Rangers outright Michel Otañez to Triple-A

It’s always challenging to forecast catching prospects and Irish looks like he’s going to be another tough evaluation for dynasty managers, especially since he’s already moved off the position. The 22-year-old was selected 19th overall in last year’s draft after a standout collegiate career at Auburn and hit .286/.388/.528 with 16 homers and 20 steals in 343 plate appearances for High-A Frederick prior to the injury. There’s enough power upside to envision Irish making a real fantasy impact in the next couple seasons. The fact that he can chip in a handful of thefts is also a nice bonus.

Manzardo was 4-for-26 with no extra-base hits and an 11/0 K/BB with the bases loaded in his career before taking Chase Burns deep in the first inning today. The Guardians went on to lose the 4-0 lead, falling behind 5-4 in the fourth, but they manufactured single runs in the fifth and eighth to pull this one out. Manzardo is batting .211/.300/.367 with 12 homers in 340 plate appearances this season, and his strikeout rate has jumped from 25 percent last year to 32 percent right now. He came through today, but his short- and long-term future as a platoon starter should be very much in doubt.

Cecconi was handed a 4-0 lead in the top of the first, but he gave it away in another short outing. He finishes July having allowed 21 runs — 15 earned — in 17 innings over four starts, taking his overall ERA from 4.18 to 4.78. The Guardians could consider sending him to the pen and giving Logan Allen another try.

Since rejoining the Guardians on July 3 for his second big-league stint, the 26-year-old Aleman has allowed one run and struck out 15 in 11 innings out of the pen. The Guardians didn’t really need another breakout reliever, but they certainly won’t turn it down.

Smith’s velocity was way up again today; he averaged 99.7 mph with his fastball, which is 2.7 mph better than usual. He also averaged 100.0 mph in an appearance a week ago, though he was back down to 97.5 mph on Thursday. Before that, his season-high fastball velocity was 98.6 mph on July 8. Smith is the first pitcher to reach 30 saves this year. He has two more than Bryan Baker and three more than Mason Miller.

Unable to pick up his defense, Burns gave up a grand slam three batters after an Edwin Arroyo error in the first. He then allowed one more run on a José Ramírez single, two steals and a sac fly in the fifth. Burns’ velocity today was about one mph lower than usual. He remains a fine enough bet for now, but with the Reds fading from contention, he might not pitch much in September. He’s due to make his next start Sunday against the Pirates, though if that happens, it’d be just his second on four days’ rest in the last two months.

Stewart is up to second in the majors with 79 RBI. That puts him on pace for 122, which would be the highest mark for a rookie since Albert Pujols drove in 130 runs in 2001. The highest totals for a rookie since then were 120 from Pete Alonso in 2019 and 114 from Aaron Judge in 2017. Ted Williams’ major league record of 145 as a rookie is obviously well out of reach.

Goldschmidt has shown some signs of life at the dish since the All-Star break after struggling through an extended cold spell at the start of July. The 38-year-old veteran will continue to receive looks atop New York’s lineup against left-handed starters since they don’t really have any alternatives at the moment. That could change after next week’s trade deadline.

Skubal is sitting one strikeout shy of 1,000 for his career and told reporters that he wants to accomplish the feat in front of the Detroit fans. This could wind up being his final start in a Tigers uniform with the club continuing to fade from playoff contention and trade rumors swirling. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported earlier on Tuesday that the belief around the league is that Detroit wants to trade Skubal, but they’re going to be seeking a substantial return. The 29-year-old fantasy ace is the biggest potential domino to watch ahead of next week’s trade deadline.

Southisene receives his second promotion in less than two months, reaching the upper minors just a few months before his 20th birthday. He was Atlanta’s first-round pick in last year’s MLB Draft and has put together a breakthrough campaign, slashing .279/.408/.469 with 12 homers and 49 steals across 417 plate appearances between Low-A Augusta and High-A Rome. His stock has taken off in dynasty formats and he projects as an impact fantasy contributor down the line, mostly due to his stolen base ability. The fact that he’s continued adding over-the-fence power is a positive sign.