Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Daulton Varsho (hand) is out of the lineup for Game 2 of the series against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday, but he's doing well, according to manager John Schneider. Varsho is just dealing with some pain and swelling after X-rays came back negative after he was hit by a pitch on his right hand in Friday's loss. The Blue Jays well test him out to see if he could be a defensive replacement or pinch-hitter on Saturday. Myles Straw will start in center field and bat ninth against Brewers right-hander Quinn Priester. It sounds as though the 29-year-old Varsho is day-to-day and has a shot to return to a starting role for Sunday's series finale in Toronto. Straw has modest speed (11 steals) for a bench outfielder but should be avoided in DFS lineups out of the nine-hole against a pitcher he has yet to face in his career.

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Atlanta Braves right-hander Bryce Elder was on his game in a tough matchup on the road against the division-rival Philadelphia Phillies on Friday, but he gave his team a chance to win in an eventual 2-1 loss at Citizens Bank Park. Elder gave up just one earned run on three hits while walking two and striking out three in seven innings for a tough-luck no-decision. Elder threw 58 of his 96 pitches on the evening for strikes and kept the Phillies off balance despite not racking up many punchouts. The 26-year-old has had quality starts in four of his six outings in the month of August, but it has amounted to only a 4.82 ERA with 26 K's and 12 walks in 37 1/3 innings pitched. Elder's surface stats on the year don't look good, as he's recorded a 5.85 ERA and 1.48 WHIP with only 99 strikeouts and 47 walks in 124 2/3 frames over his 23 starts. He'll have another tough outing his next time out against the Seattle Mariners.

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Los Angeles Angels left-hander Tyler Anderson was feeling it as a new father on Friday evening in his return from the paternity list in his start on the road against the division-rival Houston Astros at Daikin Park. Although Anderson didn't factor into the decision in a 2-0 loss, he looked good, tossing five shutout innings with five hits allowed, three walks and one strikeout. The 35-year-old veteran southpaw didn't get much swing and miss in this one, but it was nevertheless a nice bounce-back outing for him after posting a rough 6.13 ERA in his previous eight starts for the Halos. Friday's outing was his first start in seven days, so the extra time off between starts appeared to do him some good. He will try to make it two solid outings in a row when he takes on the Kansas City Royals next week. Anderson is now 2-8 on the season with a 4.56 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and 104:57 K:BB in 26 starts in 2025.

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Washington Nationals outfielder Dylan Crews had a nice performance in the team's 4-1 loss to the visiting Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night, going 3-for-4 at the plate with two stolen bases out of the eight-hole in the batting order. It was Crews' first game of the year with multiple stolen bases, and he's now 14-for-17 on stolen-base attempts in 2025. Overall, though, it has been a rather disappointing season for the 23-year-old former second overall pick in 2023. Crews has played in only 59 games this season due to an oblique strain that cost him extended time. And since he returned from that injury in the middle of August, he's hit .229/.327/.333 with no homers, four RBI and nine runs scored. Crews is barely above the Mendoza Line in his first full MLB season, but fantasy managers have to hope his big game on Friday can help him finish strong in September.

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New York Yankees infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. didn't get a hit in Friday night's 10-2 blowout win over the hosting Chicago White Sox, but he still managed to reach a noteworthy milestone for the season. Chisholm went 0-for-3 with two walks and two runs and also stole a base to reach the 25-homer, 25-steal mark in his first full season in pinstripes. It's the first time that the 27-year-old has accomplished the feat in his sixth MLB campaign. Chisholm is now hitting .240/.339/.490 with an .829 OPS, 26 long balls, 66 RBI, 65 runs scored and 25 steals in 103 games played in 2025. He's been running wild of late on the basepaths, going a perfect 11-for-11 on steal attempts in his last 17 games. In 25 games in August, he's gone 19-for-85 (.224) with eight homers, a double, triple, 17 RBI, 20 runs and 11 steals. Chisholm's move to the Bronx has most certainly been a plus for his overall fantasy upside.

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The Milwaukee Brewers have optioned outfielder Brandon Lockridge to Triple-A Nashville as the corresponding move to outfielder Jackson Chourio's (hamstring) activation from the 10-day injured list. Lockridge was acquired by the Brewers at the trade deadline from the San Diego Padres. In 20 games (53 plate appearances) for Milwaukee, Lockridge has slashed .261/.308/.370 with six RBI and two stolen bases. The 28-year-old's value comes from his speed and defense, so he's unlikely to be more than a fourth outfielder even if he's eventually recalled by Milwaukee.

