Category: MLB

CINCINNATI (AP) — Cincinnati Reds outfielder Jake Fraley was designated for assignment on Sunday, with catcher Tyler Stephenson’s thumb injury and a short bench contributing to the decision.

The Reds also recalled right-hander Connor Phillips and outfielder Will Benson from Triple-A Louisville and optioned left-hander Joe La Sorsa to Triple-A.

“We came to the idea of kind of giving Jake a chance to play where maybe he thinks he deserves to play, which I understand, is maybe better than him sitting the bench here,” Reds manager Terry Francona said. “Stephenson is banged up. We were a little concerned about playing short, maybe a two-man bench.”

Fraley, 30, is in his fifth major-league season, his fourth with Cincinnati. He is batting .232 with six home runs and 23 RBIs in 67 games.

He hyperextended his knee after making an error in left field to allow a run to score in the 10th inning of a 6-5, 11-inning loss to the first-place Brewers on Saturday. Francona said neither the miscue nor the injury factored into the DFA move.

Stephenson reaggravated an injury to his left thumb during the Pittsburgh series and is day to day. Jose Trevino, who was behind the plate Saturday night, got the start for Sunday’s day game.

Francona said the decision on Fraley, a popular player among fans and in the clubhouse, wasn’t easy.

“Not that I needed an excuse to lose sleep last night, but you do, because you’re thinking about it,” Francona said. “You’re making decisions that alter their life. The day when I stop thinking about it, I will re-retire.”

Cincinnati, the only team this season that hasn’t been swept in a series, has dropped the first two games of the three-game set against the Brewers, who have won 14 straight games.

Once upon a time, my morning routine consisted of: (1) pouring a large bowl of Frosted Flakes; (2) adding milk; (3) opening to the sports page of the Wheeling Intelligencer; and (4) studying the current MLB standings and box scores while wolfing down the cereal before the flakes became un-frosted and saturated with milk.

Back then, the Houston Astros resided in the National League West. The Seattle Mariners didn't exist. Nowadays, the two franchises share membership in the American League West. And they're currently battling for the division title, with (as of Saturday) the Astros leading the Mariners by 0.5 games.

Also on Saturday, the Houston Texans hosted the Carolina Panthers in a preseason game. Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud arrived for the contest with a Mariners hat on his head.

It naturally created a stir for Houstonians who support both the local football and the local baseball team.

Sam Warren of the Houston Chroniclehas the details. Here’s the video of Stroud walking in. The Mariners took notice. Texans/Astros fans did, too.

Stroud, who swapped out the baseball hat for a Texans toque when he took the field, also wore the Mariners cap to his post-game press conference. He laughed off a question about his headgear.

“I mean, I love hats," Stroud said. "Like, I wear hats all the time. I probably have every team. But I support the Astros and the Dodgers because I'm from L.A. It's kind of contradicting but I still love the Astros. But it's all good. I understand. It’s all about the swag, baby. I’m just kidding.”

The Astros/Dodgers thing is definitely "contradicting," given the sign-stealing scandal that put an asterisk on the Astros' 2017 World Series win over the Dodgers, when Stroud was a 16-year-old student at Rancho Cucamonga High School.

While he can wear whatever hat he wants to wear, there's a basic "when in Rome" quality that comes from being the starting quarterback for an NFL team. Local fans of the football team are also fans of the other local sports teams. Right or wrong, they expect the players to act accordingly.

Hat flaps are not unprecedented. Twelve years ago, for example, 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick created a stir by wearing a Miami Dolphins hat.

While Stroud didn't show up wearing a Colts hat or a Titans hat or a Jaguars hat, Houstonians will be naturally sensitive to the sight of a Seattle Mariners hat on the head of the Texans' starting quarterback. After all, fan is short for fanatic.

And players would be wise to at least factor that broader sense of fanaticism into deciding which hat from the collection should be donned to the stadium for a game. Is it worth inviting avoidable venom from fans who are fanatical about both the local baseball team and the local football team?

