Gabriel Arias Takes Live Batting Practice
Gabriel Arias (ankle) took live batting practice against right-hander Shane Bieber (elbow) on Friday. Arias, who has been out since June 30 with a sprained left ankle, is progressing toward a return shortly after the All-Star break. The 25-year-old has hit a modest .231/.293/.369 with six home runs and 31 RBI in 281 plate appearances this season. The Guardians have mostly relied on Brayan Rocchio to handle shortstop in Arias' absence. Rocchio has gone 6-for-21 with a home run in eight games since the team recalled him from the minors.Source: MLB.com
Cleveland Guardians shortstop Shane Bieber Throws Live Batting Practice
Shane Bieber (elbow) threw 41 pitches in a live batting practice session Thursday, and then tossed BP against teammate Gabriel Arias (ankle) on Friday. It's encouraging progress for Bieber, who's on the road back from April 2024 Tommy John surgery. The Guardians are hopeful that the former Cy Young winner will return sometime this month. Bieber, 30, hasn't pitched in a major league game in over 15 months.Source: MLB.com
Cleveland Guardians right-hander Rhett Lowder Has Not Resumed Baseball Activities
Rhett Lowder (oblique) is continuing to rehab his injured left oblique, but he is not yet ready to resume baseball activities. The 23-year-old opened the season on the shelf with a forearm strain, and he then suffered an oblique strain during a Triple-A rehab start in late May. With Lowder still unable to perform baseball activities, there remains no timetable for his return. The injuries have prevented Lowder from building on last season's eye-opening debut. Now MLB Pipeline's 26th-ranked prospect, Lowder pitched to a 1.17 ERA in six starts and 30 2/3 innings with the Reds in 2024.Source: Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds right-hander Felix Bautista Not Likely to be Moved at the Trade Deadline
The Baltimore Orioles have reported that they are open to being sellers at the trade deadline this year after a disappointing season thus far, as they sit 11.5 games back in the AL East and have a 42-50 record. Per SportsNetAstros List Probable Starters for Weekend Series
The Houston Astros have listed their probable starting pitchers for their upcoming weekend series against the Texas Rangers. The plan is forEli Morgan Begins Rehab Assignment
Eli Morgan (elbow) has started a rehab assignment with the Arizona Complex League on Thursday. Morgan will resume his rehab work after he suffered a setback in mid-June. The right-hander has been sidelined most of the season due to an elbow issue. Before going down, Morgan posted a 12.27 ERA, 2.04 WHIP, and 4/3 K/BB ratio across seven appearances with the Cubs. It's worth noting that Morgan posted a 1.93 ERA in 32 outings with the Cleveland Guardians last season. The veteran right-hander could be an option out of the bullpen in the second half of the season.Source: mlb.com
Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Ezequiel Tovar Goes Hitless in Triple-A on Thursday
Ezequiel Tovar (oblique) was the designated hitter for the Albuquerque Isotopes on Thursday and was 0-for-4 with one strikeout. Tovar is now 2-for-20 with four strikeouts in July as he continues to rehab from his injury back in early June. On the season for the Rockies, he is slashing .258/.301/.406 with three home runs, 14 runs scored, 10 RBI, and two stolen bases in 138 plate appearances. It has been a disappointing showing from Tovar thus far in 2025, primarily due to his injuries, but he was coming off a season in 2024 in which he had 26 home runs and slashed .269/.295/.469. The Rockies have not yet announced, nor has it been reported, how many more rehab games they would like Tovar to play before calling him back up. However, with the All-Star break right around the corner, Tovar will likely return sometime after the break.Source: MLB.com
Colorado Rockies shortstop Bryan De La Cruz Remains Sidelined with Oblique Issue
Bryan De La Cruz (oblique) remained out of the starting lineup for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barres on Thursday. De La Cruz is currently on the 7-day injured list with an oblique issue. The hope is that he'll be able to return soon, but there is no clear timetable for his return. Since joining the Yankees organization, De La Cruz is slashing .256/.333/.452 with nine home runs, 26 RBI, and six steals in 47 games. He figures to be in the mix as a depth piece if the Yankees need help down the stretch. De La Cruz isn't someone worth rostering in fantasy formats right now.Source: Greg Joyce
