September 26, 2025
Los Angeles Angels outfielder
Jorge Soler (back) will not return from the 60-day injured list for the team's season-ending series against the Houston Astros this weekend. Soler has been out since July 24 with inflammation in his lower back. Although the 33-year-old ramped up baseball activities earlier this month, time has run out on a potential 2025 comeback. Soler has been on the injured list twice this year with back problems, limiting him to 82 games. The former All-Star took 315 trips to the plate this season and batted an underwhelming .215/.293/.387 with 12 HRs and 34 RBI. He's in line to return to the Angels in 2026 in the last season of a three-year, $42 million contract. Soler signed that deal with the San Francisco Giants heading into 2024, but he has changed hands twice since then. The Atlanta Braves traded Soler to the Angels last October. The first season of the Soler-Angels union didn't go according to plan for him or the team.
--Connor ByrneSource: MLB.com
September 26, 2025
San Francisco Giants right-handed reliever
Randy Rodriguez (elbow) underwent Tommy John surgery on Wednesday. Rodriguez will require 12 to 14 months to recover, meaning he's unlikely to return until 2027. The 27-year-old landed on the injured list with a sprained elbow on Aug. 26, prematurely ending his first All-Star season and depriving the Giants of a breakout reliever. He pitched to a sparkling 1.78 ERA with a .89 WHIP, 67:11 K:BB, and four saves over 50 2/3 innings. Rodriguez took over as the Giants' full-time closer at the beginning of August, but after he went down, the role reverted to
Ryan Walker.
--Connor ByrneSource: MLB.com
September 26, 2025
St. Louis Cardinals second baseman
Brendan Donovan (groin) is out of the lineup against the Chicago Cubs on Friday.
Nolan Gorman will take over at second and hit fifth. This is the third game off since last Sunday for Donovan, who has been battling groin soreness. After missing just under a month with a strained left groin, Donovan returned Sept. 12 and has gone a sizzling 14-for-37 (.378) with a homer, seven doubles, five RBI, and seven runs scored in eight games. That hot streak has raised the 28-year-old's line to .287/.353/.422 with 10 HRs, 50 RBI, 64 runs, and three steals over 515 plate appearances this season.
--Connor ByrneSource: MLB.com
September 26, 2025
Chicago Cubs outfielder
Kyle Tucker (calf) will come off the 10-day injured list and rejoin the lineup on Friday against the St. Louis Cardinals, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports. Tucker, who last played Sept. 2, spent three weeks on the IL with a strained left calf that didn't heal as quickly as he or the team expected. He'll now have a few games to tune up before the playoff-bound Cubs begin a wild-card series against the San Diego Padres on Sept. 30. The Cubs broke a four-year playoff drought this season thanks in part to Tucker, who has slashed .270/.381/.472 with 22 homers, 73 RBI, 89 runs scored, and 25 stolen bases in 585 plate appearances
--Connor ByrneSource: Jesse Rogers - ESPN
September 25, 2025
Athletics first baseman
Nick Kurtz continued his phenomenal rookie campaign in an 11-5 loss to the Houston Astros on Thursday. Kurtz went deep twice, giving him 35 home runs on the year, to highlight a 3-for-5, three-RBI day. While Kurtz has only collected 17 hits in 75 September at-bats (good for a .227 average), he has helped make up for it with eight long balls, 14 RBI, and 18 runs scored. After his latest superb performance, the AL Rookie of the Year shoo-in is slashing .293/.387/.623 with 84 RBI and 88 runs in 477 plate appearances. He's scheduled to face one of the league's other top rookies in Kansas City Royals left-hander
Noah Cameron on Friday. Kurtz went 1-for-2 with a single against Cameron in their first meeting on June 15.
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
September 25, 2025
Houston Astros southpaw
Framber Valdez stymied the Athletics in an 11-5 victory on Thursday to notch his 13th win of the year. Making his final start of the regular season, Valdez surrendered one run on seven hits and two walks while tallying 10 strikeouts over seven innings. It was a much-needed rebound for Valdez, whose production has fallen off the table during the second half of the season. After recording a 2.62 earned-run average through July, he stumbled to a 5.64 ERA in August and entered Thursday with a horrid 8.27 mark in September. Valdez nevertheless logged respectable numbers across 31 starts, though, as he went 13-11 with a 3.66 ERA, a 1.24 WHIP, and 187:68 K:BB in 192 innings. With the Astros one game out of a playoff spot, Valdez may not pitch again in 2025.
--Connor ByrneSource: https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401764596
September 25, 2025
Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander
Yoshinobu Yamamoto put the finishing touches on a great regular season in an 8-0 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday. Yamamoto fired six scoreless innings of four-hit ball with seven strikeouts against two walks to pick up his 12th win and help the Dodgers clinch the National League West. The second-year man finished the 2025 campaign 12-8 with a 2.49 ERA, a .99 WHIP, and 201:59 K:BB over 30 starts and 172 2/3 innings. He ranks fourth among qualified starters in ERA, fifth in WHIP, and 10th in strikeouts. Yamamoto will attempt to carry that success into the postseason, where he and the Dodgers will go for a second straight World Series title.
