Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich (rest) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the Atlanta Braves. Fantasy managers don't need to worry as this appears to be a routine rest day for Yelich. The Brewers are electing to rest Yelich against tough southpaw Chris Sale. Gary Sanchez will serve as the designated hitter and bat sixth during Friday's game. The Brewers are electing to give Yelich plenty of rest to keep him fresh for the postseason. The expectation is he'll be back on Saturday, but fantasy managers should get him out of their lineups on Friday.

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New York Mets pitcher Kodai Senga is attempting to reinvent himself as a relief pitcher. Senga has been working as a closer lately and has pitched extremely well in that role. During August, Senga has only given up one earned run while recording four saves in six appearances. The expectation is that Senga will continue being the closer until Devin Williams (shoulder) returns, which is likely at some point in September. Fantasy managers seeking help in the relief pitcher department should consider adding Senga while he's still the closer. Williams figures to take over as the closer once he's healthy, but it's unclear when that'll be right now.

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Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Steven Cruz has been working as the closer lately. He has earned four of the team's last five saves and appears to have a strong hold on the closer role right now. Cruz did give up two earned runs during his latest appearance against the Athletics on Wednesday. Outside of that, Cruz has looked good enough on the mound to warrant adding in deep leagues. Overall, Cruz owns a 4.37 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, and a 51/18 K/BB ratio across 45 appearances. There's enough value here to warrant scooping up Cruz in deep leagues.

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Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Justin Martinez recently made his season debut after missing a majority of the season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. Martinez threw a scoreless inning against the Boston Red Sox during his season debut on Tuesday. He is pitching in low-leverage situations right now, but could work his way into the closer role in Arizona. Martinez earned 14 saves between the 2024 and 2025 seasons with the D-Backs. This team doesn't have a lockdown closer at the moment after Paul Sewald lost the job. Martinez could quickly slide into the role if he continues to pitch well. He's someone to keep an eye on as a possible stash in September.

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Atlanta Braves pitcher Reynaldo Lopez (knee) is scheduled to begin a minor league rehab assignment with Triple-A Gwinnett on Sunday, according to Chad Bishop. Lopez has been out since late July due to left knee inflammation. It's unclear at the moment how many rehab appearances he'll need before rejoining the Braves. Barring any setbacks, fantasy managers should expect Lopez to be back in the mix in September. His fantasy value will be dependent on whether he returns as a starting pitcher or reliever. This season, Lopez owns a 3.64 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, and a 66/29 K/BB ratio across 24 games (11 starts) with the Braves. Fantasy managers in deep leagues could stash Lopez as a helpful option down the stretch of the season.

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Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Ben Joyce might be the closer of the future for this organization. He has been limited to six innings this season, but is quickly making an impact with the Halos. So far this season, Joyce has thrown six scoreless innings, allowing one hit, while striking out eight batters. He notched his third save of the season versus the Houston Astros on Tuesday. Joyce is looking like a decent source of saves for fantasy managers down the stretch of the season. The Angels don't win a ton of games, but Joyce is likely to remain the full-time closer as long as he keeps pitching well.

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Cleveland Guardians' SP Gavin Williams recorded 11 strikeouts in 5.2 innings collecting the win in a 5-2 win over the Giants on Thursday, Aug. 20.

Angels' SS Zach Neto had seven RBIs going 5-for-6 with a home run in a 18-3 win over Houston on Thursday, Aug. 20.

Rangers' SP Jacob deGrom recorded 10 strikeouts in 6 innings getting the win in a 2-0 win over the Nationals on Thursday, Aug. 20.

Kansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia (hamstring) is likely headed to the 10-day Injured List, according to Joel Goldberg. Royals manager Matt Quatraro said the team plans to place him on the shelf after Garcia suffered a hamstring strain during Thursday's win over the Athletics. This is a tough break for Garcia, who was playing in just his fourth game since returning from nearly a two-month absence. If he is placed on the IL, fantasy managers shouldn't expect him back until some point in September. Nick Loftin figures to return to being the primary third baseman in Kansas City. Fantasy managers might want to consider moving on from Garcia, who is looking at a multi-week absence.

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According to Nick Piecoro, Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte (knee, personal) was placed on the 10-day Injured List on Thursday. Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen met with Marte on Thursday, and they've decided to place him on the shelf until he's fully healthy. The organization has failed to give much information regarding Marte's absence. He missed all of their most recent series versus the Boston Red Sox. There is no word on when Marte will come back, so fantasy managers remain in the dark. Fantasy managers should try to hold Marte if possible, but it's unclear if he'll even return this season.

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According to Martin Gallegos, Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson (shoulder) is expected to be placed on the 10-day Injured List and is unlikely to play again this season. Wilson is missing his fourth straight game on Thursday while he continues to deal with a lingering shoulder injury. Given the A's place in the standings, Wilson is expected to be shut down so he can recover and get ready for next season. There's a chance that Wilson needs offseason surgery, but that shouldn't impact his status for the 2027 season. Alika Williams and Darrel Hernaiz figure to see a majority of the time at shortstop while Wilson is down. Fantasy managers in redraft formats can go ahead and replace Wilson.

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According to Jeff Passan, the Seattle Mariners are expected to call up top pitching prospect Kade Anderson to start Saturday's game against the Chicago Cubs. The Mariners selected Anderson with the third overall pick during the 2025 June Amateur Draft. The 22-year-old has been outstanding during his lone season in the minor leagues. Across 18 starts, Anderson holds a 1.06 ERA, 0.64 WHIP, and a 135/13 K/BB ratio in 93.1 innings of work with Double-A Arkansas. The Mariners have been sliding in the standings recently, so they hope Anderson can give them a much-needed boost. Given his stats in the minors, Anderson is looking like a must-add in all fantasy formats over the final six weeks of the regular season.

