MLB Player News

Williams takes over as Tampa Bay’s starting shortstop with Taylor Walls (oblique) hitting the injured list. The 22-year-old top prospect is an excellent defender and boasts enough power/speed combo potential to be intriguing fantasy-wise. Strikeouts remain the biggest obstacle to sustained relevance for Williams as he struck out a staggering 41.5 percent of the time in 32 games as a rookie last year. He’s unlikely to solve the contact issues that have followed him throughout his rise to the majors, but even a small step forward would make a difference.

Schwarber draws an extremely rare start at the cold corner with Alec Bohm taking a seat in this one. The 33-year-old veteran slugger will be making just his third appearance at the spot this season. He’s highly unlikely to see enough action there over the final two months to pick up eligibility there in most fantasy leagues.

Gore draws the starting assignment for Monday’s series opener against the Angels after spending a couple days away from the club on paternity leave. The 27-year-old tossed six scoreless frames against the Giants his last time out and boasts a serviceable 4.55 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 140/47 K/BB ratio across 128 2/3 innings over 24 starts in his Rangers debut.

Peoples retreats to the minors with starter MacKenzie Gore coming back from paternity leave. The 25-year-old rookie has compiled an encouraging 2.19 ERA across 12 1/3 innings at the highest level this season.

Frelick is working his way back from a shoulder strain that forced him to the injured list back in mid-July. The 26-year-old right fielder is likely to need a handful of games to get back up to speed before returning to Milwaukee’s lineup for the home stretch.

Richardson heads to the majors as Milwaukee continues to churn through low-leverage relievers. The 26-year-old signed a minor league pact with the Brewers after being cut loose by the division-rival Reds last month. He’ll operate in middle relief and can be safely ignored for fantasy purposes.

Wilson surrendered four runs over 13 2/3 innings after signing with the Brewers last month. The 28-year-old has pitched for three different organizations this season. He figures to be on the move again once he clears waivers.

Petty returns to the minors after allowing three runs — two earned — over 1 2/3 innings during an abbreviated start against the Nationals on Friday night. The 23-year-old holds a serviceable 4.83 ERA across 31 2/3 innings for the Reds this season. His departure clears a roster spot for recent waiver wire acquisition Ron Marinaccio to join the club’s active roster.

Smith is ostensibly up with Chicago as emergency long relief depth behind veteran starters Anthony Kay and Davis Martin for the remainder of their weekend against the Guardians after a mistake by manager Will Venable forced Noah Schultz to exit after just 23 pitches on Friday night. The 22-year-old southpaw was selected fifth overall in the 2024 MLB Draft and misses bats at an incredible rate, thanks to a wicked slider that comes at hitters from a three-quarters arm slot. He remains a project from a mechanics and arsenal development standpoint, which leaves some questions regarding his ultimate role. He misses enough bats to matter for fantasy purposes, whether he sticks as a starter or winds up in the bullpen down the road. His odds of making a significant fantasy impact right away are extremely long.

McDougal has made a significant leap from a development standpoint thanks to noticeably improved command and control over the last two years. The 23-year-old has compiled a strong 2.84 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 40/20 K/BB ratio across 34 2/3 innings at the Triple-A level this season. He gets the call to the big leagues as emergency relief depth behind veterans Anthony Kay and Davis Martin after a misstep by White Sox manager Will Venable forced the club into an unexpected bullpen game against the Guardians on Friday night. He’s unlikely to deliver an immediate fantasy impact, but he’s an interesting pitching prospect that needs to be monitored.

A high-profile misstep by manager Will Venable led to Schultz’s early exit after just 23 pitches on Friday evening. The 23-year-old top prospect has struggled to work deep into games since arriving in the big leagues back in mid-April, posting an inflated 6.06 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 59/31 K/BB ratio across 65 1/3 innings of work. The talent is there for Schultz to make the leap to impact fantasy contributor status, but it’s highly unlikely to happen in the final two months based on his recent results.