Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez had his turn in the rotation pushed up to Sunday's game against the Texas Rangers. The Astros decided to scratch Luis Garcia who was going to start this game, and give the ball to Valdez. The southpaw wasn't great on the mound, but the biggest blow was a two-run home run by Jake Burger in the sixth inning. He tossed seven innings, allowing three runs on five hits while striking out five batters in the loss. Valdez has been inconsistent on the mound lately, so fantasy managers will take this performance even if it wasn't an elite outing.

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Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Andrew Vaughn was nearly unstoppable at the plate during Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. After an epic beginning to his career in Milwaukee, Vaughn saw his numbers take a dip there for a bit. Now, Vaughn appears to be back after a strong performance on Sunday. He went 4-for-5 at the plate with three singles, a double, and one RBI in the blowout win. His overall numbers aren't great because of his previous time with the Chicago White Sox. However, Vaughn has been a stud with the Brewers and should be rostered in at least deep leagues.

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Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Jacob Misiorowski looked outstanding on the mound during Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Coming into this start, Misiorowski had struggled lately with three earned runs or more in each of his last four starts. The rookie right-hander was able to bounce back nicely on Sunday. He tossed seven innings, allowing one run on three hits while striking out eight batters in the win. The hope is that this will help him get back on track down the stretch of the season. The upside alone makes Misiorowski worth rostering in most fantasy formats. His next start will come against the St. Louis Cardinals next weekend.

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Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Daniel Palencia (shoulder) is likely to miss time after suffering an injury during Sunday's game against the Washington Nationals. Palenica was removed from Sunday's outing due to tightness in his right shoulder. Before exiting, Palencia was destroyed for five earned runs on four hits with one walk in the loss. There is no word on how long Palencia will be sidelined, but a trip to the injured list seems likely. Brad Keller is likely going to be the next man up in the bullpen, but Porter Hodge should also be in the mix for saves in Chicago.

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Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh slugged his league-leading 53rd home run of the season in an 18-2 thrashing of the Atlanta Braves on Sunday. Raleigh's three-run jack in the top of the ninth against right-hander Rolddy Munoz traveled 426 feet. The AL MVP candidate finished the afternoon 2-for-6 with an additional run scored. He's now slashing .243/.351/.581 with an AL-high 113 RBI, 94 runs scored, and a surprising 14 stolen bases over 619 plate appearances. Raleigh is just one homer from tying the legendary Mickey Mantle for most by a switch-hitter in a single season. With another three weeks left in the regular season, Raleigh also has a good chance to reach the 60 mark. He's already in uncharted territory as the first catcher to smash at least 50 in a season.

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The Texas Rangers will shut down right-handed reliever Josh Sborz (shoulder) for the rest of the season, manager Bruce Bochy told reporters. Sborz hasn't pitched in the majors at all this year after undergoing shoulder debridement surgery last November. The 31-year-old threw 12 innings in the minors this season, but he wasn't able to regain his velocity and will now turn his attention to a return in spring training. Sborz also dealt with shoulder problems in 2024 and totaled just 16 1/3 innings in the majors as a result. In his most recent full campaign, 2023, he logged a 5.50 ERA (3.35 xERA) with a 1.15 WHIP and 66:17 K:BB over 52 1/3 frames. While Sborz had trouble keeping runs off the board that regular season, he helped pitch the Rangers to a World Series title in the playoffs with 12 innings of one-run ball.

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St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Alec Burleson (wrist) is expected to come off the 10-day injured list before Monday's series opener against the Seattle Mariners. Burleson will end up with a minimum IL stay after landing on the shelf with right-wrist inflammation on Aug. 29. He underwent a pain-killing injection shortly after going on the IL, and it helped lead to a quick recovery. The 26-year-old will return with a .286/.337/.451 line, 16 homers, 60 RBI, 47 runs scored, and five stolen bases over 472 plate appearances. With three weeks left in the season, Burleson will have a chance to reach the 20-HR mark for the second straight year.

