September 20, 2025
Houston Astros second baseman
Brendan Rodgers (back, head) will miss the rest of the season with lumbar spine inflammation. Rodgers made what proved to be his final appearance of the season with the Astros on June 14, when he strained his left oblique and had to go on the 10-day injured list. A little over a month later, Rodgers suffered a concussion and a nasal fracture in his first Triple-A rehab game. Rodgers embarked on another rehab assignment in August, but the Astros had to shut him down a few weeks ago on account of his back issue. Between the nonstop injuries and his poor production when he was healthy, it was a brutal season for Rodgers. After opening 2025 as the Astros' starting baseman, the 29-year-old went on to play 43 games and hit .191/.266/.278 with two home runs and 11 RBI in 128 plate appearances.
--Connor ByrneSource: MLB.com
September 20, 2025
Athletics right-hander
Mitch Spence will start on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Pirates, according to Martin Gallegos of MLB.com. Lefty
Jeffrey Springs had been scheduled to toe the rubber, but Spence will get the ball after throwing 3 2/3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen and earning a win over the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday. Across 30 appearances and seven starts this season, Spence has gone 3-5 with a 4.48 ERA, a 1.33 WHIP, and 64:24 K:BB in 78 1/3 innings. On paper, the 27-year-old has a favorable matchup against a Pittsburgh offense that ranks last in the majors in both runs and OPS.
--Connor ByrneSource: Martin Gallegos - MLB.com
September 20, 2025
Milwaukee Brewers catcher
William Contreras (hand) left a 3-2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday with an apparent hand injury, per Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Contreras took a swing off the hand on a catcher's interference in the seventh inning, and the Brewers replaced him with backup
Danny Jansen in the eighth. X-rays came back negative after the game, and Contreras told manager Pat Murphy that he wants to play Sunday. Contreras, who went 1-for-3 with a double and a walk on Saturday, is slashing .265/.360/.407 with 17 homers, 76 RBI, and 89 runs scored in 147 games and 647 plate appearances. The two-time All-Star is among the playoff-bound Brewers' most important players, and fortunately, it appears he escaped a serious injury.
--Connor ByrneSource: Curt Hogg - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
September 20, 2025
Texas Rangers right-hander
Merrill Kelly will start on Sunday against the Miami Marlins, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports.
Jacob Latz is listed as the Rangers' starter, but plans have changed after the left-hander threw 16 pitches and two-thirds of an inning in relief in a loss to the Marlins on Friday. Kelly will look to rebound after struggling through one of his worst starts of the season in a 6-5 loss to the Houston Astros on Sept. 16. The Astros knocked him around for six earned runs on nine hits and a walk over three innings. He'll enter Sunday's matchup with Miami 12-8 with a 3.46 ERA, a 1.10 WHIP, and 163:48 K:BB across 179 2/3 frames. Kelly faced the Marlins twice this season while with the Arizona Diamondbacks and combined to allow four earned runs on nine hits and and two walks (with an impressive 16 strikeouts) in 11 innings.
--Connor ByrneSource: Evan Grant - Dallas Morning News
September 20, 2025
Seattle Mariners catcher
Cal Raleigh broke yet another record in a crucial 6-4 win over the division-rival Houston Astros on Saturday. The AL MVP contender belted his 57th home run of the year, passing the legendary Ken Griffey Jr. to set a new single-season franchise record. Raleigh, who swatted a solo shot against Astros left-hander
Framber Valdez, finished the night 1-for-4 with a walk and an additional run scored. He's now slashing .246/.361/.586 with an AL-leading 119 RBI, 106 runs scored, and 14 stolen bases in 152 games and 674 plate appearances. Not only is Raleigh the first catcher to ever slug 50 HRs in a season, but with a week of games left, he has a legitimate shot at 60.
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
September 20, 2025
New York Yankees left-hander
Carlos Rodon stayed on a roll on Saturday and improved to 17-9 in a 6-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles. Rodon held the Orioles to one run on four hits and logged eight strikeouts against one walk to pick up his fifth straight quality start. The 32-year-old hasn't allowed more than two runs in a game since Aug. 1 - an eight-start, 54 2/3-inning span in which he has pitched to a 2.33 ERA. In what will go down as one of the best seasons of his career, the three-time All-Star has recorded a 3.04 ERA with a 1.06 WHIP, 198 strikeouts, and 72 walks over 189 1/3 innings. Rodon is scheduled for a rematch against the Orioles on Friday in his final start of the regular season.
