MLB News

Boston Red Sox outfielder Rob Refsnyder (forearm) has been placed on the 10-day injured list on Friday. The 33-year-old was trying to avoid this, but has been dealing with discomfort for over a week now. There isn't enough time for Refsnyder to return before the end of the regular season. He'll finish his season with a .283/.359/.471 slash line with 11 home runs and 40 RBI. In a corresponding move, infielder Vaughn Grissom has been recalled from the minors. He figures to see play in a handful of games before the end of the season, but isn't someone worth snagging in fantasy formats.

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Tommy Edman will head to the bench ahead of Friday's game against the Colorado Rockies. This appears to be a routine rest day for Edman who has been on fire with the bat lately. Edman is hitting over .300 with six home runs over his late 53 plate appearances. That being said, Edman should be back in the lineup after his rest day. Andy Pages will cover center field and bat sixth against left-hander Kyle Freeland on Friday. Pages is crushing lefty pitchers to the tune of a .347 batting average with two homers and eight RBI this season.

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw (toe) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session ahead of Friday's game against the Colorado Rockies. The left-hander has been sidelined since late-August due to a big toe issue. It's worth noting that Kershaw threw an 80-pitch bullpen session on Wednesday. It sounds like Kershaw is making progress, but it's unclear if he'll be ready before the end of the regular season. Fantasy managers are unlikely to get anything from Kershaw at this point, but at least he could contribute to the Dodgers postseason run.

Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Jake McCarthy is out of the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers. This is a much-needed day off for McCarthy who has started in 14 straight games. McCarthy was slowing down with the bat, so the team decided to give him a day off to recharge. Fellow outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (calf) has been activated from the injured list and will return to the lineup, while Corbin Carroll shifts to center field against right-hander Colin Rea. Fantasy managers who are rostering Gurriel or McCarthy should adjust their lineups ahead of first pitch.

Baltimore Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins is out of the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the Detroit Tigers. The O's will play matchups here and have Mullins retreat to the bench against left-hander Tyler Holton. Mullins has picked it up with the bat in the second half of the season, but his biggest asset is his speed. The 29-year-old has 30 steals across 140 games this season. In his absence, Colton Cowser will cover center field and bat sixth on Friday. He has slowed down with the bat since his great start, but still has 20 home runs in 145 games this season.

San Diego Padres infielder Luis Arraez (knee) is back in the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the Chicago White Sox. Arraez sat out of Wednesday's game due to knee soreness and received the next day off with the team not playing on Thursday. It appears Arraez is good to go now as he'll bat leadoff and serve as the designated hitter against left-hander Garrett Crochet. Arraez is hitting .320 with nearly 200 hits on the season, so fantasy managers better make sure to get him back in their lineups ahead of first pitch.

The Colorado Rockies announced on Friday that they placed right-hander Tyler Kinley (elbow) on the 15-day injured list with right-elbow inflammation and recalled right-hander Jake Bird from Triple-A Albuquerque in a corresponding move. Kinley took over closing duties in Colorado when Victor Vodnik landed on the IL and he'll now end his 2024 season with a career-high 12 saves, a 6.19 ERA (4.80 FIP), a 1.47 WHIP and a 72:33 K:BB in 64 innings out of the bullpen. The 33-year-old veteran also picked up 33 holds in his fifth year with Colorado. Now that Kinley will not pitch again out of the big-league bullpen, Vodnik should take over the primary closing duties for the Rockies to close out the season with just over a week left. Vodnik has a career-high nine saves this year, with one of them coming since he returned from the IL on Sept. 10.

Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung (wrist) is being shut down for a couple of days with discomfort in his surgically repaired right wrist. Jung will go to Arizona to visit his surgeon on Monday and will hopefully play on the season-ending road trip next week. With Jung out again on Friday, Jonathan Ornelas will start at third base for Texas and will hit ninth at Globe Life Field against the division-rival Seattle Mariners and right-hander George Kirby. DFS managers should avoid Ornelas in the tough matchup against Kirby. Depending on what Jung's surgeon says, there's a chance the Rangers just play it safe and hold the 26-year-old out for the final week of the 2024 season with nothing left to play for. Jung fractured his wrist in early April and has played in just 46 games this year, slashing .264/.298/.421 with seven home runs, 16 RBI and four stolen bases in 188 plate appearances.

