Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton (hip) remained out of the starting lineup on Saturday, as he continues to recover from hip discomfort. The 32-year-old was removed from Tuesday's game after re-injuring his hip, which is something that has been bothering him all season long. With Saturday's exclusion from the lineup, he will have missed three consecutive games, giving some reason for concern that he could find himself on the Injured List in the near future. In addition to that, there has been some talk of offseason hip surgery, leading one to believe that he may not have much more to offer fantasy baseball managers for the rest of the 2026 season. While the offseason plans can be examined later, for now, it's important to focus on whether or not he can successfully return to the lineup this weekend. That is in doubt, but no formal announcement either way has been made just yet.

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New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto (calf) was reinstated from the 10-day injured list by the Mets on Saturday. The 27-year-old went through a full workout on Friday, and with that being a success, the decision was made to activate him on Saturday and insert him back into the lineup. In his first game back, he is batting second in the lineup and is serving as the team's designated hitter. It's unclear how often he will play in the field down the stretch, but the important part for fantasy purposes is that he is back and will be at the plate. Fantasy baseball managers should activate him as soon as they can and play him daily for the rest of the season without any concerns.

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Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (knee) isn't feeling 100% healthy, and as such, manager Dave Roberts said that he may not be able to pitch his scheduled one-inning outing on Sunday. In addition to his already injured knee, it's been made known that Ohtani's bicep continues to give him trouble, which is an issue that bothered him earlier in the season. The team is in the process of deciding what works best for him going forward, though the expectation is that he will pitch in a game at some point over the next week or two. With the MLB playoffs being the main concern for the Dodgers, and Ohtani's offense being a key part of that, it's fair to assume that the 32-year-old will not be pushed too hard or too fast, as any major injury could set the team back in October. As such, his pitching contributions should not be relied on down the stretch during the fantasy baseball playoffs.

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Detroit Tigers outfielder Riley Greene (hamstring) is set to begin a rehab assignment on Saturday with Triple-A Toledo. The expectation is that he will serve as the team's designated hitter and bat leadoff on Saturday before returning to left field on Sunday. If that plan comes to fruition and there are no setbacks, Greene could very well be back with the Tigers on Monday when they begin an important three-game series at Minnesota. The 25-year-old will be a welcome addition to Detroit's outfield, as his 16 home runs put him in third place on the team. Fantasy managers should be prepared to immediately place him back in their lineups as soon as he is ready to return.

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Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin (finger) is going to start a minor league rehab assignment on Sunday with Double-A Altoona. The 20-year-old had recently started swinging a bat at the Pirates' training facility in Florida, and it went well enough to warrant this next step. He is eligible to return on September 4, and Griffin himself has said that he is targeting that date for a return. As such, fantasy baseball managers should prepare to have him ready to be inserted back into their lineups for the stretch run here in September. Despite only playing in 59 games this season, Griffin has been impressive, hitting five home runs, stealing 20 bases, and posting a .278 batting average.

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New York Yankees right-handed pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez will make another start for the Yankees on Monday on the road against the Los Angeles Angels, manager Aaron Boone told Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. Rodriguez, the team's No. 3 overall prospect per MLB Pipeline, made his return to the big leagues on Wednesday for only his fifth MLB start, and the 23-year-old allowed three earned runs on two hits while walking two and striking out a career-high six batters to pick up a quality start in a no-decision against the Houston Astros. The Puerto Rican hurler will stick around in New York's starting rotation for at least one more start, and the matchup is as good as they come against the lowly Angels, making the former fourth-rounder by the Boston Red Sox in 2021 a nice streaming candidate in hopes that he can put together back-to-back nice starts. After his nice outing against Houston, Rodriguez now has a 4.70 ERA (4.91 FIP) and 1.52 WHIP with 16 strikeouts and 13 walks in 23 innings in his first five starts with the Yanks this year. As with most young hurlers, Rodriguez's lack of control is what has hurt him so far in the majors. He is only rostered in 3% of Yahoo leagues and will be worth a look as a streamer to begin next week.

