MLB.com's Jordan Bastian suggests that the Chicago Cubs could look for help at third base at this year's trade deadline with rookie Matt Shaw continuing to struggle. The Cubs gave the slumping Shaw a day off for Wednesday's series finale against the Minnesota Twins, as the 23-year-old former first-rounder is now hitting just .200 (41-for-205) with two homers, 15 RBI, 28 runs, 11 stolen bases and 45 strikeouts in 61 games in his first year in the majors. Names like Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suarez and Pirates 3B Ke'Bryan Hayes could be available later this month. The Cubs still believe that Shaw can be the long-term answer at third, but they may be inclined to add another third base bat if they think it will improve their chances of winning the rest of this season. Shaw's average exit velocity (83.2 mph) and hard-hit rate (26.9%) are ranked near the bottom of all MLB hitters.

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Colorado Rockies infielder Thairo Estrada (thumb) is out of the team's starting lineup on Friday against the hosting Cincinnati Reds for the third straight game while dealing with a jammed left thumb. Kyle Farmer will get the starting nod at second base and will hit in the eight-hole in the series opener against Reds rookie right-hander Chase Burns. The good news for Estrada is that X-rays on his injured thumb came back negative. However, it's unclear if the 29-year-old will be able to return to the Rockies lineup on Saturday or Sunday before next week's All-Star break. The Venezuelan infielder has hit a solid .284 (33-for-116) in 29 games in 2025, but he isn't going to provide fantasy managers with much power (two homers), and he's stolen only one base after putting up consecutive 20-steal seasons with the Giants in 2022 and 2023.

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Milwaukee Brewers left-hander DL Hall will serve as the opener for Friday's series opener at American Family Field against the visiting Washington Nationals, with right-hander Quinn Priester serving as the bulk reliever, according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. Hall could give a bit more length than a traditional opener, as he's gone three innings in both of his opening assignments for the Brew Crew. Still, he won't be around long enough to potentially pick up a win for fantasy managers, so he's not really worth any streaming consideration against the Nats. The 26-year-old southpaw has pitched well overall in just 10 outings (two starts) in 2025, posting a 2.29 ERA and 0.86 WHIP with 13 K's in 19 2/3 frames. Priester, who has a 3.59 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 65:30 K:BB this year in 82 2/3 innings, will be the much more attractive fantasy starter on Friday over Hall.

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St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar (ribs) is starting in left field and will bat fifth in Friday's series opener against the visiting Atlanta Braves and right-hander Grant Holmes at Busch Stadium. Nootbaar has been bothered by a rib injury dating back to last week, and he was forced out of Thursday's contest prematurely with soreness. However, the 27-year-old is feeling good going into the weekend and will wind up returning the very next day. The left-handed-hitting outfielder has hit just .230 on the season for the Cards with 12 home runs. Nootbaar has been slightly better so far in July, going 7-for-27 (.259) with a homer, two doubles, two RBI and five runs scored in eight games and 30 trips to the plate. Despite the fact he only has 12 homers in 86 games, he's only three homers shy of setting a new career-high. Nootbaar has gone hitless in just one at-bat against Holmes in his career.

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Mass Live's Chris Cotillo expects Boston Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman (quadriceps) to come off the 10-day injured list to rejoin the team before Friday's game at Fenway Park against the division-rival Tampa Bay Rays. Bregman should be in the starting lineup on Friday against Rays right-hander Drew Rasmussen after missing 43 games with a strained right quad muscle that he suffered on May 23. With the team sending David Hamilton to Triple-A Worcester on Thursday, it appears that rookie Marcelo Mayer will now occupy second base with Bregman returning. However, Romy Gonzalez, who has started five of the last six games at the keystone, will likely also be in the mix. The 31-year-old Bregman will be Boston's everyday third baseman again, but he'll be rested on Saturday before playing on Sunday in the final game of the first half of the season.

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Sammy Levitt of 97.3 The Fan San Diego reports that San Diego Padres starting pitcher Ryan Bergert (forearm) will be activated from the 15-day injured list ahead of their series opener against the visiting Philadelphia Phillies on Friday. Bergert has been shelved for a few weeks with a right-forearm contusion after a comebacker hit him during his last start against the Washington Nationals, but he's progressed quickly. He'll take the mound against a Phillies squad that's scored the ninth-most runs per game thus far (4.62). The 25-year-old was solid for the Friars before his injury, posting a 2.67 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, and 1-0 record through five starts (nine appearances), but won't have an easy ask against a strong Philadelphia lineup.

