Brayan Bello effective for four against A’s

It’s not hyperbolic to say that the Athletics were crushed by injuries to key offensive contributors this season with Soderstrom joining Brent Rooker (knee), Nick Kurtz (thumb) and Shea Langeliers (knee) among those to miss significant time. The 24-year-old hit the injured list with a hip impingement over the weekend and will miss the final six weeks of the year. He finishes with a .245/.338/.472 slash line with 58 runs scored, 19 homers, 56 RBI and two steals across 453 plate appearances in 109 games. He’ll be a top 30-40 range outfielder in fantasy drafts next spring.

Twins manager Derek Shelton told reporters Keaschall could get a more extended look atop the lineup, especially against left-handed starters, for the remainder of the season. The 24-year-old former top prospect got off to an ice-cold start at the plate, but has hit .290 (79-for-272) with six homers and seven steals in 86 games since the start of May. A permanent move atop Minnesota’s lineup would be a significant boost to his long-term fantasy value.

Arenado takes a seat for the second straight game after suffering an abdominal injury over the weekend. The 35-year-old veteran would be an injured list candidate if not for the unexpected Ketel Marte situation that caused the Diamondbacks to activate Jose Fernandez from their taxi squad in Boston.

Mesa is back patrolling right field and batting sixth following a three-game absence due to hamstring tightness. It doesn’t appear to be a significant concern moving forward.

Cruz is back in Pittsburgh’s lineup for the first time since June 7. The electrifying 27-year-old fantasy standout sat out Monday’s series opener against Detroit after being activated from the injured list. He wound up missing more than two months with multiple non-displaced fractures in his left hand. He’ll wind up sitting against the occasional lefty, but has made enough progress against them this season that it won’t happen every single time down the home stretch.

Valencia has been a sneaky impactful fantasy contributor this season, hitting .389 (21-for-54) with six homers and 17 RBI in 19 games. He’s not going to deliver a ton of volume with All-Star backstop Dillon Dingler firmly entrenched as Detroit’s starting catcher, but he’s worthy of a roster spot in most fantasy leagues, especially two-catcher formats.

Yesavage is roughly one week removed from undergoing left knee meniscus surgery and is aiming to return before the end of the regular season. The 23-year-old starter will need several weeks to build up his arm strength and pitch count and arm strength before he’s ready to jump back into Toronto’s rotation. He’s worth stashing in deeper mixed leagues, but fantasy managers in shallow formats are probably safe to cut bait.

Counsell added that Palencia has wrapped up a minor league rehab assignment, but won’t be activated prior to Tuesday’s game against the White Sox. Jacob Webb has been an unexpected revelation for Chicago and will likely remain in the mix for save chances, even when Palencia is back from the injured list. The hard-throwing 26-year-old has been out since mid-June with elbow inflammation.

Veen will open on the bench for the second straight contest with lefty Eric Lauer taking the ball for Los Angeles. The 24-year-old top prospect will continue taking a seat against most southpaws, but should do enough damage against right-handers to be worth rostering in most fantasy leagues.

Rangers manager Skip Schumaker told reporters deGrom could potentially start against the Nationals on Thursday. It’s an extremely encouraging development after the 38-year-old veteran left his previous start against the Angels after two innings with triceps fatigue.