Houston Astros infielder/outfielder Zach Dezenzo (hand) is making progress but still isn't swinging a bat, according to MLB.com. The Astros moved Dezenzo to the 60-day injured list last Friday, and there's currently no timetable for his return. He has been sidelined since June 1 with a capsule strain in his left hand and will not return to the Astros for the start of the second half of the season this Friday. The 25-year-old will first need to resume swinging and taking part in baseball activities before the Astros even consider sending him on a minor-league rehab assignment. Whenever he recovers from his hand injury, Dezenzo will serve in a super-utility role in Houston, leaving him minimal fantasy value the rest of the year. Before his injury, Dezenzo was hitting .245/.321/.367 with a below-average .688 OPS, two home runs, 10 RBI and 17 runs in 98 at-bats.

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Houston Astros outfielder Chas McCormick (oblique) has gone just 2-for-20 with a home run, eight strikeouts and a walk through five minor-league rehab games at Triple-A Sugar Land, according to MLB.com. McCormick is currently on the 10-day injured list with a left-oblique strain, but he figures to return for the second half of the season later this month. The 30-year-old has been out since late May and could return for the start of the second half, which begins this Friday, July 18. When he returns, McCormick could actually see more playing time in center field with Jake Meyers (calf) out at least three weeks. McCormick has only played in 36 games for the 'Stros this year and has hit .256 (11-for-43) with no home runs, two RBI and a stolen base in 53 plate appearances. Fantasy managers shouldn't expect much when he's back in Houston.

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Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown said on Sports Talk 790 radio that right-hander Cristian Javier (elbow) is ahead of Luis Garcia (elbow) in his rehab. "He's going to help us this year. It's probably going to take him a little bit longer," Brown said. Javier, who is on the 60-day injured list as he continues to recover from Tommy John surgery, hit 95 mph during a 35-pitch rehab appearance in the rookie-level Florida Complex League on July 12. MLB.com suggests he could be the first of the Astros' injured pitchers to come off the IL, potentially in August. During his rehab start on Friday in the FCL, the 28-year-old allowed three runs (two earned) on one hit while walking three and striking out two in 1 1/3 innings. Javier was unsurprisingly rusty, but he could help Houston's rotation down the stretch and potentially into the playoffs this fall.

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Miami Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said on Sunday that third baseman Connor Norby (wrist) is scheduled to visit with a specialist in Arizona during the All-Star break this week to "plot a course of action." Norby injured his wrist last Friday and was placed on the 10-day injured list on Sunday with left-wrist inflammation. Although it's unclear exactly what the 25-year-old's timetable for a return looks like, it seems unlikely that he'll be ready to return for the start of the second half of the season this Friday, July 18. Norby finishes the first half of the season for the Fish with a .241/.289/.364 slash line with a weak .653 OPS, six home runs, 26 RBI, 33 runs scored and seven steals as the team's primary third baseman. After the break, expect Javier Sanoja and Graham Pauley to split third-base duties in Miami until Norby is able to return.

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Detroit Tigers right-hander Sawyer Gipson-Long (neck) made a minor-league rehab start with Triple-A Toledo on Sunday and looked sharp, tossing 4 2/3 shutout innings without allowing a hit, walking one and striking out five against Triple-A Omaha. Gipson-Long threw 41 of his 59 pitches for strikes in the outing and was in control all the way. The 27-year-old was put on the 15-day injured list back on July 2 due to a neck strain, but he appears to be recovering nicely and could come off the IL to rejoin the big-league club for the start of the second half of the season on July 18. Gipson-Long had a nice 2.70 ERA and 1.10 WHIP in four starts in his rookie year in 2023 but didn't pitch at all in the big leagues in 2024. He allowed 13 runs (12 earned) with four walks and 18 K's in five outings (two starts) this year before his injury. Gipson-Long could be a rotation option for Detroit in the second half.

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Tampa Bay Rays left-hander Shane McClanahan (triceps) made another minor-league rehab start on Sunday in the rookie-level Florida Complex League and allowed an earned run on four hits while walking none and striking out three in only 1 2/3 innings of work. McClanahan threw 23 of his 36 pitches for strikes and got up to 94 mph with his fastball after a setback with his left triceps previously. The 28-year-old southpaw was attempting to return from Tommy John surgery this spring before suffering from nerve irritation in his triceps that has kept him sidelined for all of 2025 to this point. He will eventually move his rehab to Triple-A Durham before potentially joining the Rays' starting rotation at some point in August. McClanahan has ace potential when healthy, although it remains to be seen how much he'll be abel to help fantasy managers the rest of the way in 2025.

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New York Mets right-handed reliever Max Kranick (elbow) is getting another opinion from Dr. Keith Meister on his injured elbow and could require Tommy John surgery, Abbey Mastracco of the New York Daily News reports. Kranick has been out since June 15 with a flexor strain, and going under the knife would cost him the rest of this season and perhaps all of 2026. It would be the second TJ surgery for Kranick, who also had the procedure in 2022. After two seasons out of the majors, the 27-year-old returned in 2025 to throw 37 innings of 3.65 ERA ball with 25:5 K:BB and five holds. Unfortunately for Kranick, he may not be able to build on those solid numbers because of his injury.

