Jeff Hoffman Records 33rd Save on Friday
Jeff Hoffman picked up his 33rd save of the season on Friday in his team's 4-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. Hoffman walked two batters in the ninth inning, but managed to make it out of the inning without allowing a run. The 32-year-old has had an up-and-down season, pitching to a 9-7 record with a 4.37 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and 84 strikeouts in 68 innings. However, Hoffman has been effective in the season's final month, allowing just one earned run across 11 appearances in September.
Source: MLB.com
Toronto Blue Jays closer Source: MLB.com
Paul Goldschmidt Gets Second Straight Start on Saturday
Paul Goldschmidt is in the starting lineup and batting seventh on Saturday against Baltimore Orioles right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano. Goldschmidt's playing time down the stretch of the season has mostly been limited to when the Yankees are facing a left-handed starter. However, with catcher Austin Wells getting the day off, left-handed hitting Ben Rice will start behind the plate, opening up first base for Goldschmidt. The 38-year-old has slashed .278/.330/.406 with 10 home runs, 45 RBI, 76 runs scored, and five stolen bases across 530 plate appearances this season. Goldschmidt has been significantly better against lefties, slashing .338/.413/.574 in 167 plate appearances, compared to .249/.292/.332 in 363 plate appearances against right-handed pitching.
Source: MLB.com
New York Yankees first baseman Source: MLB.com
Josh Naylor Suffering from "Minor Groin Tightness"
Josh Naylor (groin) left his team's game on Friday against the Los Angeles Dodgers due to "minor groin tightness," according to Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times. The Mariners have the American League West and a spot in the American League Division Series locked up, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see Naylor get the final two games of the regular season off. The 28-year-old has been excellent across 604 plate appearances this season, slashing .295/.353/.462 with 20 home runs, 92 RBI, 81 runs scored, and 30 stolen bases. First baseman/outfielder Luke Raley could be the most likely candidate to step in for Naylor in Seattle if he misses time.
Source: The Seattle Times - Ryan Divish
Seattle Mariners first baseman Source: The Seattle Times - Ryan Divish
Austin Wells Out of Yankees Lineup on Saturday
Austin Wells is not in the lineup for his team's game against the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday. Ben Rice will take his place behind the plate and bat second. With just two games remaining in the regular season, Wells has slashed .221/.277/.440 with 21 home runs, 71 RBI, 51 runs scored, and five stolen bases across 445 plate appearances. The 26-year-old has ceded some playing time to Rice in the second half of the season, but the Yankees have also found ways to play them both by starting Rice at first base. Wells will likely be back in the lineup tomorrow against Orioles right-hander Kyle Bradish.
Source: MLB.com
New York Yankees catcher Source: MLB.com
Pete Crow-Armstrong Locks Up 30-30 Season
Pete Crow-Armstrong joined Sammy Sosa as the only 30-30 players in franchise history in a 12-1 throttling of the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday. Crow-Armstrong mashed his 30th home run, a two-run shot, to highlight a 1-for-3 afternoon. It was just the second HR this month for PCA, who has struggled since playing in his first All-Star Game in July. After recording an .847 OPS in the first few months of the season, that figure has plummeted to .595 in the second half. Along with his 30 HRs and 35 stolen bases, the 23-year-old defensive maven has hit .245/.285/.476 with 93 RBI and 90 runs scored over 155 games and 640 plate appearances this season.
Source: ESPN
Chicago Cubs outfielder Source: ESPN
Giancarlo Stanton Crushes Two Homers in Five-RBI Night
Giancarlo Stanton slugged the team to an 8-4 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Friday. Stanton crushed a pair of two-run homers, both off ace left-hander Trevor Rogers, and racked up five RBI during a 2-for-5 night. His third-inning bomb to left-center field came off the bat at 112.2 mph and traveled 451 feet. Remarkably, entering Friday, Rogers had only given up three HRs in his prior 17 starts this season. Stanton nearly equaled that total in one night, and with 452 homers, he's now tied with Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski for 40th on the all-time list. During a renaissance season, the 35-year-old has slashed .267/.342/.584 with 23 long balls, 64 RBI, and 35 runs scored in 74 games and 273 trips to the plate.
Source: ESPN
New York Yankees designated hitter Source: ESPN
Dylan Beavers Exits Early With Shin Discomfort, X-Rays Negative
Dylan Beavers (shin) exited an 8-4 loss to the New York Yankees on Friday with discomfort in his right shin, but X-rays came back negative after the game. Beavers' night came to an end after he fouled a ball off himself in the fourth inning. Dylan Carlson played the rest of the game in left field in his place. While Beavers went 0-for-2 on Friday, he has shown a keen eye at the dish in the first 33 games of his career and slashed .240/.383/.423 with four homers, 14 RBI, 16 runs scored, and an 18.6% walk rate in 129 plate appearances. Interim manager Tony Mansolino said he plans to pencil Beavers into the lineup on Saturday.
