MLB News

Mike Yastrzemski • RF • Giants

Mike Yastrzemski Sitting Against Southpaw

San Francisco Giants outfielder Mike Yastrzemski is out of the starting lineup ahead of Monday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. It looks like the Giants will play matchups here and give Yastrzemski a day off against left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez. In his place, Heliot Ramos will cover right field and bat leadoff on Monday. Ramos is crushing left-handed pitching with a .369 batting average with nine home runs and 23 RBI in 54 games against left-handers this season. Ramos is looking like a strong fantasy option for Monday's slate.

0 hour ago

Patrick Bailey • C • Giants

Patrick Bailey Absent On Monday

San Francisco Giants catcher Patrick Bailey is out of the starting lineup ahead of Monday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. This appears to be a routine rest day for Bailey after he started in three of the last four games. Curt Casali will do the catching and bat ninth versus left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez on Monday. The veteran catcher is hitting under .200 on the season and can be avoided for fantasy purposes. The assumption is that Bailey will be back in the lineup following Monday's contest.

0 hour ago

Gabriel Moreno • C • Diamondbacks

Gabriel Moreno Could Return On Tuesday

Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno (groin) appears to have avoided a major injury after exiting early during Sunday's game. It looks like Moreno had a setback with a groin injury that he suffered last month. Luckily, the MRI came back clean and Moreno should be able to rejoin the lineup on Tuesday. That is great news for the D-Backs who thought they might be without Moreno for the rest of the regular season. Jose Herrera will do the catching and bat ninth versus right-hander Hayden Birdsong. Herrera is hitting .221 with 13 RBI on the season, so he'll be an avoidable fantasy option for Monday's slate.

0 hour ago

Austin Hays • LF • Phillies

Austin Hays To Be Activated On Tuesday

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Austin Hays (kidney) is expected to be activated off the 10-day injured list ahead of Tuesday's game against the Chicago Cubs. It appears Hays is almost ready to play after missing nearly a month of action due to a kidney infection. He'll rest on Monday after playing in rehab contests over the weekend. Hays is hitting .254 with one home run and five RBI over 19 games since being traded to the Phillies at the trade deadline. Fantasy managers should be able to get him back in their lineups on Tuesday.

0 hour ago

Miguel Amaya • C • Cubs

Miguel Amaya Resting On Monday

Chicago Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya is out of the starting lineup ahead of Monday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies. This appears to be a regular rest day for Amaya, who smacked a home run during Sunday's game. In his absence, Christian Bethancourt will be behind the plate and bat eighth versus right-hander Aaron Nola. Bethancourt has been great during his short period with the Cubs. Through 22 games, Bethancourt is hitting .306 with three home runs and 15 RBI on the North Side.

1 hour ago

Dansby Swanson • SS • Cubs

Dansby Swanson Heads To The Bench

Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson is out of the starting lineup ahead of Monday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies. This is a rare day off for Swanson who has started nearly every game since June. The Cubs have been eliminated from playoff contention, so they might as well give a younger player a chance in the lineup. Luis Vazquez will fill in at shortstop and bat ninth versus right-hander Aaron Nola. It wouldn't be shocking to see Swanson get a few more rest days with only a handful of games left on the schedule.

1 hour ago

Ian Happ • LF • Cubs

Ian Happ Out Again Versus Phillies

Chicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ (back) remains out for the series opener on Monday against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. With Happ out again, Mike Tauchman will start in left field and bat leadoff for the Cubbies against Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola. Happ was scratched from Chicago's lineup on Sunday in the series finale against the Washington Commanders due to lower-back tightness and will now miss a second straight game. The 30-year-old left-handed slugger should be considered day-to-day for the final week of the regular season. Happ needs one more home run to set a new career-high mark of 26 and is one steal shy of his previous career-high in that category, which he set in 2023. Happ already has a career-high 85 RBI in 148 games this year. Tauchman is in a nice lineup spot but has a tough matchup against Nola for DFS purposes.

1 hour ago

Chris Sale • SP • Braves

Chris Sale Won't Make Two Starts In Final Week

After much speculation about whether the Atlanta Braves would have left-hander Chris Sale make two starts -- Tuesday and Sunday -- on regular rest in the final week of the regular season, manager Brian Snitker announced that Sale will start on Wednesday against the division-rival New York Mets on an extra day of rest. It's something Sale, the presumptive National League Cy Young winner, and the other Braves starters have done for most of the season. If Atlanta makes the postseason, Sale would be in line to start a wild-card series opener. The plan presumably rules Sale out of pitching in the season finale on Sunday against the Royals, because he'd be on short rest, something no Braves starter has done all year. Sale's fastball velocity was down 2.1 mph from his season average in his last start on Thursday against the Reds. Rookie Spencer Schwellenbach will start on Tuesday and Sunday in the final week.

