Seattle Mariners outfielder Victor Robles (shoulder) is targeting a return to the team in September. Robles has been throwing out to distances of 150 feet and hitting on the field this past week for the team. While he was said to feel around 80 percent healthy, the former Washington National aims to play again before the season ends. Robles has yet to slide or dive during pre-game workouts but remains positive in his desire to return. While the optimism remains, he is likely to have minimal fantasy impact, given how long he has been away and how little time remains in the season.

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The Pittsburgh Pirates reinstated left-hander Ryan Borucki (back) from the 15-day injured list on Friday. Borucki will return to Pittsburgh's bullpen for the first time since he went on the IL in the middle of June with a lower-back injury. The 31-year-old will remain off the fantasy radar moving forward, even though the Pirates have more opportunity for late-inning work after they traded David Bednar to the New York Yankees at this week's deadline. Borucki, a former 15th-rounder by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2012, will return to a 5.26 ERA (4.31 FIP) and 1.25 WHIP with 22 strikeouts and 11 walks in 25 2/3 innings pitched this year. He has never saved a game in his eight major-league seasons and is unlikely to change that the rest of the way in 2025 with Dennis Santana now locked into the team's closer role.

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Boston Red Sox right-handed pitcher Tanner Houck (elbow), who was recently transferred to the 60-day injured list, is unlikely to return to the team in 2025. Houck was all set to return late in July, but after suffering a setback in his rehab assignment, he was shut down indefinitely. If Houck does not return, he will finish the season with a very disappointing 8.04 ERA, a 1.69 WHIP, and a career-low 15.8% strikeout rate over 43 2/3 innings. It remains to be seen what his role will be with the Red Sox beyond this year, whether as a starter or a reliever.

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San Francisco Giants right-hander Kai-Wei Teng was promoted from Triple-A Sacramento and will make the start on Saturday at Citi Field against the hosting New York Mets for his first appearance in the big leagues in 2025. The 26-year-old allowed 15 hits and 12 runs in 11 innings in his first taste of the majors last year for the Giants, but he had a 3.67 ERA and 86 strikeouts in 54 innings for the Rivercats on the farm this year and was impressive in July, with a 0.52 ERA and 31 punchouts in 17 1/3 innings pitched. Fantasy managers will want to avoid him against the Mets this weekend, though, as he hasn't made a start since July 13. Teng's last time out with Sacramento was for 1 2/3 innings of relief. The matchup is bad and Teng isn't going to go very deep in this one. Stay away.

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Minnesota Twins right-hander Bailey Ober (hip) was activated from the 15-day injured list on Saturday and will make the start for Game 2 of the series in Cleveland against the division-rival Guardians at Progressive Field. Ober is returning for the first time since July 2 due to a left-hip impingement. The 30-year-old won't be a recommended streaming option in his return since he's been too inconsistent in 2025 with a 4-6 record, 5.28 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and only 74 strikeouts in 92 innings over his 17 starts. In his final minor-league rehab start, Ober got up to 65 pitches and five innings, so he should be pretty stretched out for Saturday's appearance. The matchup against Cleveland is a nice one, though, as they rank 27th in baseball with a .676 OPS. Ober has been good against the Guards this year, too, with a 1.69 ERA and five strikeouts in his two starts against them.

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Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Joe Ross (back) made a rehab appearance with Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Friday, throwing a scoreless inning while allowing one hit and striking out two. Ross is on the 15-day injured list while recovering from back spasms and last pitched in the big leagues on July 20. In 44 1/3 innings (31 games) with the Phillies this season, Ross has pitched to a 5.28 ERA and 1.51 WHIP with 34 strikeouts. The 32-year-old has made 87 starts in his career but has been almost exclusively utilized in a middle relief role in 2025. He will likely need only one or two more rehab appearances before rejoining the Phillies' bullpen.

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Tampa Bay Rays rookie outfielder Chandler Simpson (finger) remains out of action for Saturday's contest against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers. Jonny DeLuca is making another start in center field for the Rays and will bat seventh against Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell (shoulder), who is making his first start since coming off the 60-day injured list. Simpson sprained his left index finger on Thursday against the New York Yankees and will miss his second straight start. The Rays have faced left-handers the last two games, too, so perhaps Tampa is just waiting to face a righty again to get the speedy rookie back in the lineup. Fantasy managers will want to check back on Sunday to see if Simpson makes his return. DeLuca is still searching for his first homer of 2025, but he's also had only 40 at-bats and is hitting a cool .400 with four RBI and five steals in a small sample size.