Our guess is that, moving forward, Stroud's Mariners hat will remain on the shelf, unless and until he's the starting quarterback of the Seahawks.

Welcome to Waiver Wire Watch, where I review my favorite waiver wire adds and drops for each week of the MLB season.

The premise is pretty straightforward. I’ll try to give you some recommended adds each week based on recent production or role changes. When I list a player, I’ll list the category where I think he’ll be helpful or the quick reason he’s listed. I hope it will help you determine if the player is a fit for what your team needs.

For a player to qualify for this list, he needs to be UNDER 40% rostered in Yahoo! formats. I understand you may say, “These players aren’t available in my league,” and I can’t help you there. These players are available in over 60% of leagues and some in 98% of leagues, so they’re available in many places, and that can hopefully satisfy readers who play in all league types.

2025 Fantasy Baseball Top 300 update: Aaron Judge returns to top spot, Dylan Beavers and Samuel Basallo debut

Concern about Zack Wheeler’s shoulder and more closer mayhem add to the movement in this week’s update.

• Matthew Pouliot,

Waiver Wire Hitters

Colson Montgomery - 3B/SS, CWS: 39% rostered
(HOT STREAK, PROSPECT GROWTH?)

Montgomery remains at 39% rostered in part because we've seen his batting average take a real hit of late, going 9-for-42 (.214) over his last 12 games. That's not a huge surprise to me since Montgomery was hitting so poorly in Triple-A that he got sent back down to the complex to fix his stance and approach. When he came back, he hit marginally better at Triple-A, but nothing like what we’re seeing at the MLB level right now. In fact, he hit .215 in 60 games at Triple-A this year and .214 in 130 games at Triple-A last year. I just can't connect that with a hitter we're seeing right now, andI recorded a video on Montgomery last weekto explain my hesitation with Montgomery. He does have a 119 Process+ score since July 15th (which is a Pitcher List score that weighs Contact Value, Decision Value, and Power Value. A league average score is 100, so Montgomery is above league average, but his contact value is brutal. So basically, he has good power, is making solid swing decisions, and struggles to make contact. That sounds about right. I also don't quite believe what Paul DeJong - 3B/SS, WAS (2% rostered) is doing, but we have to acknowledge that he's doing it. He has done 15-for-47 (.319) in his last 13 games with four home runs, nine RBI, and two steals. That initially started against a stretch of lefties, but DeJong has now pushed into pretty much a committee with Brady House. I think this will only last as long as DeJong's bat is forcing them to give him some reps, but that could be enough in deeper leagues.

Sal Frelick - OF, MIL: 37% rostered
(EVERY DAY JOB, HOT STREAK)

Frelick has been good all season, but, much like many of his teammates, his profile is a bit boring from a fantasy perspective. He will steal a good number of bases and hit a few home runs and hit for a solid batting average, but none of his skills are GIF-able, and so we forget about him. However, he leads off for the Brewers, has 18 steals on the year, and is hitting .294 over his last 15 games. That's a profile that fits in a lot of league types. The same applies to Joey Ortiz - SS/3B, MIL (9% rostered), who plays every day on the best team in baseball and has been hitting second in the order lately because he's racking up hits. In August, Ortiz is hitting .370 with 13 runs scored, 11 RBI, and two steals in 14 games. His multi-position eligibility also makes him a strong bench option.

Jordan Beck - OF, COL: 34% rostered
(EVERY DAY JOB, HOT STREAK)

Beck has been on fire coming out of the break, hitting .326 with four home runs, 13 RBI, and four steals in 26 games. The Rockies will start next week with a four-game set at home against the Diamondbacks and then start the week after with four more home games against the Dodgers, so we can target Rockies hitters for those Coors Field games. That means we could also add Tyler Freeman - OF, COL (8% rostered), who is hitting .294 in 14 games in August with one home run, nine runs scored, and four steals. Ryan Ritter -SS, COL (0% rostered) is also off the IL and playing every day if you're in an NL-only league.

