September 3, 2025
Los Angeles Angels designated hitter/outfielder
Mike Trout (undisclosed) plans to return to the lineup on Thursday against the Kansas City Royals, Erica Weston of FanDuel Sports Network West reports. A skin infection has kept Trout out of back-to-back games, but he's feeling better and is optimistic he won't miss any more time. This has been a difficult season for Trout, as the 34-year-old future Hall of Famer hasn't played in the outfield since April 30 as a result of a bone bruise in his left knee. Worsening matters, Trout's offensive production has plummeted in comparison to his extraordinary career output. On the heels of a rough August (.669 OPS in 24 games), Trout has hit .231/.361/.425 with 20 homers, 54 RBI, 58 runs scored, and two stolen bases over 466 plate appearances in 2025.
--Connor ByrneSource: Erica Weston
September 3, 2025
Kansas City Royals left-hander
Noah Cameron will start against the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday, manager Matt Quatraro announced. The Royals had planned to start righty
Seth Lugo (back), but he's dealing with tightness in his lower back and will need at least a couple of days to recover. With Lugo unavailable, the Royals will turn to Cameron, who has been one of the majors' best rookie pitchers this season. The 26-year-old has gone 7-6 with a 2.92 ERA, a 1.09 WHIP, and 83:31 K:BB over 19 starts and 108 innings. Cameron appears to have a favorable matchup against the Angels' offense, which ranks 21st in the league in runs and has sputtered over the past few weeks.
--Connor ByrneSource: Anne Rogers - MLB.com
September 3, 2025
Kansas City Royals right-hander
Seth Lugo (back) is day-to-day with tightness in his lower back and will not make his scheduled start on Thursday against the Los Angeles Angels, manager Matt Quatraro told reporters. Left-hander
Noah Cameron will get the ball instead. Lugo may not miss much time, though, as Quatraro said the Royals haven't ruled out starting the 35-year-old on Saturday against the Minnesota Twins. While Lugo owned a 3.03 ERA at the end of July, his season took a terrible turn in August. Over six starts and 26 2/3 innings, the 2024 AL Cy Young runner-up recorded a shocking 9.11 ERA, allowed 36 hits (including eight homers), and posted 21 strikeouts against 18 walks. In 26 starts this season, Lugo has gone 8-7 with a 4.15 ERA, a 1.29 WHIP, and 125:55 K:BB across 145 1/3 frames.
--Connor ByrneSource: Jaylon Thompson - The Kansas City Star
September 3, 2025
Los Angeles Dodgers catcher
Will Smith (hand) left a 3-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday after taking a foul tip off the right hand. Smith was diagnosed with a bruise, and manager Dave Roberts said after the game that X-rays came back negative. The three-time All-Star is dealing with soreness, but Roberts is "hopeful" that he won't require a stint on the 10-day injured list, Sonja Chen of MLB.com reports. While Smith had his worst month of the year in August, when he hit .159/.326/.304 in 22 games, he has still been one of the Dodgers' most productive players this season. The 30-year-old has batted .297/.406/.499 with 17 homers, 61 RBI, and 63 runs scored in 431 plate appearances. Meanwhile, rookie backup
Dalton Rushing has hit just .190/.256/.293 with three homers, 21 RBI, and 12 runs in 129 trips to the plate. He'll be in line to start if Smith misses any time.
--Connor ByrneSource: Sonja Chen - MLB.com
September 3, 2025
The St. Louis Cardinals have promoted left-handed pitching prospect Liam Doyle from the Florida Complex League to Single-A Palm Beach. Doyle, the fifth overall pick in this year's draft, is in line to start on Saturday. The 21-year-old joined the Cardinals out of the University of Tennessee, where he went 10-4 with a 3.20 ERA and an eye-popping 164 strikeouts against 32 walks over 95 2/3 innings in 2025. MLB Pipeline now ranks the hard-throwing Doyle as the No. 2 farmhand in the Cardinals' system and the 33rd-best prospect in the league. Doyle has the potential to become a front-of-the-rotation starter in the majors and could debut at the game's highest level in late 2026 or early 2027.
--Connor ByrneSource: Cardinals Player Development
September 3, 2025
The Houston Astros announced that they have placed right-hander
Spencer Arrighetti (elbow) on the 15-day injured list with elbow inflammation, retroactive to Aug. 31. In corresponding moves, the team selected the contract of righty
Jayden Murray and transferred lefty
John Rooney (elbow) to the 60-day IL. This is the second IL stint of the year for Arrighetti, who suffered a broken thumb in early April and didn't return until Aug. 6. The 25-year-old has made seven starts this season and gone 1-5 with a 5.35 ERA, a 1.42 WHIP, and 31:20 K:BB in 35 1/3 innings. While those numbers aren't pretty, Arrighetti did combine for 12 innings of three-run ball in his two most recent starts. The Astros will now have to go without him until at least mid-September.
--Connor ByrneSource: Houston Astros
September 3, 2025
Toronto Blue Jays outfielder
Anthony Santander (shoulder) could begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Buffalo on Tuesday, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet reports. Santander will play at least five rehab games before potentially making a long-awaited return to the Blue Jays in mid-September. The team signed the ex-Baltimore Oriole to a five-year, $92.5 million guarantee in free agency last winter, but a dislocated left shoulder has shelved him for most of the season. Santander has been on the injured list since May 30, and he got off to a brutal start in 50 games before going on the IL. The 30-year-old switch-hitter has batted .179/.273/.304 with six homers, 18 RBI, and 14 runs scored in 209 plate appearances.
