Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts did not rule out the possibility of two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani (knee) pitching on Sunday against the Detroit Tigers, but it will be contingent on how the next several days go, according to Maddie Lee of The Los Angeles Times. Ohtani had a successful 30-pitch live bullpen session last Saturday, and if he gets through another throwing session this week, the four-time MVP could be cleared to make his first start on the mound since July 3 against the San Diego Padres. Ohtani as a pitcher has been a must-start this year when he toes the rubber, but given the long layoff and the fact that the Dodgers will continue to baby his workload, he will not be a great DFS play if he returns as a pitcher this weekend against Detroit. The 32-year-old Japanese sensation was in the National League Cy Young race in the first half of the season before his knee issue flared up, going 8-2 with a 1.79 ERA (2.59 FIP) and 0.95 WHIP with 95 strikeouts and 26 walks in his 14 starts over 85 2/3 innings. Don't be surprised if it's a slow buildup for Ohtani pitch-count-wise over the final month of the regular season in September.

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Milwaukee Brewers first baseman/outfielder Jake Bauers (foot) is dealing with a swollen foot after fouling a ball off himself in Sunday's contest in Williamsport against the Atlanta Braves and is not in the starting lineup for Tuesday's game against the New York Mets, according to Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. The good news is that Bauers said he is fine to play, so the Brewers are just giving him an extra day off against a lefty. Catcher Gary Sanchez is serving as the designated hitter on Tuesday and will bat fifth for the Brew Crew against Mets left-hander Zac Thornton. Fantasy managers should consider Bauers to be day-to-day and check back on his status for Wednesday's contest in Queens. The 30-year-old left-handed-hitting veteran has had a career year in 2026 in his third year in Milwaukee, slashing .273/.382/.503 with an .884 OPS, 23 home runs, 75 RBI, 76 runs scored, and nine stolen bases across 118 games played and 474 plate appearances. Bauers has hit .288 (19-for-66) with four homers in 19 games in August and .286 (30-for-105) with five of his 23 homers in 31 games since the All-Star break.

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Boston Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony (finger), who is on a minor-league rehab assignment at Triple-A Worcester, said he "has no flight booked" to return to the big-league squad, but he feels close to ready and thinks he could return for Friday's series opener against the division-rival New York Yankees, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. Anthony has been out since early May due to a partially torn tendon in his right ring finger, but he has gone 3-for-11 with a homer in four rehab games with Double-A Portland before moving to Worcester this week. The 22-year-old former top prospect will be an everyday starter for the BoSox when he returns to the major-league roster, but it is unclear if that will happen this weekend or sometime next week. If Anthony is floating around on your league's waiver wire, scoop him up immediately for his power/speed upside, even if it is only for the final month of the 2026 regular season. The former second-rounder in 2022 is rostered in 77% of Yahoo leagues at the moment.

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New York Yankees right-handed pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez could be called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to start Wednesday's game against the Houston Astros, manager Aaron Boone told Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. The Yankees will get through Tuesday night's game before making an official announcement. It would be Rodriguez's fifth big-league start if he is called upon to take the mound on Wednesday against the Astros. The 23-year-old Puerto Rican hurler had a 4.76 ERA and 1.76 WHIP with 10 strikeouts and 11 walks in 17 innings pitched in his first four major-league starts for New York earlier this year before being sent back to the farm. Rodriguez, the team's No. 3 prospect at MLB Pipeline, has been better at Triple-A in 2026, going 8-3 with a 2.59 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and 99:46 K:BB in 97 1/3 frames over 19 starts. He is primarily a fastball-slider pitcher who will need to improve his command to have success at the next level. Fantasy managers in single-year leagues should not sell out to acquire Rodriguez at this point in the year, especially since he might only be used for a start or two going into September.

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New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (rib) is expected to hit in the batting cages on Tuesday, manager Aaron Boone told Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. Judge has been doing tee-and-toss, so Boone expects the slugger to move to overhand batting practice. It is the next progression for the 34-year-old veteran after he resumed a hitting progression last week. The three-time MVP and eight-time All-Star has been out since May 31 with a stress fracture in his rib, and he is still likely several weeks from making his return to the Yankees' starting lineup, so fantasy managers must continue to be patient. Before the injury in the first half of the season, Judge was hitting .248/.375/.533 with a .907 OPS, 17 home runs, 38 RBI, 43 runs scored, and five stolen bases in 59 games and 261 plate appearances. The Yankees would love to have both Judge and Giancarlo Stanton (calf) back for the stretch run in September, but it looks like it will only be Judge returning. It has been a frustrating year to have Judge rostered in fantasy, but he could still do plenty of damage at the plate in the final month of the season if he is fully recovered from his rib injury.