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Shannon Drayer of Sports.MyNorthwest.com reports that Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez will not be able to participate in this season's All-Star game. Per the team, "He will take the break to recuperate, rest, and prepare for the second half." It's an interesting way for that statement to be worded, though the sentiment is clear. The Dominican Republic native has missed only one of Seattle's 93 games thus far, even while dealing with back and ankle ailments, so a few extra days of rest wouldn't be the worst thing for him. Despite the strange syntax, fantasy managers shouldn't worry about any underlying issues, as the organization is likely just keeping their star player fresh for the second half. He's slashing a disappointing .244/.301/.386 in his worst pre-All-Star stretch to date.

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Chicago White Sox shortstop Colson Montgomery won't be in his team's lineup for the first game of their doubleheader with the Cleveland Guardians on Friday. Teammate Chase Meidroth will take his place in the field and bat leadoff against southpaw Logan Allen. It appears to be just a routine game off for the 23-year-old, who has started each of the past six contests since the White Sox promoted him. Montgomery is hitting a crisp .333 (6-for-18) over that span, and a .315 expected batting average shows it isn't a fluke. The quality of contact might not be there, but he certainly hasn't looked overmatched in his professional debut.

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Chicago Cubs infield prospect Jefferson Rojas went 2-for-6 with a home run and two RBI during their contest against High-A Wisconsin. Since the start of July, Rojas has been one of the best hitters in the minor leagues. During this nine-game stretch, the No. 64-ranked prospect in the sport on MLB.com has posted an impressive .333/.385/.667 slash line with three doubles and three home runs. Before this recent surge at the plate, Rojas held a modest .176/.391/.294 line with just two extra-base hits. Rojas has spent the entire campaign with High-A South Bend and held a solid .282/.387/.483 slash line with 13 doubles and nine home runs. Even though Rojas remains several seasons away from his MLB debut, he appears to be quickly progressing in the Chicago system. If he continues to produce at this level, he could be in the mix to reach Double-A later in the second half.

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Per the team's transaction log, the New York Mets have optioned right-handed pitcher Austin Warren to Triple-A Syracuse. The 29-year-old was up with the big-league squad to serve as an extra man for their doubleheader with the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday, but isn't needed beyond that role. Warren retired the only batter he faced in a third of an inning of work and will head back to Triple-A, where he holds a 3.82 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, and 38:12 K:BB ratio across 30 2/3 innings (20 appearances).

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Seattle Mariners shortstop prospect Colt Emerson went 3-for-5 with a double, a home run, and two RBI during their contest against High-A Tri-City. This outing extended his current hitting streak to four games. Through this four-game stretch, the top-ranked prospect in Seattle has posted two multi-hit games and tallied three extra-base hits. Over his last 22 games, Emerson has been swinging a hot bat, posting an elite .341/.424/.600 slash line with eight doubles, one triple, four home runs, two stolen bases, 13 RBI, and a 13:12 K:BB. Through 72 games at High-A this season, the No. 18-ranked prospect in baseball on MLB.com has held an overall .271/.369/.429 line. If Emerson continues to find his footing, he should be in the mix to debut at Double-A in the second half.

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Chicago White Sox catcher Kyle Teel is out of the lineup for the first game of his team's home doubleheader against the visiting Cleveland Guardians. Teel will take a seat with left-handed hurler Logan Allen taking the bump -- marking the second straight outing he'll sit against a southpaw. Switch-hitting backstop Edgar Quero will occupy behind home plate and bat cleanup for the Pale Hose. It makes sense that Chicago would prefer Quero to Teel against lefties, as the former's .435 (27-for-62) average is far superior to the latter's (.125). The White Sox's No. 2 prospect has been decent in his big-league debut, but has yet to leave the yard -- something he did eight times over 20 games earlier in the year with Triple-A Charlotte.

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St. Louis Cardinals right-handed pitching prospect Tekoah Roby struck out six batters across 5 2/3 innings of work against Triple-A Charlotte. In this start, Roby picked up the victory as he allowed just six hits, no runs, and one free pass. Since allowing six runs in each of his first starts at Triple-A this season, Roby has flipped the script and been very productive. Over his last 21 innings of work, the No. 10-ranked prospect in the system has posted a near-perfect 0.86 ERA with a 1.10 WHIP. During this stretch, Roby has tallied 21 strikeouts while allowing just five free passes. Earlier this season, Roby logged 47 innings with Double-A and posted a 2.49 ERA with an impressive 0.96 WHIP. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his progression as he could have a chance to make his MLB debut in the second half.