--Connor ByrneSource: Arden Zwelling - Sportsnet
September 3, 2025
San Francisco Giants third baseman
Matt Chapman received a one-game suspension for his role in a benches-clearing incident against the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday. Specifically, the league punished Chapman for "pushing" Rockies starter
Kyle Freeland after the left-hander got into a heated exchange with Giants slugger
Rafael Devers in the first inning. Chapman and Freeland were among those ejected from the game, but only the former received a suspension. He's appealing the one-game ban and was in the starting lineup against the Rockies on Wednesday. Chapman blasted a 450-foot home run, his 19th of the season, in the top of the second inning. Major League Baseball will announce a decision on his appeal soon.
--Connor ByrneSource: John Shea - The San Francisco Standard
September 3, 2025
The Los Angeles Dodgers announced that catcher
Will Smith (hand) exited early on Wednesday against the Pittsburgh Pirates with a contusion in his right hand. The Dodgers replaced Smith with rookie
Dalton Rushing in the top of the third inning after the veteran took a foul tip off the hand in the bottom of the second. It appears Smith avoided a serious injury, which is a relief to the Dodgers and fantasy managers. The 30-year-old has put together the third All-Star campaign of his career in 2025 and slashed .297/.406/.499 with 17 homers, 61 RBI, and 63 runs scored in 431 plate appearances. Rushing, the 24-year-old understudy, has slumped to a .190/.256/.293 line with three HRs, 21 RBI, and 12 runs in 129 trips to the plate this season.
--Connor ByrneSource: Los Angeles Dodgers
September 3, 2025
Milwaukee Brewers outfielder
Jackson Chourio (hamstring) is dealing with right-hamstring cramps and was not in their initial lineup against the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday. However, with designated hitter/outfielder
Christian Yelich (back) unable to play because of soreness in his lower back, the Brewers reversed course on Chourio and started him at DH. It's encouraging that Chourio ended up in the lineup on Wednesday, though his hamstring issue may be worth monitoring. The 21-year-old just returned last Sunday after missing a month with a strained right hamstring. He went a red-hot 6-for-12 with a homer, two RBI, and four runs scored in his first three games back.
--Connor ByrneSource: Milwaukee Brewers
September 3, 2025
Milwaukee Brewers designated hitter/outfielder
Christian Yelich (back) was scratched with lower-back soreness on Wednesday against the Philadelphia Phillies. The Brewers initially planned for outfielder
Jackson Chourio (hamstring) to rest because of hamstring cramps, but with Yelich unable to play, Chourio ended up as the DH. There's no word on the severity of Yelich's issue, but it's concerning after back problems cost him the final two-plus months of last season. He didn't play past July 24 and wound up requiring surgery. The former NL MVP, 33, has come back strong this season to slash .268/.350/.464 with 27 homers, 92 RBI, 82 runs scored, and 15 stolen bases over 132 games and 565 plate appearances.
--Connor ByrneSource: Adam McCalvy - MLB.com
September 3, 2025
Houston Astros third baseman
Isaac Paredes (hamstring) was able to field grounders and do some running in the outfield ahead of Wednesday's game against the New York Yankees. It's worth noting that Paredes did have a follow-up MRI on Tuesday. The results of the testing weren't revealed, but the fact Paredes is back on the field suggests it was positive. The plan is for Paredes to travel to Florida to continue rehabbing this week. He's not 100 percent healthy, but is doing much better. He has been sidelined with a hamstring issue since the middle of July. The Astros are hopeful that Paredes can return before the end of the season. Fantasy managers should continue to hold Paredes on their IR with hopes that he'll be able to help them again this season.
--Andy WebbSource: Matt Kawahara
September 3, 2025
New York Mets starting pitcher
Jonah Tong is scheduled to take the mound this weekend versus the Cincinnati Reds. The Mets are trying to figure everything out in their rotation, but at least have the next few days lined up. The plan is for
Clay Holmes to pitch on Wednesday. After that, the Mets are off on Thursday before
David Peterson takes the ball on Friday. Tong is currently penciled in the pitch against the Reds on Saturday. Tong's first start came on August 29 against the Miami Marlins. He tossed five innings, allowing one run on six hits while striking out six batters. Tong will at least make one more start and should be rostered in most 12-team formats.
--Andy WebbSource: New York Times
September 3, 2025
Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher
Shelby Miller (elbow) was placed on the 60-day injured list on Wednesday. MIller suffered a right UCL sprain during Monday's outing against the Philadelphia Phillies. At the moment, it's unclear if Miller will require surgery or only need to rest and recover. Regardless, Miller won't take the mound again in 2025.
Joel Payamps figures to take over his role in the bullpen. He'll finish the season with a 2.74 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and 54/15 K/BB ratio across 48 games between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Brewers. The 34-year-old is set to become a free agent after the season, but his value will be dependent on whether or not he'll require surgery on his elbow.
--Andy WebbSource: Milwaukee Brewers
September 3, 2025
Detroit Tigers relief pitcher
Kyle Finnegan (groin) was unable to enter Wednesday's contest after suffering an injury while warming up. Finnegan was preparing to come into the game in the seventh inning, but suffered a groin injury while warming up in the bullpen. The expectation is that Finnegan will undergo further testing to determine the severity of the issue. Finnegan has been great for the Tigers since joining the team at the end of July. He has thrown 14.1 scoreless innings with two holds and four saves. The assumption is that
Tommy Kahnle or
Tyler Holton would move into the setup role if Finnegan is forced to miss time.
--Andy WebbSource: Cody Stavenhagen
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