Dodgers Expected To Use Five-Man Rotation Until Shohei Ohtani Returns 583dLink copied!

Sep 20, 2026, 10:00 PM ET

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal has been placed on the bereavement list. The 29-year-old's most recent start came on Saturday, so he may be able to return to the team before his next scheduled start later this upcoming week. Across 151 2/3 innings (25 starts) split between the Dodgers and Detroit Tigers, Skubal has recorded an 11-7 record with a 2.85 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, and 176 strikeouts. The hard-throwing left-hander has struck out 29.5% of the batters he's faced while logging just a 4.5% walk rate. If Skubal is able to return before the end of the regular season, his final start of 2026 would likely come on the road against the San Francisco Giants. If he misses extended time, Dodgers right-hander Emmet Sheehan could replace Skubal in the team's starting rotation.--Will Brady
Source: Los Angeles Dodgers

Sep 20, 2026, 9:54 PM ET

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that outfielder Andy Pages (hand) will be activated from the 10-day injured list on Tuesday, per Katie Woo of The Athletic. Pages has been sidelined for almost exactly a month by a fractured left hand, but it appears he will be able to return to the Dodgers before the end of the regular season. Before suffering the injury, Pages hit .272/.338/.458 with 21 home runs, 80 RBI, 72 runs scored, and 12 stolen bases across 550 plate appearances. Upon his return, Pages should resume his role as the Dodgers' everyday center fielder and profiles as a must-start fantasy outfielder.--Will Brady
Source: The Athletic - Katie Woo

Sep 20, 2026, 9:46 PM ET

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. (thumb) could be activated as soon as Tuesday, per Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News. Chisholm Jr. has been sidelined since early September with a right thumb strain. Across 520 plate appearances in 2026, the 28-year-old is hitting .232/.312/.403 with 19 home runs, 55 RBI, 68 runs scored, and 40 stolen bases. Chisholm Jr. is having a down year at the plate, as his barrel rate has dropped to 8.3% and he's struck out in 29.4% of his plate appearances. However, the dynamic second baseman remains a major asset for fantasy managers due to his speed. Upon his return, Chisholm Jr. profiles as a must-start infielder for the final few days of the 2026 season.--Will Brady
Source: New York Daily News - Gary Phillips

Sep 20, 2026, 9:42 PM ET

Texas Rangers right-hander Cal Quantrill (lat) is being placed on the 15-day injured list with a lat strain, per Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News. Quantrill was removed in the second inning of his start on Saturday after feeling tightness in the lat. The 31-year-old has had a surprisingly excellent season for the Rangers in 2026, recording a 9-5 record with a 2.86 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and 81 strikeouts across 110 innings. Quantrill opened the year in a bulk relief role, but he was moved into the rotation in late June and has thrived ever since. Given the timing of Quantrill's injury, he will miss the remainder of the regular season and may not be available if the Rangers make it to the postseason. Without Quantrill, Texas left-hander Jordan Montgomery could move from the bullpen into the rotation.--Will Brady
Source: Dallas Morning News - Shawn McFarland

Sep 20, 2026, 9:31 PM ET

Seattle Mariners closer Andres Munoz (knee) tweaked his right knee during his team's 2-1 win over the Colorado Rockies on Sunday and will undergo imaging on Monday, per Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times. Munoz allowed a hit, a walk, and an earned run across 1/3 of an inning before being removed from the game. It's been a disappointing year for Munoz, who has pitched to a 4.24 ERA and 1.23 WHIP with 10 blown saves across 57 1/3 innings (61 games). Munoz's underlying metrics suggest he's pitched better than his results, as he's logged an outstanding 37.6% strikeout rate and a 3.06 FIP. However, Munoz has allowed an elevated batting average on balls in play (.319) and HR/9 (1.41), and could now be looking at missed time. If Munoz is sidelined, Mariners left-hander Jose A. Ferrer and right-hander Seranthony Dominguez could both see save opportunities for Seattle.--Will Brady
Source: Seattle Times - Ryan Divish

Sep 20, 2026, 9:20 PM ET

Chicago Cubs third baseman Alex Bregman (face) was removed early from his team's win over the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday after being hit in the face by a foul ball while standing in the on-deck circle. Per Meghan Montemurro of The Chicago Tribune, Bregman was struck by the ball on his left cheekbone and was taken to a hospital in Cincinnati for further testing after the incident. Bregman had a hit and a walk in two plate appearances before being forced to exit the game. Across 691 plate appearances this year, the 32-year-old is hitting .262/.352/.452 with 26 home runs, 89 RBI, 89 runs scored, and three stolen bases. Bregman has been on an absolute tear since the All-Star break, hitting .293 with 17 home runs across 260 plate appearances in the second half. If the injury forces Bregman to miss time, Cubs utility men Pedro Ramirez and Matt Shaw could both see an increase in at-bats.--Will Brady
Source: The Chicago Tribune - Meghan Montemurro