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Houston Astros right-hander J.P. France (shoulder) threw live batting practice Wednesday in the latest step in his recovery from a torn shoulder capsule. France, who hasn't appeared in the majors since April 2024, underwent shoulder surgery last July. The Astros still haven't provided a clear timeline for his return, though they do expect the 30-year-old back sometime this season. France combined for 29 appearances (28 starts) from 2023-24 and recorded back-end production. Over a 161 2/3-inning span, he went 11-9 with a 4.40 ERA, a 1.41 WHIP, and 123:59 K:BB.

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Baltimore Orioles left-hander Cade Povich (hip) posted a lights-out performance in a High-A rehab start on Sunday. Povich threw three perfect innings and recorded three strikeouts on 30 pitches (23 strikes). The 25-year-old has been on the 15-day injured list since mid-June and recently suffered a setback, making Sunday's excellent outing all the more encouraging. The Orioles expect Povich to return sometime after the All-Star break. Povich has gone 2-5 with a subpar 5.15 ERA across 13 appearances (12 starts) and 64 2/3 innings, though he has logged an impressive 68 strikeouts against 23 walks.

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Houston Astros outfielder Jacob Melton (ankle) has recently begun participating in baseball activities at the team's facility in Florida. Melton, on the 10-day injured list since June 14 with a sprained right ankle, is still without an exact timetable for a return. The Astros' second-ranked prospect at MLB Pipeline, Melton made his major league debut June 1 and went 7-for-29 with six RBI, 12 strikeouts, and two walks before going on the IL. He hit a productive .254/.371/.508 in 71 plate appearances with Triple-A Sugar Land this year to earn his first call-up. Melton is currently among a handful of Houston outfield options who are shelved with injuries, joining the likes of Jake Meyers (calf), Yordan Alvarez (hand), Chas McCormick (oblique), and Zach Dezenzo (hand).

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Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Sal Frelick (hamstring) underwent an MRI on his left hamstring after an 8-1 win over the Washington Nationals on Sunday. Frelick had been dealing with soreness in his hamstring recently, and he had to leave the game in the third inning after aggravating it on a sliding catch. There's no word on the severity yet, but it helps that Frelick will have a few days to recover because of the All-Star break. The 25-year-old has been an important contributor on a playoff-contending Milwaukee club, having slashed a career-best .294/.354/.404 with seven homers, 39 RBI, 46 runs scored, and 17 stolen bases in 385 plate appearances.

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Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Roki Sasaki (shoulder) will throw his second bullpen session on Monday as he works back from a shoulder impingement. Barring any issues in his rehab, the Dodgers expect Sasaki to return in late August, according to manager Dave Roberts. Sasaki last pitched in the majors on May 9 and has since encountered some bumps in the road in his recovery. The Dodgers had to shut him down from throwing for a period, but he's now making progress. This has been a rough first year in the bigs for Sasaki, a big-ticket offseason signing from Japan. Along with his injury troubles, the 23-year-old phenom has struggled to a 4.72 ERA with almost as many walks (22) as strikeouts (24) in 34 1/3 innings.

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Houston Astros right-hander Spencer Arrighetti (thumb) could begin a rehab assignment in the next week or two, according to Astros general manager Dana Brown, beat writer for the Astros, Brian McTaggart reports. Arrighetti is currently throwing live batting practice in Florida, and a rehab assignment would be a significant next step in getting him back in the Astros' rotation and helping them make a push for a playoff run. Arrighetti was a sleeper pick for many experts coming into this season, due to his second half in 2024 with the Astros. After some serious unfortunate luck in early April, Arrighetti broke his thumb when a line drive in batting practice struck him. Nonetheless, getting Arrighetti back in the rotation would be big for the Astros. If he has been dropped to the waiver wire in your league, and you have an open IL spot, he is worth a stash, considering he could help the last four to five weeks of the fantasy baseball regular season. So far in 2025, Arrighetti has only made two starts and has a 5.59 ERA.

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New York Yankees left-hander, Max Fried (finger), said it's still too soon to know if he'll pitch against the Atlanta Braves after the All-Star break, but his blister is moving in the "right direction" and "getting better, Gary Phillips, beat writer for the Yankees, reports. Fried exited in his start against the Chicago Cubs on July 12 after what appeared to be a blister on his left index finger. Although it is encouraging news that he is getting better, blisters are an interesting injury because the skin needs time to heal, which in some cases could be days, and in others, a couple of weeks. Although it's nice for the Yankees and fantasy managers to know it's not a serious injury to his shoulder or elbow, it is possible that he may need to skip a start or perhaps wait a few extra days after the All-Star break to toe the rubber again. Fried has enjoyed one of his better seasons in his professional career thus far, with a 2.43 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, and is holding opponents to a .211 batting average in 122 innings pitched. Once healed from this blister issue, fantasy managers can make him a set-and-forget type of player in their lineups.

