The Atlanta Braves announced that third baseman Austin Riley (abdomen) left Friday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals with lower-abdominal tightness. Riley went 1-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored before the Braves pinch-hit Luke Williams for him in the top of the fourth inning. Injuries, most notably a fractured wrist, kept Riley out of 52 games in 2024. Until now, this has been a healthy season for the 28-year-old. Riley has appeared in all 93 of the Braves' games and hit .274/.324/.441 with 14 homers, 48 RBI, and 51 runs scored in 408 plate appearances.

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San Francisco Giants third baseman Rafael Devers (back) appears to have avoided any major issues. According to Alex Pavlovic, Devers underwent an MRI on Thursday which revealed inflammation in his lower back. That being said, Devers will get treatment on his back, but isn't expected to be placed on the injured list. In fact, Devers is in the starting lineup and batting third ahead of Friday's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. It reportedly only bothers Devers when running, so it shouldn't impact him at the plate. Fantasy managers can go ahead and get Devers in their lineups ahead of first pitch on Friday. This seems like a day-to-day issue, so hopefully Devers is fully recovered after the All-Star break.

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Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Hunter Dobbins (knee) was removed early during Friday's outing against the Tampa Bay Rays. Well this sucks, Dobbins was activated off the injured list ahead of this start and now might end up right back on there. Dobbins was taken out in the second inning after suffering a knee injury while covering first base. He's expected to undergo further testing, so there should be more information on his status shortly. It wouldn't be shocking to see him land back on the injured list, but for now fantasy managers should consider Dobbins as day-to-day. Before exiting, Dobbins tossed 1.2 innings, allowing one earned run on two hits while striking out two batters. Fantasy managers should check back later for another update on his status.

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Colorado Rockies outfield prospect Charlie Condon continues to tear through Minor League pitching on his fast track to the big leagues. Condon went 2-for-4 with two singles, an RBI, and a run scored in Thursday's win over the Portland Sea Dogs. Baseball America's preseason No. 42 prospect began the season in the Arizona Complex League before earning a quick promotion to High-A Spokane. Over 35 games, Condon slashed .312/.431/.420, prompting a call-up to Double-A Hartford. The third overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, Condon combines a plus hit tool with exceptional power, making him one of the most exciting bats in the Rockies' system. While his rise has been rapid, we likely won't see him in Colorado until 2026.

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Miami Marlins starting pitcher Edward Cabrera (undisclosed) was forced to make an early exit from Friday's outing against the Baltimore Orioles. Oh no, this isn't what anyone wants to hear with Cabrera drawing significant interest ahead of the trade deadline. It's unclear what is wrong with Cabrera, but he was seen walking into the tunnel with the trainer following his fourth inning of work. Fantasy managers will have to wait until after the game for a better update on his status. Tyler Phillips took over on the mound in the fifth inning. Cabrera finishes this outing with four innings of work, four earned runs on eight hits while striking out six batters. Fantasy managers should stay tuned for another update on his status.

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New York Mets shortstop prospect Jett Williams has endured a rough start to July. Williams walked once while going 0-for-3 Thursday, in the Rumble Ponies 2-1 win over the Altuna Curve. Through Thursday, the 21-year-old is slashing just .172/.265/.276 in 29 at-bats this month and has yet to steal a base. Some time off during the All-Star break could help the speedster reset mentally and get back on track. Baseball America's preseason No. 58 prospect has shown promise overall in his 2025 campaign. Over 75 games with Binghamton this season, Williams has racked up 23 doubles, five triples, and 24 steals in 29 attempts. Williams still needs to prove he can handle a Triple-A promotion before earning a call-up to Queens, but his dynamic skill set remains intriguing. Fantasy managers in dynasty leagues should continue to monitor his second-half performance closely.

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Boston Red Sox third base prospect Blaze Jordan has been a steady contributor for Triple-A Worcester since his promotion on June 3. The 22-year-old earned the call-up by slashing .320/.415/.513 at Double-A and has already launched four home runs in just 31 games at his current level. Jordan continues to display advanced polish and plate discipline, striking out at a stellar 11.4% clip since the promotion. Alex Bregman currently blocks his path to the majors, but uncertainty around Bregman's contract situation could eventually clear the way for Jordan to claim a spot in Boston. Fantasy managers should watch closely as the deadline approaches.

