September 12, 2025
Updating a previous report, Chicago Cubs outfielder
Seiya Suzuki (illness) is out of the starting lineup for Friday's series opener against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays at Wrigley Field due to an illness.
Willi Castro made the start in right field and is hitting eighth against Rays right-hander
Shane Baz. Suzuki started in each of the team's last 12 games. It's a good time for him to rest, as he's gone 7-for-34 (.206) with no homers, two RBI, a steal, and nine strikeouts in 41 trips to the plate in nine games so far in September. There's a good chance he'll be back in there in right field for Game 2 of the series against Tampa on Saturday. The 31-year-old's recent cold spell at the plate has dropped his season slash line in 2025 to .244/.324/.461 with 27 home runs, 91 RBI, 69 runs, and five steals. The Japanese outfielder has already set career highs in homers and RBI in his fourth MLB season.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
September 12, 2025
Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell said that right-handed reliever
Daniel Palencia (shoulder) played catch at Wrigley Field on Friday, according to Andy Martinez of Watch Marquee Sports. It's a notable step for Palencia, as it's the first time the closer has thrown a ball since he suffered a strained right shoulder on Sunday. Currently on the 15-day injured list, the 25-year-old is eligible to return to the big-league bullpen on Sept. 23, but it's unclear if he'll be ready by then. Before his injury, Palencia was serving as Chicago's primary ninth-inning man while posting a 3.00 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 59:16 K:BB, and a career-high 22 saves in 51 innings pitched. Since he landed on the shelf,
Andrew Kittredge has the Cubs' only save, but veteran
Brad Keller could also factor into the short-term saves picture.
--Keith HernandezSource: Watch Marquee - Andy Martinez
September 12, 2025
Chicago Cubs outfielder
Kyle Tucker (calf) is hitting and throwing, but he will not begin running until after the weekend and is "unlikely" to come off the 10-day injured list when he's eligible on Tuesday, according to manager Craig Counsell. Tucker is making progress from a left-calf strain, but he won't return early next week for fantasy managers. The Cubs will be pretty careful with the 28-year-old All-Star, but barring a setback, he should be back with Chicago before the end of September. With Tucker out lately, the Cubs have been mixing and matching in right field with
Seiya Suzuki and
Willi Castro. Tucker went through a little slump at the plate last month, but had bounced back nicely right before injuring his calf. When he's healthy and back with the Cubs, the former first-rounder will be a must-start in all fantasy lineups.
--Keith HernandezSource: Watch Marquee - Andy Martinez
September 12, 2025
Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman
Ketel Marte (foot) is scheduled to be in the starting lineup for Friday's series opener against the Minnesota Twins, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports. The Diamondbacks will see how Marte is feeling when he comes in before the game. Marte is hitting .171 (6-for-35) in a small sample size so far in September and left Wednesday's game early against the San Francisco Giants with a right-foot bruise. Thankfully, X-rays were negative, and the 31-year-old All-Star should be back in there on Friday. Fantasy managers will want to make sure Marte isn't scratched just before first pitch, and they'll also be hoping he can turn it around at the plate against Twins right-hander
Pablo Lopez on Friday. He's gone 1-for-3 with an RBI in his career against Lopez.
--Keith HernandezSource: Arizona Sports - John Gambadoro
September 12, 2025
The Houston Astros are promoting outfielder Zach Cole from Triple-A Sugar Land ahead of Friday's game against the Atlanta Braves, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports. Cole joined the organization as a 10th-round pick in 2022, and he's now the Astros' 19th-ranked prospect at MLB Pipeline. The 25-year-old has divided the season between Double-A and Triple-A (mostly the former) and slashed an outstanding .279/.377/.539 with 19 homers, 65 RBI, 63 runs, and 18 steals in 416 plate appearances. However, Cole's success has come despite a bloated 35.1% strikeout rate. He'll give the Astros some extra outfield depth over the final couple of weeks of the season.
--Connor ByrneSource: Brian McTaggart - MLB.com
September 12, 2025
Tampa Bay Rays second baseman
Brandon Lowe is not in the lineup on Friday against the Chicago Cubs.
Richie Palacios will handle the keystone in Lowe's absence and hit seventh in a meeting with left-hander
Matthew Boyd. Lowe, who's out of the lineup for the first time since Aug. 4, has slumped in his first 10 games this month. He's 8-for-38 (.211) with four doubles, three RBI, and a whopping 16 strikeouts against two walks in September. The 31-year-old has still been among the league's most productive second basemen this season, though, having slashed .260/.312/.478 with 28 homers, 74 RBI, 72 runs, and three steals in 506 plate appearances.
--Connor ByrneSource: MLB.com
September 12, 2025
Tampa Bay Rays outfielder
Josh Lowe is not in the lineup on Friday against Chicago Cubs left-hander
Matthew Boyd.
Jake Mangum will take over for Lowe in right field and hit fifth, while
Everson Pereira will play center and bat sixth. It's logical to sit Lowe against a tough lefty, as southpaws have held him to a miserable .496 OPS in 104 plate appearances in 2025. The left-handed Lowe has had far more success versus righties (.777 OPS), leading to an overall line of .236/.301/.399 with 11 homers, 39 RBI, 54 runs, and 17 steals in 387 trips to the plate.
