MLB News

Jhonkensy Noel • RF • Guardians

Jhonkensy Noel Out On Thursday

Cleveland Guardians rookie first baseman/outfielder Jhonkensy Noel is out of the starting lineup on Thursday against the Tampa Bay Rays at Progressive Field. With Noel back on the bench after starting each of the last three games, Will Brennan will make the start in right field and will bat seventh against Rays right-hander Ryan Pepiot. Noel does have 13 home runs in his first 55 big-league games with Cleveland this year, but he's also hitting only .232 (35-for-151) and has 55 strikeouts in 169 plate appearances. The Dominican slugger has really struggled of late, too, as he doesn't have a hit since Sept. 2. In nine games in September, Noel has gone 2-for-23 (.087) with a double, two RBI and 10 strikeouts. The left-handed-hitting Brennan has not recorded a hit in only three career at-bats against Pepiot and should be considered a low-upside DFS sleeper.

7 days ago

Carson Fulmer • SP • Angels

Carson Fulmer Still Hoping To Return This Season

Los Angeles Angels right-hander Carson Fulmer (elbow) felt something in his elbow in his start against the Toronto Blue Jays on Aug. 25 but pitched through it without any issues. But his elbow continued to bother him when he tried to throw a bullpen session, and he was put on the 15-day injured list on Aug. 30. Fulmer has progressed to playing light catch and he is still hoping to return at some point before the end of the season at the end of September. He is continuing to ramp up his throwing program. The 30-year-old has operated as a swing man for the Angels in 2024, going 0-5 with a 4.15 ERA (4.56 FIP), a 1.31 WHIP and a 79:37 K:BB in 32 appearances (eight starts) over 80 1/3 innings before his injury. At this point with the Angels playing out the string, it feels unlikely that we'll see Fulmer pitching again in 2024 at the big-league level.

7 days ago

Kevin Pillar • CF • Angels

Kevin Pillar Hasn't Resumed Baseball Activities

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Kevin Pillar (thumb) was removed for a pinch-hitter late in the team's loss to the division-rival Texas Rangers on Sept. 6 and was placed on the 10-day injured list the next day with a left-thumb sprain. The Angels are holding out hope that Pillar can return before the end of the regular season, though, according to manager Ron Washington. However, Pillar still hadn't progressed to baseball activities as of Monday. The 35-year-old veteran is going to need to start improving soon if he wants to play again in 2024, but the out-of-contention Halos don't have any incentive to rush him back at this point. Pillar was brought in for outfield depth this year, mainly because of Mike Trout's (knee) injury, and he has provided a mediocre .251/.299/.396 slash line with a below-average .695 OPS, six home runs, 40 RBI and eight steals in his 76 games.

7 days ago

Bryce Teodosio • CF • Angels

Bryce Teodosio Dealing With Fractured Finger

Los Angeles Angels rookie outfielder Bryce Teodosio (finger) was hit by a pitch on his right middle finger when he attempted to drop down a bunt in the seventh inning on Tuesday in the loss to the Minnesota Twins. Teodosio stayed in the game and picked up his first major-league hit before later leaving, and X-rays showed a small fracture in his finger. He was held out of the lineup on Wednesday, but manager Ron Washington said that Teodosio is expected to avoid the injured list and could return at some point this weekend. The 25-year-old has played in only four games for the Halos since being called up from the minors and has gone just 1-for-12 with no walks and five strikeouts. Teodosio is not one of the Angels' top prospects, but he could see some decent playing time down the stretch once he returns from his finger injury as the team plays out the string in another disappointing season.

7 days ago

Travis d'Arnaud • C • Braves

Travis d'Arnaud Back From Paternity List

The Atlanta Braves reinstated catcher Travis d'Arnaud from the paternity list on Thursday and optioned catcher Chadwick Tromp to Triple-A Gwinnett after Wednesday's game in a corresponding move. The Braves have a scheduled day off on Thursday before they start a crucial four-game series on Friday against the Los Angeles Dodgers. d'Arnaud was away from the team for three games earlier this week as he welcomed a new addition to the family. The 35-year-old veteran will return to sharing time behind the dish in Atlanta with Sean Murphy. He's having another solid season as a platoon catching option for the Braves in 2024 with 14 home runs and 46 RBI to go with a .245/.306/.456 slash line in 90 games played. d'Arnaud will now look to get going after picking up just three hits in 16 at-bats with seven strikeouts in five games in September.

