Across 366 plate appearances in 2026, Kansas City Royals second baseman/outfielder Michael Massey is hitting .274/.308/.441 with 11 home runs, 43 RBI, 46 runs scored, and two stolen bases. The 28-year-old has largely been solid throughout the year, but he's really picked up the pace of late. Across 69 plate appearances in August, Massey is hitting .323 with three home runs. Massey does not profile as a huge source of power for fantasy managers, but he's struck out in just 16.9% of his plate appearances. The lefty-swinging Massey is also hitting .323 against same-handed pitching so far this year, which could help him earn a bit more playing time against left-handed starters down the stretch. With his balanced profile at the plate, Massey profiles as a valuable depth piece to target on the waiver wire in deeper leagues.

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Across 27 innings (six starts) in 2026, Los Angeles Angels right-hander George Klassen has recorded a 2-2 record with a 3.67 ERA, 1.63 WHIP, and 24 strikeouts. The 24-year-old has had major issues with control so far, as he's posted a 16.8% walk rate. However, Klassen has been effective since being promoted from Triple-A to rejoin the Angels' rotation in early August. Across his last 22 1/3 innings (four starts), Klassen has logged two wins while allowing just five earned runs. Klassen has averaged 96.6 miles per hour on his fastball, and he's shown an ability to keep the ball on the ground (51.9% ground ball rate). Klassen has also shown higher-end strikeout stuff in the minors, recording a 27.7% strikeout rate across 108 2/3 minor league innings in 2025. Given his recent hot streak, Klassen deserves some waiver-wire consideration from fantasy managers as a matchup-based streamer.

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Across 226 plate appearances in 2026, Toronto Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk is hitting .274/.354/.411 with seven home runs, 29 RBI, and 16 runs scored. The first half of Kirk's season was derailed after he suffered a fractured thumb in early April, which caused him to miss over two months. However, the 27-year-old has gotten back on track in the second half. Across 123 plate appearances since the All-Star break, Kirk is hitting .346 with five home runs and has more walks (17) than strikeouts (12). With just an 11.1% strikeout rate on the year, Kirk is one of the better sources of batting average amongst catchers for fantasy managers. He also occupies a prime position in the Blue Jays batting order and can be a run producer when healthy. In any league where he is not already rostered, Kirk should be considered a waiver wire target.

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Across 248 plate appearances entering play on Wednesday, Arizona Diamondbacks utility man Tim Tawa was slashing .248/.301/.404 with eight home runs, 32 RBI, 26 runs scored, and seven stolen bases. The 27-year-old has emerged as an everyday piece of the Diamondbacks lineup in August, hitting .299 with four home runs and five stolen bases across 96 plate appearances this month. Tawa's underlying batted ball metrics are rock solid, as he's posted a 9.2% barrel rate and a 45.7% hard-hit rate. Tawa has also lowered his strikeout rate to 22.0%, a much more manageable figure than his 28.4% strikeout rate across 225 big-league plate appearances in 2025. With his ability to produce across all categories and his multi-positional eligibility, Tawa profiles as a priority waiver wire target for fantasy managers.

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Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Roki Sasaki (finger) was removed from his start against the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday due to a blister, per an announcement from the team. Sasaki struggled before getting pulled, allowing six hits, two walks, and four earned runs across 3 1/3 innings. The severity of his blister issues is not yet clear, but it would not be surprising if Sasaki requires a short stint on the injured list. Across 119 1/3 innings (23 starts) on the year, the 24-year-old has recorded a 5-5 record with a 4.60 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, and 117 strikeouts. Sasaki had been in the midst of a hot streak heading into his start on Wednesday, pitching to a 2.31 ERA with 34 strikeouts across his previous 35 innings pitched (six starts). If Sasaki is forced to miss time, Dodgers left-hander Eric Lauer could be a candidate to rejoin the team's rotation.

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New York Mets infielder Bo Bichette (foot) was removed in the fifth inning of his team's 8-1 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday due to a left foot contusion, per an announcement from the team. Bichette walked once in two plate appearances before exiting the game. Across 568 plate appearances on the year, Bichette is hitting .264/.312/.393 with 14 home runs, 66 RBI, 64 runs scored, and one stolen base. The 28-year-old has rebounded after a rough start to the season and has looked like his usual self of late, hitting .291 with four home runs and 15 RBI across 153 plate appearances since the All-Star break. However, he may now be facing some missed time. Bichette was replaced at third base on Wednesday by Christopher Morel, who could be in line for more playing time if Bichette requires a trip to the injured list.

