The San Francisco Giants have placed left-hander Carson Whisenhunt (back) on the 15-day injured list with a back strain, retroactive to Aug. 28. To take his place, the Giants recalled righty Kai-Wei Teng from Triple-A Sacramento. Manager Bob Melvin said that Whisenhunt woke up with tightness in his back earlier this week, and the issue has bothered him when he has tried to throw off a mound. The 24-year-old former second-round pick (2022) earned a promotion to the majors in late July and has made five starts since then. Whisenhunt has struggled to a 5.01 ERA with a 1.46 WHIP, 16 strikeouts, and 12 walks in his first 23 1/3 innings in the bigs. Teng will start in his place on Monday against the Colorado Rockies.

The Chicago Cubs have claimed right-hander Aaron Civale off waivers from the crosstown rival Chicago White Sox. Civale spent two and a half months with the White Sox after they acquired him from the Milwaukee Brewers for first baseman Andrew Vaughn in mid-June. While Vaughn has been a pleasant surprise for the Brewers, the Civale pickup did not pay dividends for the White Sox. He made 13 starts for them and went 2-7 with a 5.37 ERA in 67 innings, and the team was unable to flip him to a contender at the July 31 trade deadline. Between the Brewers and White Sox, the 30-year-old has gone 3-9 with a 5.26 ERA (4.25 xERA), a 1.37 WHIP, and 74:33 K:BB over 89 frames this season. It's unclear if Civale will join the Cubs' rotation, which is without the injured Jameson Taillon (groin) and Michael Soroka (shoulder), or work out of their bullpen.

Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy (oblique, illness) will not come off the 10-day injured list next weekend against the Baltimore Orioles. While the Dodgers had targeted that series for Muncy's return, the team is delaying his comeback because he has been dealing with an illness. The earliest Muncy could rejoin the Dodgers is Sept. 8 against the Colorado Rockies, but he'll have to embark on a minor-league rehab assignment first. The two-time All-Star is working back from a strained right oblique that forced him to the shelf on Aug. 15. With Muncy out, Alex Freeland and Enrique Hernandez have been splitting time at the hot corner.

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernandez is not in the lineup on Sunday against Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Brandon Pfaadt. Alex Call will take Hernandez's place in right field and bat sixth. Speaking with the media on Sunday, manager Dave Roberts pointed to Hernandez's lackluster performance versus righties as a reason for sitting him. "Clearly he hasn't handled right-handed pitching (.689 OPS)," Roberts said. "I think that a two-day reset could help. He's an everyday guy, but I do think that where we're at, you've got to perform too." This has been a down season for the 32-year-old, who hasn't posted an OPS better than .740 in any month since April. While Hernandez's overall line of .245/.280/.452 in 454 plate appearances has been a letdown, he has still racked up 21 homers, 77 RBI, 53 runs scored, and five stolen bases. The Dodgers are off Monday, but Hernandez could return to the lineup Tuesday against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

St. Louis Cardinals pitching prospect Quinn Mathews tossed 5 1/3 shutout innings on Saturday, allowing two hits while walking four batters and striking out seven. Although his control has been poor at Triple-A (including 2024), the Cards' fifth-ranked prospect has pitched better in the second half of the season, owning a 2.28 ERA over his last nine starts with a 30.2 percent strikeout rate (11.84 K/9). The Cardinals, winners of three straight, are still in the mix for a Wild Card berth, sitting 5 1/2 games out from the final spot. With the command issues persisting from Mathews, St. Louis may not give him a shot in the majors unless one of the regular rotation arms goes down with an injury. Look for the 24-year-old to make a push for a rotation spot next spring, and while he could be a solid starter in the majors, his fantasy stock has taken a hit.

Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Tyler Anderson (oblique) was placed on the 15-day injured list on Sunday. Anderson tossed five scoreless innings during his most recent start, but appears to have suffered an injury during that outing. There's a decent chance that Anderson doesn't return again this season. He'll miss at least the next two weeks and the Angels aren't playing for anything at this point in the season. The team might opt to use their younger pitchers down the stretch of the season. Anderson holds a 4.56 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, and a 104/57 K/BB ratio across 136.1 innings this season. In a corresponding move, right-hander Jose Urena will head to the big league roster.

Athletics starting pitcher Luis Severino (oblique) is expected to rejoin the team for their upcoming road trip against the St. Louis Cardinals. Severino has been sidelined since August 9 due to a left oblique strain. He appears to be on the verge of returning which is great news for the A's. The right-hander was pitching well over his last few starts before going down. Overall, Severino owns a 4.82 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, and a 103/44 K/BB ratio across 24 starts this season. Severino is probably only worth rostering in deep leagues at the moment.

