Houston Astros outfielder Jake Meyers (calf) is starting in center field and will bat out of the two-hole for Wednesday's game against the visiting Cleveland Guardians and right-hander Slade Cecconi. Meyers suffered a right-calf injury in Sunday's game against the Dodgers in Los Angeles and then missed the last two games as a result. The 29-year-old is feeling better on Wednesday, though, and will return to action against a pitcher that he's never faced in his career. Although Meyers has only three long balls on the season in his 88 games played, he's having a breakout season otherwise for the Astros by slashing .308/.369/.405 with 21 RBI, 47 runs scored and a career-high 14 stolen bases in 322 plate appearances. He's gone 7-for-21 (.333) with two doubles, a triple, an RBI and eight runs scored in the first six games of July.

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The Chicago Cubs placed right-handed reliever Porter Hodge (shoulder) on the 15-day injured list on Wednesday with a shoulder injury, according to manager Craig Counsell. Pitcher Ethan Roberts will be recalled from the minors in a corresponding move. "I don't think it's anything major, but we're dealing with a little shoulder stuff -- we got to get it out of there and have him clear-headed," Counsell says. The 24-year-old missed time earlier this year with hip and oblique injuries, but now he's back on the shelf and may not be ready to return until August. In just one-third of an inning of work in Tuesday's loss to the Minnesota Twins, Hodge surrendered six earned runs on five hits (three homers) while walking one and striking out one. He's had a roughs second year in the majors between his injuries and a bloated 6.85 ERA.

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St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (shoulder) is back at third base and will hit fifth on Wednesday against the visiting Washington Nationals and left-hander MacKenzie Gore. Arenado will return to the hot corner after missing the last three games with a right-shoulder impingement. The 34-year-old has been beat up of late, as he also missed a few games last week with a minor finger injury. The matchup isn't a great one for DFS purposes, although Arenado has hit .444 with a home run and five RBI in his career against Gore in nine at-bats. Arenado has been cold offensively of late, going 6-for-28 (.214) with two doubles, two RBI, a run scored, one walk and two strikeouts in eight games played since June 24. He does have 41 RBI in 81 games for St. Louis this year, but Arenado is hitting a modest .248 (76-for-307), and his power (10 homers) continues to dwindle.

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Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora said on Wednesday that third baseman Alex Bregman (quadriceps) has "a really good chance" of returning before next week's All-Star break. Apparently Bregman looked good and recovered nicely from his workouts earlier this week. He has not been activated from the 10-day injured list to play in Wednesday's series finale against the visiting Colorado Rockies, but he could be ready to go at some point for a four-game series against the division-rival Tampa Bay Rays. When the 31-year-old veteran returns from his right-quadriceps strain, he'll take over as the team's everyday third baseman, which could push rookie Marcelo Mayer to regular duties at the keystone. Fantasy managers are just hoping that Bregman can pick up where he left off at the plate when he returns, as he was hitting .299/.385/.553 with a .938 OPS, 11 homers, 35 RBI and 32 runs in 197 at-bats.

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The Boston Red Sox reinstated outfielder/designated hitter Masataka Yoshida (shoulder) from the 60-day injured list on Wednesday and optioned infielder/outfielder Nate Eaton to Triple-A Worcester in a corresponding move. The team also transferred right-hander Nick Burdi (hip) from the 15-day to the 60-day IL. Yoshida is finally back with the big-league club and will make his 2025 debut on Wednesday, serving as the DH and batting sixth against the visiting Colorado Rockies and right-hander Antonio Senzatela. The 31-year-old is just now making his season debut after recovering from offseason right-shoulder surgery. The left-handed-hitting Japanese product has hit for a solid .285 average and .343 on-base percentage in his two seasons in Boston, but his power (25 homers) has left a lot to be desired. Yoshida might need to perform well in order to secure a regular lineup spot for the BoSox.

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Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Brandon Lowe (side) remains out of the starting lineup for Wednesday's contest against the hosting Detroit Tigers. Taylor Walls is starting at second base and will bat eighth against Tigers right-hander Reese Olson. Lowe injured his left side in the win over the Minnesota Twins on Sunday and will miss his third straight game in the series versus Detroit. The 31-year-old veteran has downplayed the seriousness of his injury, but it remains to be seen if he'll be able to make it back for the final series of the first half of the season, which begins on Thursday at Fenway Park against the division-rival Boston Red Sox. Lowe will be looking to start a new hitting streak whenever he returns after snapping a 20-game streak on Sunday. Lowe hit .367 (29-for-78) with six home runs, three doubles, 14 RBI, a steal and 18 runs scored during his impressive streak.

