Díaz gives up walkoff HR as LAD lose 7th straight

Cruz is on the precipice of returning to Pittsburgh after hitting the injured list with multiple non-displaced fractures in his left hand back in early June. The 27-year-old fantasy standout will likely require a couple additional tune-up contests to get back up to speed in the wake of a lengthy layoff. He logged seven innings in center field on Friday, his first game action in nearly two months. There’s a strong possibility he’s ready to return at some point next week.

It seems inconceivable that Báez will spend the remainder of the season on the doorstep of the big leagues. The power-hitting 23-year-old has some work left to be done from a swing decision and approach standpoint to scale back on the strikeouts. However, it’s undeniable that his immense raw power would be useful for the Cardinals down the home stretch. They’re currently rolling with unheralded Bryan Torres, who holds a pedestrian .692 OPS, as their primary left fielder after moving Lars Nootbaar at the trade deadline earlier this week. The Cardinals would be able to promote Báez towards the end of next week and still retaining his rookie eligibility for next season. He’s the type of streaky slugger that could hit the ground running and make an immediate impact for fantasy managers, which makes him worthy of a speculative roster spot in all formats.

The time to stash Anderson was weeks, if not months, ago. Now, his arrival in Seattle appears imminent, especially after the Mariners jettisoned veteran Luis Castillo at the trade deadline earlier this week. The 22-year-old pitching phenom, who was selected third overall in last year’s draft, has authored one of the most dominant professional debuts in recent memory, posting a microscopic 1.13 ERA and 0.65 WHIP with a staggering 128/12 K/BB ratio across 87 2/3 innings. Seattle can promote Anderson later next week while preserving his rookie eligibility for next season. Mariners president Jerry Dipoto told reporters earlier this week that he will work as a traditional starter, and won’t pitch in relief, when he jumps to the big leagues. At this point, all signs point toward Anderson making his major-league debut next week. Simply put, he has nothing left to prove in the minors and represents a must-roster arm in all fantasy leagues.

What a fantastic pitcher. After an early July speed bump, Rasmussen has won five straight starts. The last four of those have all been scoreless, giving him a 27-inning shutout streak. Rasmussen is 12-5 with a 2.75 ERA that places him very much in the mix for AL Cy Young honors. He’s due to face the A’s next week.

Julio Rodríguez homered with two outs in the ninth, but the Rays had a two-run lead to work with, and Baker struck out the other three batters he faced. Baker is currently in ninth place on the Rays’ single-season saves list. He’s still 15 behind Fernando Rodney for the franchise record, but 33 is the team’s highest total since Alex Colome finished with 47 in 2017.

The Mariners just don’t score much for Gilbert or for anyone, in general. This is the third time this season in which Gilbert has allowed exactly two runs. Somehow, he’s 0-3 in those starts. He’ll likely face the Yankees next Thursday.

Aranda seems to have pulled out of his slump with homers the last two days. He’s 11-for-27 with two homers and eight RBI in six games this month.

Smith needed to get hot with the Astros adding Daulton Varsho at the deadline, and he’s definitely improved his case for remaining a regular outfielder in going 13-for-30 with five extra-base hits in his last eight games. It’s raised his OPS from .641 to .686.

Blanco departed with a 4-3 lead after Fernando Tatis Jr. homered with two outs and none on in the fifth. One more out would have gotten him a win, but manager A.J. Hinch just didn’t trust him to face Jake Cronenworth. Blanco has a 6.98 ERA after four starts, so he’s not promised much at this point. He’s in line to face the Giants on Wednesday, making him a streaming option in deep leagues.

Hader is up to 16 saves. He hasn’t allowed a hit in any of his last seven appearances, and his ERA sits at 1.08 for the year.