ESPN's Jesse Rogers is hearing that Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson (oblique) suffered a Grade 2 oblique strain, which carries a normal timetable of four to six weeks. It would leave him ready for the postseason, but fantasy managers might be without him for the rest of the 2026 regular season. The 32-year-old veteran is expected to be placed on the 10-day injured list before Monday's series opener against the Chicago White Sox after he injured himself on his first swing of the day in Sunday's series finale against the division-rival St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field. Fantasy managers in redraft leagues should not feel the need to keep Swanson stashed, as he might not be back until mid-September in a best-case scenario. In the meantime, the Cubs will slide Nico Hoerner from second base to shortstop, with Pedro Ramirez most likely to see most of the playing time at the keystone going forward. In his fourth year with the Cubs, Swanson has hit a career-low .216 (87-for-403) but has 18 home runs, 66 RBI, 17 stolen bases, and 78 runs scored in his 119 games played and 458 plate appearances.

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Detroit Tigers pitching prospect River Ryan is recovering from a right hamstring strain that he suffered before he was traded from the Los Angeles Dodgers to the Tigers in the Tarik Skubal trade. He has been on the IL and rehabbing with the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens. Ryan could make a return and potentially pitch for the Tigers. Or the Tigers could leave him at Toledo and give him more work in the minors. It is a little bit of a risky dilemma for fantasy managers. Should they take a chance on Ryan who already made his major league debut with the Dodgers? With Oklahoma City, in the Pacific Coast League, Ryan was 3-1 this year with a 4.46 ERA and 1.29 WHIP to go with 43 strikeouts in 36 1/3 innings pitched. Ryan is 28 years old and has brief MLB experience back in 2024. The Tigers could give him another look at the end of this year. Fantasy managers will want to pay attention.

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Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner (knee) is back at shortstop and is batting second for Monday's series opener at home against the division-rival Miami Marlins and right-hander Janson Junk, per MLB.com. Turner fouled a ball off his right knee on Saturday against the Minnesota Twins and was held out of the series finale on Sunday at Target Field as a precaution. The veteran shortstop is ready to begin a new week and should be returned to starting lineups in traditional fantasy formats. The 33-year-old three-time All-Star and former Silver Slugger winner is hitting only .247 (122-for-493) after batting a league-high .304 last year, but he's three home runs and three stolen bases away from the fourth 20-20 season of his MLB career in his 12th year in the majors. Turner has gone 13-for-53 (.245) with a .675 OPS, only one home run, three doubles, four RBI, and seven runs scored so far in 13 games in August. He is searching for his first hit against Junk but has only had three career at-bats against him going into Monday's contest.

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The Pittsburgh Pirates are activating outfielder Oneil Cruz (hand) from the 60-day injured list on Monday and are optioning outfielder Ronny Simon to Triple-A Indianapolis in a corresponding move, according to Danny Demilio of PGH Sports Now. Cruz will not be in the starting lineup for Monday's series opener at home against the visiting Detroit Tigers and left-hander Framber Valdez, but he will be the team's starting center fielder the rest of the way. The 27-year-old Dominican left-handed hitter should immediately be reinserted into all starting fantasy lineups as he returns from a fractured left hand that kept him out since June 7. Before his injury, Cruz was slashing .264/.350/.472 with an .822 OPS, 14 home runs, 44 RBI, 21 stolen bases, and 45 runs scored across 64 games and 283 plate appearances. In six minor-league rehab games with Indianapolis and Double-A Altoona, Cruz went 3-for-22 at the plate with a stolen base. Cruz is rostered in 95% of Yahoo leagues for his ability to contribute across all categories when he is healthy.

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Seattle Mariners outfield prospect Lazaro Montes has three homers in his last five games after going on a three-game homer streak on Wednesday at Triple-A Tacoma. That brought Montes' homer total on the season to 35 between Double-A Arkansas and Tacoma. He has 87 combined RBI with 92 runs scored while hitting .251. The 21-year-old left-handed hitter is the No. 5 prospect in the Mariners system and has an elite power profile with 65-grade power. His hit tool is graded at 45, so his overall hitting and batting average could be a question mark for fantasy purposes, but his power display this season should leave fantasy managers anticipating his promotion to Seattle for an MLB debut. The Mariners could certainly use Montes' powerful bat in their lineup and he looks like a good end-of-season stash just in case he gets the call up.

