Alex Lange blows another save, picks up win Monday

Thorpe struck out five and didn’t walk a batter while allowing one hit. He threw 31 of his 43 pitches for strikes. It’s another promising outing for the 25-year-old, who has not pitched at any level since having Tommy John surgery in April of 2025. He will likely need to make at least two more rehab starts before he becomes an option for the White Sox in any capacity.

Murphy also caught all nine innings, which makes it back-to-back days that he’s done that. He also picked up his third straight multi-hit game and has a .438 batting average on his rehab assignment. He seems ready to return.

As Sammon reports, “there is high interest around the league in Weaver, who is owed $2.4 million after August 3rd with another $11 million due in 2027.” The 32-year-old has a 1.88 ERA in 41 appearances for the Mets and could be a potential closer option for the Pirates if he were to wind up in Pittsburgh. He would likely be part of a late-inning committee in Milwaukee, which would not be as enticing for his fantasy value. Regardless, Weaver is a decent stash right now in fantasy leagues on the chance that he emerges as a closer by next week.

The Phillies won’t have another off day until August 14th, so they need a spot starter for today’s game. This also gives them an opportunity to showcase Painter as a potential trade chip at the deadline while the Phillies search for another reliable starting pitcher. The 23-year-old has struggled this year but is improving lately, allowing three runs in his last 11 Triple-A innings while striking out 14. Part of that success has been Painter looking at his metrics after a poor start on July 10th and realizing that too few of his secondary pitches were in the strike zone, allowing hitters to sit on his four-seam fastball. We’ll see if he can carry those lessons into his next MLB start.

Mize is not hurt, but with the trade deadline looming, and the right-hander potential being dealt, the Tigers don’t want to risk anything. Of course, we should also note that Mize sat 91.9 mph on his four-seam fastball in his last outing and dipped under 90 mph multiple times. If he were to go out there and do that again on Friday, it would no doubt impact his potential trade market. The Tigers will instead go with Ty Madden to start a bullpen game.

The Twins are currently one game out of the final AL Wild Card spot, so they will make some minor moves to try to get this team into the playoffs. That may be tougher with Byron Buxton (hip) on the injured list, but Minter will be a strong addition to a bullpen that has been solid in July. The left-hander has a 2.35 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and a 20/2 K/BB ratio over 23 innings in 23 appearances with the Mets this season. Billy Amick was the Twins’ 21st-ranked prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, and has 23 HR and 72 RBI in 86 games at Double-A this season, while Bruin Agbayani, who is the son of former Mets fan favorite Benny Agbayani, was the Twins’ 29th-ranked prospect and has played in only 10 games this season.

Ivan Herrera is the Cardinals’ most sought-after catcher, but the team, understandably, loves his bat, so their asking price is very high. With many other teams concerned that Herrera is not a good enough defender to remain a catcher, there doesn’t seem to be a match between what the Cardinals want and what other teams will pay. The Cardinals also love having Pedro Pagés as a backup catcher, so the left-handed hitting Crooks, who is just 25 years old and won’t be eligible for arbitration until 2029, could be used to entice teams like the Yankees, Red Sox, or Rays, among others, who are looking for another catching option.

The Red Sox seem to prefer Otto Lopez and prefer to add a shortstop at the deadline, but Red Sox assistant general manager Taylor Smith was previously with the Rays and was instrumental in acquiring Xavier Edwards from them previously. Edwards lacks the arm to play shortstop, but he has played there in the past and could help until Trevor Story or Marcelo Mayer are back from their injuries. Edwards is hitting .292/.373/.401 this season with six home runs, 18 steals, and elite contact metrics at the plate. He’d also likely cost less to acquire than Otto Lopez.

This seemed like a likely outcome after Sands returned from a forearm strain only to immediately return to the injured list with an elbow strain. According to Hayes, “Sands said the procedure will remove loose bodies and bone spurs in his right elbow, and he’ll receive a platelet-rich plasma injection.” We’ll have a clearer timeline for his return after the surgery.

The Giants didn’t have a starting pitcher listed, but it will be Whisenhunt, who allowed four runs in five innings against the Angels his last time out. The performance was more encouraging than the stat line, as Whisenhunt leaned into his changeup for 15 whiffs and 76 percent strikes. That’s an approach that should work for the left-hander as long as he can locate his fastball up in the zone. He will likely remain in the Giants’ rotation for the rest of the season and could emerge as a streaming option.