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San Francisco Giants first baseman/designated hitter Wilmer Flores (hamstring) was pulled early from his team's 4-3 win over the New York Mets on Friday night and is dealing with hamstring tightness, according to Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle. Flores has not yet been placed on the injured list, so it's unclear whether this will be an extended absence for him or a more day-to-day injury. The 33-year-old is hitting .249/.318/.380 with 12 home runs, 59 RBI, and 36 runs scored in 380 plate appearances so far in 2025. He did most of his damage in the early part of the season, hitting 10 home runs before the end of May and just two since the calendar flipped to June. First baseman Dominic Smith could be in line for more playing time if Flores were to miss time.

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Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Robert Gasser (elbow) is being built up as a starter as he makes his way back from Tommy John surgery, according to Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Hogg relays that Gasser could be moved to a relief role late in the season if a need opens up with the team. Gasser last pitched in the big leagues in June 2024. In his three rehab appearances so far, he's thrown four innings, allowing two earned runs and one walk while striking out four. The Brewers have excellent pitching depth between both their major league and Triple-A rosters. Even when Gasser is healthy, he could be behind current minor leaguers Logan Henderson, Chad Patrick, and Tobias Meyers as candidates to join the big league rotation.

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Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase and starting pitcher Luis L. Ortiz have both had their lockers cleared out in the Guardians' clubhouse, according to Zack Meisel of The Athletic. Both pitchers are currently on paid leave through August 31 as MLB investigates them as part of a potential gambling-related conspiracy. This could be a clear indication that neither should be expected to pitch again in 2025, but the results of the investigation are still pending. Clase had recorded 24 saves in 47 1/3 innings this season. Hard-throwing right-hander Cade Smith is the lead candidate to fill his absence in the ninth inning. Ortiz was 4-9 with a 4.36 ERA and 1.38 WHIP in 88 2/3 innings (16 starts). Left-hander Joey Cantillo has stepped into Cleveland's rotation in his place.

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Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola (ankle, ribs) threw 47 pitches in his first rehab outing with Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Friday. The veteran right-hander pitched three scoreless innings, allowing three hits and one walk while striking out three. Nola has not pitched in the big leagues since mid-May. He originally hit the injured list with an ankle sprain, and then suffered a stress fracture in his right rib while rehabbing. In 49 2/3 innings (nine starts) before injuring his ankle, Nola was having the worst season of his career. He recorded a 1-7 record with a 6.16 ERA, 1.51 WHIP, and 52 strikeouts. Nola will need at least two more rehab outings before he returns to the mound for the Phillies. Philadelphia has one of the best rotations in MLB, headlined by Zack Wheeler, Christopher Sanchez, Ranger Suarez, and Jesus Luzardo. Nola could step in for Taijuan Walker as their fifth starter, but both veterans could also be unseated by top pitching prospect Andrew Painter.

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Boston Red Sox outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia went 3-for-6 with two doubles and a home run across a doubleheader against Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Friday. This was another dominant showing from the No. 99-ranked prospect in the sport on MLB.com. Over his last 16 contests, Garcia has been one of the most dominant hitters at the Triple-A level, posting a .333/.380/.576 slash line with four doubles and four home runs. During this stretch, he has tallied 16 RBI and crossed home plate 14 times. After starting the campaign at Double-A Portland, Garcia only needed 33 games to prove he was ready to join the top ranks of the minor leagues. Through his first 52 games at Worcester, Garcia has held a .298/.365/.556 line. He is worth monitoring as he could be promoted later in the season if the Red Sox remain in the Wild Card race.