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New York Mets right-handed pitching prospect Brandon Sproat tossed seven shutout frames on Thursday evening in their matchup against Triple-A Lehigh Valley. In this start, Sproat allowed just three hits and one walk. He struck out four. Since allowing four runs on June 22, Sproat has logged 18 straight shutout frames (across three starts). During this stretch, Sproat has struck out 18 batters and allowed just seven hits and five walks. This is an excellent sign for the budding right-hander, as he posted a hefty 7.33 ERA and a 1.74 WHIP over his last 46 2/3 innings at Triple-A before this recent surge. Fantasy managers should continue to keep an eye on Sproat's development at Syracuse, as he should be in the mix to make his MLB debut in the second half. Given his recent production, he is worth stashing in all 12+ team leagues.

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Boston Red Sox right-hander Hunter Dobbins (elbow) is returning from the 15-day injured list to start against the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday. It'll be Dobbins' first appearance since June 20. The 25-year-old was shelved for three weeks with a strained right elbow. Before going on the IL, the rookie went 4-1 with a solid 4.10 ERA, a 1.26 WHIP, and 43 strikeouts against 16 walks in 59 1/3 innings and 12 appearances (10 starts). Dobbins will face a difficult test in his return against a Tampa Bay offense that ranks seventh in the majors in runs scored.

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The Baltimore Orioles have reported that they are open to being sellers at the trade deadline this year after a disappointing season thus far, as they sit 11.5 games back in the AL East and have a 42-50 record. Per SportsNet New York, the Orioles are said to be ready or near ready to talk seriously about relievers like Andrew Kittredge, Seranthony Dominguez, and left-hander Gregory Soto. Rivals do not believe that Baltimore will trade closer Felix Bautista. Bautista is putting together a nice season thus far in 2025 with a rock-solid 2.41 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, a 12.83 K/9, and 18 saves in 33 2/3 innings pitched. It makes sense as to why the Orioles do not want to trade him. Still, it appears they are open to moving on from some other members of the bullpen, which might affect the number of save opportunities for Bautista down the stretch, considering they could be losing a lot of their bridge relievers.

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Cincinnati Reds right-hander Rhett Lowder (oblique) is continuing to rehab his injured left oblique, but he is not yet ready to resume baseball activities. The 23-year-old opened the season on the shelf with a forearm strain, and he then suffered an oblique strain during a Triple-A rehab start in late May. With Lowder still unable to perform baseball activities, there remains no timetable for his return. The injuries have prevented Lowder from building on last season's eye-opening debut. Now MLB Pipeline's 26th-ranked prospect, Lowder pitched to a 1.17 ERA in six starts and 30 2/3 innings with the Reds in 2024.

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Cleveland Guardians right-hander Shane Bieber (elbow) threw 41 pitches in a live batting practice session Thursday, and then tossed BP against teammate Gabriel Arias (ankle) on Friday. It's encouraging progress for Bieber, who's on the road back from April 2024 Tommy John surgery. The Guardians are hopeful that the former Cy Young winner will return sometime this month. Bieber, 30, hasn't pitched in a major league game in over 15 months.

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Cleveland Guardians shortstop Gabriel Arias (ankle) took live batting practice against right-hander Shane Bieber (elbow) on Friday. Arias, who has been out since June 30 with a sprained left ankle, is progressing toward a return shortly after the All-Star break. The 25-year-old has hit a modest .231/.293/.369 with six home runs and 31 RBI in 281 plate appearances this season. The Guardians have mostly relied on Brayan Rocchio to handle shortstop in Arias' absence. Rocchio has gone 6-for-21 with a home run in eight games since the team recalled him from the minors.

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Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Eli Morgan (elbow) has started a rehab assignment with the Arizona Complex League on Thursday. Morgan will resume his rehab work after he suffered a setback in mid-June. The right-hander has been sidelined most of the season due to an elbow issue. Before going down, Morgan posted a 12.27 ERA, 2.04 WHIP, and 4/3 K/BB ratio across seven appearances with the Cubs. It's worth noting that Morgan posted a 1.93 ERA in 32 outings with the Cleveland Guardians last season. The veteran right-hander could be an option out of the bullpen in the second half of the season.

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