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Baltimore Orioles right-hander Zach Eflin was decent in his rehab outing on Sunday with Double-A Chesapeake, throwing four innings, allowing five hits, two earned runs, one walk, two strikeouts, and allowing one home run. He is scheduled to throw Friday in Sarasota, and then potentially rejoin the Orioles' rotation after that, Jake Rill, beat writer for the Orioles, reports. Eflin was removed from his start on June 28 due to lower back discomfort. After a few weeks off, this was his first rehab start, and it does not appear he experienced any setbacks, suggesting he will likely rejoin the Orioles rotation shortly after the All-Star break. So far this season, Eflin has battled multiple injuries, and when he has been healthy, he has not been great, with a 5.95 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, and his advanced metrics aren't much better (4.25 xERA and 4.41 SIERA). He will look to get back on track in the second half, but, understandably, fantasy managers may want to see a good start or two before putting him in their starting lineups, or perhaps sit him in tougher matchups.

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Minnesota Twins right-hander Bailey Ober (hip) has been able to throw multiple bullpen sessions since landing on the injured list July 2, MLB.com reports. Following his start on June 28 against the Detroit Tigers, Ober landed on the injured list with a hip injury. He proceeded to take an anti-inflammatory medicine, and since then, his hip has felt better. He threw a bullpen session Wednesday and has now thrown a handful of times off a mound as he works to get his mechanics back in order. Ober has struggled mightily this season, with a 5.28 ERA in 92 innings pitched. Fantasy managers had high hopes for Ober coming into the season, because he was coming off two solid seasons with the Twins, where he owned a 3.43 and 3.98 ERA in 2023 and 2024, respectively. His struggles this season have resulted in a worse K/9, higher HR/9, and higher opponents' batting average on balls in play (BABIP). The silver lining is that it appears his injury will not sideline him for long. Still, fantasy managers will want to see him have a good outing or two before confidently deploying him into their starting lineups again.

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Minnesota Twins 25-year-old Zebby Matthews threw four shutout innings with nine strikeouts, no walks, and one hit allowed in his start Sunday for Triple-A St. Paul. His Fastball reached 97-98 mph, and he got 12 outs on 56 pitches. It might be a one-and-done rehab assignment, depending on the Twins' rotation plan out of the break, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports. Matthews, regarded as one of the top Twins pitching prospects, injured his shoulder in early June, and after the outing he put together on Sunday, could likely return to the starting rotation after the All-Star break. The Twins have yet to announce this, but with their rotation struggling due to Bailey Ober (hip) and Pablo Lopez (shoulder) being on the injured list, Matthews could be asked to rejoin the rotation right away, as the Twins are battling for a wild-card spot. Thus far with the Twins, Matthews owns an impressive 11.54 K/9 through 19 innings pitched; however, that is supported with a 5.21 ERA and 1.47 WHIP. That being said, his advanced metrics showcase signs of positive regression (3.65 xERA).

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Washington Nationals outfield prospect Daylen Lile has enjoyed a recent surge at the plate. Over his last 18 games, the No. 9-ranked prospect in the D.C. system on MLB.com has posted a .292/.343/.369 slash line with two doubles, one home run, and three stolen bases. While he has yet to show much power upside in the major leagues, he has shown solid contact skills as he tallied at least one hit in a 14-game stretch earlier in July. During his first 15 games in Washington, Lile held a .152/.200/.326 slash line with just three doubles and a home run. Earlier in the season, the 22-year-old posted an impressive .337/.407/.500 slash line with seven doubles, two long balls, and six swiped bags across his first 26 games with Triple-A. Given his steady progress in the majors, he should continue to have an everyday role after the All-Star break.

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Houston Astros infield prospect Brice Matthews has yet to tally a hit during his first week in the major leagues. The top-ranked prospect in Houston was given the starting nod at the keystone in each of his first two games but went 0-for-7 with five strikeouts. He did not draw a walk. The Astors opted to keep him on the bench on Sunday during their final game of the first half. Fantasy managers should expect Matthews to remain on the team following the All-Star break. However, if he continues to struggle, they will likely send him back to Triple-A to further his development. Earlier this season with Sugar Land, Matthews posted a strong .283/.400/.476 line with 12 doubles, 10 home runs, and 25 stolen bases across 73 contests. Given his five-category upside, he is worth holding in all 12+ team leagues for the time being.

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Minnesota Twins outfield prospect Emmanuel Rodriguez (side) was removed from Saturday's contest against Triple-A Iowa due to a side injury. He is currently being evaluated by the team, but has not yet provided any further details. Rodriguez was recently sidelined for nearly a month due to a right hip injury and could face another extended absence. Since returning to Triple-A following the hip injury, Rodriguez went 6-for-13 with a double, a home run, and seven RBI across four contests. Overall, the No. 2-ranked prospect in Minnesota has enjoyed a productive campaign with Triple-A St. Paul, holding a .254/.41/.428 line with seven doubles, five home runs, and seven stolen bases. If the 22-year-old can continue to perform with St. Paul, he could be in contention to join the major leagues later in the second half.

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