Boston Red Sox right-hander Tanner Houck (forearm) will make another rehab start this week, Tim Healey of the Boston Globe reports. Houck has been out since the middle of May with a right flexor pronator strain, and his road back to the majors has been difficult. The 29-year-old has combined for a 7.15 ERA over 11 1/3 innings in four rehab appearances (three starts) between the Double-A and Triple-A levels. He has also dealt with a dip in velocity. Houck endured similar struggles in the majors this year before going on the IL. After logging a stingy 3.12 ERA in a career-high 178 2/3 frames last year, Houck opened this season with an 8.04 ERA and 32:17 K:BB across 43 2/3 frames.

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The Cleveland Guardians have activated right-hander Paul Sewald (shoulder) from the 15-day injured list and optioned lefty Doug Nikhazy to Triple-A Columbus. Sewald is back after an IL stint that lasted over two months. He hasn't pitched in the majors since April 28 because of a shoulder strain. The 35-year-old recorded an unappealing 6.17 ERA in 11 2/3 innings before going on the shelf, but he did strike out 15 and walk just three during that span. While Sewald combined for 81 saves with multiple clubs from 2021-24, he's more likely to be a source of holds for a Cleveland team that has an established closer in Emmanuel Clase.

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San Diego Padres right-hander Michael King (shoulder) hasn't taken a major league mound since May 18 because of a nerve issue in his throwing shoulder. A month and a half later, King is pain-free, but he's not ready to resume throwing from a mound. "This is as optimistic as we've been, (but) we're still guarding the optimism," manager Mike Shildt told Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune. King has gone 4-2 over 10 starts and tossed 55 2/3 innings of 2.59 ERA ball with 64:17 K:BB and a 1.02 WHIP this season. There's still no timetable for his return, but at least the team is taking an optimistic tone.

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The Boston Red Sox will activate designated hitter/outfielder Masataka Yoshida (shoulder) during a homestand that runs through all of next week. Yoshida will play two rehab games at the Double-A level this weekend and then get Monday off, Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. The Red Sox could activate him anytime after that. The 31-year-old underwent surgery on his right shoulder last October and has spent the past several months working back from it. Yoshida will mostly spend time at DH when he returns, but he'll also be part of Boston's outfield mix. The Japan native appeared in 108 games last year and hit .280/.349/.415 with 10 homers, 56 RBI, 45 runs scored, and two stolen bases over 421 plate appearances.

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Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Mitch Keller is drawing interest from the New York Mets, according to Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Keller has been popular in rumors leading up to the July 31 trade deadline, which makes sense for multiple reasons: He's a quality starter who's under reasonably priced control through 2028, and the last-place Pirates are surefire sellers. Keller has been a solid mid- to back-end starter dating back to 2022, and the 29-year-old is on track for a career campaign this year. He has tossed 106 1/3 innings of 3.64 ERA ball with 84:26 K:BB and a 1.19 WHIP. While Keller has gone a horrid 3-10, that's largely thanks to a lack of run support. Moving to a contender like the Mets would give Keller a better chance to rack up wins, which would be a plus for him and fantasy managers. The Mets have dealt with injuries in their rotation throughout the season and recently lost righty Griffin Canning for the year because of a ruptured left Achilles tendon. With that in mind, Keller is a logical target for New York.

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The New York Yankees plan to promote right-handed pitching prospect Cam Schlittler from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre during the upcoming week, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports. Schlittler will start at home on either Tuesday or Wednesday against the Seattle Mariners. The Yankees are in dire need of immediate rotation help with Ryan Yarbrough on the 15-day injured list and Clarke Schmidt likely to undergo Tommy John surgery. They'll turn to Schlittler, their 10th-ranked prospect at MLB Pipeline. A seventh-round pick in 2022, the 24-year-old has combined for a 2.82 ERA with 11.62 K/9 and 3.05 BB/9 in 76 2/3 innings between the Double-A and Triple-A levels this season. Schlittler will face a tough test in his first start against a Seattle offense that has scored the fifth-most runs on the road in 2025.

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The Atlanta Braves have released veteran outfielder Alex Verdugo, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports. Verdugo cleared waivers after the Braves designated him for assignment on Wednesday. After spending the winter on the open market, Verdugo joined the Braves on a one-year, $1.5 million contract in late March. It didn't work out, as Verdugo slumped to a .239/.296/.289 line in 213 homer-less plate appearances with Atlanta. The 29-year-old previously spent time with the Dodgers, Red Sox, and Yankees. He has batted a respectable .270/.326/.406 with 70 homers in 3,393 trips to the plate in the bigs.

