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Stats

Nelson Velázquez becomes free agent

Nelson Velázquez

FA Left Fielder #17

Player Stats

Astros sent OF Nelson Velázquez outright to Triple-A Sugar Land.

Velázquez rejected the assignment and became a free agent. He went 0-for-4 in three games for the Astros after previously hitting .216/.289/.432 in 83 plate appearances for the Cardinals this season.

- Matthew Pouliot

Transaction

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Nelson Velázquez

HOU Left Fielder #17

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Astros re-signed OF Nelson Velázquez to a one-year contract.

The first move of the Jim Crane era is in the books. Velázquez winds up back with the Astros on a new deal after being designated for assignment last week. He went 0-for-4 during a brief three-game stint after being claimed off waivers from the Cardinals earlier this month.
Nelson Velázquez

HOU Left Fielder #17

Astros designated OF Nelson Velázquez for assignment.

The 27-year-old outfielder lasts just 10 days on the Astros’ roster, going 0-for-4 in five plate appearances over three games that he appeared in. It seems likely that
Velázquez will once again attract interest on waivers from teams looking for right-handed thump off of the bench. Raynel Delgado was recalled from Triple-A Sugar Land in a corresponding move on Thursday.
Nelson Velázquez

HOU Left Fielder #17

Astros claimed OF Nelson Velázquez off waivers from the Cardinals.

The Astros need a right-handed power bat, and Velázquez is that. The 27-year-old hit just .216/.289/.432 with four homers and 12 RBI in 83 plate appearances over 34 games for the Cardinals this season. However, he could add some thump off the bench if the Astros choose to use him in that role.
Nelson Velázquez

STL Left Fielder #17

Cardinals designated OF Nelson Velázquez for assignment.

Velázquez cedes his spot on St. Louis’ roster to recent waiver wire acquisition Everson Pereira prior to Saturday’s game against the Rockies. The 27-year-old outfielder hit just .216/.289/.432 with four homers and 12 RBI in 83 plate appearances over 34 games for the Cardinals this season.
Jordan Walker

STL Right Fielder #18

Jordan Walker was scratched from the lineup for Tuesday’s contest against the Yankees with right knee inflammation.

Walker has hit a bit of a rough patch at the plate since his iconic performance during the All-Star Home Run Derby last month, hitting .240 (18-for-75) with zero homers in 18 games since the Midsummer Classic. Fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day for now. There should be additional clarity on his status following the contest. It’ll be Nelson Velázquez taking over in right field at Yankee Stadium in his place.
Nelson Velázquez

STL Left Fielder #17

Nelson Velázquez hit a two-run homer in a blowout loss to the Brewers on Tuesday in the second game of a doubleheader.

Velázquez socked a two-run homer off an otherwise-effective Robert Gasser to make it a 3-2 game in the sixth. The Brewers would score the next seven to turn it into a rout. Velázquez has homered four times in just 52 at-bats with the Cardinals, and he’s now the proud owner of an OPS of .908. One thing is for certain, Velázquez is certainly capable of tearing up left-handed pitching.
Nelson Velázquez

STL Left Fielder #17

Nelson Velázquez went 2-for-2 with a homer and a walk before being lifted for a pinch-hitter Tuesday in the Cardinals’ 5-3 defeat of the Braves.

Although Velázquez was the star of the game, the Cardinals still had Alec Burleson hit for him in the eighth. Burleson wound up striking out against Ian Hamilton. Starting almost exclusively against lefties, Velázquez is 12-for-38 with three homers since being brought up on May 29. It doesn’t seem destined to lead to an expanded role, but the Cardinals will keep rotating out Burleson, Lars Nootbaar or Nathan Church to make room for him against southpaws.
Lars Nootbaar

STL Left Fielder #21

Lars Nootbaar is not in the Cardinals’ starting lineup for Thursday evening’s showdown against the Royals.

With left-hander Noah Cameron toeing the slab for the Royals, Nootbaar will get a breather. Fellow left-handed hitters Jimmy Crooks and Nathan Church are also out of the Cardinals’ lineup on Thursday. Nelson Velazquez will start in Nootbaar’s place in left field and will bat cleanup for the Cardinals on Thursday night in Kansas City.
Lars Nootbaar

STL Left Fielder #21

Lars Nootbaar is on the bench for Saturday’s showdown against the Reds.

The Cardinals aren’t going to push Nootbaar from a workload standpoint by throwing him out there for an afternoon contest following a night game. It’ll be Victor Scott II in center field with Nelson Velázquez patrolling left field. The 28-year-old corner outfielder went 2-for-6 with an RBI on Friday night in his season debut.
Nelson Velázquez

STL Left Fielder #17

Making his 2026 debut, Nelson Velásquez went 2-for-3 with a three-run homer against his former team as the Cardinals edged the Cubs 6-5 on Friday.