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Boston Red Sox catcher Adley Rutschman (elbow) is out of the starting lineup for Tuesday's contest against the Miami Marlins after taking an aggressive swing in the series opener on Monday and feeling something in his right elbow, according to Christopher Smith of MassLive.com. Interim manager Chad Tracy said the team is playing it safe with Rutschman on Tuesday and that there is "no concern." "Adley's got a little irritation. Took a really aggressive swing. He kind of hyperextended his elbow. Nothing to be alarmed about. Just felt like I don't want to make that worse. Nothing I'm concerned about more just a little soreness. Like I don't want to irritate that more. So I made the decision like, 'Let's keep him out.'" Connor Wong will do the catching for left-hander Payton Tolle and will bat ninth on Tuesday against Marlins right-hander Tyler Phillips. The 28-year-old Rutschman has had an injury-plagued and disappointing 2026 campaign, and he has gone just 6-for-41 (.146) at the plate with a homer, a double, four RBI, three runs, six walks, and 12 strikeouts in 12 games since the Red Sox acquired him from the Baltimore Orioles at the trade deadline in early August. Overall, the three-time All-Star has slashed .236/.320/.406 with a .726 OPS, nine home runs, 51 RBI, and 33 runs scored in 79 total games and 331 plate appearances. Rutschman is day-to-day and could return as early as Wednesday.

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New York Yankees left-hander Max Fried (elbow) threw four innings in a live bullpen session on Monday and could be in play to come off the 15-day injured list for Saturday's doubleheader against the division-rival Boston Red Sox, manager Aaron Boone told Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News. Fried has recovered quickly from a left elbow bone bruise that caused him to miss over two months earlier this season, and he appears ready to rejoin New York's starting rotation without going on a minor-league rehab assignment. The 32-year-old veteran southpaw has only made 15 starts (86 1/3 innings) for the Yanks in his second season in the Bronx, but he's been good when available, going 4-4 with a 2.81 ERA (2.56 FIP) and 0.99 WHIP with 79 strikeouts and 27 walks in his 10th MLB campaign. Fried will be much riskier for fantasy purposes if he returns this weekend without making a rehab start, although he did toss eight shutout innings with two walks and a season-high nine strikeouts against Boston earlier this year at Fenway Park on April 22.

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Kansas City Royals first baseman/outfielder Jac Caglianone (ankle) will sit out of Tuesday's tilt against the Toronto Blue Jays on the road due to soreness in his right ankle, per MLB.com. Caglianone will miss a second straight start with an ankle injury that has been bothering him for the last week. For now, fantasy managers should consider Cags to be day-to-day and check back on him to see if he is playing on Wednesday. If his injury lingers into the weekend, though, the Royals could consider placing him on the 10-day injured list. John Rave is making the start in right field on Tuesday and will hit eighth for the Royals at the Rogers Centre against Blue Jays veteran right-hander Max Scherzer. Caglianone, a former sixth overall pick in 2024 from the University of Florida, has quickly developed into a strong left-handed power bat for fantasy managers in his first full year in the big leagues in 2026. The 23-year-old came into Tuesday's action sporting a .276/.328/.491 slash line with an .819 OPS, 22 home runs, 60 RBI, 59 runs scored, and six steals in 434 at-bats. He is now rostered in 82% of Yahoo leagues.

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The Colorado Rockies announced on Tuesday that they reinstated catcher Hunter Goodman (shoulder) from the 10-day injured list and optioned catcher Braxton Fulford to Triple-A Albuquerque in a corresponding move. Goodman is behind the plate on Tuesday to catch right-hander Mason Adams and will bat in the three-hole against Washington Nationals left-hander Andrew Alvarez. The All-Star backstop returned quickly from the IL after suffering a strained left shoulder in the middle of August. Fantasy managers will want to get the power-hitting right-handed backstop in their fantasy lineups immediately now that he is back, even though he went 5-for-31 (.161) with a homer and 10 strikeouts in his last nine games before landing on the shelf. The 26-year-old leads all catchers with 34 home runs on the season and has driven in 69 runs, scored 69 runs, and stolen five bases in his 414 at-bats in 2026. The two-time All-Star burst onto the scene in 2025 with 31 homers and 91 RBI in his 144 games played in Colorado.

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New York Yankees pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez has impressed over his last two starts, allowing just one earned run on nine hits and one walk while striking out 12 batters in 12 innings of work. Also, aside from walking five batters in one game, the right-hander's last five starts have been relatively good, yielding two runs or fewer in all of them while recording a 19.4 percent K-BB% with 29 strikeouts in 26 innings pitched. The 6-foot-4 hurler is looking like he could be ready for another shot in the majors, and with injuries to both Max Fried (elbow) and Ryan Weathers (forearm) recently, Rodriguez could be in line for at least a spot start in the coming weeks. The Yankees' top pitching prospect was ineffective in his previous chances with the big-league club earlier this year (4.76 ERA, 1.76 WHIP, -1.2 percent K-BB%), but could have worked some things out at Triple-A, so he may be worth a speculative stash in deeper 14+ team leagues.

