Not only is Acuña Jr. at the top of the lineup, but he’s right back into the outfield, which is a great sign for his health. Drake Baldwin will DH this game and hit second, with Joey Bart starting behind the dish and hitting eighth.

James Wood also homered twice, giving the Nationals two of the league’s top eight homer leaders. Abrams paces the majors with 82 RBI, and he also ranks inside the top 15 in runs, steals, and batting average. It has been a monstrous breakout season for the shortstop, who finds himself in the middle of trade rumors heading into the August 3 deadline. Washington could simply hold on to him, however, which might be best for his fantasy value as part of the highest-scoring lineup in MLB. The club hasn’t had a 40-homer season since Bryce Harper in 2015, a total both Abrams and Wood could reach by the end of 2026.

Wood connected for a game-tying two-run blast in the fifth and later hit a solo shot in the eighth to give Washington some insurance. He’s up to 30 homers in 2026, which makes him the first National since Adam Dunn in 2009-2010 to do so in back-to-back seasons. CJ Abrams also homered twice, giving the Nats two of the top eight home run leaders in MLB. The franchise has only ever had two 40-homer campaigns, a mark both Wood and Abrams could reach this year.

Langeliers suffered the injury while running the bases during Friday’s contest against the Twins. The 28-year-old backstop had been one of the A’s most prominent trade chips leading up to the trade deadline, and while they weren’t necessarily going to move him, interested teams had been making inquiries. The A’s have not yet decided whether Langeliers will undergo surgery to repair the tear, but if he does it would end his 2026 season. It’s a devasting blow for fantasy managers who simply won’t be able to recreate Langeliers’ power production from what’s available on the waiver wire.

Obviously, there’s nothing at all guaranteed for the Nationals here, but turning Mead, who was acquired after being DFA’d by the White Sox in March, into a pitcher who was universally regarded as a top-75 prospect at the start of the season and who has posted a 3.24 ERA through 21 major league starts, seems like a major win for the organization. There is the huge caveat that Early is currently on the IL with elbow inflammation. Also, his peripherals aren’t as strong as that 3.24 ERA. Still, he projects as a fine middle-of-the-rotation starter for the long haul, even if his recovery from his current elbow issue doesn’t go as hoped. The Red Sox, for what it’s worth, seemed optimistic that he’d be ready to contribute in September. The Nationals, meanwhile, will replace Mead with Brady House. They’ll still probably trade another infielder, too, with Luis García Jr. most likely to go.

Crow-Armstrong’s home run was his 23rd of the season. He hit a two-run shot off Ron Marinaccio in the seventh inning. His stolen base was his 26th. After hitting a double and a home run on Friday night, Crow-Armstrong’s offensive domination continued against the Pirates on Saturday. He’s hitting .291 with a .934 OPS and 59 RBI.

Bellinger exited after a double in the seventh against the Phillies. “It just feels a little tight,” he said after the game. “I really don’t think it’s anything too serious.”

Roberts added that Ohtani’s left knee doesn’t feel 100 percent following his latest bullpen session earlier this week, but expressed confidence that he’ll pitch again this season. There’s zero incentive for the Dodgers to push Ohtani back out on the mound at this stage of the season, which means that fantasy managers shouldn’t count on him making a significant impact, if any, from a pitching standpoint over the final two months.

Minnesota manager Derek Shelton told reporters the expectation is that Ryan will pitch at some point against the Royals next week. The 30-year-old’s name is going to come up a ton in trade rumors over the next couple weeks leading into the trade deadline. Clearly, the Twins aren’t going to take any chances if he’s not feeling right from a physical standpoint. It doesn’t sound like a significant concern since the club hasn’t placed him on the injured list. There should be some much-needed additional clarity concerning Ryan’s next start at some point next week, but fantasy managers shouldn’t anticipate a lengthy absence.

Perez moved past Royals icon George Brett for sole possession of first place as Kansas City’s all-time home run leader with a seventh-inning solo shot to left field against Tigers reliever Kyle Finnegan. It was the 318th round-tripper of his remarkable career. The 36-year-old ironman has gone deep four times in nine contests since the Midsummer Classic. His days as a mixed-league relevant fantasy backstop are probably finished at this advanced stage of his career, but he remains a decent power source at the position in deeper leagues.