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Texas Rangers shortstop prospect Sebastian Walcott continues to show why he's one of the top young talents in baseball. The 19-year-old slugged his ninth home run of the season and drove in two runs across six at-bats in a wild 13-12 extra-innings loss to the Amarillo Sod Poodles on Thursday. Walcott's slash line of .238/.338/.381 may not leap off the page, but context matters. The phenom is five years younger than the average player in the Texas League. His elite tools continue to flash as he gains experience against advanced competition. Walcott is expected to spend the season refining his approach before making a serious push toward the majors in 2025. Rebuilding dynasty teams should be targeting him ahead of the trade deadlines. With a true five-tool skill set, Walcott has the potential to anchor fantasy rosters for years to come

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Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Joey Loperfido (illness) has been scratched from the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the Athletics. Loperfido was planning to play through the illness, but ultimately has decided to take the night off. Myles Straw will take over in center field and bat ninth versus right-hander Luis Severino on Friday. Fantasy managers should consider Loperfido as day-to-day for now. Loperfido isn't someone that needs to be rostered right now, but he does have five hits over his last four games. Possibly, Loperfido becomes a deep league option, assuming he continues to hit well.

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Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernandez (foot) is back in the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the San Francisco Giants. Hernandez is ready to play again after missing each of the last three games due to soreness in his left foot. Luckily, it was a minor issue that didn't require a trip to the injured list. Hernandez will bat fifth and play right field versus right-hander Logan Webb on Friday. He's in a bit of a slump recently, going 1-for-10 at the plate over his last four games. Despite that, fantasy managers should make sure to get him into their lineups ahead of first pitch.

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Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton (hand) is back in center field and will bat in his customary leadoff spot for Friday's series opener at Target Field against the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates and right-hander Paul Skenes. Buxton was hit by a pitch on his left hand in Wednesday's win over the Chicago Cubs, but thankfully he didn't suffer any fractures and will return on Friday after sitting out on Thursday. Although the matchup isn't an ideal one, Buxton enters Friday's action as one of five players to lead their team in home runs (20), RBI (53) and stolen bases (17). The 31-year-old veteran is hitting .270/.338/.544 with an .881 OPS while also scoring 60 runs in 285 at-bats. If Buxton can stay healthy in the second half, 2025 should easily be a career year for him. In eight games in July so far, he's gone 5-for-29 (.172) with a homer, two doubles, two RBI and two steals.

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Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson (hand) will miss a third straight game for Friday's series opener against the visiting Toronto Blue Jays in Sacramento. With Wilson still nursing a left-hand injury, Max Muncy will shift to shortstop and will bat seventh against Blue Jays right-hander Max Scherzer. Wilson is being considered day-to-day, so there's hope he could return to the lineup for one of the final two days of the first half of the regular season on Saturday or Sunday before next week's All-Star break. Believe it or not, the 23-year-old Wilson ranks second in MLB (behind Aaron Judge) with a .335 average (111-for-331) despite having one of the shortest and slowest swings in the game. Wilson's xBA of .290 is still strong, but it foreshadows regression in the second half. Muncy is hitting only .218 in his first 52 MLB games, but he does have eight homers.

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Detroit Tigers right-handed pitching prospect Sawyer Gipson-Long (neck) completed a bullpen session on Thursday. Gipson-Long was placed on the 15-day injured list on July 2 with a neck strain. This was the first time the Mercer product was able to complete a bullpen session since being placed on the injured list. Through 23 innings this season, Gipson-Long posted a 4.70 ERA with a strong 1.09 WHIP. During this stretch, Gipson-Long tallied 18 strikeouts while showing elite command, allowing walks at a 4.3% rate. Gipson-Long made his MLB debut during the 2023 campaign and held a 2.70 ERA with a 1.10 WHIP through 20 innings. He was unable to pitch in the majors in 2024 due to Tommy John surgery. When he is cleared to return, he will likely be deployed in a long relief role, which will limit his fantasy value.

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Los Angeles Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel (calf) is starting at first base and batting second for Friday's series opener against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks and right-hander Ryne Nelson. Schanuel was held out of Thursday's series finale against the Texas Rangers as a precaution due to tightness in his calf, but he's feeling fine a day later and will return for the start of the final series of the first half of the regular season. The 23-year-old left-handed hitter has gone 9-for-38 (.237) with a homer, seven RBI and two runs scored in nine games so far in the month of July. On the season, he's hitting .267/.356/.394 and lacks high-end power (eight home runs) that most fantasy managers are looking for at the first base position. Elsewhere, Schanuel ranks in the sixth percentile in hard-hit rate and the 55th percentile in xwOBA.