Lenyn Sosa - 1B/2B/3B - CWS: 32% rostered
(EVERY DAY ROLE, QUALITY UNDERLYING METRICS)

Sosa was just 14% rostered when I had him here last week, and I've had Sosa on here a few times now because he pops on Process+ leaderboards and has been making quality contact with a 113 score since July 15th. In that span, Sosa is hitting .293/.343/.511 with four home runs, 13 runs scored, and 18 RBI in 25 games. He's playing every day, and the White Sox lineup is starting to wake up a little bit. He's not a bad add in deeper formats. Casey Schmitt - 1B/2B/3B/SS, SF (3% rostered) also popped on the Process+ leaderboard with a 114+ mark since July 15th. That has led to a .247/.293/.416 slash line with three home runs and eight RBI, which isn't great, but Process+ would suggest he's making good swing decisions and contact, so that number should tick up. Especially now that Matt Chapman is on the IL and Schmitt could start more regularly. Of course, Schmitt also got dinged up this weekend, so just check his status before finalizing your claims.

Blaze Alexander - 3B/SS/2B, ARI: 29% rostered
(HOT STREAK, POWER UPSIDE)

This is probably only a short-term add with Blaze since I expect Jordan Lawlar to push for at-bats in September, and I think Blaze will revert back to his normal career marks. In fact, he's already just 1-for-11 in his first three games at Coors Field this weekend, which is a huge bummer. However, he has been producing and playing regularly, so maybe he's still worth an add in deeper formats. I should note that things look good under the hood for Ryan McMahon - 3B, NYY (36% rostered). He has a 117 Process+ score since July 15th and remains an everyday player for the Yankees, which has some value in deeper formats.

Ryan Mountcastle - 1B: 25% rostered
(OFF THE IL, POWER UPSIDE)

Mountcastle came off the IL last week after missing months with a hamstring injury. The 28-year-old has proceeded to go 8-for-29 (.276) with two home runs, three RBI, and two steals. He and Coby Mayo - 1B/3B, BAL (6% rostered) should be the 1B/DH for the rest of the season, and that would make both worth adding. Mayo's results have been inconsistent so far, but I think regular playing time will help him. We saw what Kyle Stowers was able to do when he was given regular playing time, and Mayo is a better prospect than Stowers. Mayo has a 107 Process+ score since July 1st, and is above average in all components of that score (Decision Value, Contact, and Power), so the results should come soon. I'd be adding in deeper formats in case the results start to click in.

Noelvi Marte - 3B/OF, CIN: 24% rostered
(HITTING STREAK, EVERY DAY JOB)

Coming into Sunday's game, Marte is riding a seven-game hitting streak, where he has gone 13-for-30 with two home runs, nine RBI, and six runs scored. He's been a solid contributor for Cincinnati all year and should be added in most formats, especially now that he has outfield eligibility. It also seems like Miguel Andujar - 3B/OF, CIN (12% rostered) is becoming an everyday starter at designated, which (along with the trade for Ke'Bryan Hayes) shifted Marte to the outfield. In 12 games with the Reds, Andujar is hitting .389/.463/.694 with three home runs and nine RBI. Despite all the stops in his career, Andujar is a .279 career hitter with a 15% strikeout rate in 444 games and is now playing in the most offense-friendly environment he's ever been in.

Kyle Manzardo - 1B, CLE: 19% rostered
(HOT STREAK, POWER UPSIDE)

Kyle Manzardo went through a really cold stretch earlier in the summer, but we now know that his mother was going through a heart transplant. These guys are human beings too, and it's only logical that stress and emotional turmoil off the field would impact their performance and preparation on the field. Since July 1st, Manzardo has hit .286/.388/.561 with eight home runs and 21 RBI in 32 games. The Guardians are surging, and I think it's time to buy back in. Spencer Horwitz - 1B/2B, PIT (19% rostered) has also popped on Process+ leaderboards with a 109 score since July 15th. Over that stretch, he's hitting .300/.376/.456 with three home runs and 17 RBI. There won't be tons of power or any speed, which limits his overall fantasy ceiling, but there is some value here for deeper formats.

