San Francisco Giants third baseman Evan Longoria isn't in the team's starting lineup on Wednesday for a matchup with the Atlanta Braves and right-hander Charlie Morton. Longoria is batting .244 with a .317 on-base percentage in 262 plate appearances this season. He's also collected 12 home runs. However, he'll head to the bench on Wednesday with David Villar starting at third base instead and hitting fifth. In 117 plate appearances so far for the Giants in 2022, Villar is batting .214 with a .333 on-base percentage and five home runs. Fantasy managers in search of streaming help are probably better off looking elsewhere.

The tentative plan is for Houston Astros right-hander Justin Verlander (calf) to return to the starting rotation on Friday against the Oakland Athletics, but manager Dusty Baker said it's not finalized yet. Verlander has already thrown multiple bullpen sessions without any setbacks and appears rearing to rejoin the rotation for the stretch run in September. The 39-year-old two-time Cy Young winner continues to be one of the best starting pitchers in fantasy despite his age, as he's gone 16-3 with a league-leading 1.84 ERA (2.71 FIP), a league-leading 0.85 WHIP, 154 strikeouts and only 26 walks in 152 innings over 24 starts. Verlander will be a no-brainer must-start against Oakland if he does indeed make his return on Friday.

New York Mets starting pitcher Max Scherzer (oblique) will make a minor league rehab start for Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday, according to the team. The three-time Cy Young winner missed his last scheduled start due to discomfort in his left oblique after being sidelined more than a month earlier this year with a left oblique injury. Barring any setbacks in his outing on Wednesday, the 38-year-old right-hander should return to the Mets starting rotation next week. When healthy, Scherzer continues to be lights-out, going 9-4 with a 2.26 ERA in 20 starts in his first season with the Mets in 2022. When he returns next week, he'll be a must-start for fantasy managers, likely against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher David Robertson picked up his 20th save of the season in Tuesday's 2-1 win over the Marlins. The veteran came in to shut things out with a one-run lead and did just that, delivering a 1-2-3 ninth inning with no strikeouts. Robertson has had a resurgent season with the Cubs and Phillies, converting 20 of 27 save opportunities with a 2.34 ERA, an 11.71 K/9 rate, and a 4.37 BB/9 rate. The walks have been an issue, but Robertson has been a solid source of saves for fantasy managers so far this season and should continue to be down the stretch.

Texas Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien doubled three times Tuesday, coming around to score on each occasion in an 8-7 victory over the Oakland Athletics. It's his second consecutive three-hit game, and Semien now has a .276/.321/.504 slash line with five homers and five steals over his last 30 games. With 22 homers and 24 steals on the season, he's been able to silence any early-season doubters. Semien remains one of the premiere power-speed options in the majors, and his middle-infield eligibility boosts his fantasy value even further.

Chicago White Sox relief pitcher Liam Hendriks was credited with his 33rd save of the season Tuesday night, sitting down all three Colorado Rockies he faced. He did not record a strikeout. Hendriks has been successful in his last five save opportunities and has only blown four chances all season. With a 3.18 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in 51 innings this year, Hendriks has been somewhat less dominant than any other season since becoming a closer in 2019 for Oakland, but he's still one of the top options in fantasy baseball.

Chicago White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu reached base three times Tuesday night, going 2-for-3 with a home run, a walk, and two runs scored. It was Abreu's 15th home run of the season. Abreu has been a big reason for Chicago's late-season playoff push, slashing .363/.426/.434 over his past 30 games, though this is his first long ball since August 3. He's hit safely in 16 of his last 17 games and has an .843 OPS with 79 runs scored and 67 RBI for the season.

Cleveland Guardians pitching prospect Ryan Webb is a 24-year-old southpaw who was selected in the fourth round of the 2021 draft. He has looked solid through his first season of pro ball, though he does need to work on reducing his walk rate. The Roswell, Ga., native boasts a mid-90s fastball and has a great feel for his changeup. He also has a pair of strong breaking ball offerings, with his curveball leading the way thanks to its impressive vertical drop. Webb made two outings in Single-A this past week. He combined for nine scoreless innings, allowing seven runs and three walks while earning one win. However, without a doubt, his best stat was strikeouts: Webb fanned a whopping 17 batters along the way, including 10 in his start on Wednesday. He's still a long way from reaching the majors, but there's no denying that the lefty has impressive strikeouts stuff.

New York Mets starting pitcher Max Scherzer (oblique) will either throw a simulated game at Citi Field on Wednesday or make a minor league rehab start for Triple-A Syracuse. In either scenario, the Mets plan to activate him from the injured list as soon as he's eligible on Sept. 19. "That's the hope," said skipper Buck Showalter. Scherzer was placed on the injured list last week with left oblique soreness, but it looks like he's doing well and is ready to finish the 2022 regular season in New York's rotation. The 38-year-old future Hall of Famer continues to be a must-start for fantasy managers every time he toes the rubber. He's gone 9-4 with a 2.26 ERA (2.54 FIP), a 0.92 WHIP, 153 strikeouts and only 23 walks in 127 2/3 innings over 20 starts in his first year in the Big Apple.