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Cincinnati Reds right-hander Hunter Greene (back, groin) will begin a Triple-A rehab assignment on Tuesday, according to Charlie Goldsmith of FOX 19. Greene has been on the 15-day injured list twice this year because of a strained right groin, and the latest issue has kept him out since June 3. The 25-year-old has also dealt with back soreness. When he has been able to pitch, Greene has gone 4-3 with a 2.72 ERA, a whopping 73 strikeouts against 14 walks, and a 0.97 WHIP in 59 2/3 innings. He could make a significant impact in the second half of the season if he stays healthy.

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Veteran right-handed reliever Hector Neris has agreed to a Major League contract with the Houston Astros, Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 reports. Neris became available when the Los Angeles Angels released him on Thursday. He has posted a horrific 7.80 ERA with 20 strikeouts, eight walks, and seven holds over a combined 15 innings between the Angels and Braves this season. The well-traveled 36-year-old is now ready for his third stint in Houston, where he pitched from 2022-23 and again in 2024. Neris has served as a solid high-leverage option for a large portion of his career, but those days may be over.

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The Toronto Blue Jays have placed reliever Yimi Garcia (ankle) on the 15-day injured list with a sprained left ankle. The team recalled right-hander Robinson Pina from Triple-A Buffalo in a corresponding move. This continues an injury-plagued year for Garcia, who just returned from a long stay on the IL this week.. He missed the final week of May and all of June because of a shoulder impingement. Garcia returned on Wednesday to allow two earned runs over one inning in an 11-9 win over the New York Yankees. The 34-year-old righty has logged 21 frames this season and pitched to a 3.86 ERA with 25 strikeouts, 12 walks, six holds, and three saves.

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Yankees right-hander Clarke Schmidt (elbow) has likely suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow and is expected to require Tommy John surgery, manager Aaron Boone announced. Unfortunately for Schmidt and the Yankees, this isn't a surprising outcome after he exited his start against the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday with forearm tightness. Schmidt is now poised to undergo his second Tommy John procedure since 2017, the year the Yankees drafted him 16th overall. Now 29, Schmidt has developed into a quality starter for the Yankees. He'll finish this season 4-4 with a 3.32 ERA and 73:30 K:BB over 78 2/3 innings. Assuming he does undergo TJ surgery, Schmidt probably won't return to a major league mound until late next season or in 2027.

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New York Yankees first baseman Paul Goldschmidt and designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton are not in the team's lineup against the New York Mets on Saturday. The right-handed duo will take a seat against Mets righty Frankie Montas. Cody Bellinger will shift from the outfield to first base, Jasson Dominguez will handle left, and Ben Rice will serve as the DH. Goldschmidt got off to a sizzling start through the first couple of months of the season. However, his production has tailed off since the beginning of June, and he has begun to lose playing time as a result. The seven-time All-Star is hitting .282/.343/.425 with eight homers, 32 RBI, 50 runs scored, and five stolen bases in 340 plate appearances. Stanton, meanwhile, has batted .224/.333/.306 with one homer and seven RBI in 57 trips to the plate since he made his season debut on June 16. The 35-year-old missed the first two-plus months of the season because of elbow problems.

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Washington Nationals right-handed pitcher Mason Thompson (elbow) was activated from the 60-day injured list on Saturday. In a corresponding move, the Nationals optioned right-handed pitcher Zach Brzykcy to Triple-A Rochester and shifted right-handed pitcher Derek Law to the 60-day injured list. Thompson has been sidelined since undergoing Tommy John surgery during the 2024 campaign. He participated in a rehab assignment, logging eight innings across time in the Florida Complex League, as well as with Double-A and Triple-A. In 2023, Thompson logged 54 innings out of the bullpen and posted a 5.50 ERA with a 1.56 WHIP. However, in 2022, Thompson was quite effective, posting a 2.92 ERA with a 1.14 WHIP. Fantasy managers should expect Thompson to have a low-average role in the bullpen as he begins to increase his workload.

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St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (shoulder) was scratched from Saturday's lineup due to a right shoulder impingement when they continue a series against the Chicago Cubs. Arenado was held out of action earlier in the week due to a finger injury and now appears to have another injury. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status leading up to Sunday's contest as he could he held out of action for a few games. After a productive stretch in June, Arenado has taken a step back over his last eight games, holding a low .179/.207/.250 slash line with just two doubles and two RBI. Before this skid, he held a much higher .344/.382/.547 line over his last 10. This afternoon, the Cardinals will have Thomas Saggese cover the hot corner and bat in the five-hole.