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Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that outfielder Teoscar Hernandez (foot) is "not there yet," but he's expected to return for Friday's series opener against the division-rival San Francisco Giants. Hernandez fouled a ball off his left foot in Saturday's loss to the Houston Astros and hasn't played since, but he's expected to avoid a trip to the injured list to close out the first half of the season. Fantasy managers should check back on Friday to make sure the 32-year-old veteran is back in the fold. The Dodgers started Esteury Ruiz, James Outman and Andy Pages from left field to right field, respectively, in Wednesday's series finale against the Milwaukee Brewers. Although Hernandez has gone 3-for-24 with an RBI and five strikeouts in his last seven games since June 27, he's still a must-start in single-year fantasy leagues when he's in the lineup.

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Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that right-handed reliever Blake Treinen (forearm) is set to begin a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday. Treinen is recovering from a sprained right forearm that has kept him sidelined since the middle of April. The 36-year-old veteran will likely need at least several outings in the minors because of his long layoff, which means it's probably unlikely that he'll come off the injured list to rejoin L.A.'s bullpen before the end of the first half of the season this Sunday. Treinen should have a key late-inning setup role for the Dodgers in the second half, though, and he does have 82 career saves in his 11 big-league seasons. Before his forearm injury, he had a 3.38 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, two saves, 10 strikeouts and three walks in eight relief innings.

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New York Mets first base/outfield prospect Ryan Clifford clubbed a pair of home runs in a 2-for-6 day at the plate for Double-A Binghamton. The first was a three-run blast in the opening frame of the contest, and the other was a grand slam in the eighth inning. The 21-year-old has four home runs in his last five games and 17 on the year, now the owner of a .246/.363/.496 slash line with a .387 wOBA and 152 wRC+ through 79 games. The former 11th-round draft pick has an elevated 26.6 percent strikeout rate, but it is somewhat offset by a strong 15.3 percent walk rate, and so long as he continues to hit for power, there's a chance he could see some time at Triple-A later this year.

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Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said on Wednesday that left-hander Blake Snell (shoulder) will make a minor-league rehab start for Single-A Rancho Cucamonga on Thursday. It's a big step for the two-time Cy Young winner, as this will be Snell's first time pitching in a game since he landed on the injured list back in early April with left-shoulder inflammation. The 32-year-old southpaw is slated to throw around two innings in his rehab start on Thursday, and he'll need subsequent rehab starts on the farm before the Dodgers consider activating him, potentially in late July or early August. Snell can rack up the walks with the best of them -- he had eight free passes in nine innings in his first two starts before getting hurt -- but he also still has plenty of strikeout upside. Fantasy managers should still be stashing him in an IL spot.

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Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani's next start on the mound will come on Saturday in San Francisco against the division-rival Giants. However, Ohtani will serve as the "opener" again, with right-hander Emmet Sheehan serving as the bulk reliever. Ohtani is slowly building up his pitch counts since making his debut as a pitcher this year on June 16, but he's only thrown a total of six innings in four "starts" for L.A. The 31-year-old Japanese sensation went an inning each in his first two appearances before ramping up to two innings apiece in his last two outings versus the Royals and Astros. Ohtani has been solid so far on the mound, only allowing one earned run while walking one and striking out six in six innings, but until he's more stretched out, he won't be a great lineup option for fantasy managers as a pitcher.

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Chicago Cubs infield prospect Jefferson Rojas went 2-for-5 with two RBI on Tuesday, belting his eighth home run of the season for High-A South Bend. The hits extended his hit streak to seven games, and he's now recorded multiple hits in three of the last four. The Cubs' third-ranked prospect (MLB No. 64) is now the author of a .284/.393/.480 slash line with 14 steals and a 13.8 percent walk rate compared to just a 15.6 percent strikeout rate. This recent hot stretch could be what gets him to Double-A sooner rather than later, and he's got solid all-around tools that could make him an impactful fantasy asset once he gets to the majors, perhaps as soon as next season. Hence, the Dominican is a prospect to keep an eye on.

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Chicago White Sox left-hander Cam Booser (shoulder) has been cleared to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte after being sidelined since June 19 with a left shoulder strain. The southpaw is expected to require only a brief rehab stint before rejoining the White Sox bullpen. Booser has posted a 5.11 ERA with 27 strikeouts and seven holds across 24 2/3 innings this season. Booser's high ERA and the White Sox overall struggles (32 games under .500) limit his fantasy value. He could offer minimal value as a speculative add in deeper AL-only or save and holds leagues. Booser remains off the radar in standard leagues unless he earns a consistent high-leverage role with improved team results.

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Kansas City Royals catching prospect Carter Jensen stayed hot on Tuesday, going 2-for-2 with a single, a home run, three walks, three RBI, and a run scored for Triple-A Omaha. It's the fourth multi-hit effort in his last six games after a 1-for-22 start for the Storm Chasers, and nine of his 10 hits at the highest level have gone for extra bases (three 2B, six HR). The Royals' third-ranked prospect had been raking at Double-A before his promotion, and now owns a .285/.357/.462 slash line with 12 home runs through 79 games between Double and Triple-A. The Royals are currently carrying three catchers on their roster, so it may take an injury or a trade for Jensen to make it to the majors, but whatever the catalyst, the 22-year-old is on pace for a debut this year.

