MLB News

Right-hander Tyler Mahle went 3-9 with a 5.13 ERA (4.37 FIP) and 1.39 WHIP with 89 strikeouts and 37 walks in 94 2/3 innings and 18 starts to begin the 2026 season with the San Francisco Giants before the Atlanta Braves acquired him in a trade at midseason. Since the move to the first-place Braves, the 31-year-old veteran has looked like a different pitcher, going 2-1 with a 1.48 ERA (2.87 FIP) and 0.96 WHIP with 32 strikeouts and only five walks in 30 1/3 frames over five starts. Mahle has not allowed more than two earned runs in any of his five starts so far for Atlanta, and he gave up only one earned run with no walks and a season-high nine strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings in his last outing on Sunday, Aug. 30, against the Colorado Rockies. He will have a pretty big test his next time out this weekend against the division-rival Philadelphia Phillies. In two starts already this year against the Phils, Mahle allowed five earned runs on nine hits while walking seven and striking out nine in 10 2/3 innings. Mahle will be a riskier fantasy streamer in that matchup, but regardless, he deserves more waiver-wire attention down the stretch. Mahle is currently rostered in just over half of Yahoo leagues.

Updating a previous report, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts described two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani (knee, biceps) as day-to-day, and further discussions will determine whether he is available off the bench in Thursday's series finale against the St. Louis Cardinals or as the designated hitter for Friday's series opener versus the visiting Washington Nationals, according to MLB.com's Sonja Chen. Roberts still views a stint on the injured list as unlikely for Ohtani, "but not impossible." The four-time MVP has not pitched since July 3 due to left-knee and right-biceps injuries, but he has stayed in the lineup as the team's primary DH. The Japanese superstar's health has been declining, though, and he was primarily feeling discomfort in the right biceps and neck areas while striking out four times in Wednesday night's loss to St. Louis, per Roberts. How quickly the 32-year-old returns to the starting lineup as a hitter remains to be seen, but as a pitcher, fantasy managers should not be as hopeful that he will return to the mound in September. Despite playing at less than 100% for a good chunk of the season, Ohtani is still batting .279/.381/.525 overall with a .906 OPS, 30 homers, 80 RBI, 89 runs scored, and 11 steals in 499 at-bats. However, his production has declined over the last month, and he was noticeably wincing after swings on Wednesday evening.

Texas Rangers right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (elbow) threw a successful bullpen session on Thursday, according to Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News. Eovaldi is working his way back slowly from inflammation in his right elbow that landed him on the 15-day injured list on Aug. 10, but he is making progress and should rejoin the Rangers' starting rotation before the end of September, barring a setback. However, time is running out for him to make an impact in fantasy baseball leagues. The 15-year veteran has been solid when healthy in 2026 in his fourth year with the team, going 10-9 with a 4.21 ERA (4.26 FIP) and 1.21 WHIP with 137 strikeouts and 32 walks in 132 2/3 frames over 22 starts. Despite time running out in the season, Eovaldi is rostered in just over 80% of Yahoo leagues. He has not been quite as good in just four second-half starts, posting a 5.06 ERA with six walks and 17 strikeouts in 21 1/3 innings.

Chicago Cubs right-hander Ben Brown (neck) has been ruled out for the remainder of the 2026 season, according to Taylor McGregor of the Marquee Sports Network. This should not come as a huge surprise, since Brown has been sidelined on the injured list since June with a stress reaction in his neck, something that he has dealt with in the past. The 26-year-old former 33rd-round pick by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2017 will finish his 2026 campaign with a 4-2 record, a sharp 1.85 ERA, a 0.94 WHIP, one save, 65 strikeouts, and 19 walks in 68 innings pitched across 20 appearances (eight starts) for the Cubbies. Brown has good stuff and plenty of potential, but because he has been unable to stay healthy, his future could be as a full-time reliever in 2027 and beyond. In 25 outings (15 starts) last year for Chicago, Brown had a career-worst 5.92 ERA (4.08 FIP) but also 121 strikeouts and 32 walks in 106 1/3 innings pitched. Barring another setback with his neck injury, he should be ready in plenty of time for spring training in 2027, barring a league lockout.