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Pittsburgh Pirates catcher/first baseman Endy Rodriguez (hip) had season-ending surgery to fix the labrum in his left hip on Wednesday, the team announced. Rodriguez is expected to resume baseball activities within seven to nine months, which will likely delay his start to next season. The 26-year-old switch-hitting Dominican backstop will finish his third year in the majors with a .267/.373/.467 slash line, an .840 OPS, a career-high seven home runs, 20 RBI, 20 runs scored, and six stolen bases in 45 games across 159 plate appearances. In three total seasons with the Pirates, Rodriguez has only played in 120 games while hitting .231 (86-for-373) with 10 homers, 35 RBI, 52 runs, and six steals. His 2024 season ended prematurely, too, after having right-elbow surgery last June. Until Rodriguez can stay healthy and prove himself over a full season, he will be tough to get behind, even in two-catcher fantasy leagues. The Pirates will roll with Henry Davis and Rafael Flores Jr. behind the plate the rest of the way in 2026.

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San Diego Padres right-hander Casey Mize (ankle), who sprained his right ankle in his last outing on Saturday against the Minnesota Twins, came out of his bullpen session this week feeling good and will make the start on Friday on the road against the Tampa Bay Rays, manager Craig Stammen told AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. Overall, Mize has had a strong 2026 season, his sixth in the majors, going 5-7 with a 3.44 ERA (4.15 FIP) and 1.25 WHIP with 95 strikeouts and 26 walks in 104 2/3 innings pitched across 20 starts with the Padres and Detroit Tigers. Injuries have still been an issue, though, and he has not exactly been trustworthy in his first four starts for the Friars since being acquired from the Tigers at the trade deadline at the start of August. Mize has a 7.00 ERA and 1.56 WHIP with 10 strikeouts and seven walks in his first four starts with SD. He will not get an easy matchup coming off an ankle sprain either against the first-place Rays, who hold the sixth-best OPS (.732) in MLB. Mize is rostered in just over half of Yahoo leagues with August nearly over.

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Milwaukee Brewers first baseman/outfielder Jake Bauers (foot) will sit out a second straight game on Wednesday on the road in Queens against the New York Mets, per MLB.com. Christian Yelich will serve as the team's designated hitter and will hit cleanup against Mets right-hander Robert Stock at Citi Field. Andrew Vaughn is making another start at first base for Milwaukee and will hit seventh in the batting order. Although Bauers' injury is not considered serious, the Brewers will give him a second straight day off after he fouled a ball off his foot in the Williamsport game on Sunday against the Atlanta Braves. He could be back as soon as Thursday's series finale in New York against the Mets. The 30-year-old Bauers is having a career year in 2026 and is currently hitting .284 (19-for-67) with a .931 OPS, four homers, three doubles, 12 RBI, 11 runs, and a stolen base in 20 games in August. He has not struggled against lefties this year either, batting .280 (30-for-107) against them with six of his career-high 23 home runs. Check back on Thursday to see if Bauers is cleared to start against the Mets.

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Kansas City Royals first baseman/outfielder Jac Caglianone (ankle) is starting in right field and batting third on Wednesday against the hosting Toronto Blue Jays and right-hander Spencer Miles at the Rogers Centre, according to MLB.com. Caglianone will return to action after missing the last two games with minor soreness in his right ankle. Fantasy managers will want to get him back into their starting lineups in all leagues, especially after the young left-handed slugger has been crushing baseballs in August. The 23-year-old returns to an overall .276/.328/.491 slash line with an .819 OPS, 22 home runs, 60 RBI, 59 runs scored, and six stolen bases in his 434 at-bats in his first full season in the big leagues. Cags, a first-rounder in 2024 and former two-way player at the University of Florida, has never faced Miles, but he's gone 29-for-72 (.403) with five home runs, six doubles, 20 RBI, 12 runs scored, and three stolen bases in 19 games during the month. He's one of the hottest hitters in baseball, with 15 of his 22 long balls on the year coming against right-handed pitchers.

