Texas Rangers right-hander Jacob deGrom (triceps) left his start early on Thursday against the division-rival Los Angeles Angels with right-triceps fatigue, according to Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News. deGrom made it through only two innings in Anaheim, allowing two earned runs on six hits while walking one and striking out three. Although the injury doesn't appear to be very serious, given deGrom's lengthy injury history, his next scheduled start next week against the Washington Nationals is very much up in the air. The 38-year-old veteran and two-time Cy Young winner came into his start on Thursday against the Angels with an 8-7 record, 3.87 ERA (3.27 FIP) and 1.13 WHIP with 144 strikeouts and 30 walks in 118 2/3 innings pitched across his 22 starts. He's been hit or miss in his last five starts, and he could be in danger of missing more time down the stretch due to injury. Although deGrom continues to be an injury risk, he came into Thursday's start with a nice 29.6% strikeout rate, which is why he's still rostered in nearly all of Yahoo leagues.

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The Kansas City Royals signed starting pitcher Tony Gonsolin to a one-year deal with a club option for the 2027 season on Thursday. The right-hander hasn't pitched at all this season while he rehabs from Tommy John surgery he underwent last August. Gonsolin is nearing the final stages of his recovery process and should be back on the mound soon. He has been placed on the 15-day Injured List while he continues to get fully healthy. It's unclear when he'll make his season debut, but right-hander Eli Morgan has been designated for assignment in a corresponding move. The Royals are hopeful that Gonsolin can bounce back and be an option for them in their 2027 rotation. Gonsolin was an All-Star in 2022, but he hasn't looked the same on the mound since then. He can be ignored in fantasy formats right now.

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Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts is out of the starting lineup ahead of Thursday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers. Fantasy managers don't need to panic as this appears to be a routine rest day for Betts. He finally appears to be turning a corner with the bat after going 6-for-11 with two home runs and three RBI during their last series versus the Kansas City Royals. Miguel Rojas will cover shortstop and bat sixth versus left-hander Shane Drohan on Thursday. Fantasy managers should expect Betts back in the lineup on Friday, and hopefully, a day off won't cool him down at the plate.

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New York Yankees starting pitcher Carlos Rodon (elbow) made his second rehab start with Double-A Somerset on Thursday. The southpaw tossed 4.1 scoreless innings, allowing two hits, while striking out seven batters. This is a much better outing after Rodon gave up three runs across 2.2 innings of work with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Saturday. He was able to work up his pitch count to 58 pitches on Thursday. He's likely to need one more rehab start to continue building up his stamina, but the team hasn't made an official announcement yet. Rodon has been out since early July due to left elbow inflammation, but he appears to be on the verge of returning.

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Los Angeles Angels infielder Oswald Peraza (hand) was expected to take swings ahead of Thursday's game against the Texas Rangers, according to Jack Janes. Peraza is being held out of Thursday's lineup after he suffered a hand contusion in Wednesday's game. Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said Peraza can play defense, but they want to make sure he's comfortable with the bat before he returns to the lineup. Fantasy managers should consider Peraza as day-to-day with a left-hand contusion. This season, Peraza is slashing .229/.276/.353 with seven home runs, 24 RBI, and 12 steals in 101 games this season. He's able to do a little bit of everything, which gives him some deep league appeal in 9-cat leagues.

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Los Angeles Angels shortstop Zach Neto is out of the starting lineup ahead of Thursday's game against the Texas Rangers. There is no word of any injury, so this is assumed to be a regular rest night for Neto. The young shortstop has been struggling with a .147/.171/.294 slash line over the last week. Given the Angels aren't really playing for anything at this point in the season, they might as well let Neto have the night off. Denzer Guzman will cover shortstop and bat sixth versus right-hander Jacob deGrom on Thursday. Fantasy managers should expect Neto to be back on Friday.