2 hours ago

Yordan Alvarez • LF • Astros

Yordan Alvarez Absent On Monday

Houston Astros outfielder/designated hitter Yordan Alvarez (knee) is absent from the team's starting lineup for Monday's series opener at Minute Maid Park against the division-rival Seattle Mariners. The left-handed-hitting Jason Heyward is starting in left field and is batting eighth, with Jon Singleton serving as the DH and batting fifth against Mariners right-hander Bryce Miller. Victor Caratini is at first base and is hitting sixth. It's not a surprise that Alvarez is out on Monday after leaving Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Angels due to a right-knee contusion that he suffered while sliding. Until we know the results of the 27-year-old's MRI exam, consider him day-to-day. The Astros can ill-afford to lose one of the best hitters in baseball with the playoffs beginning next week. The three-time All-Star is currently hitting .308/.392/.567 with a .959 OPS, 35 homers, 86 RBI and even six steals in 147 games.

2 hours ago

Tyler O'Neill • LF • Red Sox

Tyler O'Neill Returns Against Blue Jays

Boston Red Sox outfielder Tyler O'Neill (back) is serving as the designated hitter and is batting cleanup on Monday against the division-rival Toronto Blue Jays and right-hander Chris Bassitt at Rogers Centre. A back injury caused O'Neill to rest for both contests during Sunday's doubleheader against the Minnesota Twins, but he's back in action to start the series opener against the Jays to begin the final week of the 2024 regular season. The left-handed-hitting Masataka Yoshida will begin the game on the bench. O'Neill has gone hitless in his last four games and is hitting under the Mendoza Line with 25 strikeouts in 72 plate appearances in 17 games in September, but he has managed to clear the fences six times while driving in 11. DFS managers may want to avoid him, though, as he's hitting .083 with a .250 OPS in 12 career at-bats against Bassitt.

2 hours ago

Ross Stripling • SP • Athletics

Ross Stripling To Face Live Hitters On Tuesday

Oakland Athletics right-hander Ross Stripling (back) came away feeling healthy from a 30-pitch bullpen session on Saturday at Oakland Coliseum and is scheduled to face live hitters on Tuesday. If all goes well with that session, Stripling is expected to be activated from the injured list in time for the team's final series of the season against the division-rival Seattle Mariners on the road this weekend, which starts on Friday, Sept. 27. It's unclear if the A's will use Stripling for a traditional start or just out of the bullpen for the final series of the year this weekend, but fantasy managers should stay away regardless. When the 34-year-old veteran hasn't been hurt this year, he's been way too hittable, going 2-11 with a 6.08 ERA and 1.54 WHIP with only 49 strikeouts and 21 walks in 21 appearances (14 starts) covering 84 1/3 innings in his first year in Oakland.

2 hours ago

Jackson Jobe • SP • Tigers

Tigers Calling Up Jackson Jobe

The Detroit Tigers are calling up right-hander Jackson Jobe, the best pitching prospect in baseball, from Triple-A Toledo on Monday. Jobe will join the bullpen as the Tigers try to lock down the final wild-card spot in the American League in the final week of the regular season. Detroit controls their own destiny this week and will face the Tampa Bay Rays for three games before finishing with a weekend series versus the division-rival Chicago White Sox. The Tigers and Kansas City Royals enter Monday with identical 82-74 records, with the Minnesota Twins a game back for the final wild-card spot. The 22-year-old Jobe will push for a rotation spot in 2025, but for now he'll help in a relief role. The former third overall pick in 2021 has gone 5-3 this year with a 2.36 ERA, a 1.12 WHIP, 96 strikeouts and 45 walks in 91 2/3 innings (21 starts) at three minor-league levels in 2024.

3 hours ago

Josh Jung • 3B • Rangers

Josh Jung Shut Down For The Final Week

Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung (wrist) is expected to be placed on the 10-day injured list and miss the final week of the 2024 regular season. Jung, who fractured his wrist in early April and needed surgery, hasn't played since last Wednesday due to recurring discomfort in his surgically repaired right wrist. The 26-year-old will visit with a hand specialist on Thursday to get an update on what is bothering him. It's been a disappointing 2024 campaign for Jung after being named an All-Star in his first full MLB season in 2023, as he's only played in 46 games this year. He's hit .264/.298/.421 with a .719 OPS, seven homers, 16 RBI and four steals in 188 plate appearances. Ezequiel Duran is most likely to see the majority of the starts for Texas at the hot corner with Jung out for the final week of the season as the Rangers play out the string.

3 hours ago

Ketel Marte • 2B • Diamondbacks

Ketel Marte Sitting On Monday

Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte is not in the team's starting lineup for Monday's series opener at Chase Field against the division-rival San Francisco Giants. Kevin Newman will get the start at the keystone and will bat eighth against Giants rookie right-hander Hayden Birdsong. The D-backs have somewhat eased Marte back into the fold since he returned from an ankle injury in early September, as this will be his third game sitting since Sept. 6. The All-Star second baseman has homered in his last three games and has hit .271 (13-for-48) with five home runs, two doubles, 12 RBI and a stolen base in 14 games since returning from his ankle injury. Marte is having the best year of his career in 2024 and is a must-start in fantasy lineups when he's active. Newman is hitting .282 (80-for-284) but has only three homers on the year. He'll be a low-upside DFS sleeper play on Monday.

