Nats transfer Richard Lovelady to 60-day IL

Lara draws the start in right field for the third time in Milwaukee’s last four games with Jake Bauers spending more time at first base recently. The 21-year-old top prospect, who is just 6-for-27 with one steal in 11 games since being called up earlier this month, has an opportunity to prove he belongs in the club’s everyday lineup while right fielder Sal Frelick is out with a shoulder strain. He possesses a fascinating blend of fantasy-relevant skills and could be an impactful contributor down the home stretch. He’s a name to monitor in deeper fantasy leagues.

There was some speculation that rookie Connor Prielipp (blister) would be activated from the injured list to make this start, but that doesn’t appear to be happening. However, Prielipp figures to take the ball for Sunday’s series finale with Twins ace Joe Ryan being scratched due to arm fatigue. Paredes holds an underwhelming 4.72 ERA and 19/13 K/BB ratio across 34 1/3 innings at the highest level this season. He’s not a recommended fantasy option.

Minnesota manager Derek Shelton told reporters the expectation is that Ryan will pitch at some point against the Royals next week. The 30-year-old’s name is going to come up a ton in trade rumors over the next couple weeks leading into the trade deadline. Clearly, the Twins aren’t going to take any chances if he’s not feeling right from a physical standpoint. It doesn’t sound like a significant concern since the club hasn’t placed him on the injured list. There should be some much-needed additional clarity concerning Ryan’s next start at some point next week, but fantasy managers shouldn’t anticipate a lengthy absence.

Crawford is back at third base and hitting eighth following a four-game absence due to left wrist soreness. The 31-year-old’s return is an encouraging development for the Mariners as they sit on the edge of playoff contention with the trade deadline rapidly approaching.

King rejoins Houston’s bullpen after spending a couple days back in the minors with starter Spencer Arrighetti hitting the injured list with a foot isuse. The 29-year-old lefty holds a solid 3.40 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 35/16 K/BB ratio across 45 innings of work this season. He’ll operate in a low-leverage role for now.

Arrighetti lands on the injured list after departing Friday’s start against the White Sox following just 33 pitches over one inning with nerve irritation in his foot. The 26-year-old looked like a fixture in fantasy rotations for several weeks after returning from the injured list in mid-April, but his performance unraveled as the first half wore on. He surrendered six earned runs or more in three of his final four starts before the All-Star break, and now heads back to the shelf after another abbreviated outing. It’s unclear how much time he’s going to miss, but fantasy managers should brace for the possibility of an extended absence.

Perez moved past Royals icon George Brett for sole possession of first place as Kansas City’s all-time home run leader with a seventh-inning solo shot to left field against Tigers reliever Kyle Finnegan. It was the 318th round-tripper of his remarkable career. The 36-year-old ironman has gone deep four times in nine contests since the Midsummer Classic. His days as a mixed-league relevant fantasy backstop are probably finished at this advanced stage of his career, but he remains a decent power source at the position in deeper leagues.

Lee extended his hitting streak to 10 consecutive games with an RBI double against Royals veteran Michael Wacha in the second inning. He capped off the multi-hit performance with a fourth-inning blast into the left-field corner. The 23-year-old rookie is tearing the cover off the ball of late, hitting .370 (10-for-27) with two homers in eight games since the All-Star break.

Detroit’s former closer came back to haunt his old club, working around a pair of singles to spin a scoreless frame and protect a one-run advantage. It was his 10th save of the season and his first double-digit save total since recording 26 saves for the Tigers back in 2023.