Mining the News (7/29/26)

Note: Any noted rostership rates come from the NFBC RotoWire Online Championship, the same rates we use on the FanGraphs Player Rater. For reference, these leagues are 12-team Roto leagues with 30-man rosters (2 C, 1B, 2B, SS, 3B, MI, CI, 5 OF, UT, 9 P) and weekly add/drops. This rate can be compared to other rostership rates found in this article.

American League

Angels

• Travis d’Arnaud and Yusei Kikuchi started their rehab assignments.

C Travis d’Arnaud
Injury: Right foot plantar fasciitis
IL date: May 7 (transferred to 60-day IL on June 3)
Expected return: Possibly July 31
Status: Played in his sixth rehab game with Triple-A Salt Lake on July 26, catching nine innings. Had his rehab assignment transferred to Single-A Rancho Cucamonga on July 28 and will catch back-to-back games before being activated.

…

LHP Yusei Kikuchi
Injury: Left shoulder inflammation
IL date: May 3 (transferred to 60-day IL on May 22)
Expected return: Mid-August
Status: Threw live sessions against hitters on July 21 and July 25. Will start a rehab assignment with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga on July 30. He believes he’ll need to make three starts before returning.

Depending on the league’s depth, I might consider adding Kikuchi (3% rostered), but I’m monitoring his walks (3.8 BB/9 since joining the Angels) because that’s what has held him back from being a fantasy asset.

Blue Jays

• Addison Barger had the internal brace surgery.

Barger has been dealing with elbow issues for “a couple years,” Schneider said, and the Jays hope surgery will eliminate any problems moving forward. He will undergo either full Tommy John surgery or an internal brace procedure Monday. Dr. Keith Meister, a surgeon who serves as the Texas Rangers’ team physician, will perform the surgery. Rehab for the internal brace procedure takes about six months for position players, Schneider said. A full Tommy John surgery would be around a nine-month recovery. They will decide on an option Monday.

He’s a drop for this season, and hopefully he’ll be ready for Spring Training.

• Jesús Sánchez (17% rostered) should return from the IL any day now.

OF Jesús Sánchez
Injury: Right ankle sprain
IL date: June 27 (10-day IL)
Expected return: Potentially late July
Status: Was scheduled to continue his rehab assignment with Triple-A Buffalo at Lehigh Valley on July 28.

It’ll be interesting to see how much the strong-side platoon bat plays. There is even a chance he gets traded.

Mariners

• Rob Refsnyder’s time with the team could be limited.

Because there’s a growing possibility that his leash with the Mariners might be short — with Monday’s Trade Deadline looming and the club actively seeking a right-handed bat, as well as the impending return of Brendan Donovan.

Refsnyder was activated from the 10-day injured list before the opener of Seattle’s three-game series at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday, where he was the designated hitter and batted in the No. 7 spot.

Refsnyder (normally a short-side platoon bat) started against a lefty in his first game back with Victor Robles, Luke Raley, and Mitch Garver sitting.

• Besides Refsnyder returning, Brendan Donovan is also close to coming off the IL.

INF Brendan Donovan
Injury: Left groin strain
IL date: May 17 (10-day IL, retroactive to May 16)
Expected return: Late July or early August
Status: Could rejoin Mariners during upcoming series at Dodger Stadium from July 27-29, but is also expecting birth of second child. More than anything, status depends how he feels coming out of games.

Most discussion places Donovan (49% rostered) as a utility bat, so I’m worried about him getting enough at-bats to be fantasy relevant.

Red Sox

• Garrett Crochet hopes to be back by the playoffs.

The Red Sox are still hoping to get Garrett Crochet back late in the season (he’s aiming to return in time for the postseason after restarting his shoulder rehab).

With such a late return date, he’s a drop across the board, with maybe the chance he comes back early and throws a couple of abbreviated games.

• Payton Tolle and Jake Bennett could see their innings limited with Brayan Bello taking over those innings.

Meanwhile, Tolle is already approaching his career high in innings pitched, and Bennett is already about 25 innings past his career high from last year. Shortening their starts or occasionally using Bello as a sixth starter could give those pitchers protection.

• Brayan Bello’s fastball velocity has been trending up.

Bello topped out at 98.4 mph on his sinker and averaged 96.5 mph, well above his season average of 94.9.

“I think I felt rested and fresh, so I think that’s why the velocity was there,” said Bello.

Yep, it’s headed up.

More innings and higher velocity. So …

Royals

• Maikel Garcia began a rehab assignment after dealing with a hand injury.

A little over a month later, the Royals’ third baseman is ready to get back on the field. Garcia began a rehab assignment Tuesday night with Double-A Northwest Arkansas and will spend the next several days increasing his workload at the plate and in the field to get ready for a return to Kansas City.

…
This injury was an odd one, because Garcia only felt pain on certain swings and specifically on balls that he wasn’t squaring up well. That made it hard to assess and hard to rehab because he would feel healthy in the batting cage taking good swings. In games, though, it’s harder to predict what and where pitches are coming and what swing you’re going to take off each one. As Garcia began swinging again in his rehab process, he experimented with different bats and different machine work in the cages using the Trajekt machine.

The injury explains his early-season struggles with his OPS down 100 points compared to 2025. Reading between the lines here, it seems like the injury might not be over.

Tigers

• Jackson Jobe is on a rehab assignment.

RHP Jackson Jobe
Injury: June 2025 Tommy John surgery
IL date: Feb. 10 (60-day IL)
Expected return: August
Status: Threw four innings in his second rehab start for Double-A Erie on July 25, allowing a run on two hits with two walks and four strikeouts. Will make next rehab start for Triple-A Toledo after checking in with Tigers staff in Detroit.

