The Tampa Bay Rays continue to make moves and acquired right-hander Cole Sulser from the New York Mets on Friday in exchange for cash considerations. Sulser has been optioned to Triple-A Durham. The Rays got things started by dealing outfielder Randy Arozarena to the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night and also sent right-hander Zach Eflin to the division-rival Baltimore Orioles on Friday. The move for the 34-year-old Sulser is the most insignificant of the trio of moves after the Mets designated him for assignment earlier this week. He allowed five earned runs in just 4 2/3 relief innings in New York in 2024 and has a 4.06 ERA, a 1.35 WHIP and 15 career saves in his six years in the majors with five different teams. Sulser made his big-league debut with the Rays in 2019 after being drafted by Cleveland in the 25th round back in 2013 out of Dartmouth. He's not on the fantasy radar.

Seattle Mariners right-handed reliever Gregory Santos (knee) underwent an MRI exam that "came back OK," according to manager Scott Servais. It sounds like Santos will avoid a trip to the injured list and could potentially be available out of the bullpen as soon as Saturday on the road in Chicago against the White Sox. Santos will go through pre-game exercises on Friday to test his right knee after he hurt it in the eighth inning of Wednesday's loss to the Los Angeles Angels. The 24-year-old Dominican began the year on the IL in his first year in Seattle and has pitched just four innings in 2024, allowing three earned runs on four hits. It's been a disappointing year in Seattle so far, which is partly why the M's went out and acquired reliever Yimi Garcia on Friday from the Toronto Blue Jays.

Detroit Tigers right-hander Casey Mize (hamstring) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Saturday as he continues to rehab from a left-hamstring strain that he suffered in late June. Saturday's session will be Mize's first time throwing off a mound since he hurt his hammy, and he'll likely need another bullpen before being cleared to face live hitters again. The 27-year-old former first overall pick in 2018 out of Auburn will also probably need a minor-league rehab assignment before rejoining Detroit's starting rotation, so he's likely at least several weeks away from returning. In his first time in the majors since 2022, Mize has gone 2-6 this year with a 4.23 ERA (3.67 FIP) and 1.45 WHIP with a 58:21 K:BB in 16 starts (78 2/3 frames). His 16.8% strikeout rate has left a lot to be desire in fantasy circles in his first year back from injury.

Detroit Tigers outfielder Parker Meadows (hamstring) is scheduled to complete another baserunning session on Saturday and expects to begin a minor-league rehab assignment soon. Meadows continues to complete baseball activities daily as he recovers from a right-hamstring strain that he suffered in early July. The 24-year-old had his first baserunning session on Wednesday and should be cleared to begin a rehab assignment early next week if he avoids a setback with his hamstring on Saturday. The former second-round pick in 2018 has hit just .191/.298/.335 with six homers, 18 RBI and 12 steals in 72 big-league games since making his MLB debut in 2023, but his power/speed combination from the left side will make him attractive in at least deep-mixed leagues when he returns if he's playing regularly for Detroit.

Cleveland Guardians first baseman Josh Naylor is out of the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies. The lefty slugger has started in 10 straight games with only five hits during that time. That being said, Naylor could use a day off to rest and recover before getting back in the lineup. In the meantime, Jhonkensy Noel will start at first base and bat fifth versus left-hander Christopher Sanchez. Fantasy managers should adjust their lineups with Naylor sitting out prior to first pitch.

Kansas City Royals infielder Maikel Garcia is out of the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the Chicago Cubs. Fantasy managers shouldn't worry as this appears to be a routine rest day for Garcia. In his absence, Nick Loftin will cover third base and bat seventh versus right-hander Kyle Hendricks on Friday. This is a favorable matchup for Loftin but he doesn't offer great upside with the bat. Fantasy managers should be able to find better production elsewhere.

New York Yankees third baseman DJ LeMahieu is out of the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the Boston Red Sox. It's not shocking to see the 36-year-old taking a seat given how poorly he's swinging the bat. Oswaldo Cabrera will take over at third base and bat ninth versus right-hander Brayan Bello on Friday. Fantasy managers should adjust their lineups with LeMahieu sitting out.

Chicago Cubs catcher Christian Bethancourt has been recalled from Triple-A Iowa on Friday. The Cubs were in need of another catcher with Tomas Nido (knee) heading to the injured list. Bethancourt gives the Cubs depth behind the plate but he isn't much of an upgrade with the bat. He was hitting well below .200 before being let go by the Miami Marlins in early July. The Cubs have been looking for reliable production from the catcher spot all season long. However, it's unlikely that Bethancourt is the answer to their problems. Fantasy managers can continue to ignore him with Miguel Amaya likely getting most of the time behind the plate.

