MLB News

Seattle Mariners outfield prospect Lazaro Montes (hip) exited Friday night's game early against the division-rival Athletics with soreness in his left hip, according to the team. In just his third MLB game, Montes left hobbled after crashing into the outfield wall while attempting a catch. Until we know the severity of the 21-year-old's injury, we will consider him day-to-day. Before being replaced in right field by Taylor Ward, Montes went 0-for-2 at the plate. In his first two games for the M's, the team's No. 5 prospect per MLB Pipeline went 3-for-9 with a home run, three RBI, and two runs scored. Seattle recently called up the 21-year-old Cuban outfielder in hopes that he would give the team a shot in the arm as they try to stay in the playoff race in the American League down the stretch. In 123 games (542 plate appearances) in the minors this year with Double-A Arkansas and Triple-A Tacoma, Montes hit .249/.369/.558 with a .928 OPS, 38 home runs, 96 RBI, 99 runs scored, and eight stolen bases, so he can certainly do serious damage at the dish when he is on. Because he sells out for lift and power most of the time, fantasy managers will have to put up with plenty of strikeouts. But his 6-foot-5, 250-pound frame can produce high-end power.

Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash said that right-handed closer Bryan Baker (illness) was pulled from his outing early on Friday against the Texas Rangers with an illness and is dealing with "nothing physical," according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Baker was brought in for the ninth in a save situation and allowed an earned run on two walks without recording an out before he was replaced by Tyler Wells, who hung on for his sixth save of the season in the 7-6 win in Texas. The 31-year-old Baker might not be available for the rest of the weekend series against the Rangers, but it is unlikely that he will need a stint on the injured list, which is great news for fantasy managers. The former 11th-round pick by the Colorado Rockies in 2016 from North Florida came out of nowhere in 2026 to be an elite source of saves. Baker, a first-time All-Star this year, came into Friday's outing with a 1.47 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, a league-leading 39 saves, 60 strikeouts, and 18 walks in 55 innings pitched. Before this season, Baker had four saves in five MLB campaigns with the Rays, Orioles, and Blue Jays. Consider him day-to-day going into Saturday.

Athletics right-hander J.T. Ginn (soreness) has made minimal progress and will be evaluated by the team orthopedist on Saturday, according to Martin Gallegos of MLB.com. There is a chance that Ginn will not pitch again this season. The A's reported that Ginn had been pushed back from his most recent scheduled appearance due to undisclosed soreness. It is unclear exactly what Ginn is dealing with, but with the A's playoff hopes already out the window, they have no incentive to rush him back to the starting rotation if he is not 100 percent healthy. He is not on the injured list, but it sounds like that could be coming if the A's shut him down for the year. The 27-year-old former second-rounder by the New York Mets in 2020 from Mississippi State University has gone 9-8 this year with a 3.71 ERA (4.38 FIP) and 1.24 WHIP with a career-high 121 strikeouts and 57 walks in 138 1/3 innings and 27 appearances (24 starts) in his third year in the majors. Ginn's low 22.4% strikeout rate in his three-year career gives him limited fantasy upside, and he is rostered in only 27% of Yahoo leagues.

According to Ryan Divish, Seattle Mariners relief pitcher Matt Brash (lat) will be shut down from throwing for the next eight weeks. The Mariners are doing this after a recent MRI revealed more inflammation in his lat. Brash was ramping up towards a return in late August, but unfortunately, he suffered a setback. When healthy, Brash has been a stud, but keeping him on the mound has been extremely difficult for the Mariners. He'll finish the season with a 0.54 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, and a 15/6 K/BB ratio across 20 appearances. The expectation is that the 28-year-old will be ready to go for the 2027 season.

Colorado Rockies infielder/outfielder Willi Castro (foot) was held out of the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals. Castro was left out of the lineup for a third straight game on Friday due to a plantar fasciitis issue, Kevin Henry of The Denver Gazette reports. It's unclear right now if Castro will require a stint on the Injured List because of this injury. The Rockies aren't playing for anything at this point, so it wouldn't be a terrible idea for them to get a look at their younger players. Fantasy managers should have another update on Castro in the coming days.

