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Jake Bauers Playing Against Reds on Friday
Milwaukee Brewers first baseman/outfielder Jake Bauers (shin) is starting at first base and is batting fifth for the Brewers in Friday night's contest at home against the division-rival Cincinnati Reds and left-hander Andrew Abbott, according to MLB.com. Bauers has been managing shin splints of late, but after three straight games missed, he will return to the heart of the Brewers' batting order at American Family Field. It has been a breakout season for the left-handed-hitting Bauers in 2026, but he has gone 2-for-17 (.118) with a homer, 12 walks, and seven strikeouts in eight games so far in September after hitting .295/.451/.487 with four homers and 13 RBI in 24 games in August. Bauers has only faced the lefty Abbot twice in his career and is still searching for his first hit, but he does have an RBI against him. Against southpaws in 2026, Bauers has been solid, hitting .267 (32-for-120) with six of his career-high 24 homers coming against them.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Jac Caglianone Remains Out With Elbow Injury
Kansas City Royals first baseman/outfielder Jac Caglianone (elbow) remains out of Friday's lineup at Fenway Park against the hosting Boston Red Sox with a left flexor strain in his elbow, according to MLB.com. It will be Caglianone's fifth straight missed game, and if he cannot return during the weekend series in Boston, the Royals might have to put him on the 10-day injured list. John Rave will make another start in right field for KC and will bat sixth against Red Sox right-hander Sonny Gray. Caglianone got off to a rather slow start in 2026 in his first full season in the big leagues, but he turned it around quickly and became a must-start for fantasy managers for his power from the left side of the plate. The former first-rounder from Florida is missing valuable games during the fantasy postseason, but hopefully he can return to the field at some point this weekend in Beantown. Over 474 at-bats this year, Caglianone is slashing a strong .283/.331/.494 with an .825 OPS, 23 long balls, 70 RBI, 66 runs scored, and six stolen bases. He has even hit .260 (39-for-150) with seven homers and 18 RBI against left-handed pitchers. Check back on Saturday to see if he is active for the Royals.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Adley Rutschman Returns to Friday's Lineup
Boston Red Sox catcher Adley Rutschman (elbow) is doing the catching for right-hander Sonny Gray and will bat third in his return to the starting lineup on Friday at Fenway Park against the visiting Kansas City Royals and veteran right-hander Seth Lugo, per MLB.com. Rutschman is feeling better after receiving a cortisone injection earlier this week to deal with a hyperextended elbow that has been bothering him for over a week now. He sat out the Red Sox's last two games, but hopefully he can put the injury in the rearview mirror down the stretch of the regular season. The 28-year-old switch-hitting backstop has had a trying year in 2026 that included a trade from the Baltimore Orioles to Beantown. Overall, the former first overall pick is hitting .237/.315/.424 with a .739 OPS, 12 home runs, 56 RBI, and 39 runs scored in his 316 at-bats. The three-time All-Star did have a two-homer game with Boston, but in 19 games since being acquired, he has gone just 13-for-69 (.188) with four homers, two doubles, nine RBI, nine runs, six walks, and 19 strikeouts. Rutschman has faced Lugo only six times in his career and has hit .167 against him with a .334 OPS in a small sample size.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Xavier Isaac Showing Off Skills at Triple-A Durham
Tampa Bay Rays first base prospect Xavier Isaac is 22 years old and progressing nicely through the minor leagues. His latest stop is at Triple-A Durham where he already has three homers and four RBI in 11 games and is hitting .308. Isaac spent most of the season at Double-A Montgomery where he hit .255 with 24 homers and 71 RBI in 99 games. The left-handed hitter is the No. 18 prospect of the Rays and has 60-grade power and 45-grade speed, but just a 35-grade hit tool. It looks like Isaac could be a detriment to the overall batting average of fantasy teams. But the power appears to be a plus and makes him worthy of a dynasty format stash. It could be a year or two before he makes his MLB debut but fantasy managers will still want to get a hold of him in dynasty leagues.
Source: Minor League Baseball
Source: Minor League Baseball
Theo Gillen Is Adjusting Nicely To Life at Double-A
Tampa Bay Rays outfield prospect Theo Gillen has fared well at Double-A Montgomery since his promotion in mid-July, hitting .287 with 10 homers and 46 RBI with 43 runs scored and 16 stolen bases. Gillen has showed off all his skills at his new level of the minors and continued to be a big threat on the base paths after he had already stolen 28 bases for High-A Bowling Green, giving him 44 total stolen bases this season. The 20-year-old, left-handed hitter is the No. 2 overall prospect for the Rays and has a 55-grade hit tool with 55-grade power and 60-grade speed. The overall skill-set is elite for Gillen, but it still could be a few years before he makes his impact at the MLB level. Nonetheless, dynasty league managers will want to claim Gillen and wait for his five-tool skill set to hit the major-league level.
