Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Jack Kochanowicz was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake on Sunday night, per Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. Kochanowicz was sent down earlier in the year after allowing eight earned runs to the Texas Rangers on July 10, but he was recalled by Los Angeles after just one minor league start. The overall big-league stat line for Kochanowicz this year is not pretty. In 107 2/3 innings (22 starts), the 24-year-old is 3-10 with a 6.19 ERA, 1.69 WHIP, and an abominable 14.5% strikeout rate. The team has yet to announce who will be taking Kochanowicz's spot on the major-league roster.

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Chicago Cubs right-hander Ben Brown will start Tuesday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays, according to Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network. Brown's last outing came on August 4 against the Cincinnati Reds, and he worked four innings while allowing two hits and one earned run with five strikeouts. In 19 games (15 starts) for the Cubs this season, Brown is 5-7 with a 6.04 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, and 104 strikeouts. The 25-year-old is an intriguing waiver-wire option because of his 25.4% strikeout rate, but Brown is also a persistent threat to cause harm in the ERA and WHIP categories.

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Colorado Rockies right-hander German Marquez (biceps) threw a bullpen session Saturday and is scheduled to throw live batting practice Tuesday, MLB.com reports. Marquez has been sidelined since July 21, meaning a rehab assignment is likely; however, the team has yet to announce whether that is necessary. While this is good news for German and the Rockies, at this time, Marquez is not a recommended fantasy option. He boasts a 5.67 ERA, a 1.64 WHIP, and a 6.68 K/9 in 98 1/3 innings pitched. In addition, he pitches in the least pitcher-friendly ballpark in the majors, Coors Field. Feel free to keep him on the waiver wire for the time being in redraft leagues.

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Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Sunday that Hyeseong Kim (shoulder) could be cleared to take live batting practice by the end of the week, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports. Kim has resumed taking part in most baseball activities since landing on the injured list July 29 due to left shoulder bursitis, but facing live pitching is an encouraging sign he is heading in the right direction to be cleared before heading out on a minor-league rehab assignment. Late August appears to be realistic for the 26-year-old. Kim has produced when given the opportunities in a stacked lineup, slashing .304/.338/.406 with two home runs, 17 runs scored, 15 RBI, and 12 stolen bases in 146 plate appearances. Even when Kim does return, he will likely be in a platoon with Miguel Rojas and Tommy Edman (ankle), making it difficult to trust him in redraft formats.

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Houston Astros outfielder Jake Meyers (calf) is progressing well and is now sprinting, hitting, and engaging in outfield work. The Astros want to increase the volume and intensity of his activities before he advances to live at-bats, according to MLB.com. Meyers hit the 10-day injured list on July 11, but encouragingly enough, is now ramping up his baseball activity. Meyers is slashing .308/.369/.405 with three home runs, 47 runs scored, 21 RBI, and 14 stolen bases in 322 plate appearances. Meyers is enjoying a breakout campaign for his standards, as his career slash line through five MLB seasons is .245/.308/.378. He brings a lot of value in the outfield as well, ranking in the 98th percentile in range (OAA). The Astros are currently half a game up in the AL West standings and will be looking for all reinforcements down the stretch to help them win a division title. At this time, Meyers can stay on the waiver wire, and at best, is a deep league streamer from a fantasy perspective.

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Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno (finger) will go on rehab assignments to Triple-A Reno on Tuesday, per Torey Lovullo. Looking like Arizona's next homestand is the target for reinforcements and roster decisions, Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com reports. Moreno is eligible to return from the 60-day injured list on August 18, and he looks like he'll have a shot to be activated on that date if all goes smoothly on his rehab assignment. On the season, Moreno is slashing .270/.324/.414 with five home runs, 20 RBI, and 29 runs scored in 188 plate appearances. That slash line aligns with his career numbers through his previous three MLB seasons with a slash line of .278/.343/.397. Moreno is known for his contact, hard-hit, and squared-up percentage to go along with his defensive skills, including throwing out runners attempting to steal bases. The power has yet to surface, although he has never hit more than 12 home runs in a season at any level in his eight-year career. Fantasy managers looking for a good contact guy who doesn't strike out much will find just that in Moreno.

