Mariners ink Stuart Fairchild to minors contract

Valencia heads back to the minors to make room for Gleyber Torres on Detroit’s active roster ahead of Monday’s contest against Chicago. The 26-year-old backstop hit .417 (5-for-12) with two homers and three RBI during six games with the Tigers in his first taste of the majors. He’ll be back at some point later this year.

Taillon gets the ball for Monday’s series opener against the Tigers at Wrigley Field following a nearly six-week absence recovering from a hamstring strain. The 34-year-old veteran has struggled to a pedestrian 5.19 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 59/23 K/BB ratio across 67 2/3 innings through 13 starts. He boasts and extensive track record of impact fantasy production, but a quick glance at his underlying metrics suggests those days might finally be coming to an end. He’s not a recommended option at this juncture.

Maton winds up back on the shelf with a recurring knee issue that previously put him on the injured list back in late June. The Cubs are probably going to give him an extended break in an effort to put the lingering issue to bed. He made just one appearance after coming off the injured list just prior to the All-Star break.

Pomeranz’s latest stint with Chicago winds up lasting just a shade over two weeks during which he allowed five runs with a 1/4 K/BB ratio over 5 2/3 innings of work. The 37-year-old southpaw was highly effective with the Cubs last year, but has struggled to a lackluster 5.59 ERA across 29 innings this season.

Lopez takes a seat for the second consecutive contest with inflammation in his right ring finger. The positive news for the Marlins, and fantasy managers, is that initial X-rays came back negative and he doesn’t appear to be facing an extended absence. The 27-year-old middle infielder has been an unexpected breakout sensation, delivering first-round fantasy value this season, slashing .335/.368/.505 with 61 runs scored, nine homers, 46 RBI and 18 stolen bases across 419 plate appearances through 97 games. It’ll be Javier Sanoja taking over at shortstop in his place on Monday night.

It sounds like there’s still a chance Suarez will be activated from the injured list to start Tuesday’s contest against the Orioles, but the sizzling-hot Red Sox are going to wait until after his latest throwing session before making that call. Th 30-year-old All-Star lefty has been on the shelf with a groin strain since early July.

Story has progressed to taking on-field batting practice and is close to ramping up his running progression, which is the final step prior to getting into rehab contests. The 33-year-old veteran shortstop should make it back to Boston at some point later next month after undergoing sports hernia surgery back in late May.

Max Muncy is also taking a seat with Phillies ace Cristopher Sánchez toeing the rubber for his second-half debut. It’s been a rocky opening season for Tucker in Los Angeles as he’s struggled to a lackluster .240/.335/.367 slash line with seven homers and six RBI across 394 plate appearances in 94 games. It’ll be a red-hot Tommy Edman at the hot corner and batting third with Alex Call getting a look in right field.

It’ll be Scherzer’s first game action since receiving three cortisone injections in his thumb during last week’s All-Star break. The 41-year-old future Hall of Famer is hoping to return to Toronto’s rotation at some point in the second half, but it’s going to take several rehab outings before he’s ready. He’s been limited to just 22 innings across six starts this season due to physical issues. He’s pretty much a non-factor for fantasy purposes at the moment.

Blanco draws the starting assignment for Monday’s series opener against the Marlins at Daikin Park. It’ll be his season debut after missing the first four months working his way back from last year’s Tommy John surgery. It’ll be his first start back in the majors since last May. The 32-year-old has had moments of fantasy relevance at earlier points in his career, but he doesn’t offer a ton of strikeout upside, and is more of a wait-and-see option in deeper leagues.