Cleveland Guardians outfield prospect George Valera is expected to be promoted to the majors on Monday for what will be his major league debut. The 24-year-old was Cleveland's top-ranked prospect back in 2022, but has since fallen outside the top 30 with a career batting average at Triple-A of .232. At the end of last season, the left-handed slugger ruptured the patellar tendon in his right knee attempting to make a play in right field, but worked his way back and rejoined Triple-A Columbus full-time in July of this year. The Dominican was hitting .255 for Columbus at the time of his call-up, registering a solid .346 OBP thanks to a strong 12.1 percent walk rate, and even hit for the cycle a little over a week ago on August 22. Once projected to be a 25-30 home run prospect, there should be optimism for the potential he brings to Cleveland, however, fantasy managers should take a wait-and-see approach before adding him.

San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Randy Rodriguez (elbow) will undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery. Rodriguez landed on the 15-day injured list on Tuesday due to a right elbow issue. After further discussion with doctors, Rodriguez has decided to have Tommy John surgery. This operation normally requires 12-to-18 months to recover, so Rodriguez is unlikely to pitch in 2026. This is a tough blow to the Giants as Rodriguez earned his first All-Star selection in 2025. He'll finish with a 1.78 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, and a 67/11 K/BB ratio across 50 appearances this season. The absence of Rodriguez means that Ryan Walker should remain the closer in San Francisco.

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Chase Burns (elbow) was able to throw a successful bullpen session on Saturday. The activity included an "up and down" to simulate multiple innings. The session went well, so Burns will likely move to facing live hitters next. The minor league season is nearing an end, so it's unclear if he'll go on a rehab assignment. It still sounds like Burns is a few weeks away, but is hopeful to get back before the end of the season. Burns is worth stashing on the IR until more information is known about his possible return.

Miami Marlins outfield prospect Victor Mesa Jr. was recalled from Triple-A Jacksonville on Sunday, although he is not in the lineup for the team's afternoon contest against the Mets. The Marlins' 23rd-ranked prospect was activated from the injured list at Triple-A on August 17 and had gone 13-for-35 (.371) in the nine games since activation, including one double, two home runs, 11 RBI, and four runs scored during that stretch. Once a top prospect for Miami, there is potential to hit for power, and with a low 16.8 percent strikeout rate this season, he could hit for average, too, but he's fallen off over the last couple of seasons in the stolenbase category. The 23-year-old made a brief debut with the Marlins earlierthis year, but if he's not going to get regular at-bats, there is little reason to pick him up in season-long leagues.

Miami Marlins rookie starting pitcher Ryan Gusto (shoulder) was placed on the 15-day injured list on Sunday, retroactive to Aug. 28. Gusto has been terrible lately, allowing 14 earned runs over his last two starts. It's possible that his shoulder issue was part of the reason he was struggling on the mound. He figures to miss a few weeks of action and honestly could be done for the season given there's basically only a month left. In a corresponding move, right-hander Freddy Tarnok has been recalled from Triple-A Jacksonville. Gusto can safely be dropped in all fantasy leagues.

Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz (oblique) remains out of the starting lineup ahead of Sunday's game against the Texas Rangers. The A's have decided to hold out Kurtz for the rest of the weekend after he suffered an oblique injury on Friday. The MRI didn't reveal any significant damage, so Kurtz should be considered day-to-day. The A's aren't playing for anything at this point in the season, so they'll give Kurtz as much time as he needs to get healthy. It sounds like he'll avoid a trip to the injured list and hopefully return early next week. In the meantime, Tyler Soderstrom will cover first base and bat cleanup against right-hander Jacob deGrom on Sunday.

Boston Red Sox outfielder Wilyer Abreu (calf) isn't recovering as quickly as expected when he went on the 10-day injured list with a strained right calf on Aug. 21. Manager Alex Cora said Sunday that Abreu has "been able to hit and move around defensively. But he hasn't been able to run. So are we concerned? Yes and no. He'll be back at one point. But I think it's been longer than expected." Abreu is scheduled to run on Monday, so the Red Sox will have a better idea of his status then. The 26-year-old is unlikely to return during their current homestand, which runs through Wednesday. The team will start a six-game road trip on Friday. It's less than ideal for the playoff-contending Red Sox to continue going without Abreu, who has been one of their most productive players this year. He has taken 395 trips to the plate and slashed .253/.325/.486 with 22 homers, 69 RBI, 52 runs scored, and six stolen bases.