The Miami Marlins placed outfielder Avisail Garcia (hamstring) on the 10-day injured list on Tuesday and called up infield prospect Jordan Groshans from Triple-A Jacksonville in a corresponding move. With time running out in the regular season, there's a good chance we won't see Garcia again in 2022. He's hit a disappointing .230/.267/.316 with seven home runs, 31 RBI, 29 runs scored and four stolen bases in 359 plate appearances over 93 games in his first year in Miami after clubbing a career-high 29 home runs and driving in 86 in 2021 with the Milwaukee Brewers. With the 31-year-old veteran on the shelf, Jerar Encarnacion and Bryan De La Cruz will battle for more playing time in the outfield.

Detroit Tigers infielder Jonathan Schoop isn't in the team's lineup on Tuesday for a matchup with the Houston Astros and right-hander Hunter Brown. The 30-year-old is batting .200 this season with a .234 on-base percentage, nine home runs, and five stolen bases in 458 plate appearances for the Tigers. It'll be Harold Castro starting at second base instead on Tuesday. Castro, who is hitting second against Houston, is batting .273 with a .304 on-base percentage, and six home runs in 388 plate appearances. He's worth a look for fantasy managers in search of streaming options in deeper leagues.

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Alex Cobb turned in another solid start in Monday's 3-2 win over the Braves. Cobb pitched 7 scoreless innings, allowing six hits and no walks with seven strikeouts. The veteran's underlying metrics are finally starting to reflect in his peripherals, as he is 6-6 with a 3.48 ERA over 24 starts. Things won't get easier in his next start at home against the Dodgers, but fantasy managers who trusted him in a two-start week should at least be encouraged by this performance against a tough opponent. While it will be tough, Cobb has shown to be more reliable than a good deal of other starting options this season.

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout continued his impressive streak in Monday's 5-4 loss to the Guardians, going 1-for-4 with a two-run home run and a strikeout. Trout crushed a fifth-inning Konnor Pilkington fastball to straightaway center for his 35th HR of the season. More importantly, this was Trout's seventh consecutive game with a long ball, putting him one away from tying the MLB record. The 31-year-old has once again been one of fantasy's most reliable performers, slashing .279/.368/.633 with 69 RBI and one steal.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander (calf) is with the team on their three-game series against the Detroit Tigers and is playing catch in right field at Comerica Park. Verlander is hoping to return from the 15-day injured list to make a start during this weekend's series against the Oakland Athletics. The 39-year-old right-hander threw his second bullpen session on Sunday, and he won't need a minor league rehab assignment before returning to the rotation. Verlander might not have a very long leash in his first start back, but it's hard to argue leaving him out of your fantasy lineups. The two-time Cy Young winner is 16-3 with a league-leading 1.84 ERA (2.71 FIP), a league-leading 0.85 WHIP, 154 strikeouts and only 26 walks in 152 innings over 24 starts this year.

Baltimore Orioles second baseman Rougned Odor (hand) is listed as day-to-day after he left Sunday's game early against the Boston Red Sox with a right hand contusion after being hit by a pitch. X-rays came back negative, so he could return to the starting lineup as soon as Tuesday for the series opener against the Washington Nationals after an off day on Monday. The 28-year-old left-handed hitter still has a little pop left in his bat (12 home runs), but he's slashing just .199/.269/.355 with 44 RBI, 45 runs scored and six stolen bases in 428 plate appearances over 123 games for the Orioles this year and is only an option down the stretch in deeper fantasy leagues.

Miami Marlins outfielder Avisail Garcia (hamstring) remains out of the starting lineup on Monday for the first game of a doubleheader against the Texas Rangers. Garcia is dealing with a hamstring injury that previously put him on the injured list for a month, and he aggravated the injury on Saturday. For now, fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day with left hamstring discomfort, but if he doesn't return to the lineup soon, he might have to be shut down for the rest of the season. Jerar Encarnacion is starting in right field and hitting eighth, while Garrett Cooper is serving as the designated hitter and batting third for Game 1 on Monday against Rangers right-hander Glenn Otto.

St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols launched his 697th career home run of his career on Sunday. The 42-year-old hit a go-ahead two-run home run off right-hander Chase De Jong in the ninth inning. The future Hall of Famer has now hit a home run in back-to-back contests. He continues to close in on 700 career home runs as the season whines down. Pujols isn't much of a fantasy factor, but hopefully he'll be able to achieve this milestone.

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Chris Archer (pectoral) has been placed on the 15-day injured list. The veteran right-hander exited his start on Saturday against the Guardians early with pectoral tightness. He should be activated in time to cap off the regular season for the Twins. Minnesota selected the contract of Jharel Cotton from Triple-A St. Paul in a corresponding move.

San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado slugged a pair of solo home runs on Saturday, but it wasn't enough as his club fell to the Dodgers 8-4. He victimized starter Julio Urias with a shot off the Western Metal Supply Co. building in the third before crushing a 412' bomb to right-center in the sixth. The two long balls now give him 28 on the year to go along with 87 runs, 90 RBI, seven steals, and a .303 batting average through 129 games played. A chance for a .300/30/100/100 campaign is certainly attainable at this point, and it would mark the first time in his career he would reach all of those marks in one season.

Miami Marlins outfielder Avisail Garcia departed Saturday's contest in the first inning after experiencing discomfort in his left hamstring. He recently returned from the IL after missing a month of action with a strain to the same hamstring, so it's a bit concerning that he got lifted after playing one half-inning in right field. Perhaps the club is just playing it cautious with Garcia, but look for an update on his status prior to Sunday's finale versus the Mets.