Ernie Clement collects three hits against Giants

Kayfus suffered both a fracture and ligament damage in his right ankle while playing for Triple-A Columbus last Saturday. The 24-year-old former top prospect was demoted to the minors back in mid-April after hitting just .182 (4-for-22) with one homer and two RBI over nine games in a bench role. There is no timeline for his return but he figures to be ready for the start of spring training.

Sammon and Nusbaum add that trade discussions are in the preliminary stages at this point. They also didn’t offer any specifics regarding which teams have reached out to Washington. Garcia figures to be a popular trade target, if the Nationals are intent on moving him, since he’s put together an outstanding season, hitting .284/.317/.554 with a career-high 20 homers, 68 RBI and four steals in 319 plate appearances through. 90 games. He would make sense as a righty-mashing specialist on a contending roster capable of playing both first and second base.

Josh Bell takes over at first base in his absence with Twins manager Derek Shelton telling reporters that he’s already feeling better, but will still get an extra day off to rest and recover. Lewis went 0-for-4 during Friday’s second-half opener. He’s hit .258 (33-for-128) with seven homers, 16 RBI and three steals in 33 games since returning to the big leagues back on June 6.

Curtis is likely ticketed for a long relief role after a strong showing on the doorstep of the majors to earn his first call-up to the majors. The unheralded 24-year-old has compiled a respectable 4.96 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 97/40 K/BB ratio across 74 1/3 innings over 18 appearances in the upper minors this season. He can be safely ignored in fantasy leagues for now.

Dotel will serve as Pittsburgh’s 27th man for Saturday’s doubleheader against the Guardians, which enables the club to add him to the roster without sending anyone down. The 23-year-old rookie has shown some flashes of potential while pitching to a serviceable 5.89 ERA and 19/9 K/BB ratio across 18 1/3 innings this season. He’s been out with a lat strain since mid-June.

The procedural move doesn’t impact Cruz’s return timeline very much as he’s now eligible to come off the injured list on August 8. The 27-year-old fantasy standout has progressed to swinging a bat as he works his way back from a pair of left hand fractures. He should make it back to Pittsburgh’s lineup at some point in early August following a rehab assignment.

Sirota fell two games shy of matching the 74-game single-season record set by Andrew Velazquez for Low-A South Bend in 2014. The 23-year-old on-base machine has firmly established himself as one of the top fantasy prospects in the minor-league landscape, hitting .314/.468/.554 with 14 homers and 11 stelas in 363 plate appearances between High-A Great Lakes and Double-A Tulsa this season. However, his path to at-bats in Los Angeles is blocked by a plethora of veterans at the highest level. He could force his way into their long-term plans at some point next year, but it would likely take an injury or unexpected development for Sirota to reach the big leagues in the second half.

Thorpe will be pitching in his first game action since July 31, 2024. The 25-year-old former top pitching prospect has been working his way back after undergoing Tommy John surgery last March. He’ll require several weeks without any setbacks to build up his stamina and pitch count before he’s remotely close to making it back to Chicago. There’s a chance he’s ready to contribute for the ascending White Sox at some point in the later stages of the second half.

Lebron is arguably the best athlete and most polarizing prospect in his entire draft class with the Reds going slightly above slot to sign him for $5 million. There are some legitimate concerns regarding the 21-year-old shortstop’s hit tool leave, which leaves him with one of the widest ranges of potential outcomes. If everything clicks, he possesses some of the loudest fantasy-relevant tools in the group, pairing above-average power with elite speed. He’s the type of talent that fantasy managers need to be closely monitoring in dynasty formats during the early stages of his professional career.

Gridlinger heads to Los Angeles on a full-slot deal worth $5.88 million following an impressive showing as a two-way prep star in California. The 17-year-old is pretty much all projection at this stage in his development, but his left-handed swing makes it easy to envision him growing into plus raw power. He also flashed mid-90’s fastball velocity on the hill. It’s a bit unclear how the Angels will proceed with his development, but he’s a fascinating talent and figures to open his career on a two-way trajectory. We’ve seen this story before in Los Angeles.