New York Mets right-handed pitching prospect Jonah Tong will make the second start of his career on Friday against the Cincinnati Reds. Tong earned the victory in his debut this past Friday against the Miami Marlins, whom he held to one earned run on six hits over five innings. The 22-year-old posted six strikeouts against no walks in that game, and he impressed manager Carlos Mendoza enough to remain part of a six-man rotation. Tong, who ranks as one of the game's top pitching prospects, led all minor leaguers with an eye-popping 179 strikeouts in 113 2/3 frames before the Mets promoted him. His next opponent, Cincinnati, ranks a decent 14th in the majors in runs this season. However, the Reds' offense has sputtered this month. They rank 29th in both runs and wOBA over the past 30 days. That could bode well for Tong.

The Toronto Blue Jays have claimed utility player Isiah Kiner-Falefa off waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates, Jeff Passan of ESPN reports. Kiner-Falefa spent the first few months of the 2024 season with Toronto before the team traded him to Pittsburgh in July. The 30-year-old, who has never been an offensive threat, hit .264/.300/.332 with one homer, 35 RBI, 40 runs scored, and 15 stolen bases in 428 plate appearances with the Pirates this season. Thanks to his defensive versatility, Kiner-Falefa is a much more useful player in real life than he is in fantasy. He'll provide the AL East-leading Blue Jays with some quality depth down the stretch.

Colorado Rockies rookie first baseman Warming Bernabel (knee, quad) left a 4-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs early on Saturday with a bruised left knee and quad. He fouled a ball off himself in the second inning and had to exit shortly after that. Bernabel is out of the lineup on Sunday against the Cubs, while Kyle Farmer will play first and hit sixth in a meeting with left-hander Matthew Boyd. The Rockies will start a series against the San Francisco Giants on Monday, but it's unclear if Bernabel will return then. Since debuting on July 26, the 23-year-old has slashed .252/.283/.435 with four homers, 13 RBI, and 14 runs scored in 120 plate appearances. He went seven straight games without a hit before singling on Saturday.

The Kansas City Royals announced that they have reinstated right-hander Michael Wacha (personal) from the paternity list and optioned righty Stephen Kolek to Triple-A Omaha. Wacha will start Sunday's game against the division-rival Detroit Tigers. Although Wacha's not a great source of strikeouts, the 34-year-old has nonetheless enjoyed another solid season. He has made 26 starts and gone 8-10 with a 3.39 ERA, a 1.18 WHIP, and 108:38 K:BB in 148 2/3 innings. Wacha has already faced the Tigers three times this year and held his own in each outing. The Royals won two of those meetings, and Wacha combined to allow just five earned runs on 16 hits and post 15 strikeouts against two walks over 18 1/3 frames.

The Miami Marlins announced that they have placed outfielder Dane Myers (oblique) on the 10-day injured list with a strained right oblique and recalled outfielder Victor Mesa Jr. from Triple-A Jacksonville. Myers suffered the injury in an 11-8 win over the New York Mets on Saturday and had to leave early as a result. This is now the second time Myers has gone on the IL with a right-oblique strain this year. The injury shelved him for approximately three weeks in May. Depending on the severity of this strain, it could end Myers' season. The 29-year-old got off to a promising start in 2025 and owned an .862 OPS as late as June 16, but his production has nosedived in the past two and a half months. He's heading back to the IL with a .233/.292/.325 line, six homers, 27 RBI, 28 runs scored, and 17 stolen bases in 318 plate appearances.

Cleveland Guardians infielder Gabriel Arias (hand) remains out of the starting lineup for Sunday's series finale against the visiting Seattle Mariners at Progressive Field. Brayan Rocchio will make another start at shortstop and will bat out of the eight-hole against Mariners right-hander Bryce Miller. A right-hand contusion that Arias suffered on a hit-by-pitch on Friday in the series opener against Seattle will keep him out for the second straight day. X-rays on the 25-year-old's hand came back negative, though, so he could be back in action for Monday's series opener at Fenway Park against the Boston Red Sox. Fantasy managers setting DFS lineups on Sunday should be able to do much better than Rocchio if they're looking for a low-cost sleeper at the position. Rocchio is hitting just .233 (60-for-257) with only three home runs, 34 RBI and six stolen bases. He's hitless in two career at-bats against Miller.