MLB News

The Baltimore Orioles are claiming outfielder Luis Robert Jr. off waivers from the New York Mets on Monday, multiple people familiar with the situation told Chelsea Janes of SNY. The Mets gave up quickly on Robert after bringing him in to be their center fielder last offseason. He has played in only 58 games in 2026 due to a lumbar spine disc herniation in his back, and he has unsurprisingly struggled to a .223/.303/.399 slash line with a .702 OPS, 10 home runs, 23 RBI, 24 runs scored, and two stolen bases in 218 plate appearances. The Orioles will pay the remaining $5 million in salary that Robert is owed this year, and they will have a $20 million team option for 2027 that comes with a $2 million buyout. The buyout is more likely for the 29-year-old Cuban slugger unless he turns things around drastically in the final month of the regular season in Baltimore. Robert had 38 home runs, 80 RBI, and 20 stolen bases in 2023 with the Chicago White Sox, but that is the only season since debuting in 2020 in which he has capitalized on his power/speed potential. He is currently rostered in 43% of Yahoo leagues.

The Boston Red Sox are pushing right-hander Sonny Gray's next start to Saturday in Baltimore against the division-rival Orioles to give him nine days of rest, according to Tim Healey of The Boston Globe. It takes away a potential two-start week for his fantasy managers. Gray is not dealing with anything physically, but the BoSox want to give their ace a little extra breather with the final month of the regular season coming. The 36-year-old veteran has been excellent in 2026 in his first year in Beantown, going 16-4 with a 2.82 ERA (3.54 FIP) and 1.18 WHIP with 128 strikeouts and 37 walks in 143 2/3 innings pitched across 25 starts. His 16 wins lead the league. Gray stumbled to end the month of July, allowing nine earned runs in his last two starts of the month against the Toronto Blue Jays and Athletics, but he turned it around in August, going 3-2 with a 2.40 ERA (3.28 FIP) with seven walks and 30 strikeouts in 30 innings over five starts. Saturday will be Gray's first outing against the O's, a team that is middle of the pack in OPS but with the fourth-most strikeouts in the league. Gray should be in all starting fantasy lineups this weekend.

St. Louis Cardinals rookie infielder JJ Wetherholt (wrist), who was placed on the 10-day injured list on Sunday with right-wrist discomfort, will meet with a specialist to have his wrist examined in Arizona early this week, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The 23-year-old left-handed-hitting infielder has been bothered by wrist issues for the last month, which helps explain why he hit .200 (19-for-95) with a .595 OPS, one homer, four doubles, seven RBI, 19 runs scored, two stolen bases, 15 walks, and 19 strikeouts in 25 games in August. Since the All-Star break, Wetherholt has hit just .201 (31-for-154) with a .618 OPS, four home runs, four doubles, 12 RBI, 30 runs scored, five steals, 23 walks, and 31 strikeouts in 40 games. The former first-rounder from West Virginia University hit .259/.356/.399 with a .755 OPS, 13 homers, 36 RBI, 58 runs, and nine stolen bases in 90 games in the first half of his first MLB season. Fantasy managers now have to be concerned that Wetherholt might not make it back for the final month of the regular season in September.

Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte (knee) will be activated from the 10-day injured list before Monday's series opener at home against the Philadelphia Phillies, according to Francys Romero. Marte is expected to serve as the designated hitter against Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola, and he will address his teammates before the game. He failed to show up at Fenway Park on Aug. 17 against the Boston Red Sox, with his teammates and the D-backs' coaching staff left in the dark as to why he did not show up. Arizona placed Marte on the restricted list before he and his agent sat down with general manager Mike Hazen and manager Torey Lovullo to explain that he left the team to have an MRI exam on his left knee. "We're playing good baseball right now," Lovullo said. "We need to keep playing good baseball. I think an apology would galvanize this group. He doesn't know how powerful that would be if he did something like that." The 32-year-old switch-hitting Dominican will return to a .249/.314/.446 slash line with 21 homers, 67 RBI, 65 runs scored, and four steals in 469 at-bats in 2026. Marte is typically a must-start in fantasy, but he has hit just .224 (22-for-98) with a .712 OPS, four homers, four doubles, 13 RBI, 14 runs scored, 12 walks, and 20 strikeouts in 26 games since the All-Star break.

Miami Marlins outfield prospect Kemp Alderman has some pop in his bat and has shown that with the Triple-A Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp this season. In 340 at bats with Jacksonville this year, Alderman has 18 homers and 56 RBI with 55 runs scored and a .259 batting average. He battled a left wrist injury that caused him to miss time in May and June. The 24-year-old is the No. 8 prospect for Miami with 60-grade power and a 45-grade hit tool. The power can play in the major leagues and look for a potential promotion at some point in September for Alderman. The batting average, however, could be a drag for fantasy managers, but that could be offset by his power potential and his ability to steal a few bases. He is a nice addition with upside in fantasy leagues to close out the season.

