Colorado Rockies third base prospect Kyle Karros has been promoted to Triple-A Albuquerque. Karros has been one of the best hitters at the Double-A level this season. Through his first 55 games at the level, the third baseman posted an impressive .294/.399/.462 slash line with 17 doubles, four home runs, and seven stolen bases. He held a 45:32 K:BB. Last season, Karros was named the 2024 Northwest League MVP. With High-A Spokane, the No. 18-ranked prospect in the system on MLB.com, posted an impressive .311/.390/.485 slash line with 33 doubles, 15 long balls, and 12 stolen bases. Fantasy managers should pay close attention to his progression at Triple-A as he could push for a late-season taste of the major leagues if he continues to swing a hot bat.

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Baltimore Orioles right-hander Grayson Rodriguez (elbow, lat) is being shut down again after his elbow flared up, according to BaltimoreBaseball.com's Rich Dubroff. Interim manager Tony Mansolino said that the team will know more about Rodriguez in a week. Rodriguez has yet to pitch in 2025 after initially injuring his right elbow back in spring training. Then the 25-year-old suffered a setback with his lat while ramping up his throwing program. But now he's dealing with more elbow issues, which makes it reasonable to wonder if we'll even see him on a mound for Baltimore in 2025 at all. Rodriguez has been throwing bullpen sessions since June, but now one has to wonder if he'll need surgery on his arm. A promising 2024 campaign was stalled out by another injury. His inability to join the O's rotation has been one of the many disappointments for the team this year.

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Colorado Rockies shortstop Ezequiel Tovar (oblique) was reinstated from the 10-day injured list on Friday and infielder Thairo Estrada (thumb) was placed on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to July 11) in a corresponding move with a left-thumb sprain. Tovar will immediately return to the 6 and will hit fifth in Friday's series opener against the visiting Minnesota Twins and right-hander Chris Paddack at Coors Field to start the second half of the season. After leading the league with 45 doubles a year ago, the 23-year-old Tovar has been a disappointment for fantasy managers in 2025 with a .258/.301/.406 slash line, three home runs and 10 RBI in just 32 games played due to hip and oblique injuries. Still, he's Colorado's starting shortstop in one of the most hitter-friendly home parks in the league. Rookie Ryan Ritter now figures to play second with Estrada sidelined.

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Atlanta Braves designated hitter Marcell Ozuna will start the second half of the season on the bench in Friday's series opener against the visiting New York Yankees. Sean Murphy is serving as the DH and is batting fifth, while rookie Drake Baldwin is doing the catching and hitting cleanup against Yankees right-handed opener Ian Hamilton. Ozuna has been out of Atlanta's lineup three times in the last four games as they look to give him a mental break at the midway point of the season. It's not ideal for one of the team's primary trade candidates on an expiring contract, but perhaps the Braves are hoping a little rest will get the 34-year-old veteran going in the weeks leading up to the July 31 trade deadline. Ozuna's power is down in 2025 and he's gone 5-for-31 (.161) with two long balls, a double, two RBI, two runs and five strikeouts in 10 games so far in July.

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New York Yankees left-hander Max Fried (finger) said he's "hopeful" that he will be able to make his first start of the second half of the season in the series in Canada against the division-rival Toronto Blue Jays next week, which begins on Monday, per Newsday's Erik Boland. Fried was pulled early from his final start of the first half last Saturday due to a blister on his left index finger, but he's been playing catch since his blister popped and will avoid a stint on the injured list for now. The Yankees chose not to have Fried pitch against his old team, the Atlanta Braves, this weekend in the first series of the second half. The 31-year-old southpaw has been one of the best lefty starters in the league this year -- he's gone 11-3 with a 2.43 ERA and 113 K's in 122 innings -- but he'll be a bit more risky if he makes his next start in Toronto against the first-place Blue Jays.

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New York Yankees first baseman Paul Goldschmidt and designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton are out of the starting lineup for Friday's series opener against the hosting Atlanta Braves to kick off the second half of the season. Cody Bellinger is starting at first base and batting second, while Ben Rice is serving as the DH and hitting out of the six-hole against Braves right-hander Spencer Strider. Rice has never faced Strider in his career, while Bellinger has one hit against him in just two career at-bats. Goldy's power continues to trend down with only eight homers in the first half, but he's still having a bounce-back season and has managed to hit .287 (96-for-334) in his first year in the Bronx. The 37-year-old could see more days off in the second half to keep Rice's hot bat in the lineup. Stanton didn't make his season debut until June 16 and has only four homers in his first 78 trips to the plate.

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MLB.com's Tim Stebbins reports that Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan (wrist) received an injection in his right wrist on Wednesday, which is why he's out of the starting lineup to kick off the second half of the season on Friday against the Athletics. Kwan is being considered day-to-day for now. Fantasy managers will obviously want to remove him from their starting lineups on Friday and check back on Saturday to see if he's feeling good enough to return for Game 2 of the series at Progressive Field. While the 27-year-old All-Star is just day-to-day, this could turn into an injured list situation if Kwan is unable to get back onto the field this weekend. Left-handed-hitting outfielder Nolan Jones is taking over in left field for Kwan on Friday and will fifth against A's left-hander JP Sears.