Sep 20, 2026, 9:11 PM ET

Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (back) was removed early from his team's win over the Texas Rangers on Sunday with lower-back tightness, per Hazel Mae of MLB International. Guerrero Jr. had one hit in two plate appearances before exiting the game. The 27-year-old has had a disappointing season in 2026, hitting .262/.335/.359 with nine home runs, 56 RBI, 71 runs scored, and seven stolen bases. After posting a 12.2% barrel rate and a .506 xSLG in 2025, Guerrero Jr. has logged a 7.0% barrel rate and a .406 xSLG this season. The star first baseman has been a bit better in September, hitting .292 with a .796 OPS across his first 74 plate appearances this month. If Guerrero Jr. is forced to miss time, Blue Jays infielder/outfielder Charles McAdoo could be in line for an increase in playing time.--Will Brady
Source: MLB International - Hazel Mae

Sep 20, 2026, 2:09 PM ET

Texas Rangers outfielder Brandon Nimmo (illness) is out of the lineup due to an illness on Sunday against the Toronto Blue Jays, according to the team. Alejandro Osuna is starting in right field for Texas and will bat fifth against Blue Jays right-hander Spencer Miles. The Rangers have a scheduled day off on Monday, so there is a good chance that Nimmo will be feeling good enough to return for Tuesday's series opener at home against the New York Mets. Nimmo has been more of a disappointment overall in 2026 in his first year in Texas after 10 seasons with the New York Mets, as he entered play on Sunday with a .260/.325/.407 slash line with a .732 OPS, 14 home runs, 61 RBI, 61 runs scored, and seven stolen bases in 149 games played across 631 plate appearances. He has been particularly ineffective in 17 games so far this month, going 15-for-66 (.227) with zero homers, eight RBI, six walks, and 22 strikeouts.--Keith Hernandez
Source: Texas Rangers

Sep 20, 2026, 1:04 PM ET

Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Dylan Cease (shoulder) will not make his next start on Wednesday against the Baltimore Orioles after undergoing an MRI exam on his right shoulder on Saturday night, according to Hazel Mae of Sportsnet. Cease will meet the team in Baltimore. Manager John Schneider is not ruling out Cease making a start against the Cincinnati Reds next weekend. Cease said his shoulder felt "fatigued," and he allowed four runs (one earned) while walking six in just 2 2/3 innings in his most recent outing on Friday against the Texas Rangers. It is a bad time for the Blue Jays to be without one of the best all-around pitchers in baseball this year, but they are also on the verge of being eliminated from playoff contention. Despite his tough outing on Friday, the 30-year-old Cease has been outstanding in 2026 in his first year in Toronto, going 11-6 with a 2.40 ERA (league-leading 2.55 FIP) and 1.10 WHIP with a league-high 239 strikeouts and 78 walks in 169 innings (29 starts). The Jays entered Sunday's action three games out of the final wild-card spot in the American League.--Keith Hernandez
Source: Sportsnet - Hazel Mae

Sep 20, 2026, 12:36 PM ET

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Kyle Tucker (knee) left Saturday night's game early against the division-rival San Francisco Giants after fouling a ball off his right knee/shin, but manager Dave Roberts told Jack Harris of The California Post that the lopsided score played into Tucker being removed early. Roberts expects Tucker to be back in action for Sunday's series finale at Dodger Stadium, but they will see how he feels in the morning. Before leaving the eventual 10-4 win on Saturday, Tucker went 1-for-3 at the plate with a walk and a run scored for the Dodgers. He was replaced in right field by Alex Call. The 29-year-old left-handed slugger has not lived up to his big free-agent contract in 2026 in his first year in L.A., as he is currently slashing .235/.334/.394 with a .729 OPS, 17 homers, 70 RBI, 88 runs, and 11 stolen bases across his 515 at-bats. However, after hitting under .200 in August, Tucker has picked things up and has hit .288 (17-for-59) with six homers, three doubles, a triple, 13 RBI, 17 runs scored, and two steals in 18 games in September. The Dodgers are hoping he can continue to swing a hot bat going into the playoffs in October.--Keith Hernandez
Source: The California Post - Jack Harris

