Cincinnati Reds pitching prospect Rhett Lowder (forearm, oblique) recently underwent an MRI on his left oblique, and it came back clean. This means he will be able to begin throwing from a mound and is already scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Sunday. The Reds' second-ranked prospect missed the first couple of months of the season, only to return for four games before hitting the injured list again. It's a lost season for the right-hander who was able to catapult himself all the way to the majors last year after he began the year at High-A, pitching to a 1.17 ERA and 1.27 WHIP in six starts for the Reds. However, a 6.3 percent K-BB% and 4.73 xFIP left a lot to be desired and suggested the results were better than expected. Still, at just 23 years old, the seventh overall draft pick from the 2024 Draft should have a shot at the big league rotation in 2026, and if he can replicate some of the success he had in 2024, the righty should have some fantasy value next year.

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Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte is out of the starting lineup ahead of Sunday's game against the Colorado Rockies. This appears to be a routine rest day for Marte after he started in each of the last 12 games. Marte is in the middle of a hot stretch at the plate. Over the last seven games, Marte is hitting .414 with two home runs and 11 RBI. Fantasy managers should expect Marte back in the lineup ahead of Monday's contest. Connor Kaiser will take over at second base and bat ninth against right-hander Antonio Senzatela on Sunday.

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Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Josh Lowe (oblique) remains out of the starting lineup ahead of Sunday's game against the San Francisco Giants. This comes a day after Lowe was scratched ahead of Saturday's contest due to oblique tightness. The organization is hopeful to avoid a stint on the injured list, but oblique issues sometimes are tricky. Everson Pereira will take over center field while Jake Mangum moves to right field against right-hander Logan Webb on Sunday. Fantasy managers should check back on Tuesday for another update on Lowe. The Rays are off on Monday before beginning an important series against the New York Yankees on Tuesday.

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New York Yankees first baseman Paul Goldschmidt (knee) is back in the starting lineup ahead of Sunday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals. Goldschmidt is back in the mix after missing three games due to right knee soreness. He missed the first two games of this series, but will at least get to play one game against his former team. Goldschmidt was struggling at the plate before this injury, so maybe some extra rest will help him get back on track. Goldschmidt will bat sixth and play first base against right-hander Miles Mikolas on Sunday.

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San Francisco Giants third baseman Casey Schmitt (forearm) remains out of the starting lineup ahead of Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays. Schmitt was hit by a pitch on the forearm during Friday's contest. The X-rays came back negative, so Schmitt shouldn't require a stint on the injured list. He sat out on Saturday and is absent on Sunday as well. Hopefully, Schmitt will be back in the mix early next week. In his absence, Christian Koss will cover third base and bat sixth against right-hander Ryan Pepiot on Sunday.

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St. Louis Cardinals outfield prospect Nathan Church has been called up from Triple-A Memphis for his major league debut. The Cardinals' 14th-ranked prospect has hit well all season, including a .336 batting average at Double-A Springfield before earning a promotion to Triple-A at the beginning of June. The 25-year-old slashed .332/.396/.517 with seven home runs and eight steals in 52 games for the Redbirds, hitting safely in six of his last seven games before the promotion to the big leagues. The left-handed slugger will get the start in center field on Sunday and will bat ninth in the order. The former 11th-round draft pick doesn't strike out much, witha career 11.0 percent strikeout rate in the minors, and has some speed, but a lack of power and hitting at the bottom of the order are drawbacks for fantasy. As such, the UC-Irvine product should onlybe considered in deeper and NL-only leagues for now.

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Minnesota Twins pitcher Thomas Hatch will take the mound against the Detroit Tigers on Sunday. The Twins are in desperate need of pitching with Simeon Woods Richardson (illness) and Pablo Lopez (shoulder) both sidelined right now. Hatch should be able to offer some length after throwing 4.1 innings in each of his last two outings. It's worth noting that Hatch allowed four earned runs and walked seven batters during his latest outing. He's not a recommended streaming option for Sunday's game.

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The St. Louis Cardinals have placed outfielder Victor Scott II (ankle) on the 10-day injured list with a sprained left ankle and promoted outfielder Nathan Church from Triple-A Memphis in a corresponding move. It's no surprise that Scott will miss time after injuring his ankle in a 12-8 loss to the New York Yankees on Saturday. Scott had to exit a few innings after crashing into the center field wall while trying to take a home run away from Aaron Judge. The 24-year-old has been an asset in the field and on the bases (31 steals), but he has only managed a .223/.311/.312 line with five homers, 35 RBI, and 49 runs scored in 402 plate appearances this season. Church, 25, is making his major league debut Sunday and starting in Scott's place in center field.