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (rib) needs to face live pitching before being reinstated from the 60-day injured list, and he will not do that before the Yankees return home for the start of a series on Tuesday against the Colorado Rockies, according to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. Hoch is "unofficially circling" Sept. 11 against the crosstown-rival New York Mets as a target date for Judge's return. "If I'm playing or not playing, it's going to be special," Judge said. "It's going to be a big day. That impacted not only a lot of New Yorkers, but the whole world and our whole country. I don't know about playing or not playing, but I'll definitely be there and soaking it all in." Judge is getting close to a return for the first time since late May due to a stress fracture in his rib, and he was able to take on-field batting practice at Petco Park before Friday's series opener in San Diego versus the Padres. It is clear the Yanks are not rushing the three-time MVP back, but fantasy managers should be getting excited about his imminent return. Judge could be a difference-maker in the fantasy postseason after he hit .248 (53-for-214) with 17 homers, 38 RBI, 43 runs, and five stolen bases in 59 games in the early portion of the 2026 campaign.

According to David Lennon, New York Mets starting pitcher prospect Jonah Tong will receive the call-up to face off against the Miami Marlins on Monday. There was speculation that Tong would get a promotion here soon, and now it's true. The 23-year-old has looked good lately in Triple-A, so the Mets will give him a chance down the stretch of the season. He has only made three appearances for the Mets this season and owns a 4.54 ERA during his time with Triple-A Syracuse. Tong is a former top prospect of the Mets who they believe can still be a key contributor for them. The right-hander will draw a favorable start against the Marlins lineup, but his overall stats don't give fantasy managers too much confidence.

Cleveland Guardians outfielder Chase DeLauter (wrist) was removed early during Friday's doubleheader against the Detroit Tigers. According to Tim Stebbins, DeLauter exited the second game on Friday due to a right wrist sprain. He'll finish his day 2-for-5 with two doubles, a stolen base, and a walk. This is not an ideal situation for the Guardians, who lost outfielder Angel Martinez (shoulder) during the first game of Friday's doubleheader. DeLauter has been solid when he's healthy, but keeping him on the field has been difficult. For now, fantasy managers should consider DeLauter as day-to-day. Travis Bazzana took over as the designated hitter on Friday night and could see a few more starts there over the next few days. UPDATE: Manager Stephen Vogt said that DeLauter is considered day-to-day.

Cleveland Guardians infielder/outfielder Angel Martinez (shoulder) was forced to make an early exit during Friday's doubleheader versus the Detroit Tigers. According to Chris McCosky, Martinez was taken out of the game after a collision with teammate Brayan Rocchio in the fourth inning. He exited the first game hitless in two plate appearances and hasn't entered the second contest on Friday. The Guardians are considering Martinez as day-to-day with a bruised left shoulder. It doesn't sound like Martinez will require a trip to the Injured List, but the Guardians could be careful with Martinez over the next few days.

Philadelphia Phillies shortstop prospect Aidan Miller (back), the team's second overall prospect at MLB Pipeline, will play five innings at shortstop on Saturday for Low-A Clearwater, according to Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer. It is a notable benchmark for Miller after he had surgery on his troublesome back in early June. This will be the 22-year-old former first-rounder's first game action in the minors this year. The right-handed-hitting infielder batted .264/.392/.433 with an .825 OPS, 14 home runs, 42 RBI, 59 stolen bases, and 82 runs scored in 116 games and 526 plate appearances last year at Double-A Reading (108) games and Triple-A Lehigh Valley (eight games). With time running out in the minor-league season, it would be a surprise if Miller heads back to Lehigh Valley in September. Miller has intriguing raw power and excellent instincts on the basepaths to give him plus stolen-base upside. He is the heir apparent in Philly to Trea Turner, who has shown signs of decline in 2026. Barring another injury, Miller is expected to make his major-league debut with the Phillies in 2027.

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (ribs) took on-field batting practice at Petco Park on Friday before the team's series opener against the San Diego Padres, according to Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News. Judge is on the verge of returning from the stress fracture in his rib that has kept him sidelined since early in the first half of the season, but he is not expected to make his return during the three-game series in San Diego. In a best-case scenario, the three-time MVP could return for the start of a new series on Tuesday back in the Bronx against the Colorado Rockies. The 34-year-old eight-time All-Star is running out of time to make an impact in fantasy baseball, but there is still time. He has only played in 59 games in 2026 in his 11th year in the majors because of his rib injury, hitting .248/.375/.533 with a .907 OPS, 17 home runs, 38 RBI, 43 runs scored, and five stolen bases across 261 plate appearances. Judge still has the opportunity to be a difference-maker for fantasy managers when it matters most in September.