Sep 20, 2026, 12:30 PM ET

The Cincinnati Reds announced on Sunday that they placed right-hander Chase Burns (groin) on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to Sept. 19) with a strained right groin and selected the contract of right-hander Carson Spiers from Triple-A Louisville in a corresponding move. The Reds had been working to limit the young right-hander's innings in recent weeks, and now his 2026 season will come to an end with a week remaining on the schedule. The 23-year-old former second overall pick in 2024 from Wake Forest University had a fantastic first full season in the majors this year, earning his first All-Star nod while going 15-3 with a 2.86 ERA (3.24 FIP), 1.17 WHIP, and 185:56 K:BB in 154 1/3 innings pitched across his 29 starts for the Reds. Burns recorded a strong 29.4% strikeout rate while walking 8.9% of the batters he faced. He is one of the best upside arms in terms of strikeout stuff in the big leagues, as long as he can stay healthy going forward. The native of Italy was limited to exactly three innings in each of his final three starts in 2026, allowing four earned runs while walking six and striking out 14.--Keith Hernandez
Source: Cincinnati Reds

Sep 20, 2026, 12:24 PM ET

Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras (hand) remains absent from the team's starting lineup for Sunday's series finale against the division-rival Tampa Bay Rays, per MLB.com. Nick Sogard is making a third straight start at first base for the BoSox and is hitting fifth against Rays right-hander Griffin Jax. Contreras is missing a third straight game after he was hit by a pitch on his right hand in Thursday's win over the Texas Rangers. The good news is that X-rays came back negative for any fractures in his hand, so fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day going into the final week of the 2026 regular season. With a scheduled day off coming on Monday, hopefully Contreras will be back on the field for Tuesday's series opener at Fenway Park against the Cleveland Guardians. The 34-year-old Venezuelan has a career-best 27 home runs and 81 RBI in 2026 in his first year in Boston, but he hit just .217 (18-for-83) with a .715 OPS in 23 games in August, and he has played in only four games so far in September due to various injuries.--Keith Hernandez
Source: MLB.com

Sep 20, 2026, 12:54 AM ET

There is a "good chance" that Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani (knee, biceps) will be activated from the 10-day injured list for the series against the division-rival San Diego Padres at home next week, manager Dave Roberts told Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Ohtani is eligible to come off the IL on Wednesday, so he could be back as the team's designated hitter for the second game of the series at Dodger Stadium. The four-time MVP apparently looked good after running the bases and taking simulated at-bats off a Trajekt machine before Saturday's game. There is still a little time for the 32-year-old Japanese native to help the Dodgers and fantasy managers in the final stretch of the 2026 regular season. However, the Dodgers probably are not going to rush him back, so it would not be a surprise to get a game or two off in the final four or five games of the year. Ohtani has hit .277/.380/.522 with a .902 OPS, 30 homers, 80 RBI, 89 runs scored, and 11 stolen bases in 502 at-bats. It has been a strong season, but nagging left-knee and right-biceps injuries since early July caught up with him, and he was placed on the IL after hitting an un-Ohtani-like .241/.322/.472 with a .795 OPS in 27 games in August.--Keith Hernandez
Source: The Athletic - Fabian Ardaya

Sep 20, 2026, 12:47 AM ET

WEEI's Rob Bradford reports that it is "sure looking like" Boston Red Sox left-hander Payton Tolle has a "good shot" at pitching Game 1 of a wild-card series to kick off the postseason with the way the Red Sox are lining things up. It means that the 23-year-old southpaw will not get a start this weekend against the division-rival Tampa Bay Rays. The former second-rounder from TCU in 2024 has had a strong first full season in the big leagues with Boston in 2026, going 9-6 with a 3.02 ERA (3.04 FIP) and 1.07 WHIP with 166 strikeouts and 38 walks in 143 innings across his 25 starts. Another lefty, Patrick Sandoval, is now scheduled to make the start for the BoSox in the series finale in Tampa. Tolle allowed four earned runs in 5 2/3 innings against the Seattle Mariners on Aug. 31, but he has only given up one earned run with one walk and 19 punchouts in 12 innings across his last two starts against the Baltimore Orioles and Kansas City Royals in September.--Keith Hernandez
Source: WEEI - Rob Bradford

