Washington Nationals first baseman/designated hitter Josh Bell, catcher Keibert Ruiz and second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. are all sitting for Friday's game in D.C. against the visiting Texas Rangers. Outfielder Alex Call is serving as the designated hitter and is batting fifth, Riley Adams is doing the catching and hitting sixth, and Nasim Nunez is starting at the keystone and in the nine-hole of the batting order against Rangers left-hander Patrick Corbin. Nathaniel Lowe is starting at first base and batting cleanup for the Nats. While Ruiz is a switch-hitter, both Bell and Garcia bat from the left side and will get the day off against the left-handed pitcher. Call, Adams and Nunez have never faced Corbin before in their careers. Call has hit over .300 in 48 plate appearances versus southpaws this year, but he's still searching for his first homer.

The Colorado Rockies are promoting infield prospect Ryan Ritter to the major leagues. In a corresponding move, the Rockies are placing shortstop Ezequiel Tovar (oblique) on the 10-day injured list with a left oblique strain. Ritter is currently considered the No. 12-ranked prospect in the Colorado system on MLB.com. The 24-year-old made his Triple-A debut at the start of the campaign and has performed at a high level. Through 52 total games, the infielder has posted a stellar .302/.413/.635 slash line with 13 doubles, 16 home runs, and three stolen bases. He has tallied 45 RBI and scored 44 runs. He was riding an 18-game hitting streak at Triple-A, where he posted an elite .443/.489/.987 line. With Tovar hitting the IL, fantasy managers should expect Ritter to see close to an everyday role in the starting nine. Given his high power upside, he is worth adding in all standard leagues.

The Washington Nationals activated outfielder Jacob Young (shoulder) from the 10-day injured list on Friday and optioned outfielder Daylen Lile to Triple-A Rochester in a corresponding move, according to the team. Young will return to the big leagues for the first time since being placed on the IL on May 23 with an AC joint sprain in his left shoulder. The Nationals haven't released their lineup for Friday's contest against the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates, so it's unclear if Young is back in the starting lineup right away. Before his injury, the 25-year-old had gone 25-for-110 (.227) with no home runs, six RBI, 15 runs scored and five stolen bases in 41 games. Young will now be an option in center field again for the Nats, which could lead to fewer at-bats for both Alex Call and rookie Robert Hassell III.

The Cincinnati Reds announced on Friday that they activated infielder Christian Encarnacion-Strand (back) from the 10-day injured list and designated catcher Austin Wynns for assignment in a corresponding move. Encarnacion-Strand is returning for the first time since being placed on the IL back on April 17 with lower-back inflammation. It's unclear yet if the 25-year-old will be in the starting lineup for Friday's series opener against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks, but he'll be an option at third base, first base and designated hitter for the Reds now that he's back. He was hitting just .158 (9-for-57) with two homers and 13 strikeouts in 15 games before his injury, and he just hasn't been the same since fracturing his right wrist in 2024. When Encarnacion-Strand is right, he has high-end power upside for fantasy managers.

The Minnesota Twins announced on Friday that they recalled right-handed pitching prospect Travis Adams from Triple-A St. Paul and optioned left-hander Kody Funderbunk to St. Paul in a corresponding move. Adams will get his first big-league call-up after going 3-1 with a 3.43 ERA and 1.14 WHIP with 37 strikeouts, three saves and 10 walks in 42 innings pitched over 13 outings (two starts) with the Saints. The 25-year-old served mostly as a bulk reliever on the farm, although he could make starts in Minnesota with Pablo Lopez (shoulder) out for an extended period of time. He's considered Minnesota's No. 21 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, but he should only be considered for a pickup in deep AL-only leagues. The 6-foot-1, 197-pounder is a strike-thrower but lacks high-end fantasy upside because his arsenal isn't all that overpowering.