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Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton (knee) exited the team's game against the Kansas City Royals on Sunday with a left-knee contusion. Buxton suffered the injury on a hit by pitch in the top of the fifth inning, but he stayed in until the Twins replaced him in center field with James Outman in the bottom of the sixth. Buxton finished the afternoon 1-for-2 with a solo home run, giving him the first 30-homer season of his career. The oft-injured 31-year-old standout has played in 109 games - his most since 2017 - and slashed a robust .271/.332/.562 with 74 RBI, 85 runs scored, and 21 stolen bases in 467 plate appearances. Fantasy managers should stay tuned for updates on Buxton's knee.

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Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner (hamstring) exited Sunday's game against the Miami Marlins with a strained right hamstring, according to Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Turner reached on an error in the seventh inning and then removed himself from the game. The Phillies subbed in Edmundo Sosa to replace Turner, who finished the day 1-for-4 with a solo home run. It wouldn't be a surprise to see Turner end up on the 10-day injured list, which would be an unwelcome late-season development for both the Phillies and fantasy managers. The 32-year-old star has put together another terrific campaign, having slashed .305/.356/.458 with 15 homers, 69 RBI, 94 runs scored, and 36 stolen bases in 637 plate appearances. Turner is on track to win his second career batting title.

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Baltimore Orioles right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano (foot) left his start against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday with discomfort in his right foot, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports. Sugano limped off the mound and into the clubhouse in the fourth inning after he was struck by a 95.8 mph grounder off the bat of Hyeseong Kim. The Orioles replaced Sugano with lefty Grant Wolfram, ending a rough afternoon for the 35-year-old. He allowed four earned runs on seven hits, including three homers, with one strikeout and no walks over three innings. In his first season in the majors, Sugano has gone 10-7 with a 4.57 ERA, a 1.34 WHIP, and 96:35 K:BB across 143 2/3 frames. He's scheduled to make his next start on Sept. 14 against the Toronto Blue Jays, but that could change depending on the severity of his foot injury.

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Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong (knee) is sitting on Sunday against Washington Nationals left-hander Andrew Alvarez. Kevin Alcantara will take PCA's place in center field and bat ninth. Crow-Armstrong left the Cubs' 2-1 loss to the Nats on Saturday shortly after fouling a ball off his right knee, but it seems he avoided any major damage. The team diagnosed Crow-Armstrong with a contusion, and he'll get at least one day off to recover from it. Although the 23-year-old All-Star had a terrible August (.446 OPS), he has still provided plenty of fantasy value this season with a .789 OPS, 28 homers, 85 RBI, 84 runs scored, and 32 stolen bases in 571 plate appearances.

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Chicago Cubs outfielder Kyle Tucker (calf) is on the bench Sunday against Washington Nationals left-hander Andrew Alvarez. Seiya Suzuki will play right field and bat third, while Justin Turner will serve as the designated hitter and occupy the seventh spot in the lineup. Tucker has been dealing with a calf injury that will shelve him for a fourth straight game, but the Cubs are optimistic that he'll avoid a stint on the 10-day IL. The 28-year-old went through a brutal slump earlier this summer that led to the Cubs giving him back-to-back days off from Aug. 19-20, but Tucker has since picked up at least one hit in 11 of 13 games. The hope is that he'll return to the lineup when Chicago begins a series against the Atlanta Braves on Monday.

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Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (back) is absent from the lineup on Sunday against Minnesota Twins right-hander Bailey Ober. Maikel Garcia will play short and hit second, while Nick Loftin will man third base and bat seventh. Witt hasn't played since leaving the Royals' 2-1 win over the Twins on Friday with low-back spasms, but an MRI didn't reveal anything serious. Fantasy managers should check back on Monday to see if Witt is ready to return for the Royals' series opener against the Cleveland Guardians.