7 days ago

Byron Buxton • CF • Twins

Twins Reinstate Byron Buxton From Injured List

The Minnesota Twins reinstated outfielder Byron Buxton (hip) from the 10-day injured list on Thursday and optioned utility man Austin Martin to Triple-A St. Paul in a corresponding move. Buxton was fully expected to come off the IL and rejoin the Twins on Friday before their series opener against the Cincinnati Reds at Target Field. Minnesota has made the move to reinstate Buxton a day earlier. The Twins have a scheduled day off on Thursday, but Buxton should be back in the lineup on Friday night. The oft-injured 30-year-old outfielder will return to being an everyday player for the Twins, although he could be eased in at first with designated hitter duties before eventually taking over in center field. Buxton has only six steals in 90 games in 2024 but has hit a nice .275 (84-for-305) with 16 homers and 49 RBI in his 10th year in the league.

Sep 12

Willson Contreras • C • Cardinals

Willson Contreras To Be Re-Evaluated On Monday

St. Louis Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras (finger), who is currently sidelined with a broken left middle finger, will be re-evaluated on Monday, and the Cardinals will then plan his path to a return, according to manager Oliver Marmol. Contreras didn't need surgery on his finger and has been out of a splint for the past week and is eager to return before the end of the 2024 season. The 32-year-old veteran backstop has been out since Aug. 24, and if he does manage to make it back before the end of September, it might only be for a handful of games, so fantasy managers shouldn't be counting on him at all the rest of the way. In the meantime, rookie Pedro Pages and Ivan Herrera will continue to split playing time behind the plate. Contreras was well on his way to a fourth straight 20-plus-homer season in 2024 before suffering the second serious injury of the campaign.

Sep 12

Kyle Tucker • RF • Astros

Kyle Tucker Expected To Play Right Field On Friday

Houston Astros manager Joe Espada said on Thursday that outfielder Kyle Tucker (shin) should play right field in Friday's series opener against the Los Angeles Angels on the road for the first time since coming off the 60-day injured list last Friday. Tucker has been serving as the team's designated hitter since returning last week and has struggled at the plate, going 2-for-11 with two RBI, two walks and four strikeouts in his first four games back. It's good news that he'll be moving back to a defensive role this weekend, as it shows he hasn't had any setbacks after recovering from a fractured shin that kept him out since early June. While the 27-year-old left-handed slugger has looked a bit rusty offensively, he still has time to be a difference-maker for both the Astros and fantasy managers down the stretch in the final few weeks of the regular season.

Sep 12

Nestor Cortes • SP • Yankees

Nestor Cortes Returning To The Rotation On Thursday

New York Yankees left-hander Nestor Cortes will make the start on Thursday in the Bronx at Yankee Stadium for the series opener against the division-rival Boston Red Sox. Cortes' last appearance came as a piggyback to starter Clarke Schmidt last Saturday against the Chicago Cubs, when he went 4 1/3 shutout innings to pick up his ninth win while walking one and striking out three. His last start came on Sept. 1 against the St. Louis Cardinals, when he allowed five earned runs and nine hits in four innings. Outside of that outing, though, Cortes has a 1.86 ERA with 23 K's and only four walks in his last five outings (four starts) covering 29 innings. In his two starts against Boston this year, Cortes has allowed five earned runs on 12 hits while walking three and striking out 13 in 10 2/3 innings. The 29-year-old southpaw has pitched much better of late, but Boston ranks sixth in team OPS (.754) in 2024.

Sep 12

Seth Brown • LF • Athletics |

Ryan Noda • 1B • Athletics

Seth Brown, Max Schuemann, Ryan Noda On The Bench

Oakland Athletics outfielder Seth Brown, infielder Max Schuemann and first baseman Ryan Noda are all out of the starting lineup for Thursday's series finale against the division-rival Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. Daz Cameron is starting in left field and is batting eighth, Nick Allen is at the hot corner and is hitting ninth, and Tyler Nevin will man first base and hit seventh against Astros left-hander Framber Valdez. Allen has the best numbers in his career against Valdez, hitting .385 against him with an .852 OPS and an RBI in 13 at-bats, but none of Cameron, Allen or Nevin are particularly attractive DFS sleepers in this matchup on the road. Brown and Noda, who was recently called up from the minors, both hit from the left side, so it's no surprise why they are on the bench on Thursday against a tough southpaw.