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Milwaukee Brewers corner infield prospect Luke Adams returned from the injured list this past Saturday, and although he went 0-for-3, he was also able to draw a pair of walks in the contest, which is something he's done quite a bit this season. The Brewers' 13th-ranked prospect owns a 13.3 percent walk rate at Triple-A this season, which is nearly on par with his 14.0 percent strikeout rate. The 6-foot-4 slugger is hitting just .251, but owns a .906 OPS thanks to his keen eye and enough power to deliver 13 home runs in 63 games for the Sounds. The Brewers have the best record in baseball and are hardly in need of Adams' services at this time, but he could get a shot to debut when rosters expand in September. Even so, unless he's getting regular at-bats with Milwaukee, he may not be fantasy relevant enough to garner roster consideration, so he can remain on the waiver wire for now.

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The Miami Marlins announced on Tuesday that they placed right-handed closer Pete Fairbanks (hand) on the 15-day injured list with right median nerve irritation in his hand and recalled left-hander Dax Fulton from Triple-A Jacksonville in a corresponding move. Fairbanks will go on the IL for a second time this year with the same issue after he had to be pulled after facing just one batter in Monday's loss to the Boston Red Sox. He will visit with a specialist on Tuesday, after which we hope to have a better idea of how long Fairbanks might be sidelined. But given the timing as we near the final month of the regular season, fantasy managers should not be surprised if we do not see the 32-year-old veteran again in 2026. Fairbanks has 18 saves in his eighth year in the majors (first with Miami), but he has also recorded a rough 6.02 ERA (4.47 FIP) and 1.31 WHIP with 57 strikeouts and 19 walks in his 40 1/3 innings pitched. In shallower fantasy leagues, dropping Fairbanks for a healthier and more stable bullpen option would not be a bad idea. In the meantime, Miami could use a closer-by-committee situation that could involve all of Calvin Faucher, Michael Petersen, Tyler Zuber, and Josh Ekness.

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The Toronto Blue Jays are placing right-hander Shane Bieber (shoulder) on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to Aug. 21) on Tuesday with right teres major inflammation and recalling pitcher Chad Dallas from Triple-A Buffalo in a corresponding move, according to Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet. This one comes out of nowhere after the veteran hurler was sharp in three of his four outings in August. In his last two starts against the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays, Bieber gave up just two earned runs on eight hits (one homer) while walking one and striking out 12 in 13 innings of work for two victories. Overall, the former Cy Young winner and two-time All-Star has gone 5-2 in 2026 for Toronto with a 4.53 ERA (5.13 FIP) and 1.44 WHIP with 44 strikeouts and 24 walks in 55 2/3 innings across 11 starts. Injuries have been an issue for Bieber in recent seasons, and given the timing of his latest one, it would not be a surprise if the Jays end up shutting him down for the final month of the regular season. He is rostered in just over half of Yahoo leagues.

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San Diego Padres catcher prospect Ethan Salas has excelled since being promoted to Triple-A El Paso in late July, now hitting .319 with three home runs and a .948 OPS through 19 games with the Chihuahuas. What's more is that the Padres' top-ranked prospect has walked (10) more times than he has struck out (eight) while being one of only a few 20-year-olds at that level. The left-handed hitter came into professional baseball as a highly-ranked prospect, but after a disappointing 2024 and an injury-marred 2025 in which he logged only 10 games, he had fallen outside the top 100 prospects, per MLB.com. However, the youngster has risen all the way back up to No. 23 overall in 2026 and is now on the doorstep to the majors. While a debut this season is likely a long shot, it isn't out of the question, so fantasy managers should keep tabs on the 20-year-old, as he offers an advanced approach with decent pop at the catcher position. His dynasty arrow is finally pointing up again after some uncertainty over the last couple of years.

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New York Mets pitching prospect Jonah Tong had another solid outing in his latest start, tossing 5 2/3 innings of scoreless ball, yielding three hits and two walks while striking out three. The Mets' fifth-ranked prospect owns a 1.26 ERA and 1.26 WHIP over his last three starts as he attempts to make a case for a return to the majors. Last year, the right-hander led all minor leaguers with 179 strikeouts, and his 29.9 percent K-BB% was the highest among pitchers with at least 100 innings pitched, but he has not seen the same success in 2026, with a lower strikeout rate and a higher walk rate, leading to an underwhelming 13.8 percent K-BB% in 100 IP at Triple-A this season. The 6-foot-1 hurler has also not been very effective in his two stints in the majors between last year and this year, but perhaps this recent three-game stretch is a sign of maturation and development. Still, even though the 23-year-old could find his way back to New York before the end of the season, he doesn't warrant stashing in most fantasy leagues.

