Baltimore Orioles outfield prospect Heston Kjerstad (concussion) begin a minor-league rehab assignment on Saturday with High-A Aberdeen and has gone 2-for-5 with a walk and a run scored in his first two games. On Sunday, Kjerstad went 2-for-2 with a run and a walk before being replaced in right field. The 25-year-old left-handed-hitting outfielder served as the designated hitter in his first rehab appearance on Saturday. Kjerstad has been away from the Orioles since suffering a concussion in late July. It's a good sign that he's now playing in games again, but it's unknown how long he'll be on a rehab assignment before being an option to rejoin Baltimore's big-league roster as outfield depth to close out the 2024 regular season. There's a very realistic chance that Kjerstad is sent to Triple-A Norfolk, instead of the majors, once he's finished with his rehab assignment.

Washington Nationals right-hander Trevor Williams (elbow) has faced live hitters twice in the last week-plus and is now scheduled to throw four innings or build up to 65 to 70 pitches in a minor-league rehab start with Double-A Harrisburg on Tuesday in what will be his first competitive game since May 30. Williams has been out since late May with a flexor strain in his elbow. Barring a setback during what is expected to be a brief rehab assignment, Williams could rejoin the big-league rotation to make perhaps a couple of starts at the end of September. Manager Dave Martinez has said Williams probably needs to get up to 80 pitches before he comes off the 60-day injured list, so he'll need more than one rehab start. The 32-year-old veteran had bounced back from a rough 2023 to go 5-0 with a 2.22 ERA and 1.08 WHIP with 47 K's in 56 2/3 frames over 11 starts earlier this year before getting hurt.

San Diego Padres second baseman Xander Bogaerts, who moved to second base this year, could potentially be headed back to his former position with Ha-Seong Kim (shoulder) not particularly close to coming off the 10-day injured list. Rookie Mason McCoy has taken over at the 6 in Kim's absence, but the Padres devised that plan as a temporary solution when Kim's return was expected to come sooner. McCoy is solid defensively, but he's hitting just .204 with a .523 OPS. Bogaerts has settled in nicely at the keystone, but moving him back to short would allow Jake Cronenworth to slide from first to second and Luis Arraez from DH to first, freeing up the DH spot for a potential platoon between David Peralta and Donovan Solano. Solano could also play some first base. When Solano pinch hit for McCoy on Sunday, the Padres shifted Bogaerts to short and Cronenworth to second, perhaps a sign of things to come.

San Diego Padres manager Mike Shildt said on Sunday that shortstop Ha-Seong Kim (shoulder) is "not as close as we'd like" to making his return from right-shoulder inflammation. The news could prompt the club to move Xander Bogaerts, who made the move from shortstop to second base this year, back to his former position. Kim hurt his shoulder three weeks ago diving back into first base, and the team was initially optimistic he'd return after the minimum 10-day stint on the injured list. But as Kim has attempted to ramp up his throwing, he has continued to feel discomfort. He took ground balls at short and attempted to ramp up his throws across the diamond on Saturday, but he's yet to be able to do so at 100% effort. At this point, the Padres are probably just hoping the 28-year-old will be available to them if they secure a spot in the playoffs.

Chicago White Sox right-hander Jared Shuster will serve as the team's opener for Monday's matchup against the division-rival Cleveland Guardians at Guaranteed Rate Field. Shuster could very well end up going multiple innings for the Pale Hose in this one, but he won't be a recommended fantasy streamer against the division-leading Guardians. The 26-year-old has started just two of his 34 appearances for the team in 2024, with his last "start" coming back on July 14 against the Pittsburgh Pirates, when he went 1 2/3 shutout innings with a walk and two strikeouts. Shuster hasn't allowed an earned run in his last three relief appearances over six innings while walking one and striking out six, but there just isn't any real fantasy upside here in a bad matchup. Avoid Shuster on Monday.

