MLB News

Washington Nationals middle infielder CJ Abrams (back) has been scratched from the starting lineup on Monday against the division-rival Miami Marlins due to back tightness, according to Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic. Nasim Nunez is starting at shortstop and is batting eighth, while Jorbit Vivas will make the start at second and hit sixth versus Marlins right-hander Ryan Gusto. The Baltimore Banner's Kyle W. reports that manager Blake Butera said on Monday that Abrams is going to be closer to a 50/50 split between shortstop and second base for the rest of the season. Butera said that Abrams has played a "lights-out shortstop" over the past couple of weeks. Fantasy managers should consider the 25-year-old to be day-to-day for now and check back on his status before Game 2 of the series against Miami on Tuesday. The former first-rounder and two-time All-Star has been one of the most valuable shortstops in fantasy in 2026, and he will soon be gaining second base eligibility. Abrams came into Monday's series opener with a .267/.343/.506 slash line, an .849 OPS, a career-high 29 home runs, 92 RBI, 26 stolen bases, and 81 runs scored across 131 games. His first 30-30 campaign is well within reach as long as his back injury is not serious.

Baltimore Orioles first baseman Pete Alonso (head) is starting at first base and is batting second for Monday's series opener on the road at Coors Field against the Colorado Rockies and right-hander Tanner Gordon, per MLB.com. Alonso had an injury scare in Sunday's series finale against the Athletics when he was hit on the bill of his helmet by a pitch and forced to leave early. The right-handed slugger was just fine, though, and he is right back in action to begin the new week in the thin air in Denver. Fantasy managers will want to make sure to keep the 31-year-old five-time All-Star in their starting lineups in a hitter-friendly environment. In his first season with the O's, Alonso is slashing .270/.360/.503 with an .863 OPS, 32 home runs, 91 RBI, 84 runs scored, and five stolen bases in 515 at-bats. He continues to be an elite source of power and run production and is looking to finish August on a high note after hitting .343 (35-for-102) with nine homers, three doubles, 22 RBI, and 16 runs scored in the first 27 games during the month.

Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz (quadriceps) is serving as the designated hitter and is batting second for the Reds in Monday's series opener against the visiting San Diego Padres and right-hander Michael King at Great American Ball Park, according to MLB.com. Matt McLain will start at shortstop and bat seventh. Fantasy managers had a scare in Sunday's series finale at Wrigley Field against the division-rival Chicago Cubs when De La Cruz was pulled early with tightness in his left quad, but he will be back a day later as the DH. Even if the 24-year-old Dominican switch-hitter is not as aggressive on the base paths on Monday, he needs to be in all starting fantasy lineups in traditional leagues. The two-time All-Star is a five-category contributor and is currently slashing .271/.350/.479 with an .828 OPS, 21 homers, 60 RBI, 24 stolen bases, and 81 runs scored across 468 at-bats this year. De La Cruz will be looking to finish off August on a strong note. He has gone hitless in just five career at-bats against King.

The Miami Marlins announced on Monday that they have placed infielder Xavier Edwards (thumb) on the 10-day injured list with a sprained left thumb and recalled infield prospect Jared Serna from Triple-A Jacksonville in a corresponding move. Edwards will go on the IL for the first time this season after injuring his thumb on a tag attempt in Sunday's game against the division-rival Washington Nationals. Until he can return, the Fish could use a combination of Serna, Javier Sanoja, and Leo Jimenez at the keystone in Miami. In the series finale against the Nats on Monday, Sanoja will start at second and bat cleanup against left-hander Will Dion. The 27-year-old Edwards, a switch-hitter, needs to remain stashed in most fantasy baseball leagues for his speed on the basepaths and his high average (.282). Edwards currently has a .282/.361/.376 slash line, .737 OPS, six home runs, 51 RBI, 59 runs scored, and 20 stolen bases across his 500 at-bats in 2026. Edwards continues to be a zero in the power department, and he has not homered since May.

The Boston Red Sox announced on Monday that they placed first baseman Willson Contreras (hamstring) on the 10-day injured list with a strained left hamstring and recalled catcher/first baseman Mickey Gasper from Triple-A Worcester in a corresponding move. Gasper will start at first base and bat second for the BoSox in their series opener on Monday at Fenway Park against the Seattle Mariners and right-hander George Kirby. Contreras was pulled from Sunday's series finale against the New York Yankees with tightness in his hamstring, and he will now miss at least the next 10 days. The 34-year-old Venezuelan reportedly had been playing through the issue for around a month, which helps explain why he went 3-for-27 (.111) with two walks and eight strikeouts in his last seven games. Overall, Contreras has been one of Boston's most consistent offensive producers in 2026 in his first year with the team, though, slashing .274/.384/.516 with a .900 OPS, 26 homers, 79 RBI, 66 runs scored, and three stolen bases in 434 at-bats. Fantasy managers must keep the four-time All-Star stashed in all formats.

The New York Mets are calling up outfield prospect Nick Morabito from Triple-A Syracuse on Monday, per MLB Pipeline. Morabito, who is considered the team's No. 13 prospect at MLB Pipeline, is getting another call to the big- league roster after hitting .254/.355/.388 with a .743 OPS, 13 home runs, 47 RBI, 42 stolen bases, and 73 runs scored across 114 games and 507 plate appearances in the International League. The 23-year-old right-handed hitter and former second-rounder in 2022 appeared in five games for the Mets earlier this year and went hitless in 12 plate appearances with no walks and nine strikeouts. It remains to be seen how long Morabito will stick around in Queens this time, but with Luis Robert Jr. now in Baltimore, he could be an option for outfield starts when the Mets face a left-handed pitcher. Fantasy managers in deeper leagues who are still looking for speed could look to add Morabito, but they should not expect much in the way of power. Morabito is not rostered yet in any Yahoo leagues.

Pittsburgh Pirates rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin (finger) will start his next minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis on Tuesday, Sept. 1, according to Dominic Campbell of Sports Illustrated. Griffin is eligible to come off the 60-day injured list on Sept. 4, but it is unclear if the Pirates will be ready to bring him back by then. The young shortstop is ready to move to Indy after playing with Double-A Altoona over the weekend. He is attempting to return from a torn sagittal band on his left ring finger that has kept him sidelined since July 6. The 20-year-old former ninth overall pick in 2024 has the chance to be a perennial All-Star at the 6 for years to come, and he hit .276/.332/.404 with a .736 OPS, five home runs, 25 RBI, 20 stolen bases, and 35 runs scored in his first 59 major-league games across 247 plate appearances before injuring his finger. When Griffin returns, he will play regularly at shortstop to close out the 2026 campaign. Fantasy managers looking for power/speed upside at the 6 need to stash Griffin ASAP. He is currently rostered in 68% of Yahoo leagues.

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.