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Baltimore Orioles right-hander Kyle Bradish (elbow) is expected to make at least one more rehab start before returning from the 60-day injured list, MLB.com reports. Bradish has worked 12 1/3 innings over four minor league starts, producing a subpar 6.57 ERA and 1.54 WHIP. While his numbers appear rough on the surface, his 3.57 FIP and 3.50 xFIP suggest some signs of positive regression. His 9.49 K/9 and 2.92 BB/9 both line up with his career numbers. At this time, it's not yet clear whether Bradish will require one more start or multiple starts. He threw 69 pitches in his recent outing. Should Bradish get called up after his final rehab start, he could provide fantasy managers with a solid arm down the stretch. That being said, he would have to hit the ground running and produce at a decently high level right away for fantasy managers to have complete trust. The Orioles (53-65) are firmly out of playoff contention, so they have little incentive to rush Bradish. Currently, he remains a decent IL stash with some upside.

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The Cleveland Guardians are promoting former first overall pick second baseman Travis Bazzana to Triple-A Columbus. Bazzana was the top pick in last year's MLB Draft out of Oregon State and is now just one stop away from the major leagues. After earning a brief taste of High-A following the draft last summer, Cleveland opted for Bazzana to open the 2025 campaign at Double-A. However, the 22-year-old missed time with injuries which halted his development. Since returning from the injured list, Bazzana has looked quite impressive at Double-A, which has resulted in his promotion. Through his last 18 games, he has held a .265/.367/.412 line with a .799 OPS. In 51 total games with Akron, Bazzana has carried a .256/.364/.426 line. He is worth monitoring as the Guardians could give him a brief taste of the majors before the end of the season.

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The New York Mets have promoted first base prospect Ryan Clifford to Triple-A Syracuse, according to MiLB Central. Clifford was considered their No. 7-ranked prospect in their system prior to the promotion. The corner infielder has spent the entire season at Double-A. Through 105 games with Binghamton, Clifford posted a .243/.355/494 line with an .848 OPS. He tallied 18 doubles and launched an impressive 24 long balls while holding a 113:63 K:BB. During his first extended look at Double-A in 2024, Clifford held a lower .231/.359/.456 slash line with a .815 OPS. Fantasy managers should monitor his status at Triple-A, but it does not appear Clifford will be in the mix to join the MLB roster for the stretch run, as Pete Alonso is no danger to lose at-bats in the major leagues.

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New York Mets infield prospect Jett Williams is set to be promoted to Triple-A Syracuse. Williams is considered their top-ranked prospect in the system on MLB Pipeline. The former 14th overall pick from the 2022 MLB Draft has spent the entire campaign at Double-A. Through 96 total games, Williams has enjoyed a very productive season, posting a .281/.390/.477 slash line with 29 doubles, 10 home runs, and 32 stolen bases. This was a much-needed bounce-back season for Williams as she struggled across the minor leagues last summer. Through 33 games split between Low-A, Double-A, and Triple-A, Williams held a much-lower .215/.358/.298 line with a low .656 OPS. Fantasy managers should keep a close eye on Williams as he could be in the mix to join the Mets for their playoff push if he can find his footing early at Triple-A.

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Toronto Blue Jays closer Jeff Hoffman couldn't find the plate on Sunday, but he somehow picked up the win in a 5-4 defeat of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Hoffman entered in the bottom of the eighth with a 4-3 lead, two outs, and runners on first and second. He walked Will Smith to load the bases and issued another free pass to Freddie Freeman to tie the game. Hoffman then got Michael Conforto to foul out to escape the jam with minimal damage. After the Jays regained a one-run lead on a ninth-inning Ernie Clement homer, they trotted Hoffman back out to finish the game. While he did get an out on a sacrifice bunt, Hoffman walked the other three hitters he faced to load the bases again. That was enough for manager John Schneider to replace Hoffman with Mason Fluharty, who earned his first save by striking out Shohei Ohtani and inducing a Mookie Betts groundout. Thanks to Fluharty's heroics, Hoffman improved to 7-4 despite walking five hitters, throwing a mere 10 strikes on 33 pitches, and collecting his fifth blown save in 31 opportunities. He recorded two outs and didn't allow an earned run, but his BB/9 skyrocketed from 2.04 to 3.00. The Jays and fantasy managers can only hope Hoffman's sudden loss of control on Sunday was a fluke.

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Nationals' SP MacKenzie Gore recorded 10 strikeouts in 6 innings getting the win in a 8-0 win over San Francisco on Sunday, Aug. 10.