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Kansas City Royals first baseman/designated hitter Vinnie Pasquantino (illness) is in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Chicago White Sox. Pasquantino exited the Royals' 6-2 win over the White Sox early on Saturday with a heat-related illness, but he's making a quick return. The 27-year-old will DH and hit third against right-hander Davis Martin, while Salvador Perez will man first base and bat fifth. Pasquantino has put together a respectable .259/.320/.448 line with a career-high 22 homers, 80 RBI, and 48 runs scored in 513 plate appearances this season. He's 3-for-7 with a pair of HRs against Martin.

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The Cincinnati Reds announced that they have designated outfielder Jake Fraley (knee) for assignment. The team recalled outfielder Will Benson from Triple-A Louisville to take his roster spot. Fraley hyperextended his right knee on a defensive error in left field during a loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday. Although he checked out OK after the game, the Reds are moving on in the hopes that Fraley will get more playing time elsewhere, according to manager Terry Francona. A member of the Reds since 2022, Fraley set career highs in games (116) and plate appearances (382) last season, and he batted .277/.330/.386 with five homers, 26 RBI, 44 runs scored, and 20 stolen bases. Fraley has come back this year to hit just .232 with six HRs, 23 RBI, 29 runs, and four steals in 193 trips to the plate, though his .719 OPS is a slight improvement over last year's .716 mark. The 30-year-old has gone a ghastly 1-for-17 in seven games this month, however, and the Reds are ready to go in another direction.

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New York Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger (illness) is back in the lineup on Sunday after missing Saturday's 12-8 win over the St. Louis Cardinals with an illness. Bellinger will play right field and hit cleanup in a meeting with Cardinals starter Miles Mikolas. The 30-year-old is mired in a slump this month, having gone 7-for-50 (.140) with two home runs and six RBI in 13 games in August. Despite that, Bellinger's first season as a Yankee has been a success. The former MVP has slashed .267/.322/.485 with 22 homers, 69 RBI, 66 runs scored, and 10 stolen bases in 482 plate appearances. Mikolas has had Bellinger's number, though, as he's just 2-for-20 with three RBI, five strikeouts, and one walk against the right-hander.

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The Texas Rangers announced that they have placed right-hander Jon Gray (shoulder) on the 15-day injured list. Gray is going on the shelf with thoracic outlet syndrome, manager Bruce Bochy revealed. It's an ominous injury that continues a brutal season for Gray. The 33-year-old suffered a fractured forearm in spring training and didn't make his debut until July 23. Since then, opposing offenses have crushed Gray in six appearances out of the bullpen. He has logged a 7.71 ERA with a 1.50 WHIP and 12:6 K:BB across 14 innings. It was reported on Saturday that Gray went through waivers unclaimed and would remain with Texas. Now, in light of this injury, it wouldn't be a surprise if he's done for the year.

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The Philadelphia Phillies optioned infielder/outfielder Otto Kemp to Triple-A Lehigh Valley before Sunday's game against the Washington Nationals. Philadelphia made the move to clear room for the return of third baseman Alec Bohm (ribs) from the 10-day injured list. The 25-year-old Kemp has provided defensive versatility with double-digit appearances in left field and at both corner infield positions. However, he hasn't offered much with the bat in his first 46 games in the majors. Across 161 plate appearances, Kemp has hit a subpar .228/.298/.359 with four homers, 17 RBI, 17 runs scored, and a 30.4% strikeout rate. He got off to a 4-for-23 start with 11 strikeouts in eight games this month before the Phillies sent him down.

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Houston Astros designated hitter/outfielder Yordan Alvarez (hand) will begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Corpus Christi on Tuesday, manager Joe Espada told reporters. Alvarez has made a slow recovery from a fractured right hand that has shelved him since May 2. There's finally light at the end of the tunnel for the star slugger, though, with the Astros expecting him back later this month if he doesn't suffer any setbacks. Alvarez batted an uncharacteristically poor .210/.306/.340 line with four home runs and 18 RBI in 121 plate appearances before he went on the injured list. Nevertheless, considering the four-time 30-HR hitter's stellar track record, the Astros and fantasy managers will be thrilled to get him back for the last few weeks of the regular season.