Sep 12

Jose Altuve • 2B • Astros

Jose Altuve Not Playing Against A's

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (side) is not in the team's starting lineup on Thursday at Minute Maid Park for the series finale against the division-rival Oakland Athletics. Altuve's absence shouldn't come as a surprise after he was forced from Wednesday night's win over Oakland due to right-side tightness. Manager Joe Espada said after the game that he's not really concerned about Altuve's injury, with the team calling him day-to-day for now. Fantasy managers need to get the 34-year-old All-Star out of their lineups on Thursday and check back on Friday to see if he's available for the series opener in Anaheim against the Los Angeles Angels. Mauricio Dubon is at the keystone and batting ninth on Thursday against A's right-hander Mitch Spence. If Altuve misses additional time, Dubon will likely see most of the starts at second in his place for Houston.

Sep 12

Pedro Pagés • C • Cardinals

Pedro Pages Sitting On Thursday

St. Louis Cardinals rookie catcher Pedro Pages is getting a breather on Thursday in the series finale at Busch Stadium against the division-rival Cincinnati Reds in a day game after a night contest. Ivan Herrera is doing the catching for right-hander Sonny Gray and will bat sixth against Reds right-hander Jakob Junis. Pages has been splitting time behind the dish with Herrera with Willson Contreras (finger) on the shelf due to a fractured right middle finger. In his first 57 major-league games in 2024, Pages has been respectable with the bat, slashing .244/.284/.390 with six home runs, 22 RBI and 17 runs scored in 177 trips to the plate. Herrera, meanwhile, has a much better .280 average (56-for-200), but it has come with only three long balls while adding 22 RBI and five stolen bases for the Cards. It remains to be seen if Contreras will be able to return in 2024.

Sep 12

Matt Vierling • 3B • Tigers

Matt Vierling Taking A Day Off

Detroit Tigers infielder/outfielder Matt Vierling is getting a day off on Thursday against the Colorado Rockies at Comerica Park. With Vierling starting on the bench, Zach McKinstry will start in right field for the Tigers and will bat seventh against Rockies right-hander Ryan Feltner. McKinstry has faced Feltner three times in his career and has gone hitless. Vierling has seen regular playing time the last two seasons while in Detroit with a rebuilding franchise. In 129 games so far in 2024, he's hitting .261/.308/.438 with a .746 OPS, career-high 16 home runs, career-high 54 RBI and five steals in 513 plate appearances. He's currently riding a modest four-game hitting streak in which he's gone 5-for-14 with a double and three RBI. McKinstry brings little upside as a deep DFS sleeper near the bottom of Detroit's batting order. The 29-year-old has a .226 average with four homers, 22 RBI and 14 steals in 270 at-bats.

Sep 12

Francisco Lindor • SS • Mets

Francisco Lindor Spoils No-Hit Bid With Home Run No. 31

New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor smacked his 31st home run of the season in the ninth inning on Wednesday, breaking up Bowden Francis' no-hit bid after eight hitless frames. The Mets would go on to score six runs in the ninth and win the ballgame 6-2 over the Blue Jays. With the home run, the switch-hitter is just 2-for-18 (.111) over his last five games but is having an MVP-worthy season with a .268-31-85-102-27 line along with a .358 wOBA and 135 wRC+. The 30-year-old will look to finish strong and reward fantasy managers with a Top-10 finish amongst all offensive players.

Sep 12

Nick Castellanos • RF • Phillies

Nick Castellanos Homers, Drives In A Pair On Wednesday

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos went 1-for-2 with a two-run home run, a walk, was hit by a pitch, and scored twice in Wednesday's 3-2 win over the Rays. It was the 20th home run of the season for the 32-year-old and the two RBI brought him to 80 on the year. The HBP comes a day after Castellanos was plunked in Tuesday's game leading to both benches clearing and Rays pitcher Edwin Uceta being suspended two games. For the season, Castellanos owns a solid .245-20-80-69-5 line with a .311 wOBA and 99 wRC+. It's somewhat of a down year for the veteran after the stats he put up last season, although he's increased his contact rate by more than six percent year-over-year and drastically cut down on his strikeout rate, so he could still finish strong.

