MLB News

Kansas City Royals outfielder Jac Caglianone (elbow) was forced to make an early exit from Saturday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays. According to Joel Goldberg, Caglianone was removed in the third inning due to left elbow soreness. It's unclear when or how Caglianone suffered the injury. He notched an RBI single during his lone plate appearance in the first inning. For now, fantasy managers should consider Caglianone as day-to-day. The Royals should give an update on his status ahead of Sunday's contest. Nick Loftin and John Rave are candidates to see increased playing time if Caglianone misses time.

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout (hand) was removed early during Saturday's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. According to Erica Weston, Trout was taken out of the game after getting hit by a pitch on the hand in the top of the ninth inning. Jose Siri replaced Trout on the basepaths. Trout finished this game 2-for-4 with two singles, an RBI, and a run scored. The X-rays reportedly came back clean, which is good news. For now, fantasy managers should consider Trout as day-to-day. It wouldn't be shocking to see the Angels give Trout the day off on Sunday. Fantasy managers should check back ahead of Sunday's game for another update on his status.

Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Sean Burke had his scheduled start against the Minnesota Twins on Sunday moved to Tuesday, according to Scott Merkin of MLB.com. Instead of facing the Twins this weekend, the White Sox have decided they'd rather have Burke pitch against the Pirates on Tuesday. The team has yet to name a starter for Sunday's series finale against the Twins. Since the All-Star break, Burke owns a 2.76 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, and a 52/21 K/BB ratio across nearly 50 innings of work. The White Sox may be trying to limit his workload over the final month of the season.

Colorado Rockies infielder/outfielder Willi Castro (foot) was placed on the 10-day Injured List on Saturday. Castro missed the last three games while managing plantar fasciitis in his left foot. The Rockies finally decided to place Castro on the shelf ahead of Saturday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals. He'll miss at least the next 10 days, but it wouldn't be shocking to see Castro held out longer than that. The Rockies aren't playing for anything, so they might as well give their younger players a look down the stretch of the season. In a corresponding move, Vimael Machin was promoted to the active roster. Connor Norby and Ryan Ritter are likely to gain the most playing time from the loss of Castro.

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (ribs) is scheduled to face live pitching on Monday, according to Bryan Hoch. Judge was able to take batting practice on the field on Friday. If everything goes well, Judge is on track to return during the team's homestand next week. It sounds like Judge is trending in the right direction, but he still needs to build up more before returning to the Yankees' lineup. The Yankees might bring the 34-year-old along slowly ahead of the postseason. Fantasy managers should check back for another update following Monday's session.

Seattle Mariners outfield prospect Lazaro Montes (hip) is absent from the starting lineup on Saturday against the division-rival Athletics at T-Mobile Park after crashing into the outfield wall and injuring his hip on Friday night, according to MLB.com. Dominic Canzone is starting in right field and is batting in the two-hole against A's left-hander Jeffrey Springs. Montes is considered day-to-day with soreness in his left hip and appears to have avoided a significant injury, so the young outfielder could be back in action as early as Sunday's series finale against the A's. The Mariners' No. 5 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, put up big numbers in 123 minor-league games between Double-A Arkansas and Triple-A Tacoma this year before his call-up recently, slashing .249/.369/.558 with a .928 OPS, 38 home runs, 96 RBI, 99 runs scored, and eight stolen bases in 542 plate appearances. For Montes' raw power alone, he is a worthy fantasy baseball stash in deep-mixed leagues. In his first three MLB games, the 21-year-old Cuban outfielder has gone 3-for-11 with a homer, three RBI, two runs, a walk, and four strikeouts. Montes is rostered in only 6% of Yahoo leagues.

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani (knee, biceps) is officially out for a third straight game on Saturday against the visiting Washington Nationals, according to MLB.com. Catcher Dalton Rushing is serving as the designated hitter and will bat seventh against Nationals right-hander Cade Cavalli. Ohtani has not pitched since July 3 due to recurring left-knee and right-biceps injuries, and now he has been out for the last three games as the team's full-time DH, a first in his three seasons in L.A. The Dodgers and manager Dave Roberts have been hopeful that the 32-year-old four-time MVP will avoid a trip to the injured list, and the skipper revealed that Ohtani will hit in the cage on Saturday. How the six-time All-Star responds "will be telling" regarding a potential IL stint. Fantasy managers should not be holding out hope that Ohtani will pitch again during the month of September, and depending on how he feels after taking swings on Saturday, he could be shut down as a hitter, too, so that he is closer to full health for the start of the playoffs in October. The Japanese superstar has not been himself at the plate lately as he continues to play through multiple injuries, but his overall line still looks quite good in 2026 at .279/.381/.525 with a .906 OPS, 30 home runs, 80 RBI, 89 runs scored, and 11 stolen bases.

