Yahoo MLB DFS Heart of the Order: August 23

Montes De Oca was with Arizona over the weekend but didn’t pitch. He was briefly sent back to Triple-A but then recalled on Monday when Kendall Graveman went on the IL. However, Montes De Oca felt discomfort in his elbow on Monday and was not available to pitch. Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said, “his concern is high.” We’ll have to wait for the MRI results to know more, but the Arizona bullpen is not in good shape right now.

Hodge threw a bullpen on Friday, so this is the next step for him. After the live batting practice, he’ll begin a rehab assignment and should be back in Chicago’s bullpen by the end of the month. He likely won’t unseat Daniel Palencia right away, but he should return to the high-leverage mix for the Cubs.

Alvarez has been on the injured list since late March with what was deemed “wrist inflammation.” It would be likely that something else was going on since it’s been over two months, so it should be a lengthy rehab assignment for the 22-year-old shortstop. Even though Nick Allen isn’t providing a lot of offense in Atlanta, he’s been great defensively, so we wouldn’t expect Alvarez to push him for playing time unless Atlanta falls out of the playoff picture.

Urshela has been on the injured list since May 23rd, so he likely won’t need too long on his rehab assignment. However, with Max Muncy back up in Sacramento, Urshela may have to settle for a bench role as a utility infielder.

McClanahan threw a bullpen on Saturday, and Rays manager Kevin Cash said, “All went well.” There is currently no timeline for McClanahan’s return, but the left-hander will likely throw another bullpen or two before beginning a lengthy rehab. He could return at some point in July, but we should expect some inconsistencies and short outings during the remainder of the season. We may not see elite fantasy production until 2026.

Schanuel has batted .310/.422/.407 with a homer, eight doubles, 10 RBIs, and 20 runs scored over his last 32 games, and could have had another home run if Denzel Clarke didn’t make an insane catch on Monday night. Part of Schanuel’s success has been patience, “just getting a pitch in [his] zone to do damage with. Or if [he has] to take [his] single the other way, or if [he has] to walk, take a walk.” The other part is that his bat speed is up 2.8 mph from last year, which is the third-biggest improvement in the Majors this season. He’s certainly worth a look as a corner infielder in 15-team leagues and maybe 12-team leagues as well.