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Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Brice Turang (knee) is not in the team's starting lineup for Thursday's series opener against the hosting Los Angeles Dodgers due to left-knee pain, manager Pat Murphy told Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. Turang underwent an MRI exam on Thursday. "We don't know how long," Murphy said. He will get a second opinion of the MRI, but as of right now, the skipper said whatever is ailing Turang doesn't appear surgical. David Hamilton will get the start at the keystone on Thursday and will bat ninth against Dodgers right-hander Roki Sasaki. It's a situation that could quickly turn into an injured-list stint for Turang, but right now he should be considered day-to-day. The 26-year-old former first-rounder is having another solid campaign in 2026, hitting .268/.360/.450 with an .810 OPS, 16 homers, 76 RBI, 16 steals, and 74 runs scored in 115 games played. However, he has yet to homer in 12 games in August and has gone 12-for-49 (.245) with a .621 OPS in his 55 plate appearances, so his knee could be a lingering issue that has been affecting him offensively.

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Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Braxton Ashcraft had a much-needed dominant performance over the hosting Miami Marlins on Thursday, throwing a complete game with one earned run allowed on three hits (one homer) while walking one and striking out 10 for his 12th win of the season. Ashcraft lowered his ERA on the season to 3.88 in the process. The only run he allowed in the contest was a solo home run to Owen Caissie in the bottom of the ninth inning. Coming into Thursday's outing in Miami, Ashcraft had posted a 7.88 ERA in his last five starts over 24 innings, so his fantasy managers have to be pretty happy he was able to turn it around in such a dominant way against Miami. In addition to his 3.88 ERA on the year, Ashcraft now sports a 1.11 WHIP with 155 strikeouts and 33 walks in his second full season in the big leagues. He'll look to make it two strong starts in a row his next time out in a difficult matchup against the Detroit Tigers, who have the 11th-best team OPS in the majors in 2026.

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Pittsburgh Pirates rookie catcher/first baseman Rafael Flores Jr. had a game to remember in the team's 13-1 beatdown of the hosting Miami Marlins on Thursday. Flores, batting out of the nine-hole for Pittsburgh, went 2-for-5 at the plate with two three-run home runs and two strikeouts. It was just Flores' 20th game in the big leagues after debuting in 2025 in Pittsburgh by playing seven games. The 25-year-old right-handed-hitting backstop came into Thursday's contest in Miami with a .200 average (5-for-25) with a homer, two RBI, six walks, and seven strikeouts in 12 games with the Bucs in 2026. Flores came into the game with just one hit in his last 15 at-bats in his previous eight games, and although his performance on Thursday was a big one, it's unlikely to boost his playing time dramatically as the primary backup to Henry Davis with Endy Rodriguez (hip) currently on the 10-day injured list. Per MLB Pipeline, Flores is the Pirates' No. 21-ranked prospect.

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The Seattle Mariners sent struggling rookie infielder Colt Emerson to Triple-A Tacoma on Thursday, according to Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times. The top prospect and former first-rounder in 2023 made his MLB debut on May 17, but he did not live up to his high expectations this year, slashing .190/.246/.335 with a .581 OPS, eight home runs, 23 RBI, 24 runs scored, three stolen bases, a 34.4% strikeout rate, and a 6.2% walk rate in his first 68 games across 241 plate appearances. There's still time for Emerson to return to the big-league level before the end of the season at the end of September, but for now, he'll head back to the farm to work on his swing and make more contact at the plate. With J.P. Crawford (wrist) still on the injured list, Leo Rivas is the most likely candidate to see a boost in playing time at the 6 in Seattle with Emerson being sent down. Emerson is rostered in under 10% of Yahoo leagues and is not a must-hold in deep single-year fantasy leagues.