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
September 25, 2025
Detroit Tigers reliever
Will Vest mowed down the Cleveland Guardians in a 4-2 win on Thursday for his 22nd save of the year. Vest struck out the side in order, fanning
Gabriel Arias,
Angel Martinez, and
Bo Naylor, to secure a crucial victory for the Tigers and snap an eight-game losing streak. They now have the same record as the division-rival Guardians, who own the tiebreaker for the AL Central crown, and sit one game ahead of the Houston Astros for the last wild-card spot. Vest, meanwhile, has put together back-to-back scoreless outings after he was roughed up in losses on Sept. 16 and Sept. 20. The 30-year-old has recorded a 3.06 ERA with a 1.25 WHIP, 74 strikeouts, and 22 walks in 67 2/3 innings this season.
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
September 25, 2025
The Chicago White Sox placed outfielder
Mike Tauchman (knee) on the 10-day injured list with a torn meniscus in his right knee on Wednesday. Tauchman will undergo surgery on Sept. 30 to repair the issue, and he's expected to recover within five weeks. In what could end up as his lone season as a member of the White Sox, Tauchman hit a useful .263/.356/.400 with nine homers, 40 RBI, and 44 steals over 93 games and 385 plate appearances. Chicago will have the option of keeping Tauchman in 2026, his last year of arbitration eligibility, but the team could move on in lieu of paying him upward of $2 million.
--Connor ByrneSource: MLB.com
September 25, 2025
Seattle Mariners right-hander
Bryan Woo (pectoral) played "light catch" on Thursday, according to Adam Jude of the Seattle Times. It was the first time Woo did so since he left his start against the Houston Astros last Friday with pectoral tightness. Woo, who won't make another start in the regular season, said that he's "still just taking it day by day" as the playoffs approach. The Mariners are AL West champions thanks in part to Woo, who finished 15-7 with a 2.94 ERA, a .93 WHIP, and 198:85 K:BB in a 30-start,186 2/3-inning campaign. It's unclear if he'll be ready when the postseason begins for Seattle.
--Connor ByrneSource: Adam Jude - The Seattle Times
September 25, 2025
Seattle Mariners outfielder
Victor Robles will head to the bench ahead of Thursday's game against the Colorado Rockies. Robles will take a seat after starting in each of the last five games. During that span, Robles has gone 2-for-14 at the plate with three RBI and a stolen base. That being said, Robles could certainly use a day off to get his head straight.
Dominic Canzone will take over right field while
Jorge Polanco covers the designated hitter spot on Thursday.
--Andy WebbSource: mlb.com
September 25, 2025
Chicago Cubs starting pitcher
Cade Horton (back) underwent an MRI after being removed early during Tuesday's start against the New York Mets. Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Horton is good to go, but still has some areas of concern. The main concern is around the rib area, but they will continue to look into the issue. It sounds like doctors will look at the MRI to get more information. For now, Horton is slated to throw on Friday and remains on track to pitch this postseason. There should be more updates on his status within the next few days.
--Andy WebbSource: Sahadev Sharma
September 25, 2025
New York Mets outfielder
Starling Marte (rest) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Thursday's game against the Chicago Cubs. This appears to be a routine rest day for Marte who has started in each of the last two games. During that time, Marte has gone 1-for-8 at the plate with one run scored. That being said, it's not a terrible idea to give the veteran slugger the night off. In his absence,
Mark Vientos will serve as the designated hitter while
Brandon Nimmo covers left field against left-hander
Shota Imanaga.
--Andy WebbSource: mlb.com
September 25, 2025
New York Mets catcher
Francisco Alvarez (cramps) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Thursday's game against the Chicago Cubs. Alvarez reportedly felt cramping in his lower half during Wednesday's game. As a result, Alvarez will take a seat on Thursday, but will hopefully only miss one game. Mets' manager
Carlos Mendoza mentioned that Alvarez is available off the bench. That being said, Alvarez is likely dealing with a minor issue and should be considered day-to-day.
Luis Torrens will draw the start behind the plate and bat sixth on Thursday.
--Andy WebbSource: mlb.com
September 25, 2025
Los Angeles Angels outfielder
Taylor Ward is absent from the starting lineup ahead of Thursday's game against the Kansas City Royals. This appears to be a routine rest day for Ward who has started in every game since September 2. He has been hot at the plate recently, so resting him now seems like a bit of an odd decision. Ward currently has a seven-game hitting streak where he has 10 hits and five home runs during that span. He's worth rostering in most fantasy formats down the stretch of the season.
Chris Taylor will take over left field and bat fifth on Thursday.
--Andy WebbSource: mlb.com
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