Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras (illness) is missing a second straight game on Friday in the series opener against the Athletics at Fenway Park due to an illness, per MLB.com. Nick Sogard will make another start at first base for the BoSox while batting leadoff on Friday against A's right-hander Jack Perkins. Contreras was pulled from Wednesday's contest early due to an illness and hasn't played since, but he should be back at some point for the series this weekend against the A's. When the 34-year-old Venezuelan returns, he'll need to be reinserted into all fantasy lineups in traditional formats as one of Boston's best all-around hitters in 2026 in his first year with the team. Contreras is currently batting a steady .288/.395/.540 with a .936 OPS, 23 home runs, 70 RBI, 57 runs scored, and three stolen bases in his 361 at-bats in 2026. Since the beginning of July, Contreras has hit .319 (23-for-72) with a 1.056 OPS, five homers, four doubles, 17 RBI, 16 runs, and a stolen base in 23 games.

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San Diego Padres starting pitcher Nick Pivetta (right elbow) will have his rehab progression paused for a few days after experiencing tightness during Tuesday's start with Single-A Lake Elsinore. Pivetta threw just 14 pitches before leaving the mound, although he was able to throw another 20-30 pitches in the bullpen afterward. He did not throw his scheduled bullpen Thursday and will not make his next rehab start on time while the Padres determine whether anything needs to change. The 33-year-old has been out since April with a flexor strain after going 1-2 with a 4.50 ERA and 24 strikeouts in 16 innings. Pivetta posted a 2.87 ERA and finished sixth in NL Cy Young voting last season. There is no timetable for his next rehab appearance, so fantasy managers will have to keep waiting.

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Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Hunter Greene (right elbow) will undergo surgery after seeking a second opinion, according to Pat Brennan. Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall said the procedure will involve the area around the ligament, though doctors will not know exactly what needs to be repaired until the operation begins. Greene already underwent surgery in March to remove bone chips and loose bodies from the same elbow before returning July 4. He made only five starts, going 2-2 with a 6.83 ERA, nine walks, and 33 strikeouts in 27 2/3 innings before returning to the injured list Aug. 5. Fantasy managers can move on in redraft leagues. His outlook for 2027 will depend heavily on what surgeons find and the type of procedure ultimately performed.

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Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton (right hip) is progressing slower than expected as he works back from another flare-up of his hip impingement, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune. Buxton is eligible to return from the 10-day injured list this weekend in Milwaukee, but he has yet to resume baseball activities after receiving an unspecified injection last week. The 32-year-old has increased his loading, isometric, and weight-training work and hopes to carry that progress onto the field over the next few days. This is Buxton's second IL stint because of the same hip issue. He is batting .263 with 25 home runs, 45 RBI, 57 runs, and seven steals in 82 games. Fantasy managers should keep him stashed, as there is still no firm timetable for his return.

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Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz (left hand) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday, according to Alex Stumpf. Cruz has been out since early June with non-displaced fractures of the fourth and fifth metacarpals in his left hand and was transferred to the 60-day injured list July 18. This will be his first game action in roughly two months. The 27-year-old was hitting .264/.350/.472 with 14 home runs, 44 RBI, 45 runs, and 21 stolen bases in 64 games before getting hurt. Pittsburgh has not announced how many rehab games Cruz will need before being activated. Still, getting him back into competitive games is a significant step, and fantasy managers should continue holding him as he works toward a return.

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Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (hamstring) remains out of the starting lineup Friday against the Philadelphia Phillies, marking his third straight absence. Guerrero last played Tuesday against the Houston Astros, going 0-for-3 with a walk before sitting Wednesday and Thursday. Manager John Schneider said earlier this week that Guerrero had been dealing with hamstring tightness but did not expect the issue to require a trip to the injured list. The 27-year-old is batting .259 with six home runs and 44 RBI this season. Kazuma Okamoto will start at first base Friday.

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St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker (right knee) is back in the starting lineup Friday against the Colorado Rockies. Walker was scratched shortly before Tuesday's game against the New York Yankees because of right knee inflammation and remained out Wednesday before the Cardinals had Thursday off. The 24-year-old was batting .285 with 22 home runs and 81 RBI when the issue surfaced. He had also collected two hits, including a triple, in Monday's series opener at Yankee Stadium. Walker's return after missing only two games is good news for fantasy managers, who can get him back into their lineups Friday.

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Los Angeles Angels right-handed pitcher George Klassen was recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake on Friday and will start against the Miami Marlins. The 24-year-old gets another shot after a difficult two-start stint in April, when he allowed six earned runs and walked 10 batters in just 4 2/3 innings. Klassen has been much better since returning to Salt Lake, particularly in July. He posted a 2.48 ERA and 0.99 WHIP with 38 strikeouts across 36 1/3 innings and was named the Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Month. The strikeouts led the PCL during that stretch. Klassen's first trip to the majors showed how quickly his control can unravel, but his recent run makes this return worth watching. He is a risky streamer for Friday and more of a deep-league option until he shows he can throw enough strikes against major-league hitters.

