Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman (soreness) said he's just sore after falling into the dugout while trying to catch a pop-up in Wednesday's game against the Kansas City Royals, and he's hoping to play on Thursday in the series opener against the Milwaukee Brewers, according to David Vassegh of 570 AM LA Sports. Dodgers trainer Thomas Albert said that Freeman is dealing with a sore hand, knee, foot, and shoulder. Freeman apparently wants to play against Milwaukee on Thursday, but manager Dave Roberts might have other plans to give him a day off. The 36-year-old veteran, former MVP, and 10-time All-Star went 1-for-2 with a walk and a strikeout in Wednesday's 4-2 win over KC, and he's now slashing a cool .306/.380/.472 with an .852 OPS, 15 home runs, 57 RBI, 58 runs scored, and five steals in 118 games in 2026 in his 17th year in the majors. Despite his age, Freeman is a must-start in all fantasy baseball leagues when he's in the Dodgers' lineup. Check back to see if he's active on Thursday night against Brewers lefty Shane Drohan.

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Cubs' 3B Alex Bregman had seven RBIs going 3-for-3 with three home runs in a 12-6 win over Washington on Wednesday, Aug. 12.

Chicago White Sox's SP Luis Castillo recorded 10 strikeouts in 7 innings collecting the win in a 5-0 win over the Reds on Wednesday, Aug. 12.

Chicago Cubs veteran third baseman Alex Bregman came to play on Wednesday on the road against the Washington Nationals, going a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with three home runs, a career-high seven RBI, and two walks to boost his season average to .256 and his OPS to .759. It was the first three-homer game of Bregman's career and his second multi-homer performance of the 2026 season. The 32-year-old three-time All-Star has mostly been mediocre offensively for the Cubbies this year in his first season with the team, as he entered Wednesday's contest with a .251/.341/.388 slash line, a career-low .729 OPS, 13 home runs, 54 RBI, 66 runs scored, and three stolen bases in 117 games across 537 plate appearances. Bregman is heating up since the start of August, though, as he's now sporting a 1.123 OPS with five home runs and 14 RBI in just 11 games played. His underlying batted-ball metrics don't exactly point to a massive turnaround before the season's end, but fantasy managers should definitely be riding his current hot streak at the dish.

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Pittsburgh Pirates infield prospect Termarr Johnson (knee) is expected to be placed on the 7-day Injured List, according to Danny Demilio. Johnson will head to the shelf after suffering a left knee injury on August 8. He stumbled over first base and landed awkwardly, which resulted in Johnson being carted off the field. It doesn't sound like the young slugger is going to be back anytime soon. In 96 games at Triple-A Indianapolis, Johnson is slashing .199/.336/.319 with eight home runs, 37 RBI, and 24 stolen bases. He was a first-round pick of the Pirates from the 2022 draft. Given the timing of this injury, Johnson is unlikely to play in Pittsburgh this season. There should be more information on his injury in the coming days.

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Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Griffin Jax (elbow) received an injection in his right elbow after a visit with Dr. Keith Meister, according to Ryan Bass. Jax appears to be in a good place after landing on the 15-day Injured List on Sunday due to right elbow discomfort. Rays' manager Kevin Cash said they plan to give Jax a few days off to rest and then get him back to throwing. This is looking like a best-case scenario where Jax avoids surgery and could return when first eligible on August 21. Fantasy managers who panic dropped Jax might want to consider adding him again. The right-hander could be back in the rotation in a few weeks, assuming everything goes well. He's worth a stash in fantasy formats where he was dropped.

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Kansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia (hand) is expected to begin a minor league rehab assignment with Double-A Northwest Arkansas on Wednesday. This is encouraging news on Garcia, who has been sidelined since June 22 due to a strained muscle in his left hand. He was nearing a return before experiencing renewed soreness in his left in late July and needed to be pulled off his rehab assignment. It's unclear how long Garcia will need before rejoining the Royals, but he should be back in the mix within the next week or so. In the meantime, Nick Loftin should continue getting everyday reps at third base until Garcia is ready. Fantasy managers looking for help for a playoff push should consider stashing Garcia.

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Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow (back) is scheduled to make another rehab start with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Friday, according to Katie Woo. The organization is hopeful to stretch Glasnow to around 60 pitches during Friday's outing. The expectation is he'll likely need one more rehab start after that before rejoining the Dodgers rotation. Glasnow has been out since early May due to lower back spasms. Barring any setbacks, Glasnow should be back in the Dodgers rotation by the end of August. If he's available, fantasy managers should scoop him up with his return on the horizon.