Daulton Varsho - OF, TOR: 14% rostered
(RETURN FROM THE IL, POWER UPSIDE)

Varsho came off the IL in August and has hit .351/.455/.811 in 11 games with five home runs, 14 RBI, and nine runs scored. He has just one steal in 35 games this season, so that potential 20/20 upside no longer exists, but he's clearly selling out for power this season, and that statline above is something we're interested in for all league types.

Samuel Basallo - C/1B, BAL: 9% rostered
(RECENT CALL-UP, POWER UPSIDE)

The only thing preventing that Mayo/Mountcastle platoon at first base is that the Orioles have called up their top prospect, Samuel Basallo. I don't quite get it. Basallo can play, no doubt. He's hitting .270/.377/.589 in 76 games at Triple-A with 23 home runs and 67 RBI. He has legit power in his bat and will be tremendous. He's only 20 years old, and there's no open spot in the lineup. I guess that means they're going to rotate Basallo, Mountcastle, Mayo, and Adley Rutschman at C, 1B, and DH. But how many starts will each get? Didn't the Orioles see with Kyle Stowers and Jackson Holliday that playing every day is what allowed those guys to settle in and hit their stride? I dunno. You should add Basallo though, because his catcher eligibility will erase any of those playing time concerns for now.

Jordan Lawlar - SS, ARI: 8% rostered
(STASH PLAY, PROSPECT UPSIDE)

I'm keeping these recommendations here as stash plays. I think Lawlar and Kristian Campbell - 2B/OF, BOS (17% rostered) are both due for a call-up on September 1st at the latest. Lawlar is on the IL with a hamstring injury, but he has already started a rehab assignment, so his time is coming now that Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suarez are out of town. Lawlar is hitting .319/.410/.583 at Triple-A with 10 home runs and 18 steals in 53 games, and has little left to prove there. Similarly, Kristian Campbell has been on fire of late, while also playing solid defense at first base. I think he's a logical addition for Boston, who didn't add a first baseman at the deadline.

Dylan Beavers - OF, BAL: 5% rostered
(PROSPECT CALL UP, FIVE-CATEGORY UPSIDE)

Shockingly, Beavers was called upas soon as he wasn't at risk of losing rookie eligibility. Beavers is a 2022 first-round pick who has been swinging a hot bat and is now hitting .304 on the season with 18 home runs, 22 steals, 51 RBI, and a .953 OPS. We know that rookie hitters can take a while to adjust to the big league level, but there is some five-category upside here that could be worth chasing in most league types. I should also point out that the Athletics are playing Colby Thomas - OF, ATH (1% rostered) a lot more of that, at the expense of Lawrence Butler. Thomas went 8-for-18 this week with eight RBI, two home runs, one steal, and five runs scored. He has some swing-and-miss concerns but also has real power/speed upside, so if he's going to play nearly every day in that home environment, then we should be adding him in most formats.

Tommy Pham - OF, PIT: 2% rostered
(STARTING JOB, HOT STREAK)

I feel like I'm taking crazy pills. I've had Pham on here for over a month, and his roster rate keeps dropping. Pham has a 115 Process+ score since July 1st, but we also know that he has been dealing with a challenging situation related to his contact lenses due to a rare eye condition he has. Since he began working to correct that, around June 16th, we can see that he's hitting .341/.400/.548 in 41 games with six home runs, 20 runs scored, and 26 RBIs. That will play in any league type, and I'm not sure why people aren't scooping him up.

Alex Freeland - 2B/3B/SS, LAD: 1% rostered
(TOP PROSPECT, REGULAR PLAYING TIME)

Look, I know the results haven't been there, but Freeland is playing every day for the Dodgers and just got even more job security with Max Muncy going on the IL. This is a 23-year-old who was the 43rd-ranked prospect in baseball and hit .253/.377/.421 in 94 games at Triple-A with 12 home runs and 18 steals. He has a tremendous feel for the strike zone and, in deeper formats, I'm still adding and hoping that the consistent playing time will help him get comfortable and see better results.

