MLB News

Juan Soto • RF • Yankees

Juan Soto Hits 200th Career Homer Tuesday

New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto had a milestone game for several reasons in Tuesday's 11-2 win over the Mariners. Soto went 2-for-2 with a double, a two-run home run, and two walks. The 25-year-old lined a fourth-inning Bryan Woo fastball over the center-field wall for his 40th HR of the season and the 200th of his career. Not only did he become the eighth player to reach 200 HR before turning 26 years old, but Soto's homer in T-Mobile Park completed his quest to hit a HR in all 30 current MLB ballparks. Soto is having a career power season, slashing .287/.417/.576 with 120 runs scored, 103 RBI, and five stolen bases in 671 plate appearances. He has been a high-end fantasy player throughout his career and has fit in perfectly with a strong Yankees lineup. Despite being a free agent at the end of this season, Soto will continue to be a top fantasy pick regardless of where he lands.

2 hours ago

Luisangel Acuña • SS • Mets

Luisangel Acuna Hits First Career Home Run Tuesday

New York Mets shortstop prospect Luisangel Acuna had a milestone evening in Tuesday's 10-1 win over the Nationals. The 22-year-old went 3-for-4 with a single, a double, a solo home run, and two RBI. Acuna crushed an eighth-inning Joe La Sorsa offering deep to left-center field for his first big-league long ball. Acuna, who is the Mets' No. 12 prospect per MLB Pipeline, has hit .455 with an .818 slugging percentage in his first four games. His numbers with Triple-A Syracuse weren't so stellar that fantasy managers should be placing their trust in him at the end of this season, but they should certainly keep an eye on him for the rest of September.

2 hours ago

Spencer Steer • LF • Reds

Spencer Steer Hits 20th Homer Of Season Tuesday

Cincinnati Reds utilityman Spencer Steer had a solid offensive game in Tuesday's 6-5 win over the Braves. Steer went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run, a walk, and a strikeout. The 26-year-old lined a seventh-inning Pierce Johnson curveball into the left-center seats to put the Reds up for good. Steer has provided useful counting stats this season but has not provided the batting average, slashing .232/.327/.419 with 20 HR, 74 runs scored, 91 RBI, and 25 stolen bases in 621 plate appearances. His low average may impact his perceived fantasy value next season, but his power-speed combination and multi-position eligibility make him a useful option.

3 hours ago

Shea Langeliers • C • Athletics

Shea Langeliers Hits Two More Homers Tuesday

Oakland Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers continued to flex his muscles in Tuesday's 4-3 win over the Cubs. Langeliers went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a two-run HR. The 26-year-old drilled a first-inning Jordan Wicks fastball into the left-center seats to plate two and got Wicks again deep to left field in the fifth inning. Langeliers has provided expected fantasy value this season, slashing .220/.280/.448 with 28 HR, 54 runs scored, 74 RBI, and four stolen bases in 500 plate appearances. He won't help fantasy managers in batting average, but catcher is such a weak position that Langeliers' power contributions make up for it.

3 hours ago

Ian Happ • LF • Cubs

Ian Happ Collects Three Hits, Two Homers Tuesday

Chicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ continued his strong offensive September in Tuesday's 4-3 loss to the Athletics. Happ went 3-for-5 with a single and a pair of solo home runs. The 30-year-old took Mitch Spence deep to right field in the third inning and lined a ninth-inning, 103-mph Mason Miller fastball just over the left-field wall for his 25th home run of the season. Happ has put together his best offensive month in September, slashing .308/.357/.446 with two homers, nine RBI, and two stolen bases in 65 at-bats. The Cubs have been one of baseball's hottest lineups lately, so Happ could be a bat that fantasy managers could lean on to finish the season on a high note.

3 hours ago

Bobby Witt Jr. • SS • Royals

Bobby Witt Jr. Makes History With 30-Homer, 30-Steal Season

Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. had a historic evening in Tuesday's 3-1 extra-inning loss to the Tigers. Witt Jr. went 0-for-2 with three walks, a strikeout, and his 30th stolen base of the season. The 24-year-old now has 32 home runs and 30 stolen bases this season, his second consecutive season with at least 30 HR and 30 stolen bases. Only six shortstops in MLB history have ever recorded a 30-30 season and Witt Jr. is now the only shortstop to record multiple 30-30 seasons. He has provided everything for fantasy managers this season, slashing .331/.386/.598 with 123 runs scored and 108 RBI in 671 plate appearances. Witt Jr. has cemented himself as a top fantasy pick for the foreseeable future.