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Milwaukee Brewers left-hander Robert Gasser (elbow) has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list and optioned to Triple-A Nashville, per an announcement from the team. Gasser underwent Tommy John surgery in June 2024 and has been slowly making his way back. The 26-year-old has already pitched 13 2/3 innings at Triple-A across four rehab appearances this season and has worked to a 2.29 ERA and 1.17 WHIP with 12 strikeouts. Gasser will now presumably be stretched out more fully as the team builds him back up to a full starter's workload. Milwaukee has a deep starting rotation at the big-league level, so Gasser may not make a fantasy impact until 2026.

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Detroit Tigers right-hander Beau Brieske (elbow) had a setback in a recent bullpen session that will likely sideline him for the remainder of 2025, per Chris McCosky of The Detroit News. The 27-year-old was a key piece of the Tigers' pitching staff in 2024 but never got going in 2025. In 22 big-league innings this year, Brieske pitched to a 6.55 ERA and 1.64 WHIP with 16 strikeouts. He was optioned to Triple-A Toledo in mid-June. McCosky reports that Tigers general manager Jeff Greenberg said the team is not yet looking at surgery as an option for Brieske, so there's a chance that he'll be back in the bullpen mix for Detroit to start 2026.

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Boston Red Sox reliever Liam Hendriks (hip) has continued progressing through his throwing program. The 36-year-old has increased his throwing distance up to 105 feet and hopes to extend that even further to 120 feet on August 30. If all goes well, he could work his way to throwing from a mound shortly afterward, as he continues to try to return to the Red Sox this season. Hendriks last pitched on May 27, and he was placed on the Injured List three days later with hip inflammation. As long as he doesn't suffer any setbacks, the former All-Star has a chance to rejoin the Red Sox bullpen later in September, but he still has a long way to go to make that happen.

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Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Chris Sale (ribs) has officially been activated from the 60-day injured list and is expected to start against the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday. The team optioned right-hander Nathan Wiles to Triple-A Gwinnett in the corresponding move. Sale has been out since mid-June with a fractured rib cage. Before getting injured, Sale was 5-4 with a 2.52 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and 114 strikeouts in 89 1/3 innings (15 starts). The Braves are out of contention, so it remains to be seen how hard they will push the veteran left-hander down the stretch. Still, when Sale is on the mound, he's a fantasy ace who could swing leagues in the final month of the season.

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Cincinnati Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson (thumb) successfully took batting practice on Friday. He also did some catching drills, which included taking pitches and blocking balls. He did so using a specially fitted glove that had a thumb guard built into it for added protection. The plan is for him to continue along this upward trend of recovery by slowly increasing the quantity of work being done, so as not to cause a setback and jeopardize the rest of the season. The 29-year-old catcher has had a disappointing season at the plate, sporting a modest .226/.313/.393 slash line. Upon his return, he figures to be the Reds' primary catcher and will look to finish the season off on a positive note.

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Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said that infielder Blaze Alexander will be moved "around the field" and the team is going to "try Blaze in center field a little bit from time to time," per Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com. Alexander had been playing third base since the trade deadline, but Arizona recalled top prospect Jordan Lawlar on Friday, and Lawlar will be used on the left side of the infield. Alexander has exclusively played the infield in 110 career games at the big-league level, but it appears the team believes he can handle a true super-utility role. The 26-year-old is slashing .234/.331/.441 with seven home runs, 19 RBI, 21 runs scored, and two stolen bases in 168 plate appearances this season. As he gains additional positional versatility, Alexander could be a useful depth piece in deep fantasy leagues.

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Baltimore Orioles outfielder Tyler O'Neill (wrist) recently received an injection in his injured right wrist. The hope is that he will feel good enough to begin swinging a bat this weekend, as he continues to work his way back from inflammation in his wrist. O'Neill hasn't played since August 5, when he exited a game early due to right wrist discomfort. In his first season as a member of the Orioles, he has struggled to remain on the field, as he has only played in 43 games in 2025. While he has shown some power at the plate with eight home runs hit this year, his inability to stay healthy remains his biggest downfall, as this is his third time on the Injured List this season. He is expected to return to the Baltimore lineup this season, though time is running out for him to be a meaningful contributor down the stretch.