Source: Minor League Baseball
Source: Minor League Baseball
Eli Willits Makes Debut At Double-A Harrisburg
Washington Nationals 18-year-old shortstop prospect Eli Willits made his debut at Double-A Harrisburg on Tuesday and has gone 1-for-8 in his first two games at his new minor league level with an RBI in each of his first two contests. Willits is known as a speedster and has 60 stolen bases combined between three levels of the minors. The switch hitter also has 13 combined home runs with 72 RBI and 100 runs scored. Willits was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft and is top prospect in the Nationals system. He has the looks of a future league winner in the category of stolen bases. His stolen base prowess alone makes him worth a dynasty addition . He has a 60-grade hit tool and a 60-grade run tool with 50-grade power. The speed is off the charts and he looks like a future fantasy difference maker.
Source: Minor League Baseball
Source: Minor League Baseball
Cubs Planning to Activate Dansby Swanson Next Weekend
The Chicago Cubs are planning to activate shortstop Dansby Swanson (oblique) for next weekend's series in Cincinnati against the division-rival Reds, manager Craig Counsell told Patrick Mooney of The Athletic on Friday at Wrigley Field. Swanson will first complete a short minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Iowa. He is getting close to returning to the big-league roster for the first time since being shut down with a Grade 2 strained left oblique in the middle of August. The 32-year-old veteran will help the Cubs in their final playoff push for the final nine games or so of the regular season, so he obviously will have a limited impact the rest of the way in fantasy in September. Swanson will be returning to a .216/.300/.404 slash line with a .704 OPS, 18 home runs, 66 RBI, 17 stolen bases, and 78 runs scored in his 403 at-bats this year. The two-time All-Star has been a disappointment in pretty much everything but stolen bases, and he has hit just two home runs in the second half of the season for the Cubbies.
Source: The Athletic - Patrick Mooney
Source: The Athletic - Patrick Mooney
Arjun Nimmala With Four Homers In Last Four Nights
Los Angeles Angels shortstop prospect Arjun Nimmala hit two home runs in Thursday's game for the Double-A Rocket City Trash Pandas, bringing his total to four homers in the last four games. Nimmala came over to the Angels from the Toronto Blue Jays organization at the trade deadline and has been at Double-A ever since with the Angels. At Rocket City, Nimmala has seven homers and 15 RBI while hitting .240 in 25 games. With Double-A New Hampshire, in Toronto's organization prior to the trade, Nimmala was hitting .279 with four homers and 11 RBI in 33 games. Nimmala checks in as the Angels' top prospect with a 45-grade hit tool, 60-grade power, and 50-grade speed. Nimmala looks like one of many future shortstop stars in the league and is well worth a dynasty-league addition. At age 20, he could still be a few years away from the majors.
Source: Minor League Baseball
Source: Minor League Baseball
Andrew Fischer Sets Minor-League Home Run Record
Milwaukee Brewers third base prospect Andrew Fischer hit a home run on Thursday night and, in doing so, set the record for most homers in a minor-league season this century with 47. Fischer has split time this season between High-A Wisconsin and Double-A Biloxi, hitting 20 and 27 homers respectively at each stop along the way. He has combined for 47 homers with 113 RBI and a .272 batting average, along with 103 runs scored. Fischer is the No. 5 prospect in the Milwaukee system and boasts 65-grade power with a 40-grade hit tool. So Fischer has consistently shown off the power stroke but has some work to do to get his entire bat up to speed. The left-handed hitter is 22-years-old and has power galore for future fantasy teams. He still could be a few years away from a big-league debut, but is worth claiming in dynasty formats.
Source: Minor League Baseball
Source: Minor League Baseball
Josiah Hartshorn Set For Promotion to Double-A
Chicago Cubs first base prospect Josiah Hartshorn was reportedly called up to Double-A Knoxville after the High-A South Bend Cubs' season ended in a playoff loss on Thursday. Hartshorn hit .297 in 300 at bats with South Bend this season and hit 18 homers and had 85 RBI with 12 stolen bases. Hartshorn is the top overall prospect in the Cubs' system and has a 55-grade hit tool with 55-grade power and 45-grade speed. Hartshorn had a very productive 2026 season and the switch hitter is only 19 years old. Look for him to continue his upward trajectory and while it might take a few more years for him to reach the big leagues, he is a very enticing target in dynasty formats. He showed off his power this season and was even a stolen base threat, making him a full five-category force for future fantasy leagues.
