MLB News

Tampa Bay Rays left-hander Shane McClanahan (forearm) played "light" catch on Friday and is expected to return after a short stint on the injured list, according to MLB.com. McClanahan exited his start on Sept. 3 with tightness in his left forearm after the fifth inning and was placed on the 15-day IL a day later. If he does not suffer any setbacks as he continues to ramp up his arm, he could return to Tampa's starting rotation by late September. It is good news for the Rays as they look to get the 29-year-old southpaw back fully healthy for the start of the playoffs in October, but for fantasy purposes, McClanahan is not going to help anyone the rest of the year. The two-time All-Star had a successful comeback from Tommy John surgery in 2026, going 10-7 in his 24 starts (118 innings pitched) while posting a 3.36 ERA (3.50 FIP) and 1.12 WHIP with 106 strikeouts and 39 walks. The Rays will be hoping that he can put his forearm issue behind him and help them to a lengthy run in this year's playoffs next month.

Boston Red Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet (shoulder) threw another productive side session at Fenway Park on Friday, his third side session in the last week, according to Ian Browne of MLB.com. Crochet threw 25 pitches during the session and said he "accomplished what I wanted to." The talented southpaw threw at around 80 to 90% intensity and threw some fastballs in the 92-93 mph range. Before facing live hitters, Crochet will throw at least one more bullpen session early next week at Fenway. He badly wants to rejoin the Red Sox either late in the regular season or early in the playoffs as a one- or two-inning reliever, but he is being cautiously optimistic after all the time he has missed in 2026 due to shoulder and lat issues. "Yeah, my shoulder feels really good," Crochet said. "For me, it's like the rest of my body is getting acclimated to throwing this intensity again. I had four months to work on the shoulder, and it's in a really good spot. It's in a good spot." Having Crochet pitch in any capacity would be big for Boston, but for fantasy purposes, Crochet's season is over.

Los Angeles Dodgers right-handed reliever Edwin Diaz (neck) needs at least one more minor-league rehab start before the Dodgers activate him from the 15-day injured list, manager Dave Roberts told Katie Woo of The Athletic. Diaz has had a disastrous first year in L.A., pitching poorly before missing a huge chunk of the season after he needed surgery to remove loose bodies from his right elbow. The 32-year-old is now on the IL due to a neck injury, but he is nearing his return for the final stretch of the regular season in late September. Diaz has already appeared in three rehab games in the minors, allowing one run while walking four and striking out three in 2 2/3 innings pitched. Roberts already acknowledged that the Dodgers plan to ease Diaz back into their bullpen in lower-leverage situations after he returns from the IL, so there is little runway for him to become fantasy relevant before the end of the 2026 campaign. In only 13 2/3 innings for the Dodgers this year, the three-time All-Star has posted a rough 11.85 ERA (6.03 FIP) with seven saves, a 2.56 WHIP, and a 19:10 K:BB. He is now rostered in only 68% of Yahoo leagues.

The Minnesota Twins are calling up outfield prospect Emmanuel Rodriguez to the major leagues on Saturday from Triple-A St. Paul, according to Milb Central. Considered the Twins' fifth overall prospect, Rodriguez earns the call to the big leagues this weekend after hitting .262/.414/.500 with a .914 OPS, 11 home runs, 33 RBI, 36 runs scored, and seven stolen bases in 49 games across 220 plate appearances with the Saints this year. He could have an opportunity to see some playing time in the final couple of weeks of the 2026 season in Minnesota, although he most likely will not see everyday playing time, even though Byron Buxton will miss the rest of the year because of season-ending hip surgery. The 5-foot-11, 210-pound Rodriguez has played all three outfield positions in the minors and has impressive raw power from the left side of the plate. Rodriguez also has some nice plate discipline and should eventually get on base at a nice clip, but his swing-and-miss tendencies mean he probably will not help in the batting-average department. He is currently rostered in only 1% of Yahoo leagues and is unlikely to make a huge fantasy impact upon his big-league call-up.

Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Jesus Luzardo (shoulder) has been scratched from his scheduled start on Saturday against the division-rival Atlanta Braves due to stiffness in his left shoulder, according to Lochlahn March of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Luzardo will avoid the injured list for now, and the Phillies are hoping to give him extra rest by pushing him back to next week. It does not appear to be a serious injury for the 28-year-old southpaw, but it is worth watching going into his next start, which is to be determined for now. Luzardo dealt with some stiffness in his shoulder in his last outing on Monday, which was a gem when he tossed a complete-game shutout with only two hits allowed, one walk, and 12 strikeouts against the Braves in a 1-0 win. If he is able to make his start next week, it will likely come against the division-rival Mets. Despite coming off an injury, Luzardo will be a must-start in fantasy leagues in that matchup in the fantasy postseason. Luzardo has been excellent in 2026 in his second year in Philly, going 14-5 with a 2.87 ERA (2.78 FIP) and 1.08 WHIP with a career-high 221 strikeouts and 52 walks in 29 starts.

Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Trey Yesavage (knee) was able to throw a successful 30-pitch bullpen session on Thursday. Now, Yesavage will fly to Toronto and have another bullpen session on Sunday, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports. If everything goes well this weekend, Yesavage figures to be sent out on a rehab appearance next week. He appears to be making good progress after having meniscus surgery in August. The right-hander has a chance to return to the starting rotation before the end of the regular season. The Jays could use another option with multiple starting pitchers on the Injured List right now. Fantasy managers should continue to stash Yesavage for now.

According to Gary Phillips, New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said starting pitcher Clarke Schmidt (elbow) will make one final rehab appearance on Saturday before rejoining the team. Assuming everything goes well, Schmidt will be back in the Bronx to help down the stretch of the season. Schmidt hasn't pitched at all in the big leagues this season after he underwent an internal brace procedure on his right elbow last July. He has made four rehab appearances, allowing three runs while striking out eight batters across 5.2 innings. The Yankees don't have time to build up his workload, so Schmidt will be used in a bullpen role for the rest of the season. With that being said, Schmidt won't offer much fantasy value out of the bullpen, but he figures to rejoin the starting rotation next season.

Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton (hip) will undergo arthroscopic hip surgery next Friday, which will end his 2026 season, according to Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic. Buxton will finally go under the knife for a hip impingement that put him on the injured list three separate times during the second half of the year. The most recent occurrence put him on the shelf in late August, and he will now officially be a drop candidate in redraft fantasy baseball leagues. The 32-year-old veteran had an excellent first half of the season when he was healthy, slashing .271/.328/.575 with 25 home runs, 45 RBI, 57 runs scored, and seven stolen bases in 75 games played. But he ended up playing only 18 second-half games due to his hip, and he hit a lowly .172/.274/.203 with zero homers, one RBI, seven walks, and 17 strikeouts. Buxton should be fully recovered in time for spring training in 2027, but his injury-plagued second half in 2026 reminds everyone that while he still has power upside, the former first-rounder will be a major injury risk.

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that first baseman Freddie Freeman (knee) will not return to the starting lineup on Friday in Miami against the Marlins, according to Katie Woo of The Athletic. The Dodgers had a long trip to Miami, and Roberts has elected to have Freeman take another day off and avoid the turf in Miami. The skipper expects him to return for Game 2 of the series on Saturday. With Freeman out again due to a mild right-knee injury, Enrique Hernandez will most likely start at first on Friday night in South Beach. Although the 36-year-old Freeman should be back this weekend, fantasy managers playing for a championship have to be a little worried about his production at the plate recently while battling his knee injury. The former MVP and 10-time All-Star has gone 3-for-22 (.136) with a homer, three RBI, five walks, and nine strikeouts in seven games so far in September to drop his overall line for the season to .297/.375/.453. Freeman hit .299 (29-for-97) in August, though, and as long as he is active, he needs to be in starting fantasy lineups in a Dodgers lineup that is still stacked without Shohei Ohtani (knee, biceps).

Houston Astros outfielder Yordan Alvarez (ankle) is out of the starting lineup on Friday night against the Tampa Bay Rays due to a right-ankle injury, manager Joe Espada told Chandler Rome of The Athletic. Alvarez hit in the batting cages before the game and will do some work on the field in hopes that he could be available off the bench. If Alvarez feels good after his pre-game workout, he could be available off the bench and then start in the second game of the series on Saturday. For now, fantasy managers should consider the MVP front-runner in the American League to be day-to-day. Second baseman Jose Altuve is serving as the designated hitter on Friday and batting leadoff, with Nick Allen at the keystone and hitting ninth against Rays right-hander Drew Rasmussen. Alvarez's ankle injury could help explain why he has gone just 7-for-33 in nine games so far in September. The 29-year-old Cuban slugger has still had a phenomenal 2026 campaign, hitting .310/.427/.590 with a 1.017 OPS, 38 homers, 96 RBI, 95 runs scored, and a stolen base in 522 at-bats.

Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson (foot) is starting at the 6 and is batting fifth for Friday's contest in Toronto against the Blue Jays and veteran right-hander Max Scherzer, per MLB.com. Henderson will only end up missing one game due to a foot injury that he suffered on Tuesday against the Cleveland Guardians. The former American League Rookie of the Year and All-Star has hit a career-low .219 (126-for-575) on the season with 22 home runs, 57 RBI, 83 runs scored, and 10 stolen bases in his 145 games played. He has also gone just 4-for-29 (.138) with zero home runs, zero RBI, four walks, and eight strikeouts in September so far in eight games played. The 25-year-old has also hit only .216 (83-for-384) against right-handed pitchers on the season. Henderson has hit Scherzer well in a small sample size, though, batting .429 with a 1.071 OPS and two RBI. The left-handed slugger has hit just .208 (37-for-178) with five home runs in 49 games since the All-Star break.

Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll (back) has returned to the team's starting lineup for Friday's series opener against the Texas Rangers and left-hander MacKenzie Gore, starting in right field and batting fifth, per MLB.com. As expected, Carroll is back in action after missing the last two games with discomfort in his lower back. After testing on Thursday, the D-backs deemed Carroll good to go to play this weekend at Chase Field in the desert. Although the former National League Rookie of the Year has hit only .136 (3-for-22) with no walks and eight strikeouts in six games in September, he should be returned to starting fantasy lineups as the Snakes look to put themselves into the final wild-card spot in the NL in the final couple of weeks of the season. Against lefties this year, Carroll has thrived, batting .310 (52-for-168) against them with five of his 19 home runs. Carroll has only faced Gore five times in his career and is hitting .200 against him with a .400 OPS.

Milwaukee Brewers first baseman/outfielder Jake Bauers (shin) is starting at first base and is batting fifth for the Brewers in Friday night's contest at home against the division-rival Cincinnati Reds and left-hander Andrew Abbott, according to MLB.com. Bauers has been managing shin splints of late, but after three straight games missed, he will return to the heart of the Brewers' batting order at American Family Field. It has been a breakout season for the left-handed-hitting Bauers in 2026, but he has gone 2-for-17 (.118) with a homer, 12 walks, and seven strikeouts in eight games so far in September after hitting .295/.451/.487 with four homers and 13 RBI in 24 games in August. Bauers has only faced the lefty Abbott twice in his career and is still searching for his first hit, but he does have an RBI against him. Against southpaws in 2026, Bauers has been solid, hitting .267 (32-for-120) with six of his career-high 24 homers coming against them.

Kansas City Royals first baseman/outfielder Jac Caglianone (elbow) remains out of Friday's lineup at Fenway Park against the hosting Boston Red Sox with a left flexor strain in his elbow, according to MLB.com. It will be Caglianone's fifth straight missed game, and if he cannot return during the weekend series in Boston, the Royals might have to put him on the 10-day injured list. John Rave will make another start in right field for KC and will bat sixth against Red Sox right-hander Sonny Gray. Caglianone got off to a rather slow start in 2026 in his first full season in the big leagues, but he turned it around quickly and became a must-start for fantasy managers for his power from the left side of the plate. The former first-rounder from Florida is missing valuable games during the fantasy postseason, but hopefully he can return to the field at some point this weekend in Beantown. Over 474 at-bats this year, Caglianone is slashing a strong .283/.331/.494 with an .825 OPS, 23 long balls, 70 RBI, 66 runs scored, and six stolen bases. He has even hit .260 (39-for-150) with seven homers and 18 RBI against left-handed pitchers. Check back on Saturday to see if he is active for the Royals.

