Washington National outfielder Dylan Crews (oblique) is ramping up his baseball activities, hitting off a tee and taking soft toss in the batting cages, according to MASN's Mark Zuckerman. Crews, who suffered an oblique strain on May 21, will continue to be brought along slowly, but the Nationals have been encouraged by his recent progress. There remains no timetable for the 22-year-old former first-rounder's return to the big leagues, though. With the All-Star break quickly approaching, it's unlikely that Crews will come off the injured list before the second half of the season. He was projected as a heavy favorite to win National League Rookie of the Year honors in 2025, but instead he's been injured and was hitting just .196 (31-for-158) with seven homers, 15 RBI, 24 runs and 11 steals before his injury. Crews should return to a starting role when he's healthy in D.C.

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The Detroit Tigers recalled right-handed pitching prospect Tyler Owens from Triple-A Toledo on Wednesday and placed right-hander Sawyer Gipson-Long (neck) on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to June 29) with neck stiffness in a corresponding move. It will be Owens' second stay in the big leagues this year after making two relief appearances for Detroit earlier this season, tossing two shutout innings with a hit allowed, no walks and one strikeout. The 24-year-old is considered the team's No. 27 prospect, per MLB Pipeline. In 26 outings out of the bullpen for the Mud Hens down on the farm, Owens had a bloated 5.46 ERA and a 1.68 WHIP with 25 strikeouts and 17 walks in 28 innings pitched. He is nowhere near the fantasy radar and probably won't be up for long with the Tigers before heading back down to Toledo.

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Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said that right-hander Reese Olson's (finger) next start will be in the big leagues, most likely in the upcoming series against the division-rival Cleveland Guardians on Friday. Olson has been out of action since the middle of May with right ring-finger inflammation, but he's ready to go after making three minor-league rehab starts with Triple-A Toledo, where he allowed four earned runs on eight hits while walking two and striking out 14 in 10 1/3 innings pitched. The 25-year-old only threw 74 pitches in his final rehab outing with Toledo last week, so he's most likely to be limited this weekend from a pitch-count perspective, making him more risky than normal in fantasy lineups in his first start back in the big leagues. Olson is worth a waiver-wire pickup in mixed leagues, though, if he's available. He had an ERA under 3.00 with 51 K's in 48 2/3 innings over his nine starts before his injury.

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The Detroit Tigers placed right-hander Sawyer Gipson-Long (neck) on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to June 29) on Wednesday with neck stiffness and recalled right-hander Tyler Owens from Triple-A Toledo in a corresponding move. Gipson-Long recently returned to the big leagues after recovering from Tommy John surgery that he had last April, but now he's back on the IL with a neck injury and will be out through the All-Star break in mid-July. When the 27-year-old is recovered from his neck injury, he's unlikely to have a spot in the starting rotation with Reese Olson (finger) returning this weekend. Gipson-Long appeared in five games (two starts) for the Tigers and allowed 13 runs (12 earned) on 21 hits (four homers) while walking four and striking out 18 in 23 innings.

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Detroit Tigers outfielder Javier Baez will not be in his team's lineup for the first game of their road doubleheader with the hosting Washington Nationals. The 32-year-old will take a seat against right-hander Trevor Williams, with teammate Trey Sweeney slotting in at shortstop, batting ninth. This marks the second time Baez has sat against a righty over the last few days, but has by no means been ineffective against them (.250). He's enjoying a resurgent season in 2025, slashing .285/.323/.460, although could be due for some regression with an average over 30 points higher than expected (.254).

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Boston Red Sox right-hander Bryana Bello will take the mound in the team's suspended game against the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday that will pick up in the fourth inning, according to the Boston Herald's Mac Cerullo. Bello was originally scheduled to start the regularly scheduled game against Cincy on Wednesday, but he'll instead start the suspended game, which will technically be his first appearance as a reliever since 2022. The Red Sox will be leading 2-1, so there's a greater chance that the 26-year-old could pick up his fourth win of the season. On the flip side, the shortened game also means he'll have less length if he pitches well. Bello got a late start to the 2025 season due to injuries and has a decent 3.41 ERA but also a 1.44 WHIP and only 52 strikeouts in 71 1/3 innings over his 13 starts. He hasn't allowed more than three runs in an outing since May 18.

