MLB Player News

Carlson is off the injured list, and the 25-year-old is hitting fifth while playing center field in his debut. The outfielder missed just around a month after injuring his shoulder in a crash during spring training. Carlson helps the Cardinals’ depth, but the former top prospect hasn’t had much offensive success at the highest level just yet. Fantasy managers should take a wait-and-see approach.

With Lars Nootbaar coming off the IL, the Cardinals decided to send the 25-year-old Fermín back to the minors. He could provide infield depth for the team later in the season but figures to remain off the fantasy radar.

Nootbaar played 13 games on his rehab assignment, including five at Triple-A, where he went just 3-for-17. Injuries have hampered the potential breakout for Nootbaar this season, but he should return to an everyday role in center field with Michael Siani shifting back to the bench. Jose Fermin was sent to the minors in a corresponding move.

Paddack was placed on the IL on June 25th with arm fatigue and was quick to make public remarks that there was no injury to worry about. With David Festa struggling in his first two MLB starts, the Twins will activate Paddack from the IL on Monday in time to start against the White Sox. Given that Paddack is coming off two weeks of rest and has a 5.29 ERA in 15 starts this season, he’s a risky bet even in a plus matchup. Josh Winder was sent to the minors in a corresponding move.

Houck was recently named to the All-Star team after posting a 2.68 ERA in the first half of the season. While some of that success can obviously be attributed to improved command and a better attack plan against lefties, Houck also mentioned two changes that he and pitching coach Andrew Bailey made this offseason. Houck moved his lifting day up but also moved his mid-week bullpen session up a day, according to Bailey, “Just gives them an extra 24 hours to recover, to maximize that recovery process, to really take inventory on the body and where it’s at...Being as far away removed from the highest workload event (pitching-wise) is probably the safest bet. And then that way, we can take an honest look at what can we get done today that sets us up for a competition.” Houck also mentioned that those bullpens now feature fewer pitches since his mechanics feel a lot better this year and he’s now just focused on refining during those sessions. All of those changes seem to have worked for the 28-year-old, who is emerging as a legit front-of-the-rotation arm in Boston.

The Phillies have not gotten much from their left field spot in 2024, which Brandon Marsh has regularly occupied. On the year, the Phillies rank 26th in OPS among left fielders this season, which Rooker would likely improve. He would also add another big power bat with some swing-and-miss in his game but could make the Phillies lineup even deeper for a playoff run. It would obviously be a big boost to his fantasy value if he were traded to Philadelphia.

Nightengale also notes that the Cubs have not yet decided if they will sell at the deadline or not, but they are listening to offers for the three players listed above. Taillon is in the midst of a solid season despite not bringing a lot of strikeout value for fantasy and could see a boost with a better team context, while Nico Hoerner could see a boost to his fantasy stock as well if he is traded to a team that will let him steal more regularly.

All three players are still under team control through at least 2025 and are likely to remain with the Angels “unless they receive overwhelming offers.” Anderson and Canning staying put will keep their spots in a starting rotation secure but also keep their chances of wins low, while Ward staying in Los Angeles will also help guarantee everyday playing time but continue to see him hit in a weak lineup.

The Rangers have been playing better of late, but they are 7 1/2 games back in the race for the third American League wild card with playoff odds hovering around 10 percent, so Rosenthal believes the team will be open to trading players on expiring contracts like Max Scherzer, Michael Lorenzen, Andrew Heaney, David Robertson, and Kirby Yates. With Tyler Mahle and Jacob deGrom also inching closer to second-half returns, the Rangers could deal from their starting rotation and not lose much. Rosenthal also suggests that the Rangers could listen on deals for Nathaniel Lowe, Leody Taveras, and “perhaps even Adolis García, all of whom are performing below expectations and under club control at rising salaries for two more seasons.” Trades would drastically impact the fantasy value of most of these players, which makes the Rangers perhaps the most interesting team at the trade deadline.

It’s a routine day off for the third baseman, who has been struggling to provide fantasy value apart from speed. Since June 1st, Hayes is hitting .220/.248/.284 with two home runs, nine runs, and eight RBI in 28 games. However, he does have seven steals over that timeframe, so he remains an option in deeper formats if you need speed. We have still not seen the breakout many were hoping for, and it’s looking like it might never come. Jared Triolo will start in his place on Monday.

Sánchez has received interest on the trade market, but the Marlins are intrigued by his high exit velocities and are likely to hold onto him and “play him more” in 2025. Considering the team doesn’t seem comfortable starting him against left-handed pitchers, it’s hard to see how they would play him more in 2025, but that is allegedly the plan.