Ullola thriving in relief role at Triple-A

It may be unrealistic to expect De Paula to blossom into an immediate fantasy superstar, but he’s that caliber of special talent as a hitter. The 21-year-old prodigy went 0-for-3 with a walk during his major-league debut on Friday night. He has a roughly two-week runway to show the Dodgers what he can do while Shohei Ohtani is on the injured list with knee and biceps issues. He does a phenomenal job of controlling the strike zone, makes a ton of contact and possesses elite raw power. Simply put, he checks almost every metaphorical box as a hitting prospect. He’s worthy of a speculative roster spot in all fantasy leagues based solely on his immense talent.

Freeman celebrates his 37th birthday by returning to first base following a two-game absence due to right knee soreness. He told reporters that he’s feeling much better after getting a couple days off to rest and recover. It doesn’t sound like the lingering knee issue will impact his availability heading into the final two weeks of the regular season. He’s put together another strong year at the plate, slashing .297/.375/.453 with 72 runs scored, 16 homers, 66 RBI and seven steals across 600 plate appearances in 140 games.

Caglianone remains out for the sixth consecutive game after taking on-field batting practice prior to Friday’s series opener at Fenway Park. Clearly, the Royals are proceeding with an abundance of caution after Caglianone was diagnosed with a mild flexor strain last weekend. It’s impossible to rule out a trip to the injured list at this juncture, but fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day for now. It’ll be Matthew Lugo drawing another start in right field in his place.

Cabrera will operate out of Chicago’s bullpen for the rest of the season. His stuff should play up in shorter relief stints, and he could emerge as an important weapon over the final two weeks. It’s not out of the question that he could factor into the Cubs’ closing mix with Jacob Webb struggling recently, though that’s far from a guarantee considering Cabrera has never really pitched in relief before. He’s the type of talent who could thrive out of the bullpen if he manages to stay healthy.

It’ll be Edward Cabrera taking over Thornton’s spot in Chicago’s bullpen for the remainder of the regular season. The 32-year-old has posted a respectable 3.35 ERA across 48 1/3 innings of work this season.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell told reporters Steele will have at least one additional rehab outing for Triple-A Iowa next week before the club makes a decision on his status. The 31-year-old figures to pitch in relief for the Cubs since he won’t be built up enough from a workload standpoint to operate as a traditional starter.

It’s an extremely rare day off for Suzuki, who went 3-for-5 during Friday’s game against the Pirates. He’ll take a seat with Tyrone Taylor getting an opportunity to face Pirates ace Paul Skenes. The 32-year-old is on pace to finish as a top-15 fantasy outfielder, hitting .270/.369/.480 with 91 runs scored, 24 homers, 81 RBI and three steals in 578 plate appearanes.

Hopkins figures to operate in shorter bursts out of Tampa Bay’s bullpen after recently shifting to a full-time relief role. The hard-throwing 24-year-old prospect has posted a strong 3.00 ERA and 16/5 K/BB ratio across nine innings out of the bullpen for Triple-A Durham since August 15. Hopkins is unlikely to offer much from a fantasy perspective in a relatively limited role down the home stretch, but he’s an electric arm with the chance to pitch in big spots for the playoff-bound Rays.

No surprise after Valdez was removed from Friday’s game with hamstring discomfort. It sounds like a potential injured list situation, but the Pirates have the roster flexibility to wait a couple days before making that decision, if that’s how they want to proceed. It’ll be Jake Mangum taking over in right field for the moment.

Lovelady returns to Washington’s relief mix after the club sent down Clayton Beeter, who served as their primary closer for most of the season. The well-traveled 31-year-old has been out with a triceps strain since late June.