The Kansas City Royals officially placed first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino (thumb) on the 10-day injured list on Friday with a right-thumb fracture and recalled infielder Nick Loftin from Triple-A Omaha in a corresponding move. Pasquantino suffered the serious injury during a collision at first base late in Thursday's loss to the Houston Texans, and with an expected recovery timetable of six to eight weeks, the 26-year-old is most likely to miss the rest of the 2024 season unless the Royals make the postseason and go on a deep playoff run. Catcher Salvador Perez should see plenty of time at first base now in KC, which will push Freddy Fermin to more starts behind the plate. The Royals can also use Loftin at the position down the stretch. Pasquantino had a successful 2024 campaign, hitting a career-high 19 home runs while driving in 97 runs in 496 at-bats.

Houston Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker (shin), who took live batting practice on Friday against a minor-league pitcher, provided a long update on his condition and said it's an "option" for him to play in next week's series at Great American Ball Park against the Cincinnati Reds, but he's more likely to return during the next homestand that begins next Friday, Sept. 6. It's possible that Tucker will go on a minor-league rehab assignment before coming off the 60-day injured list, but he prefers not to have one. In addition to taking BP on Friday, the 27-year-old also ran full speed again, although the final box he must check is running the bases at full speed. Tucker has been out somehow since early June with a mere right-shin contusion, but he now has a firm timetable for a return right around the corner. He should not be floating around on any waiver wires.

Cleveland Guardians veteran right-hander Alex Cobb (finger) is expected to come off the 15-day injured list to start on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Progressive Field. Cobb hasn't been able to stay healthy all year, but this time he's recovering from a mere cracked fingernail on his pitching hand. Because his injury wasn't very serious, he did not end up making a rehab start in the minor leagues. The 36-year-old made just two starts with the Guards after being acquired in a trade from the San Francisco Giants at the trade deadline. In those two starts, he yielded six runs (five earned) while walking three and striking out four in 10 1/3 innings versus the Twins and Cubs. The matchup against Pittsburgh is a friendly one, but Cobb doesn't have much fantasy upside in the strikeout department these days and should only be a streaming candidate in deeper leagues.

Los Angeles Angels starting pitching prospect Brett Kerry struck out a season-high 14 batters on Thursday evening. He tossed seven innings of two-run ball with just one hit and two free passes. Since the start of the month, Kerry has showcased elite swing-and-miss potential with an eye-catching 47 punchouts across 32 innings. During this stretch, he held a solid 3.62 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP. Through his first extended look at Triple-A ball, the 25-year-old has struggled to find consistency as he sits with an overall 5.68 ERA and a 1.45 WHIP through 77 innings this summer. If he continues to showcase this elite strikeout potential he could earn a late-season taste of the major leagues.

The Cleveland Guardians announced on Friday that outfield prospect Chase DeLauter (hamstring) was placed on the seven-day minor-league injured list at Triple-A Columbus due to a right-hamstring strain. In a corresponding move, the team reinstated right-hander Nic Enright (undisclosed) from the seven-day IL. DeLauter, the club's No. 2 prospect per MLB Pipeline, had just been promoted to Columbus and was on track to potentially receive his first big-league call-up with rosters expanding in September, but that probably won't be the case now. The 22-year-old former 16th overall pick in 2022 out of James Madison University has had trouble avoiding injuries in his two pro seasons and only played in 30 games for Double-A Akron, slashing .252/.328/.441 with five home runs and 16 RBI. If he can stay healthy in 2025, he should make his major-league debut at some point in Cleveland.