MLB News

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge blasted two more homers on Sunday, bringing his total to 51 on the season. There are no words to describe this man at this point, as he has a truly unbelievable 1.202 OPS and is carrying fantasy managers to the playoffs by himself. The 32-year-old has an OPS of 1.106 or higher and at least eight homers in every month since May. We could sit here and run off insane stats all night, or just sit back and appreciate greatness. He is the clear first pick in fantasy next year.

Detroit Tigers pitching prospect Ty Madden is being called up to the big league club to start Monday's game against the Chicago White Sox. Madden, a 2021 first-round pick, is Detroit's No. 16 prospect according to MLB Pipeline. The 24-year-old has had a tough go in Triple-A this year, pitching to a 7.97 ERA and 1.77 WHIP over 79 IP. He does have 102 strikeouts, but it comes with 40 walks and 17 homers against, both untenable numbers. Although he has the softest landing spot imaginable in a matchup against the White Sox, he should be left on the waiver wire until he proves he belongs in the majors.

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Jacob Lopez was tasked with taking the ball against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday. The 26-year-old was called upon to make a spot start against one of the best offensive units in the league. Despite that, Lopez held his own as he allowed just one run on two hits over five innings in a no-decision. This is a great outing from someone asked to make an emergency start. Despite his success, Lopez is expected to head back to Triple-A Durham after this game. He has earned himself another chance to start, but fantasy managers shouldn't bother holding Lopez in redraft formats.

San Diego Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill came up clutch for his team during Sunday's game against the New York Mets. The rookie slugger saved his lone hit of the game for the ninth inning. Merrill blasted a solo home run off right-hander Edwin Diaz to give his team the win. The left-handed slugger is now tied with Colton Cowser for the most homers by a rookie at 19. He's hitting .288 with 72 RBI across 127 games this season. Fantasy managers should continue locking Merrill into their lineup on a daily basis.

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (forearm) was taken for X-rays after getting hit by a pitch during Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays. The good news is that the X-rays were negative, which means Ohtani has likely avoided any serious injuries. Possibly, the Dodgers decide to hold out Ohtani for a day or two, but that depends on how he feels on Monday. Fantasy managers shouldn't need to worry about Ohtani heading to the injured list. The superstar slugger has 41 home runs and 94 RBI across 127 games this season.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Michael A. Taylor has been placed on outright waivers by the organization. This comes after Taylor went 1-for-3 during Sunday's win over the Cincinnati Reds. This news shouldn't shock anyone considering Taylor is hitting under .200 with four home runs and 20 RBI this season. He was signed to a one-year deal over the offseason. Now, Taylor gets a chance to join a contending team via waiver claim ahead of the postseason cut-off. It's uncertain who the Pirates will have take over the spot on the 26-man roster.

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Yu Darvish (groin) took the mound for a simulated game on Sunday. The right-hander reportedly looked good as he threw 54 pitches and got 13 outs along the way. Darvish was placed on the 15-day injured list on Saturday. That being said, fantasy managers shouldn't expect Darvish to be back in the big league rotation until some point in September. Before the injury, Darvish held a 3.20 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, and 53/15 K/BB ratio across 11 starts for the Padres. It's uncertain at this point if Darvish will offer much or any fantasy value to managers in redraft formats. The timetable for his return is still unknown, so fantasy managers will need to stay tuned for more updates.

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (shoulder) is scheduled to make a rehab start with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday. It was already announced that Yamamoto was going to start on Wednesday, but the location was unknown until now. The 26-year-old is only expected to work two innings during his first outing. It sounds like Yamamoto will need at least three starts before he's ready to return to the big league rotation. He currently holds a 2.92 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 84/17 K/BB ratio across 14 starts this season. He'll likely be able to make a few starts in the Dodgers rotation before the end of September. That being said, Yamamoto might not offer much fantasy value in redraft formats depending on when he gets back on the big league mound.