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Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith (hand) is out of the lineup on Sunday against Baltimore Orioles right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano. Ben Rortvedt will fill in behind the plate and bat ninth. Smith left a 3-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday with a bone bruise in his right hand and will now miss a fourth straight game. The Dodgers have since lost backup Dalton Rushing (shin) to the 10-day injured list, leaving Rortvedt and Chuckie Robinson as their healthy options at catcher. With Smith potentially available off the bench Sunday, he could return to the lineup when the Dodgers open a series against the Colorado Rockies on Monday.

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Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette (leg) is not in the lineup against the New York Yankees on Sunday. Ernie Clement will handle short and hit fifth in a meeting with ace left-hander Max Fried, while Isiah Kiner-Falefa will play third base and bat seventh. Manager John Schneider said Bichette's leg was "cut up pretty good" after a sixth-inning collision with Yankees catcher Austin Wells at home plate in a 3-1 loss on Saturday. Bichette finished the game, and X-rays came back negative, but Toronto is off Monday and will give him a couple of days to recuperate. The 27-year-old has played in 139 games this season and slashed an outstanding .311/.357/.483 with 18 homers, 93 RBI, 78 runs scored, and four stolen bases in 628 plate appearances.

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Milwaukee Brewers designated hitter/outfielder Christian Yelich (back) remains out on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Pirates. William Contreras will serve as the DH and hit third versus right-hander Bubba Chandler, and Danny Jansen will do the catching and bat eighth. Yelich is battling back soreness and will now miss a fifth consecutive game, though he did progress enough to take swings in the batting cage on Saturday. Manager Pat Murphy said it went well and suggested that Yelich could be available to pinch-hit on Sunday. With that in mind, Yelich may return to the Brewers' lineup for Monday's series opener against the Texas Rangers.

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Cleveland Guardians second base prospect Travis Bazzana belted two home runs in a 3-for-5 day at the plate on Saturday for Triple-A Columbus. It was his second three-hit game in his last three games, during which time he's tallied three home runs, five RBI, seven runs scored, and a 2:2 BB:K. The 2024 first-overall draft pick is hitting just .244 through 22 games at Triple-A, but an elite 23.1 percent walk rate has helped him to a .427 OBP, and he's also registereda .449 SLG (.876 OPS). There's still time for a late-season call-up to the big leagues, but that may be too late for fantasy purposes. Look for the 23-year-old to be in the majors next year, and with good all-around hit, power, and speed tools, it will be interesting to see how high he'll go in drafts for season-long leagues.

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Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Spencer Strider has been scratched ahead of his scheduled start against the Seattle Mariners. Instead, Joey Wentz will take the mound for Sunday's contest. The plan is for Strider to be pushed back and start during the upcoming series versus the Chicago Cubs. This doesn't sound like it's injury related, but the Braves want to give Strider extra rest. Strider has struggled as he's allowed five runs or more in three of his last five starts. He gave up three runs and walked three batters during his most recent start against the Cubs. Strider is no longer a must-start fantasy option given his struggles this season.

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Baltimore Orioles catcher Samuel Basallo (hand) was forced to make an early exit from Saturday's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was lifted in the fifth inning after taking a foul ball off his right hand. Basallo attempted to stay in the game, but had trouble throwing the ball. He underwent X-rays that came back negative for any fractures. That being said, Basallo appears to have avoided any serious injuries. For now, fantasy managers should consider Basallo as day-to-day. He'll likely sit out for a few days, which could result in more playing time for Alex Jackson behind the plate.

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Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez will make the start against the Texas Rangers on Sunday. Previously, Luis Garcia was scheduled to start, but will have his outing pushed back. Now, Valdez is slated to take the mound for this important divisional matchup. Garica isn't dealing with an injury, so this move was either matchup related or to give Garcia extra rest. The expectation is that Garcia will move into Valdez spot in the rotation which was Tuesday versus the Toronto Blue Jays. Fantasy managers should adjust their lineups accordingly.

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