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Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman (soreness) is starting at first base and will bat cleanup for the Blue in Thursday's series opener against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers and left-hander Shane Drohan, per MLB.com. Freeman had a scary moment in Wednesday's win over the Kansas City Royals when he fell into the dugout at Dodger Stadium while chasing a pop-up in foul ground, and he was dealing with soreness in his hand, knee, and shoulder after the game. However, it was not enough to keep the former MVP and 10-time All-Star out of the lineup for the opener of a big series against the Brewers. Despite facing a left-hander on Thursday, Freeman should be in all starting fantasy lineups in traditional formats as he brings a .306/.380/.472 slash line into the contest with an .852 OPS, 15 home runs, 57 RBI, 58 runs scored, and five stolen bases. Freeman has hit .272 (40-for-147) with four of his 15 homers on the year against lefties, and he's gone hitless in just two career at-bats against Drohan.

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Cleveland Guardians catcher/outfield prospect Cooper Ingle got back on the multi-hit game train on Wednesday, reaching base in all five plate appearances after a 2-for-2 effort that included a single, a double, three walks, and two runs scored. The Guardians' third-ranked prospect was 1-for-16 (.063) in his previous four games, but that was preceded by a phenomenal streak of eight consecutive games where he collected at least two hits in each game. The former fourth-rounder is batting .378 in the 24 games since returning to Columbus after a brief debut with the big-league club, which includes 10 doubles and six home runs. For the season at Triple-A, the Clemson product is slashing a robust .318/.435/.591 with 18 home runs and a superb 17.4 percent walk rate in 75 games with the Clippers. He'll likely get another shot in the majors in the coming weeks, and the 24-year-old offers enough contact and power to make for an intriguing stash option in deeper 14+ team leagues.

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Detroit Tigers pitching prospect River Ryan (hamstring) was injured during his time in the Dodgers' organization and was placed on the injured list back on June 26 with an ailing hamstring. Since then, there has been little update on his progress other than that he was throwing off a mound before being traded away in the Tarik Skubal deal. Assuming the Tigers' newly anointed top pitching prospect will need to face some live hitters and make a rehab start or two before being assigned to Triple-A Toledo (or perhaps Detroit), it makes a September return the most optimistic of scenarios. The 6-foot-2 hurler was showing well outside of one blowup start before going down with injury, and had an impressive debut with the Dodgers back in 2024, so there is a lot to like in his profile, but without a clear timeline for return, there is little reason to stash the 27-year-old in most redraft leagues.

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The Athletic's Katie Woo suggests that Los Angeles Dodgers veteran outfielder Teoscar Hernandez could lose playing time going forward due to his ongoing offensive struggles, especially against right-handed pitchers. Manager Dave Roberts is known for letting his veteran players swing their way out of slumps, but it was notable when Hernandez was pinch-hit for in Sunday's loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Roberts did it again in the sixth inning on Monday against the Kansas City Royals, and Woo suggests that the skipper will likely sit Hernandez against righty starters for the near future, with utility man Tommy Edman the most logical candidate to take over the majority of the reps in left field. "Since he's come back (from the IL), versus right just hasn't been to his standard, our standard," Roberts said of Hernandez. He was hitting .276 with a .348 on-base percentage before his Grade 1 hamstring strain at the end of May, but entering play on Wednesday, Hernandez was slashing .209/.258/.357 since returning from the injured list.

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Miami Marlins pitching prospect Karson Milbrandt will get another opportunity to right the ship at Triple-A Jacksonville when he makes his next start for the Jumbo Shrimp this coming Saturday. The Marlins' fourth-ranked prospect pitched well enough at Double-A earlier this year to earn a promotion to Triple-A in early June, and after looking good for three starts, the right-hander has now allowed three earned runs or more in each of his last seven appearances, posting a gaudy 12.49 ERA, 2.51 WHIP, -4.1 percent K-BB%, and allowing opponents to hit a whopping .344 off him over that span. After looking like a lock to debut earlier this season with the big-league rotation very much in need of help, that is looking more like a long shot at this point. If the 22-year-old can string together a couple of consecutive good outings, then perhaps that outlook changes, but at this point, there isn't a need to stash him in redraft leagues.