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Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams (shoulder) is back at shortstop and is batting leadoff for Friday's series opener against the visiting San Diego Padres and right-hander Dylan Cease to start the second half of the season. The Nationals scratched Abrams from the lineup for the final game of the first half of the season on Sunday with shoulder soreness, but he's feeling better now after having the All-Star break to rest up. Even though Abrams has gone hitless in six career at-bats against Cease, fantasy managers will want to get him back in their starting lineups against a pitcher that has really struggled in 2025. The 24-year-old shortstop is in the midst of a career year in his third full season in D.C., as he enters the second half slashing .287/.353/.483 with 12 home runs, 33 RBI, 61 runs scored and 20 stolen bases in 82 games.

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Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Ha-Seong Kim (foot) is back at shortstop and will hit eighth in Friday's series opener against the division-rival Baltimore Orioles and right-hander Charlie Morton. Kim was pulled from the final game of the first half of the season on Sunday after fouling a ball off his left foot, but he had the All-Star break to rest this week and will be back for the first game of the second half. The 29-year-old middle infielder had offseason shoulder surgery and didn't make his debut for Tampa until the Fourth of July. In six games since his return, Kim has gone 5-for-22 (.227) with a homer, double, three RBI, two runs scored and one stolen base. Fantasy managers shouldn't expect the South Korean native to be as good as he was in 2023 with the Padres, but he can at least provide some modest speed for fantasy managers as a middle infielder in deep-mixed leagues.

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Cleveland Guardians All-Star outfielder Steven Kwan will not be in the lineup for Friday's series opener against the visiting Athletics to begin the second half of the season. The Guardians will give Kwan another day off with a left-hander on the mound after he took part in the All-Star activities this week. Nolan Jones will make the start in left field and will hit fifth against A's lefty JP Sears, while center fielder Angel Martinez will bat leadoff. This will be Kwan's first day off since June 11. Jones, who also swings from the left side, won't be a popular DFS sleeper target in a lefty-lefty matchup. The 27-year-old is hitting just .229/.319/.330 with three home runs, 23 RBI, 18 runs and six steals in his 227 at-bats this year. Against lefties, he's gone 8-for-38 (.211) with none of his three homers and 14 strikeouts in 46 plate appearances.

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Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm (ribs) is back at the hot corner and is batting cleanup for Friday's series opener against the visiting Los Angeles Angels and right-handed opener Ryan Zeferjahn to begin the second half of the season. A bruised left rib kept Bohm out for the final game of the first half of the season on Sunday, but after resting during the All-Star break, the 28-year-old is ready to roll to kick off the second half. There's a lot to be desired from a power standpoint from Bohm -- he only has eight homers in 349 at-bats -- but he's also batting .281 (98 hits) in one of the best lineups in baseball and has added 42 RBI. He's been hot so far in July, going 9-for-31 (.290) with a homer, triple, five RBI and six runs scored. Get Bohm back into your starting fantasy lineups, especially with the Angels rolling with a bullpen game.

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The Los Angeles Angels will go with a bullpen game to open the second half of the season in Friday's series opener in Philadelphia against the Phillies, per The Athletic's Sam Blum. Right-hander Ryan Zeferjahn will get the opening assignment. This will be the first time all season that the Angels have gone outside of their five-man starting rotation, and it will be Zeferjahn's first opening assignment. The 27-year-old will not be a realistic fantasy streamer, as he's thrown just two innings in one of his 40 relief appearances for the Halos in 2025. The former third-rounder by the Boston Red Sox in 2019 out of Kansas does have 41 punchouts in 35 innings this year, but he's also sporting a rough 5.66 ERA, 1.60 WHIP and 22 walks while also picking up his first two career saves. Avoid Zeferjahn in Philly.

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The Tampa Bay Rays reinstated infielder Brandon Lowe (oblique) from the 10-day injured list on Friday and optioned infielder Curtis Mead to Triple-A Durham in a corresponding move. The Rays haven't released their starting lineup for Friday's series opener against the division-rival Baltimore Orioles yet to begin the second half of the season, but Lowe should be back at second base as he looks to continue what has been a fantastic campaign for him. The 31-year-old veteran made his second All-Star team this year by slashing .272/.324/.487 with an .811 OPS, 19 home runs, 50 RBI, 54 runs scored and three stolen bases in 84 games played. Because of injuries, Lowe has played in over 100 games in only three of his seven MLB seasons. But if he can stay healthy the rest of the way, he could have a shot at challenging his career high of 39 long balls, set in 2021.