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Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton (hip) was removed from Tuesday's game early after he experienced discomfort in his right hip while chasing down a ball in the gap, per MLB.com, and he is out of the starting lineup for Wednesday's contest in Sacramento against the Athletics. Luke Keaschall will start in center field and bat leadoff for Minnesota, with Josh Bell serving as the designated hitter and batting third against A's right-hander J.T. Ginn. It is a concerning injury for the veteran Buxton, who has already been on the injured list twice in the last two months with a right-hip impingement. The good news is that the Twins have a day off on Thursday, although that does not necessarily mean Buxton will be back in action for Friday's series opener versus the division-rival Chicago White Sox. It has been another strong year overall for Buxton, who is hitting .254 (94-for-370) with 25 home runs, 46 RBI, 65 runs scored, and seven steals in his 12th year in the majors. However, he has played in only 18 games in the second half and has hit .172 (11-for-64) with zero homers, an RBI, eight runs, seven walks, and 17 strikeouts. Buxton is limping towards the finish line in 2026.

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Boston Red Sox catcher Adley Rutschman (elbow) will sit out for a second straight game on Wednesday versus the Miami Marlins, per MLB.com. Connor Wong will do the catching for right-hander Sonny Gray and will hit ninth for the BoSox against Marlins right-hander Ryan Gusto. Rutschman's elbow injury is not considered serious after he hyperextended his arm on a swing in the series opener in Miami on Monday. Boston has a scheduled day off on Thursday, so Rutschman could be back in the starting nine for Friday's big series opener against the division-rival New York Yankees. The 28-year-old switch-hitting backstop, who was the first overall pick by the Baltimore Orioles in 2019 out of Oregon State, has been unable to get into a groove in 2026 and has been set back by injuries along the way. He enters Wednesday's action with a .236/.320/.406 slash line with only nine home runs, 51 RBI, and 33 runs scored in 79 games and 331 plate appearances. Since joining the Red Sox at the trade deadline on Aug. 3, Rutschman has gone 6-for-41 (.146) with a homer, a double, four RBI, three runs scored, six walks, and 12 strikeouts. Boston is banking on the three-time All-Star eventually turning things around at the plate.

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New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto (calf) is facing a live pitcher at Citi Field on Wednesday, according to Chelsea Janes of SNY. Janes has heard that Sept. 1 could be a loose target for Soto's return from the 10-day injured list. If Soto is facing live pitching, his return might not be far off after missing the last month with a Grade 2 strain of his left calf, the second time he has gone on the IL this year with a calf issue (his other calf strain was to his right leg). The way things are trending, the All-Star left-handed slugger could come off the IL and rejoin the Mets' starting lineup without going on a minor-league injured list, much like how it went down in the first half of the season. The 27-year-old Dominican remains a must-start in all fantasy baseball leagues when he is healthy, as he has slashed .283/.408/.539 with a .947 OPS, 21 home runs, 52 RBI, 46 runs scored, and seven stolen bases in 84 games across 359 plate appearances in 2026 in his second year in Queens. Soto last played for the Mets back on July 24 and was hitting just .218 (12-for-55) with an .842 OPS, four home runs, 13 RBI, eight runs, a stolen base, 18 walks, and 13 strikeouts in 17 games in July.

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Cleveland Guardians rookie outfielder Chase DeLauter (hamstring) will miss a third straight game on Wednesday on the road against the Los Angeles Angels, according to MLB.com. Jo Adell is starting in right field and will bat cleanup for the Guards against his old team and right-hander Grayson Rodriguez. DeLauter is not believed to be dealing with an injury serious enough to send him to the 10-day injured list, and with a scheduled day off for the team coming on Thursday, he could be back in the starting nine for Friday's series opener at home against the division-rival Kansas City Royals. The 24-year-old left-handed-hitting outfielder is rostered in just under 70% of Yahoo leagues as we near the end of August after hitting .287/.362/.449 with an .811 OPS, 13 home runs, 59 RBI, 52 runs scored, and nine stolen bases in his first 414 big-league at-bats. DeLauter has hit a cool .313 (36-for-115) with two homers, 13 RBI, and six steals in the second half and an impressive .349 (46-for-132) with two of his 13 dingers against left-handed pitchers. Check back on Friday to see if he has been cleared to rejoin Cleveland's starting lineup.