3 hours ago

Lance McCullers Jr. • SP • Astros

Lance McCullers Jr. Expected To Resume Throwing Soon

Houston Astros right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) had right-forearm surgery in June of last year to fix his right flexor tendon and remove a bone spur, but he suffered a setback in July of this year and was shut down for the rest of the season. McCullers hasn't pitched since the 2022 World Series but is expected to resume throwing at the end of September. The good news for the oft-injured 30-year-old hurler is that no new structural damage was found in his right arm before he was shut down, so if he can avoid further setbacks this offseason, he could be ready to roll for the start of the 2025 campaign. The former first-rounder in 2012 was an All-Star in 2017 and has always had plenty of fantasy intrigue with a 26.5% career strikeout rate, but it's hard to put too much faith into a pitcher that consistently has dealt with arm injuries in recent seasons.

6 hours ago

Luis Garcia • SP • Astros

Luis Garcia Continues To Throw

Even though Houston Astros right-hander Luis Garcia (elbow) was ruled out for the rest of the 2024 season last month, he is throwing bullpen sessions and is set to advance to live batting practice sessions as the end of the regular season nears. Garcia suffered a setback when he experienced a sore elbow on Aug. 2, which eventually ended his return from Tommy John surgery that he had in 2023. Before needing TJ surgery, Garcia had been a workhorse for the Astros in previous seasons. Houston was hoping that they could maybe have the 27-year-old as an option in the postseason, but that won't be the case. He made just two minor-league rehab appearances this summer before being shut down. If Garcia doesn't have any more setbacks this offseason, the Venezuelan hurler could be a nice fantasy sleeper with a career 3.61 ERA and 1.16 WHIP in four MLB seasons in Houston.

6 hours ago

Penn Murfee • RP • Astros

Penn Murfee Won't Return This Year

Houston Astros right-hander Penn Murfee's (elbow) chances of a return this year went up in smoke after he tossed 19 pitches (12 strikes) in a minor-league rehab game for Single-A Fayetteville on Aug. 15 at Augusta. Murfee was shut down from throwing after that outing but was expected to face hitters in late September. He was claimed off waivers on March 27 from the Atlanta Braves. The last time Murfee pitched in the big leagues was last year with the Seattle Mariners, when he had a sharp 1.29 ERA and 1.07 WHIP with 16 strikeouts in just 14 innings. The 30-year-old reliever had a 2.99 ERA and 0.95 WHIP in 64 appearances for the Mariners in his rookie season in 2022. Murfee will now try to have a healthy offseason this winter after undergoing surgery on his right elbow.

6 hours ago

Tayler Scott • RP • Astros

Tayler Scott Could Return In Playoffs

Houston Astros right-hander Tayler Scott (spine) will be sidelined for the rest of the 2024 regular season but could return at some point in the American League wild-card series. Scott has been one of the team's best relievers this year, posting a 2.23 ERA while appearing in a career-high 62 games and throwing 68 2/3 innings, but he's currently recovering from a thoracic spine strain. The 32-year-old veteran landed on the 15-day injured list over the weekend, and his injury explains why he was pretty bad of late. In five outings in the month of September before going on the IL, Scott allowed four earned runs on nine hits (one homer) while walking five and striking out four in 5 2/3 innings. Getting Scott back for the postseason would be big for Houston's bullpen, but only if he can rediscover his form from earlier this year.

6 hours ago

Chas McCormick • LF • Astros

Chas McCormick To Swing A Bat On Monday

Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown said on KBME-AM in Houston on Sunday that outfielder Chas McCormick (hand) will start swinging a bat on Monday with the hope that he can return for the final weekend of the regular season against the Cleveland Guardians. McCormick suffered a small fracture in his right hand on Sept. 10 while chasing a fly ball in Houston and crashing into the outfield wall. He said the fracture is on a bone just below his index finger. Barring a setback, though, the Astros should have McCormick available for the postseason in October, although he's unlikely to have a big role. Before his injury, he had started seven games in a row and was 9-for-23. It came after the 29-year-old struggled for much of the year and was sent to Triple-A Sugar Land. McCormick has hit .211/.271/.306 with a career-worst .576 OPS, five homers, 27 RBI and eight steals in 94 games in 2024.

7 hours ago

Yordan Alvarez • LF • Astros

Yordan Alvarez Suffers Knee Contusion

Houston Astros outfielder/designated hitter Yordan Alvarez (knee) was taken out of Sunday's contest early against the division-rival Los Angles Angels with a right-knee contusion following a hard slide into second base in the third inning. Manager Joe Espada said that Alvarez was undergoing imaging tests after the game to determine the severity of the injury. Alvarez was massaging his right knee before he hobbled off the field. Before leaving, he went 2-for-2 at the plate. "Not what I wanted to see when I ran out there," Espada said. "It's pretty sore. Just when he slid, his weight on the knee and just the way it handled. Hopefully we get some good news here." Alvarez had arthroscopic surgery on both of his knees in August of 2020 and also had a slight tear of the patellar tendon in his right knee. For now, consider him day-to-day, but don't expect Alvarez to play on Monday against the Mariners.

7 hours ago

MLB News

LEGEND