New York Mets designated hitter J.D. Martinez broke out of his funk in Friday night's win over the visiting division-rival Atlanta Braves at Citi Field, picking up three hits and launching a grand slam in the victory. As part of a three-homer, seven-run inning for New York on Friday, Martinez hit a grand slam off Braves right-hander Charlie Morton to right field to give the Mets a 4-2 lead in the third inning. This performance was a much-needed jolt for the 36-year-old veteran slugger, who came into the day batting a frigid .184 (14-for-76) with a lone homer and six RBI in his last 21 games. Over his last seven contests, Martinez has looked better while hitting 9-for-29 (.310). With a .502 expected slugging percentage on Baseball Savant, Martinez remains a buy-low candidate for fantasy managers in need of power numbers.

San Diego Padres outfielder Jurickson Profar smashed two homers, including a game-winner in the top of the ninth, during the Padres' 6-4 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Friday night. Both homers were two-run shots with the first being off Orioles starter Grayson Rodriguez in the top of the sixth inning for his 17th HR of the season. The two-run game-winner came in the top of the ninth off Orioles closer Craig Kimbrel with two outs and was his 18th of 2024. Profar's turnaround in this season has been a major boost for the Padres. His .865 OPS is a career high and is helping to keep the Padres afloat as they fight to hold onto their Wild Card spot (one game lead over St. Louis) without superstar Fernando Tatis Jr. Profar will look to continue his dominating season on Saturday against Orioles scheduled starter Dean Kremer.

Free-agent first baseman Jose Abreu will most likely not play for the remainder of the 2024 season, according to sources. It's believed that Abreu will take a break, and if conditions are right, he'll try to return in 2025 if he's given another opportunity with a big-league organization. The former American League MVP fell off a cliff this year and was released by the Houston Astros after hitting a miserable .124/.167/.195 with two home runs, seven RBI and 10 runs scored in 35 games played. The 37-year-old probably doesn't have much left, but he'll see if another team will give him an opportunity as a right-handed veteran bat next year. If this is the end for the Cuban slugger, he'll finish his MLB career with a .283/.345/.488 slash line with an .833 OPS, 263 home runs and 960 RBI in 1,446 games over 11 seasons in the league.

San Francisco Giants right-hander Alex Cobb (hip, shoulder) will throw five innings in a minor-league rehab start for Single-A San Jose on Friday night, and if all goes well, he will return to make his 2024 debut for the Giants on Wednesday against the Oakland Athletics. Cobb will essentially be replacing right-hander Jordan Hicks, who will make his last start of the year on Sunday against the Colorado Rockies before moving to the bullpen to protect his workload. The 36-year-old Cobb started the year on the injured list after having offseason hip surgery and then suffered a setback with his right shoulder along the way, keeping him out for the entire first half. Cobb has limited fantasy upside with a 19.9% career strikeout rate but could be a worthwhile deep-league streaming option in the right matchups when he returns to San Fran's starting rotation.

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout (knee) underwent an MRI exam on his surgically repaired left knee and said it came back clean. Trout said some scar tissue broke up in his knee and it didn't feel right at the time when he started his minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Salt Lake on Tuesday. He said he's not running right now but is days away. The 32-year-old 11-time All-Star was pulled off his rehab assignment this week and returned to LA for evaluation. It's a sigh of relief for Trout and his fantasy managers after having surgery on his meniscus earlier this year. If Trout can restart his rehab assignment sooner than later, he could be back with the Angels in mid-August. The suddenly injury-prone superstar still deserves to be stashed in all fantasy formats, but he's no longer an elite fantasy asset on one of the worst teams in baseball.

Houston Astros manager Joe Espada said that right-hander Justin Verlander (neck) will throw a bullpen session on Saturday. Verlander threw a 40-pitch bullpen session last weekend and was scheduled to throw another on Wednesday, so he's clearly getting closer to going out on a minor-league rehab assignment as he attempts to return from a neck ailment that has kept him on the 15-day injured list since June 18. If the 41-year-old future Hall of Famer and three-time Cy Young winner doesn't suffer a setback on Saturday, he could be cleared to move to a rehab assignment. Verlander is no longer as dominant towards the end of his illustrious career, but he's still useful in the right matchups in most fantasy leagues when he's healthy. He's posted a 21.3% strikeout rate with a 3.95 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 51:17 K:BB in 10 starts (57 innings) for the 'Stros this year.

