September 13, 2025
Philadelphia Phillies ace
Zack Wheeler (shoulder) will undergo thoracic outlet decompression surgery on Sept. 23, according to Charlotte Varnes of The Athletic. This was the expected outcome after Wheeler's season came to an end in August. The right-hander is expected to need six to eight months to recover from the procedure, which will jeopardize his chances of being ready for the start of the 2026 campaign. Wheeler had been in the midst of another tremendous season until he had to undergo surgery to remove a blood clot near his right shoulder on Aug. 18. The 35-year-old took the ball 24 times this season and went 10-5 with a 2.71 ERA, a .94 WHIP, and 195:33 K:BB in 149 2/3 innings. Even without Wheeler, the Phillies are among the favorites to win the World Series, but their chances took an obvious hit when they lost him.
--Connor ByrneSource: Charlotte Varnes - The Athletic
September 13, 2025
Boston Red Sox right-hander
Dustin May (elbow) has yet to resume throwing since he landed on the 15-day injured list on Sept. 9, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports. May was diagnosed with elbow neuritis, and he doesn't have any structural damage. Earlier this week, the 28-year-old expressed confidence that he could return during the regular season, but he's running out of time with a little over two weeks remaining. Between the injury and his struggles on the mound, May has been a disappointing pickup for the Red Sox since they acquired him from the Los Angeles Dodgers in late July. He has made six appearances (five starts) with Boston and gone 1-4 with a 5.40 ERA, a 1.69 WHIP, and 26:13 K:BB in 28 1/3 innings.
--Connor ByrneSource: Jen McCaffrey - The Athletic
September 13, 2025
San Francisco Giants first baseman
Dominic Smith (thigh) will undergo an MRI on his right thigh on Saturday. Smith had to leave the Giants' 5-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday after injuring his thigh on a great stretch play in the fourth inning. The Giants replaced him with
Wilmer Flores, who could see more action at first base if Smith has to miss time. Since signing with the Giants on June 4, Smith has hit a respectable .284/.333/.417 with five homers, 33 RBI, 26 runs scored, and two stolen bases over 63 games and 225 plate appearances.
--Connor ByrneSource: MLB.com
September 13, 2025
Philadelphia Phillies infielder
Edmundo Sosa (groin) is out of the lineup against the Kansas City Royals on Saturday.
Bryson Stott will cover shortstop and hit eighth versus right-hander
Ryan Bergert, and
Donovan Walton will play second base and bat ninth. It's no surprise that Sosa will get the day off after leaving an 8-2 win over the Royals on Friday with groin tightness. It's not considered a serious injury, though, meaning Sosa may be back on Sunday. He has been filling in as the starting shortstop since standout
Trea Turner (hamstring) went on the 10-day injured list on Sept. 8.
--Connor ByrneSource: MLB.com
September 13, 2025
Boston Red Sox right-handed reliever
Liam Hendriks (hip, forearm) has been shut down with forearm tightness, making it unlikely that he'll return this season. Hendriks has been on the IL since late May with inflammation in his right hip, but he had been rehabbing in hopes of returning this year. Assuming Hendriks is done for 2025, he'll finish with a 6.59 ERA, a 1.39 WHIP, and 12:7 K:BB in 13 2/3 innings. Hendriks' forearm issues are especially ominous after he missed all of 2024 while recovering from Tommy John surgery. However, the soon-to-be 37-year-old "very much" wants to continue his career in 2026. "I got a new elbow for a reason," said Hendriks, who's set to become a free agent in the offseason.
--Connor ByrneSource: Tim Healey - Boston Globe
September 13, 2025
New York Yankees designated hitter/outfielder
Giancarlo Stanton isn't in the lineup against the Boston Red Sox on Saturday.
Aaron Judge will DH and hit third versus right-hander
Brayan Bello,
Cody Bellinger will play right field and bat cleanup, and
Jasson Dominguez will man left and occupy the No. 6 spot in the order. Stanton will take a seat amid an early September slump. The 35-year-old has gone just 5-for-33 (.152) in nine games this month, though he has clubbed three home runs. Stanton has 20 homers in 231 plate appearances this season, and he owns a strong .272/.348/.592 line with 49 RBI and 31 runs scored.
--Connor ByrneSource: MLB.com
September 13, 2025
Detroit Tigers infielder/outfielder
Javier Baez (head) is absent from Saturday's lineup against Miami Marlins right-hander
Janson Junk.
Zach McKinstry will take over at short and bat ninth in place of Baez, who left the Tigers' 8-2 loss to the Marlins on Friday after fouling a ball off his forehead in the second inning. Baez isn't in concussion protocol, however, and is considered day-to-day. The 32-year-old has played in six games this month and gone an ice-cold 2-for-16 with a triple, an RBI, and four strikeouts. He's hitting .256/.284/.400 with 11 homers, 52 RBI, 53 runs, and five steals in 410 plate appearances this season.