New York Yankees outfielder Giancarlo Stanton (hamstring) is expected to be activated from the injured list on Monday. The 34-year-old has been out since late June due to a left hamstring strain. Before that, Stanton was slashing .246/.302/.492 with 18 home runs and 45 RBI in 69 games this season. The Yankees don't believe Stanton will require a rehab stint and can get back in the lineup early next week. He'll face live pitching over the weekend, so fantasy managers should get a better idea after that. For now, fantasy managers should expect Stanton to return on Monday.

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout (knee) underwent an MRI exam on his surgically repaired left knee and said it came back clean. Trout said some scar tissue broke up in his knee and it didn't feel right at the time when he started his minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Salt Lake on Tuesday. He said he's not running right now but is days away. The 32-year-old 11-time All-Star was pulled off his rehab assignment this week and returned to LA for evaluation. It's a sigh of relief for Trout and his fantasy managers after having surgery on his meniscus earlier this year. If Trout can restart his rehab assignment sooner than later, he could be back with the Angels in mid-August. The suddenly injury-prone superstar still deserves to be stashed in all fantasy formats, but he's no longer an elite fantasy asset on one of the worst teams in baseball.

Houston Astros manager Joe Espada said that right-hander Luis Garcia (elbow) threw a 35-pitch bullpen session before Friday's series opener against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers and didn't have any issues. Garcia ramped up his workload on Friday after tossing 15 pitches in his previous bullpen session last Saturday. The 27-year-old continues to recover from Tommy John surgery and could be cleared to start facing live hitters soon. Eventually, he'll need to go on a lengthy minor-league rehab assignment before potentially joining the Astros' starting rotation to close out the 2024 campaign. Garcia has been a solid starter for Houston since debuting in the shortened 2020 season, but fantasy managers in mixed leagues should temper expectations once he returns on what will likely be a limited workload.

Houston Astros manager Joe Espada said that right-hander Justin Verlander (neck) will throw a bullpen session on Saturday. Verlander threw a 40-pitch bullpen session last weekend and was scheduled to throw another on Wednesday, so he's clearly getting closer to going out on a minor-league rehab assignment as he attempts to return from a neck ailment that has kept him on the 15-day injured list since June 18. If the 41-year-old future Hall of Famer and three-time Cy Young winner doesn't suffer a setback on Saturday, he could be cleared to move to a rehab assignment. Verlander is no longer as dominant towards the end of his illustrious career, but he's still useful in the right matchups in most fantasy leagues when he's healthy. He's posted a 21.3% strikeout rate with a 3.95 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 51:17 K:BB in 10 starts (57 innings) for the 'Stros this year.

Houston Astros manager Joe Espada said that outfielder Kyle Tucker (shin) is doing some work in the outfield prior to Friday's contest against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers. Tucker is "improving but not at the pace we would want him to." Fantasy managers have been extremely disappointed with the fact that Tucker remains on the 10-day injured list despite suffering a right-shin contusion way back in early June. While the 27-year-old left-handed slugger is expected to return before September, he's running out of time to make a significant impact in fantasy the rest of the way. Tucker continues to do baseball activities, but his final hurdle will be running the bases at full speed. When healthy, he's one of the most valuable fantasy players in the game, so he needs to remain stashed everywhere.

The Toronto Blue Jays are acquiring outfield prospect Jonathan Clase from the Seattle Mariners on Friday in exchange for right-handed reliever Yimi Garcia, according to sources. Clase was Seattle's No. 10 prospect, per MLB Pipeline. The 22-year-old will now have a new start in the American League East. Clase made his major-league debut with the Mariners this year and struggled to a .195/.233/.220 slash line with a double, three RBI, three steals and 14 strikeouts in 19 games played. The 5-foot-10, 150-pounder could get more run with the Jays to close out the year, making him worth a look in AL-only leagues. Despite his small frame, Clase could develop some legitimate power, but speed is going to be his primary calling card. The Dominican outfielder stole 26 bases in 59 games for Triple-A Tacoma and had 79 swipes in the minors in 2023.