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San Diego Padres right-hander Nick Pivetta (forearm) restarted his minor-league rehab assignment on Tuesday at Single-A Lake Elsinore and allowed three earned runs on four hits (two homers) while walking one and striking out four in three innings of work. It was Pivetta's second rehab start after suffering a setback in his first outing with Lake Elsinore three weeks ago. His results in his return were not exactly great, but the good news is he avoided another setback with a right-forearm injury that has limited him to only four starts in 2026. The Padres are still holding out hope that the 33-year-old Canadian veteran can join their starting rotation at the big-league level for the stretch run in September, but he's running out of time to make a significant fantasy impact, and he will likely need at least a couple of more rehab starts before he's activated from the 60-day injured list. The 10-year MLB veteran went 13-5 in 2025 in his first year in SD with a career-best 2.87 ERA (3.49 FIP) and 0.98 WHIP with a career-high 190 strikeouts and 50 walks in his 31 starts. Pivetta is still being held in 65% of Yahoo leagues.

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The New York Yankees officially announced that right-handed pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez will start on Wednesday against the Houston Astros, according to Jon Morosi of the MLB Network. The 23-year-old Puerto Rican will be making his fifth major-league start after going 8-3 this season with a 2.59 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and 99:46 K:BB in 97 1/3 innings pitched across 19 starts at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Rodriguez hasn't been as good in his four starts for the Yankees earlier this year in the majors, though, allowing nine earned runs on 19 hits (one homer) while walking 11 and striking out 10 in 17 innings pitched in starts against the Texas Rangers (twice), New York Mets, and Cincinnati Reds. The 6-foot-4, 177-pounder primarily features a fastball/slider combination while also featuring a curveball and changeup. Because he is long and lanky, Rodriguez has had issues with his control and command in the past in the minors, and it has resurfaced in a small sample size at the big-league level. The team's No. 3 overall prospect, per MLB Pipeline, might be given another start beyond Wednesday, but he will be a very risky starter for fantasy purposes.

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Miami Marlins first base/outfield prospect Jonathon Long has played 16 games with Triple-A Jacksonville after being traded over from the Chicago Cubs. Long has managed one homer and seven RBI while hitting .260 to go with 16 runs for his new club. With Triple-A Iowa before his trade, Long was hitting .283 with 12 homers and 62 RBI to go with 67 runs in 99 games. Long slots in as the No. 19 prospect with Miami but could see some time with the Marlins when rosters expand. The path to the majors has gotten clearer for Long since the trade deadline, and he could get a September shot with the Marlins, which would have been unlikely with the Cubs. Long has a 50-grade hit tool and 50-grade power. He could be a sneaky late-season addition to fantasy rosters.

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In 27 games with Triple-A Jacksonville, Miami Marlins outfield prospect Cam Cannarella has one homer and five RBI in 99 at bats with a .273 batting average. The numbers in his most recent promotion to Triple-A are decent but nothing special meaning the Marlins will likely need to see more before promoting Cannarella to Miami. Cannarella has split time between three minor league teams this season, combining to hit 13 homers with 50 RBI with a .332 batting average. The No. 6 prospect in the Marlins' system, Cannarella would appear to be a ways away from a major-league promotion. He just arrived at Triple-A as a 22-year-old and will likely need to prove more at the plate than he already has. He is a risky addition in redraft leagues and is looking more like a dynasty league play at this point.

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For fantasy managers looking to close out their season on a high note, there many not be a better September option than Cleveland Guardians prospect Ralphy Velazquez. At Triple-A Columbus, Velazquez is coming off of a three-homer game on Saturday and has been scorching hot at the plate in August making a September call-up very likely when rosters expand. Cleveland's No. 2 overall prospect has 14 homers and 27 RBI in 70 August at bats with a .371 batting average. Given a 60-grade for power, the left-handed swinging first base prospect could be a big boost to the Cleveland lineup as well as fantasy managers who take a shot and add him ahead of the promotion news. Velazquez has hit all season long between Double-A Akron and Columbus with 27 homers and 81 RBI while hitting a combined .293. He is looking like a potential league winning waiver-wire addition.

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Cleveland Guardians catcher prospect Cooper Ingle has slowed down his hitting in the month of August at Triple-A Columbus and is therefore not a high-priority stash candidate. Ingle has hit two homers in 61 August at bats with nine RBI and a .230 batting average. The catcher and outfielder already received a shot at playing in Cleveland this season. In 21 major-league at-bats, Ingle had two hits and two RBI and struck out 12 times. In all with Columbus this season, Ingle is hitting .303 with 18 homers and 61 RBI. The Guardians are currently using a catching tandem of Austin Hedges and Patrick Bailey at the big league level so it will be difficult for Ingle to make it back to the majors. Ingle can be left on the waiver wire in redraft leagues.

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