Culpepper (glute) returns to Triple-A lineup

Garcia is ready to return to game action after hitting the injured list with a muscle strain in his left hand back on June 23. The 26-year-old third baseman hasn’t come close to replicating last year’s impressive 16-homer, 23-steal breakthrough campaign. However, he should make an impact for fantasy managers down the home stretch and he should be rostered in most leagues.

Ross loses his spot on Pittsburgh’s 40-man roster with the acquisition of Johnathan Rodríguez from the Orioles. The 26-year-old went 1-for-5 with a homer in two games with the Pirates earlier this month.

Rodríguez heads to Triple-A Indianapolis as organizational depth for Pittsburgh after being designated for assignment last week. The unheralded 26-year-old hit .182 (2-for-11) during a seven-game stint with the Orioles.

Mead has a phenomenal opportunity to make some noise in Sutter Health Field’s high-octane offensive environment in West Sacramento after coming over from the Nationals in a challenge trade for lefty Connelly Early over the weekend. The 25-year-old former top prospect has gone through a bizarre odyssey in the early portion of his career, but he appears to have finally arrived as an impactful everyday option this season, launching 17 homers in 327 plate appearances for Washington. He’s started pulling the ball in the air with much greater frequency this season, which will absolutely work in Fenway Park. He’s at second base in his Boston debut, but is likely to also see time at the hot corner over the final two months.

Valencia comes back up to join Detroit’s bench for Monday’s series opener against the Orioles with Kerry Carpenter hitting the shelf with plantar fasciitis. The 26-year-old rookie hit .417 (5-for-12) with two homers and three RBI during six games with the Tigers earlier this month.

Carpenter was going to need some extra time off to put the lingering foot issue to bed and the Tigers can’t really afford to play with a shortened bench while trying to remain in playoff contention. The 28-year-old has had an uncharacteristically poor campaign at the dish, slashing .208/.276/.416 with 13 homers across 259 plate appearances.

Not great. Yankees manager Aaron Boone revealed that Bellinger will be sidelined until at least late August and his absence could easily stretch into early September. The 31-year-old hit the injured list on Sunday after suffering the injury while legging out a double against the Phillies earlier in the weekend. It’s a significant loss for New York, and fantasy managers as well, since he’s graded out as a top-25 outfielder this season, hitting .259 with 52 runs scored, 11 homers, 53 RBI and 10 steals in 434 plate appearances. He’s worth stashing in most fantasy leagues since he’s likely to return this season, but it’s a much tougher call for managers in shallow mixed leagues.

Benge takes a seat with Tyrone Taylor in left field and fellow rookie A.J. Ewing in the opposite corner. The 23-year-old has hit a bit of a rough patch since the All-Star break, hitting .200 (6-for-30) with one extra-base hit and 10 strikeouts during that eight-game span.

Thomas returned to the Athletics’ lineup for Sunday’s series finale against the Twins after missing four games with a left wrist bruise. The 25-year-old former prospect is in left field and hitting cleanup against Boston rookie lefty Peyton Tolle on Monday night in West Sacramento.

It’s the worst-case scenario outcome after Langeliers hit the injured list over the weekend. The 28-year-old slugging backstop’s absence is a significant hit for fantasy managers heading into the final two months after delivering top-five production at the position. He finishes with a robust .263/.332/.497 slash line with 55 runs scored, 23 homers, 51 RBI and two steals in 416 plate appearances across 93 games. The only positive news here is that Langeliers should be ready for the start of spring training.