Source: Roch Kubatko - MASNSports.com
Baltimore Orioles rookie outfielder Source: Roch Kubatko - MASNSports.com
Josh Naylor Exits With Apparent Injury on Friday
Josh Naylor (undisclosed) left early against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday with an apparent injury. After Naylor stole his 30th base of the season in the third inning, he began "exhibiting some discomfort," according to Daniel Kramer of MLB.com. The Mariners later pinch-hit Mitch Garver for Naylor in the fifth inning. Naylor went 1-for-2 before departing and became just the third first baseman to reach 20 home runs and 30 steals in a season, joining Jeff Bagwell and Paul Goldschmidt. With the Mariners having already clinched the AL West, the hope is that they pulled Naylor as a precautionary measure. The 28-year-old has been an outstanding addition for Seattle since it acquired him from the Arizona Diamondbacks in late July. Along with his 20 HRs and 30 steals, Naylor has slashed .295/.353/.462 with 92 RBI and 81 runs scored in 147 games and 604 plate appearances this year.
Source: Daniel Kramer - MLB.com
Seattle Mariners first baseman Source: Daniel Kramer - MLB.com
Brock Stewart to Undergo Season-Ending Shoulder Surgery
Brock Stewart (shoulder) will undergo season-ending shoulder debridement surgery, manager Dave Roberts announced. The procedure could also cost Stewart some time next year, as general manager Brandon Gomes said that the Dodgers hope he'll be available for "the majority" of 2026. Stewart landed on the 15-day injured list with shoulder inflammation on Aug. 12, just under two weeks after the Dodgers reacquired him from the Minnesota Twins at the July 31 trade deadline. He wound up throwing just 3 2/3 innings of two-run ball in his return to L.A. before going on the shelf. The 33-year-old posted terrific numbers with the Twins, though, and wrapped up his season with a 2.63 ERA, a 1.19 WHIP, 44:13 K:BB, and 16 holds in 37 2/3 innings.
Source: Sonja Chen - MLB.com
Los Angeles Dodgers right-handed reliever Source: Sonja Chen - MLB.com
Brett Baty May Have Season-Ending Oblique Injury
Brett Baty (oblique) injured his right oblique on Friday and may be done for the season, manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters. After Baty left a 6-2 loss to the Miami Marlins in the second inning, the Mets brought in Ronny Mauricio to replace him at third base. The club will have more information on Baty's status on Saturday, but with just two regular-season games left, he seems unlikely to play this weekend. With oblique injuries often leading to lengthy absences, Baty may not be available for the start of a wild-card series on Sept. 30 if the Mets rally to earn a playoff berth. They and Cincinnati have the same record (82-78), but the Reds own the NL's last playoff spot based on the tiebreaker.
Source: Laura Albanese - Newsday
New York Mets infielder Source: Laura Albanese - Newsday
Yordan Alvarez Done for Regular Season
Yordan Alvarez (ankle) for the rest of the regular season as a result of a "significant" ankle sprain. Alvarez, who last played Sept. 15, could return for the postseason if the Astros overtake the Detroit Tigers for the last AL wild-card spot. The Astros are sitting a half-game back, and they'd likely be in a better position had Alvarez stayed healthy this season. Before succumbing to an ankle injury, the star slugger sat out from May 3 to Aug. 25 with a fractured right hand. He was in tremendous form during a brief 19-game return, going 24-for-65 (.369) with three homers, nine RBI, and 10 runs scored. Over 48 games and 199 plate appearances this year, Alvarez slashed .273/.367/.430 with six HRs, 27 RBI, and 17 runs.
Source: Matt Kawahara - Houston Chronicle
The Houston Astros have officially ruled out designated hitter Source: Matt Kawahara - Houston Chronicle
Max Muncy Absent Due to Leg Injury
Max Muncy (leg) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the Seattle Mariners. At first glance, Muncy's absence seemed to be because the Dodgers are resting a majority of their starters after clinching the division title. However, Muncy is actually missing his second straight game due to a minor leg issue. He's reportedly dealing with some leg bruising after he was hit by a pitch earlier in the week. It's unclear if he'll play again during the regular season, but Muncy should be fine in time for the playoffs. Enrique Hernandez will take over third base and bat eighth on Friday.
Source: Jack Harris
Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Source: Jack Harris
Mookie Betts Resting on Friday
Mookie Betts is out of the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the Seattle Mariners. This is a routine rest day for Betts after the Dodgers clinched the National League West division title on Thursday. This is the first rest day for Betts in over a month, so it seems well deserved. It wouldn't be shocking to see the Dodgers rest their starters throughout a majority of this series. Hyeseong Kim will take over shortstop and bat fifth on Friday. Fantasy managers should adjust their lineups ahead of first pitch.
Source: mlb.com
Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Source: mlb.com
Freddie Freeman Absent on Friday
Freddie Freeman is out of the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the Seattle Mariners. The Dodgers have decided to rest some of their regulars after winning the National League West division title on Thursday. This is a well deserved off day for Freeman who has started in every game this month. It wouldn't be shocking to see Freeman get another day off at some point this weekend. In his absence, Dalton Rushing will take over first base and bat seventh on Friday. Fantasy managers should adjust their lineups ahead of first pitch.
Source: mlb.com
Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Source: mlb.com
Brett Baty Removed Early on Friday With Side Tightness
Brett Baty (side) was forced to make an early exit from Friday's game against the Miami Marlins. Baty was pulled in the second inning due to right side tightness. He was hitless in his lone plate appearances of the night. Ronny Mauricio has taken over at third base. Fantasy managers should get an update on Baty's status following the contest. For now, fantasy managers should consider Baty as day-to-day until more information is known.
Source: New York Mets
New York Mets third baseman
Source: New York Mets