Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte (back) was scratched from Thursday's starting lineup against the St. Louis Cardinals with back stiffness, according to Steve Zinsmeister of Arizona Sports. Ildemaro Vargas is starting at the keystone and will bat seventh for the Snakes against Cardinals right-hander Michael McGreevy. For now, we'll consider Marte to be day-to-day until we know more. Fantasy managers will want to remove him from their starting lineups and check back on Friday to see if he's available in D.C. for the series opener against the Washington Nationals. It might be a good time for Marte to take a day off, as he's hitting just .229 (16-for-70) with a .619 OPS, one homer, three doubles, a triple, six RBI, nine runs scored, three steals, five walks, and 15 strikeouts in 17 games in July to drop his season line to .258/.313/.461 with a .773 OPS. The Dominican switch-hitter and three-time All-Star continues to be a strong source of power at the keystone, though, with 18 homers and 59 RBI in 98 games and 432 plate appearances in his 12th year in the majors.

Miami Marlins outfield prospect Kemp Alderman blasted his 14th home run of the season on Wednesday in a two-hit effort for Triple-A Jacksonville. The Marlins' eighth-ranked prospect is hitting .326 in 12 July games for the Jumbo Shrimp, which has raised his season-long slash line to .295/.372/.515. The former second-rounder offered stolen base potential last year, recording 22 steals (20 of which came at Double-A), but is up to just six this year, and is still striking out at an elevated rate of 31.2 percent. The 22-year-old could make an MLB debut later this year, but he'll need to flex some more of his highly-rated power tool in order to make the strikeout rate (and corresponding low walk rate) worth it. For now, he looks like a high-risk, high-reward stash consideration for home runs in very deep redraft leagues given his proximity to the majors.

The Seattle Mariners are telling teams that they are open to moving right-hander Emerson Hancock at this year's trade deadline as they search for a right-handed hitter, people briefed on their discussions told Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic. Contending teams are likely to be reluctant to take on veteran right-hander Luis Castillo and the $22.75 million he's owed next season. The 27-year-old Hancock is more affordable and controllable, as he's earning $793,300 this year and is under control for four more seasons through 2030. Regression is expected for Hancock, but he's in the midst of a breakout campaign this year with a 6-4 record, 3.16 ERA (3.72 FIP) and 1.01 WHIP with a career-high 97 strikeouts and 26 walks in 105 1/3 innings across his 19 starts. Even though other teams likely don't view him as a top-of-the-rotation arm, he's still valuable under long-term control. Hancock could be Seattle's best pitching trade chip this summer, as they are unlikely to discuss Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, or Bryan Woo. Right-hander Bryce Miller is also believed to be untouchable.

Kansas City Royals first baseman/outfielder Jac Caglianone (shoulder) remains out of the starting lineup for Thursday's contest on the road in Detroit against the division-rival Tigers, per MLB.com. Nick Loftin is starting in right field and will bat eighth against Tigers right-hander Troy Melton. Caglianone injured his shoulder attempting to make a diving catch in Tuesday's game and is now missing a second straight start. There hasn't been any news to suggest that Cags is dealing with a significant injury, though, so fantasy managers should continue to consider him day-to-day for now. Check back on Friday to see if he's available for the second game of the series on Friday in Motown. Caglianone got off to a slow start in 2026 in his first full season in the big leagues, homering five times in the first two months, but he clubbed nine long balls in June while hitting over .300, and he's currently batting .246 (16-for-65) with a .658 OPS, two homers, seven RBI, and seven runs so far in 16 games in July. He could be a difference-maker in the power department to close out the year for fantasy managers, and he's rostered in under 70% of Yahoo leagues.