New York Mets infielder Bo Bichette (foot) is not in the team's starting lineup for Thursday's series finale against the Milwaukee Brewers, per MLB.com. Bichette is starting on the bench for this contest after he was pulled early on Wednesday after fouling a ball off his left foot. X-rays on his foot came back negative, so he will have a chance to be back as soon as Friday's series opener at home against the Houston Astros. Brett Baty will make the start at the hot corner on Thursday and will hit seventh for New York against Brewers flamethrowing right-hander Jacob Misiorowski. In his first year in Queens, Bichette got off to an ice-cold start at the plate before eventually rebounding. The two-time All-Star enters Thursday's action with a .264/.312/.393 slash line, a .704 OPS, 14 home runs, 66 RBI, 64 runs scored, and one stolen base in 132 games played across 568 plate appearances. Overall, it has still been a disappointment for the big free-agent signing, but Bichette has been much better in the second half, hitting .289 (41-for-142) with a .779 OPS, four homers, seven doubles, a triple, 15 RBI, and 16 runs in 36 games since the All-Star break. He's also hitting over .300 so far in 22 games in August.

Chicago White Sox infield prospect Caleb Bonemer is not only fitting in at Double-A Birmingham, he's excelling, too. Chicago's second-ranked prospect is hitting .268, which is 30 points higher than his average was at High-A, while reducing his strikeout rate by more than four percent and drawing a few more walks. It has resulted in a .962 OPS with 16 home runs in 55 games for the Barons, and combined with his 18 home runs from High-A, the former second-rounder has now blasted 34 home runs on the season, including four in his last six games. While he isn't known for his speed, the 6-foot-1 slugger has also tallied 16 steals between both levels, providing strong all-around production. The right-handed hitter should see time at Triple-A in 2027 and could be in the mix for a second-half call-up to the majors, so redraft managers should be familiar with the name.

Despite allowing a run in two of his last three appearances, Cleveland Guardians right-handed closer Cade Smith has locked down five saves since his last blown save on Aug. 5 against the New York Mets. In 10 appearances (10 innings pitched) in August, Smith has allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits with six walks, 14 strikeouts, five saves, and one blown save. The 27-year-old Canadian earned his first All-Star nod this year and has really stepped up at the back end of the Guards' bullpen in 2026, going 3-1 with a 2.40 ERA (2.52 FIP), 1.08 WHIP, a career-high 35 saves, 84 strikeouts, and 20 walks in 60 relief innings. His 35 saves trail only Tampa Bay Rays closer Bryan Baker for the lead in MLB, and his 84 strikeouts are tied with Brent Headrick and Grant Taylor for fifth in baseball among all relievers. The former 16th-round pick by the Minnesota Twins in 2017 has picked up a save in each of his last four appearances out of the bullpen, and he's not slowing down at all as we approach the final month of the regular season in September.

St. Louis Cardinals catcher prospect Rainiel Rodriguez took some time settling in at Double-A Springfield after his promotion in early May, hitting just .182 with two extra-base hits over his first 21 games there. However, since then, the Cardinals' top-ranked prospect has caught fire, hitting .368 with 20 doubles and 18 home runs in just 53 games, good for a 1.134 OPS during that time. That type of production is impressive on its own merit, but the right-handed hitter is doing all of this as one of the youngest players in Double-A at age 19. The youngster is in position to begin 2027 at Triple-A and has a shot to debut next year despite his age, though it is crowded at catcher in St. Louis with Ivan Herrera, Pedro Pages, and fellow catching prospect Leo Bernal, so it will be interesting to see how it shakes out. Rodriguez (and Bernal, for that matter) has played some first base this year, and with his power potential, designated hitter is always an option as well, which gives him multiple paths to the majors. The 5-foot-10 Dominican should be on redraft managers' radar in 2027, and his dynasty arrow is pointing way up.