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani (knee, biceps) is not in the team's starting lineup for Thursday's game against the visiting St. Louis Cardinals due to ongoing left-knee and right-biceps injuries, per MLB.com. Outfielder Alex Call will serve as the designated hitter and bat eighth against Cardinals left-hander Quinn Mathews. Manager Dave Roberts said it is unlikely that the Dodgers will completely shut Ohtani down and place him on the injured list, but clearly he is not himself at the plate after going hitless in six plate appearances with four strikeouts in Wednesday's loss to St. Louis. In fact, Ohtani hit .241/.322/.472 with a .795 OPS (his lowest of the season) with six homers, three doubles, two triples, 13 RBI, 16 runs, and four steals in 27 games in the month of August, and he has just one hit in 10 plate appearances in two games in September. Ohtani is clearly not himself right now, and he has not made a start as a pitcher since July 3. The Dodgers are holding out hope that the Japanese superstar will pitch again for the team this year, but with only several weeks left in the regular season, he is unlikely to help when it matters most in fantasy. If Ohtani cannot shake his knee and biceps injuries, the Dodgers may be forced to put him on the IL. After all, their primary goal is to have him 100% for the postseason run as the Dodgers look for an unprecedented third straight World Series title.

Boston Red Sox catcher Adley Rutschman (elbow) is back behind the plate to catch left-hander Jake Bennett and will hit third in Thursday's series opener against his former team, the Baltimore Orioles, and right-hander Brandon Young, according to MLB.com. Rutschman is returning to action after missing the last three games with an elbow injury that also caused him to miss three games last week. It is an injury that the 28-year-old switch-hitter might have to battle for the remainder of the 2026 season, which is not what fantasy managers want to hear in what has already been a disappointing campaign for the former first overall pick from Oregon State. In 300 total at-bats this year, Rutschman is slashing .237/.318/.400 with a .718 OPS, nine home runs, 51 RBI, and 35 runs scored for the O's and Red Sox. The three-time All-Star has been even worse since being traded to Boston, going 9-for-53 (.170) with a homer, a double, four RBI, five runs scored, six walks, and 15 strikeouts in 15 games played. Fantasy managers may want to keep him benched until he shows signs of life at the plate.

Boston Red Sox second baseman/outfielder Ceddanne Rafaela (quadriceps) is out of the team's starting lineup for Thursday's series opener against the division-rival Baltimore Orioles, per MLB.com. Rafaela will sit out at least one game after he was pulled in the seventh inning in Wednesday's contest with tightness in his quad muscle. For now, fantasy managers should consider the young outfielder to be day-to-day and check back on him to see if he is available for Game 2 of the series in Baltimore on Friday. Eli White will make the start in center field for the BoSox and will bat eighth against Orioles right-hander Brandon Young. The 25-year-old Rafaela has been a must-start in fantasy leagues as a first-time All-Star in 2026, as he entered Thursday's tilt with a .282/.317/.443 slash line with a career-best .760 OPS, 16 home runs, 70 RBI, 17 stolen bases, and 67 runs scored across 135 games and 569 plate appearances. Rafaela has been just as solid so far in the second half of 2026, hitting .285 (55-for-195) with eight homers, 10 doubles, 31 RBI, 26 runs scored, and five steals in 45 games. Hopefully, he will be back in Boston's lineup on Friday.

Miami Marlins outfield prospect Kemp Alderman is slumping at the wrong time, going 6-for-35 (.171) over his last 10 games at Triple-A Jacksonville with just one extra-base hit (a double). Perhaps most concerning is the strikeout rate, though, which stands at a high 32.5 percent for the year but came in at a whopping 41.0 percent during the recent 10-game slump. The Marlins' eighth-ranked prospect has big-time raw power and has tallied 18 home runs in 94 games for the Jumbo Shrimp this season, but the 6-foot-3 slugger doesn't look like he's going to force his way to the majors this season unless he turns things around in a hurry. The home run potential makes him intriguing for fantasy, but he'd be a drain on batting average, and with a low likelihood of getting called up at this point, the 24-year-old is more of a desperation stash for managers looking for power production.

Detroit Tigers catcher/first base prospect Josue Briceno (undisclosed) was placed on the 7-day injured list at Triple-A Toledo with an undisclosed injury. He looked to have injured his ankle trying to get back to second base and subsequently had to leave the game this past Sunday, so it could be related to that. Regardless, it has all but guaranteed that the Tigers' fifth-ranked prospect will not debut in 2026. It has been a rough year anyway, with the left-handed hitter being limited to 42 total games due to injuries, only 15 of which came with the Mud Hens, where he hit .196 with zero home runs and a 32.2 percent strikeout rate. The 6-foot-4 slugger will hopefully be healthy to begin 2027 and could make a case for an MLB debut, but for now, the 21-year-old can be left on the waiver wire in redraft leagues.

San Francisco Giants infield/outfield prospect Parks Harber is mired in a terrible slump, and just when it looked like there was a glimmer of hope for an MLB debut in 2026, the recent stretch of futility at the plate has likely pushed any chances for a debut to 2027. The Giants' 13th-ranked prospect has collected just one hit in his last 26 at-bats, producing a .038 average during that time with a 30.0 percent strikeout rate. The slash line at Triple-A Sacramento is still good at .266/.363/.416 with five home runs in 39 games, and the 6-foot-3 slugger's future still looks bright, but look for Harber to have a fantasy impact next season, not this year. Fantasy managers who were mulling whether or not to stash him can safely leave the 24-year-old on the waiver wire.