Boston Red Sox catcher Adley Rutschman (elbow) is doing the catching for right-hander Sonny Gray and will bat third in his return to the starting lineup on Friday at Fenway Park against the visiting Kansas City Royals and veteran right-hander Seth Lugo, per MLB.com. Rutschman is feeling better after receiving a cortisone injection earlier this week to deal with a hyperextended elbow that has been bothering him for over a week now. He sat out the Red Sox's last two games, but hopefully he can put the injury in the rearview mirror down the stretch of the regular season. The 28-year-old switch-hitting backstop has had a trying year in 2026 that included a trade from the Baltimore Orioles to Beantown. Overall, the former first overall pick is hitting .237/.315/.424 with a .739 OPS, 12 home runs, 56 RBI, and 39 runs scored in his 316 at-bats. The three-time All-Star did have a two-homer game with Boston, but in 19 games since being acquired, he has gone just 13-for-69 (.188) with four homers, two doubles, nine RBI, nine runs, six walks, and 19 strikeouts. Rutschman has faced Lugo only six times in his career and has hit .167 against him with a .334 OPS in a small sample size.

Tampa Bay Rays first base prospect Xavier Isaac is 22 years old and progressing nicely through the minor leagues. His latest stop is at Triple-A Durham where he already has three homers and four RBI in 11 games and is hitting .308. Isaac spent most of the season at Double-A Montgomery where he hit .255 with 24 homers and 71 RBI in 99 games. The left-handed hitter is the No. 18 prospect of the Rays and has 60-grade power and 45-grade speed, but just a 35-grade hit tool. It looks like Isaac could be a detriment to the overall batting average of fantasy teams. But the power appears to be a plus and makes him worthy of a dynasty format stash. It could be a year or two before he makes his MLB debut but fantasy managers will still want to get a hold of him in dynasty leagues.

Tampa Bay Rays outfield prospect Theo Gillen has fared well at Double-A Montgomery since his promotion in mid-July, hitting .287 with 10 homers and 46 RBI with 43 runs scored and 16 stolen bases. Gillen has showed off all his skills at his new level of the minors and continued to be a big threat on the base paths after he had already stolen 28 bases for High-A Bowling Green, giving him 44 total stolen bases this season. The 20-year-old, left-handed hitter is the No. 2 overall prospect for the Rays and has a 55-grade hit tool with 55-grade power and 60-grade speed. The overall skill-set is elite for Gillen, but it still could be a few years before he makes his impact at the MLB level. Nonetheless, dynasty league managers will want to claim Gillen and wait for his five-tool skill set to hit the major-league level.

Washington Nationals 18-year-old shortstop prospect Eli Willits made his debut at Double-A Harrisburg on Tuesday and has gone 1-for-8 in his first two games at his new minor league level with an RBI in each of his first two contests. Willits is known as a speedster and has 60 stolen bases combined between three levels of the minors. The switch hitter also has 13 combined home runs with 72 RBI and 100 runs scored. Willits was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft and is top prospect in the Nationals system. He has the looks of a future league winner in the category of stolen bases. His stolen base prowess alone makes him worth a dynasty addition . He has a 60-grade hit tool and a 60-grade run tool with 50-grade power. The speed is off the charts and he looks like a future fantasy difference maker.

The Chicago Cubs are planning to activate shortstop Dansby Swanson (oblique) for next weekend's series in Cincinnati against the division-rival Reds, manager Craig Counsell told Patrick Mooney of The Athletic on Friday at Wrigley Field. Swanson will first complete a short minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Iowa. He is getting close to returning to the big-league roster for the first time since being shut down with a Grade 2 strained left oblique in the middle of August. The 32-year-old veteran will help the Cubs in their final playoff push for the final nine games or so of the regular season, so he obviously will have a limited impact the rest of the way in fantasy in September. Swanson will be returning to a .216/.300/.404 slash line with a .704 OPS, 18 home runs, 66 RBI, 17 stolen bases, and 78 runs scored in his 403 at-bats this year. The two-time All-Star has been a disappointment in pretty much everything but stolen bases, and he has hit just two home runs in the second half of the season for the Cubbies.

Los Angeles Angels shortstop prospect Arjun Nimmala hit two home runs in Thursday's game for the Double-A Rocket City Trash Pandas, bringing his total to four homers in the last four games. Nimmala came over to the Angels from the Toronto Blue Jays organization at the trade deadline and has been at Double-A ever since with the Angels. At Rocket City, Nimmala has seven homers and 15 RBI while hitting .240 in 25 games. With Double-A New Hampshire, in Toronto's organization prior to the trade, Nimmala was hitting .279 with four homers and 11 RBI in 33 games. Nimmala checks in as the Angels' top prospect with a 45-grade hit tool, 60-grade power, and 50-grade speed. Nimmala looks like one of many future shortstop stars in the league and is well worth a dynasty-league addition. At age 20, he could still be a few years away from the majors.