September 16, 2025
St. Louis Cardinals first baseman
Willson Contreras (biceps) is out of the starting lineup on Tuesday against the Cincinnati Reds after he was pulled from Monday's series opener at Busch Stadium with tightness in his right biceps.
Alec Burleson is taking over at first base and will bat cleanup for the Cards against Reds left-hander
Andrew Abbott. Contreras is considered day-to-day right now and could return to action as early as Wednesday. He was hit by multiple pitches on Saturday and received the day off on Sunday due to general soreness, so he's a little beat up right now towards the end of the season. Burleson will be one to fade for DFS lineups against the southpaw on Tuesday. He's hit only three of his 17 home runs against lefties this year and is hitless in nine career at-bats against Abbott. Burleson has also gone 6-for-29 (.207) with eight K's in seven games so far in September.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
September 16, 2025
The Baltimore Orioles announced on Tuesday that they reinstated infielder
Jordan Westburg (ankle) from the 10-day injured list and designated infielder
Emmanuel Rivera for assignment in a corresponding move. Westburg will serve as the designated hitter and bat cleanup in his return in Tuesday's game against the hosting Chicago White Sox and right-hander
Shane Smith. The 26-year-old will return for the tail end of the 2025 season after missing almost a month with a sprained right ankle. It's been an injury-plagued campaign for Westburg, as he's played in only 73 games while slashing .276/.326/.473 with 15 home runs, 34 RBI, and 53 runs scored. Despite all the missed time, Westburg needs only four homers to set a new career high after he hit 18 as an All-Star in 2023. The O's will ease him back in as the DH, but normally, he operates as their starting third baseman.
--Keith HernandezSource: Baltimore Orioles
September 16, 2025
Chicago Cubs outfielder
Seiya Suzuki (illness) still isn't feeling good enough to join the starting nine for Tuesday's contest against the division-rival Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park.
Willi Castro will make another start in right field and bat out of the eight-hole against Pirates right-hander
Paul Skenes. Suzuki will miss his fifth straight game while being under the weather. The 31-year-old is with the club on their road trip to Pittsburgh, so he remains day-to-day and could be back as soon as Wednesday. With
Kyle Tucker (calf) on the injured list, Castro has been playing regularly for Chicago in right field lately. The 28-year-old Puerto Rican switch-hitter offers modest power/speed numbers for fantasy managers, but he's hit just .182 (16-for-88) with a homer and six RBI in 30 games since joining the Cubs. He's also hitless in three career at-bats against Skenes.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
September 16, 2025
The Milwaukee Brewers are saying that left-hander
Jose Quintana (calf) is dealing with a mild left-calf strain, according to Jack Stern of Brewer Fanatic. Quintana will be re-evaluated when he plays catch on Tuesday to determine his availability for his next outing. Manager Pat Murphy said Quintana suffered the injury while covering first base in his last start on Sunday against the St. Louis Cardinals, and he will undergo an MRI exam. Even if the 36-year-old veteran's MRI results come back encouraging, he could land on the injured list as a precaution so the Brewers can get him fully healthy for the start of the postseason in October. Quintana's next scheduled start comes this Saturday against St. Louis. The soft-tossing left-hander has only 89 K's in 131 2/3 innings, but he also has an ERA under 4.00 with a 1.29 WHIP in 24 starts for the Brew Crew.
--Keith HernandezSource: Brewer Fanatic - Jack Stern
September 16, 2025
San Diego Padres infielder
Luis Arraez (head) is starting at second base and will hit second in Tuesday's series opener in New York against the Mets and right-hander
Clay Holmes. Arraez was hit in the head by a throw during warmups on Saturday and got the day off in Sunday's series finale against the Colorado Rockies, but he's back in there at Citi Field after a travel day on Monday. As always, the 28-year-old offers virtually zero power, but he does make contact often and helps fantasy managers with a high batting average. He's been swinging a hot bat for the Friars of late, so you'll want to get him back into your starting lineups. Arraez has gone 7-for-17 in his last four games and is batting a cool .333 in 12 games in September. He has hit .600 with a 1.714 OPS and two RBI in just five career at-bats against Holmes.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
September 16, 2025
Athletics outfielder
Tyler Soderstrom (groin) is still out of the starting lineup for Tuesday's game at Fenway Park against the Boston Red Sox.