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Houston Astros infield prospect Brice Matthews is starting at second base and is batting eighth in his major-league debut for Friday's series opener against the division-rival Texas Rangers and right-hander Jack Leiter at Daikin Park. Matthews, who is ranked as the team's top prospect per MLB Pipeline, was called up from Triple-A Sugar Land after slashing .283/.400/.476 with an .876 OPS, 10 home runs, 39 RBI, 51 runs scored and 25 steals in 73 games on the farm. It remains to be seen how long the 23-year-old right-handed hitter will be up with the Astros and if he'll stick around through the All-Star break, but the Astros need Jose Altuve in their banged-up outfield right now. At the very least, Matthews' raw power/speed combination is worthy of waiver-wire consideration in the short term in deep-mixed and AL-only leagues.

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Cincinnati Reds third base prospect Cam Collier has held a .296/.425/.366 line through his first 21 games with Double-A Chattanooga. Collier earned a promotion to Double-A earlier in June and has shown elite contact skills with a strong eye at the plate during his first look. However, his power has yet to translate to this level as he has tallied just five extra-base hits (all doubles). He has only struck out 20 times and drawn an impressive 15 walks. Earlier in the season, the No. 62-ranked prospect on MLB.com posted a .293/.370/.415 line with High-A before earning the promotion. Last season, the former 18th overall pick spent most of his season with High-A, where he held a .248/.355/.443 line. If Collier can begin to hit for power, he could be in the mix to earn a brief taste of Triple-A towards the end of the regular season.

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Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll is taking the day off for Friday's series opener on the road against the Los Angeles Angels with left-hander Tyler Anderson on the mound. Instead, veteran Randal Grichuk will start in right field and will hit sixth versus Anderson. It will be Carroll's day of rest since he came off the injured list last Friday. In the six games since his return from a wrist ailment, the former National League Rookie of the Year has gone just 5-for-26 (.192) with a homer, double, triple, three RBI, four runs and a steal in 28 plate appearances, but he's also carrying a modest four-game hitting streak into the weekend series in Anaheim. The 24-year-old should be back on Saturday and should be returned to all starting fantasy lineups. Grichuk will be a viable DFS sleeper who has hit .308 with a homer and two RBI in 13 career at-bats against Anderson.

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Washington Nationals third base prospect Brady House has enjoyed a productive week at the plate in the major leagues. Over his last six games, the No. 3-ranked prospect in the system has held a solid .280/.308/.320 line with a double and three RBI. Prior to this stretch, he held a much lower .232/.267/.286 line with just three doubles and a 16:3 K:BB over his last 14 contests. Under the hood, House boasts a .291 xBA, and it appears he is beginning to see some positive regression. Earlier in the summer, House was one of the most productive hitters at Triple-A, posting a .304/.353/.519 line through 65 games. During this stint, he went deep 13 times. Fantasy managers should continue to expect House to see nearly every day opportunity in the Washington lineup.

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Boston Red Sox infield prospect Marcelo Mayer is expected to see the majority of the opportunities at second base going forward. Mac Cerullo of The Boston Herald noted that Ceddanne Rafaela could factor in as well, especially when facing lefties. However, it appears the top prospect is expected to have an everyday role in the Boston starting nine going forward. Over his last 12 contests, Mayer has begun to find his footing in the big leagues, posting a strong 297/.297/.432 slash line with three doubles, one triple, and three RBI. Through 37 total games with Boston, Mayer has posted a .224/.263/.411 line with four long balls. Given that Mayer is expected to see significant playing time going forward, he is worth adding in all standard leagues.

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The Houston Astros placed outfielder Jake Meyers (calf) on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to July 10) on Friday with a right-calf strain and recalled infield prospect Brice Matthews from the minors in a corresponding move, according to MLB.com's Brian McTaggart. Infielder/outfielder Zach Dezenzo (hand) was also moved to the 60-day IL. Meyers aggravated his right calf injury in his return to action on Wednesday against the Cleveland Guardians and will now be out through next week's All-Star break. It remains to be seen if the 29-year-old center fielder will be ready to return for the start of the second half of the season on July 18. Despite a lack of power (three homers), the former 13th-rounder has hit a strong .308 (89-for-289) with 21 RBI, 47 runs and 14 steals in 2025. Taylor Trammell is starting in center on Friday, but Kenedy Corona could also factor in with Meyers on the shelf.

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