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Miami Marlins prospect Cam Cannarella is on his third minor league team of the season after his second promotion of the year on July 17 to the Triple-A Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. Cannarella has played 21 games for Jacksonville and is hitting 21-for-74 (.284) with one homer and four RBI to go with six stolen bases. Between his three teams this season at age 22, Cannarella is hitting .341 with 13 homers and 49 RBI to go with 16 stolen bases. The No. 6 prospect in the Marlins system, Cannarella has a 60-grade run tool along with a 55-grade hit tool. The left-handed hitter still likely needs development time in the minors given that he started the season at High-A ball. He is best left on the waiver wire in redraft leagues and is more of a future asset in dynasty leagues.

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The Milwaukee Brewers announced that shortstop prospect Luis Pena is being promoted to Double-A Biloxi this week. Pena earned the promotion to the Shuckers after hitting .298/.384/.420 with an .804 OPS, two home runs, 23 RBI, 27 stolen bases, and 40 runs scored in 51 games and 219 plate appearances at High-A Wisconsin this year. The Brewers dangled the 19-year-old Dominican infielder as the centerpiece in their offer to the Detroit Tigers for ace left-hander Tarik Skubal, who was eventually dealt to the Los Angeles Dodgers earlier this month. Pena had a scary incident in late April when he collapsed in the dugout due to being overheated, but he's fine now and will be looking to finish off his 2026 campaign strong at Biloxi. The 5-foot-11, 185-pounder swings from the right side of the plate and brings plenty of bat speed and high exit velocities, although he will need to improve his plate discipline and approach against offspeed pitches. Pena also brings plus speed and aggressiveness on the base paths. With top prospect Jesus Made ahead of him in the Brewers' pipeline, Pena will most likely move to second or third base in the long term if he sticks in Milwaukee.

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Cleveland Guardians first base prospect Ralphy Velazquez is doing everything in his power to prove himself MLB-ready with a power surge at Triple-A Columbus in August. This month, Velazquez is hitting .341 with eight homers and 14 RBI in 44 at bats. Velazquez, the No. 2 prospect for the Guardians, is a nice pickup in fantasy leagues in anticipation of a call-up. Redraft managers will hope for a promotion soon as the Guardians could use some extra power in their lineup despite making a trade-deadline move and acquiring first baseman Nate Lowe. At age 21, Velazquez is having a stellar season at Columbus with 21 homers and 68 RBI while hitting .284 with 60 runs scored. Cleveland already called up top prospect Angel Genao, but the power profile of Velazquez is still appealing and he has the ability to potentially play in the outfield. He is looking like a priority addition to fantasy teams.

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Fantasy managers in dynasty/keeper leagues who have been stashing Washington Nationals middle-infield prospect Seaver King all year shouldn't necessarily be expecting him to make his major-league debut late this year now that the Nats are moving CJ Abrams to second base, according to Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic. King, who is a top-100 prospect in MLB and Washington's No. 4 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, has had a breakout 2026 campaign at Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Rochester, slashing a combined .316/.398/.529 with a .928 OPS, 14 home runs, 59 RBI, 11 stolen bases, and 66 runs scored across 82 games played and 375 plate appearances. According to people familiar with the team's thinking, the Nationals are "reluctant" to rush King to the majors, and he can still benefit from more at-bats and defensive reps at Rochester. Nationals officials are also interested to see whether Abrams and Nasim Nunez can thrive in their flipped roles up the middle. Nunez offers more defensive upside and stability at the 6, but he's hitting just .228 with a .578 OPS in 408 plate appearances. In theory, Nusbaum writes that the Nationals could keep King at Triple-A for the rest of the season. There are multiple things to consider here for the Nats, but the optics of moving an All-Star (Abrams) off his primary position, and then having a rookie take his spot, "could have awkward consequences," especially if Kind is eventually moved off shortstop in the coming years.

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Detroit Tigers outfield prospect Max Clark is the team's top overall prospect, per MLB Pipeline, and is also ranked as the No. 13 overall prospect in baseball. Since the Tigers brought Clark up for his major-league debut on July 31, he's gone 15-for-58 (.259) with a home run, two doubles, two triples, eight RBI, and seven runs scored in 15 games played and 63 plate appearances. The 21-year-old former third overall pick in 2023 got the call to the Show after slashing .276/.368/.434 with an .802 OPS, 11 home runs, 42 RBI, 21 stolen bases, and 65 runs scored in 90 games and 418 plate appearances at Triple-A Toledo. Clark is mostly intriguing for fantasy managers in single-year leagues the rest of the 2026 season for his plus-plus speed on the basepaths, but he also has enough pop from the left side to produce average power from his 5-foot-11, 205-pound frame. He's obviously still young, and although he's not going to make an immediate impact from a power standpoint, he can hit for average and steal plenty of bases in the final month and a half of the season. Clark is rostered in just over 30% of Yahoo leagues.