Baltimore Orioles first baseman Ryan Mountcastle (wrist) is starting a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Norfolk on Friday, according to the team. Mountcastle will remain with Norfolk through Sunday when the minor-league season ends. After that, the 27-year-old right-handed hitter will most likely rejoin the big-league roster next week. Mountcastle has been out almost a month with a left-wrist sprain, so it wouldn't be a surprise if Baltimore looked to ease him back into regular duties in the final month of the 2024 regular season before postseason play begins in early October. His return will surely be a boost for the O's offense heading into the playoffs, but Mountcastle's wrist sprain also won't help his cause to boost his power to close out the season. The former 36th overall pick in 2015 has only 13 bombs in 2024, 61 RBI and 53 runs scored in 452 at-bats.

New York Mets right-hander Kodai Senga (calf) will pitch in a minor-league rehab game with Triple-A Syracuse on Saturday and will throw one to two innings or 30 to 35 pitches. Senga missed the entire first half of the season rehabbing a shoulder injury and suffered some setbacks before straining his calf in his only start of 2024 on July 26, when he picked up a win over the Atlanta Braves by allowing two earned runs in 5 1/3 innings while walking one and striking out nine. The 31-year-old Japanese hurler has been on the injured list ever since but has been working hard to rejoin the club as a reliever out of the bullpen if they capture a wild-card spot in the National League. If Senga doesn't get injured again, he could come off the IL to rejoin the Mets in a relief role for the final week of the season. Having a fully healthy Senga in any role in the postseason would be an upgrade for New York's pitching staff.

Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley (hand) will undergo a CT scan on Monday to determine if his broken right hand has healed fully and if he can remove his cast. Riley broke the hamate bone in his right hand and has been out since the middle of August. Even if Riley is able to remove his cast next week, it isn't guaranteed that he'd be able to return for Atlanta if they are able to secure the final wild-card spot in the National League for the postseason in October. The 27-year-old right-handed slugger should have already been dropped in season-long leagues since he won't return in the final month of the regular season. Atlanta's offense has been limping to the finish line with outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) and Riley missing extended time in 2024 due to injuries. In 110 games before breaking his hand, Riley hit 19 homers and drove in 56. It's been a disappointing year after three straight 30-homer campaigns.

Cincinnati Reds left-hander Andrew Abbott (shoulder) is not expected to return from the injured list to pitch again this year, but he will continue his throwing program to build into a healthy, normal offseason. The Reds are out of postseason contention with just over a week left to play in the regular season, so Abbott will continue to rehab his left shoulder in hopes of being 100 percent ready to go for spring training next February. The 25-year-old southpaw saw his strikeout rate drop from 26.1% in his rookie season in 2023 to 19.5% this year, but otherwise his surface numbers were very similar in his second year in the big leagues. Abbott went 10-10 with a 3.72 ERA, a 1.29 WHIP and a 114:52 K:BB in 138 innings over his 25 starts. His 5.05 FIP suggests he was very fortunate to have an ERA under 4.00. As long as he's healthy in 2025, Abbott should have a starting role locked up in Cincy.

Cincinnati Reds right-hander Hunter Greene (elbow) will come off the 15-day injured list on Sunday on a controlled workload to face the division-rival Pittsburgh Pirates. Greene is recovering from right-elbow soreness and threw 52 games in a simulated game on Tuesday. Still, the 25-year-old hasn't been fully stretched out, so despite the plus matchup against Pittsburgh this weekend, he won't be a recommended fantasy start for those still playing for a championship late in the year. If Greene doesn't suffer a setback on Sunday, he'll be more appealing in fantasy lineups for his final start of the year next week, which is lined up against the division-rival Chicago Cubs. Before his elbow injury, Greene took a step forward in 2024 as a first-time All-Star with a 9-4 record, career-best 2.83 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and a 162:53 K:BB in 143 1/3 innings over his 24 starts.

The San Francisco Giants placed right-hander Jordan Hicks (shoulder) back on the 15-day injured list on Friday with right-shoulder inflammation and recalled pitcher Austin Warren from the minors in a corresponding move. Given the fact that there is just over a week left in the regular season, Hicks will not pitch again in 2024. The 28-year-old's elevated workload in his first year in the Bay Area as a starter has certainly caught up with him, and it's the same injury that he returned from less than a week ago. Because of Hicks' elevated workload, the Giants moved him to a relief role in the second half, and he has struggled out of the bullpen. Hicks was solid for fantasy managers early on as a starter, though, and he'll finish his first year with San Fran with a 4-7 record, 4.10 ERA, a 1.45 WHIP, 96 strikeouts and 47 walks in a career-high 109 2/3 frames over 29 outings (20 starts).