--Connor ByrneSource: MLB.com
September 13, 2025
Miami Marlins second baseman
Xavier Edwards (wrist) has been scratched from Saturday's lineup against the Detroit Tigers because of discomfort in his right wrist, according to Isaac Azout of Fish On First. Edwards had been slated to lead off versus right-hander
Charlie Morton. The Marlins haven't released an updated lineup yet. The speedy Edwards has played in 129 games this season and hit .280/.339/.353 with three homers, 39 RBI, a career-high 73 runs scored, and 24 stolen bases over 582 plate appearances. He has gone 7-for-34 (.206) with a homer, five RBI, five runs, and 7:4 K:BB in nine games this month.
--Connor ByrneSource: Isaac Azout - Fish on First
September 13, 2025
Boston Red Sox outfielder
Jarren Duran will sit out Saturday against New York Yankees left-hander
Max Fried.
Rob Refsnyder will take Duran's place in left field and hit cleanup. While the lefty-swinging Duran has enjoyed another productive season this year, he hasn't posed much of a threat against same-handed pitchers. Southpaws have limited him to a weak .209/.255/.326 line in 201 trips to the plate. The right-handed Refsnyder, on the other hand, has handled lefties throughout his career, and he has slashed an excellent .312/.398/.587 over 128 plate appearances against them this season.
--Connor ByrneSource: MLB.com
September 13, 2025
Tests on Detroit Tigers ace
Tarik Skubal (side) came back negative on Saturday, and he's expected to make his next start, Chris McCosky of the Detroit News reports. This is a huge sigh of relief for the Tigers and fantasy managers after Skubal exited a loss to the Miami Marlins on Friday with pain near his left rib cage. The superstar left-hander had to come out after throwing just 3 2/3 innings and allowing four runs. As of now, he's scheduled to make his next start against the division-rival Cleveland Guardians on Thursday. Skubal has absolutely dominated the Guardians this year, having fired 16 scoreless innings with five hits allowed, 23 strikeouts, and no walks in two starts.
--Connor ByrneSource: Chris McCosky - Detroit News
September 13, 2025
Boston Red Sox infielder
Romy Gonzalez (knee) is returning to the lineup on Saturday after a two-game absence. Gonzalez, who's riding a 12-game hitting streak, will play first base and lead off against New York Yankees left-hander
Max Fried. It's Gonzalez's first time in the lineup since he exited a win over the Athletics on Tuesday with soreness in his left knee. The Red Sox will happily welcome the right-handed hitter back for a matchup against a tough lefty, as he has teed off on southpaws this season. Gonzalez owns an eye-popping .347/.396/.636 line over 134 trips to the plate versus lefties, and seven of his nine home runs have come at their expense.
--Connor ByrneSource: MLB.com
September 13, 2025
Chicago Cubs designated hitter/outfielder
Seiya Suzuki (illness) is out of the lineup on Saturday against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Moises Ballesteros will serve as the Cubs' designated hitter and bat sixth versus right-hander
Drew Rasmussen, while
Owen Caissie will play right field and hit eighth. Suzuki is dealing with an illness that also kept him out of the Cubs' 6-4 win over the Rays on Friday. The 31-year-old has slashed .244/.324/.461 with 27 homers, 91 RBI, 69 runs scored, and five steals in 611 plate appearances, but his production has fallen off dramatically over the past couple of months. He has hit .204/.333/.269 with two HRs across 204 trips to the plate in the second half of the season.
--Connor ByrneSource: MLB.com
September 13, 2025
Texas Rangers outfielder
Adolis Garcia (quad) is set to face live pitching this weekend. If he can complete both sessions without a setback, then he will be a candidate to return to the Rangers' outfield on Monday, September 15, when Texas begins a series in Houston against the Astros. It's worth noting that this potential return date is positioned to be later than a previous report, which suggested that the 32-year-old could be activated over the weekend. While a return early next week isn't a major delay, it is later than the previous timeline. When he does return, he will look to finish the season off on a positive note, as he has struggled to find much consistency at the plate this year. In 2025 so far, he has a .235/.277/.408 slash line with 18 home runs and 13 steals.
--Dave Funnell - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
September 13, 2025
Texas Rangers shortstop
Corey Seager (appendix) is hopeful to begin taking swings with a baseball bat in the near future. The 31-year-old has been cleared to have his progression sped up as he is now physically able to rotate his body. If he can successfully swing a bat, his next step would be to participate in a live batting practice session, which could then lead to a return before the end of the season. The team has targeted the Rangers' final homestand, which begins on September 19, as a potential goal to see him back in the lineup. Due to this sudden progression, and assuming all goes well without a setback, he remains someone who can be stashed on teams on the injured list with the possibility of a final week of potential production at the plate.
--Dave Funnell - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
September 13, 2025
Kansas City Royals starting pitcher
Cole Ragans (shoulder) threw 3 2/3 scoreless innings during a rehab start on Friday night for Triple-A Omaha. Overall, he allowed just three batters to get on base, and he tossed 56 pitches overall, with 34 of them being thrown for strikes. This is his second straight solid rehab outing, as he continues to ramp up in an attempt to pitch again for the Royals before the end of the season. He will likely need at least one more start before possibly returning shortly after that. There is a chance that he can provide fantasy players with two starts before the season ends, making him someone to stash for the stretch run.
--Dave Funnell - RotoBallerSource: Omaha Storm Chasers
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