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Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zac Gallen earned thewin on Saturday in a 3-0 victory over the Dodgers, allowingtwo hits and three walks while striking out eight batters over six innings of work. The right-hander has pitched better since the calendar turned to August, coming into the month with a 5.60 ERA and 1.35 WHIP, but ownsa 2.57 ERA and 1.09 WHIP through six starts in August. It has been a disappointing season overall for Gallen, and an 8.28 K/9 is not what fantasy managers signed up for when they drafted him, however, he'll get a shot to keep his recent momentum going against the Rangers at home in his next start in the upcoming week.

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Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Dugan Darnell (hip) will undergo season-ending surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left hip. It's a disappointing ending to the year for the 28-year-old who finally made his MLB debut on August 1, making nine appearances for the Rockies and recording a 3.86 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, and 5:7 K:BB in 11 2/3 innings pitched. The injury occurred when he took a line drive off his hip on August 21. The right-hander's expected recovery time is around eight months, which would seemingly make him unavailable for the first couple of months of the 2026 season.

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Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Freddy Peralta tossed six shutout innings on Saturday, allowing just one hit and one walk while racking up eight strikeouts on the way to earning his 16th win of the year in a 7-2 victory over the Blue Jays. That makes four consecutive starts in which the right-hander has not allowed a single run, and heownsa 0.32 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, and 20.6 K-BB% in five August starts. While it's a long shot, the 2x All-Star now has the third-best odds to win the NL Cy Young Award, with a 16-5 record, 2.58 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, and 168 strikeouts in 153 2/3 innings pitched. The 29-year-old will take the mound againstthe NL East-leading Phillies next week at home in his next start.

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New York Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo went 3-for-4 in the Mets' 19-9 win over the Marlins on Saturday, including a walk, a pair of home runs, four RBI, and four runs scored in the contest. The 32-year-old has been hot lately, collecting at least one hit in 12 straight games in which he logged at least two plate appearances, going 19-for-49 (.388) during that time withthree doubles, three home runs, 14 RBI, and 13 runs scored. A rough 0-for-19 slump preceded this recent stretch of hitting, so he seemed due for a breakout. The left-handed slugger is now the author of a .262/.331/.451 slash line with a .338 wOBA and 120 wRC+ on the season, and is just two home runs away from matching a career high of 24 set in 2023.

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Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson went 3-for-5 with a triple, two home runs, six RBI, and three runs scored in Friday's 11-7 win over the Rockies. The 2x All-Star has now homered in back-to-back games and has hit safely in six of his last seven, going 8-for-25 (.320) during that stretch. With 21 home runs on the year, he's already eclipsed last season's total by five and is now up to a .251/.300/.428 slash line with a .313 wOBA and 102 wRC+ through 132 games played. The good news for fantasy managers is that he's hit the ballhard all season, registering a 12.2 percent barrel rate and 47.4 percent hard-hit rate, and his expected stats of xBA (.282), xSLG (.512), and xwOBA (.361) suggest there is room for this hot streak to run.

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San Francisco Giants right-hander Carson Seymour will start the team's home matchup with Baltimore on Saturday. It will be the first time he's started a game for the Giants this season, having logged 21 2/3 innings of relief over 10 appearances. His longest outing has been three innings, so it would be a surprise if he were to go any longer than that, although the 26-year-old did make 15 starts at Triple-A before he was recalled, going as many as six innings in a June start. The 6-foot-6 hurler has been better as of late, pitching to a 2.53 ERA (5.09 FIP) and 1.22 WHIP in the last five appearances, but a 5:5 K:BB in 10 2/3 innings is not fantasy-worthy. He should be avoidedas a spot starter in season-long leagues and would not be a good DFS option.

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New York Yankees shortstop prospect George Lombard Jr. went 2-for-4 with a home run and a stolen base during their contest against Double-A Binghamton. This was a much-needed breakout game for the top-ranked prospect in the Bronx as he entered this contest carrying a modest .152/.349/.242 slash line over the last 10 games at Double-A. Lombard opened the season at High-A but has spent the majority of his campaign with Double-A Somerset. Through his first 94 games with the Patriots, Lombard has struggled at times, posting an overall .209/.333/.388 line with a .681 OPS, seven home runs and 19 stolen bases. Earlier in the season, he held a .329/.495/.488 line through 24 games at High-A. If he can continue to find his footing, Lombard could make his Triple-A debut early in 2026.

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