3 hours ago

Blake Snell • SP • Giants

Blake Snell Carves Up Orioles With 12 Strikeouts

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Blake Snell continued his stellar second half in Tuesday's 10-0 win over the Orioles. Snell pitched six innings, allowing just one hit and two walks with 12 strikeouts. The 31-year-old was barely startable for fantasy managers in the first half of the season but has been outstanding in the second half. He now owns a 4-0 record with a 1.59 ERA, a 0.88 WHIP, and 94 strikeouts in 11 second-half starts and 62 1/3 IP. Snell will face another tough matchup in his next start at the Royals, but fantasy managers should have him in their rotation for his final few starts of the season.

3 hours ago

Victor Robles • CF • Mariners

Victor Robles Suffers Right-Hand Contusion

Seattle Mariners outfielder Victor Robles (hand) left Tuesday night's game at T-Mobile Park against the visiting New York Yankees with a right-hand contusion, but X-rays came back negative. Robles had an eventful first inning, getting hit by a pitch and then being thrown out while trying to steal home plate. He was serving as the designated hitter in this one and was replaced by pinch-hitter Mitch Garver before his second plate appearance. The 27-year-old should be considered day-to-day, and fantasy managers in deeper leagues should check back to see if he's available to start on Wednesday against the Yanks. Robles has been a lineup regular for the Mariners since being acquired from the Washington Nationals, and he's been excellent in Seattle, slashing .333/.401/.475 with four homers, 20 RBI and 25 steals in 227 trips to the plate over 67 games.

3 hours ago

Colt Keith • 2B • Tigers

Colt Keith Injures His Shoulder On Tuesday

Detroit Tigers rookie second baseman Colt Keith (shoulder) banged up his right shoulder on a dive in the fifth inning of Tuesday's 3-1 extra-inning win over the division-rival Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium and was removed from the game early. Keith will undergo more testing on Wednesday, at which point we'll have a better idea of how much time he may have to miss. Either way, the 23-year-old probably won't be available to play on Wednesday. Before being replaced at the keystone by Zach McKinstry, Keith went 1-for-2 with a walk at the plate. If Keith's injury is serious enough to keep him out to close out the 2024 season, McKinstry and Andy Ibanez would be the primary options for playing time at second in Detroit. Keith came into Tuesday's game hitting .263 (129-for-491) with 13 homers, 58 RBI and seven steals in 138 games in his first year in the majors.

3 hours ago

Luis García Jr. • 2B • Nationals

Luis Garcia Jr. Removed As A Precaution On Tuesday

Washington Nationals second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. (wrist) said his right wrist was bothering him after his last swing in Tuesday's contest at Citi Field against the division-rival New York Mets, and manager Dave Martinez removed him as a precaution. Before he was pulled, Garcia went 0-for-2 with a strikeout before eventually being replaced at the keystone by Jose Tena. The 24-year-old's injury doesn't appear to be too serious, but fantasy managers shouldn't be surprised if the Nationals give Garcia a day to rest on Wednesday. It's been a breakout season in 2024 for Garcia in his fifth year in the big leagues for Washington, as he entered Tuesday's action slashing .281/.320/.442 with career-highs in OPS (.762), home runs (16), RBI (65) and stolen bases (21) in 131 games played. If Garcia misses additional time, either Tena or Ildemaro Vargas will pick up playing time at second base.

4 hours ago

Max Kepler • RF • Twins

Twins Hope To Get Max Kepler Back For Final Homestand

Minnesota Twins outfielder Max Kepler's (hip, knee) knee is doing better, but he experienced soreness in his hip area that led to him getting a cortisone injection on Monday, according to president of baseball operations Derek Falvey. The hope is that Kepler can get into minor-league rehab games with Triple-A St. Paul and possibly return to the Twins for their final homestand against the Miami Marlins and Baltimore Orioles that runs from Tuesday, Sept. 24, through Sunday, Sept. 29. The Twins are trying to ramp the 31-year-old left-handed-hitting outfielder for a possible postseason run in October. He has been dealing with tendinitis in his knee since early September, although his hip injury is now the bigger concern. Kepler is having a down year with only eight homers and a .682 OPS in 105 games, but the Twins are still hoping he can be an option for them against right-handed pitchers to close out the year.