Boston Red Sox second baseman/outfielder Ceddanne Rafaela (quadriceps) remains out of the starting lineup for the game on Saturday on the road against the division-rival Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards, per MLB.com. Eli White is making another start in center field and will bat eighth against Orioles right-hander Chris Bassitt. This will be the third straight game that Rafaela has missed due to soreness in his quad muscle that is not considered serious. He is considered day-to-day, and hopefully he will return to the starting nine for the series finale in Baltimore on Sunday. Fantasy managers will want to check back then. The 25-year-old native of Cura ao is having a strong season in his fourth year in the majors with Boston, being named to his first All-Star squad while hitting .282/.317/.443 with a .760 OPS, 16 home runs, 70 RBI, 17 stolen bases, and 67 runs scored across 135 games and 569 plate appearances. Rafaela needs just one home run, six RBI, and four stolen bases to set career highs in all of those categories in 2026.

The New York Yankees announced on Saturday that they placed outfielder Trent Grisham (hamstring) on the 10-day injured list with a strained right hamstring and recalled outfielder Jasson Dominguez from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in a corresponding move. Grisham will miss at least the next 10 days after being pulled from Friday's series opener against the San Diego Padres early with a right-hamstring injury. The good news is that the Yankees expect Grisham to be back with the team later in September. But for fantasy purposes, Grisham can probably be dropped in single-year formats at this point. With Grisham sidelined going forward, expect young outfielder Spencer Jones to see more playing time in center field for the Yankees. The 29-year-old Grisham failed to keep things going this year after hitting a career-high 34 home runs and driving in 74 runs in 143 regular-season games in the Bronx in 2025. In his third year in pinstripes, Grisham is currently batting only .211 (88-for-418) in 2026 with 18 round-trippers, 59 RBI, 67 runs scored, and nine stolen bases in his 121 games played.

Cleveland Guardians rookie outfielder Chase DeLauter (wrist) is not in the team's starting lineup for Saturday's game against the division-rival Detroit Tigers after spraining his right wrist on Friday in the second game of a doubleheader, according to MLB.com. Angel Martinez is making the start in right field and will bat second against Tigers left-hander Framber Valdez after having an injury scare of his own in the series opener on Friday. The good news is that DeLauter is being considered day-to-day, but do not be surprised if he does not play in the remainder of the series against Detroit. Cleveland cannot afford to lose the 24-year-old DeLauter to another stint on the injured list down the stretch, as he has been extremely consistent in his first year in the big leagues in 2026 with a .294/.365/.458 slash line, 13 home runs, 60 RBI, 10 stolen bases, and 56 runs scored across his 445 at-bats. If DeLauter sits out the rest of the weekend series, his next chance to return to the lineup will come in Monday's series opener in Baltimore against the Orioles.

Philadelphia Phillies infielder Bryson Stott (personal) is starting at third base and will bat eighth on Saturday against the division-rival Atlanta Braves and veteran left-hander Martin Perez at Citizens Bank Park, per MLB.com. Stott was out of the starting nine for Friday's series opener against Atlanta due to personal reasons, but he is back now and looking to put a recent slump behind him. Fantasy managers setting DFS lineups should consider the 28-year-old left-handed-hitting infielder an easy fade near the bottom of the batting order, even though he has hit .276 (29-for-105) against left-handed pitchers on the season. Stott has gone 7-for-45 (.156) with one home run, two doubles, two RBI, five runs scored, one stolen base, three walks, and 10 strikeouts in his last 13 games, dating back to Aug. 19, to drop his season slash line to .255/.331/.403 in 526 total plate appearances. In a very small sample size, Stott is hitting 1.000 off Perez in just two at-bats.

Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Jameson Taillon (elbow) underwent testing on his injured elbow on Friday night after exiting a game earlier in the evening. The 34-year-old pitcher lasted just two innings before being lifted after 29 pitches. It has been a disastrous season on the field for the veteran, who has struggled to find success in both Chicago and Toronto. With him likely headed to the Injured List, it could signal an end to his season, leaving him with a career-worst 5.65 ERA and 1.36 WHIP over 86.0 innings pitched. This couldn't have come at a worse time for the Blue Jays, who are trying to make a late-season push to the playoffs but are running out of options to use on the mound. They are still a ways away from welcoming Trey Yesavage back, and in the meantime, will need to use capable arms on the mound to get them through these games.

