MLB News

Chas McCormick  • LF  •  Astros  |  Jake Meyers  • CF  •  Astros

Jake Meyers Goes On Paternity List, Chas McCormick Back Up

The Houston Astros placed outfielder Jake Meyers on the paternity list on Monday and recalled outfielder Chas McCormick from Triple-A Sugar Land in a corresponding move. Meyers will most likely be away from the team for the next three days while he attends to family matters, so fantasy managers probably won't have him available for the entire three-game series in Cincinnati against the Reds this week. McCormick, 29, might get a little run in center field at Great American Ball Park this week with Meyers out, but once Meyers returns, he'll return to being a bench bat, at best. The former 21st-round pick in 2017 out of Millersville University of Pennsylvania has hit just .192/.256/.292 with a .548 OPS, five home runs, 24 RBI and eight steals in 219 at-bats in 2024. With Kyle Tucker (shin) on the verge of a return, too, there's just no opening for consistent playing time for the struggling McCormick.
Sep 2   
Clarke Schmidt  • SP  •  Yankees

Clarke Schmidt Expected To Return This Weekend

There is a "very good chance" that New York Yankees right-hander Clarke Schmidt (lat) will rejoin the starting rotation this weekend at Wrigley Field to face the Chicago Cubs, according to manager Aaron Boone. Schmidt will make his third and final minor-league rehab start with Double-A Somerset on Monday before rejoining the starting rotation this weekend for the first time since late May. Although it's been a while since the 28-year-old pitched in a major-league game this year, fantasy managers shouldn't ignore him in mixed leagues in the final month of the regular season. He has struck out 11 and walked only two while giving up just two runs in his two rehab starts for Somerset. In addition to Schmidt, the Yankees are expected to get Luis Gil (back) back from the injured list this weekend. Schmidt was solid in his first 11 starts, going 5-3 with a 2.52 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 67 K's in 60 2/3 frames.
Sep 2   
Luis Gil  • SP  •  Yankees

Luis Gil Has "Very Good Chance" To Return This Weekend

There's a "very good chance" that New York Yankees right-hander Luis Gil (back) will return to the team's starting rotation this weekend to face the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, according to manager Aaron Boone. Gil made a minor-league rehab start with Double-A Somerset and allowed three runs while striking out six in 3 2/3 innings (80 pitches). The 26-year-old is stretched out enough to rejoin the Yankees' rotation his next time out, and it appears it will come on the road against the suddenly hot Cubbies. Gil could be tiring down the stretch this year after having tossed a combined 33 1/3 innings over two seasons in his big-league career coming into 2024. He was lights-out in the first half of the year but also leads the league with 66 walks in 124 2/3 innings. Gil will be fantasy relevant in mixed leagues the rest of the way as long as he remains in the rotation and isn't having his workload monitored.
Sep 2   
Eloy JimĂ©nez  • DH  •  Orioles  |  Coby Mayo  • 3B  •  Orioles

Coby Mayo, Eloy Jimenez Sitting Against White Sox

Baltimore Orioles rookie third baseman Coby Mayo and outfielder/designated hitter Eloy Jimenez will both start Monday's game on the bench against the Chicago White Sox at Camden Yards. Emmanuel Rivera will get the start at third base and will bat ninth, while Austin Slater will start in right field and bat seventh against White Sox right-hander Chris Flexen. Anthony Santander is the designated hitter and is batting cleanup. Mayo, the team's top prospect per MLB Pipeline, got the call-up on Sunday when rosters expanded and went 1-for-2 with a run scored and a strikeout in just his eighth big-league game. The 22-year-old has only two hits and 11 strikeouts in his first 23 major-league plate appearances in Baltimore, but he figures to see the majority of playing time at the hot corner for the O's with both Ramon Urias (ankle) and Jordan Westburg (hand) on the injured list.
Sep 2   
Louie Varland  • SP  •  Twins

Louie Varland Likely To Start On Wednesday

MLB.com's Do-Hyoung Park assumes that Minnesota Twins right-hander Louie Varland will get the nod to start on Wednesday against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field given how he lines up this week, which also plays into why he wasn't part of the team's roster expansions on Sunday. Varland is currently at Triple-A St. Paul, but he figures to come up this week for a spot start as the Twins look to get their regular starters some extra rest to kick off the final month of the regular season. The 26-year-old has an ERA over 6.00 with 32 strikeouts in 36 2/3 innings over eight outings (seven starts) for the Twins in 2024. However, he had a quality start in six innings in his last start on Aug. 14 against the Kansas City Royals and has been very solid of late at St. Paul. Regardless of his recent hot stretch in the minors, Varland will be a shaky fantasy streamer if he starts on Wednesday with not much strikeout upside.
Sep 2   
Luis Robert Jr.  • CF  •  White Sox  |  Andrew Vaughn  • 1B  •  White Sox