Kyle Karros - 3B, COL: 1% rostered
(RECENT CALL-UP, BATTING AVERAGE UPSIDE)

The Rockies called up Karros last weekend. The son of former Dodgers first baseman Eric Karros has an advanced approach at the plate with a strong feel for the strike zone. The Rockies' 8th-ranked prospect makes a ton of contact and was slashing .301/.398/.476 on the season with six homers, 26 RBI, and seven steals in 269 plate appearances across three minor league levels. I've been impressed with his at-bats, so far, and he's gone 9-for-28 in eight games with six runs, three RBI, and a 5/4 K/BB ratio. Karros figures to get the rest of the season to stake his claim to the 3B job for 2026, and if you're in deeper formats and don't need power, I think Karros could be a solid corner infield option. Graham Pauley - 3B, MIA (1% Rostered) is also making the most of his time in the Marlins' starting lineup, hitting .267/.405/.600 in 13 games in August with three home runs, seven runs scored, four RBI, and one steal. The 24-year-old has never been an elite prospect but has a solid track record of production dating back to his time with the Padres, and he could be a deeper-league option.

Bob Seymour - 1B, TB: 0% rostered
(RECENT CALL UP, POWER UPSIDE)

I should mention Seymour here because he was called up by Tampa Bay and started his first two games. He hit .263/.327/.552 in 105 games at Triple-A with 30 home runs and 87 RBI, which led the International League. The power is real, but he also posted an 18.3% swinging strike rate and only saw his strikeout rate decrease because he started to swing more often, which gave him more chances to make contact and not strikeout. This is probably not a profile you're after outside of AL-only leagues.

Waiver Wire Pitchers

Hurston Waldrep - SP, ATL: 35% rostered
I covered Waldrep in detail in my starting pitcher news column this week. A mid-season mechanics change has led to some real improvement for the former first-round pick, and I'm fully bought in.

Cristian Javier - SP, HOU - 28% rostered
I covered Javier's debut outing that same Starting Pitcher News column linked abve, so check that out to see why I'm in on Javier. I also still believe in his teammate Spencer Arrighetti - SP, HOU (29% rostered) and their other teammate, Luis Garcia - SP, HOU (4% rostered), who might be just one more rehab start away from returning, so this entire Astros rotation is coming back.

J.J. Romero - RP, STL: 29% rostered
Romero was one of the big winners after the trade deadline, and he has emerged as the primary closer for the Cardinals. He did suffer a blown save this week against the Rockies, but he also struck out the side in that inning, so it was really one bad pitch that Hunter Goodman hit out of the park that was his undoing. I like adding Romero still, but he is also the only left-handed reliever in the bullpen, so this should likely be a committee with Romero sometimes needing to get big left-handed hitters out in the eighth inning. When that happens, we've seen Riley O'Brien - RP, STL (2% rostered) step in and pick up a save, so they can both have some fantasy value.

Nolan McLean - SP, NYM: 24% rostered
I recorded a video on McLean this week, so check that out for my full thoughts. There is some risk here, but the upside is immense, as you saw in his debut on Saturday.

Nestor Cortes - SP, SD: 21% rostered
Cortes now has a locked-in rotation spot on a playoff contender, so that’s a win for him. I covered the veteran left-hander in a video I recorded last week, so make sure to check that out.

Kyle Bradish - SP, BAL: 13% rostered
Kyle Bradish made potentially his last rehab start on Thursday, allowing two hits and two walks in five scoreless innings while striking out nine batters at Triple-A. His fastball sat 95.5 mph, and he posted a 35% whiff rate thanks to a slightly revamped slider that's a little slower and with more drop than we've seen before. There may be some rust with Bradish as he comes off Tommy John surgery, but we also know that he has the upside of a top 20 overall starter. We also have Landen Roupp - SP, SF (29% rostered) off the IL. I know his first start was bad, but we bench starters coming off the IL for a reason. He has been good for the Giants all year and should settle back in.

