The dog days of August are here, and the fantasy baseball playoffs aren’t far behind! Whether you’re in a head-to-head league gearing up for the postseason or a roto league fighting for that critical standing point, every roster move carries weight this time of the year.
Let’s see what lineup and roster changes that happened over the last week can help give us an edge in our fantasy leagues during the season’s home stretch.
Former top prospect Jordan Lawlar returned from a nearly two-month stint on the IL on Monday, his second extended injury absence of the season. He’s started back-to-back games in center field and hit fifth and sixth since returning. Lawlar was one of my favorite preseason breakout picks and was slashing .319/.409/.447 through 44 plate appearances before his most recent injury.
With Ketel Marte’s length of absence up in the air given both his placement on the Restricted List and his undergoing an MRI on his left knee, it looks like Ildemaro Vargas will step into the starting second base role. He’s started at the keystone in the first two games that Marte missed, and hit leadoff both times versus lefties.
Darell Hernaiz was recalled to the big-league club after Tyler Soderstrom landed on the IL. Hernaiz has started two of three games since rejoining the big league club, one at third base and the other at shortstop. He’ll likely shift around the infield in a utility role.
The name at the top of manager Craig Albernaz’s lineup continues to change. Jackson Holliday has hit leadoff in two of the last three games, against both a righty and lefty. Tyler O’Neill has also hit first in two of the last four, both against lefties. Pete Alonso has even found himself helming the lineup once.
Coby Mayo is getting a good run of playing time. He’s started five straight contests and 16 of the last 20. He’s slashing .274/.312/.562 in the second half.
Adley Rutschman returned from the IL and made his Red Sox debut last week. He’s started seven of eight games since returning, appearing behind the plate in six of them.
Mickey Gasper was recalled from Triple-A Worcester on Sunday and has started two of three games since. He’s been the designated hitter in both starts, hitting eighth or ninth.
The Cubs lost starting shortstop Dansby Swanson to an oblique strain on Sunday, and he’ll miss the next four-to-six weeks. In his absence, Nico Hoerner has slid over to shortstop, and Pedro Ramírez has drawn the starts at second base. With a .291/.347/.425 slash line, he’s worth a pickup if you need middle infield help.
The White Sox catching carousel continued with Edgar Quero being sent back down to Triple-A. The Southsiders replaced him by claiming Jake Rogers on waivers, becoming his fourth team since July 30. Rogers will split time behind the plate with Drew Romo.
The nightmare 2026 for Noelvi Marte continued. The young outfielder was sent back down to Triple-A after posting a 44 wRC+ on the season. The Reds called up Will Banfield to take over backup outfield duties.
Trade deadline acquisition Connor Norby looks like the Rockies’ new starting second baseman. He was called up on August 10 and has started six of eight games for the big league club. We haven’t seen Norby deliver on any of the upside he carried as an Orioles’ prospect years ago, but he’s still just 26. He’ll soon have fantasy eligibility at first, second, and third base, and makes for an intriguing add in NL-only leagues.
The Rockies lost Hunter Goodman to a left shoulder strain and called up Braxton Fulford. He’ll share in the catching duties with Brett Sullivan moving forward. Sullivan’s hitting .242 with seven homers in 180 plate appearances this year, and makes for an interesting deep-league catching streamer during Rockies home stands.
Willi Castro has been bumped up the lineup a few spots. He’s hit third, fourth, or fifth in five straight games.
Detroit called up Brett Callahan on Sunday, and he looks like the team’s new starting left fielder in Riley Greene’s absence. Callahan is a 24-year-old lefty swinger who was a 13th-round pick back in 2023. Callahan hasn’t generated much excitement in prospect circles. He was hitting a forgettable .271/.351/.338 in 36 Triple-A games, but looked much better in Double-A with a .268/.374/.504 slash line across 60 contests. His most likely fantasy tool at the moment is stolen bases, so he should be in consideration if you need speed help in an AL-only league.
The Royals received a major injection of talent back to their lineup on Monday when they activated both Maikel Garcia and Vinnie Pasquantino from the IL. They’ve hit fourth and fifth in the lineup, respectively, since returning. With two regulars back in action, John Rave and Nick Loftin should see minimal opportunities moving forward.
Starling Marte was designated for assignment, and Josh Rojas was sent down as the corresponding moves to Garcia and Pasquantino’s activation.
Right fielder Josh Lowe has surprisingly received two starts against lefties recently. He’s still not seeing everyday action, but he’s been in the starting lineup for two of the last four lefties the Angels have faced.
