MLB News

The Los Angeles Angels optioned right-handed pitching prospect Caden Dana to Double-A Rocket City on Monday and recalled left-hander Kenny Rosenberg from Triple-A Salt Lake in a corresponding move. With the Angels well out of playoff contention again in 2024, they decided to give several of their young arms some run in the big-league starting rotation late this year. Dana, the club's top prospect, per MLB Pipeline, has looked overmatched by big-league hitters in his first three starts, allowing 12 earned runs on 14 hits (five home runs) while walking seven and striking out eight in 10 1/3 innings. As a result, the Halos will send the 20-year-old back down to the farm to work on some things before potentially becoming a permanent part of the rotation in 2025. The 6-foot-4, 215-pounder is polished for his age and has drawn comparisons to Noah Syndergaard for his size on the mound.

Atlanta Braves rookie right-hander Grant Holmes will make the start in the team's series opener on Tuesday against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Holmes will be making only his fifth start of the season to help fill the rotation vacancy left by right-hander Reynaldo Lopez (shoulder). In his 22 appearances (four starts) in 2024, Holmes has gone 2-1 with a 3.79 ERA and 1.24 WHIP with 54 strikeouts and only 11 walks in his first 54 2/3 innings in the big leagues. Fantasy managers will want to avoid the 28-year-old in his spot start on Tuesday after pitching out of Atlanta's bullpen for the last month. Holmes last started on Aug. 14 in a win against the Colorado Rockies, allowing two earned runs while walking one and striking out six in seven innings of work. He has not gone beyond 1 1/3 innings in September and won't go very deep in Tuesday's contest.

Colorado Rockies second baseman Brendan Rodgers (hamstring) is back in the starting lineup ahead of Monday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Rodgers is back in the mix after sitting out the last two games due to right hamstring tightness. He'll cover second base and bat fifth versus right-hander Merrill Kelly on Monday. Rodgers has been better with the bat during the second half of the season. He's hitting over .280 with seven home runs and 22 RBI since the All-Star break. Fantasy managers in season long formats can get Rodgers back in their lineups on Monday.

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout (knee) recently said that he's open to the idea of moving to a corner outfield spot or designated hitter next season. This news comes while Trout is recovering from his second knee surgery of the season. Trout has resisted the idea of moving from center field in the past, but seems open to the idea now. It's worth noting that Trout has struggled in the designated hitter spot throughout his career. However, Trout is one of the greatest hitters in the game, so he'll find a way to adjust, but there will probably be a learning curve. Trout has only played over 100 games once over the last five seasons. A move to full-time DH could help the 33-year-old stay healthy, which is great for fantasy managers and baseball in general.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen is absent from the starting lineup ahead of Monday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals. The veteran slugger has started in six of the last seven contests. That being said, it's not shocking to see McCutchen getting a rest day with the Pirates having little incentive to win with their season basically over. In his place, Joey Bart will serve as the designated hitter and bat third versus right-hander Andre Pallante. Bart is in the middle of a breakout season with a .267 batting average and 13 home runs with 43 RBI in 71 games this season. He has a favorable matchup here for fantasy managers looking for a streaming option or DFS help.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz (ankle) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Monday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals. This comes as little surprise after Cruz was forced to exit early during Sunday's game due to an ankle issue. It's the same ankle that Cruz fractured last season, so the Pirates aren't taking any chances. For now, Cruz is considered as day-to-day, so hopefully he'll be back in the lineup later this week. In the meantime, Billy Cook will cover center field and bat ninth versus right-hander Andre Pallante. Cook has been quiet with the bat during his brief time in the MLB and can be avoided as a streaming option.

St. Louis Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras (finger) will need two more weeks of rest before beginning baseball activities. That being said, the right-handed slugger won't be returning to the Cards lineup before the end of the regular season. It has been an injury riddled year for Contreras who only managed to play in 84 games. Luckily, the veteran catcher should be healed up and ready to go in time for spring training. Contreras finishes the season with a .263 batting average with 15 home runs and 36 RBI. The assumption is that Pedro Pages and Ivan Herrera will split up the catching duties for the rest of the season. Herrera is the better fantasy option between the two with a .280 batting average and 22 RBI in 65 games this season.

Minnesota Twins infielder Jose Miranda is out of the starting lineup ahead of Monday's game against the Cleveland Guardians. The right-handed slugger is having a breakout season with .292 batting average with nine home runs and 49 RBI across 117 games. However, Miranda has struggled to the tune of a .229 average against left-handed pitching. In his absence, Ryan Jeffers will serve as the designated hitter while Royce Lewis covers third base against left-handed Matthew Boyd. Fantasy managers who have Miranda rostered should adjust their lineups ahead of first pitch.

Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Reese Olson (shoulder) will make his return to the mound against the Kansas City Royals on Monday. The right-hander has been sidelined the last eight weeks while recovering from a shoulder strain. Olson won't get an easy task for his first game back with a matchup against a tough Royals team. However, Olson has held his own with a 3.23 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and 92 strikeouts across 18 starts this season. It's uncertain if he'll be a full-go for his first game back, but he'll be worth starting in season long formats on Monday.

New York Mets outfielder Starling Marte (forearm) is out of the team's starting lineup for Monday's series opener against the division-rival Washington Nationals at Citi Field. Marte is sitting for the second straight game after being hit by a pitch on his forearm in Saturday's contest against the division-rival Philadelphia Phillies. The 35-year-old veteran's injury isn't considered serious, though, so fantasy managers should treat him as day-to-day. The Mets could use both Marte and shortstop Francisco Lindor (back) back in their lineup as soon as possible, though, as they battle for the final wild-card spot in the National League. Jesse Winker is playing right field and batting second on Monday against Nationals right-hander Jake Irvin. Winker has never faced Irvin in his career and has gone just 3-for-29 (.103) with a homer, four RBI, four walks and nine strikeouts in 13 games so far in September.

Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams (shoulder) is out of the starting lineup on Monday for the fourth straight contest against the division-rival New York Mets at Citi Field. With Abrams out again, rookie Nasim Nunez is making another start at the 6 and is batting in the nine-hole against Mets left-hander Sean Manaea. Abrams remains day-to-day to begin the week due to left-shoulder soreness. Fantasy managers obviously need to keep the 23-year-old benched and check back to see if he's available to play on Tuesday for the second game of the series. In his first 40 major-league games this year, Nunez is slashing .270/.386/.297 with a .684 OPS, no home runs, one double, an RBI, six stolen bases and 13 runs scored in 48 trips to the plate. Nunez has been able to make plenty of contact but carries very little fantasy upside, especially at the bottom of the batting order. UPDATE: Abrams is close to returning and was available off the bench on Monday.

The Chicago White Sox reinstated third baseman Yoan Moncada (groin) from the 60-day injured list on Monday and optioned outfielder Corey Julks to Triple-A Charlotte in a corresponding move. Moncada will finally rejoin the big-league roster after suffering a groin strain back in early April. The 29-year-old Cuban should serve as the team's regular third baseman to close out the year, but fantasy managers obviously shouldn't be relying on him if they are still playing for a championship. Moncada only played in 11 games for the Pale Hose this year before landing on the shelf with his groin strain, and in those 11 contests, he went 11-for-39 (.282) with three doubles, a triple, one steal, five walks and 10 strikeouts. He hit .342 with a home run in 12 minor-league rehab games for Charlotte. Don't expect many counting stats from Moncada the rest of the way.

The Minnesota Twins claimed left-hander Cole Irvin off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles on Monday. Irvin hasn't started since Aug. 27 but was built up as a starting pitcher at that point. He has gone 6-5 on the year with a 4.86 ERA (4.65 FIP), a 1.41 WHIP and a 76:25 K:BB in 107 1/3 innings over 25 appearances (16 starts) this year in Baltimore. To make room on the 40-man roster, the Twins designated pitcher Randy Dobnak for assignment. Irvin won't join the 28-man active roster until Tuesday. The 30-year-old veteran southpaw will not be eligible to pitch in the postseason, but he will give the Twins some extra starting depth for these last couple weeks of the regular season. It remains to be seen what role he'll operate in for the Twins, but it will most likely be in a long-relief role out of the bullpen. Fantasy managers can continue to ignore Irvin for now.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are calling up infield prospect Nick Yorke from Triple-A Indianapolis to the big leagues on Monday, according to sources. Yorke is with the team in St. Louis for their series against the Cardinals at Busch Stadium to begin the week. The 22-year-old was acquired by the Bucs from the Boston Red Sox at the end of July in the trade that sent pitcher Quinn Priester to Boston. Per MLB Pipeline, he's considered Pittsburgh's No. 6 prospect. The former first-rounder has hit a combined .303/.385/.449 with an .834 OPS, 12 homers, 72 RBI and 21 stolen bases in 123 games with Double-A Portland, Triple-A Worcester and Indianapolis this year to earn his first big-league call-up. With experience at second base, third, shortstop and the outfield, Yorke should play regularly down the stretch in Pittsburgh.