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San Francisco Giants shortstop Willy Adames (back) was pulled from Wednesday's game early against the Houston Astros due to a back injury that has been bothering him recently, according to Justice delos Santos of the San Jose Mercury News. Adames' back appeared to tighten up on him when he turned a double play in the seventh inning of the series finale at Oracle Park. Manager Tony Vitello said he doesn't think Adames will need to go on the injured list, but he'll sit in the series opener on Friday against the division-rival Colorado Rockies. Adames went 1-for- 3 at the plate with a walk in Wednesday's eventual 2-1 loss before being replaced at shortstop by Christian Koss, who moved over from third base. The 30-year-old Dominican hasn't hit for average all year, and he came into Wednesday's contest hitting .200 (7-for-35) with a homer, a double, three RBI, two runs, a stolen base, six walks, and 10 strikeouts in 10 games in August. Unless Adames goes on a power binge to close out the year, he will not have a third straight 30-homer campaign in his ninth year in the big leagues.

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Miami Marlins right-hander Max Meyer (neck, rib) received a cortisone shot in the rib area with the hope that it alleviates discomfort so that he can resume throwing soon, per Christina De Nicola of MLB.com. Meyer was placed on the 15-day injured list on July 20 with a neck strain, but apparently he's also been dealing with a rib injury that required an injection. Because the 27-year-old has been delayed in his return to a throwing program, it seems unlikely that he'd be able to rejoin the Marlins' starting rotation before the end of this month. However, we'll have a better timeline for his return once he resumes throwing off a mound. The former third overall pick in 2020 from the University of Minnesota was an All-Star this year in his fourth MLB campaign and was having an excellent season before his injury, going 9-1 with a career-low 2.68 ERA (3.49 FIP) and 1.13 WHIP with 121 strikeouts and 41 walks in 111 innings over his 20 starts. With a return expected this year, Meyer is being held in 76% of Yahoo leagues.

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The Detroit Tigers announced on Wednesday that they placed outfielder Riley Greene (hamstring) on the 10-day injured list with a strained right hamstring and selected the contract of outfielder Corey Julks from Triple-A Toledo in a corresponding move. With Greene out on Wednesday against the division-rival Cleveland Guardians and left-hander Foster Griffin, Ben Malgeri is starting in left field and will bat sixth. Malgeri, Julks, and James Outman could also see playing time in left field with Greene sidelined. The 25-year-old left-handed hitter tweaked his hamstring in Tuesday's game against Cleveland, and he'll be out for at least the next 10 days. Greene's injury coincides with a rough recent stretch at the plate in which he went 6-for-38 (.158) with a homer, a double, one RBI, nine runs scored, a stolen base, seven walks, and 14 strikeouts in his last 11 games, dating back to July 28. The former first-rounder and three-time All-Star has just 16 homers after clubbing 36 long balls and driving in 111 in 2025, but Greene should remain stashed in all fantasy baseball leagues while he recovers.

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New York Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger (hamstring) was seen running the bases on Wednesday for the second straight day at Yankee Stadium to test out his injured left hamstring, according to Pete Caldera of The Bergen Record. Bellinger hasn't been running at full speed, but he's close. The left-handed slugger has already taken on-field batting practice and done some shagging work in the outfield, and he appears to be nearing a minor-league rehab assignment as he tries to return since landing on the 10-day injured list in late July with a hamstring strain. Barring a setback once Bellinger plays in minor-league games, he could return to the Yankees' starting lineup by late August or early September. The 31-year-old former MVP and three-time All-Star is a lineup regular in the Bronx when he's healthy, and he'll be returning to a .259/.350/.420 slash line with a .770 OPS, 11 home runs, 53 RBI, 52 runs scored, and 10 stolen bases. Bellinger's second year with the Yanks certainly has not been as fruitful as his first, when he hit 29 homers, drove in 98 runs, and stole 13 bases in 152 regular-season games.

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Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras (hamstring) has been battling a hamstring issue of late, but he's starting at first base and is batting cleanup for Boston against the division-rival Toronto Blue Jays and right-hander Jose Soriano at the Rogers Centre on Wednesday, per MLB.com. The 34-year-old four-time All-Star has been one of the team's best offensive producers in 2026 in what has been a career year, as he's currently slashing .280/.389/.523 with a .912 OPS, 23 home runs, 70 RBI, 58 runs scored, and three stolen bases across 375 at-bats. However, the Venezuelan former catcher has struggled at the plate recently, and it might have something to do with his hamstring. After going 0-for-4 on Tuesday night, Contreras has gone just 4-for-24 (.167) with no extra-base hits in seven games so far in the month of August. He will look to start to turn things around on Wednesday against a pitcher that he has never faced.

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Washington Nationals corner infield prospect Yohandy Morales continues to produce at Triple-A Rochester, belting a home run in two of his last three games and drawing a walk in six straight contests, bringing his season-long slash line to .296/.373/.549 with 23 home runs. The Nats' 26th-ranked prospect's strikeout rate remains elevated at 25.3 percent, but it's an improvement over the 30.3 percent rate he registered at Triple-A in 2025. His power metrics such as average exit velocity, max exit velocity, barrel rate, and hard-hit rate all rank in the 91st percentile or better at Triple-A, so there is plenty of pop in his bat. Look for the former 40th-overall draft pick to get a shot in the majors in the coming weeks, and for fantasy managers in deeper 14+ team leagues searching the wire for home runs, the 24-year-old is a worthy stash option ahead of an eventual call-up.