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Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll entered Friday's game against the division-rival San Francisco Giants with an 0-for-14 stretch over his previous four games, but he broke out of his funk by going 1-for-3 at the plate with a two-run home run, three RBI, a walk, and a strikeout in the team's 10-6 win in the Bay Area. The 26-year-old former first-rounder and National League Rookie of the Year hasn't had the kind of power he displayed last year, when he hit a career-best 31 home runs, but the left-handed hitter continues to produce across the board for fantasy managers, slashing .248/.344/.486 with an .830 OPS, 19 home runs, 61 RBI, 20 stolen bases, and 82 runs scored in his fifth year in the league in 2026. Carroll has been a bit more mediocre since the All-Star break with a .238 average (35-for-147) with six homers, nine doubles, six triples, 16 RBI, 10 steals, and 28 runs in 39 games played, but he's been better in August, going 24-for-95 (.253) with four homers, six doubles, four triples, 12 RBI, 17 runs scored, and five steals in 26 games. The five-category contributor is unlikely to reach the 30-homer mark in back-to-back seasons, but a fourth-straight 30-steal campaign is still within reach for the five-category contributor.

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Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero is having another phenomenal season for the Rays and fantasy managers in 2026 in his fourth season in the big leagues after breaking out with 45 home runs, 110 RBI, 93 runs scored, and seven stolen bases in 154 games played in 2025. Caminero is currently slashing .280/.366/.528 with a career-best .895 OPS, 35 home runs, 85 RBI, 82 runs scored, and three stolen bases across 134 games and 584 plate appearances. The 23-year-old Dominican is one of the best young hitters in the game, and he is riding an 11-game hitting streak into Game 2 of the weekend series in Tampa against the San Diego Padres on Saturday. During his current streak, Caminero has gone 15-for-43 (.349) with zero home runs, two doubles, six RBI, and five runs scored in 46 plate appearances. Although he has only hit seven home runs in 40 games since the All-Star break, he is still hitting a strong .282 (44-for-156) with an .821 OPS in 173 plate appearances. Caminero is not slowing down whatsoever and is a fantasy staple at the third base position.

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There were reasons to be skeptical going into the 2026 season that Houston Astros veteran left-handed closer Josh Hader might be fading as a top-tier fantasy closer. The 32-year-old veteran southpaw got a late start to his season due to left-shoulder issues, but once he put that in the rearview mirror, he has not looked back. The six-time All-Star threw a perfect inning in Friday's 3-1 win over the New York Mets at Citi Field with two strikeouts to pick up his 20th save of the season. In his 10th year in the big leagues (third with the Astros), Hader has been electric, going 4-1 with a 0.76 ERA (1.67 FIP) and 0.68 WHIP with 48 strikeouts and 11 walks in 35 1/3 innings pitched out of the bullpen. Hader has yet to blow a save in 2026, with his last blown save dating all the way back to July 12 of 2025. Since the All-Star break, he has allowed just one earned run on seven hits while walking three and striking out 23 in 20 innings for a win and 10 saves. Hader has allowed a run in just three of his 36 appearances this year and has been reliable as ever.

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Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki may not reach the heights that he showed last season, when he hit a career-high 32 home runs and drove in 103 runs in 151 regular-season games, but his fantasy managers are not really complaining in 2026. After going 3-for-5 at the plate with two doubles, two RBI, two runs scored, and a walk in Friday's 10-8 loss to the division-rival Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field, the Japanese outfielder is now slashing .274/.366/.484 on the year with a career-high .851 OPS, 22 home runs, 77 RBI, 78 runs scored, and three stolen bases across 117 games and 516 plate appearances in his fifth year in the big leagues. The 32-year-old veteran has three multi-hit games in his last five contests for a 1.173 OPS during that span. Suzuki is hitting .285 (41-for-144) with seven home runs in 37 games since the All-Star break and sports a .287/.385/.521 slash line with a .907 OPS, four homers, 10 doubles, 17 RBI, 19 runs scored, and two steals in 24 games in August. If he can keep this up going into September, Suzuki could be the difference for fantasy managers chasing championships.

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Minnesota Twins top outfield prospect Walker Jenkins made his major-league debut in the team's 7-4 loss on Friday night to the division-rival Chicago White Sox at Target Field and went 1-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout. The Twins are hoping that Jenkins, the No. 15 prospect in all of baseball, can give them the spark they need to sneak into a wild-card spot in the American League with veteran outfielder Byron Buxton (hip) potentially going back on the injured list for a third time this year. The 21-year-old former fifth overall pick in 2023 will play regularly for the Twins down the stretch, even if Buxton can return, and his power/speed upside from the left side of the plate could be a difference-maker for fantasy managers chasing a championship. The 6-foot-3, 210-pounder hit .308/.407/.532 with a .940 OPS, 12 home runs, 28 RBI, 17 stolen bases, and 51 runs scored in his 69 games played at Triple-A St. Paul before getting the call to the Show on Friday. The 21-year-old hit out of the nine-hole in his MLB debut, but he could quickly move up Minnesota's order if he continues to produce like he did on the farm. Jenkins is only rostered right now in 19% of Yahoo leagues, so he is widely available.