New York Yankees outfielder Trent Grisham (hamstring) will undergo imaging on his ailing hamstring. The 29-year-old hurt himself while trying to steal second base on Friday, and as such, the team hasn't ruled out a trip to the Injured List as a result. While the imaging tests will reveal the true extent of any damage, it is worth noting that this is the second time this season that he has had issues with this hamstring. As such, the team is taking a more cautious approach to ensure that whatever the issue is can be dealt with in a prompt and efficient manner. However, because it is so late in the year, this could very well be a season-ending injury. Any additional time off could open up playing time for Heliot Ramos until Aaron Judge returns at some point in September.

Miami Marlins first baseman/outfielder Kyle Stowers (hamstring) is in the starting lineup on Saturday. The 28-year-old exited Thursday's game with hamstring tightness and missed Friday night's game to allow it to heal. A day later, he is back in the lineup and batting leadoff for the Marlins. He is slotted as the team's designated hitter and is looking to finish the season strong. Overall, he has hit 18 home runs this year, but two of those have come in the month of September. He is someone to get back into all fantasy baseball lineups.

Cleveland Guardians first base prospect Ralphy Velazquez has been hitting all season in the minors and is coming off an outrageously productive month in August at Triple-A Columbus, making him well worth a late-season stash opportunity in most fantasy leagues. In 90 August at-bats, Velazquez crushed 15 homers with 34 RBI while hitting .356 with 23 runs scored. That brought Velazquez' Triple-A totals this season to 28 homers and 89 RBI with a .290 batting average. The 21-year-old left-handed hitter is the No. 2 prospect in the Guardians' system and has a 50-grade hit tool with 60-grade power. He wasn't called up to Cleveland at the beginning of September, but he still could make a late-season cameo in the big leagues. He is worth taking that stash risk on because of his power potential and overall hitting ability.

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki (finger) threw a side session on Friday with his blistered finger taped up for added protection. The 24-year-old last pitched on August 26, when he suffered from a blister that compromised his production on the mound. Since then, he has thrown multiple times, each time with his blister covered. The next step for him will be to remove the covering and throw to live batters. Once that happens without any setbacks, he will seemingly be ready to return to the Dodgers as either a starter or a long reliever. He is eligible to be activated on September 11, though there has been no talk about whether that is a reasonable target date for his activation.

New York Mets pitching prospect Jonah Tong will be called up to start Monday's game against the Miami Marlins, according to MLB.com. Tong will make his first start of the season for the Mets on Monday after appearing in three games out of the bullpen in New York earlier this season. In the month of August at Triple-A Syracuse, Tong went 2-1 with a 2.39 ERA and 1.03 WHIP with 26 strikeouts in 26 1/3 innings pitched. Tong's recent form at Triple-A as a starter should give fantasy managers faith in his potential fantasy outlook this time around in New York. Tong is the No. 5 prospect for the Mets and possesses a 60-grade fastball and changeup combination with a 50-grade curveball. Tong makes for a nice late-season pickup in fantasy leagues of all sizes.

The St. Louis Cardinals plan on activating shortstop Masyn Winn (thumb) ahead of their game on Saturday at Colorado. The 24-year-old has missed almost two weeks of action because of a small fracture in his thumb, but was able to take live batting practice on Friday alongside his teammates. The plan is for him to be back in the lineup on Saturday, but the team will want to see how his thumb has recovered following the progress that he made a day earlier. Winn has had a disappointing season, as he has slashed a pedestrian .238/.314/.326 slash line. Both he and the Cardinals will be looking to salvage whatever time they have left in this season and possibly use it as a building block for next season.

Seattle Mariners second base/outfield prospect Michael Arroyo already has six RBI in his first four September games at Triple-A Tacoma and is continuing to show why he is one of the top prospects in the Mariners system. The Mariners No. 3 overall prospect, Arroyo is a well-rounded player with a 55-grade hit tool and 55-grade power with 50-grade speed. Between two minor league levels this season, Arroyo has a combined 18 homers and 17 stolen bases with a .286 batting average and looks like a consistent, five-category performer. As someone who can play second base or be shifted to the outfield, Arroyo has some versatility to his game. He is looking like he will be a plus fantasy contributor when he is called up to the majors, and he looks like someone the Mariners could use with his all-around game and his positive versatility.

San Francisco Giants outfield prospect Bo Davidson homered on Friday night after having a great month of August at Triple-A Sacramento. In 43 games at Sacramento, Davidson has eight homers with 35 RBI and five stolen bases while hitting .285. In 99 August at bats, Davidson launched seven homers and had 28 RBI while hitting .323. The 24-year-old is making a case for a call-up to San Francisco, especially with his late-season surge. Davidson is the No. 8 prospect in the Giants' system and has a 50-grade hit tool with 55-grade power and speed. He has 19 combined stolen bases between two levels of the minors this season. The power and speed combination makes him an exciting fantasy prospect and he could force the Giants' hand into a late-season promotion if he keeps up his hot hitting.