Velásquez took Shota Imanaga deep in his very first major league at-bat this season and later added a single. He was promoted primarily to play against lefties after hitting a modest .232/.344/.420 for Triple-A Memphis, but perhaps the strong showing tonight will keep him in the lineup against Ben Brown on Saturday.

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Spencer Bivens

SF Relief Pitcher #76
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Giants recalled RHP Spencer Bivens from Triple-A Sacramento.

Bivens returns to San Francisco’s relief mix with starter Carson Whisenhunt hitting the injured list with an elbow sprain. The 32-year-old has made a pair of scoreless appearances in the big leagues this season after making a career-high 54 appearances last year.
- George Bissell

Transaction

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Carson Whisenhunt

SF Starting Pitcher #88
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Giants placed LHP Carson Whisenhunt on the 15-day injured list with a left elbow sprain.

Whisenhunt is slated to undergo an MRI that will determine the severity of the issue. The 25-year-old, who has been one of the better pitching prospects in San Francisco’s system for a couple years, is highly likely to miss the final months of the season. The hope is that he won’t require surgery, which would require an extended absence that would stretch into next season.
- George Bissell

Transaction

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Noah Murdock

PIT Relief Pitcher #58
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Pirates recalled RHP Noah Murdock from Triple-A Indianapolis.

Murdock returns to Pittsburgh’s relief equation after spending a couple weeks in the minors. The 28-year-old has tossed three scoreless innings across a pair of relief appearances in the big leagues this season. He’ll operate in low-leverage spots.
- George Bissell

Transaction

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Khristian Curtis

PIT Starting Pitcher
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Pirates optioned RHP Khristian Curtis to Triple-A Indianapolis.

Curtis has tossed eight scoreless frames across a pair of relief appearances for the Pirates this season. The 24-year-old righty figures to return once rosters expand in September.
- George Bissell

Transaction

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Tyler O'Neill

BAL Right Fielder #9
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Tyler O’Neill will undergo an MRI on his right shoulder.

O’Neill hurt his shoulder on a diving catch attempt over the weekend. He’s been held out of the lineup for two consecutive games and will undergo imaging to determine whether he’s dealing with any structural damage. There should be some additional clarity on his status later this week.
- George Bissell

Injury

Source: Jeff Jones

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Manny Machado

SD 3rd Baseman #13
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Manny Machado (finger) is at third base and hitting third against the Pirates on Tuesday.

Padres manager Craig Stammen told reporters late Monday that Machado is dealing with a bruise on the inside of his index finger. It doesn’t sound like a serious concern and he should be able to manage the issue for the final few weeks of the regular season. Still, it’s a variable that fantasy managers should keep on their radar screens.
- George Bissell

Injury

Source: MLB Lineups

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Jake Fraley

TB Right Fielder #17
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Jake Fraley (abdomen) will begin a minor league rehab assignment with Triple-A Durham this week.

Fraley is going to need a couple weeks to get back up to speed since he’s been out working his way back from sports hernia surgery since mid-May.
- George Bissell

Injury

Source: Ryan Bass

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Jonathan Cannon

CWS Starting Pitcher #48
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White Sox recalled RHP Jonathan Cannon from Triple-A Charlotte.

Cannon figures to operate in a swingman-type role out of Chicago’s bullpen. He hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since suffering a hip injury during his season debut back in mid-April. The 26-year-old has been operating as a starter at Triple-A Charlotte for the last few months. He can be ignored in all fantasy formats.
- George Bissell

Transaction

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Huascar Brazobán

CWS Relief Pitcher #50
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White Sox placed RHP Huáscar Brazoban on the 15-day injured list with a left lat strain.

Brazoban suffered the injury during a relief appearance against the Rangers on Monday. The 36-year-old hits the shelf after making 10 appearances for the White Sox after coming over from the Mets at the trade deadline. No word yet regarding how much time he’ll miss, but lat strains are typically measured in weeks and months, not days.
- George Bissell

Transaction

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Shohei Ohtani

LAD Starting Pitcher #17
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Shohei Ohtani (knee) remains in the mix to start against the Tigers on Sunday.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts didn’t rule out the possibility that Ohtani could take the ball against Detroit this weekend but he’ll need to make it through another throwing session this week before that decision is made. The 32-year-old two-way superstar hasn’t pitched in a game setting since early July due to a knee issue.
- George Bissell

Injury

Source: Jack Harris

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