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Washington Nationals right-handed reliever Clayton Beeter is the Nationals' primary closer and is widely available on the waiver wire if you need saves down the stretch -- he's rostered in only 17% of Yahoo leagues. The 27-year-old hasn't been perfect by any means, but he has 10 more saves than the next closest reliever in the Nats' bullpen. In his third major-league season and first full year in D.C., Beeter has recorded a 5-3 record, 3.55 ERA (5.13 FIP), a 1.26 WHIP, a career-high 12 saves, and a 39:24 K:BB in 38 innings pitched over his 40 appearances out of the bullpen. Since the All-Star break, he's allowed five runs (four earned) on six hits (two homers) while walking six and striking out eight for two wins, a loss, five saves, one blown save, and a hold. Beeter's 15% walk rate makes him volatile for sure, but fantasy managers in deeper leagues may have no choice, and the good news is that nobody else in Washington's bullpen is really challenging him for saves.

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Baltimore Orioles right-handed reliever Cam Sanders came on to record the final out for the Orioles in their win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday, and he picked up a second consecutive save (his third on the year) in Saturday's victory. Yennier Cano was brought in for the ninth on Friday but gave up three runs before the O's called on Sanders to lock it down. The 29-year-old former 12th-round pick by the Chicago Cubs in 2018 out of LSU began the 2026 season with the Pittsburgh Pirates. His outing on Saturday was only his sixth appearance with Baltimore, and he's sporting a bloated 6.32 ERA (3.97 FIP), 1.66 WHIP, three saves, and a 19:12 K:BB in only 15 2/3 innings pitched in his second year in the majors. Late-inning relievers Ryan Helsley (elbow) and Felix Bautista (shoulder) remain on the injured list, with the Orioles going with a closer committee involving Cano, Andrew Kittredge, and Rico Garcia. Sanders' save chances over the weekend probably won't become a regular occurrence, and fantasy managers should have better save options to target on the waiver wire.

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Chicago White Sox left-handed reliever Bryan Hudson struck out a batter in a perfect ninth inning on Saturday in the win over the division-rival Detroit Tigers for his fifth save of the season and his first since July 22. In his first full season with the White Sox, Hudson has gone 3-4 with a 3.14 ERA (2.87 FIP), 1.28 WHIP, and a 50:17 K:BB in 51 2/3 innings pitched across 54 appearances (six starts). The 29-year-old southpaw is part of a crowded committee situation for saves in Chicago, with Grant Taylor, Sean Newcomb, and Jordan Hicks also involved. Newcomb picked up the save for the Pale Hose on Sunday, and Taylor leads the back end of the bullpen with six saves on the year. So far in six appearances out of the bullpen in August, Hudson has allowed three earned runs on seven hits while walking none and striking out six for one save and two holds. He is probably more attractive in holds leagues, but fantasy managers desperate for saves in deeper formats could also give him a look. Hudson is rostered in just 1% of Yahoo leagues.

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Los Angeles Angels right-handed reliever Ben Joyce didn't make his 2026 debut until Aug. 5 due to a shoulder injury that sidelined him for the entire first half of the season. The hard-throwing righty has thrown five scoreless innings with one hit allowed, one walk, and six strikeouts to get started, and he has recorded saves in each of his last two appearances. The Angels might continue to use a closer-by-committee down the stretch, also involving left-hander Samy Natera Jr. (he had a save last Tuesday) and right-hander Jose Fermin, but Joyce has a great opportunity to lead the team in save chances to close out the 2026 campaign. The 25-year-old former third-round pick in 2022 from the University of Tennessee had four saves in the 2024 season and has gone 4-1 with a 2.83 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and 50:25 K:BB in 54 innings with the Halos since he made his major-league debut back in 2023. Fantasy managers in deeper leagues who are searching for saves should look Joyce's way off the waiver wire. He's rostered in only 12% of Yahoo leagues.

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Toronto's SP Dylan Cease recorded 10 strikeouts in 6.1 innings in a 4-3 loss to the Yankees on Sunday, Aug. 16.

The Boston Red Sox are promoting outfield prospect Justin Gonzales to Double-A Portland, an MLB source told Ari Alexander of 7 News. Gonzales gets the call to Portland after hitting .271 with 17 home runs, 58 RBI, 11 stolen bases, and 68 runs scored in 89 games across 350 at-bats at High-A Greenville this year. The 6-foot-5, 210-pounder is ranked as Boston's No. 2 prospect at MLB Pipeline, behind only shortstop prospect Franklin Arias. The 19-year-old Dominican bats from the right side of the plate and has some of the most raw power out of any of the team's position-player prospects. Gonzales generates tons of bat speed, which in turn lights up his exit velocities, and he's not hitting as many ground balls in 2026. He projects for 30-plus home runs at the major-league level and is extremely athletic and agile despite his hulking size. Gonzales has average speed and will most likely settle into a corner-outfield spot or at first base long-term. At just 19 years of age, nobody should be expecting Gonzales to make his big-league debut in Boston next year.

