The Los Angeles Angels made a notable change in their rotation Friday, optioning right-hander Jack Kochanowicz to Triple-A Salt Lake. The team recalled left-handed reliever Jake Eder in a corresponding move. The Angels have remarkably used the same five starters all year, but they've seen enough of Kochanowicz for the time being. He toed the rubber Thursday and yielded eight earned runs over 2 2/3 innings in a loss to Texas. That outing capped off a brutal first half of the season for the 6-foot-7 Kochanowicz, who's 3-9 with a 6.03 ERA, 1.63 WHIP, and 65:45 K:BB across 94 frames (19 starts). Kochanowicz easily ranks last among qualified starters in ERA. There's no word on who will take over for the 24-year-old in the Halos' rotation. The Angels won't need a fifth starter again until July 22, which gives them time to find an alternative.

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Minnesota Twins right-hander Pablo Lopez (shoulder) is throwing on flat ground from 75 feet as he works back from a shoulder injury, according to the team. Lopez suffered a Grade 2 strain of the teres major on June 4 and was transferred to the 60-day injured list on June 11. As a result, he won't be eligible to return until the first half of August. The loss of Lopez has been a significant blow to both the Twins and fantasy managers, as the 29-year-old has gone 5-3 with a 2.82 ERA, a 1.07 WHIP, and 61:14 K:BB in 60 2/3 innings this season.

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Minnesota Twins right-hander Zebby Matthews (shoulder) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A St. Paul on Sunday. Matthews has been down since June 5 with a strained right shoulder. The 25-year-old made four starts before going on the 15-day injured list and registered an unappealing 5.21 ERA and 1.47 BB/9 in 19 innings, though he did amass 25 strikeouts against eight walks. Matthews could factor back into Minnesota's rotation later this month if he gets through his rehab unscathed.

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San Diego Padres right-handed pitcher Joe Musgrove (elbow) tossed his first bullpen since undergoing Tommy John Surgery last October. He threw a handful of pitches, at about 75% intensity, and measured his fastball at around 80 mph. Both Musgrove and the training staff are happy with the results as he continues to work his way back from Tommy John surgery. Barring any setbacks, the 32-year-old is expected to advance to full bullpen sessions in August. Before getting injured, he owned a 3.88 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and 103 strikeouts over 99 2/3 innings in 2024. Musgrove isn't likely to pitch for the Padres this season, but his offseason progress is something to monitor heading into 2026.

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Minnesota Twins right-hander Bailey Ober (hip) threw a successful bullpen session on Wednesday. This happened days after he had anti-inflammatory medicine to help ease the pain from the impingement in his left hip. He will continue to do this while attempting to get his mechanics back in order. Entering the season, it was believed that the right-hander would take a big step forward in his production. Instead, he has struggled from the get-go, posting a 5.28 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, and 74 strikeouts over 92 innings. However, there is some belief that his regression is related to this ongoing hip injury. Ober is worth stashing in leagues with IL spots, with the hope that a healthier version of him can return for the second half.

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New York Yankees ace Max Fried (finger) exited his start against the Chicago Cubs on Saturday with what appeared to be a blister on his left thumb, Jack Curry of YES Network reports. The Yankees replaced him with right-hander Ian Hamilton. Fried didn't resemble his All-Star self Saturday, as he labored through three innings and allowed four runs (three earned) on six hits and three walks. The 31-year-old left-hander struck out two during a 73-pitch outing in which he totaled just 39 strikes. Notably, Fried has landed on the injured list multiple times in his career because of blisters. The Yankees should have more on his status after the game. UPDATE: The Yankees announced that Fried has a blister on his left index finger.

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Boston Red Sox left-handed pitcher Patrick Sandoval (elbow) continues to show progress daily, as he attempts to return to the mound and pitch for the Red Sox in 2025. He has already thrown multiple bullpens a week and has incorporated curveballs in those sessions. Despite his confidence, the 28-year-old noted that he still has many more bullpens to throw, and that he needs to start mixing in breaking balls as well. Once that happens with pain-free consistency, it's fair to assume that Sandoval will be able to face live batters before undergoing an extensive rehab assignment. The Red Sox signed him to a two-year, $18.25 million contract to utilize him more in 2026. If he can return and contribute this season, it would go a long way in establishing peace of mind as he enters a vital year next season. His status is worth monitoring in all dynasty formats.