Depending on how many pitchers the Tigers trade away in the next few days, Jobe could have an open rotation spot.

National League

Braves

• Ha-Seong Kim and Sean Murphy are both out on rehab assignment.

SS Ha-Seong Kim
Injury: Right middle finger inflammation
IL date: July 4 (10-day IL, retroactive to July 1)
Expected return: TBD
Status: Went 1-for-4 with a double and two RBIs in Game 1 for Triple-A Gwinnett on July 25. Did not play in Game 2.
…
C Sean Murphy
Injury: Fractured left middle finger
IL date: May 12 (retroactive to May 11; transferred to 60-day IL on June 4)
Expected return: Mid-to-late August
Status: Went 0-for-3 with a walk and caught all seven innings for Triple-A Gwinnett in Game 1 of a doubleheader on July 25. Did not play in Game 2.

It’ll be interesting to see how much either plays once off the IL. Murphy will get some starts at catcher, but could DH. I have no inkling on how Kim will be used.

Brewers

• Kyle Harrison has at least one long rehab start scheduled.

LHP Kyle Harrison
Injury: Left forearm extensor tendinopathy
IL date: July 11 (15-day IL, retroactive to July 9)
Expected return: Early August
Status: Currently being treated conservatively, with a Minor League rehab start scheduled for July 30 of 75-80 pitches, barring any setbacks.

Cardinals

• Ramón Urías is out on a rehab assignment.

INF Ramón Urías
Injury: Right/left elbow lateral epicondylitis
IL date: May 5 (transferred to 60-day IL on June 12)
Expected return: TBD
Status: Urías is slated to test some things out July 28, with the club’s hope being that he can continue as planned with his Triple-A rehab assignment after being hit by a pitch on the left elbow July 26.

Before going on the IL, Urías (.595 OPS) started in five of the last 10 games, all at third base. Urías could cut into the playing time of Blaze Jordan (.594 OPS).

Cubs

• Shota Imanaga repositioned himself on the pitching rubber.

Interesting trend to watch regarding Shota Imanaga.

Shota shifted his positioning on the rubber in early June. He's standing closer to third base. Since that change, he has a 2.7 ERA in 34 innings. pic.twitter.com/DZ2dkhJ5cL

— Brendan Miller (@brendan_cubs) July 23, 2026

There hasn’t been much of a change in his core stats (e.g., strikeouts, walks, groundball rate) since the move, with his xFIP increasing from 3.72 to 4.18.

• Edward Cabrera (33% rostered) will start his rehab assignment this Friday.

Right-hander Edward Cabrera (hamstring strain) will begin his rehab assignment Friday at Triple-A Iowa. Counsell said he will likely need 3 rehab starts before rejoining the Cubs rotation, keeping him on track for a mid-August return.

— Meghan Montemurro (@mmontemurro.bsky.social) 2026-07-27T22:46:45.867Z

Dodgers

• Roki Sasaki started using a bigger glove to quit tipping his pitches.

A bigger glove may have changed everything for Roki Sasaki.

According to @PitchingNinja, Dodgers pitching coaches believed Sasaki was tipping his pitches.

Instead of overhauling his mechanics, they simply gave him a bigger glove to better hide his grip from hitters and… pic.twitter.com/Mb90cPC3sf

— Alvin Garcia (@alvinmanogarcia) July 26, 2026

Giants

• Matt Chapman (48% rostered) should return from the IL in the next few days.

3B Matt Chapman
Injury: Abdominal strain
IL date: July 1 (10-day IL)
Expected return: Late July
Status: Likely to return during the Giants’ series at San Diego from July 30-Aug. 2.

Marlins

• Owen Caissie (27% rostered) started his rehab assignment.

OF Owen Caissie
Injury: Right calf strain
IL date: July 9 (10-day IL)
Expected return: Weekend of Aug. 1
Status: Began rehab assignment with Triple-A Jacksonville on July 28, going 1-for-1 with a solo homer, HBP and two walks. Will play the outfield July 29 and DH July 30 before being reevaluated.

It’ll be interesting to see how the right field playing time plays out with Caissie (.755 OPS) and Griffin Conine (.889 OPS) both strong-side platoon bats. Another possibility is taking some DH at-bats from Liam Hicks (.785 OPS). Someone is going to have to sit (or get traded).

Mets

• Clay Holmes (53% rostered) is ready to return from the IL.

RHP Clay Holmes
Injury: Fractured right fibula
IL date: May 16 (60-day IL)
Expected return: Late July
Status: Began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Syracuse on July 23 and will make one more Minor League start on July 28, moving down to Single-A St. Lucie due to weather concerns in the Northeast. Should return five or six days after that, though it remains to be seen if that will be with the Mets or another team.

Reds

• Matt McLain (37% rostered) started his rehab assignment.

Reds infielder Matt McLain, sidelined since July 10 with a left calf strain, began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Louisville on Friday.

• Nick Lodolo is using a new grip with his breaking ball to try to prevent getting blisters.

LHP Nick Lodolo
Injury: Left index finger blister
IL date: July 12 (15-day IL)
Expected return: Second half
Status: Threw his latest side bullpen session on July 28. Lodolo has been testing a new grip for throwing his breaking ball.

I could see him struggle for a few games as he works through this new pitch.

Rockies

• Brenton Doyle (8% rostered) is on a rehab assignment.

CF Brenton Doyle
Injury: Left oblique contusion, left groin tightness
IL date: May 21 (10-day IL, retroactive to May 20)
Expected return: TBD
Status: Went 2-for-3 with an RBI double and a walk for Triple-A Albuquerque on July 25 in the second game of his rehab assignment, and is 4-for-10 through three games.