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The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reports that the Atlanta Braves have designated outfielder Alex Verdugo for assignment. Rosenthal notes that the move clears a spot for the return of Jurickson Profar, who is returning from an 80-game suspension for the use of performance-enhancing drugs. The 29-year-old appeared in 56 games for the squad this season and hit an unappealing .239 with ten extra-base hits (no homers). Verdugo significantly underperformed his expected batting average (.273), but Atlanta has no room for him now that Profar has served his suspension. The Braves will likely release him, though that isn't a foregone conclusion.

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Washington Nationals second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. is out of the starting nine for the first game of their doubleheader with the visiting Detroit Tigers. Garcia Jr. will hit the bench with left-handed hurler Tyler Holton toeing the rubber for Detroit. Teammate Amed Rosario will man the keystone in his stead and operate from the three-hole. The New York native carries a solid .266/.306/.413 slash line and holds a 98th percentile .307 xBA. Furthermore, he's sporting career-highs in average exit velocity (90.6 MPH) and hard-hit rate (48.3%). However, he's just 8-for-42 (.190) against southpaws.

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Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Joey Bart will not be in the team's lineup for their series finale with the visiting St. Louis Cardinals. The former second-overall pick will ride the pine again with right-handed pitcher Sonny Gray taking the mound for St. Louis. Fellow backstop Henry Davis will get the start behind the dish and bat eighth in his place. Bart is hitting a crisp .340 (16-for-47) off southpaws but is a dismal .208 against righties thus far. Davis hasn't been much better (.217), but the former is the preferred option when the team faces left-handed pitching. He's tallied a lone home run through 53 contests after collecting 13 a season ago (80 games).

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Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm is out of the team's lineup for the first game of their doubleheader with the San Diego Padres. Bohm had appeared in all but three games for the Phillies up until this point, so it seems to be just a routine day of rest. It'll be his first game off in over a month. The 28-year-old has been excellent since the start of May, batting .312 (64-for-205) with eight doubles, seven homers, 22 runs scored, and 19 RBI. Teammate Edmundo Sosa will cover the hot corner in his stead and bat eighth.

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According to Milwaukee Brewers beat writer Adam McCalvy, outfielder Garrett Mitchell's shoulder surgery went as planned on Tuesday. There had previously been hope that he would play late this season, but after further deliberation, it is likely that Mitchell's season is over, Pat Murphy said. At this point, it appears Mitchell will do his best to be ready for Spring Training in 2026, as the injury is likely to keep him out for the remainder of the 2025 season. It was a bit of a lost season for Mitchell, as he slashed a poor .206/.286/.294 in 68 at-bats this season after slashing .255/.342/.469 in 2024. Mitchell is still only 26 years old and was a former first-round pick, so he is worth a hold in dynasty formats. Isaac Collins and Jake Bauers are the most likely suitors to step into the third outfield spot behind Sal Frelick and Jackson Chourio.

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Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto (8-6) was fantastic again on Tuesday against the Chicago White Sox. In a dream matchup, he went seven innings, allowed three hits, one earned run, and tallied eight punchouts. In this outing, he fired 98 pitches, 65 of them being strikes, with his only blemish being a two-out RBI double by Lenyn Sosa. The outing lowered his season ERA to 2.51 as he continues to make a case as a candidate to win the NL Cy Young Award. On the season, he has thrown 92 innings with an impressive 109:32 K: BB and a 1.01 WHIP to go with his stellar ERA. Next up for Yamamoto is a road start against the Milwaukee Brewers next Monday.

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Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Brandon Woodruff (elbow) appears to have completed his rehab assignment and is expected to start this weekend in Miami against the Marlins. According to Curt Hogg, beat writer for the Brewers, "Pencil in your calendars: Brandon Woodruff "looks like" he will pitch in Miami on Sunday, Pat Murphy said. Woodruff will take the mound in the same ballpark as his previous appearance. Woodruff has not pitched since 2023, and after a minor setback in early June during a rehab start when a comebacker hit him, he appears ready to make his first start of the season with the Brewers. Fantasy managers may want to temper expectations right away, but it's hard not to be excited about Woodruff returning to the mound. He owns a career 3.10 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and 28.9 percent strikeout rate in 680 1/3 innings pitched. At this point, it's unclear whether the Brewers will adopt a six-man rotation or if they will replace someone in their rotation.