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The Baltimore Orioles announced that they have reinstated outfielder Colton Cowser (head) from the seven-day concussion injured list. He'll play center field and hit fifth Sunday against Houston Astros right-hander Cristian Javier. Cowser, who last played Aug. 6, will try to get back on track after going 3-for-20 with one RBI, 11 strikeouts, and one walk in six games this month prior to his IL stint. The 25-year-old smacked 24 home runs and put up a .768 OPS as a rookie in 2024, but multiple injuries (including a broken left thumb) have limited him to 56 games this season. Cowser has taken 215 trips to the plate and hit a below-average .213/.279/.401 with nine homers, 22 RBI, 23 runs scored, and six stolen bases.

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The Texas Rangers recalled infield/outfield prospect Cody Freeman from Triple-A Round Rock on Sunday, and he will start at third base and bat eighth in the series finale against the hosting Toronto Blue Jays and right-hander Jose Berrios. Freeman will get the nod at the hot corner with Josh Jung taking a day off, but fantasy managers shouldn't expect him to receive everyday playing time moving forward. The 24-year-old right-handed hitter and former fourth-rounder in 2019 will be playing in just his fifth major-league game. In four games earlier this season, he had a double and RBI with two strikeouts in seven plate appearances. Freeman has slashed an impressive .336/.382/.549 with 19 home runs, 71 RBI and eight steals in 97 games at Round Rock this year in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. He's ranked by MLB Pipeline as Texas' No. 24 prospect.

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Texas Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien (wrist) is back at second base and will hit sixth for Sunday's series finale in Toronto against the Blue Jays and right-hander Jose Berrios. Semien was hit by a pitch on his right wrist in Friday's loss and then was held out of Saturday's contest as a result. X-rays on the 34-year-old veteran's wrist came back negative, though, which will allow him to return for the final game of the series as Texas looks to avoid a sweep. It's been a disappointing 2025 campaign for the three-time All-Star, as he enters Sunday's tilt slashing .223/.299/.353 with a career-worst .652 OPS, 14 home runs, 59 RBI, 58 runs and 11 stolen bases in his 122 games played. He's been much worse in August, hitting .157 (8-for-51) with a homer, six RBI and seven strikeouts in 13 gaems. Semien has hit .250 with a homer and two RBI in 12 career at-bats versus Berrios.

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The Milwaukee Brewers announced on Sunday that they reinstated outfielder Blake Perkins from the bereavement list and optioned outfielder Steward Berroa to Triple-A Nashville in a corresponding move. Perkins is starting in center field and is batting sixth for Sunday's series finale against the division-rival Cincinnati Reds and left-hander Andrew Abbott. The 28-year-old Perkins missed the team's last two games due to a personal issue, but he's back now and will continue to serve as the red-hot Brewers' starting center field until Jackson Chourio (hamstring) returns from the injured list. Perkins is hitting a very modest .264/.338/.472 on the year with an .810 OPS, three home runs, nine RBI, 19 runs and five steals in 72 at-bats, but all three of his home runs have come in August. Perkins is hitless in 11 career at-bats against Abbott.

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Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena (illness) is feeling good enough to return to the starting lineup for Sunday's series finale against the visiting Baltimore Orioles and right-hander Dean Kremer. Pena is starting at shortstop and batting leadoff. The 27-year-old was under the weather and did not play in the first two games of the series at Daikin Park. He is having a fantastic year at the plate for the Astros, batting .317 (115-for-363) with 13 home runs, 45 RBI, 52 runs scored and 17 stolen bases in 94 games played. The Dominican has kept it up in the month of August, too, going 13-for-46 (.283) with two home runs, two doubles, a triple, five RBI, four runs and two stolen bases in 12 games played. Fantasy managers will want to get Pena back in their starting lineups, even though he has just one hit in 10 career at-bats against Kremer.

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Boston Red Sox rookie infielder Marcelo Mayer (wrist) will undergo season-ending surgery on his right wrist, according to manager Alex Cora. Mayer was placed on the 10-day injured list on July 25 with a right-wrist sprain and received an anti-inflammatory shot, but it won't prevent him from missing the rest of the year. The 22-year-old is expected to be out for three months, so he should be fully ready for spring training next year and the start of the 2026 campaign. Mayer was one of the team's top prospects at the time of his call-up earlier this year, but the former fourth overall pick in 2021 struggled at the plate in his first 44 games, going 29-for-127 (.228) with four home runs, 10 RBI and 20 runs scored over 136 trips to the plate. He will most likely be competing for a starting role in Boston's infield in spring training next year.

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