Cade Cavalli - SP, WAS: 9% rostered
I recorded a video on Cade Cavalli last week before his season debut, and he has been far more impressive than I expected, shutting down the A's and Phillies, while struggling in his second start against the Royals. The former top prospect is working his way back from Tommy John surgery, and his Triple-A results have been inconsistent, so we should expect some inconsistency. But he has shown good velocity and a plus breaking ball, so I'm willing to grab him if I'm looking for upside.

STREAMING STARTER PITCHERS

MUST BE 40% ROSTERED ON YAHOO OR UNDER (ranked in loose order)

CINCINNATI (AP) — The Milwaukee Brewers set a single-season franchise record with their 14th straight victory Saturday. And, in keeping with recent form, it wasn’t easy.

The major league-leading Brewers rallied for the second straight game and beat the Cincinnati Reds 6-5 in 11 innings. This Milwaukee club set a new benchmark — so far — for consecutive victories, surpassing the 1987 team that opened that season by winning its first 13 games.

The Brewers will look to add to their streak in the series finale against division rival Cincinnati on Sunday.

Milwaukee’s overall record for consecutive wins is 16 games, from 1986-87, when they won their last three games in 1986 and their first 13 in 1987.

On Friday night, the Brewers’ run appeared to be in jeopardy before they rallied from seven runs down through two innings by scoring nine unanswered runs in beating the Reds 10-8.

Milwaukee looked to be in trouble again Saturday, but showed its resilience — for the second time in 24 hours — with the big blow being a pinch-hit, three-run homer in the 11th by Andrew Monasterio.

“It’s an amazing feeling,” said Monasterio, who wears the No. 14. “I wasn’t ready for like 14 to 14. ... That’s amazing.”

Monasterio was seemingly prepped for his showstopping and streak-extending moment.

“(Manager) Pat Murphy asked me to be ready three or four times,” the 28-year-old infielder said. “That was the fifth time he asked me to be ready during the game. He asked me in the seventh, ‘Are you ready for a big moment?’ I said, ‘Of course, yeah.’ But I didn’t know it was going to happen like this.”

Milwaukee starter Quinn Priester said his under-11-year-old team went 49-0 and called that fun.

“But not as fun as this,” he said.

Priester said the Brewers have been making the most of every chance provided by opponents.

“We’ve just been giving ourselves every opportunity, and then certainly when we get extra opportunities, we seem to take advantage every single time,” he said. “You get your opportunity, it’s time to go in and make a big swing, make a big pitch. When guys are getting their opportunities, we’re not timid, that’s for sure.”

The Brewers jumped to an early lead when Brice Turang doubled in a run in the second inning. The Reds got solo homers from Ke’Bryan Hayes and Spencer Steer in the sixth for a 2-1 lead.

As it turned out, the Reds helped Milwaukee keep its winning streak alive as the Brewers scored on a throwing error by Cincinnati shortstop Elly De La Cruz in the ninth to tie the game at 2-all. And, the Brewers went ahead in the 10th when Anthony Seigler scored on an error by left fielder Jake Fraley.

Cincinnati battled back in the bottom of the 10th and tied it at 3-all on an RBI double by Hayes.

Ultimately, the Reds provided the Brewers with too many chances to continue their winning ways as Monasterio belted a three-run shot in the 11th — just his second of the season after his first on July 3 against the New York Mets.

The Reds pushed back again in the bottom half, cutting the deficit with a sacrifice fly by Santiago Espinal and trimming their deficit to a run on Noelvi Marte’s ninth homer of the year.

But Milwaukee prevailed when reliever Nick Mears got Matt McLain to fly out to the warning track in right-center, ending the game and extending the streak.

Milwaukee is now 34 games over .500 at 78-44 and boasts a nine-game lead in the NL Central over the Chicago Cubs. In the National League, the Brewers are eight games better than the East Division-leading Philadelphia Phillies (70-53).