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Miami Marlins outfield prospect Cam Cannarella has produced since being called up to Triple-A Jacksonville. He has shown off his elite speed at Jacksonville with five stolen bases in 14 games with the Jumbo Shrimp. Cannarella is the No. 6 prospect for the Marlins and has a 60-grade run tool with a 55-grade hit tool. Between three levels of the minor leagues this season, Cannarella has 13 homers and 48 RBI in 244 at bats and has added 51 runs and 15 stolen bases while hitting .344. At age 22, the left-handed hitting Cannarella is showing off his skills in the minors, but might need more time at Triple-A before given an opportunity for a shot at Miami. He is okay to leave on the waiver wire at this point but could be useful in dynasty-league formats.

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St. Louis Cardinals outfield prospect Joshua Baez has performed all season at Triple-A Memphis, and it is starting to look like there is a realistic opportunity for him to make his MLB debut. Baez has 32 homers and 84 RBI at Memphis this season and has added 75 runs scored and 18 stolen bases with a .252 batting average. Baez is the No. 3 prospect in the Cardinals organization and is graded out at 60 for his power with a 50-grade hit tool and 50-grade run tool. St. Louis has an opening in the outfield, Baez's position, and they will likely add Baez to their outfield among Jordan Walker and Nathan Church. A highly productive power-speed combination, Baez makes an elite stash candidate, and given a chance to debut, he could produce in a big way for fantasy managers.

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Colorado Rockies first base/outfield prospect Charlie Condon hit a home run on Thursday night for Triple-A Albuquerque as he continues to produce at a high level ahead of a pending promotion to the MLB club. The homer was already Condon's second in August, and he has 22 total this season with 69 RBI while hitting .284. He also has 83 runs scored and six stolen bases. Condon is 23 years old and is the No. 3 prospect in the Rockies' system. The 2024 first-round draft pick is pushing for a chance at an MLB debut, and it's starting to look likely that he will be called up to Colorado, as he has some position flexibility at first base and outfield. He could provide an instant impact bat for the big league team as he has proven himself with a highly productive season at Triple-A. He is a priority name to stash away and add on the waiver wire.

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Minnesota Twins outfield prospect Walker Jenkins is coming off a two-homer game for Triple-A St. Paul on Thursday and has been red-hot so far in August. In four August games, Jenkins has a .421 batting average with those two homers and two RBI with four runs scored. Jenkins missed a lot of action this season in May with an injury but has been solid in his performance for St. Paul. In 209 at-bats with St. Paul, Jenkins has six homers and 17 RBI with 39 runs scored and 10 stolen bases. Jenkins, now 21-years-old, is knocking on the door for a promotion to Minnesota. Shortstop Kaelen Culpepper, the No. 2 prospect for the Twins behind Jenkins, was recently promoted, and Jenkins might not be far behind. There aren't many better stash candidates than Jenkins right now before the end of the season, and he could make a big impact in five categories for fantasy managers given a call-up.

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Seattle Mariners pitching prospect Kade Anderson has been lights-out all season long at Double-A Arkansas, and following the big-league club's trade of Luis Castillo at the deadline, there could be room for the talented left-hander in Seattle. Anderson has a 9-1 record this season with Arkansas and a 1.20 ERA and 0.66 WHIP. He also has 119 strikeouts in 82 1/3 innings for an extremely enticing strikeout rate. Anderson, now 22 years old, is the No. 1 prospect in the Mariners' system and boasts a 60-grade fastball and changeup with a 55-grade curveball and slider. Anderson looks like a great late-season stash in all fantasy leagues, and his upside is extremely high with his minimal ERA and WHIP coupled with his elite strikeout rate. The only question is whether the Mariners take a chance and call up Anderson to the big leagues.

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The New York Yankees called up infield prospect George Lombard Jr. from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to make his major-league debut on Tuesday against the St. Louis Cardinals, and he immediately made an impact, going 1-for-2 at the plate with a solo home run in the team's 2-0 victory. In his first two major-league games, Lombard has gone 2-for-6 in seven plate appearances. The club's top overall prospect, per MLB Pipeline, is here to stay and will be taking over the starting shortstop job in the Bronx from Anthony Volpe, who was sent down to Triple-A when Lombard came up. The former first-rounder in 2023 hit .268 (56-for-209) with six home runs, 21 RBI, 10 steals, and 44 runs scored in 56 games and 262 plate appearances with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre before his call-up. The 21-year-old is patient with advanced plate discipline as a hitter, and his power upside makes him an immediate waiver-wire priority in a starting role at a premium position in fantasy. Right now, Lombard is rostered in under half of Yahoo leagues.

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Seattle Mariners second baseman Cole Young had a recent eight-game hitting streak from July 26 through Aug. 2 that saw him go 15-for-34 (.441) with a home run, a double, two triples, three RBI, and six runs scored across 37 plate appearances. He capped it off with a 4-for-5 night against the Minnesota Twins on Aug. 2. Young has gone 0-for-9 with three walks in three games since losing his eight-game hitting streak, but the recent hot stretch had fantasy managers giving the 23-year-old a look off the waiver wire for middle-infield help in deeper leagues. The former 21st overall pick in the 2022 MLB draft is now hitting .263/.323/.412 with a .736 OPS, 14 home runs, 51 RBI, 54 runs scored, and three stolen bases across 116 games played and 465 plate appearances as a regular for the M's in his first full MLB season in 2026. Young has definitely taken a step forward in his second season in the big leagues, and he's quietly become a steady second base option in counting-stat leagues with improved power at the plate. And with a .280 expected batting average and .334 xwOBA, Young still has time to do more damage before his sophomore season comes to an end. He's rostered in only 21% of Yahoo leagues.

