New York Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger (illness) is back in the lineup on Sunday after missing Saturday's 12-8 win over the St. Louis Cardinals with an illness. Bellinger will play right field and hit cleanup in a meeting with Cardinals starter Miles Mikolas. The 30-year-old is mired in a slump this month, having gone 7-for-50 (.140) with two home runs and six RBI in 13 games in August. Despite that, Bellinger's first season as a Yankee has been a success. The former MVP has slashed .267/.322/.485 with 22 homers, 69 RBI, 66 runs scored, and 10 stolen bases in 482 plate appearances. Mikolas has had Bellinger's number, though, as he's just 2-for-20 with three RBI, five strikeouts, and one walk against the right-hander.

The Cincinnati Reds announced that they have designated outfielder Jake Fraley (knee) for assignment. The team recalled outfielder Will Benson from Triple-A Louisville to take his roster spot. Fraley hyperextended his right knee on a defensive error in left field during a loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday. Although he checked out OK after the game, the Reds are moving on in the hopes that Fraley will get more playing time elsewhere, according to manager Terry Francona. A member of the Reds since 2022, Fraley set career highs in games (116) and plate appearances (382) last season, and he batted .277/.330/.386 with five homers, 26 RBI, 44 runs scored, and 20 stolen bases. Fraley has come back this year to hit just .232 with six HRs, 23 RBI, 29 runs, and four steals in 193 trips to the plate, though his .719 OPS is a slight improvement over last year's .716 mark. The 30-year-old has gone a ghastly 1-for-17 in seven games this month, however, and the Reds are ready to go in another direction.

The Philadelphia Phillies optioned infielder/outfielder Otto Kemp to Triple-A Lehigh Valley before Sunday's game against the Washington Nationals. Philadelphia made the move to clear room for the return of third baseman Alec Bohm (ribs) from the 10-day injured list. The 25-year-old Kemp has provided defensive versatility with double-digit appearances in left field and at both corner infield positions. However, he hasn't offered much with the bat in his first 46 games in the majors. Across 161 plate appearances, Kemp has hit a subpar .228/.298/.359 with four homers, 17 RBI, 17 runs scored, and a 30.4% strikeout rate. He got off to a 4-for-23 start with 11 strikeouts in eight games this month before the Phillies sent him down.

The Texas Rangers announced that they have placed right-hander Jon Gray (shoulder) on the 15-day injured list. Gray is going on the shelf with thoracic outlet syndrome, manager Bruce Bochy revealed. It's an ominous injury that continues a brutal season for Gray. The 33-year-old suffered a fractured forearm in spring training and didn't make his debut until July 23. Since then, opposing offenses have crushed Gray in six appearances out of the bullpen. He has logged a 7.71 ERA with a 1.50 WHIP and 12:6 K:BB across 14 innings. It was reported on Saturday that Gray went through waivers unclaimed and would remain with Texas. Now, in light of this injury, it wouldn't be a surprise if he's done for the year.

Houston Astros designated hitter/outfielder Yordan Alvarez (hand) will begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Corpus Christi on Tuesday, manager Joe Espada told reporters. Alvarez has made a slow recovery from a fractured right hand that has shelved him since May 2. There's finally light at the end of the tunnel for the star slugger, though, with the Astros expecting him back later this month if he doesn't suffer any setbacks. Alvarez batted an uncharacteristically poor .210/.306/.340 line with four home runs and 18 RBI in 121 plate appearances before he went on the injured list. Nevertheless, considering the four-time 30-HR hitter's stellar track record, the Astros and fantasy managers will be thrilled to get him back for the last few weeks of the regular season.

The Baltimore Orioles announced that they have reinstated outfielder Colton Cowser (head) from the seven-day concussion injured list. He'll play center field and hit fifth Sunday against Houston Astros right-hander Cristian Javier. Cowser, who last played Aug. 6, will try to get back on track after going 3-for-20 with one RBI, 11 strikeouts, and one walk in six games this month prior to his IL stint. The 25-year-old smacked 24 home runs and put up a .768 OPS as a rookie in 2024, but multiple injuries (including a broken left thumb) have limited him to 56 games this season. Cowser has taken 215 trips to the plate and hit a below-average .213/.279/.401 with nine homers, 22 RBI, 23 runs scored, and six stolen bases.

