11 stolen bases, and 68 runs scored in 89 games across 350 at-bats at High-A Greenville this year. The 6-foot-5, 210-pounder is ranked as Boston's No. 2 prospect at MLB Pipeline, behind only shortstop prospect Franklin Arias. The 19-year-old Dominican bats from the right side of the plate and has some of the most raw power out of any of the team's position-player prospects. Gonzales generates tons of bat speed, which in turn lights up his exit velocities, and he's not hitting as many ground balls in 2026. He projects for 30-plus home runs at the major-league level and is extremely athletic and agile despite his hulking size. Gonzales has average speed and will most likely settle into a corner-outfield spot or at first base long-term. At just 19 years of age, nobody should be expecting Gonzales to make his big-league debut in Boston next year.--Keith Hernandez
Source: 7 News - Ari Alexander