The Marlins made another change at the top of the lineup versus right-handers. Jakob Marsee has taken over leadoff duties versus righties, hitting in the top lineup spot in four straight games against right-handed starting pitchers.
Agustín Ramírez has been seeing more playing time recently. He’s started three straight games and five of the last seven overall. He’s mainly being used as the DH rather than as a catcher. If you need catching help in an NL-only league, he’s an interesting option if he keeps cracking the starting nine.
Byron Buxton returned from the IL last Thursday and is back to patrolling center field while hitting second in the lineup. With Buxton healthy, Luke Keaschall has moved over to right field and pushed Alan Roden to a reserve outfielder role.
It’s been a season to forget for Jorge Polanco. The Mets’ offseason signee landed back on the IL on Tuesday with a season-ending ankle injury. Polanco’s absence opens plenty of DH at-bats in New York. Francisco Alvarez has taken the first two DH starts, but Brett Baty will likely also factor into the mix.
The Mets called up Christopher Morel from Triple-A Syracuse on Monday. He started one of three games so far and played first base versus a lefty. He’ll likely play the small side of the first base platoon alongside Jared Young.
Oneil Cruz returned from his two-and-a-half-month IL stint on Monday. In the two games he’s played since returning, Jake Mangum started one in left field while Esmerlyn Valdez remained in the lineup for both in right field. Mangum could find a way to get somewhat regular playing time if Valdez or Bryan Reynolds take over the bulk of DH duties.
Spencer Horwitz has been reinstated as the Pirates’ leadoff hitter versus righties, but he isn’t starting versus lefties. Rafael Flores Jr. has taken over at first base against southpaws. Flores is also figuring into the catcher mix every few days, which means he’s started six of the Pirates’ last seven games. With a strong .283/.389/.587 slash line, Flores is doing all he can to work his way into the lineup, and if he keeps hitting, the Pirates won’t want him out of it. I like him as a prospective pickup in NL-only and deep mixed leagues.
The Giants made a change at leadoff versus righties. Drew Gilbert has seemingly taken over that role. He’s hit at the top of the lineup against two straight righties while former leadoff man Jung Hoo Lee has moved down to the cleanup spot.
Since returning from injury last week, Victor Bericoto looks to be operating on the small side of a corner outfield platoon. He’s started just once against three righties the team has faced, compared to starting against all four lefties. Turner Hill was called up last week and has taken the two starts against righties when Bericoto was on the bench.
Brendan Donovan took over leadoff duties against right-handed starters while Taylor Ward was injured over the weekend. In the first game that Ward was back in the lineup, Donovan stayed at leadoff. It’s unclear if this change will stick long-term, but moving from first to eighth would be a big knock on Ward’s fantasy value.
The Mariners demoted Colt Emerson due to his continued struggle to hit big-league pitching. Brock Rodden was called up to make his MLB debut on Friday and has started all four games at shortstop while hitting ninth. Rodden was slashing .262/.342/.499 with 19 home runs and eight steals in 92 Triple-A games.
As I suggested a few weeks ago, the Cardinals were just keeping Joshua Báez’s seat warm with rotating names in left field while waiting to call up the big-time power prospect until he wouldn’t lose his rookie eligibility this year. At long last, Báez made his historic three-homer debut on Saturday and will operate as the starting left fielder the rest of the way for the Cardinals.
To make room on the MLB roster for Báez, the Cardinals demoted Cesar Prieto, which opened up time again at third base for Blaze Jordan. He’s started five straight games at the hot corner.
Chandler Simpson has moved from the five-hole to the leadoff spot in two straight games against righties. Yandy Díaz has moved from first to fourth in the lineup.
The Rays placed Victor Mesa Jr. on the IL with a left hamstring strain. That’ll open playing time in right field against right-handed starting pitchers. Ryan Vilade took the first start there on Wednesday, but Jonny DeLuca could also get some run as well.
Danny Jansen returned from the IL on Tuesday. He should split catching duties 50/50 with Elias Díaz.
The Jays placed Vladimir Guerrero Jr.. on the IL with a concussion. Without his steady presence in the lineup, the four first-base starts have been split between Charles McAdoo and Kazuma Okamoto. McAdoo has hit well in the minors despite minimal prospect hype, so there’s a chance he figures things out and hits big-league pitching. The most likely actionable fantasy takeaway here is that Okamoto has gained first base eligibility if he didn’t already have it, and depending on how long Vlad is gone, he could play enough to carry that eligibility into 2027.