The Texas Rangers recalled infield/outfield prospect Cody Freeman from Triple-A Round Rock on Sunday, and he will start at third base and bat eighth in the series finale against the hosting Toronto Blue Jays and right-hander Jose Berrios. Freeman will get the nod at the hot corner with Josh Jung taking a day off, but fantasy managers shouldn't expect him to receive everyday playing time moving forward. The 24-year-old right-handed hitter and former fourth-rounder in 2019 will be playing in just his fifth major-league game. In four games earlier this season, he had a double and RBI with two strikeouts in seven plate appearances. Freeman has slashed an impressive .336/.382/.549 with 19 home runs, 71 RBI and eight steals in 97 games at Round Rock this year in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. He's ranked by MLB Pipeline as Texas' No. 24 prospect.

Texas Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien (wrist) is back at second base and will hit sixth for Sunday's series finale in Toronto against the Blue Jays and right-hander Jose Berrios. Semien was hit by a pitch on his right wrist in Friday's loss and then was held out of Saturday's contest as a result. X-rays on the 34-year-old veteran's wrist came back negative, though, which will allow him to return for the final game of the series as Texas looks to avoid a sweep. It's been a disappointing 2025 campaign for the three-time All-Star, as he enters Sunday's tilt slashing .223/.299/.353 with a career-worst .652 OPS, 14 home runs, 59 RBI, 58 runs and 11 stolen bases in his 122 games played. He's been much worse in August, hitting .157 (8-for-51) with a homer, six RBI and seven strikeouts in 13 gaems. Semien has hit .250 with a homer and two RBI in 12 career at-bats versus Berrios.

Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena (illness) is feeling good enough to return to the starting lineup for Sunday's series finale against the visiting Baltimore Orioles and right-hander Dean Kremer. Pena is starting at shortstop and batting leadoff. The 27-year-old was under the weather and did not play in the first two games of the series at Daikin Park. He is having a fantastic year at the plate for the Astros, batting .317 (115-for-363) with 13 home runs, 45 RBI, 52 runs scored and 17 stolen bases in 94 games played. The Dominican has kept it up in the month of August, too, going 13-for-46 (.283) with two home runs, two doubles, a triple, five RBI, four runs and two stolen bases in 12 games played. Fantasy managers will want to get Pena back in their starting lineups, even though he has just one hit in 10 career at-bats against Kremer.

The Milwaukee Brewers announced on Sunday that they reinstated outfielder Blake Perkins from the bereavement list and optioned outfielder Steward Berroa to Triple-A Nashville in a corresponding move. Perkins is starting in center field and is batting sixth for Sunday's series finale against the division-rival Cincinnati Reds and left-hander Andrew Abbott. The 28-year-old Perkins missed the team's last two games due to a personal issue, but he's back now and will continue to serve as the red-hot Brewers' starting center field until Jackson Chourio (hamstring) returns from the injured list. Perkins is hitting a very modest .264/.338/.472 on the year with an .810 OPS, three home runs, nine RBI, 19 runs and five steals in 72 at-bats, but all three of his home runs have come in August. Perkins is hitless in 11 career at-bats against Abbott.

Boston Red Sox rookie infielder Marcelo Mayer (wrist) will undergo season-ending surgery on his right wrist, according to manager Alex Cora. Mayer was placed on the 10-day injured list on July 25 with a right-wrist sprain and received an anti-inflammatory shot, but it won't prevent him from missing the rest of the year. The 22-year-old is expected to be out for three months, so he should be fully ready for spring training next year and the start of the 2026 campaign. Mayer was one of the team's top prospects at the time of his call-up earlier this year, but the former fourth overall pick in 2021 struggled at the plate in his first 44 games, going 29-for-127 (.228) with four home runs, 10 RBI and 20 runs scored over 136 trips to the plate. He will most likely be competing for a starting role in Boston's infield in spring training next year.

The Baltimore Orioles have called up their top prospect, catcher Samuel Basallo, for his major-league debut. MLB.com's No. 8 prospect overall was slashing .270/.377/.589 with 23 home runs in 76 games for Triple-A Norfolk. The 21-year-old has big-time power potential with at least 19 home runs in each of the last three seasons in the minors and has shown a keen eye at the plate as well, recording a 13.7 percent walk rate this year for the Tides. While he's a catcher by trade, the 6-foot-4 Dominican has logged 20 games at first base in 2025, and he's eligible at both positions in Yahoo leagues. With the fantasy upside he can provide, assuming the Orioles are going to give him regular at-bats, the left-handed slugger should be rostered in most 12-team leagues.