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Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Rhys Hoskins will take a seat in Game 1 of Wednesday's doubleheader against the New York Mets. The Mets will deploy right-hander Clay Holmes on the mound in Game 1 and the less experienced Blade Tidwell in Game 2. Left-handed hitting Jake Bauers will start at first base in Game 1 in place of Hoskins. Look for Hoskins to re-enter the lineup for Game 2. He is slashing .238/.334/.418 on the season with 12 home runs, 41 RBI, and 29 runs scored. Him sitting Game 1 is likely due to the nature of having two games on Wednesday.

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Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker said that Marcell Ozuna was cramping on Tuesday and should play on Wednesday. Even if his hip is no longer an issue, there's reason to at least occasionally sit him and have either Drake Baldwin or Sean Murphy fill the designated hitter role, MLB.com's Mark Bowman reports. Ozuna played through some cramping in Tuesday's contest and went 0-for-4 with a strikeout, and should continue to occupy the designated hitter role in the Braves' lineup on Wednesday. Snitker may be suggesting that it's possible Ozuna may sit occasionally moving forward, allowing others to be integrated into the lineup. On the season, Ozuna is slashing .244/.369/.392 with 11 home runs, 40 RBI, and 25 runs scored.

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Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson (hamstring) will miss his second consecutive game on Wednesday against the Tampa Bay Rays as he battles hamstring soreness. Max Schuemann will take his place at short and bat ninth. Wilson has not yet been placed on the injured list, so the team hopes he can return on Friday when the Athletics begin a series at home against the San Francisco Giants. He's been one of the best sources of batting average in baseball this season, hitting .339 in 343 plate appearances with a minuscule 7.6% strikeout rate.

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St. Louis Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras (hand/wrist) will sit out the final game of his team's three-game set against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday afternoon. This is an expected absence after Contreras was hit by a pitch on Tuesday night. Thankfully for him and the team X-rays on the injury came back clean. The Cardinals have an off day on Thursday before a crucial three-game series at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs, so the hope is surely that Contreras can return at some point this weekend. Alec Burleson is starting at first base in his place in Wednesday's contest against Pittsburgh.

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St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (finger) will miss his second consecutive game on Wednesday against the Pittsburgh Pirates as he battles a finger injury. Thomas Saggese will take his place at third base and bat sixth today after Nolan Gorman started at the hot corner Tuesday night. Arenado sprained his right index finger over the weekend, but the team still hopes he can avoid an IL stint. The Cardinals have an off day on Thursday before beginning a crucial three-game set at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs over the weekend.

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Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Emmet Sheehan may be in line for a big-league start on Sunday, according to Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. Plunkett previously reported on June 28 that Sheehan's next start would be for Triple-A Oklahoma City, so this would be a change of plans for the team. Sheehan has made one appearance for the Dodgers this year, throwing four innings against the San Diego Padres on June 18 and allowing one run while recording six strikeouts. The 25-year-old has spent most of 2025 in the minors as he works his way back from the Tommy John surgery he underwent in May of 2024. His 4.58 ERA in 17 2/3 (five starts) at Triple-A is middling, but the underlying numbers are far more promising. Sheehan has struck out 42.5% of the batters he's faced and holds a ridiculous 39.7% K-BB%. He could be a very interesting pickup in fantasy should he secure a rotation spot with the Dodgers.

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Milwaukee Brewers left-hander Connor Thomas (elbow) is set to undergo surgery in mid-July to remove a loose body in his pitching elbow. According to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy, the possibility of Tommy John surgery is still on the table for Thomas, so it appears this will be an extended absence for the 27-year-old. Thomas made his major league debut with the Brewers this season, throwing 5 1/3 innings with a 20.25 ERA and 2.63 WHIP. This elbow injury is a tough break for Thomas, as he toiled in the St. Louis Cardinals' farm system from 2019-2024 before finally getting his shot this year in Milwaukee.

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