5 hours ago

Alex Call • LF • Nationals

Nationals Hoping Alex Call Can Play Again This Year

The plan is for Washington Nationals outfielder Alex Call (foot) to go on a quick minor-league rehab assignment soon so that he can play in the majors before the end of the regular season at the end of the month. The Nationals put Call on the 10-day injured list at the end of August with a partial tear of the plantar fascia in his left foot. The fact that the 29-year-old even has a chance to return before the end of the 2024 season is a bit of a surprise. Call hit .200 (75-for-375) with eight home runs in his first full big-league season in 2023 in D.C. In only 30 games this year, he's been much better with a .343/.425/.525 slash line, a career-best .950 OPS, three homers, 14 RBI and five steals. Even before outfield prospects James Wood and Dylan Crews reached the big leagues, Call was mainly considered a fourth-outfielder type with a better glove than bat.

5 hours ago

Cade Cavalli • SP • Nationals

Cade Cavalli Won't Pitch In A Game Before End Of The Season

Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez said that right-handed pitching prospect Cade Cavalli (elbow) will finish his throwing program, but he's not going to pitch in a game before the end of the regular season. After missing all of 2023 due to Tommy John surgery, Cavalli opened this year on the injured list and then suffered a setback with his arm in the minors while rehabbing. The 26-year-old ended up only making three starts in the Florida Complex League and at High-A Wilmington. The team's No. 8 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, has lost some prospect steam after back-to-back lost seasons due to injury. Cavalli will spend the offseason trying to get his right arm healthy, and if he can stay healthy in 2025, he could end up being a post-hype sleeper prospect to keep an eye on. He made his big-league debut late in 2022 and allowed seven earned runs in 4 1/3 innings in his only start before getting hurt.

5 hours ago

Jordan Westburg • 3B • Orioles

Jordan Westburg "Getting Really Close"

Baltimore Orioles general manager Mike Elias said that infielder Jordan Westburg (hand) took batting practice on the field on Tuesday and is "getting really close to returning by the end of the regular season." Infielder Ramon Urias (ankle) is on a similar timeline. Westburg is recovering from a fractured right hand, but the team isn't ruling him out to play in a minor-league rehab game before Triple-A Norfolk's season ends on Sunday. Barring a setback, the 25-year-old should be back with the O's for the final week of the regular season and for the start of the playoffs in October. It's great news for a Baltimore club that has been going with a combination of struggling rookie Coby Mayo and Emmanuel Rivera at the hot corner of late with both Westburg and Urias sidelined. Westburg had 18 homers in 101 games before his injury and should be the club's primary third baseman once he's activated.

5 hours ago

Ryan Mountcastle • 1B • Orioles

Ryan Mountcastle Expected To Start Rehab Assignment This Week

Baltimore Orioles general manager Mike Elias said that first baseman Ryan Mountcastle (wrist) is expected to go out on a minor-league rehab assignment this week, and the team is hoping he will return before the end of the regular season at the end of the month. The Orioles would love to be able to get Mountcastle some at-bats at the end of the regular season before they begin the playoffs in October. The 27-year-old first baseman has been out since Aug. 22 due to a left-wrist sprain. The 27-year-old right-handed hitter hit a career-high 33 home runs in 2021, but his power has been on the decline ever since, and he's hit only 13 round-trippers in 118 games in 2024. Mountcastle's wrist injury isn't going to help his power game to finish out the year and in the playoffs. When healthy, Mountcastle has been Baltimore's primary first baseman in 2024.