Arizona Diamondbacks first base prospect Manuel Pena is adjusting well to Triple-A Reno and looks like a potential stash candidate with the potential for a call-up to Arizona. In 51 games with Reno, Pena is hitting .297 with five homers and 27 RBI with 25 runs scored. Between two levels of the minors this year, Pena has 31 combined homers with 91 RBI and 73 runs scored while hitting a combined .305. Most of that damage was done at Double-A but Pena nonetheless looks like a prime candidate for a promotion as rosters expand. Pena is the No. 29 prospect for the Diamondbacks with 55-grade power and for the most part has outperformed his expectations this season. Look for that to be rewarded with a shot in Arizona this September and the pop in his bat could play for fantasy teams.

Detroit Tigers infield prospect Max Anderson is having a nice August at Triple-A Toledo amidst a very consistent 2026 season. He has likely done enough to warrant a call-up to Detroit as rosters expand in September. This season at two levels of the minors, Anderson has 16 homers and 55 RBI while hitting .307 with 59 runs scored. The 22-year-old missed almost all of April with a quad injury but has returned to form nicely at Toledo. In April, Anderson is hitting .316 with three homers and 12 RBI. Anderson is the No. 11 prospect for the Tigers and a 50-grade hit tool with 50-grade power. The right-handed hitter has shown the ability to hit for average in the minors with some added pop in his bat. He will likely bring that bat to Detroit at some point this September and be a good source of batting average for fantasy managers.

Detroit Tigers catcher prospect Josue Briceno has played for four minor league teams this season and has most recently logged 15 games at Triple-A Toledo. At Toledo, Briceno is hitting .196 with no homers and seven RBI as he has gotten off to a rough start. In 144 at-bats between the four levels, Briceno has combined to hit nine homers and 29 RBI with a .250 batting average. Briceno is the No. 5 prospect in the Tigers' system and has a 50-grade hit tool with 60-grade power. The power is elite for a catcher and makes Briceno an enticing fantasy prospect. But the Tigers have the productive duo of Dillon Dingler and Eduardo Valencia at the catcher position. Look for Briceno to make his debut next season, and when he does, he will likely be a bit of a drag in the batting average category but carries big-time power potential.

Milwaukee Brewers infield prospect Luke Adams has impressed in his limited time in August at Triple-A Nashville and could get a shot to play with Milwaukee at the big league level this season. Adams missed some time in August with a shoulder injury but has five homers and 12 RBI in 34 at bats with a .294 batting average. Adams has played in just 13 games this month but is back looking healthy and hitting well. The right-handed hitter has 16 homers and 43 RBI between two minor league levels this season while hitting a combined .267. The 22-year-old is the No. 13 prospect in the Milwaukee organization and has a 50-grade hit tool with 50-grade power. Look for Adams to potentially lift the Milwaukee offense at some point in September with his power. He could turn his hot-hitting August into a chance for a big league promotion.

Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz (quadriceps) was diagnosed with left-quad tightness after he exited in the seventh inning of Sunday's game against the Chicago Cubs. De La Cruz was replaced in the lineup by Ivan Johnson, but not before he went 2-for-4 with a single, a double, a run, and two strikeouts. The 24-year-old owns a .269/.349/.476 slash line with 21 home runs, 60 RBI, 24 steals, a 10.7% walk rate, a 27.0% strikeout rate, and a career-high 125 wRC+ this season. De La Cruz avoided injury throughout the 2024 and 2025 seasons, but he missed three weeks earlier this year due to a right hamstring strain, and now it appears that he's banged up once again. Fantasy managers should stay tuned for additional injury updates from the Reds after Sunday night's game goes final. UPDATE: FOX 19's Charlie Goldsmith reports that De La Cruz has a chance to play in Monday's series opener against the San Diego Padres.

Baltimore Orioles first baseman Pete Alonso (head) is expected to be fine despite leaving Sunday's game early after being hit by a pitch in the helmet. Manager Craig Albernaz told Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun that he was already planning to pinch-run for Alonso before he got hit in the helmet. He also noted that Alonso remained in the dugout after exiting and was behaving like his usual self, so there's no cause for concern. Based on Albernaz's comments, we wouldn't be surprised to see Alonso back in the lineup for the Orioles' next game against the Colorado Rockies tomorrow night. The veteran first baseman is slashing .269/.358/.503 with 32 home runs, 91 RBI, an 11.0% walk rate, a 24.4% strikeout rate, and 141 wRC+. He currently ranks as the #5 first baseman in RotoBaller's rest-of-season fantasy baseball rankings.

The St. Louis Cardinals are promoting catching prospect Leo Bernal to the majors, according to Francys Romero of Beisbol FR. The 22-year-old originally signed with the Cardinals as an international free agent out of Panama in 2021. Up until this point, he had spent the entire season in Triple-A, slashing .279/.364/.469 with 16 home runs, 77 RBI, nine steals, an 11.8% walk rate, a 20.0% strikeout rate, and 116 wRC+ across 100 games. Bernal is a switch-hitter and has made impressive strides from a platoon standpoint this year. Specifically, he improved upon his ability to hit right-handed pitching, bringing his OPS against righties up from .668 to .846 this year. He's also been solid on defense, throwing out 27.4% of base stealers. Bernal should have a chance to carve out significant playing time right away, as both of the Cardinals' active catchers have a sub-.600 OPS.

Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras (hamstring), who exited during the seventh inning of Sunday's loss against the New York Yankees, was dealing with hamstring tightness, interim manager Chad Tracy told Christopher Smith of MassLive.com. "The hamstring was a little tight," Tracy said. "Just felt like at that point of the game, I don't want to push it. So we got him out of there." It's worth noting that the Red Sox were trailing 6-0 at the time of Contreras' exit, and it's unclear whether he would have been able to keep playing if the score were closer. We wouldn't be surprised to see him get the day off Monday against the Seattle Mariners, and we also can't rule out an IL stint if the injury persists or worsens in the next day. Nick Sogard would be the most likely candidate to play first base in Contreras' absence, but the team could also recall Mickey Gasper from Triple-A.

Seattle Mariners top outfield prospect Lazaro Montes is being called up to the majors, according to Francys Romero of Beisbol FR. The talented outfielder signed with the Mariners as an international free agent out of Cuba in 2022 and has quickly developed within the organization's farm system. Up until this point, Montes had split his 2026 season between Double-A and Triple-A. Through 43 games at the Triple-A level, he was slashing .267/.359/.564 with 13 home runs, an 11.6% walk rate, a 31.3% strikeout rate, and 125 wRC+. Strikeouts are evidently a concern with the 21-year-old, but he makes up for it with incredible power, slugging 38 total homers in the minors this year. There's a strong chance that he could be in the lineup for his MLB debut tomorrow against the Boston Red Sox. Regardless of whether he plays on Monday, he should earn consistent playing time in the thick of the playoff race, as the Mariners are five games back in the AL West.

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith (neck) is expected to rejoin the team on Tuesday, according to Sonja Chen of MLB.com. Smith has been out since early June due to a neck injury. He began a rehab assignment on August 25 and appears to be on the verge of returning to the big league roster. His return is a welcoming sight for the Dodgers, who have struggled to find consistent production from the catcher spot lately. This season, Smith is slashing .249/.338/.382 with six home runs and 23 RBI across 52 games. It hasn't been a great year for Smith offensively, but he could be worth scooping up off the waiver wire for fantasy managers seeking help at the catcher spot.

Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher George Klassen (back) was placed on the 15-day Injured List on Sunday, according to Jeff Fletcher. This is a tough break for the Halos, with Klassen actually pitching pretty well over his first few outings. He owns a 3.67 ERA, 1.63 WHIP, and a 24/21 K/BB ratio across 27 innings of work. The walks have been a problem for Klassen, but he's still worth a stash in deep league formats. The Angels haven't given a timetable for his return to the mound, but this isn't expected to be a long stint on the Injured List. The team hasn't announced who is going to take his spot in the rotation yet.

Baltimore Orioles catcher Samuel Basallo (hand) is being held out of the starting lineup for Sunday's game against the Athletics. The O's have decided to keep Basallo on the bench for this one due to a hand issue, according to Matt Weyrich. Basallo was removed early from Saturday's game due to a right-hand injury that he suffered while attempting to block a wild pitch. He's considered day-to-day, so fantasy managers shouldn't be too worried at the moment. Pete Alonso will serve as the designated hitter while Carlos Narvaez does the catching during Sunday's contest. Fantasy managers should check back on Monday for another update on his status.

Miami Marlins shortstop Xavier Edwards (thumb, elbow) was forced to make an early exit from Sunday's game against the Washington Nationals. Edwards was pulled from this game with a hand or elbow injury, according to Mark Zuckerman. He got tangled up while attempting to make a tag on Jorbit Vivas at second base. The expectation is that Edwards will undergo further testing to determine the severity of this injury. He finished Sunday's game 0-for-1 with a walk in the win over Washington. Fantasy managers should consider Edwards as day-to-day for now. There should be more information on his status in the next day or two.

According to Colin Beazley, Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Jared Jones will have his scheduled start pushed back. Jones was scheduled to start on Thursday, but he will instead take the ball against the Los Angeles Angels on Friday. It's unclear at the moment who is going to get the ball during Thursday's game. Both Carmen Mlodzinski and Lake Bachar are options for that one. Jones has allowed three runs or more in four of his last six starts. He's also coming off elbow surgery, so the Pirates want to limit his innings as much as possible. Fantasy managers should adjust their lineups accordingly with Jones moving back a day.

Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton (hip) was placed on the 10-day Injured List on Sunday. Buxton will head to the shelf due to a right hip impingement that he has been dealing with for most of the season. The team decided to make a move after Buxton missed his fourth straight game on Sunday. The Twins haven't given a timetable on Buxton, but the veteran outfielder may require surgery to fix the issue. That'll be a last resort as the Twins will likely wait and see how Buxton progresses over the next few weeks. Top prospect Walker Jenkins figures to gain the most fantasy value from the loss of Buxton. He'll likely operate as the full-time center fielder, so fantasy managers should scoop him up if they need a bat.