New York Mets right-hander Paul Blackburn (hand), who was originally scheduled to come off the 15-day injured list to make the start on Monday against the Toronto Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre, will no longer start, according to the team. Instead, right-hander Tylor Megill is the team's new probable starter. It's unclear if Blackburn has had a setback with his hand, but if he hasn't, the 30-year-old veteran could just be pushed back a day as a precaution. Blackburn suffered a right-hand bruise several weeks ago on a comebacker but is close to rejoining the Mets' starting rotation. Since coming over from the Oakland Athletics in a trade, Blackburn has been an unreliable fantasy streamer, going 1-2 with a 5.18 ERA and 1.56 WHIP with 21 strikeouts and seven walks in 24 1/3 innings over his five starts. He'll be a shaky deep-league streamer if he rejoins the rotation this week in Toronto.

Seattle Mariners right-hander Luis Castillo (hamstring) was removed from his start early on Sunday against the St. Louis Cardinals due to a left-hamstring strain. Before leaving, Castillo allowed two earned runs on five hits while walking one and striking out three in three innings of work at Busch Stadium. He will undergo an MRI exam on his hamstring on Monday when the team arrives back in Seattle, and at the very least, his next start is in jeopardy. If the 31-year-old's hamstring injury is serious enough, Castillo may not make it back for the rest of the regular season. Losing Castillo for the rest of the way would be a serious blow to Seattle's chances of catching the division-rival Astros for the American League West division lead. Castillo has gone 11-12 this year with a 3.64 ERA, a 1.17 WHIP and 175 strikeouts in 175 1/3 innings of work over his 30 starts for the M's.

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Jared Jones was on his game Sunday, allowing two runs over seven frames in a 7-3 win over the Washington Nationals. Jones allowed four hits and walked none while striking out nine in what was his best start since coming back from the IL in late August. The 23-year-old rookie looks to be a stud in the future and should be drafted fairly highly next year given his sky-high upside. Jones should be started in most leagues next week with a middle-of-the-road matchup on tap against the Kansas City Royals.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Michael Wacha was excellent on Sunday, shutting out the Minnesota Twins for seven innings in a 2-0 win. Wacha allowed just four hits and a walk while punching out seven in this one. The 33-year-old veteran has been clinical for most of the season, just as he has been since the 2022 campaign. He is a reliable source for a good ERA, decent WHIP, and some strikeouts while being a workhorse capable of 175-plus IP. He is a great back-end arm in any fantasy rotation.

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Jack Flaherty had a terrific start on Sunday, shutting out the Cleveland Guardians over 7 innings and picking up his 12th win. Flaherty allowed just four hits and struck out six while walking none. It was his best start as a Dodger and maybe his best start of the year as well, as it's the first time he has been able to get through seven innings this year. Despite that, he has been one of the most consistent pitchers in the majors this year and is trustworthy in basically every matchup. He is a must-start for the remaining few weeks of the fantasy season.

Miami Marlins second baseman Connor Norby continued to torch the ball on Sunday, going 2-for-4 with a pair of homers and four RBI in a 10-1 win. Both of Norby's homers were two-run shots, with the first opening up the score in the first inning and the second breaking the game wide open in the third. The trade deadline acquisition has been fantastic since his move to Miami, belting six homers and hitting .329 in 73 at-bats. He looks to be a big part of the Marlins' future and might be a fantasy mainstay as well. He should be rostered in most leagues for fantasy playoffs.

Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder/first baseman Pavin Smith had a game to remember on Sunday, going 3-for-4 with three homers and eight RBI in a 12-6 win over the Houston Astros. Smith did all of his damage in the first five innings, hitting a three-run homer in the 2nd, a grand slam in the third, and a solo shot in the fifth. The monster game brings the 28-year-old up to a .270 AVG and .905 OPS in 89 at-bats this season. Those numbers aren't too shabby, but the lefty hasn't been able to get into the starting lineup consistently and has spent most of his time in the minors. With a game like this, maybe the D-Backs will get him in the lineup more often. Still, it's hard to trust that one game will change things, so he isn't of much value in fantasy.

Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Osvaldo Bido will rejoin the starting rotation on Tuesday against the Houston Astros. Bido was skipped on Saturday, potentially to reduce his workload as he is nearing his total from last year. This is an important move for fantasy, as Bido becomes a two-start pitcher this week (as long as the A's don't skip his next start as well) with the second matchup being against the lowly White Sox. He is a solid option in standard-size leagues, especially points leagues. Also noteworthy is that JP Sears is no longer a two-start pitcher and will lose the juicy White Sox matchup.

Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Porter Hodge was called upon to hold a one-run lead during Sunday's game against the New York Yankees. The right-hander has been outstanding in a high-leverage role for the Cubs this season. He tossed a scoreless ninth inning on Sunday to earn his fourth save of the season. Hodge currently has a 14-inning scoreless streak where he's allowed only four hits and struck out 20 batters during that time. He figures to be the primary closing option for the Cubs down the stretch of the season with Jorge Lopez (groin) on the injured list. Fantasy managers who are seeking saves should check the waiver wire to see if Hodge is available.

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Jack Flaherty was excellent on the mound for Sunday's game against the Cleveland Guardians. The right-hander walked no one and only allowed four hits over 7 1/3 innings of work. The Guardians had no answers for Flaherty as he continued his fantastic second half of the season. Flaherty is now 5-1 with a 2.61 ERA over sevens starts with Los Angeles. He'll look to keep the good times rolling against the Atlanta Braves during his next time out.

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani continued his MVP-type season during Sunday's game against the Cleveland Guardians. Ohtani took Tanner Bibee deep for his 46th home run of the season during Sunday's 4-0 victory. He finished the day 2-for-4 and has been a force at the top of the lineup for this offense. There's still a few weeks left, so Ohtani does have a chance to get to 50 home runs before the regular season ends. Fantasy managers should continue to ride with Ohtani into the postseason.

Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Kyle Freeland looked sharp on the mound during Sunday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers. The southpaw was able to induce a ton of soft contact during this game. He allowed one unearned run while striking out four batters across six innings of work. It's not an easy task to hold this Brewers lineup in check. Freeland has been better as of late with three quality starts in his last four outings. He could be a low-end streaming option for his next outing against the Chicago Cubs.

Detroit Tigers pitcher Ty Madden showed off his swing-and-miss stuff during Sunday's game against the Oakland Athletics. The rookie right-hander came in after opener Beau Brieske threw a scoreless inning. Madden looked sharp as he struck out seven batters while allowing only one run over five innings of work. The Tigers might not push Madden too hard in September, but he's expected to be a big part of their future. He holds a 2.57 ERA and 10/4 K/BB ratio over three appearances this season. He probably won't be worth adding in fantasy leagues this season, but is someone worth keeping an eye on heading into 2025.

Detroit Tigers infielder Trey Sweeney put together an excellent performance at the plate during Sunday's game against the Oakland Athletics. The former first-round pick has struggled early in his big league career, but had the bat going on Sunday. Sweeney took A's starter J.T. Ginn deep in the third inning for his third homer of the season. It would just continue from there as Sweeney finished the game 4-for-4 with a home run, two RBI, and a stolen base in the win. He's still not worth rostering in most fantasy formats, but maybe this is a sign of good things to come for Sweeney.

Colorado Rockies outfielder Kris Bryant (back) is "questionable" to play again this season, according to Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post. Manager Bud Black expressed that the 32-year-old is "feeling good" and "doing better" but is running out of time to return to the diamond. Bryant has appeared in just 37 games this season and has held a modest .218/.323/.301 slash line with two home runs. 15 RBI, and a 13:48 BB:K. Bryant has been hindered by back injuries all season and may stay out for the remainder of the season. For now, fantasy managers should expect the rookie Jordan Beck and 31-year-old Jake Cave to see most of the starting opportunities in right field down the stretch.