Luis Robert Jr., Andrew Vaughn Sitting On Monday

Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert and first baseman Andrew Vaughn are both out of the starting lineup on Monday against the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards. It appears to be a normal day of rest for both players to start a new week. Robert had started each of the team's last seven games. Zach DeLoach is drawing into the White Sox's lineup in right field and will bat sixth, while Gavin Sheets will handle first base and will bat cleanup against Orioles right-hander Corbin Burnes. Corey Julks is serving as the designated hitter and will bat in the two-hole. Sheets is probably the most attractive DFS sleeper for his power, but he hasn't recorded a hit in six career at-bats against Burnes. Robert has an attractive power/speed combination for fantasy managers (14 homers and 21 steals), but he's hitting just .219 (68-for-311) on the year and is on the worst team in baseball.
Sep 2   
Victor Scott II  • CF  •  Cardinals

Victor Scott II Retreats To The Bench

St. Louis Cardinals rookie outfielder Victor Scott II is heading to the bench for Monday's series opener against the division-rival Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field with Michael Siani (oblique) returning to center-field duties. Scott had started in center field for the Cardinals for 10 of their last 11 games, but with Siani now back from an oblique strain that had kept him out since early August, he's likely to start on the bench more times than not down the stretch. The 23-year-old has also struggled at the plate in his first taste of major-league pitching in 2024, batting .168 (23-for-137) with two home runs, nine RBI, five stolen bases, 11 runs scored and a .211 on-base percentage in 45 games played. Scott may get an occasional start here or there in the final month, but he mostly figures to operate as a bench bat for St. Louis.
Sep 2   
Michael Siani  • CF  •  Cardinals

Michael Siani Returns To Lineup Monday

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Michael Siani (oblique), who has been out since Aug. 4 with an oblique strain, is starting in center field and is batting ninth on Monday against the division-rival Milwaukee Brewers and right-hander Freddy Peralta at American Family Field. Siani was reinstated from the 10-day injured list on Sunday but wasn't available for the team's series finale in the Bronx against the New York Yankees. The 25-year-old is expected to see the bulk of the action in center field for the rest of the season in St. Louis, and his return is mostly bad news for rookie Victor Scott II. Siani has mostly been useful to the Cardinals for his glove in center field in 2024 while providing decent speed for fantasy managers in deeper leagues. He's returning to a .256/.297/.325 slash line with only two home runs, 18 RBI and 14 stolen bases in his 234 at-bats this year.
Sep 2   
Alex Cobb  • SP  •  Guardians

Alex Cobb Sparkles In Return

Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Alex Cobb was terrific in his return from the IL, going six shutout innings and earning the win in a 6-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Cobb was perfect through six innings, but gave up back-to-back singles in the seventh before exiting the game. He punched out six and walked none in the contest. The 36-year-old was making his return from a fractured fingernail suffered on August 14 and showed no signs of rust. He is a solid waiver-wire target in deeper leagues and is streamable in the right matchups in standard-size leagues.
Sep 2   
Bailey Ober  • SP  •  Twins

Bailey Ober Bounces Back Against Blue Jays

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Bailey Ober dominated the Blue Jays on Sunday, going six innings while allowing just one run on one hit. Ober struck out eight and walked three in this one, with the only damage coming in the first inning off of an Ernie Clement solo home run. Ober needed a start like this after getting blown up by the Atlanta Braves for nine runs in his last start. To be fair to Ober, that was the only start in his previous 13 where he'd gone less than six innings or given up more than three runs, a span that dates back to June 9. The 29-year-old remains a must-start pitcher heading into fantasy playoffs.
Sep 2   
Sean Manaea  • SP  •  Mets

Sean Manaea Spins Seven Shutout Against White Sox

New York Mets starting pitcher Sean Manaea was excellent again on Sunday, tossing seven scoreless frames and earning the win in a 2-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox. Manaea allowed just two hits and two walks while striking out five in this one. The lefty has now rolled together four consecutive quality starts and hasn't allowed more than three runs in eight starts. His overall numbers also look very good, with 11 wins, a 3.35 ERA, a 1.12 WHIP, and 154 strikeouts over 150 IP. It's been a great year for the 32-year-old, and he will be tough to bench for fantasy owners as the playoffs arrive.
Sep 2   
Kyle Manzardo  • 1B  •  Guardians

Kyle Manzardo Bashes First Two Homers Of Career

Cleveland Guardians first baseman Kyle Manzardo made a big impression in his first game back with the major league club, going 2-for-3 with a pair of solo home runs. Manzardo was recalled Sunday morning and immediately got to work, hitting the first two homers of his career. Manzardo is the Guardians No. 3 prospect and MLB's No. 51 according to MLB Pipeline, but he hasn't had much hype around his call up this time around, likely because he wasn't great in his first cup of tea in the majors. After hitting well in Triple-A, a game like this one is a good reason for fantasy managers to take a flier on Manzardo, especially in deeper formats.
Sep 2   
Yordan Alvarez  • LF  •  Astros