The Chicago Cubs placed left-hander Jordan Wicks (oblique) on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to Sept. 18) on Friday with a right-oblique strain and recalled pitcher Trey Wingenter from Triple-A Iowa in a corresponding move. Wicks will not pitch again this year after already spending two-plus months on the IL earlier this season with the same injury. The 25-year-old southpaw returned on Sept. 1 and allowed 15 earned runs on 24 hits (seven home runs) while walking 10 and striking out 10 over 18 innings in his four starts versus the Nationals, Yankees, Dodgers and A's. His oblique issues limited him to 11 outings (10 starts) at the big-league level in 2024, and Wicks wasn't very effective with a 5.48 ERA (5.32 FIP), a 1.63 WHIP, 42 strikeouts and 20 walks in 46 innings in his second year in the big leagues. He will now rehab his oblique this offseason and hope to be at full health for spring training in 2025.

The Arizona Diamondbacks reinstated outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (calf) from the 10-day injured list on Friday and designated veteran infielder Luis Guillorme for assignment in a corresponding move. The Diamondbacks haven't released their starting lineup for Friday's contest against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field, but there's a good chance Gurriel will be back in left field. The 30-year-old right-handed slugger will return from a calf strain that has kept him out since earlier this month. Fantasy managers still playing for something with the season in its final stretch will be hoping that Gurriel can pick up where he left off offensively. Going into Friday's contest, the D-backs are in the second wild-card spot for the National League postseason. Gurriel has only faced Milwaukee's starting pitch on Friday, right-hander Colin Rea, three times in his career and is hitless.

Los Angeles Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said that two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani (elbow) is "very unlikely" to be an option to pitch for the Dodgers in the postseason in October. Ohtani has been throwing off a mound in his recovery from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow and is expected to start facing live hitters soon. However, it appears the Dodgers aren't going to risk bringing the 30-year-old Japanese All-Star back for his first big-league appearance on the mound until 2025, even with a glaring need for pitching depth heading into postseason play. Even though he hasn't contributed on the mound in 2024, he's the MVP front-runner in the National League. Ohtani had a historical day on Thursday against the Miami Marlins to become the first player in the history of the sport to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in the same season.

New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (back) is still absent from the team's starting lineup for Friday's contest at Citi Field against the division-rival Philadelphia Phillies. Rookie infielder Luisangel Acuna will make another start at short and bat ninth against Phillies left-hander Cristopher Sanchez. Lindor is missing his fifth straight game while he works his way through a nagging back injury. The good news is that he resumed baseball activities on Wednesday and should have a chance to rejoin the starting lineup by the end of the weekend. Although the Mets offense has busted out of late with Lindor on the bench, they definitely want him active down the stretch as they try to secure one of the last two wild-card spots in the National League. The 22-year-old Acuna has looked great in his first 19 MLB at-bats, recording eight hits (two homers) while driving in five and scoring five runs for the Mets. UPDATE: Lindor is attempting to go through a full slate of baseball activities on Friday, and if all goes well, manager Carlos Mendoza indicated Lindor will have a chance to return on Saturday.

Washington Nationals right-hander Trevor Williams (elbow) was activated from the 60-day injured list on Friday and is starting at Wrigley Field against the hosting Chicago Cubs. Williams was looking excellent earlier this year before suffering a flexor strain in his right elbow and missing the last four months. Because of all the time away, the 32-year-old veteran will be a pretty risky fantasy streamer on the road on Friday. He was able to get up to 73 pitches in his last minor-league rehab start, though, so he should be pretty stretched out in his return to Washington's starting rotation. In his first 11 starts in 2024 before getting hurt, Williams had gone 5-0 with a 2.22 ERA (2.82 FIP) and a 1.08 WHIP with 47 strikeouts and 16 walks over his 56 2/3 innings thrown. Williams' last start for the Nats came all the way back on May 30.

Oakland Athletics right-hander Ross Stripling (back) felt his back "lock up" during the team's 4-3 win over the Houston Astros back on Sept. 10. Stripling threw a 25-pitch bullpen session on Wednesday, which mostly consisted of fastballs while also mixing in each of his offspeed pitches. He said afterward that he felt good and that he's scheduled to throw a longer bullpen on Saturday. With Stripling's injured-list placement retroactive to Sept. 9, he's hopeful of making his return when first eligible to come off the IL on Sept. 24. It looks like the 34-year-old veteran will be able to return to the big-league roster before the end of the 2024 season, but Stripling is well off the fantasy radar already. In his 21 outings (14 starts) in Oakland in 2024, Stripling has gone 2-11 with a career-worst 6.08 ERA and 1.54 WHIP in 84 1/3 innings. He also has a career-worst 13% strikeout rate.