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The Cincinnati Reds have reinstated outfielder Jake Fraley (shoulder) from the 10-day injured list. The team optioned infielder Christian Encarnacion-Strand to Triple-A Louisville in a corresponding move. Fraley hasn't played since June 23 because of a partial tear in his right labrum. He recently underwent a cortisone shot to alleviate the pain, and he'll try to play through it and delay surgery until the offseason. The 30-year-old has hit .224/.331/.376 with five home runs, 17 RBI, 24 runs, and four steals in 145 plate appearances. Fraley is not in Cincinnati's lineup on Saturday against the Colorado Rockies. Instead, the Reds are starting Will Benson in right field, Fraley's usual position, and batting him seventh versus right-hander Bradley Blalock.

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Athletics left-handed pitcher Ken Waldichuk (elbow) will need to make a few more rehab starts before the team considers bringing him back to the major leagues. Already with six innings pitched while with Triple-A Las Vegas, the 27-year-old struggled in his last outing. He surrendered five earned runs on two hits and three walks across 2/3 of an inning in Tuesday's outing against El Paso. The southpaw already surpassed 50 pitches in his previous outings, so this now looks to be more about his mechanics than anything. On the shelf since having Tommy John Surgery in May of 2024, Waldichuk seems like an option for the Athletics down the stretch, but shouldn't be considered in anything shallower than a 15-team league.

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The Kansas City Royals announced that right-hander Michael Lorenzen (illness) will not make his scheduled start against the New York Mets on Saturday because of an illness. Left-handed reliever Angel Zerpa will take his place. Lorenzen posted arguably his best start of the season in his previous outing last Sunday. He fired a seven-inning, two-hit shutout with seven strikeouts in a win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. Overall, Lorenzen has gone 5-8 with an unspectacular 4.61 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, and 85:29 K:BB in 99 2/3 innings. Zerpa hasn't recorded more than nine outs in any of his 40 appearances this year, meaning he won't be in for long on Saturday. The 25-year-old has a 3.89 ERA with a 1.32 WHIP and 37:13 K:BB across 39 1/3 frames.

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Baltimore Orioles first baseman Ryan Mountcastle (hamstring) has started ramping up his physical activities as he prepares for a return to the team's lineup. He was spotted doing resistance running as well as swinging a bat during pre-game warmups. While Mountcastle still has a ways to go, he continues to improve daily. Originally given a timeline of 8 to 12 weeks for a return, he is almost five weeks removed from that diagnosis. The 28-year-old will likely need a lengthy rehab assignment before being cleared to rejoin Baltimore's lineup. Mountcastle is worth stashing in deep leagues and in 12-team leagues on teams that are looking for corner infield or first base help.

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The Cincinnati Reds announced that they have optioned infielder Christian Encarnacion-Strand to Triple-A Louisville to make room on the active roster for outfielder Jake Fraley (shoulder), who is returning from the 10-day injured list on Saturday. The Reds haven't really been able to keep Encarnacion-Strand's struggling bat in their lineup regularly, so he'll head down to the farm just before the All-Star break to work on his approach. The 25-year-old right-handed slugger just has not been what the Reds were hoping for as a potential replacement for Joey Votto at first base, and he gets demoted after slashing .208/.234/.377 with a .610 OPS and only six home runs in his 130 at-bats this year. CES also dealt with a back injury earlier this season that slowed his production. He should be back in Cincy at some point in the second half, but he won't be guaranteed regular playing time.

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The Boston Red Sox announced on Saturday that they placed rookie right-hander Hunter Dobbins (knee) on the 15-day injured list with a torn right ACL and recalled right-hander Richard Fitts from Triple-A Worcester in a corresponding move. Dobbins suffered the serious knee injury during his start on Friday against the Tampa Bay Rays. The 25-year-old will now be unavailable for the rest of the year and will finish his first MLB season in Boston with a 4-1 record, 4.13 ERA (3.82 FIP) and 1.28 WHIP with 45 strikeouts and 17 walks in 61 innings pitched over his 13 appearances (11 starts). With Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford and Patrick Sandoval all still unavailable, it's possible Fitts will take over Dobbins' rotation spot for the BoSox heading into the second half of the season later this month. Dobbins can obviously be dropped now in single-year fantasy formats.

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Chicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ has been dropped to seventh in the batting order for the second game of the series in the Bronx on Saturday against the hosting New York Yankees and left-hander Max Fried. Second baseman Nico Hoerner will bat leadoff for the Cubbies. Happ didn't even start against lefty Carlos Rodon in Friday's 11-0 blowout loss, and now he'll hit near the bottom of the lineup after going 2-for-32 (.063) with a double, run scored, two RBI, eight walks and eight strikeouts in nine games so far in July. The 30-year-old left-handed hitter has hit .556 with a 1.889 OPS, two home runs and two RBI in nine career at-bats versus Fried, but he's also batting .223 (23-for-103) with only two of his 12 home runs and a 30:16 K:BB against left-handed pitchers this season. The way Happ has been swinging it, he's one to fade against Fried.

