Former All-Star starting pitcher Aaron Sanchez is attempting to make a comeback after last pitching in the big leagues in 2022 with the Washington Nationals and Minnesota Twins, where he went a combined 3-4 with a 6.60 ERA and 1.55 WHIP while striking out 41 and walking 15 in 60 innings over 15 appearances (10 starts). The 33-year-old former first-rounder by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2010 pitched last season for Triple-A Buffalo, where he had an ugly 7.92 ERA with 41 strikeouts and 39 walks in 61 1/3 innings. It's unclear how good of shape Sanchez is in and whether any team will give him a minor-league deal for the second half of the 2025 season. He was an All-Star for Toronto back in 2016, but his career was cut short due to injuries, and he'll be a long shot to return to the majors after taking so much time off.

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The Baltimore Orioles announced on Wednesday that they claimed right-hander Elvin Rodriguez off waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers and optioned him to Triple-A Norfolk, according to Jake Rill of MLB.com. Rodriguez returned to the big leagues this year with Milwaukee after spending most of 2023 and all of 2024 in Japan. The 27-year-old Dominican hurler appeared in just six games (two starts) for the Brew Crew, going 0-2 while allowing 18 earned runs on 23 hits (seven home runs), walking seven and striking out 17 in 18 2/3 innings pitched. He had a 4.25 ERA and 1.25 WHIP with 25 strikeouts and only six walks in 29 2/3 innings over 16 appearances (two starts) while at Triple-A Nashville. Rodriguez made his MLB debut in 2022 with Detroit and has a rough 9.23 ERA, 1.68 WHIP and 47:22 K:BB in 14 major-league outings (seven starts).

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The Milwaukee Brewers reinstated left-hander Aaron Ashby from the paternity list back on Monday and optioned right-hander Easton McGee to Triple-A Nashville in a corresponding move. Ashby was away from the team for the birth of his child for the final three games of the first half of the season last weekend, but he's now back with the club and will be available out of the bullpen for the start of the second half this Friday in Los Angeles against the Dodgers. The 27-year-old southpaw got a late start to the 2025 season due to injury, but he's made up for lost time and has been a key arm in Milwaukee's bullpen through his 13 outings, as he's posted a sharp 1.66 ERA (2.67 FIP), a 1.06 WHIP, one save, 26 strikeouts and seven walks in 21 2/3 innings pitched. With how well he's pitching in relief, it's worth wondering if the Brewers will return him to a starting role eventually.

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Cleveland Guardians second base prospect Travis Bazzana (oblique) is scheduled to be activated off the minor-league injured list to rejoin Double-A Akron when the team resumes play in the second half of the season on Friday at Double-A Altoona, according to Guardians Prospective. Bazzana, the team's top prospect per MLB Pipeline, has been on the minor-league IL since the middle of May with a strained right oblique, but the 22-year-old started a rehab assignment on July 5 and has gone 4-for-18 with two RBI, seven runs and a steal. The left-handed-hitting Australian from Oregon State was hitting .252 (32-for-127) with four home run, 17 RBI, 29 runs scored and eight stolen bases in 33 contests with Akron before his oblique injury. Bazzana should be stashed in most dynasty/keeper leagues, but there's a good chance he won't make his MLB debut until 2026.

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Milwaukee Brewers right fielder Sal Frelick (hamstring) has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 hamstring strain, and his status for Friday's series opener at Dodger Stadium against the Los Angeles Dodgers is to be determined, according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. The Brewers will monitor Frelick's progress the next few days before deciding if he needs a stint on the injured list. The 25-year-old was injured in the last game of the first half of the season on Sunday and could be out another week or so if he's not ready to return to action this weekend in L.A. If Frelick lands on the IL, the Brewers could call up Blake Perkins from the minors to play some right field in Milwaukee. Frelick is having the best year of his career in his third big-league season, hitting .294/.354/.404 with a .758 OPS, seven home runs, 39 RBI, 46 runs and 17 stolen bases in 93 games played.

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Minnesota Twins outfield prospect Gabriel Gonzalez is currently tied for the minor leaguelead in total hits with 108, including 29 doubles, which are the third-most in the minors. On the back of a 12.0 percent strikeout rate and minuscule 7.7 percent swinging-strike rate, the Twins' 17th-ranked prospect has helped himself to a robust .347/.420/.527 slash line through 78 games (34 at High-A, 44 at Double-A). The Venezuelan was the team's fourth-ranked prospectlast year, but an uninspiring 2024 led to a drop in ranking. However, he looks to be returning to the once-promising form he showed while in the Seattle organization before coming over in the deal that sent Jorge Polanco westward. He looks ready for a test at Triple-A, and the 21-year-old could be making fantasy waves next year if everything goes right.