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Colorado Rockies outfield prospect Cole Carrigg went 1-for-5 with a single and swiped three bags during their contest against Double-A Reading on Friday evening. Carrigg would swipe all three bags in the same inning. He hit a single and then proceeded to swipe second and third, before stealing home base. This was his second-straight contest at Double-A, stealing at least one base. Through 90 games with Hartford this season, Carrigg has stolen an impressive 40 bases while holding a .243/.334/.404 line. He has launched 11 long balls and added 12 doubles. He is worth monitoring as he should be in the mix to join Triple-A later in the second half.

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Pittsburgh's DH Andrew McCutchen had five RBIs going 3-for-5 with a home run in a 17-16 loss to Colorado on Friday, Aug. 1.

Cincinnati Reds' SP Brady Singer recorded 10 strikeouts in 6 innings with the win in a 3-2 win over the Braves on Friday, Aug. 1.

Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras led a 25-hit barrage in a 16-9 defeat of the Washington Nationals on Friday. Contreras finished 5-for-7 with a homer, two RBI, and three runs scored in a game that saw eight Brewers collect multiple hits. Contreras, now with four straight multi-hit games, has gone a sizzling 12-for-19 with three homers, five RBI, and nine runs this week. It's an encouraging hot streak for Contreras, whose numbers have declined thanks to a finger injury that has hampered him all season. The two-time All-Star has gutted it out, though, and has hit a respectable .258/.353/.380 with nine HRs, 47 RBI, 59 runs, and five stolen bases in 450 trips to the plate.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers placed right-handed reliever Kirby Yates (back) on the 15-day injured list with lower back pain on Friday. The team added a pair of right-handers, Brock Stewart and Paul Gervase, as well as outfielder Alex Call to its roster in corresponding moves. This continues a brutal run of injuries for LA's bullpen, which is also without closer Tanner Scott (elbow), Michael Kopech (knee), Evan Phillips, and Brusdar Graterol (shoulder). Yates previously spent time on the IL with a hamstring strain and has endured a disappointing season overall after joining the Dodgers on a one-year, $13 million contract in free agency. The 38-year-old has posted a middling 4.31 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP with 44:12 K:BB, 13 holds, and three saves in 31 1/3 innings. With a handful of LA's high-leverage relievers down, Blake Treinen, Alex Vesia, and the just-acquired Stewart are candidates for saves. Lefty Justin Wrobleski got a rare three-inning save in a 5-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday.

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Philadelphia Phillies closer Jhoan Duran picked up a save in his debut with the club in a 5-4 win over the Detroit Tigers on Friday. Duran, acquired from the Minnesota Twins before Thursday's trade deadline, recorded a 1-2-3 ninth inning on a mere four pitches for his 17th save in 19 tries this season. The 27-year-old lowered his ERA to 1.97 and has also notched a 1.16 WHIP with 53 strikeouts against 18 walks over 50 1/3 innings. Duran should see an increase in save opportunities now that he's pitching for a playoff-caliber team, which is welcome news for fantasy managers.

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San Francisco Giants closer Randy Rodriguez threw a scoreless 10th inning to collect his second save of the year in a 3-2 win over the New York Mets on Friday. It wasn't an easy outing for Rodriguez, who hit a batter and walked another, but he escaped a bases-loaded jam with a strikeout of Ronny Mauricio to end the game. It was Rodriguez's first appearance since the Giants named him their closer on Friday. He's taking over after the team traded Camilo Doval to the New York Yankees on Thursday. The hard-throwing Rodriguez has put together a brilliant season with a 1.17 ERA, a 0.85 WHIP, and 63:10 K:BB across 46 innings.

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Seattle Mariners right-hander Bryce Miller (elbow) cruised over four innings and 52 pitches in his first rehab start with Triple-A Tacoma on Friday. Miller, who's working back from elbow inflammation, tossed 42 strikes, gave up one hit, and tallied six strikeouts against no walks in his first game since June 6. The 26-year-old turned heads during a superb 2024 campaign, but he hasn't stayed healthy or performed well this season. Miller has been on the 15-day injured list twice with elbow issues and has gone 2-5 with a bloated 5.73 ERA, a 1.54 WHIP, and 39:23 K:BB in a 10-start, 48 2/3-inning span. The Mariners expect Miller to return in mid-August. If he's able to shake off his elbow troubles, Miller could provide a boost for playoff-contending Seattle and perhaps fantasy managers over the final several weeks of the season.

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