Detroit Tigers infield prospect Max Anderson is making a push for a late-season debut in the majors as he's produced a .340 average over his last 13 games for Triple-A Toledo, including three doubles and a home run, while drawing walks at a 14.8 percent clip during that time. It has pushed a slash line that was already solid even higher, to .306/.392/.492, with 14 home runs and nearly as many walks (48) as strikeouts (55). The former second-rounder boasts a low 12.9 percent strikeout rate (92nd percentile) and has enough power to barrel up extra-base hits, which would make him fantasy-relevant whenever he gets to the big leagues. He's not on the 40-man roster and won't challenge Kevin McGonigle or Gleyber Torres for playing time unless one of the two were injured, but the 2025 Arizona Fall League MVP could get a crack at third base or designated hitter. In anticipation of a late-season debut, fantasy managers in deeper 12+ team leagues could consider stashing the 24-year-old as a potential three- or four-category contributor.

Milwaukee Brewers corner infield prospect Luke Adams returned from the injured list on August 22 and went 4-for-10 (.400) with seven walks compared to just two strikeouts during that time, leading to an amazing .667 on-base percentage in that limited sample. However, the Brewers' 13th-ranked prospect was placed on the IL again on August 30. A third and separate injured list stint earlier this season kept him out for over a month, so the right-handed hitter has been limited to just 67 games for the Sounds. In that time, he has produced a .251 average with 13 home runs along with a phenomenal .418 OBP thanks to a 14.3 percent walk rate that has seen him tally more walks (40) than strikeouts (39) thus far. With a low chase rate and plenty of hard contact, the former 12th-round draft pick could be intriguing for fantasy were he to have a minimum IL stint and earn a late-season promotion, so managers in deeper 12+ team leagues, especially those in OBP leagues, should monitor his progress.

Detroit Tigers pitching prospect River Ryan (hamstring) remains sidelined with a hamstring injury that has prevented him from pitching in a game since mid June. The Tigers' fourth-ranked prospect came over in the trade that sent two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal to the Dodgers, and although Zyhir Hope may have been the "headliner" in the deal, the right-hander immediately slotted in as the organization's top pitching prospect, so he is a highly regarded talent. He's also further along in age than most prospects, so the 28-year-old came over as a player who is ready to step into the big league rotation quickly. His career was derailed by Tommy John surgery, with the 6-foot-2 hurler making a brief debut in the majors back in 2024, but he was fully recovered and looking sharp before suffering the hamstring injury (22.2 percent K-BB%). The last update a couple of weeks ago was that he was throwing bullpen sessions, so he should be nearing a rehab assignment, and for those managers with eyes on the fantasy playoffs, there aren't many who are as big-league-ready as Ryan, so despite the injury, he's a worthy stash in hopes of a late-season call-up.

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani (knee, biceps) has not pitched in a game since July 3 against the San Diego Padres due to inflammation in his left knee and occasional flare-ups of right-biceps discomfort, but he has remained in the everyday lineup as the designated hitter. According to The Athletic's Fabian Ardaya, manager Dave Roberts said he plans to talk with the four-time MVP and the team's training staff to gauge what is best for Ohtani going forward. The skipper said it is "unlikely" that the Dodgers will completely shut the Japanese superstar down and put him on the injured list, but he also left open the possibility that his stance could change. A day off could be coming for Ohtani, but Roberts does not think that an IL stint would guarantee that Ohtani can get back to 100% this season. President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said this week that he still thinks Ohtani can pitch in a game this season, but fantasy managers hoping he can help them in the postseason should not be as optimistic. The reality is that Ohtani's health issues are now affecting him at the plate, as he posted a .795 OPS in August, the lowest mark in any month of his first three seasons with the Dodgers, and his worst since his opening month in the big leagues in 2022. Since Aug. 15, he is hitting .203 with a .742 OPS. In the extra-inning loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday, Ohtani went hitless in six plate appearances with four strikeouts. He is clearly not himself right now due to nagging injuries, so fantasy managers should expect him to see some rest here soon.

Across 280 plate appearances since making his MLB debut in early June, Colorado Rockies outfielder/shortstop Cole Carrigg is hitting .262/.341/.439 with six home runs, 37 RBI, 39 runs scored, and eight stolen bases. The 24-year-old's power upside is limited, as he's logged subpar barrel (5.3%) and hard-hit (34.0%) rates. However, Carrigg has emerged as Colorado's near-everyday center fielder and often hits in a premium spot in the team's lineup. Carrigg was also a high-end base stealer in the minor leagues, swiping 46 bags across 123 games at Double-A in 2025. While Carrigg has not been quite as aggressive early in his big-league career, six of his eight stolen bases this year have come since the All-Star break. Between his speed upside and his hitter-friendly home environment in Colorado, Carrigg carries clear waiver wire appeal.