Yordan Alvarez Hits Two More Homers

Houston Astros designated hitter/outfielder Yordan Alvarez continued to mash on Sunday, going 2-for-4 with a pair of solo homers in a 7-2 win over the Kansas City Royals. Alvarez is coming off a three-homer game on Wednesday and came into this one with a slash line of .382/.481/.697 in August. It's safe to say he's been on a heater at the dish. Although he has an oddly low amount of runs and RBI, he has provided what was expected of him in the AVG and home run departments. He should once again be one of the best four-category contributors in fantasy next year and might come with a nice discount given his lack of counting stats this year.
Sep 2   
Lars Nootbaar  • RF  •  Cardinals

Lars Nootbaar Homers, Knocks In Five

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar had a huge game on Sunday, going 3-for-5 with a homer and five RBI. Nootbaar added a double and two runs scored in what was his best game of the season. While it was a great game, the 26-year-old just hasn't been able to live up to the potential he showed a few years ago, where he showed 20/20 capability. It hasn't helped that he has once again been injury-prone, and at this point Nootbaar will need to show fantasy managers something more before he becomes a viable option in standard leagues.
Sep 2   
Jordan Walker  • RF  •  Cardinals

Jordan Walker Does It All On Sunday

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker had the best game of his career on Sunday, going 5-for-5 with a homer, four runs scored, three RBI, and a stolen base. Walker improved his AVG from .143 to .195 and his OPS from .439 to .566 in this game alone. It's been a difficult season for the former top prospect, but perhaps a game like this will build confidence for the 22-year-old. He doesn't need to be added in fantasy yet, but he could be a good post-hype sleeper candidate next year.
Sep 2   
Drew Thorpe  • SP  •  White Sox

Drew Thorpe To Undergo Elbow Surgery

Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Drew Thorpe (elbow) is set to have season-ending surgery on his elbow. Thorpe hasn't pitched since July 31 while dealing with a bone spur in his right elbow, and now the White Sox have confirmed that he is done for the season. The 23-year-old rookie had some good starts for the Sox and looks to be a solid part of their future even though the overall numbers weren't great. He should be ready to go by the start of the 2025 season and might be worth a look in deeper leagues as a flier.
Sep 2   
Zach Eflin  • SP  •  Orioles

Zach Eflin Looks Strong In Return

Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Zach Eflin made his return from the injured list and took the mound against the Colorado Rockies on Sunday. The right-hander missed two starts due to shoulder inflammation, but showed no signs of rust on Sunday. Eflin allowed only one run while striking out nine batters over seven innings of work. He's 5-0 with an impressive 1.95 ERA since joining the O's at the trade deadline. His next start is set to be against his former team the Tampa Bay Rays next weekend. Eflin is looking like a must-start fantasy option for that game.
Sep 1   
Lourdes Gurriel Jr.  • LF  •  Diamondbacks

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Removed Early On Sunday

Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (calf) was forced to exit early during Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The veteran slugger suffered a left calf injury while attempting to run out a double play in the sixth inning. As a result, Gurriel was removed from the game and is expected to undergo further testing. It wouldn't be shocking to see Gurriel miss a few games because of this injury. Jorge Barrosa took over in left field on Sunday and figures to see more playing time if Gurriel miss time. Barrosa has a limited sample size at the big league level, so he's not an ideal fantasy option right now.
Sep 1   
Ben Joyce  • RP  •  Angels

Ben Joyce Slams The Door On Sunday

Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Ben Joyce was tasked with taking the ball in the ninth inning against the Seattle Mariners on Sunday. The 23-year-old gave up a leadoff single, which is never good news in a one-run game. However, Joyce was able to battle back and get J.P. Crawford to ground into a double play and eliminate the base runners. Joyce struck out Josh Rojas to end the game to give himself four saves on the season. The new Halos closer holds an impressive 2.14 ERA through 30 games this season. Fantasy managers who are desperate for saves should look his way.
Sep 1   
Caden Dana  • SP  •  Angels

Caden Dana Looks Fantastic In MLB Debut

Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Caden Dana took the mound for his MLB debut against the Seattle Mariners on Sunday. The 20-year-old was terrific on the mound as he only allowed two runs on two hits over six innings of work. Dana did issue four walks during this outing, but he was able to limit the damage on the mound. There aren't many things to be excited about with the Angels right now, but at least Dana looks to be a promising young arm. He held a 2.52 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, and a 147/39 K/BB ratio across 23 starts in Double-A this season. He has earned himself another start which would be against the Texas Rangers next weekend.
Sep 1   
LEGEND
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