Atlanta Braves right-hander Reynaldo Lopez (knee) will be activated from the 15-day injured list to rejoin the team's starting rotation at some point next week, according to Jesus Cano of The Athletic. Lopez's first start back off the IL could line up to come next Wednesday against the first-place Tampa Bay Rays, which would not be ideal for fantasy streaming purposes. The 32-year-old veteran has been sidelined with inflammation in his left knee since the end of July, but he is ready to rejoin the big-league roster after throwing 93 pitches in five scoreless innings for Triple-A Gwinnett in a minor-league rehab start on Thursday. The Dominican hurler will be making just his 12th start this year for the Braves next week and will be returning to a 4-3 record, 3.64 ERA (4.32 FIP), and 1.34 WHIP with 66 strikeouts and 29 walks in 71 2/3 innings over his 24 appearances. Since rejoining Atlanta's rotation on June 26, Lopez posted a 3.86 ERA (3.88 FIP) with 28 hits allowed (four homers), eight walks, and 27 strikeouts in 28 innings across six starts. Lopez will be a matchup-based streamer to close things out in 2026 if he stays in the Braves' rotation through the end of September.

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that he is "hopeful, but I wouldn't say confident" that two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani (knee, biceps) will avoid a trip to the injured list, according to Maddie Lee of The Los Angeles Times. Ohtani has not pitched since July 3 due to a nagging left-knee injury and a left-biceps issue, and he is sitting out as the designated hitter for a second straight game in Friday's series opener against the visiting Washington Nationals after feeling more discomfort in his biceps during Wednesday's extra-inning loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. The four-time MVP and six-time All-Star is being considered day-to-day for now, but fantasy managers may want to prepare for an extended absence with the postseason coming up. The Dodgers' primary goal is to have Ohtani ready for two-way duties in October. It is much more likely that he will not pitch again until the playoffs. Although he has not looked like his typical dominant self at the plate lately, Ohtani still sports a strong .279/.381/.525 overall slash line with 30 bombs, 80 RBI, 89 runs scored, and 11 stolen bases across 499 at-bats in 2026.

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani (knee, biceps) is sitting out of the starting lineup for the second straight game on Friday for the series opener against the visiting Washington Nationals, according to MLB.com. Outfielder Alex Call will serve as the designated hitter again and will bat seventh against Nationals left-hander Jackson Kent. Ohtani has not pitched since July 3 due to recurring left-knee and right-biceps injuries, and until Thursday, the four-time MVP had been serving as the Dodgers' regular DH. But the Japanese superstar has been dealing with more biceps discomfort in recent days, which has prompted L.A. to give him two straight days off. Manager Dave Roberts thinks it is unlikely that Ohtani will land on the injured list, but he is not ruling it out if the injuries continue to linger. The six-time All-Star is still hitting a strong .279/.381/.525 on the year with a .906 OPS, 30 homers, 80 RBI, 89 runs, and 11 stolen bases, but he has not been himself at the plate in recent weeks as he battles through multiple injuries. For now, Ohtani is considered day-to-day. Check back on his status for Saturday's contest against the Nats.

The Philadelphia Phillies announced that infielder Bryson Stott (personal) has been scratched from Friday night's lineup against the division-rival Atlanta Braves due to a personal matter. Edmundo Sosa will now make the start at third base and will bat sixth versus Braves left-hander Chris Sale. Stott probably will not mind taking a seat against Sale, but it is unclear if he will be available as the series continues at Citizens Bank Park on Saturday. The day off will also give Stott a chance to clear his head after a rough stretch at the plate recently. The 28-year-old former first-rounder has gone 7-for-45 (.156) with a homer, two doubles, two RBI, five runs scored, one stolen base, three walks, and 10 strikeouts in his last 13 games to drop his overall line for the season to .255/.331/.403 with a .734 OPS, 10 home runs, 61 RBI, 61 runs scored, and 24 stolen bases. Stott is mostly useful in fantasy leagues for his speed and his versatility at second base, third base, and shortstop. Since the Phillies acquired Luis Arraez from the San Francisco Giants at the trade deadline, Stott has moved over to third base full-time in Philly.

The Tampa Bay Rays announced on Friday that they placed left-hander Shane McClanahan (forearm) on the 15-day injured list with tightness in his left forearm and recalled right-hander Alex Cook from Triple-A Durham in a corresponding move. Because of the timing of his injury, McClanahan is unlikely to pitch again for the Rays in the regular season, and he might not be available in the postseason either. The move comes after the southpaw struggled in his most recent start on Thursday against the Texas Rangers, when he allowed four earned runs in just five innings pitched. The 29-year-old two-time All-Star will head to the shelf for the second time this year with a 10-7 record, 3.36 ERA (3.49 FIP), and 1.12 WHIP with 106 strikeouts and 39 walks in 118 innings across his 24 starts. All things considered, it was a successful campaign for McClanahan after missing all of the 2024 and 2025 seasons due to arm injuries. It is concerning that he is dealing with another forearm injury, but hopefully it is nothing serious and he can avoid going under the knife. Stay tuned for an update on his condition.

