September 7, 2025
Kansas City Royals shortstop
Bobby Witt Jr. (back) is absent from the lineup on Sunday against Minnesota Twins right-hander
Bailey Ober.
Maikel Garcia will play short and hit second, while
Nick Loftin will man third base and bat seventh. Witt hasn't played since leaving the Royals' 2-1 win over the Twins on Friday with low-back spasms, but an MRI didn't reveal anything serious. Fantasy managers should check back on Monday to see if Witt is ready to return for the Royals' series opener against the Cleveland Guardians.
--Connor ByrneSource: MLB.com
September 7, 2025
Milwaukee Brewers designated hitter/outfielder
Christian Yelich (back) remains out on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
William Contreras will serve as the DH and hit third versus right-hander
Bubba Chandler, and
Danny Jansen will do the catching and bat eighth. Yelich is battling back soreness and will now miss a fifth consecutive game, though he did progress enough to take swings in the batting cage on Saturday. Manager Pat Murphy said it went well and suggested that Yelich could be available to pinch-hit on Sunday. With that in mind, Yelich may return to the Brewers' lineup for Monday's series opener against the Texas Rangers.
--Connor ByrneSource: MLB.com
September 7, 2025
Toronto Blue Jays shortstop
Bo Bichette (leg) is not in the lineup against the New York Yankees on Sunday.
Ernie Clement will handle short and hit fifth in a meeting with ace left-hander
Max Fried, while
Isiah Kiner-Falefa will play third base and bat seventh. Manager John Schneider said Bichette's leg was "cut up pretty good" after a sixth-inning collision with Yankees catcher
Austin Wells at home plate in a 3-1 loss on Saturday. Bichette finished the game, and X-rays came back negative, but Toronto is off Monday and will give him a couple of days to recuperate. The 27-year-old has played in 139 games this season and slashed an outstanding .311/.357/.483 with 18 homers, 93 RBI, 78 runs scored, and four stolen bases in 628 plate appearances.
--Connor ByrneSource: MLB.com
September 7, 2025
Los Angeles Dodgers catcher
Will Smith (hand) is out of the lineup on Sunday against Baltimore Orioles right-hander
Tomoyuki Sugano.
Ben Rortvedt will fill in behind the plate and bat ninth. Smith left a 3-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday with a bone bruise in his right hand and will now miss a fourth straight game. The Dodgers have since lost backup
Dalton Rushing (shin) to the 10-day injured list, leaving Rortvedt and
Chuckie Robinson as their healthy options at catcher. With Smith potentially available off the bench Sunday, he could return to the lineup when the Dodgers open a series against the Colorado Rockies on Monday.
--Connor ByrneSource: MLB.com
September 7, 2025
Cleveland Guardians second base prospect
Travis Bazzana belted two home runs in a 3-for-5 day at the plate on Saturday for Triple-A Columbus. It was his second three-hit game in his last three games, during which time he's tallied three home runs, five RBI, seven runs scored, and a 2:2 BB:K. The 2024 first-overall draft pick is hitting just .244 through 22 games at Triple-A, but an elite 23.1 percent walk rate has helped him to a .427 OBP, and he's also registered a .449 SLG (.876 OPS). There's still time for a late-season call-up to the big leagues, but that may be too late for fantasy purposes. Look for the 23-year-old to be in the majors next year, and with good all-around hit, power, and speed tools, it will be interesting to see how high he'll go in drafts for season-long leagues.
--Jarod RuppSource: MiLB.com
September 7, 2025
Athletics shortstop prospect
Leodalis De Vries went 4-for-5 on Saturday for Double-A Midland, with three singles and a solo home run, his first round-tripper since being promoted to Double-A in mid-August. The Athletics' top-ranked prospect missed a few games at the beginning of this month with a shoulder issue, but in the three games since his return, the switch-hitter is 7-for-14 (.500) with a double, a triple, a home run, three RBI, and four runs scored. Through 14 games at Double-A, the 6-foot-1 Dominican has held his own, striking out at an average rate of 22.1 percent while drawing walks at a well-above-average rate of 13.2 percent, all while being the youngest player at that level. The sky is seemingly the limit for MLB's No. 3 overall prospect, and it will be interesting to see how he fares over a full season at the upper levels in 2026.
--Jarod RuppSource: MLB Pipeline
September 7, 2025
Tampa Bay Rays pitching prospect
Jose Urbina was promoted to High-A Bowling Green on Saturday after a strong season at Single-A Charleston. The Rays' 12th-ranked prospect made 19 starts for the RiverDogs, recording a 2.05 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and 96 strikeouts in 92 1/3 innings pitched. It is the highest his K/9 has been thus far in his minor league career, and he showed solid improvement in his walk rate (8.2 percent), resulting in an 18.1 percent K-BB% this season. The 19-year-old will likely begin next year at High-A, but he has the stuff to move quickly through the organization. Even so, given his age, the 6-foot-3 Venezuelan is still likely a few years away from the majors, but has the makings of a potential solid starter in the big leagues.
