The Mets can’t seem to catch a break. Soto winds up requiring a trip to the injured list with a left calf issue for the second time this season after suffering the injury during Friday’s showdown against the Dodgers. No word yet on the MRI results, which will determine the severity and how much time he’ll miss. However, fantasy managers should anticipate a multi-week absence. The 27-year-old generational talent has put together another borderline elite fantasy campaign, slashing .283/.408/.539 with 46 runs scored, 21 homers, 52 RBI and seven steals in 359 plate appearances through 84 games. His absence kicks the door wide open for rookie A.J. Ewing to play everyday in left field. There should be a clear return timetable at some point soon.

Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy confirmed that Suarez is finally ready to take the ball after his return from the injured list was delayed by an illness earlier this week. The 30-year-old All-Star southpaw will return to a red-hot Boston squad after missing exactly three weeks with a groin strain. He got off to a bit of a slow start in his Red Sox debut, but finished the first half with a sparkling 3.15 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 97/26 K/BB ratio across 91 1/3 innings. It’ll be rookie Peyton Tolle drawing the starting assignment for Monday’s series opener against the Athletics out in West Sacramento.

Kurtz returns to the Athletics’ lineup for Saturday’s contest against the Twins following a two-week absence recovering from a thumb sprain that he suffered prior to the All-Star break. The 23-year-old on-base machine should provide a massive lift for the struggling Athletics, and fantasy managers as well, after making a lightning-quick recovery. He was off to an excellent start at the plate prior to the injury, slashing .266/.405/.497 with 61 runs scored, 20 homers, 66 RBI and seven steals in 412 plate appearances across 92 games.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan was the first to report the deal. Keuchel hasn’t thrown a pitch in the big leagues since the 2024 campaign. The Athletics are going to give the 38-year-old veteran a late-season opportunity at Triple-A Las Vegas. He won the AL Cy Young Award with the Astros back in 2015 and has made 267 starts in the majors dating back to 2012. He’s a notable addition for the Athletics from a name recognition standpoint, but it would be extremely surprising if he provided any semblance of fantasy value over the final two months.

This was one of those starts where you could see how sky-high Sasaki’s potential still is. He was back to buzzing 99 and 100 mph fastballs over the first few innings and commanded it exceptionally well on the edges of the plate. That set up his splitter to terrorize the Mets hitters. In total, it forced 15 whiffs – by far the most it has in a single game so far this season – and a nearly 50% chase rate. It was simply diabolical and so effective that it morphed into his primary pitch during his second and third trips around the Mets’ lineup. It was also the first time in his career that he completed seven innings against a team that isn’t the Angels. This is now back-to-back lights out starts by Sasaki out of the All-Star break and it might finally be time to take him seriously. Next up is a matchup against the Mariners at home.

It sounds like an IL stint could be possible now. Jorge Polanco and Luis Robert Jr. will likely see DH time while Soto is out. Eric Wagaman or MJ Melendez could be recalled if Soto lands on the IL.

Maybe this will prove troublesome going forward, but it still sounds better than most of the alternatives. Arrighetti exited tonight while warming up for the second inning after a rough first that saw him give up three runs. Cristian Javier could step into the rotation if Arrighetti lands on the IL. The rehabbing Hayden Wesneski would also be an option.

The Royals mounted little opposition here, mustering a double and walk to leadoff the third inning before bunting the runners into a pair of Skubal strikeouts. They eventually got on the board via a RBI double from Nick Loftin, but Skubal allowed just five hard-hit balls on 91 pitches and had an absurd 45 percent whiff rate. We’ve got no real reason to assume he’ll be moved before his next start, which tentatively is set to be against the Orioles on Wednesday. Fantasy managers, obviously, will keep firing up Skubal regardless of what happens.

Acuña will play in Triple-A Gwinnett tonight and looks likely to return at some point this weekend against the Orioles. Weiss added that if he wasn’t activated Friday, “almost certainly” he’d be activated this weekend. Acuña has been rehabbing his hamstring since July 13 in the FCL league and then at Gwinnett. The fantasy superstar should be safe to plug in to lineups immediately upon his return.

Alvarez is like an old school heavy-weight boxer. He leans on his opponents until he finds the opportunity to deliver the knockout blow. Then, he puts them to sleep. He and Sandy Alcantara had battled three times over the first seven innings of this game. Despite notching one hit, Alvarez put the ball on the ground three times, which is rare for him. He also swung at one of the first two pitches he saw in all three at-bats, also something he rarely does. In an increasingly odd fourth matchup with the same pitcher in the same game, Alvarez waited back until Alcantara’s third pitch and drove a fastball for an opposite field home run and a late lead the Astros wouldn’t give back. That brought him to 34 home runs and 77 RBI on the season, each now league-leading marks by just one. His .328 batting average is also best in the American League by a wide margin as he has the triple crown in his sights with just over two months of baseball left to play.