Sep 20, 2026, 12:31 AM ET

Miami Marlins infielder Xavier Edwards (thumb) left Saturday night's game at Petco Park against the San Diego Padres early with discomfort in his left thumb, according to Christina De Nicola. The Marlins' training staff was checking Edwards' left hand out when he fouled a ball off in the seventh frame. It is worth noting that Edwards previously missed time this season with a sprained left thumb, which he might have aggravated on Saturday night. Before leaving the ballgame, Edwards went 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts. He was replaced at the keystone in San Diego by Jared Serna. If the 27-year-old switch-hitting middle infielder did aggravate his left-thumb sprain, there is a good chance that he will not play again for the Marlins in the final week of the 2026 season. Edwards came into Wednesday's contest with a nice .282/.361/.373 slash line with a .733 OPS, a career-high six home runs, a career-high 52 RBI, 61 runs scored, and 21 stolen bases in 141 games played. He has stolen 20-plus bases in each of the last three seasons, including a career-high 31 back in 2024.--Keith Hernandez
Source: MLB.com - Christina De Nicola

Sep 20, 2026, 12:23 AM ET

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (calf) said on Saturday that his right-calf strain is in the soleus muscle, according to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. However, Judge would not say what grade of strain his MRI exam revealed. "I'd like to be back by the postseason. That's definitely the plan. I got really no answers for you on any timeline or anything like that," Judge said. The New York Daily News' Gary Phillips reports that neither Judge nor manager Aaron Boone has shared much information on his injury, with the Yankees treating his calf strain like "classified CIA intel." "It doesn't matter what grade it is," Boone said. "We're at nine games left [in the season]." Because we have no idea of the exact severity of his calf injury, it is entirely plausible that Judge could miss most, or all, of any potential Yankees playoff run in October. Judge has been throwing, working out, and getting treatment, and he said he is "gonna do everything we can do to get back as soon as we can." Boone, though, merely said he is "hoping for the best." It will be difficult for the Yankees to go all the way if they do not get Judge back for the playoffs. It has been a frustrating year for the three-time MVP and all of his fantasy managers, as he has only played in 66 games due to a stress fracture in his rib, slashing .241/.360/.511 with 18 home runs, 41 RBI, 45 runs, and five steals.--Keith Hernandez
Source: MLB.com - Bryan Hoch

Sep 19, 2026, 10:37 PM ET

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki (finger) will make his return to the mound next week during the series against the San Diego Padres, David Vassegh reports. Sasaki looked good during his side session on Wednesday, so the Dodgers have cleared him to get back on the mound. It doesn't sound like the Dodgers have decided whether Sasaki will start or come out of the bullpen during his outing against the Padres. The right-hander has been out since late August due to a finger blister. The expectation is that Sasaki will likely pitch in a bullpen role for the team during the postseason.--Andy Webb
Source: David Vassegh

Sep 19, 2026, 10:31 PM ET

Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Trey Yesavage (knee) is scheduled to start against the Baltimore Orioles on Monday, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports. Yesavage has been out since August after having surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee. He only made one rehab appearance at Triple-A Buffalo before getting cleared to pitch for the big league club. The Jays plan to have Yesavage pitch roughly three innings or around 45 to 50 pitches. Spencer Miles is expected to take over for the bulk of the innings after Yesavage is done. It'll be interesting to see if the Jays decide to shut down Yesavage if they do get eliminated from playoff contention. Until then, it sounds like the right-hander is going to contribute here soon.--Andy Webb
Source: Arden Zwelling

Sep 19, 2026, 10:22 PM ET

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Cal Quantrill (lat) exited early during Saturday's outing against the Toronto Blue Jays. Quantrill was pulled out in the second inning due to right lat tightness, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports. He was able to record four outs before exiting this contest. Jordan Montgomery took over on the mound and threw 3.2 scoreless innings. Quantrill figures to undergo an MRI, so fantasy managers will likely have to wait for the results on that. Nathan Eovaldi could be asked to move back into the starting rotation if Quantrill is forced to miss time. UPDATE: The Dallas Morning News' Shawn McFarland reports that Quantrill will undergo an MRI exam on Sunday morning, per manager Skip Schumaker.--Andy Webb
Source: Kennedi Landry

Sep 19, 2026, 10:15 PM ET

New York Yankees outfielder Spencer Jones (foot) was not in the starting lineup ahead of Saturday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Yankees decided to rest Jones on Saturday due to left foot/heel soreness, according to Brendan Kuty of The Athletic. It sounds like a day-to-day issue, so the Yankees are just going to play it safe. Jones is 1-for-19 with nine strikeouts over his last four games, so he could probably use a day off to rest and reset. Jose Caballero takes over in center field for Saturday's game. Fantasy managers should check back ahead of Sunday's game for another update on Jones.--Andy Webb
Source: Brendan Kuty