Max Schuemann is making the start in left field and will hit ninth against Red Sox left-handed rookie
Connelly Early. This will be the fifth straight game that Soderstrom has missed due to groin tightness, so he's definitely a candidate to go on the injured list and potentially miss the rest of the season if he cannot get back on the field soon. The 23-year-old left-handed hitter has been one of the bright spots for a young A's ball club this year, hitting .275 (144-for-523) with 24 home runs, 88 RBI, 70 runs, and eight stolen bases. The former first-rounder will be even more valuable in fantasy going into 2026 with outfield eligibility. Schuemann will be a weak DFS sleeper in the nine-hole. He's hitting just over .200 with two homers in his 167 at-bats.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
September 16, 2025
Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop prospect Elijah Hainline was promoted to Double-A Tulsa on Monday, just in time for the Double-A playoffs, which will begin Tuesday night. The 2024 seventh-rounder began the season at Single-A and was promoted to High-A after 66 games. The Oregon State product played in 40 games for the Loons, batting .273 with four home runs and seven steals, while maintaining a strong 15.2 percent walk rate that helped him to a .394 OBP. He even had a brief five-game stint at Triple-A midseason when
Alex Freeland went on the injured list. Double-A is where he'll likely spend his time next year, with the possibility of a major league debut by 2027, although he is not considered a dynasty stash at this point.
--Jarod RuppSource: MiLB.com - Transactions Page
September 16, 2025
Seattle Mariners infield prospect
Colt Emerson is getting promoted to Triple-A Tacoma to finish out the 2025 season. The Mariners' top-ranked prospect began the season at High-A and was promoted after 90 games in early August, logging 34 games at Double-A Arkansas. All in all, the former first-round draft pick slashed .281/.380/.446 with 14 home runs and 13 steals in 124 games. He also registered better-than-average strikeout (17.3 percent) and walk rates (11.9 percent). The 20-year-old was riding a nine-game hit streak before his promotion and was hitting .360 (18-for-50) in September, with five doubles, five steals, and an 8:9 BB:K in 11 games this month. The left-handed slugger could start at Triple-A next season and should make his major league debut at some point in the 2026 campaign.
--Jarod RuppSource: Tacoma Rainiers
September 16, 2025
Boston Red Sox pitching prospect
Luis Perales (elbow) is expected to make his debut at Triple-A Worcester this week. Boston's ninth-ranked prospect made his season debut at Double-A on Saturday, pitching one inning where he allowed one walk, no hits, and he did not strike out a batter. The 22-year-old is returning from Tommy John surgery, which he needed after throwing just 33 2/3 innings in 2024. The right-hander has big-time strikeout stuff, fanning 32.3 percent of batters he's faced during his time in the minors, and the walk rate improved a great deal in his limited action in 2024. The 6-foot-1 Venezuelan could make his MLB debut as soon as next year, so even redraft managers should be familiar with him, and if he can keep the walks down, it should be as a starter and not as a reliever.
--Jarod RuppSource: Tommy Cassell
September 16, 2025
Pittsburgh Pirates first base/catcher prospect
Rafael Flores is getting called up from Triple-A Indianapolis for what will be his major league debut. The Pirates' eighth-ranked prospect came over to Pittsburgh in the trade that sent
David Bednar to the Yankees in early August. During his time at Indianapolis, the 24-year-old hit .281 with six home runs in 36 games, and for the season, he is slashing a solid .280/.354/.470 with 22 home runs. The strikeout rate is somewhat elevated at 25.7 percent, but if he can continue to hit for power while drawing walks at a decent rate, it may not matter. Current Pirate backstops
Joey Bart and
Henry Davis have combined for eight home runs this season and are hitting a combined .201, so Flores could provide an offensive boost at the position, although he won't be fantasy relevant unless he's getting regular starts, which remains to be seen.