The Boston Red Sox are acquiring left-hander James Paxton from the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday, according to sources. It's unclear what the Red Sox have shipped to LA in exchange. The 35-year-old veteran southpaw spent last season with the Red Sox and will now return to Beantown after being designated for assignment by the Dodgers recently. In 89 1/3 innings for the Blue in 2024, Paxton was mostly ineffective, posting a 4.43 ERA (4.96 FIP) with a 1.45 WHIP, 64 strikeouts and a league-high 48 walks in his 18 starts. He wasn't much better last year for the BoSox, going 7-5 with a 4.50 ERA (4.68 FIP) and 1.31 WHIP with a 101:35 K:BB in 96 innings and 19 starts. In addition to losing his control this year, Paxton was also sporting a career-low 16.4% strikeout rate. The move to Boston isn't likely to suddenly help Paxton find his stuff.

Texas Rangers relief pitcher David Robertson pitched two innings on Thursday to pick up his second save of the season against the Chicago White Sox. Robertson retired all six batters he faced and picked up two strikeouts in the process. The veteran got the opportunity with closer Kirby Yates unavailable, due to appearing in the last three games. Despite only having two saves on the season, Robertson have been very effective for managers in leagues that count holds, as he has 21 on the season to go along with a solid 3.02 ERA and 13.30 K/9. If anything were to happen to Yates, Robertson would be the clear frontrunner to take over the ninth inning. For now, his best value is for managers seeking holds.

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Chris Sale was excellent on Thursday, tossing 7 innings of two-run ball in a 3-2 extra innings loss to the New York Mets. Unfortunately for Sale, the Braves couldn't get much going offensively and he ended up taking a no decision. Still, the lefty was dominant again in this one, striking out nine while allowing just two hits and a walk. He has been one of the best pitchers in baseball this year and is in the running for the Cy Young in what has been a tremendous bounce back for the 35-year-old. Sale is an elite option in fantasy.

Free-agent left-hander Rich Hill is back on the mound and has interest from the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers. At 44, Hill is hoping to get back for what would be a 20th season in the major leagues. What kind of role Hill would occupy if he were to lace up his cleats in 2024 remains to be seen, as he made five appearances as a reliever last season with the San Diego Padres. The veteran southpaw didn't look like he had much left in the tank, however, managing a 5.41 ERA and 1.52 WHIP with 129 strikeouts and 58 walks through 146 1/3 innings (27 starts) during time with the Friars and mostly the Pittsburgh Pirates. Hill will have some low-end streaming appeal in fantasy in favorable matchups if he latches on with a contender and makes starts for them, but he's safe to ignore on waiver wires for now.

Texas Rangers veteran Max Scherzer fanned nine White Sox hitters Thursday en route to a 2-1 victory. The veteran went six strong innings, surrendering three hits and one run on his way to a quality start. Scherzer moves his record to 2-3 with a 3.57 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP on the season. He has 33 strikeouts in 35 innings. The Rangers are making their move in the AL West, and are now 51-52 and only five games behind in the standings. The team will need a big performance from Scherzer down the stretch if they hope to make the playoffs.

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve collected three hits in Wednesday afternoon's win over the division-rival Oakland Athletics, driving in two runs during the victory. After ripping an RBI single to left field, plating Jon Singleton to give the Astros a 2-1 lead in the second inning, Altuve lined an RBI double to left field to score Singleton once more and give Houston a 5-1 lead in the seventh inning. Wednesday was just another day at the office for the 34-year-old All-Star infielder, who's now slashing a strong .307/.353/.456 with 14 home runs, 46 RBI, 59 runs scored, and 15 stolen bases covering 410 at-bats this year.

Los Angeles outfielder Mike Trout (knee) is not in Wednesday night's lineup for the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees and will return to Southern California to have his knee re-evaluated. Trout had surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee on May 3, and he suffered a setback in the first game of his minor-league rehab assignment on Tuesday in the form of knee soreness. It's a major buzzkill for both the Angels and fantasy managers alike, as manager Ron Washington was hopeful Trout would be able to return to the lineup as a designated hitter on Wednesday. The three-time American League MVP and 11-time All-Star was slashing .220/.325/.541 with 10 home runs, two triples, six stolen bases, and 14 RBI in 29 games before tearing his meniscus on April 29, and Trout likely won't be able to return before the end of July at this point. Mickey Moniak and Kevin Pillar will continue to form a platoon for at-bats in center field in Anaheim.

Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Kevin Kiermaier is expected to retire after the 2024 season. The 34-year-old has played 12 seasons in the big leagues. Kiermaier spent the first 10 years of his career with the Tampa Bay Rays. He has played with the Blue Jays each of the last two seasons. The veteran outfielder was placed on waivers a few weeks ago after struggling during the first few months of the season. He's still a solid defensive outfielder but his bat has seen a significant drop in production. Best of luck to him after he hangs up his cleats following the 2024 campaign.

Los Angeles Angels manager Ron Washington said that there's still a chance that outfielder Mike Trout (knee) will serve as the designated hitter in a minor-league rehab game on Wednesday for Triple-A Salt Lake. Trout was pulled from his first rehab game with the Bees on Tuesday night after just one at-bat due to soreness in his surgically repaired left knee, but he said he felt better as the night progress and it turns out it may not have been much of a setback at all. Still, the Angels aren't going to rush the 32-year-old 11-time All-Star back into action at the major-league level. Trout had previous plans to return to the Angels lineup by the end of July, but it's unclear if his early exit from Tuesday's rehab game will put a wrench in those plans. He has suddenly become injury-prone on the wrong side of 30 but still needs to be rostered in all fantasy formats.

It didn't take long for Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout (knee) to suffer a setback with his surgically-repaired let knee, as he left his first minor-league rehab game with Triple-A Salt Lake on Tuesday night with left-knee soreness. Trout is being considered day-to-day after playing just two innings for the Bees. The 32-year-old 11-time All-Star was tracking toward a return at the end of July, but those plans could now be out the window, depending on how long it will be before he can get back into a rehab game. He'll likely undergo some tests, and we should have a better idea of a timetable in the next few days, but fantasy managers should probably not expect Trout's return until August now. The three-time MVP is in the middle of a second straight lost season after breaking his hand in 2023. Before injuring his knee earlier this year, he was hitting just .220 but with 10 homers and six steals in 29 games.

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Max Scherzer (arm) is scheduled to take the ball against the Chicago White Sox on Thursday. This is good news after Scherzer had an early exit during his outing on Saturday due to arm fatigue. It appears Scherzer has avoided serious injury and will get the ball again later this week. Fantasy managers should make sure to get Scherzer back in their lineups for a favorable matchup against the struggling White Sox offense.

The New York Mets signed free-agent outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. to a minor-league deal on Tuesday. The 34-year-old left-handed hitter had a 1.024 OPS and 12 home runs in 40 games with the Long Island Ducks of the Independent League this year and will now provide the Mets with additional outfield depth for the second half of the season. Bradley will likely report to Triple-A Syracuse. The former 40th overall pick by the Boston Red Sox in 2011 out of South Carolina hit just .133/.188/.210 with one homer, five doubles, six RBI and 10 runs scored in 43 games for the Kansas City Royals last year before being cut. Bradley was always a defense-first player in his 11 big-league seasons and will be a long shot to carve out a regular role if he even makes it back to the big leagues with the Mets to close out the 2024 season.

Kansas City Royals catcher/first baseman/designated hitter Salvador Perez continued his power-resurgent season in Monday's 10-4 win over the Diamondbacks. Perez went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run and three RBI. The 34-year-old smashed a third-inning Yilber Diaz fastball to straightaway center field for his 18th long ball of the season. The veteran is having a fantasy season more similar to those earlier in his career, slashing .279/.341/.475 with 41 runs scored and 66 RBI in 396 plate appearances. He has managed to still get plenty of at-bats despite his age by cycling between first base and DH when not catching.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander (neck) is scheduled to throw another bullpen session ahead of Wednesday's game against the division-rival Oakland Athletics. Verlander threw all of his pitches during Saturday's 40-pitch session, and he still has a chance to return to Houston's rotation before the end of July if he's able to dodge going out on a brief minor-league rehab assignment before getting activated from the 15-day injured list. The 41-year-old veteran right-hander went 3-2 with a 3.95 ERA and 1.21 WHIP with 51 strikeouts in 10 starts (57 innings) before heading to the shelf with neck stiffness, and he should be stashed in all fantasy leagues with his return perhaps looming.