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New York Yankees pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez struggled with command in his latest outing, walking five batters in just four innings of work, which was the fourth time this season he's walked four or more batters in an appearance. This latest step back followed two back-to-back solid showings from the Yankees' third-ranked prospect, whose ERA stands at 2.85 but with a 4.02 FIP, along with a 1.32 WHIP due in part to a high 12.5 percent walk rate. The right-hander will likely find himself back in New York in the coming weeks after having debuted with the club earlier this year, but after posting a 4.76 ERA (5.14 FIP) and not having pitched more than 4 2/3 innings in any of his four starts with the Yankees, optimism from a fantasy perspective should be tempered. The 22-year-old will make another start for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Thursday, so any interested fantasy managers should monitor for any positive developments.

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Cleveland Guardians first base/outfield prospect Ralphy Velazquez endured a 0-for-21 six-game stretch in late July, but since then, the Guardians' top-ranked prospect has been on an otherworldly power binge, blasting nine home runs in his last 12 games at Triple-A Columbus, including two home runs in Wednesday's contest, while batting .319 (15-for-47) over that time. The former first-rounder earned a promotion to Triple-A in mid-May and after scuffling a bit, he appears to be settling in just fine against the stiffer competition. The left-handed hitter is now slashing .258/.338/.485 with 13 home runs in 60 games with the Clippers, while striking out at a slightly-better-than-average rate of 21.5 percent and producing an 88th-percentile barrel rate of 12.4 percent that foretells more home runs to come. The 21-year-old could be the next Guardians prospect to debut this season, and should be considered a top stash option for power production in most 12-team leagues and deeper.

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The Minnesota Twins announced on Thursday that they reinstated outfielder Byron Buxton (hip) from the 10-day injured list. The Twins have not announced their starting lineup for Thursday's game at home against the Philadelphia Phillies and right-hander Aaron Nola, but we'd think that Buxton would be back in the lineup, potentially as the designated hitter. Buxton is finally back from a right-hip impingement that kept him out since July 28. Now that the 32-year-old three-time All-Star is back in Minnesota, fantasy managers should be ready to reinsert him into their starting lineups. Buxton had a career-high 35 home runs, drove in 83 runs, and stole 24 bags in a resurgent 2025 campaign, and although he hasn't been quite that good in 2026, his power continues to be very valuable for fantasy managers. He is returning to a .263/.320/.544 slash line with an .864 OPS, 25 home runs, 45 RBI, 57 runs scored, and seven steals through 82 games played this year. Buxton hit just .207 (6-for-29) with zero home runs in nine games in July before going on the IL, so the Twins are hoping he can get going again as they seek a playoff spot down the stretch.

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The Tampa Bay Rays top prospect Theo Gillen is having a very good age 20 season between two levels of the minors in 2026. Now with Double-A Montgomery, Gillen has hit .320 combined between two teams with 20 homers and 74 RBI to go with 78 runs and 39 stolen bases. The left-handed hitting outfielder is producing in all five-categories and offers a very balanced statistical profile for future fantasy leagues. But right now, Gillen may need more nurturing in the minors and could be looking at a few years down the road for a major-league debut. He's a name to remember, however, because of his 60-grade hit tool and 60-grade speed. He could be a very appealing power-speed combination in years to come. Dynasty managers will want to snatch him up for future teams as he looks like a potential stud.

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Pittsburgh Pirates first base/outfield prospect Edward Florentino has put up good numbers this season between two minor-league levels this season at age 19. Currently at High-A Greensboro, Florentino has 16 homers and 50 RBI in 73 games for the Grasshoppers while hitting .216 with 58 runs scored. The outfield/first base prospect is likely to make his way up the minor league ladder in the next few years, but is ranked as the No. 2 prospect in the Pirates' system. He has 60-grade power with a 50-grade hit tool and 55-grade speed. The left-handed hitter out of the Dominican Republic has the future tools to be a star, but at the age of 19 will need a few years to get some reps under his belt. A dynasty league stud, Florentino can be left on the waiver wire for the rest of this season in redraft leagues.

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