--Connor ByrneSource: MLB.com
September 12, 2025
Chicago Cubs third baseman
Matt Shaw is back in the lineup on Friday against Tampa Bay Rays right-hander
Shane Baz. He'll play third base and bat ninth. Shaw was scratched from the lineup for the Cubs' 3-2 win over the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday while dealing with a personal matter, though he did pinch hit. After a productive August (.839 OPS, five home runs, 10 RBI), Shaw has slumped in his first nine games this month. He's 5-for-24 (.208) with a double, four RBI, eight strikeouts, and four walks. Overall, the 23-year-old rookie has batted .226/.292/.388 with 11 homers, 39 RBI, 47 runs, and 16 steals in 383 plate appearances.
--Connor ByrneSource: MLB.com
September 12, 2025
Houston Astros right-handed reliever
Jayden Murray will serve as the team's opener against the Atlanta Braves on Friday. The 28-year-old made his major league debut last week and has since logged 2 1/3 scoreless, hitless innings with one strikeout and no walks over two appearances. Murray has spent most of the year at the Triple-A level and posted a 4.64 ERA with a 1.33 WHIP, 66 strikeouts, and 30 walks in 64 innings. He's not expected to go more than an inning or two in Friday's game, meaning the Astros will heavily rely on their bullpen against an Atlanta offense that ranks 18th in the majors in runs. The Braves have scored the fewest runs in the league (35) over the past two weeks.
--Connor ByrneSource: Matt Kawahara - Houston Chronicle
September 12, 2025
Chicago Cubs designated hitter/outfielder
Seiya Suzuki is out of the lineup on Friday against Tampa Bay Rays right-hander
Shane Baz.
Moises Ballesteros will take over as the DH and bat sixth. Suzuki is getting the day off amid a severe slump. He has just one home run since the All-Star break and has opened September 7-for-34 (.206) with no extra-base hits, two RBI, nine strikeouts, and six walks in nine games. Thanks to his excellent production over the first couple months of the season, the 31-year-old still boasts a strong .244/.324/.461 line with 27 homers, 91 RBI, 69 runs, and five stolen bases over 611 plate appearances.
--Connor ByrneSource: MLB.com
September 12, 2025
Toronto Blue Jays second baseman
Orelvis Martinez was shut down due to an unspecified injury on Monday, but his inconsistent play on the field is likely what also led to him losing his 40-man roster spot. The move comes to make room for
Alek Manoah's (elbow) activation from the 60-day injured list on Thursday. Martinez has struggled mightily in 2025, slashing .197/.288/.348 with 13 home runs, 38 runs scored, 32 RBI, a 28.4 percent strikeout rate, and two stolen bases in 394 Triple-A plate appearances. Martinez was once on MLB's top-100 prospect list in 2023 and 2024, but has since been removed from that list over the last season and will look to rebound in 2026. He remains a decent dynasty stash for the time being at only 23 years old.
--Nicho RoesslerSource: Toronto Blue Jays
September 12, 2025
Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder
Jack Suwinski (groin) went 1-for-3 with a solo home run Thursday in a rehab appearance with Triple-A Indianapolis. Suwinski has been sidelined since August 29 with a groin injury, but made his first rehab appearance on Thursday. He took
Michael Soroka (shoulder) deep in the sixth inning before being removed for defensive purposes a few innings later. While it's encouraging to see Suwinski get a hold of one in his first rehab start, he has struggled at the plate in 2025, slashing .132/.286/.240 with three home runs, eight RBI, 13 runs scored, and six stolen bases in 121 at-bats. Fantasy managers looking for outfield production will want to look elsewhere, as Suwinski is a career .199 hitter through four seasons and through 1,330 plate appearances.
--Nicho RoesslerSource: MiLB.com
September 12, 2025
Chicago Cubs right-hander
Michael Soroka (shoulder) allowed one earned run on one hit and no walks while striking out three across 2 1/3 innings in a rehab outing with Triple-A Iowa on Thursday. Soroka was acquired by the Cubs at the trade deadline and was pulled from his first start with the new ball club on August 4 with a shoulder injury. Thursday marked his first appearance in a professional game since the injury, and he was pretty sharp, as he fired 22 of 38 pitches for strikes, and the only damage was a solo home run to
Jack Suwinski. The Cubs sit comfortably up 7.5 games in the NL Wild Card race, and could use all the extra help they could get before the regular season concludes on September 28. Soroka has put together a respectable season in 2025, with a 4.86 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and a 90/25 K/BB ratio in 83 1/3 innings pitched.
--Nicho RoesslerSource: MiLB.com
September 12, 2025
Los Angeles Dodgers rookie catcher
Dalton Rushing (lower leg) began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Thursday and went 1-for-4 with a double and caught all nine innings, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports. Rushing has been sidelined since September 6, but it appears to be a short stint, as he was able to play the whole game on Thursday. It seems he has a strong chance to be activated after a minimum stay on the injured list. Rushing has gotten his opportunities in the big leagues, slashing .194/.254/.298 with three home runs, 21 RBI, and 12 runs scored through 121 at-bats. While it appears likely the Dodgers will call him back up before the season's end, fantasy managers competing in the playoffs of their leagues will want to look elsewhere for catcher production. Rushing remains a strong dynasty stash.
--Nicho RoesslerSource: Bill Plunkett
September 11, 2025
Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher
Jesus Luzardo earned his 14th win of the season in a 6-4 victory over the Mets on Thursday. He allowed four runs on five hits and no walks with 10 strikeouts in eight innings. All of the damage against the 27-year-old came in the first inning, as he quickly settled in for seven perfect frames following the rough start. This was his sixth double-digit strikeout performance of the season, and he remains one of the most unhittable pitchers in the game when everything is working right. The lefty sits with a 4.03 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 200 strikeouts, and 56 walks in 169 ⅔ innings on the season.
--Jeremy HeistSource: MLB.com
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