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New York Yankees right-hander Ian Hamilton will serve as the team's opener to kick off the second half of the season in Friday's series opener against the hosting Atlanta Braves at Truist Park, according to The Athletic's Chris Kirschner. The Yankees are playing it safe with lefty Max Fried (finger), so he will not pitch against his old team this weekend. Instead, right-hander Will Warren will get the nod in Game 2 of the series on Saturday, with right-hander Marcus Stroman taking the hill in the series finale on Sunday. This will be Hamilton's first official "start" since his first year with the Yankees in 2023. Since the 30-year-old hasn't gone more than two innings in any of his 31 appearances this year, fantasy managers should be avoiding him as a streamer. Hamilton enters the second half with a 3.47 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and a 40:19 K:BB in 36 1/3 innings out of the 'pen.

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Major League Baseball has extended the paid leave for Cleveland Guardians right-hander Luis L. Ortiz through Aug. 31 as they continue their investigation for a possible gambling-related offense, according to Zack Meisel of MLB.com. The league has been looking into Ortiz since early July. Depending on what MLB finds, it's possible that the 26-year-old won't pitch at all for the rest of the 2025 season. Fantasy managers have to prepare for that possibility. Before going on paid leave, the 26-year-old Dominican had gone 4-9 for the Guards with a 4.36 ERA (4.13 FIP) and 1.38 WHIP with 96 strikeouts and 42 walks in 88 2/3 frames over 16 starts in his first season with the team. With Ortiz out at least another month, lefty Joey Cantillo figures to remain in Cleveland's rotation. Cantillo had an ERA just south of 5.00 with 18 K's and six walks in his three starts for the Guardians.

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According to The Athletic's Chris Kirschner, New York Yankees left-hander Max Fried (finger) isn't listed as a starter for the first series of the second half of the season this weekend in Atlanta against his former team, the Braves. It looks like the Yankees are exercising caution with one of the best lefty arms in the league after Fried was forced to leave his final start before the All-Star break last Saturday with a blister on his left index finger. The Yankees haven't announced when the 31-year-old southpaw will make his first start of the second half, but there's a good chance it will come in next week's series on the road in Canada against the division-rival Toronto Blue Jays. With Fried not starting this weekend, the Yankees will use right-hander Ian Hamilton in an opener role to kick off the second half at Truist Park. Fried could be a little more volatile in his first start in the second half, whenever that may be.

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Cleveland Guardians second base prospect Travis Bazzana (oblique) was officially activated from the seven-day injured list at Double-A Akron on Friday to begin the second half of the season. Bazzana will return to action in the minors for the first time since mid-May due to a right-oblique strain. The 22-year-old is the club's top prospect, per MLB Pipeline, after being taken first overall in 2024 out of Oregon State. The Australian infielder has only hit .252/.362/.433 with four home runs, 17 RBI, 29 runs scored and eight stolen bases in 33 games at Akron in his first full season as a professional. Given the fact that Bazzana has been injured this year and hasn't exactly lived up to his draft stock yet in the lower levels of the minors, it seems more likely than not that he won't be in line to make his major-league debut until next year.

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Atlanta Braves left-hander Joey Wentz will get the starting nod for Saturday's contest at Truist Park against the visiting New York Yankees in Game 2 of the first series of the second half. The Braves are the third team that Wentz has pitched for already in 2025. The 27-year-old southpaw was claimed off waivers from the Minnesota Twins on July 11 and then threw three shutout innings of relief with one walk and six strikeouts in his only appearance for the Braves a day later. Because Wentz isn't stretched out like a typical starter, he won't be a recommended fantasy streamer, especially against the Bronx Bombers. In his 26 relief appearances for the Braves, Twins and Pittsburgh Pirates this year, Wentz holds a 6.32 ERA (4.78 FIP) and 1.70 WHIP with 34 K's and 21 walks in 37 innings, so he hasn't been very good at all.

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The Chicago Cubs have signed free-agent pitcher Spencer Turnbull on Friday. Turnbull started the year with the Toronto Blue Jays, but was designated for assignment after making only three appearances. The 32-year-old was a solid swingman with the Philadelphia Phillies last season. He posted a 2.65 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and a 58/20 K/BB ratio across 17 games (seven starts) with the Phillies in 2024. He figures to serve in a similar role with the Cubs down the stretch of the second half. There's unlikely to be fantasy value here unless Turnbull becomes a full-time starter.

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MLB.com's Francys Romero reported on Thursday that Kansas City Royals reliever Carlos Estevez might be one of the bullpen pitchers drawing the most interest. Teams like the Yankees have been keeping an eye on him in recent months, per sources. The Royals have underachieved thus far this season, and it appears that the Detroit Tigers could be running away with the division, meaning the Royals may be inclined to trade their 32-year-old closer, who is having an excellent season with a 2.36 ERA and 25 saves. At this point, it's unclear what other teams are considering him, but depending on where Estevez lands, it's possible it could alter his role. That being said, he is second in MLB in saves. Making it hard to imagine that whatever team potentially acquires him would not deploy him as their closer; however, fantasy managers will want to keep their eyes on what happens with Estevez as the trade deadline approaches at the end of July.

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