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
September 20, 2025
New York Yankees designated hitter/outfielder
Giancarlo Stanton became the 41st player in major league history to reach the 450-home run mark on Saturday and helped his team to a 6-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles. Stanton hit a three-run, opposite-field shot off right-hander
Tomoyuki Sugano in the first inning to give the Yankees a lead they wouldn't relinquish. The 35-year-old passed Hall of Famers Vladimir Guerrero and Jeff Bagwell on the all-time HR list in the process. After going 1-for-3 with a walk on Saturday, Stanton is slashing a robust .268/.341/.575 with 21 homers, 56 RBI, and 33 runs scored over 70 games and 256 plate appearances this season. While Stanton has tallied four dingers and 10 RBI in September, he has gone just 10-for-55 (.182) with 28 strikeouts and four walks this month.
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
September 20, 2025
San Francisco Giants pitcher
Trevor McDonald has been named the starting pitcher for Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. McDonald recently made his MLB debut when he gave up two runs on three hits over two innings of work last Tuesday. Before being recalled, McDonald was working as a full-time starter in Triple-A. That being said, McDonald should be able to handle a full workload, assuming the Giants want to do that. Otherwise,
Tristan Beck could be in the mix to pitch as well on Sunday. McDonald won't be a recommended streaming option for Sunday's slate.
--Andy WebbSource: Justice De Los Santos
September 20, 2025
Boston Red Sox outfielder
Wilyer Abreu (calf) is expected to return from the injured list on Sunday, according to manager Alex Cora. It appears Abreu is finally ready to return after missing nearly a month of action due to a calf injury. When healthy, Abreu has been a viable option in the Red Sox lineup. He figures to return as the primary right fielder once he's activated. There's some deep league value here for fantasy managers still in the playoffs.
--Andy WebbSource: Ian Browne
September 20, 2025
Seattle Mariners starting pitcher
Bryan Woo (pectoral) appears to have avoided any serious injuries. Woo was forced to make an early exit from Friday's start due to a pectoral issue. Further testing revealed that Woo is dealing with minor pectoral inflammation. For now, Woo is considered day-to-day while the team waits to see how he responds over the next few days. That being said, it's unclear at the moment if Woo will take the mound again in the regular season. Fantasy managers should get another update on his status over the course of the next few days.
--Andy WebbSource: Ryan Divish
September 20, 2025
Los Angeles Dodgers catcher
Will Smith (hand) won't return this weekend and is doubtful to play again in the regular season. Smith recently underwent imaging that revealed a hairline fracture in his right hand. It sounds like the Dodgers are going to play it safe and hold Smith out for the last week or so in the regular season. His availability for the postseason is still uncertain at the moment. The absence of Smith means that
Ben Rortvedt should do a majority of the catching down the stretch. At this point, it seems safe for fantasy managers to drop Smith in redraft formats.
--Andy WebbSource: Fabian Ardaya
September 20, 2025
Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher
Robert Stephenson (elbow) was placed on the 15-day injured list on Saturday. Stephenson has already been sidelined with multiple injuries this season, but this one will end his 2025 campaign. He'll finish the season with a 2.70 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and a 10/3 K/BB ratio across 12 appearances. The right-hander was brought in to be a high-leverage option, but sadly Stephenson wasn't able to stay healthy. In a corresponding move,
Sam Bachman has been recalled to take over the spot in the bullpen.
--Andy WebbSource: Jeff Fletcher
September 20, 2025
Minnesota Twins starting pitcher
Pablo Lopez (forearm) was placed on the 15-day injured list on Saturday. This comes after Lopez was forced to make an early exit from Friday's start due to a forearm strain. The team is calling it a mild strain, so Lopez will head to the shelf for the rest of the season. The Twins are not of playoff contention, so that'll be the last time we see Lopez in 2025. He'll finish the season with a 2.74 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and a 73/20 K/BB ratio across 75.2 innings of work. Fantasy managers can go ahead and drop Lopez in redraft formats. In a corresponding move, right-hander
Mick Abel has been recalled from Triple-A. Abel figures to take over his spot in the rotation over the last week or so.
--Andy WebbSource: Dan Hayes
September 20, 2025
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher
Chris Bassitt (back) was placed on the 15-day injured list on Saturday, retroactive to Sept. 19. Bassitt has been dealing with lower back inflammation for a few days, so the team decided to shut him down for a few weeks. The right-hander will miss the rest of the regular season, but should be back in time for the ALDS. Bassitt will finish his regular season with a 3.96 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, and a 166/52 K/BB ratio across 170.1 innings. Fantasy managers can safely drop Bassitt in all redraft formats. In a corresponding move,
Mason Fluharty has been recalled to take Bassitt's spot on the active roster.
--Andy WebbSource: Toronto Blue Jays
September 20, 2025
Milwaukee Brewers outfielder
Isaac Collins is out of the starting lineup ahead of Saturday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals. Collins will head to the bench for the third time in the last five games. He's currently in an 0-for-13 slump at the plate, so it's not surprising to see Collins seeing more time on the bench.
Jake Bauers will take over in left field while
Andrew Vaughn covers first base during Saturday's game. Collins doesn't offer enough upside at the plate right now to warrant rostering in most fantasy formats.
--Andy WebbSource: mml.com
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