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Cincinnati Reds infielder Edwin Arroyo is starting to pick up the pace at Triple-A Louisville, now 13-for-36 (.361) over his last 10 games for the Bats, including three doubles and three home runs. The former second-rounder was also hitting well earlier this year, which earned him a promotion to the big-league club back in early June, now with a .314/.377/.557 slash line with 15 home runs and 13 steals in 70 games with Louisville. The switch-hitter's hot hitting didn't quite translate to the majors, batting .244 (exactly league average) but with just a .286 on-base percentage, .282 slugging percentage (zero home runs), and one stolen base. Even so, there is enough power and speed to make him intriguing for fantasy if he can somehow put it together the next time he's recalled, so fantasy managers in very deep leagues should monitor for any developments, although he is not necessarily a stash target at this time.

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MLB.com's Christina De Nicola writes that there are a number of arms that Miami Marlins manager Clayton McCullough could turn to for saves if closer Pete Fairbanks (hand) ends up missing time with a nerve issue in his hand. Righty Tyler Zuber took over for Fairbanks on Monday against the Boston Red Sox and allowed a run on two hits in one-third of an inning for the loss. In addition to Zuber, Calvin Faucher, Tyler Phillips, Josh Ekness, and Michael Petersen could all be options to work the ninth inning going forward if Fairbanks lands on the injured list. All of the aforementioned relievers have picked up saves in 2026 for the Fish, but none of them have more than two saves on the year. McCullough hasn't tipped his hand as to whether there will be one arm that he leans on more than others in the event that Fairbanks misses extended time, leading us to believe that it will most likely be a frustrating closer-by-committee situation that fantasy managers will have a tough time navigating. Faucher and Petersen might be the best speculative additions in very deep fantasy leagues for managers who are desperate for saves late in the year.

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San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado (finger) has a bruise on the inside of his index finger, manager Craig Stammen told Annie Heilbrunn of The San Diego Union-Tribune. Machado's finger gets irritated when he hits a ball off the end of his bat. "He's got a little sleeve that he's going to wear now, and hopefully it's not something that lingers for very long," Stammen said. In the 3-2 extra-innings loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates at Petco Park in the series opener on Monday, Machado went 0-for-3 at the plate with two walks to drop his season average to .215 and his OPS to .711. While the 34-year-old seven-time All-Star and three-time Silver Slugger winner is hitting well below his career norms, he still does have 24 home runs, 72 RBI, and 65 runs scored in 129 games across 551 plate appearances in his 15th year in the league. His finger injury could be impacting his performance at the dish of late, as Machado has gone 18-for-82 (.220) with only one home run, a double, seven RBI, nine runs scored, and a steal in 22 games in August. It sounds like he will be in the lineup for Game 2 of the series against the Bucs on Tuesday evening in San Diego.

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The St. Louis Cardinals are placing shortstop Masyn Winn (thumb) on the 10-day injured list on Tuesday with a thumb injury that he suffered last Tuesday against the Cincinnati Reds, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. In a corresponding move, the team is calling up infielder Nolan Gorman from Triple-A Memphis before the series opener against the Baltimore Orioles, according to a source. With Winn out, JJ Wetherholt will man the 6 in St. Louis. We should have a better idea of how much time the 24-year-old Winn might miss after the results of his MRI exam and CT scan come back, but he will be out until at least the start of September when rosters expand. Winn has been a disappointment in 2026 in his third full year in the majors, slashing a weak .238/.314/.326 with a .641 OPS, only five home runs, 51 RBI, 49 runs scored, and 10 stolen bases across 122 games and 490 plate appearances. As a result, he is rostered in just 32% of Yahoo leagues now.

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It has been a rough 2026 season for Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, but he had a bright spot in Monday night's 9-2 win over the visiting Philadelphia Phillies, going 3-for-3 at the plate with three home runs, four RBI and a walk. It was the 29-year-old left-handed slugger's first three-homer performance of his career and his first multi-homer showing of the season. Despite the monster game at T-Mobile Park, the Big Dumper is still slashing only .167/.282/.336 with a .618 OPS, 17 home runs, 51 RBI, 31 runs scored, two stolen bases, and a 30.9% strikeout rate in his 408 plate appearances in 2026. The poor season comes after Raleigh was a first-time All-Star and finished second in the American League MVP voting just last year after he finished with a league-high 60 home runs and 125 RBI in 159 regular-season games played. Raleigh can still make a power impact for fantasy managers down the stretch this year, but he almost certainly will finish shy of the 30-homer mark for the first time since his first full year in the league in 2022.

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