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Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Andres Gimenez (ankle) is not in the starting nine on Saturday when the Blue Jays continue a series against the Los Angeles Angels. Gimenez suffered an ankle injury during the contest against the Yankees on Wednesday. While he was able to return to the starting nine on Friday, Gimenez was eventually lifted from that game. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status, as he could be in danger of sitting out on Sunday as well. Over his last 11 contests, Gimenez has been one of the most productive hitters in the sport, posting a .342/.390/.447 slash line with one double, one home run, and nine RBI. Through 61 total games this season, Gimenez has held a .218/.300/.322 line. This afternoon, Davis Schneider will cover the keystone and bat in the nine-hole.

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Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (foot) is back in the starting nine on Saturday when the Blue Jays continue a series against the Los Angeles Angels. Guerrero was held out of action on Friday after suffering a minor foot injury on Thursday. However, the 26-year-old was able to avoid a serious injury and is making a quick return to the starting nine. Over his last 10 games, Guerrero has been in a bit of a skid at the plate, posting a modest .237/.341/.421 slash line with one double, two home runs, and five RBI. Through 86 total games this season, Guerrero has held a .274/.378/.439 slash line with 17 doubles and 12 round-trippers. He sits in the 96th percentile in xwOBA and 100th percentile in xBA, which suggests he should be in store for a massive second half. He is a strong play in DFS this afternoon, facing Los Angeles Angels right-hander Jack Kochanowicz.

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The Arizona Diamondbacks have optioned infielder Tim Tawa to Triple-A Reno. In a corresponding move, the Diamondbacks have activated outfielder Corbin Carroll (wrist) from the 10-day injured list. Tawa has enjoyed an extended stint in the majors this season. During his first taste of the majors, the rookie infielder has held a modest .200/.262/.355 slash line with six doubles and six home runs. Tawa has generated a low .300 xwOBA, .224 xBA, .394 xSLG, and an 88.8 mph average exit velocity, which are all below the average marks of qualified hitters. Earlier this season, Tawa was hitting for high power at Triple-A, launching three home runs and adding two doubles. Fantasy managers should expect Tawa to return to Arizona later in the second half as an injury replacement.

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The Arizona Diamondbacks have activated outfielder Corbin Carroll (wrist) from the 10-day injured list prior to their contest on Saturday against the Kansas City Royals. In a corresponding move, the Diamondbacks optioned infielder Tim Tawa to Triple-A Reno. Carroll has been sidelined with a fracture in his left wrist since June 24. However, Carroll was able to avoid a significant injury. He made just one rehab appearance in the Arizona Complex League on July 3 before being cleared to return to MLB action. Before his injury, Carroll was enjoying a productive season at the plate, posting a .255/.341/.573 slash line with 20 home runs and 10 stolen bases. Under the hood, he has generated a stellar .390 xwOBA with a .565 xSLG. Carroll should continue to be viewed as a must-start option in all leagues going forward.

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St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker (appendix) is working on a swing adjustment with the staff at Double-A Springfield, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Dispatch. Walker last played in the big leagues on June 22 before dealing with appendicitis, and he previously missed time in June with a wrist injury as well. He's struggled mightily in 191 plate appearances for the Cardinals, slashing .210/.267/.295 with a 33% strikeout rate. The former top prospect has struck out at a similarly untenable 38.5% rate in 26 minor league plate appearances, so he clearly needs more time to work out the kinks in his new swing. Per Goold, Cardinals President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak says he hopes Walker can make his return within two weeks.

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Arizona Diamondbacks reliever Kendall Graveman (hip) threw live batting practice on Friday, according to MLB.com. Graveman was placed on the 15-day injured list on June 9 with a right hip impingement. It's been a difficult last couple of years for the veteran righty from an injury perspective. Graveman missed the entirety of 2024 after undergoing shoulder surgery, and also had a separate IL stint in March due to back tightness. In the 8 1/3 innings he's thrown for the Diamondbacks this season, Graveman has allowed eight earned runs and five walks while striking out just three. Arizona's bullpen needs high-leverage arms, but Graveman will have to prove he can stay healthy and regain prior form before he's an option in fantasy.

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