The Seattle Mariners are acquiring right-handed reliever Yimi Garcia from the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday, according to sources. The main return for the Blue Jays is outfield prospect Jonathan Clase. Garcia was one of the best relievers available at this year's trade deadline. The M's make another significant move after acquiring outfielder Randy Arozarena from the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday night. While Garcia probably won't come in and take over the closer role from Andres Munoz in Seattle, the 33-year-old veteran remains highly valuable in fantasy leagues that count holds in 2024. The Dominican hurler went 3-0 in Toronto this year with a strong 2.70 ERA (2.64 FIP), a 0.80 WHIP, five saves, 42 strikeouts and only eight walks in 30 innings out of the bullpen. Garcia should have even more opportunities for holds for the contending M's.

Baltimore Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins is on the bench for Friday's series opener against the visiting San Diego Padres despite a right-hander being on the mound. It's the second straight game that Mullins will start on the bench with a right-handed starter on the mound for the opponent. Rookie Colton Cowser will start in center field and will bat eighth for the O's versus Padres rookie right-hander Adam Mazur. Mullins does have 17 stolen bases in 285 at-bats in 2024, but otherwise he's been a disappointment with a .214 average (61-for-285) and 10 home runs in 93 games. The Orioles have plenty of young outfield options, which hasn't helped his cause. The 29-year-old left-handed hitter has gone just 9-for-46 (.196) in 17 contests in July with a homer, two doubles, four RBI, three walks and 15 strikeouts.

The Baltimore Orioles are acquiring right-hander Zach Eflin from the division-rival Tampa Bay Rays on Friday, according to sources. The Rays will receive three unnamed minor-leaguers in the deal. After sending outfielder Randy Arozarena to the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night, the Rays will now send one of the best available starting pitchers on the trade market to their division rivals. The 30-year-old Eflin hasn't been as good in Tampa this year as he was in 2023, but he'll give the first-place O's a big boost in their rotation to close out the season. He's currently 5-7 with a 4.09 ERA (3.65 FIP) and 1.16 WHIP with 87 strikeouts and only 13 walks in 110 innings over 19 starts. Eflin's strikeout rate has dropped from 26.5% last year to 18.9% in 2024, his lowest mark since 2019 with the Philadelphia Phillies. Staying in the American League East won't drastically affect his fantasy value, other than having a much better offense backing him now.UPDATE: The Rays are receiving right-hander Jackson Baumeister (O's No. 17 prospect), outfielder Matthew Etzel and super-utility man ... [More]

The Detroit Tigers announced on Friday that they placed outfielder Riley Greene (hamstring) on the 10-day injured list with a right-hamstring strain and recalled infielder/outfielder Ryan Vilade from Triple-A Toledo in a corresponding move. Greene's hamstring injury isn't considered all that serious, so it sounds like the 23-year-old could be back with the Tigers after the minimum of 10 days out. With Greene on the shelf, Mark Canha is starting in left field for Detroit and is batting fifth against the visiting division-rival Minnesota Twins and right-hander Pablo Lopez. Canha, Vilade and Bligh Madris are all candidate for playing time in Detroit's outfield while Greene is out. Greene was a first-time All-Star this year and is currently slashing .264/.357/.485 with a career-high .842 OPS, 17 homers, 51 RBI and four steals in a career-high 101 games played.

Cleveland Guardians right-hander Tanner Bibee (knee) is penciled in as the team's probable starter for Monday's contest against the hosting division-rival Detroit Tigers. Bibee dealt with some cramping in his right knee in his most recent start against the Tigers on Wednesday, but it obviously isn't a serious enough issue to keep him from taking his next turn in Cleveland's rotation. The 25-year-old former fifth-rounder in 2021 out of Cal State Fullerton gave up just one earned run in five innings while walking one and striking out four on Wednesday against Detroit and should be rolled out in starting fantasy lineups again on Monday. Bibee has been solid for the Guards in his second year in the big leagues in 2024, going 8-4 with a 3.50 ERA (3.40 FIP) and 1.09 WHIP with 130 strikeouts and only 31 free passes issued in 115 2/3 innings over his 21 starts.

The Tampa Bay Rays are expected to listen to trade offers on first baseman Yandy Diaz leading up to next Tuesday's trade deadline. According to sources, the Houston Astros, Seattle Mariners and Pittsburgh Pirates are potential landing spots. Diaz opened the second half of the season last weekend away from the team due to a personal issue and was eventually placed on the restricted list, but he's been activated on Friday and is back at first while batting leadoff against the visiting Cincinnati Reds and left-hander Nick Lodolo. Fantasy managers will want to get the 32-year-old right-handed hitting veteran back in lineups this weekend. Diaz hasn't been quite as good as his lone All-Star campaign last year in Tampa, but he's still hitting a solid .273 (104-for-381) with eight homers and 46 RBI in 94 games played.