Amidst a current slump, Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Brice Turang is being moved down to the sixth spot in the batting order for Friday's contest on the road against the division-rival Cincinnati Reds and right-hander Rhett Lowder, per MLB.com. Turang is still being affected by a knee injury that caused him to miss four games in the middle of August, so that help explains why he has not been himself at the plate recently. The 26-year-old left-handed hitter has gone 5-for-37 (.135) with a homer, a double, four RBI, five runs scored, four walks, and 13 strikeouts in his last nine games to drop his season line to .250/.344/.419. Turang has added 17 total long balls, 79 RBI, 83 runs scored, and 18 stolen bases in his 511 at-bats, and he just needs three home runs and two more steals to reach the 20-20 mark for the first time in his fourth big-league season. He remains a staple for the first-place Brewers, but Friday's game is the first time all year he has hit lower than third as Milwaukee looks to get him going. Turang has gone hitless in his first six career at-bats against Lowder.

Miami Marlins first baseman/outfielder Kyle Stowers (hamstring) will take a seat for Friday's contest at home against the visiting Chicago Cubs, according to MLB.com. Deyvison De Los Santos will make the start at first base for the Fish and hit seventh against Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga. Stowers will take the day off after being pulled early in Thursday's contest due to tightness in his left hamstring. The left-handed slugger has been on the injured list already this year with hamstring issues, so the Marlins will play it safe and hold him out on Friday night. For now, fantasy managers should consider Stowers as day-to-day and check back on him on Saturday. The 28-year-old former second-rounder by the Baltimore Orioles in 2019 from Stanford was a first-time All-Star in 2025 in his first full year in South Beach, slashing .288/.368/.544 with a .912 OPS, 25 homers, 73 RBI, 61 runs, and five stolen bases. Stowers has not been quite as good in 2026, but he also has not been as healthy. He enters Friday's action with 18 homers, 59 RBI, and 48 runs scored to go with a .247/.333/.471 slash line in 104 games and 437 plate appearances.

Boston Red Sox second baseman/outfielder Ceddanne Rafaela (quadriceps) remains out of the starting lineup for the contest on Friday against the division-rival Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards, per MLB.com. Eli White will make another start in center field for the BoSox and will bat ninth against Orioles right-hander Shane Baz. It will be the second straight game that Rafaela will sit out after he was pulled from Wednesday's tilt against the Seattle Mariners early with tightness in his quad muscle. Rafaela is being considered day-to-day for now, and he could return for Game 3 of a four-game series in Baltimore on Saturday. Fantasy managers will want to check back then. The 25-year-old from Cura ao is on the verge of his first 20-20 campaign in the big leagues this year, as he is currently slashing .282/.317/.443 with a .760 OPS, 16 home runs, 70 RBI, 17 stolen bases, and 67 runs scored in his 135 games and 569 plate appearances. Rafaela has been pretty consistent each month of the season and is a must-start in all fantasy formats when active for his contributions across the board in all categories.

New York Yankees right-handed pitching prospect Carlos Lagrange (shoulder) is traveling to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre, where he will report and continue his rehab, according to Francys Romero. Lagrange is expected to throw a live bullpen session before being activated from the seven-day minor-league injured list. The Yankees have kept their No. 4 prospect (per MLB Pipeline) out since early July after he was diagnosed with a capsular sprain in his right shoulder. The 23-year-old Dominican prospect has gone 1-4 with a 4.55 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, and 83:33 K:BB in 63 1/3 innings across 18 appearances (11 starts) for the Rail Riders this year at the Triple-A level. The 6-foot-7, 248-pounder is unlikely to be a call-up option for the Yankees this year as they battle for a playoff spot in the American League, but barring another injury, he should be in a great position to make his major-league debut early in 2027 if there is no lockout. Not only does Lagrange feature a high-90s fastball, but he has impressive secondary pitches that miss bats consistently. More consistency is still needed, but at his best, Lagrange has the potential to be a top-of-the-rotation arm in the Bronx sooner rather than later.