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Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams (ankle) is being held out of the starting lineup ahead of Thursday's game against the Texas Rangers. This comes after Abrams was forced to exit early during Wednesday's game after suffering a left ankle sprain. According to Mark Zuckerman, Nats' manager Blake Butera said Abrams is day-to-day, but he could require imaging. The team will likely wait and see how Abrams feels on Friday before they decide what to do going forward. The expectation is that Nasim Nunez and Jose Tena will be asked to hold down the fort in the middle of the infield until Abrams can return. Fantasy managers should check back on Friday for another update on his status.

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Washington Nationals corner infield prospect Yohandy Morales has cooled off at the plate, going 3-for-24 (.125) over the last six games at Triple-A Rochester. Despite the slowdown, the Nats' 26th-ranked prospect has had a solid campaign overall, hitting .287 with an .892 OPS and 23 home runs in 94 games for the Red Wings. There is a ton of pop in his bat, with average exit velocity, max exit velocity, barrel rate, and hard-hit rate all registering in the 91st percentile or better at Triple-A, so there is some intrigue for fantasy purposes, especially if he were to be placed in the middle of MLB's highest-ranking team in terms of runs scored per game (5.28). There is some batting average risk due to elevated chase and whiff rates, but the 24-year-old represents an under-the-radar stash option for home runs and RBI for a late-season run to the fantasy playoffs.

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Pittsburgh Pirates outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia was optioned back to Triple-A Indianapolis on August 14 after a brief second stint with the big-league club. The Pirates' fifth-ranked prospect is 3-for-11 (.273) in the three games since rejoining Indianapolis and is now slashing .270/.337/.419 with seven home runs and five steals in 61 games for the Indians. The right-handed hitter surged through the minors on the way to a major league debut in Boston's organization in 2025, but has done little with his limited opportunities in the majors. Coming off a 21-home-run campaign in 114 games last year and with a ball hit 113.5 mph this season (95th percentile), there is some power potential in his bat, but it comes with a lot of chase that leads to a lot of swing-and-miss and few walks. The 23-year-old could get another shot in the majors this season, but there are likely better stash options available on your waiver wire.

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Tampa Bay Rays outfield prospect Jacob Melton (hamstring) was flashing his elite speed at Triple-A Durham before being placed on the injured list with hamstring tightness back on August 4, his second time on the IL this season. The Rays' eighth-ranked prospect was riding a six-game hit streak and had stolen bases in three consecutive games before suffering the injury, which had raised his slash line to .285/.381/.520 with five home runs and 23 steals in just 36 games for the Bulls. The former second-round draft pick has been swinging a bat recently, but there has been no official update to his status from the organization, so his timeline for return is unclear. It has been an injury-marred campaign, and if the 25-year-old could stay healthy, he'd be one of the top stashes for his stolen-base potential, but until the 6-foot-2 slugger returns to action and makes a run at a major league promotion, there is no need to roster him.

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Kansas City Royals outfield prospect Gavin Cross (undisclosed) was placed on the 7-day injured list on August 14 with an undisclosed injury. It's a shame as the Royals' 26th-ranked prospect was heating up again, riding a five-game hit streak during which time he went 9-for-19 (.474) with three doubles, two home runs, and a stolen base over that span. The hot stretch brought his season-long slash line to .253/.319/.435 at Triple-A Omaha with 13 home runs and 23 steals in 101 games. The power/speed combo makes for an intriguing fantasy asset, and the former ninth-overall draft pick could still make a late-season debut in 2026, but there was little reason to stash him before the injury, and now, without a clear timeline for his return, there is even less reason. The 25-year-old may have a fantasy impact in 2027, but for now, he can be safely left on the waiver wire.

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Los Angeles Dodgers outfield prospect Ryan Ward, after collecting a hit in Wednesday's game for Triple-A Oklahoma City, has extended his hit streak to 10 games. The Dodgers' 17th-ranked prospect is 16-for-40 (.400) during that time with a double and four home runs, along with twice as many walks (eight) as strikeouts (four). It brings his season-long slash line to .276/.384/.486 with 17 home runs and a 55:60 BB:K in 83 games for the Comets. The left-handed hitter debuted with the Dodgers earlier this season and has spent two different stints with the club with mixed results. While this recent stretch could help propel him there again, there is no immediate opening on the major league roster, even with Kyle Tucker struggling mightily on both sides of the ball. The former eighth-round draft pick has a ton of power, logging back-to-back 30-homer seasons at Triple-A prior to 2026, so there is some intrigue for fantasy purposes, but the 28-year-old is not a realistic stash consideration in most fantasy leagues.

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New York Mets first base/outfield prospect Ryan Clifford was placed on the Development List on Wednesday amid a futile stretch of offense. Since returning from the injured list on August 9, the Mets' eighth-ranked prospect has been hitless in 22 consecutive at-bats over a six-game stretch with a 56.0 percent strikeout rate during that time. The struggles preceded the injured list stint, though, as he's also just 5-for-70 (.071) over his last 19 contests, which has pushed his season-long slash line to .175/.267/.344. When he connects, the ball goes a long way, with the 6-foot-3 slugger tallying 16 home runs in 104 games, but with one of the worst strikeout rates at Triple-A (38.2 percent) that culminated in a five-strikeout performance this past Sunday, the organization will now allow him to stay on the minor league roster while he works on mechanics and swing decisions outside of game action. Amid his struggles, chances of an MLB debut in 2026 were already fading, but this likely seals it, and fantasy managers need not consider the 23-year-old a stash option this year.

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