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USATSI

Happy Wednesday, everyone! The biggest game of the night on Tuesday was once again the Braves and the Mets as the two teams vie for the National League East and potentially home field in the playoffs. The Braves once again came out on the right side of things -- winning their second in a row against the Mets -- and cutting New York's division lead to just 3.5 games. 

Charlie Morton, the savvy veteran who struggled mightily in the first half but has righted the ship in recent months, was in his bag for a throwback dominant performance. His curveball led the way and Morton racked up a season-high 12 strikeouts. He limited the Mets to zero runs over 6 2/3 scoreless -- just three hits -- and he leaned on his curveball for just under half of all pitches thrown. Morton has been a fringe pitcher in many Fantasy lineups and he's burned managers at times, but he seems primed to deliver now when it matters most -- with the Fantasy playoffs on the way.

We'll dive into key takeaways from Tuesday's action, but first, make sure you're all caught up on everything going on over at CBSSports.com/Fantasy. Scott White will be previewing all of the prospects you need to know about for the remainder of the season in his Prospects Report. We'll dive into some of them below when we break down the Mets decision to call up Brett Baty and other prospects who got the news on Tuesday.

Baty to get some at-bats

The biggest news from Tuesday might've just been the Mets' decision to call up prospect Brett Baty, an aggressive decision that follows along the same blueprint we've seen from the Braves with their decision to call up Michael Harris. Baty, the team's first-round pick in 2019, is just 22 years old and was only recently promoted to Triple-A. He's played just six games total in Triple-A, similar to when the Braves called up Harris straight from Double-A.

Although Baty doesn't have much experience above the Double-A level, he absolutely crushed the baseball during his 2022 season in the minors. Baty batted .315 with 19 homers and a .943 OPS. He is currently just 26% rostered, and while his playing time isn't guaranteed, he's an immediate must-add for your benches (for now). It's that time of the year where we're trying to catch lightning in a bottle.

We the team broke some of this down and much more on the Fantasy Baseball Today Podcast. 

Other prospect call-ups

Baty wasn't the only prospect called up on Tuesday. The A's called up Shea Langeliers, who  immediately batted in the six hole on Tuesday as the team's DH. Langeliers went 1 for 4 with a double, a run scored, but also three strikeouts in his debut. Langeliers racked up a .283 batting average with 19 homers and a .876 OPS in the minors this season. The former 2019 first-round draft pick is 14% rostered.

Roansy Contreras was once again recalled by the Pirates on Tuesday. Contreras racked up a 3.78 ERA with a 1.38 WHIP and a strikeout per inning when he got his chance earlier this season. He's 31% rostered and likely worth scooping up for your bench given his upside as a high strikeout option with pretty electric stuff. 

Last -- and well maybe least -- Estevan Florial was called up on Tuesday. Florial is a deep-league option only, but if you take one look at his 2022 minor league stats it's impossible not to get excited. The dude racked up 14 homers and 32 stolen bases with a power/speed profile you don't often see. He also tallied a .286 batting average and .858 OPS -- of course with a 31% strikeout rate. That kind of strikeout rate is likely to lead to problems -- but if not -- he's going to be an interesting Roto option right away.

Who's hot

Justin Steele is making a case to be added in your league right now. On Tuesday, he delivered his second consecutive quality start -- albeit both against the Nationals. In his latest, Steele delivered six innings of five-hit ball with just one unearned run allowed to go along with two walks. He struck out five and his fastball velocity was up 0.8 mph. His slider velocity -- also up -- 1.7 mph. 

Steele mixed in his slider more often in this start and that has been a key factor in his recent surge. His slider is allowing just a .129 batting average against with a 33% whiff rate. He now has racked up a 1.67 ERA and 50 strikeouts over his last 43 innings -- and yet he's still just 49% rostered.

Who's not

Sean Manaea might be done, ladies and gentlemen. And I don't just mean done from entering your starting lineups -- done from keeping a spot on your roster -- if he's even still there. And in CBS leagues, he's still somehow 93% rostered.

Manaea got cooked again on Tuesday, and this time it came against one of the worst lineups in the league -- the Marlins. Manaea allowed three earned runs through just four innings despite striking out six batters. His sinker velocity dropped all the way down to 89.1 mph -- 1.9 mph lower than the norm. He threw his changeup a lot, and it's hard to figure out why given how batters had laced it heading into this one. Manea now has a 6.50 ERA over his past 11 starts with 13 homers allowed.

Fantasy news, injuries and notes

For a complete recap of every injury, update and more, make sure you're locked into the Fantasy Baseball Today podcast where Frank, Scott and Chris dive deep into every player note. For the CliffsNotes version, we'll recap the biggest news and notes you need to know right here:

  • Wander Franco left his rehab debut Tuesday due to mild hand soreness. Apparently the Rays "don't seem overly concerned" and Franco could play again Wednesday.
  • Clay Holmes said after Tuesday's game that he may need a stint on the IL due to a back issue. Aroldis Chapman is 75% rostered.
  • Ke'Bryan Hayes was placed on the IL due to back spasms.
  • Carlos Carrasco went to the IL and will miss 3-4 weeks due to a low-grade left oblique strain.
  • Ramon Laureano to the IL with a left oblique strain.
  • Jack Flaherty made his second rehab start Tuesday at Double-A. He went three scoreless innings with four Ks and built up to 52 pitches.
  • Dustin May is confirmed for Saturday's start against the Marlins. Make sure to get him in the lineup in those daily lineup leagues. 
  • Bo Bichette was dropped to seventh in the Blue Jays lineup Tuesday against the Orioles. 
  • Taijuan Walker left his start Tuesday with back spasms. 
  • Mike Soroka made his first rehab start at High-A Tuesday. He went four shutout with eight strikeouts and built up to 45 pitches. He's 27% rostered.
  • Andrew Heaney has been cleared to make his next start Thursday against the Brewers. 
  • Paul Blackburn will miss the rest of the season due to inflammation in his right middle finger.
  • Marcell Ozuna has now sat two games in a row in order to get William Contreras back in the lineup as the DH.
  • Giancarlo Stanton should start a rehab assignment within a few days.
  • Hunter Greene will throw a bullpen session Sunday. He's been out since Aug. 1 with a shoulder injury.
  • The Braves did it again! They signed Michael Harris to an eight-year contract worth $72 million, which I believe only covers two years of free agency.