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Seattle Mariners right-hander Bryan Woo (shoulder) was pulled from Sunday's game against the division-rival Houston Astros after only 75 pitches because he was dealing with a little bit of soreness in his right shoulder, with manager Dan Wilson calling the early exit precautionary, per Shannon Drayer. Woo stayed in the contest long enough to earn his ninth win of the year, allowing two earned runs on three hits (two homers) while walking one and striking out five in six innings of work for a quality start as well. Because the Mariners don't seem too concerned about Woo's shoulder, fantasy managers should expect him to make his next start next weekend at home against the Chicago Cubs. After his quality start on Sunday evening on the road at Daikin Park in the 3-2 victory, Woo is now 9-8 in 2026 with a 4.10 ERA and 137 strikeouts in 138 1/3 innings pitched across his 24 starts. The former sixth-rounder in 2021 from Cal Poly gave up 10 earned runs in 10 innings in his final two starts in July, but he has now allowed just two earned runs in 18 innings over his last three starts against the Astros, Detroit Tigers, and New York Yankees.

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The St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Derrick Goold reports that St. Louis Cardinals left-handed pitching prospect Quinn Mathews will be called up from Triple-A Memphis to start Game 1 of the team's doubleheader on Monday against the division-rival Cincinnati Reds. Right-hander Andre Pallante will get the nod for Game 2 for the Cards. Mathews, the team's No. 8 prospect per MLB Pipeline, was called up on Aug. 1 to make his major-league debut and allowed two earned runs with three walks and three strikeouts in five innings in a loss to the Toronto Blue Jays on the road. The 25-year-old southpaw and former fourth-rounder from Stanford University has gone 5-4 this year with a 3.27 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, and 120:61 K:BB in 99 innings and 21 starts for Memphis. Mathews will face a Reds squad that ranks 24th in the league in team OPS, but the young lefty could be sent right back down to Memphis following his second major-league start. In the long-term at the MLB level, Mathews projects as more of a back-end starter in St. Louis than an ace.

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Kansas City Royals manager Matt Quatraro said that infielder/outfielder Maikel Garcia (hand) didn't play in a minor-league rehab game on Sunday, but if he's feeling good, there's a chance he could come off the 10-day injured list to rejoin the big-league club on Monday before their series opener at home against the Athletics. Garcia has gone 3-for-16 at the plate on his rehab assignment after joining Triple-A Omaha on Wednesday, and the 26-year-old could be on the verge of rejoining the Royals for the first time since being put on the 10-day injured list with a muscle strain in his left hand back on June 23. When he's activated, Garcia should take over as the team's starting third baseman, which will push Nick Loftin back to a utility role off the bench. Garcia has just three home runs, 30 RBI, and five stolen bases in 2026 in his fourth full season in the majors, but he did have 16 homers, 74 RBI, and 23 steals in 160 games as a first-time All-Star in 2025, and he had 83 stolen bases from 2023-25. With eligibility in Yahoo leagues at second base, third base, shortstop, and the outfield, Garcia should at least be a versatile speed threat for fantasy managers the rest of the way. He's currently rostered in 76% of Yahoo leagues.

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Cleveland Guardians rookie outfielder Chase DeLauter (hamstring) exited Sunday's series finale against the visiting San Diego Padres early with "mild left-hamstring tightness," according to Tim Stebbins of MLB.com. DeLauter was removed in the third inning after going hitless in his lone plate appearance. He was replaced in right field by Angel Martinez. The 24-year-old left-handed slugger will have a scheduled day off on Monday, with his next chance to return to Cleveland's starting lineup coming in Tuesday's series opener at home against the San Francisco Giants. For now, fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day. DeLauter came into Sunday's tilt against the Padres with a strong .286/.358/.443 slash line with an .801 OPS, 13 home runs, 57 RBI, 49 runs scored, and nine stolen bases across his 106 games and 452 plate appearances in his first year in the big leagues. It would be a shame for him to miss time the way he's been hitting, as he went 19-for-55 (.345) with a .919 OPS, two home runs, two doubles, six RBI, 11 runs scored, and three steals in 13 games in August going into Sunday's shutout loss to the Friars.

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