--Jarod RuppSource: Charleston RiverDogs
September 7, 2025
Baltimore Orioles catcher
Samuel Basallo (hand) was forced to make an early exit from Saturday's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was lifted in the fifth inning after taking a foul ball off his right hand. Basallo attempted to stay in the game, but had trouble throwing the ball. He underwent X-rays that came back negative for any fractures. That being said, Basallo appears to have avoided any serious injuries. For now, fantasy managers should consider Basallo as day-to-day. He'll likely sit out for a few days, which could result in more playing time for
Alex Jackson behind the plate.
--Andy WebbSource: Roch Kubatko
September 7, 2025
Chicago Cubs corner infield prospect Cole Mathis (undisclosed) was activated from the seven-day injured list for Single-A Myrtle Beach on Saturday. The Cubs' 17th-ranked prospect had been out since May 13, exiting the game that day prior to his third at-bat with an undisclosed injury. The team gets him back just in time for the Single-A postseason, with the 22-year-old having an impact in his first game back, going 1-for-3 with a walk, a double, an RBI, and a run scored on Saturday. In all, the 2024 second-rounder has slashed .215/.336/.402 with three home runs and a strong walk rate of 13.3 percent (22.7 percent K%) through 29 games, and will look to make some progress through the organization's ranks next season. He's got enough bat-to-ball skills and power that dynasty managers should keep tabs on his development.
--Jarod RuppSource: Myrtle Beach Pelicans
September 7, 2025
Atlanta Braves starting pitcher
Spencer Strider has been scratched ahead of his scheduled start against the Seattle Mariners. Instead,
Joey Wentz will take the mound for Sunday's contest. The plan is for Strider to be pushed back and start during the upcoming series versus the Chicago Cubs. This doesn't sound like it's injury related, but the Braves want to give Strider extra rest. Strider has struggled as he's allowed five runs or more in three of his last five starts. He gave up three runs and walked three batters during his most recent start against the Cubs. Strider is no longer a must-start fantasy option given his struggles this season.
--Andy WebbSource: Mark Bowman
September 7, 2025
Houston Astros starting pitcher
Framber Valdez will make the start against the Texas Rangers on Sunday. Previously,
Luis Garcia was scheduled to start, but will have his outing pushed back. Now, Valdez is slated to take the mound for this important divisional matchup. Garica isn't dealing with an injury, so this move was either matchup related or to give Garcia extra rest. The expectation is that Garcia will move into Valdez spot in the rotation which was Tuesday versus the Toronto Blue Jays. Fantasy managers should adjust their lineups accordingly.
--Andy WebbSource: Brian McTaggart
September 7, 2025
Seattle Mariners infield prospect
Michael Arroyo exited Friday's game at Double-A Arkansas with what appeared to be a hamstring injury. The Mariners' sixth-ranked prospect suffered the injury attempting to beat out a grounder in the fourth inning of that contest. He has yet to be placed on the injured list, however, he was absent from the lineup on Saturday. If the injury requires an IL stint, it would likely end his season at this point. The 20-year-old began the year at High-A and earned a promotion to Double-A in June, where he hit just .255, but he lowered his strikeout rate from 21.1 percent to 15.6 percent while drawing walks at a 12.0 percent rate, allowing him to boast a .376 OBP. The 5-foot-10 Colombian also stole nine bases in 56 games for the Travelers, finishing with a .349 wOBA and 123 wRC+ at that level. Hitting .313 over his last nine games, the arrow is still pointing up for Arroyo, who has looked like a solid under-the-radar stash in dynasty formats and could be in the big leagues as early as late next season.
--Jarod RuppSource: MLB.com
September 7, 2025
Kansas City Royals shortstop
Bobby Witt Jr. (back) was forced to make an early exit from Friday's game. As a result, Witt sat out of Saturday's game due to back spasms. Luckily, the MRI showed no structural damage, so Witt isn't dealing with anything too serious. For now, fantasy managers should consider Witt as day-to-day. It wouldn't be shocking to see Witt miss a handful of games. Right now, it doesn't sound like this issue will force Witt onto the injured list. In his absence,
Maikel Garcia and
Nick Loftin should help try to fill the void at shortstop.
--Andy WebbSource: Anne Rogers
September 7, 2025
Houston Astros starting pitcher
Luis Garcia won't make his scheduled start against the Texas Rangers on Sunday. Garcia is healthy, but the team has decided to push him back in the rotation. Instead,
Framber Valdez will get the ball versus the Texas Rangers on Sunday. It sounds like Garcia will probably be pushed back until the Toronto Blue Jays series next week. Garcia tossed six innings, allowing three runs on three hits while striking out six batters during his season debut last Monday. The expectation is that the Astros are going to be careful with Garcia down the stretch of the season. Fantasy managers who have Valdez rostered should get him starting on Sunday.
--Andy WebbSource: Chandler Rome
September 7, 2025
Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher
Dean Kremer (forearm) is not expected to miss significant time. He was forced to make an early exit from Friday's start due to forearm discomfort. The right-hander was lifted after three scoreless innings, but doesn't appear to be dealing with anything serious. The MRI came back clean and didn't show any signs of structural damage. The O's plan to have Kremer skip his next turn in the rotation in order to rest. It sounds like the O's want to avoid placing Kremer on the injured list. The O's aren't in the playoff race and there's only three weeks left in the regular season. That being said, it's unclear if Kremer will actually take the mound again this season. The O's haven't said who will take over the vacant spot in the rotation.
--Andy WebbSource: Danielle Allentuck
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