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Cincinnati Reds outfielder JJ Bleday may only be hitting .230 (70-for-304) on the year in 86 games and 361 plate appearances, but he reached the 20-homer mark for the second time in the last three seasons in Thursday's 6-5 win over the Athletics and is worth waiver-wire consideration down the stretch in fantasy baseball leagues if you need power. The 28-year-old left-handed-hitting outfielder has had a resurgence in 2026 in his first season in Cincinnati, and he has also dropped his strikeout rate from 26.5% last year to 21.3% this year while posting a career-best 14.4% walk rate. The former fourth overall pick by the Miami Marlins in 2019 from Vanderbilt University has hit under .200 with just five of his 20 homers on the year, and although he hit just over the Mendoza Line in 25 games in July, he did manage to hit six home runs in the month. Bleday definitely has his flaws, but fantasy managers shouldn't ignore his power from the left side. He's currently rostered in only 26% of Yahoo leagues.

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Detroit Tigers outfield prospect Max Clark made his major-league debut on July 31 against the Athletics and went 3-for-4 with two doubles, an RBI, two runs scored, and a walk in the team's 13-1 blowout victory. He's gone 8-for-24 (.333) with a home run, four RBI, and four runs scored in the early going in his first six big-league games. The 21-year-old former third overall pick in 2023 is the Tigers' top prospect and the No. 13 overall prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline, and he is already making an immediate impact in the majors. In 90 games (418 plate appearances) at Triple-A Toledo before his big-league call-up, Clark was slashing .276/.368/.434 with an .802 OPS, 11 home runs, 42 RBI, 21 stolen bases, and 65 runs scored for the Mud Hens. The left-handed-hitting outfielder has as much power/speed upside as any young player in the big leagues, and yet he's rostered in under half of Yahoo leagues still. If you need a spark, Clark is your guy. Paired with infielder Kevin McGonigle, the Tigers have two excellent table-setters at the top of their lineup for the foreseeable future.

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ESPN's Buster Olney, who was appearing on Just Baseball, said that Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson, who is represented by super agent Scott Boras, "in all likelihood isn't going to sign there long-term." It comes after the Orioles traded away the former first overall pick, switch-hitting All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman, to the division-rival Boston Red Sox on Monday for a giant prospect haul. The 25-year-old Henderson has two years of team control remaining, but after that, Olney thinks he will bolt for the open market. The former second-rounder in 2019 broke out with 37 home runs, 92 RBI, and 21 stolen bases in his second full MLB season with Baltimore in 2024, and although he had a career-high 30 steals the following season, he hit just 17 home runs in 2025. Henderson has continued to decline in 2026, as he's currently slashing .218/.297/.393 with a career-low .690 OPS, 18 home runs, 47 RBI, 65 runs scored, and only eight steals in 114 games and 518 plate appearances. His batted-ball metrics do not point to a turnaround anytime soon.

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Boston Red Sox catcher Adley Rutschman (wrist) hit in the indoor cage aggressively on Thursday after throwing to the bases on the field, according to MLB.com. Rutschman has been on the 10-day injured list since July 20 with inflammation in his left wrist. The 28-year-old switch-hitting backstop is making progress, although he will still likely need a minor-league rehab assignment before making his Red Sox debut, which probably won't come until around mid-August, barring a setback. The Red Sox sent a big package of prospects to the Baltimore Orioles for Rutschman at the trade deadline on Monday, giving them a major upgrade at catcher whenever he's fully recovered from his wrist injury. Rutschman has battled injuries since last year and is hitting .251/.331/.433 with a .764 OPS, eight home runs, 47 RBI, and 30 runs scored in 67 games across 284 plate appearances this year. The BoSox are hoping the three-time All-Star can return to his pre-injury form and help the team get into the postseason. He has just 17 homers in the last two seasons combined after hitting 52 long balls in his first three years in the league with the O's.

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The Minnesota Twins are promoting top infield prospect Kaelen Culpepper to the major leagues, according to Aaron Gleeman. Culpepper is currently viewed as the team's No. 2 prospect (behind only Walker Jenkins) and the overall No. 32 prospect in the sport on MLB.com. The budding infielder has battled injuries this season, but when on the field at Triple-A St. Paul, he has been nothing short of dominant. Through 74 games at the top club in the system, the former 21st overall selection has posted a .271/.367/.478 line with a .845 OPS. He has gone deep 14 times, added 15 doubles, and even swiped 17 bags. During the 2025 season, Culpepper hit 20 home runs and stole 25 bags over a 113-game stint. Managers should expect the infielder to see an everyday role at shortstop going forward. He is a priority target on the waiver wire in all formats given his elite five-category potential.

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