Sep 12

Juan Soto • RF • Yankees

Juan Soto Hits Home Run No. 39 On Wednesday

New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto hit a go-ahead two-run home run in Wednesday's 4-3 win over the Royals in a 1-for-5 day at the plate. The blast came in the sixth inning of a tight 1-0 ballgame and in a tough matchup against All-Star left-hander Cole Ragans, sending Yankee Stadium into a frenzy. Soto is in the midst of another fantastic season, although the home run comes during an uncharacteristic cold spell for the superstar, having gone 3-for-21 (.143) over the last six games with eight strikeouts. For the year, the 4x All-Star owns a robust .289-39-100-115-5 line with more walks (117) than strikeouts (105), leading to an elite .418 OBP.

Sep 12

Jazz Chisholm Jr. • 3B • Yankees

Jazz Chisholm Jr. With A Walk-Off Single On Wednesday

New York Yankees third baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. went 1-for-4 at the plate in Wednesday's 4-3 extra-innings win over the Royals. The lone hit came in the bottom of the 11th inning when the left-handed hitter shot a ball to the left side of the infield, but with speedy Jon Berti running from third, Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. rushed his throw and the inaccurate attempt at home allowed Berti to score, resulting in a wild walk-off win for the Yankees. The 26-year-old has hit well overall between Miami and New York, but is just 4-for-27 (.148) over his last seven games and his last home run came back on August 28. Perhaps the electricity from the walk-off win will ignite a hot streak for the multi-category contributor, who has authored a .261-22-66-69-35 line on the season with a .332 wOBA and 112 wRC+.

Sep 12

Tyler O'Neill • LF • Red Sox

Tyler O'Neill Walks It Off With A Three-Run Blast

Boston Red Sox outfielder Tyler O'Neill logged his only hit of the ball game when it mattered most, blasting a three-run home run in the bottom of the 10th inning, securing a 5-3 win over the Orioles on Wednesday in walk-off fashion. The Orioles had taken a one-run lead in the top of the 10th and the Red Sox were down to their final two outs before O'Neill walked to the plate. It was the 29-year-old's fifth home run in his last five games and 30th of the season in 372 at-bats. That's a 44-homer pace if he could muster even 550 at-bats, but staying on the field has kept him from reaching his ceiling on a seemingly annual basis. Even still, the slugger has a .258/.349/.546 slashline with a .377 wOBA and 142 wRC+ on the season and will look to finish the campaign strong and healthy.

Sep 12

Matt Wallner • RF • Twins

Matt Wallner Homers For Second Consecutive Game

Minnesota Twins outfielder Matt Wallner homered for the second straight game in Wednesday's 6-4 win over the Angels. It was his only hit of the day, going 1-for-4 at the plate, but it was his 13th home run of the season in just 184 at-bats and he's slashing .289/.396/.623 since his return from the minors in July. He also bashed 19 home runs at Triple-A, giving him 32 home runs on the season overall, but the problem is that the left-handed hitter doesn't play much against left-handed pitching which makes him frustrating for season-long fantasy. Nevertheless, with a 20.0% barrel rate, there are surely more to come before the season is out, so managers in need of pop during the fantasy playoffs could consider him and he's usually going to be in play against right-handed pitching for DFS.

Sep 12

Chas McCormick • LF • Astros

Chas McCormick Going On Injured List With Fractured Hand

Houston Astros outfielder Chas McCormick (hand) will land on the 10-day injured list after being diagnosed with a fractured right hand, according to manager Joe Espada. McCormick suffered the hand injured when he crashed into the outfield wall during Tuesday's game against the division-rival Oakland Athletics. With only several weeks left in the 2024 regular season, the 29-year-old will miss the rest of September and can only hope he can recover in time if the Astros make a deep run in the playoffs. Ben Gamel and Jason Heyward stand to benefit the most, especially as the Astros ease Kyle Tucker back in at DH following a lengthy IL stint. McCormick is having his worst big-league season, slashing only .211/.271/.306 with five homers, 27 RBI and eight steals in a career-low 94 games as a bench outfielder for Houston in 2024.

Sep 12

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