Athletics rookie shortstop Jacob Wilson (forearm) began his rehab assignment at Triple-A Las Vegas on Saturday, lacing a double in his first at-bat and finishing the game 2-for-4 with a run scored. The 23-year-old has been out since late July due to a fractured left forearm, but was a leading candidate for AL Rookie of the Year before going down with the injury, slashing .312/.354/.439 with 10 home runs and five steals in 94 games for the A's. The 2025 All-Star's rehab shouldn't be lengthy, so look for him to rejoin the club at some point in the coming week.

Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Casey Mize had his swing-and-miss stuff going for him during Saturday's game against the Minnesota Twins. Mize was blasted for three runs in the fifth inning, but was sharp outside of that. He tossed 6.1 innings, allowing four runs on four hits while striking out 10 batters in the win. The 10 punchouts tied a career high as Mize looked untouchable throughout most of this outing. He'll take a 3.63 ERA into his next matchup which is a favorable start against the Kansas City Royals next week.

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Justin Verlander posted arguably his best outing of the season versus the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday. The right-hander looked like prime Verlander during this start. He threw seven shutout innings, allowing two hits, while striking out eight batters in the no-decision. Verlander has looked better on the mound lately with one earned run or less in four of his last five starts. Overall, Verlander holds a 4.23 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, and a 95/36 K/BB ratio across 21 starts this season. His late season turnaround has given Verlander some more streaming appeal lately. However, he's not a great streaming option against a tough San Diego Padres squad next time out.

Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Adrian Houser was able to bounce back on the mound during Saturday's outing against the San Francisco Giants. Before this outing, Houser was blasted for nine runs on 17 hits over his first two starts with the Rays. The veteran right-hander was able to settle down on Saturday. Houser tossed five scoreless innings, allowing four hits, while striking out six batters in the no-decision. Despite a few rough starts, Houser holds a 2.67 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, and a 60/29 K/BB ratio across 14 starts this season. He'll offer some streaming appeal for a favorable matchup against the St. Louis Cardinals next week.

Athletics starting pitcher Luis Morales looked sharp on the mound during Saturday's outing against the Los Angeles Angels. The right-hander had mixed results during his first start when he tossed 2.2 scoreless innings, but walked five batters in the process. This time around, Morales was able to locate his pitches much better on the mound. He threw five innings, allowing one run on five hits while striking out five batters to earn his first career win in the MLB. Morales truly has the stuff to be a frontline starter in the league, but still has to work on his command. He figures to continue getting chances down the stretch with this being a lost season for the A's. There's some deep league streaming appeal here with Morales.

According to Laura Albanese, New York Mets starting pitcher Nolan McLean will remain in the starting rotation going forward. This shouldn't come as much of a surprise considering how well McLean looked during his MLB debut. The 24-year-old tossed 5.1 scoreless innings, allowing two hits, while walking four batters, and striking out eight. There are some command concerns because of the four walks, but the Mets will stick with McLean for now. The strikeouts upside makes him worth a look as a streaming option in all fantasy formats at the moment.

Texas Rangers right-hander Jon Gray will remain with the team after going unclaimed on waivers, Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News reports. Gray has about $3 million in salary left on his four-year, $56 million contract, but no team wanted to take a chance on him at that price tag. That isn't surprising, as the 33-year-old has posted dismal results since he made his season debut on July 23. After missing the first three-plus months of the year with a fractured forearm, the longtime starter has made six appearances out of the bullpen and recorded a 7.71 ERA with a 1.50 WHIP, 12 strikeouts, and six walks in 14 innings. Gray pitched in the Rangers' 14-2 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday and struggled again, giving up four earned runs on four hits, including two homers, with three strikeouts against three walks over 2 1/3 frames.

Los Angeles Dodgers relievers Tanner Scott (elbow) and Kirby Yates (back) will begin rehab assignments with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Tuesday. Scott has been on the 15-day injured list since July 22 with inflammation in his left elbow, while Yates has been on the shelf since July 29 with pain in his lower back. The Dodgers expect the two to return later this month, and they'll be glad to get both high-leverage relievers back for the last few weeks of the season as they battle the San Diego Padres for an NL West title. Fantasy managers should expect Scott to resume his role as the Dodgers' closer when he returns. Although Scott has had a relatively disappointing season, the Dodgers haven't found a better answer for the closer job in his absence. They have the majors' third-most blown saves (six) since the All-Star break.