--Jarod RuppSource: Noah Hiles
September 16, 2025
Washington Nationals pitching prospect
Jarlin Susana (lat) underwent surgery on his ailing right lat sometime last week. The Nats' third-ranked prospect exited his last start on August 30 in clear pain and was placed on the injured list on September 3. The right-hander also missed two months in the middle of the season due to a UCL sprain, so he's been limited to just 11 starts at Double-A this year, where he posted a 3.61 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, and 79 strikeouts in 47 1/3 innings pitched. It isn't clear how long he'll need to recover, but expect the 21-year-old to be back at Double-A next season whenever he returns, with Triple-A and a major league debut at some point both on the table as well.
--Jarod RuppSource: Spencer Nusbaum
September 16, 2025
Chicago Cubs right-handed reliever
Daniel Palencia (shoulder) threw off a mound on Monday for the first time since going on the 15-day injured list on Sept. 8 with a right-shoulder strain. Palencia resumed playing catch on Sept. 12 and has continued his rehab with positive results. While there's no timetable on the 25-year-old's return, it seems he has a good chance to return before the end of the month if he can avoid setbacks as he continues to ramp up. Palencia will be a big part of Chicago's bullpen for the postseason, as he has converted 22 of his 25 save opportunities this year and has a 3.00 ERA in 52 games pitched. With Palencia sidelined, both
Brad Keller and
Andrew Kittredge have picked up saves, but Kittredge is manager Craig Counsell's preferred option in the ninth inning, having saved three games in the last week.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Associated Press
September 16, 2025
Chicago Cubs catcher
Miguel Amaya (ankle) is not back to 100 percent, but MLB.com reports he will start at designated hitter for Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday. Manager Craig Counsell is hopeful that Amaya will be able to catch in rehab games later in the week. The 26-year-old backstop landed on the 10-day injured list on Aug. 14 with a left-ankle sprain, but barring a setback on his rehab assignment, he should be able to rejoin the Cubs before the end of September. Amaya suffered an ankle injury in his first game back from the IL since late May due to a strained left oblique, so it's been an injury-plagued year for him, to say the least. When he returns, he'll give the Cubbies another option behind starter
Carson Kelly at catcher for the end of the regular season and in the playoffs. Amaya has played in only 28 games this year and has gone 27-for-96 (.281) with four homers and 25 RBI.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
September 16, 2025
Houston Astros right-hander
Lance McCullers Jr. (hand) went on the 15-day injured list last Friday with right-hand soreness, and he might not be able to return before the end of the regular season. "There's a chance that this is the last that we've seen of him," general manager Dana Brown said. "Is it possible he could get back for the last couple of games? There's probably an outside chance, but highly unlikely." The Athletic's Chandler Rome writes there are "few permutations" that exist where McCullers is a logical fit for potential playoff rosters, too. The 31-year-old just hasn't been able to stay healthy and had a 6.88 ERA and 1.85 WHIP in his 52 1/3 innings for the Astros this season. His usage before his injury came as basically a last resort out of the bullpen. McCullers will need a completely healthy offseason -- something he hasn't had since 2021 -- to have any hope of bouncing back next year.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Chandler Rome
September 16, 2025
Detroit Tigers ace
Tarik Skubal (side) exited a loss to the Miami Marlins last Friday with pain in his left side. After imaging came back clean over the weekend, Skubal has gotten through the past few days without any problems and remains "penciled in" to start on Thursday against the Cleveland Guardians, manager A.J. Hinch told MLB Network Radio. In the latest positive step, Skubal threw a "normal bullpen" session on Monday, Hinch said. Barring any unforeseen issues, he should be ready to take on the Guardians, whom he has thrived against this year. Skubal has thrown 16 scoreless, five-hit innings with 23 strikeouts and no walks versus Cleveland in two starts. Overall, the reigning AL Cy Young winner has gone 13-5 with a 2.26 ERA, a .86 WHIP, and 224:28 K:BB in 183 1/3 frames.
--Connor ByrneSource: MLB Network Radio
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