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Astros' SP Hunter Brown recorded 10 strikeouts in 6.2 innings with the win in a 3-1 win over the Mets on Friday, Aug. 28.

Royals' SP Michael Wacha recorded 10 strikeouts in 8 innings getting the win in a 3-0 win over Cleveland on Friday, Aug. 28.

Detroit Tigers outfielder Riley Greene (hamstring) is hopeful to begin a minor league rehab assignment as early as this weekend, according to Evan Woodbery of MLive.com. Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said on Friday that Greene is doing really well, and he should be ready for game action this weekend. Greene has been out since August 12 due to a left hamstring strain. The hope is that Greene won't require a lengthy rehab stint. The expectation is that he'll be back in the Tigers lineup by early September. Fantasy managers should check back for another update after the weekend.

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According to Daniel Kramer, Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Bryce Miller is temporarily being moved to the bullpen. Mariners manager Dan Wilson confirmed the news on Friday that the struggling right-hander will shift to the pen for now. Over his last eight starts, Miller is 0-6 with a horrendous 7.19 ERA. It doesn't sound like Miller is fully healthy right now, so they might move him to the Injured List if he continues to struggle. The Mariners will go with a traditional five-man rotation with Miller getting the boot. Miller will likely pitch in low-leverage spots, which won't result in much fantasy value.

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According to Mark Bowman, Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Hurston Waldrep (elbow) will undergo Tommy John surgery on his right elbow. Waldrep had surgery in February to remove loose bodies from his elbow. He made three appearances for the Braves before heading to Triple-A Gwinnett. Waldrep suffered a setback with his elbow during his first outing back in the minors. It has been determined he'll require Tommy John surgery, which will likely knock him out until 2028. This is tough news for the 24-year-old, but hopefully he'll get healthy and back on the mound soon.

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According to Mark Bowman, Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Spencer Schwellenbach (elbow) will undergo season-ending surgery to repair a fracture in his right elbow. Schwellenbach hasn't pitched all season after he underwent a procedure to remove bone spurs earlier this spring. It sounds like the issue didn't go away, so he'll need elbow surgery to fully repair the problem. Schwellenbach hasn't pitched in 14 months, and his status for the beginning of the 2027 season is now in doubt. Schwellenbach can safely be dropped in all redraft formats now. Hopefully, the Braves will be able to get something out of Schwellenbach next season.

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Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Spencer Strider (elbow) is unlikely to get back on the mound this season, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports. Strider has been sidelined since the middle of June due to right elbow inflammation. He has resumed throwing, but it doesn't sound like he has made enough progress to make it back to the mound this season. It's worth noting that the Braves haven't officially ruled out Strider yet, but it seems unlikely that he'll pitch again in 2026. If his season is done, Strider will finish the year with a 5.31 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, and a 46/20 K/BB ratio across eight starts. Fantasy managers in redraft formats are probably safe to move on.

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Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson (shoulder) is scheduled to undergo season-ending left-shoulder surgery on Sept. 16, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports. Wilson was placed on the Injured List last Friday due to shoulder soreness. It was revealed that the soreness was related to a shoulder separation he suffered earlier in the season. Wilson has elected to undergo surgery and get healthy for the 2027 season. It's a lost season for the A's anyway, so they might as well get Wilson back to full health. Across 80 games, Wilson slashed .266/.298/.388 with seven home runs, 37 RBI, and four steals. Alika Williams will likely see a majority of the playing time at shortstop down the stretch of the regular season.

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Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani (knee) threw a short bullpen session on Friday, according to The Associated Press. "I think it was like 20 pitches," manager Dave Roberts said. "I really don't know what to make of it. I didn't put eyes on it." It is unclear right now, but if the Dodgers liked what they saw, Ohtani could return to the starting rotation on Sunday for the series finale in Detroit against the Tigers. The four-time MVP has not pitched since July 3 against the division-rival San Diego Padres due to a left-knee injury. The injury has not prevented Ohtani from serving as the Dodgers' primary designated hitter, but they have been extra cautious with him as a pitcher in the second half of the season as they try to get him to 100% for the postseason. Before his knee issues cropped up, Ohtani was in the National League Cy Young conversation, going 8-2 with a 1.79 WHIP and 95 strikeouts in 85 2/3 innings pitched. Even if Ohtani is not cleared to return as a pitcher this weekend, he needs to be stashed for high-end strikeout upside in the final month of the regular season as the fantasy playoffs quickly approach.

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