Washington Nationals left-hander MacKenzie Gore (5-12) dominated the San Francisco Giants in an 8-0 blowout on Sunday to lock down his fifth win of the season. Gore threw six shutout innings and allowed three hits with 10 strikeouts against one walk in a much-needed return to form. After earning a place on the NL All-Star team in the first half of the season, Gore has allowed six-plus earned runs in three of five second-half outings. In his previous start, a 16-7 loss to the Athletics on Aug. 5, Gore was lit up for eight earned runs on 12 hits with no strikeouts and a walk across three innings. After rebounding on Sunday, he'll head into his next start Friday against the Philadelphia Phillies with a 4.09 ERA, a 1.33 WHIP, and 158:47 K:BB in 132 frames. Gore has excelled in two meetings this year with the Phillies, who have combined for just three earned runs and six hits with 19 strikeouts and no walks over 12 innings.

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New York Yankees ace Max Fried's recent slide continued in a 7-1 loss to the Houston Astros on Sunday. Fried fell to 12-5 after surrendering four earned runs on eight hits with three strikeouts and one walk in five innings. The All-Star southpaw has only recorded one quality start in seven tries since July 1. Over that 36-inning span, Fried has given up 24 earned runs and 41 hits with 31:15 K:BB. Fried still owns a stingy 2.94 ERA with a 1.10 WHIP and 135:36 K:BB across 144 innings, but the Yankees and fantasy managers need him to get back on track with time running out in the regular season. He's scheduled to face the St. Louis Cardinals on the road on Saturday.

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St. Louis Cardinals reliever JoJo Romero recorded four outs on Sunday to close out a 3-2 win over the Chicago Cubs and collect his third save of the year. The left-hander had to work around three singles and a walk in his 1 1/3 innings, but he managed his 13th scoreless appearance in 14 tries since the beginning of July. Romero now has a microscopic 1.98 ERA with 38:18 K:BB and a 52.3% groundball rate over 41 innings. He should continue to receive save opportunities thanks to the departure of former Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley, whom they sent to the New York Mets at the July 31 trade deadline.

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Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Keegan Akin blew a save and received the loss in Sunday's 3-2 defeat to the Athletics. He entered the ninth with a one-run lead but ultimately gave up a two-run double to Willie MacIver. His final line was two runs on two hits and one walk with two strikeouts in one inning. This is the second loss he's taken in his last four appearances, but he did lock down a successful save on Friday. The 30-year-old became the favorite for the ninth inning after a Felix Bautista injury and Seranthony Dominguez trade, and figures to remain there despite the poor performances. The Orioles have nothing to play for in 2025, and Akin's 3.56 ERA still represents one of the better marks in their bullpen.

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Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Albert Suarez (shoulder) is expected to start a rehab assignment on Tuesday or Wednesday, reports Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com. The 35-year-old made just one appearance this year, on March 28, before suffering a right subscapularis strain in his throwing shoulder. While it's good to finally see him throwing again, his rehab stint is likely to be a lengthy one if the plan is to use him as a starting pitcher. With less than two months left in the season, time is running out for Suarez to make an impact in 2025. The other option would be to use him in some type of relief role, but either way, he is an afterthought for fantasy purposes.

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Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Tyler Wells (elbow) tossed four shutout innings for Triple-A Norfolk on Sunday in his third appearance of his rehab stint. He allowed one hit and one walk while striking out five. The 30-year-old hasn't allowed a run in any of his 8 rehab innings, and he built up to 52 pitches in this one. He hasn't pitched all season while recovering from a UCL surgery that sidelined him for most of 2024, too. Wells' last significant workload came in 2023, when he posted a 3.64 ERA and 0.99 WHIP in 118 innings. He'll likely need at least one more rehab start if the Orioles plan to make him a starting pitcher for the remainder of the season.

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San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Landen Roupp (elbow) started for Triple-A Sacramento on Sunday, allowing two earned runs on three hits and no walks while striking out four over three innings. This was his first rehab start as he works his way back from elbow inflammation, and he threw 50 pitches in this outing. The 26-year-old's velocity was back to where it was before the injury, so this was a successful step in his recovery overall. He'll likely need at least one more start before he's ready to rejoin the major league rotation, where he'll look to build on his 3.11 ERA and 1.43 WHIP in 101 innings.

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Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jameson Taillon (calf) allowed one run on three hits and no walks while striking out six over 4 innings on Friday for Triple-A Iowa. It was his second rehab start as he works his way back from a right calf strain. He threw 78 pitches in the outing, which was much more successful than his first rehab appearance, where he got hit hard for seven earned runs. The Cubs had a spot in the rotation open back up with Michael Soroka landing on the injured list, and Taillon could be ready to step back into that spot when the turn comes around. The 33-year-old was 7-6 with a 4.44 ERA and 1.11 WHIP in 95 innings before the injury, which has kept him out since June 29.

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