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The Philadelphia Phillies have set their starting rotation for this weekend coming out of the All-Star break, per Matt Gelb of The Athletic. Left-hander Jesus Luzardo will get the nod for Friday's series opener at Citizens Bank Park against the visiting Los Angeles Angels. He will be following by right-hander Taijuan Walker on Saturday and lefty Ranger Suarez for the series finale on Sunday. Right-hander Zack Wheeler will start Monday's series opener at home against the Boston Red Sox, and lefty Cristopher Sanchez will make his first start of the second half next Tuesday. Walker has outperformed expectations as a swing man for the Phils in 2025, posting a 3.55 ERA (4.30 FIP) and 1.30 WHIP with 49 K's and 24 walks in 58 1/3 frames in 20 outings (nine starts). Although he's been valuable for Philly this year, Walker remains a low-upside fantasy streamer in what will be his 10th start of the season.

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Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports that Atlanta Braves left-hander Chris Sale (ribs) played catch on Tuesday. Sale isn't eligible to come off the 60-day injured list until after Aug. 19, but he's at least making progress toward an eventual return to the team's starting rotation later this season. Tuesday was the first time that last year's National League Cy Young winner has thrown a baseball since he was diagnosed with a fractured left rib cage almost a month ago. The 36-year-old veteran southpaw should pitch for the Braves again this year, but by the time he returns, there won't be much time left for him to make an impact for his fantasy managers. Still, he's worth stashing in all formats for his high-end upside when healthy. In 15 starts before his injury, Sale had gone 5-4 with a 2.52 ERA and 1.16 WHIP with 114 strikeouts and 26 walks in 89 1/3 innings pitched.

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Veteran right-hander Shintaro Fujinami has signed with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars of Nippon Professional Baseball, the team announced Tuesday. Fujinami pitched in the NPB from 2013-22 and put up a quality 3.41 ERA in 994 1/3 innings, leading to interest from major league clubs. He joined the Athletics on a one-year, $3.25 million deal heading into 2023, which proved to be his lone season in the bigs. Fujinami combined for 79 innings and a disastrous 7.18 ERA that year between the A's and the Baltimore Orioles. The 31-year-old has since spent time with the New York Mets and Seattle Mariners, but he was unable to crack the majors with either team. Fujinami logged a 5.79 ERA in 18 2/3 frames with the Mariners' Triple-A affiliate in Tacoma this season before returning to Japan.

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Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Jonny DeLuca (shoulder) has begun a rehab assignment in the Florida Complex League as he works back from a strained right shoulder. The Rays have gone almost the whole season without DeLuca, who last played April 6 and has since suffered multiple setbacks in his rehab. He went 10-for-23 with four stolen bases and four runs scored before going on the IL. Over a much larger sample size in 2024, the 27-year-old batted .217/.278/.331 with six homers, 31 RBI, 29 runs, and 16 steals in 362 trips to the plate.

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The Kansas City Royals have agreed to acquire infielder/outfielder Adam Frazier from the Pittsburgh Pirates for minor league infielder Cam Devanney, according to Robert Murray of FanSided. This will be the second stint in Kansas City for Frazier, who spent last season with the Royals. He returned to Pittsburgh for a second go-around in the offseason, signing a one-year, $1.53 million contract. The former All-Star, 33, has hit just .255/.318/.336 with three homers, 21 RBI, 22 runs scored, and seven stolen bases in 262 plate appearances this year. The out-of-contention Pirates are now flipping him to the playoff-contending Royals, who have gotten terrible offensive production from their outfield this season. The versatile Frazier could be a step up over some of their other options, but this isn't a needle-moving trade from a fantasy perspective.

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The San Diego Padres have optioned catcher Luis Campusano to Triple-A El Paso. Now 26 years old, Campusano is a former standout prospect who has been unable to establish himself as a full-time major leaguer. While Campusano slashed an excellent .319/.355/491 with eight home runs and 40 RBI over 174 plate appearances in 2023, he hasn't approached that level of success in any other season. He has appeared in just 10 games this year and failed to record a hit in 27 plate appearances, going 0-for-21 with 11 strikeouts and six walks. The Padres have also gotten next to no offensive production from their other catchers, Martin Maldonado and Elias Diaz, so they could try to upgrade before the July 31 trade deadline.

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Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber was named the 2025 Ted Williams All-Star Game MVP in Tuesday's National League win over the American League in an extra-inning swing-off. During the game, Schwarber went 0-for-2 with a walk, but blasted three home runs in the swing-off to help the National League come home with the win. This was Schwarber's third All-Star game appearance, and certainly one for him to remember. Schwarber will take some time off over the next few days and look to help the Phillies win the NL East, as they currently lead the New York Mets by 0.5 games. Schwarber is currently slashing an impressive .247/.378/.545 with 30 home runs, 66 runs scored, and 69 RBI at the break.