Atlanta Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies (wrist) could begin a minor-league rehab assignment on Tuesday and rejoin the big-league roster this weekend. Once Albies returns, it would make sense to move utility man Whit Merrifield to left field. Moving him to third base is also an option, but infielder Gio Urshela's glove at the hot corner provides a lot of value. The 27-year-old Albies hasn't played in a big-league game since July 21 due to a fractured left wrist and was struggling to swing from the left side as recently as last week. It's unclear if the switch-hitting infielder will only bat from the right side of the plate when he returns to the Braves, possibly this weekend against the division-rival Miami Marlins. Fantasy managers should temper expectations with the three-time All-Star when he returns to finish up the 2024 regular season. UPDATE: Albies is scheduled to play rehab games with Triple-A Gwinnett on Tuesday and Wednesday and could join the Braves in Miami for their series opener against the Marlins on Friday.

New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (back) is out of the team's starting lineup again on Monday against the division-rival Washington Nationals at Citi Field. Veteran Jose Iglesias will start at shortstop and bat leadoff against Nationals right-hander Jake Irvin. A lingering back issue has forced Lindor to leave early in two of the team's last three games, but an MRI exam came back clean, and he said he could miss "three to five days, or two to three, depending on how my back reacts." Fantasy managers still playing for something in 2024 will hope that the 30-year-old is true to his word and can return to action later this week, but the smart play is to bench him in weekly leagues. The 34-year-old Iglesias continues to hit and is carrying a nine-game hitting streak into Monday's contest. He's gone 12-for-32 (.375) with two doubles, an RBI and a steal during his hitting streak and is batting .319 for the Mets this year.

Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan (back) remains out of the starting lineup for Monday's series finale against the division-rival Minnesota Twins at Progressive Field. Rookie Angel Martinez will make another start in left field and will bat leadoff against Twins right-hander Pablo Lopez. Kwan was scratched from Friday's lineup against the Tampa Bay Rays and missed the entire weekend series with what was originally called general body fatigue. It later surfaced that Kwan is dealing with back soreness, although it's not expected to be serious enough to land him on the injured list. After tests came back negative, Kwan was deemed day-to-day. Fantasy managers will need to keep him out of their lineups and check back to see if he's feeling good enough to play on Tuesday. In his first 33 big-league games this year, Martinez is hitting .241 (28-for-116) with three homers, nine RBI and three steals.

Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy went 2-for-5 with a home run, two runs scored and a strikeout in the team's 9-2 win over the Atlanta Braves on Sunday at Truist Park. Muncy's 15th home run of the season was a solo shot and came off reliever John Brebbia in the ninth inning in a frame in which the Dodgers exploded for three long balls and seven total runs. Since returning from a lengthy stint on the injured list due to an oblique injury on Aug. 19, the 34-year-old Muncy has hit .231 (15-for-65) with six home runs, four doubles, 12 RBI, 13 walks and 15 runs scored in 22 games (20 starts). Four of his six long balls have come in the last seven games, so Muncy is definitely heating up at the right time for an already potent and explosive Dodgers lineup. Muncy is not going to provide average help for fantasy managers, but you can't argue with his power and RBI opps in this Dodgers offense.

The Tampa Bay Rays reinstated left-hander Colin Poche (shoulder) from the 15-day injured list on Monday and optioned right-hander Cole Sulser to Triple-A Durham in a corresponding move. Inflammation in Poche's left shoulder has kept him out in September to this point, but he will skip a minor-league rehab assignment and return to Tampa's big-league bullpen to close out the 2024 season. The 30-year-old southpaw will return to a 1-2 record, 3.67 ERA (5.15 FIP), a 1.14 WHIP, two saves, 31 strikeouts and 13 walks in his 34 1/3 relief innings in 2024 over 39 appearances. The Rays are currently rolling with a closer-by-committee approach involving Edwin Uceta, Manuel Rodriguez and Richard Lovelady late in the year, and Poche could enter that mix now that he's healthy. Fantasy managers desperate for saves this late in the game could take a flier on Poche in deep leagues.

Cleveland Guardians right-hander Carlos Carrasco (hip) threw three innings in a minor-league rehab start for Double-A Akron on Friday and allowed two runs on three hits while striking out three. Carrasco threw 41 pitches (27 for strikes) and felt OK afterwards. In 21 starts for Cleveland in 2024, he has gone 3-10 with a 5.64 ERA. "He's building back up. We want to make sure his hip is feeling better and everything is healed up," manager Stephen Vogt said on Sept. 3. "We want to get Cookie healed back up to be an option for us to start." The 37-year-old veteran went on the 15-day injured list back on Aug. 9 with a strained left hip and is slowing working his way back towards a late-season activation. However, with Carrasco struggling this year and with rookie Joey Cantillo holding his own as the No. 5 starter, it seems more likely that Carrasco will return to a bullpen role when he's fully healthy.