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Washington Nationals right-hander Travis Sykora (tricep) will be shut down for two to three weeks as he recovers from lower right triceps soreness. The 21-year-old exited Saturday's start after just one inning, sparking concern among fantasy managers. Sykora has avoided a significant injury and is expected to return by the end of July. The timing of the setback will force Sykora to miss the 2025 MLB Futures Game, but his overall trajectory remains intact. Baseball America's preseason No. 59 prospect, Sykora, has rapidly climbed four minor league levels before the All-Star break. Over 12 starts, he's racked up 79 strikeouts across 45 1/3 innings. Signed by the Nationals in 2023, Sykora boasts four plus-pitches, including a high-octane fastball that touches 96 mph and a deceptive mid-80s splitter. Dynasty managers should remain confident, as the future looks bright for the hard-throwing righty.

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New York Mets left-hander Sean Manaea (elbow/oblique) took a significant step toward rejoining the big-league club, throwing 73 pitches in his seventh and final rehab outing for Triple-A Syracuse on Tuesday. He allowed three runs on four hits and one walk while striking out five across 3 2/3 innings. The veteran southpaw is expected to work behind Clay Holmes in a bulk role Sunday against the Kansas City Royals. The 33-year-old has yet to appear in a major league game this season while recovering from a right oblique strain, and more recently, a loose body in his left elbow. He was a reliable presence in the rotation in 2024, posting a (12-6) record, 3.47 ERA, and 24.9% strikeout rate across 32 starts. Manaea presents streaming appeal in mixed leagues. Keep an eye on his pitch count and matchups in his first few appearances.

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Boston Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman (quadriceps) is reportedly drawing interest from several teams as the trade deadline approaches, despite ongoing contract talks with the club. Just weeks after the controversial Rafael Devers deal, the possibility of Boston parting ways with another franchise cornerstone is gaining traction. According to Jim Bowden of The Athletic, negotiations for an extension could prove difficult, given that Scott Boras represents Bregman. The Mariners, Tigers, and Brewers have emerged as potential landing spots for the two-time All-Star. Bregman has been stellar in 2025, slashing .299/.385/.553 with 11 home runs and 35 RBI. He has been sidelined since May with a quad injury but is expected to be reinstated from the injured list before the All-Star break. All three rumored suitors play in pitcher-friendly parks, which could impact his fantasy ceiling in the second half. Bregman fantasy managers should monitor closely; now may be the ideal time to sell at a high price.

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Minnesota Twins right-hander Joe Ryan is generating significant trade buzz with just weeks remaining before the MLB trade deadline. According to Jon Morosi of the MLB Network, the Boston Red Sox are among the teams showing strong interest in the 29-year-old starter. Morosi also adds that the Twins need to be out of the AL postseason picture and "overwhelmed by an offer." Ryan has been outstanding in 2025, posting an (8-4) record with a 2.76 ERA, 116 strikeouts, and just 21 walks over 104 1/3 innings. He has shown year-over-year improvement, and with arbitration looming in 2026, the Twins may look to capitalize on his value now, as he's set to become a free agent in 2027. A potential move to a contender would only boost Ryan's fantasy appeal. A better offense behind him could lead to more wins and greater value during the fantasy playoff stretch.

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New York Yankees right-handed reliever Mark Leiter Jr. (leg) hit the 15-day injured list on Tuesday with a left fibular head stress fracture in his leg. The team recalled righty Clayton Beeter from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to take Leiter's roster spot. Leiter suffered the injury covering first base in a game against the Cincinnati Reds on June 24, but he tried to pitch through it over the past couple of weeks. That proved unwise, as Leiter went on to yield four earned runs over 2 1/3 innings in four appearances before going on the IL. Thanks in part to his recent struggles, the 34-year-old owns a subpar 4.46 ERA with a 1.57 WHIP and 46:12 K:BB across 34 1/3 innings. Leiter has managed to rack up 11 holds despite his mediocre numbers. There's no word on how much time he'll miss.

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Milwaukee Brewers left-hander Robert Gasser (elbow) will start a rehab assignment in the Arizona Complex League next week. It's a significant step for Gasser, who's on the comeback trail from June 2024 Tommy John surgery. He impressed in his first five major league starts before going under the knife, as he registered a 2.57 ERA with a 1.04 WHIP across 28 innings. Gasser fanned just 16 hitters during that span, but he helped make up for it by issuing only one walk. Barring any setbacks, the Brewers expect the 26-year-old to return sometime in August.

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