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Boston Red Sox infielder/outfielder Ceddanne Rafaela was the hero in Friday night's 5-4 win over the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park, blasting a walk-off, two-run home run in the ninth inning to send the home fans away happy. Rafaela, who is starting at second base on Saturday, will now be rewarded with a move to the two-hole in the batting order against Rays right-hander Shane Baz. The 24-year-old has always been a marvel in the outfield with his glove, but he's starting to make improvements as a hitter in 2025 and is now slashing .271/.314/.477 with a .792 OPS, 13 home runs, 46 RBI, 54 runs and 12 stolen bases in 310 at-bats. He's hit .452 (14-for-31) with 13 RBI and nine runs in his last eight games and has batted .331 (47-for-142) with 11 homers, 27 RBI and five steals in 39 games since May 27. This resurgence appears to be for real.

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New York Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger took it to his former team, the Chicago Cubs, in Friday night's 11-0 blowout win in the Bronx by clubbing three home runs and driving in six runs. Bellinger could have had a fourth round-tripper in the series opener if not for right fielder Kyle Tucker robbing him at the wall. In any event, manager Aaron Boone has rewarded Bellinger with a move up the batting order for Game 2 of the series at Yankee Stadium, even against Cubs lefty Matthew Boyd. Bellinger is hitless in just two career at-bats against Boyd, but he's in the midst of a 16-game hitting streak that has seen him go 28-for-69 (.406) with six home runs, five doubles, 16 RBI, 16 runs scored and two stolen bases over 71 trips to the plate. He's also hit a strong .386 (34-for-88) with six of his 16 home runs in 2025 against southpaws.

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St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (finger) is not in the lineup for his team's game on Saturday afternoon against the Atlanta Braves. Arenado exited the Cardinals' loss to Atlanta on Friday night with a sprained right index finger so this news comes as no surprise. The veteran has been battling discomfort in the finger for several weeks but has yet to hit the injured list. For the season, Arenado has slashed .246/.305/.388 with 10 home runs and 42 RBI. His strikeout rate is a career-best 9.8%, but his 4.3% barrel rate is underwhelming, as is his .378 xSLG. He's a borderline fantasy option at this point in his career who needs everyday playing time to volume his way to production.

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Houston Astros right-hander Cristian Javier (elbow) has been sent on a rehab assignment to the Florida Complex League, according to MLB.com. Javier underwent Tommy John surgery in June of 2024, so he'll likely need the full extent of the rehab assignment before he's ready to return to the big-league mound. The 28-year-old starter has thrown 501 career innings (82 starts) with a 33-18 record, 3.59 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and 17.5% K-BB rate. He'll have to prove he can regain full health and prior form, but he could be an important addition to Houston's rotation for the final few months of the season. Javier is someone for fantasy managers to monitor, but he'll likely return to true fantasy relevance in 2026.

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Detroit Tigers outfielder Parker Meadows is not in the lineup for his team's game on Saturday against the Seattle Mariners. Meadows missed the first two months of the season with a nerve injury in his right upper arm but has gotten near everyday playing time since returning on June 2. It's been a struggle for him so far as he's slashed .202/.272/.298 with two home runs, nine RBI, 12 runs scored, and three stolen bases in 114 plate appearances. The lefty-swinging Meadows has traditionally gotten his days off against same-handed pitching, so it's noteworthy that he's out of the lineup against right-hander Seattle starter George Kirby. Versatile veteran Matt Vierling will take Meadows' place in center field and bat seventh on Saturday.

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New York Yankees outfielder Jasson Dominguez will take a seat for his team's Saturday game against the Chicago Cubs and left-handed start Matthew Boyd. Dominguez is off to a red-hot start in July, hitting .350 with five extra-base hits including two home runs, seven RBI, eight runs scored, and two stolen bases in 43 plate appearances. The 22-year-old rookie is a switch-hitter, but he's been much better against right-handed pitching. Dominguez is hitting .203 with one home run, six RBI, and a 32.2% strikeout rate in 90 plate appearances against lefties. Cody Bellinger will slide over and play left field in his absence, with Trent Grisham being inserted in center field.

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