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New York Mets pitching prospect Jack Wenninger's chances of making a 2026 debut are fading fast after the right-hander yielded six earned runs in back-to-back starts, allowing three home runs in one of those contests and conceding seven walks, one hit-by-pitch, and three wild pitches over 8 2/3 innings pitched (11 strikeouts) in all. The right-hander started the year strong, posting a 1.08 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and a 14.5 percent K-BB% over his first seven starts, but has recorded a 6.36 ERA, 1.64 WHIP, and a 6.4 percent K-BB% over his last 10 appearances. The Mets' ninth-ranked prospect will get a chance to right the ship in his next start on Wednesday for Syracuse, but as far as fantasy is concerned, the 24-year-old is off the stash radar in redraft leagues until further notice.

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Kansas City Royals outfield prospect Gavin Cross has an extra-base hit in three consecutive contests for Triple-A Omaha and is now on a mini four-game hit streak, during which time he has gone 7-for-17 (.412), including two doubles and a home run. The Royals' 26th-ranked prospect had been on a tear from late June to late July, hitting .352 while collecting a hit in 26 of 27 games, but despite that and his recent four-game run, the former ninth-overall draft pick is still only batting .249 on the year with a .734 OPS. There is intriguing power and speed in his profile, but the 6-foot-2 slugger owns a high strikeout rate of 28.8 percent which could lead to additional cold spells. Even so, the 25-year-old should get a shot in the majors before the season is out, although there is little reason to stash him in redraft leagues.

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Seattle Mariners first baseman Josh Naylor (wrist) is starting at first base and is batting sixth on Wednesday against the hosting New York Yankees and right-hander Will Warren, according to MLB.com. Naylor will return to action in the Bronx after taking the day off on Tuesday with soreness in his right wrist. Fantasy managers will want to get the 29-year-old left-handed slugger back in their starting lineups on Wednesday in traditional fantasy leagues against a right-hander. Naylor has been swinging a hot bat since July 26 in a span of 13 games, going 15-for-48 (.313) with an .898 OPS, two home runs, four doubles, five RBI, four runs scored, and two stolen bases in 53 plate appearances. The Canadian native has hit just 10 home runs in his 430 at-bats in 2026, but he also has 23 stolen bases and continues to be a rare speed threat at first base for fantasy managers. Naylor has gone hitless in just one career at-bat against Warren.

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New York Mets first base/outfield prospect Ryan Clifford has gone ice cold at the plate over the last month, going 5-for-55 (.091) over his last 15 games. The Mets' eighth-ranked prospect has had a forgettable season overall, but the recent downturn has pushed his slash line to .182/.275/.358 with a sky-high 37.3 percent strikeout rate that ranks the worst at Triple-A among qualified hitters. On the bright side, after a 29-home run campaign in 2025, the 6-foot-3 slugger has still been able to produce 16 long balls in 100 games for Syracuse in 2026, but it may do little for his chances to make an MLB debut this year. The 23-year-old looks like he needs more seasoning at Triple-A before making the jump, and fantasy managers in redraft leagues can safely leave him on the waiver wire for now.

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Pittsburgh Pirates pitching prospect Hunter Barco looked sharp in his latest outing at Triple-A Indianapolis, tossing six innings of one-hit ball while walking two and striking out three. The Pirates' ninth-ranked prospect has worked as both a starter and reliever for Indy this year, with much better results as a starter, posting a 2.75 ERA and 1.19 WHIP compared to a 6.94 ERA and 1.97 WHIP. The former second-rounder debuted with the Pirates last year, and made six appearances earlier in 2026, all out of the bullpen. The 6-foot-4 hurler could get another shot in Pittsburgh this year, but his fantasy relevance will depend on whether he's working as a starter or reliever. With the Bucs acquiring Clay Holmes, there currently isn't a need for a closer, and long relief would only make him viable in leagues that reward holds. Even so, the 25-year-old is a name worth monitoring in the event Paul Skenes' recent velocity dip turns into anything more serious and the Pirates end up needing a rotation arm.

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Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton (hip) was mashing during on-field batting practice at Target Field on Tuesday and could be close to coming off the 10-day injured list, according to Chris Long. Manager Derek Shelton said that Thursday is a possibility for Buxton. The 32-year-old veteran has been sidelined since the end of July due to a right-hip impingement, but he appears close to being ready to rejoin the major-league starting lineup without going on a minor-league rehab assignment. The Twins face the Philadelphia Phillies for the Field of Dreams game on Thursday, which would be a nice time for Buxton to make his return. Although the 12-year veteran doesn't run much these days, he continues to be an excellent source of power in 2026 (25 homers) after clubbing a career-high 35 long balls a year ago. Buxton was struggling at the plate in July in nine games before his hip injury, though, going 6-for-29 (.207) with a double, two RBI, a run scored, two walks, and seven strikeouts. He hasn't homered since June 22.

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