New York Yankees outfielder Nationals Release Their Weekend Rotation
Mitchell Parker on Friday, Shinnosuke Ogasawara on Saturday, and Jake Irvin on Sunday, per Mark Zuckerman, beat writer for the Nationals. The Nationals are coming off a three-game series against the Saint Louis Cardinals that ended on Thursday, while the Brewers had a day off on Thursday after sweeping the Los Angeles Dodgers earlier in the week. As far as the pitching matchup goes, Parker will take his 4.72 ERA to the rubber on Friday and face off against Quinn Priester. Ogasawara, who is stepping in for injured Trevor Williams (elbow), will face off against Brandon Woodruff Saturday, and Irvin, with his 4.78 ERA, will go on Sunday against Freddy Peralta. The Nationals will be facing a tough lineup this weekend that is eighth in MLB in runs scored.Source: Mark Zuckerman
The Washington Nationals announced their weekend starters on Thursday, as they will go with Justin Slaten Not Currently Throwing
Justin Slaten (shoulder) is currently not throwing, but is instead doing plyometric exercises. It appears the Red Sox have backed off the throwing program and are focusing on building strength in Slaten's shoulder. The right-hander has been sidelined since late May due to right shoulder inflammation. Slaten doesn't appear to be close to returning to the bullpen. He figures to need multiple weeks of throwing before getting back into the mix. Slaten isn't worth holding in fantasy leagues with his return unclear right now.Source: Christopher Smith
Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Nestor Cortes Throws Four Scoreless Innings
Nestor Cortes (elbow) continued his rehab work with High-A Wisconsin on Thursday. The southpaw tossed four scoreless innings, allowing three hits, zero walks, and two strikeouts. Cortes only threw 54 pitches during this outing, but the Brewers don't want to push him too hard this early into rehabbing. Afterwards, Cortes said he'd have at least one more rehab start, but will probably end up pitching two games before rejoining the Brewers rotation. He figures to be ready to return before the end of July.Source: Adam McCalvy
Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Luis Morales Moving to Bullpen at Triple-A Las Vegas
Luis Morales has recently transitioned into a bullpen role at Triple-A Las Vegas. After posting a 5.90 ERA over six starts following his late-May promotion, the A's have shifted Morales into a multi-inning relief role over his last four outings. The early results have been encouraging. Morales has allowed just two earned runs on eight hits across nine innings out of the pen, showing improved effectiveness in shorter stints. The 22-year-old features a lively fastball that can touch 99 mph, along with a slider, curveball, and changeup in his arsenal. Fantasy managers should monitor this development closely. The Athletics may be grooming Morales for a late-season relief role or adjusting his long-term trajectory toward a high-leverage bullpen profile. Dynasty managers should continue to hold, while redraft managers should take a wait-and-see approach.Source: milb.com
Athletics right-handed pitching prospect Carson Williams Turning a Corner in Triple-A Durham
Carson
Williams
continued
to
shine
on
Thursday,
delivering
a
two-out
RBI
triple
in
the
fourth
inning
to
tie
the
game
against
the
Nashville
Sounds.
The
triple
was
the
only
hit
of
hisread more...
Tampa
Bay
Rays
shortstop
prospect
Josh Jung Extends Hitting Streak to Five Games at Triple-A
Josh Jung went 1-for-4 with a single during their contest against Triple-A Albuquerque on Thursday evening. Since being demoted to Triple-A Round Rock, the former first-round pick has tallied at least one hit in each of his five games. During this stretch, Jung has posted one multi-hit game and tallied just one extra-base hit. The Rangers optioned Jung to Triple-A earlier in July after he posted a modest .152/.200/.212 line over his last 26 games in the major leagues. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his progression with Triple-A, as he should be in the mix to return to Texas quite soon. Before his slump, Jung was enjoying a productive campaign, posting a .283/.328/.450 line with seven doubles and seven home runs. For now, he is only worth stashing in deeper AL-only redraft leagues.Source: MiLB.com
Texas Rangers third baseman Dodgers Send Alexis Diaz Back to Triple-A
Alexis
Diaz
back
to
Triple-A
Oklahoma
City.
This
transaction
opened
a
spot
for
Tyler
Glasnow,
who
returned
from
the
injured
list.
He
didread more...
The
Los
Angeles
Dodgers
have
optioned
relief
pitcher