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Colorado Rockies right-handed reliever Seth Halvorsen (forearm) was unavailable to pitch in the team's series against the Cincinnati Reds last weekend because of forearm fatigue. Halvorsen has been the Rockies' primary closer this season, but with him on the shelf, the team turned to Victor Vodnik to fill that role. Vodnik had an eventful weekend, picking up a save, a blown save, and a loss in two appearances. He may be first in line for saves should Halvorsen require a stint on the 15-day injured list. Halvorsen has converted eight of his 11 save opportunities while posting subpar numbers across 35 2/3 innings. The 25-year-old has logged a 5.30 ERA with a 1.57 WHIP and 32:17 K:BB

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Boston Red Sox left-hander Aroldis Chapman said he hasn't talked to the Red Sox about any contract beyond this season, beat writer Rob Bradford reports. Chapman is currently under a one-year, $10.75 million contract with the Red Sox, which is set to expire at the end of this season. Chapman is putting together a great campaign in 2025 thus far, which earned him a trip to Truist Park to be in the All-Star game this year. Chapman owns an impressive 1.18 ERA, 0.76 WHIP, and is holding opponents to a .143 batting average with 17 saves on the season. Even with this level of production, it appears the Red Sox have not yet discussed an extension for the 37-year-old from Cuba. The Red Sox won 10 games in a row leading up to the break and now sit only three games back in the AL East standings behind the Toronto Blue Jays.

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The Colorado Rockies have reported that shortstop Ezequiel Tovar (oblique) is likely to return after the All-Star break, according to Thomas Harding, the Rockies' beat writer. Tovar injured his oblique back on June 6, and over the past few weeks, he has played in six rehab games, struggling mightily. He's gone 3-for-25 with no extra-base hits, two runs scored, zero RBI, and has struck out six times. Tovar has proven himself as a solid bat in his four-year MLB career, slashing .260/.291/.435 with 45 home runs, 178 runs scored, 163 RBI, and 19 stolen bases, so fantasy managers who have been holding onto him or considering picking him up off the waiver wire should not be all that concerned about his production in Triple-A. In Tovar's absence, Ryan Ritter and Orlando Arcia have been playing shortstop and would likely see less time once Tovar returns. Fantasy teams looking for some middle infield help should take a flyer on Tovar, as his environment at Coors helps significantly.

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Cleveland Guardians right-hander Shane Bieber (elbow) was sharp in his rehab start against the Dodgers in the Arizona Complex League. He threw two innings, allowed one hit, no runs, one walk, and struck out five batters. While the line is solid for Bieber in this one, the most crucial thing will be that he does not experience any additional setbacks after the start. No issues have been reported to date, which is very encouraging. Bieber is recovering from Tommy John surgery last year. During his rehab journey, he experienced a minor setback in early June, which has unfortunately slowed down his timeline to return by about a month. Since the setback, he has worked his way back up from bullpens to live hitters, and Tuesday's rehab start is another encouraging sign. Fantasy managers will want to continue to monitor his progress, but it seems likely that the Guardians will want to ramp him up to 70-75 pitches before we see him return to the Majors.

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Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell (shoulder) took another step toward his eventual return to the Majors on Tuesday night. Snell completed his second rehab start on Tuesday, this time with the Dodgers' Arizona Complex League affiliate, tossing three innings, allowing one earned run, and racking up seven strikeouts. He appeared sharp in this outing, and now, with two rehab starts under his belt, he has logged five innings, striking out 11 and allowing only one run. Most importantly, zero walks. The Dodgers will likely aim to ramp him up to about 70-75 pitches before he returns to their starting rotation, but these are all positive signs for fantasy managers who have been stashing Snell on their IL. Snell has been on the shelf since April 3, and once he returns, Snell is the kind of player who can be a league-winner down the stretch. In his 10-year MLB career, he owns an impressive 3.18 ERA and a fantastic 11.17 K/9.

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Philadelphia Phillies infield prospect Aidan Miller swiped an impressive 34 bags throughout the first 69 games of the Double-A regular season. During this stretch, Miller posted a .234/.354/.379 slash line. He hit nine doubles, two triples, eight home runs, and held a 78:44 K:BB. However, he has begun to see his bat heat up, as evidenced by his .915 OPS, which includes two long balls and two doubles over his last 12 contests. Last season, the No. 21-ranked prospect in the sport on MLB.com spent most of his time playing between Low-A and High-A before earning a small look at Double-A over the final month. At Low-A and High-A, Miller held a .267/.375/.463 line with 28 doubles, 11 long balls, and 21 stolen bases in 97 games. If Miller can continue to find his swing, he should be in the mix to reach Triple-A later this season.

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Pittsburgh Pirates infield prospect Termarr Johnson has posted an underwhelming .176/.263/.306 slash line with one double and two stolen bases. During this stretch, he has struck out eight times and drawn three walks. Through 78 total games with Double-A Altoona this season, the former fourth overall pick from the 2022 MLB Draft has held a .247/.329/.3775 slash line with nine doubles, two triples, eight home runs, and 12 stolen bases. Johnson received a brief taste of Double-A at the end of the 2024 campaign and held a similar .229/.316/.396 line with two long balls across 14 games. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor the 21-year-old's progression as he could be in line to earn a similar taste of Triple-A at the end of this season. However, given his modest production, the Pirates may opt to keep him with Double-A to continue his development.

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