5 hours ago

Grayson Rodriguez • SP • Orioles

Grayson Rodriguez Could Pitch Out Of The Bullpen When He Returns

Baltimore Orioles general manager Mike Elias said that right-hander Grayson Rodriguez (lat) is "moving in the right direction" but "time is not our friend." Elias left open the possibility of Rodriguez temporarily pitching out of the bullpen when he returns. Rodriguez is recovering from a strained right lat and has been throwing off a mound, but he's running out of time to get stretched out as a starting pitcher with the end of the 2024 regular season quickly approaching. When the 24-year-old is activated from the injured list, he could build his arm back up by coming on in relief out of the bullpen at the end of September. From there, it would be the team's call as to whether they trust him enough in a starting role in the playoffs. He has been out since late August but was a solid rotation piece for the O's and fantasy managers before his injury, going 13-4 with a 3.86 ERA and 130 strikeouts in his 20 starts.

6 hours ago

Jeffrey Springs • SP • Rays

Jeffrey Springs Won't Pitch Again This Year

Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash said that left-hander Jeffrey Springs (elbow) is doing better, but he will not pitch again in 2024. The Rays placed Springs on the 15-day injured list with left-elbow fatigue earlier this month. It just doesn't make any sense to push him back with the Rays out of playoff contention and based on the fact that the 31-year-old southpaw came back from Tommy John surgery this year. The Rays will shut him down now and have him focus on getting his left elbow completely healthy for spring training next year and the start of the 2025 campaign. Springs ended up making only seven starts this year, but he looked good in his 33 innings pitched, posting a 3.27 ERA and 1.36 WHIP with 37 strikeouts and 11 walks. As long as Springs looks healthy next spring, he'll be on the fantasy radar in all formats after posting a 2.46 ERA with 144 K's in 135 1/3 innings in 2022.

6 hours ago

Tanner Houck • SP • Red Sox

Tanner Houck Should Be Ready On Wednesday

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora said that right-hander Tanner Houck (shoulder) should be ready to start on Wednesday against the division-rival Tampa Bay Rays at Comerica Park. "There's a big chance he's going to start," Cora said. The Red Sox said that Houck had been scratched from his start last Friday against the New York Yankees due to a dead arm, but they further clarified he's been dealing with a shoulder injury. In any case, it wasn't serious enough to send him to the injured list, and they are hoping a little extra rest will do him well. It's a much better matchup for the 28-year-old right-hander, although the risk is inherent for a pitcher coming off any kind of injury. Houck has been solid for fantasy managers this year with a 3.24 ERA and 1.17 WHIP in 28 starts, but he hasn't pitched since Sept. 5 and could be on an innings count in his return to the rotation.

6 hours ago

James McArthur • RP • Royals

James McArthur Lands On 15-Day Injured List

The Kansas City Royals placed right-handed reliever James McArthur (elbow) on the 15-day injured list on Tuesday with a right-elbow sprain and recalled right-hander Steven Cruz from Triple-A Omaha in a corresponding move. According to MLB's Anne Rogers, McArthur has a Grade 1 UCL sprain and will be shut down for the next five to seven days, but manager Matt Quatraro said the team is hopeful it's "not a season-ending injury." Right-hander Michael Lorenzen (hamstring) and left-hander William Smith (back) are both scheduled for live batting practice sessions on Saturday, provided they face no setbacks the next few days. The 27-year-old McArthur opened the year as the team's closer but was eventually demoted and had been working in middle relief. McArthur will miss the rest of the regular season, but the Royals hope he can return to help their bullpen if they make the postseason.

6 hours ago

Brandon Williamson • SP • Reds

Brandon Williamson Leaves Early Tuesday With Injury

Cincinnati Reds left-hander Brandon Williamson (elbow) left his outing early on Tuesday against the Atlanta Braves at Great American Ball Park with manager David Bell and a trainer during the second at-bat of the second inning with an apparent elbow injury. It looked as though Williamson was grabbing at his left elbow before leaving the contest. Before departing, he allowed three earned runs on three hits (two home runs) while walking two and striking out one in just 1 1/3 innings. Given the fact that the season is almost over, there's a good chance Williamson will be shut down the rest of the way, especially after missing the first five months of the year with a shoulder injury. The 26-year-old southpaw was making just his fourth appearance of 2024 (and third start) on Tuesday. In his first 13 innings, Williamson had allowed three runs (two earned) while walking three and fanning 11. UPDATE: Williamson was diagnosed with a left-elbow strain.

6 hours ago

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