Since making his MLB debut in mid-May, Athletics outfielder Henry Bolte has hit the ground running. Across 376 plate appearances this year, the 23-year-old is hitting .274/.350/.389 with eight home runs, 30 RBI, 41 runs scored, and 15 stolen bases. Swing-and-miss is a potential red flag in his profile, as he's struck out in 27.4% of his plate appearances. However, Bolte hits the ball hard (47.2% hard-hit rate) and on the ground a ton (62.4%). When combined with his elite speed, Bolte's mix has allowed him to consistently run high batting averages on balls in play throughout his time in the A's system. After posting a .407 BABIP across 488 minor league plate appearances in 2025, Bolte's BABIP in the big leagues this year is .372. If he can continue to improve his strikeout rate while also raising his launch angle just a bit, Bolte has five-category breakout potential. In leagues where he remains available, Bolte should be a priority waiver wire target for fantasy managers.

After winning an MLB job in Spring Training, Colorado Rockies first baseman TJ Rumfield has been a revelation this season. Across 552 plate appearances, the 26-year-old is hitting .291/.384/.442 with 14 home runs, 64 RBI, and 57 runs scored. Rumfield does not profile as a typical corner infield power bat, as he's posted just a 4.7% barrel rate and a 28.1% hard-hit rate. However, he owns an elite plate approach, logging an 11.6% walk rate while striking out in just 13.9% of his plate appearances. Rumfield is also in the middle of a hot stretch, as he's riding an eight-game hitting streak entering play on Thursday. While Rumfield's production at the plate is obviously boosted by his hitter-friendly home environment in Colorado, he's also hit .290 away from Coors Field this season. For fantasy managers in need of batting average and solid run production, Rumfield carries clear waiver-wire appeal.

Detroit Tigers right-hander Jackson Jobe had his 2026 season debut delayed four-plus months as he worked his way back from elbow surgery. However, the 24-year-old returned to the big-league mound in early August and has now recorded a 1-2 record with a 4.67 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, and 19 strikeouts across 23 1/3 innings (five starts). Once considered one of the top pitching prospects in all of baseball, Jobe hasn't quite figured out how to put all the pieces together against MLB competition so far. Still, he's averaging 97.8 miles per hour on his fastball and has generated a 51.4% ground ball rate this season, which is a decent starting point for improved numbers. Jobe also dominated minor league competition during his rehab outings this year, recording a 1.76 ERA and a 26.2% strikeout rate across 15 1/3 innings. Even amidst his early struggles this year, Jobe could still be worth targeting on the waiver wire in deeper leagues for his upside.

Across 343 plate appearances in 2026, Athletics infielder/outfielder Zack Gelof is hitting .256/.324/.453 with 15 home runs, 39 RBI, 57 runs scored, and 10 stolen bases. The 26-year-old has had his season disrupted by two separate stints on the injured list due to hand and knee injuries. However, when healthy, Gelof has been highly productive. After posting a 45.5% strikeout rate across 101 plate appearances in 2025, Gelof has lowered his strikeout rate to a much more manageable 25.4% in 2026. He's also shown the ability to play second base, third base, and all three outfield spots, which helps keep him in the A's lineup every day and provides valuable multi-positional eligibility for fantasy managers. Gelof's barrel and hard-hit rates have come down a bit this year as he focuses on making more contact, but his hitter-friendly home environment in Sacramento helps prop up his power numbers. In any league where he's not already rostered, Gelof should be a priority waiver wire target for fantasy managers.

Pittsburgh Pirates rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin (finger) has declared himself ready to return on Friday, when he is eligible to come off the 60-day injured list after missing nearly two months with a torn sagittal band on the ring finger of his left hand, according to Kevin Gorman of Pittsburgh Tribune-Live. Griffin should be back in the team's starting lineup for the series opener against the Los Angeles Angels at PNC Park on Friday, and fantasy managers still playing for something should throw him back into their starting lineups as a potential difference-maker down the stretch. The 20-year-old former ninth overall pick in 2024 was just starting to find his stride offensively before his finger injury, and he has held his own in his first 225 big-league at-bats this year, hitting .276/.332/.404 with a .736 OPS, five home runs, 25 RBI, 20 stolen bases, and 35 runs scored. Griffin brings as much power/speed upside as you can find at a premier position in fantasy, and he is only rostered in 68% of Yahoo leagues at the moment. With Griffin on the verge of a return, Jacob Gonzalez could be shifted to the hot corner in Pittsburgh to close out the 2026 season.