Source: Minor League Baseball
Source: Minor League Baseball
Nathan Eovaldi Throws "Touch-and-Feel" Bullpen Session
Texas Rangers right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (elbow) threw a "touch-and-feel" bullpen session on Thursday at T-Mobile Park, according to MLB.com. Eovaldi is scheduled for a second live batting practice session on Friday in Arizona if everything continues in the right direction as he recovers from right posterior elbow inflammation that landed him on the 15-day injured list on Aug. 10. His expected return to the Rangers' starting rotation is to be determined right now and will likely be decided by how he feels and recovers following another throwing session on Friday. The 36-year-old veteran is running out of time to help fantasy managers in the postseason over the next couple of weeks, and if he does return before the end of the regular season in September, he might only make one or two starts for the Rangers. In his 15th year in the big leagues, the two-time All-Star has a 10-9 record, 4.21 ERA (4.27 FIP), and 1.21 WHIP with 137 strikeouts and 32 walks in 132 2/3 innings pitched across his 22 starts. The Rangers are currently three games back of the Houston Astros for the division lead in the American League West and two games back of the final wild-card spot in the AL.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Ryan O'Hearn Returns From Injured List on Friday
The Pittsburgh Pirates announced on Friday that they activated first baseman/outfielder Ryan O'Hearn (quadriceps) from the 10-day injured list. Although O'Hearn is back for the start of the team's weekend series in Chicago against the division-rival Cubs, he is not in the team's starting lineup on Friday against Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga. The 33-year-old veteran should be back in the lineup for the first time since late July for Game 2 of the series at Wrigley Field on Saturday. He went 1-for-7 with a double in two minor-league rehab games with Triple-A Indianapolis and will be hoping to pick up where he left off with the Pirates. In his first year in the Steel City in 2026, O'Hearn has slashed .270/.334/.454 with a .788 OPS, a career-high-tying 17 home runs, 69 RBI, 54 runs scored, and a stolen base in 96 games across 398 plate appearances. He has been pretty mediocre against left-handers, though, hitting .223 (25-for-112) against them with only four of his 17 home runs in 124 plate appearances. Against righties, though, he could be a nice asset for fantasy managers in deeper leagues to close out the season.
Source: Pittsburgh Pirates
Source: Pittsburgh Pirates
Anthony Volpe Worth a Waiver-Wire Look After Big Game?
The New York Yankees brought shortstop Anthony Volpe back from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after they placed infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. (thumb) on the 10-day injured list this week. Hitting out of the nine-hole while starting at second base on Thursday in his return, Volpe went 3-for-4 at the plate with a grand slam and five RBI to help the Yankees handle the Rockies easily in the Bronx by a score of 10-3. It was the 25-year-old's first time playing the keystone in the big leagues, and he figures to split time at the position with Jose Caballero until Chisholm can return from his thumb injury. Volpe is hitting .251/.333/.349 with only two home runs, 24 RBI, and eight stolen bases in his 198 plate appearances for the Yankees this year. It was a nice night for him in his return to the Bronx, but with shared playing time likely at second base with Chisholm out, Volpe is unlikely to move the needle enough to be a must-have off the waiver wire during the fantasy playoffs.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Drew Rasmussen Profiles as Impact Starting Pitcher in the Final Weeks
Across 153 1/3 innings (27 starts) in 2026, Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Drew Rasmussen has recorded a 14-5 record with a 2.88 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and 156 strikeouts. The 31-year-old battled through a brief rough patch in the middle of the season, allowing 13 earned runs across 19 1/3 innings in July. However, Rasmussen has gotten back to dominance since the All-Star break, recording a 2.17 ERA with 58 strikeouts across his last 54 innings pitched. Rasmussen has posted a stellar 26.1% strikeout rate for the season while also logging an elite 4.5% walk rate. With his standout command, the veteran right-hander profiles as one of the most reliable sources of high-end WHIP for fantasy managers. Rasmussen has also proven an ability to go deeper into games this season, going at least six full innings in six of his last eight starts. Ahead of the final few weeks of 2026, Rasmussen should be viewed by fantasy managers as a high-end starting pitcher option.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Louis Varland Continues to Provide High-End Closer Production
Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Louis Varland has emerged as one of the best closers in baseball in 2026, pitching to a 1.24 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP with 89 strikeouts and 33 saves across 72 1/3 innings (66 games). Varland is averaging 98.9 miles per hour on his fastball and has struck out 31.3% of the batters he's faced this season. The 28-year-old has allowed only two home runs for the entire year and has also blown only one save chance. Varland has been slightly less dominant of late, pitching to a 2.20 ERA and recording fewer than a strikeout per inning since the start of August. Still, the hard-throwing righty looks like an excellent late-inning reliever and remains an elite closer option for fantasy managers heading into the final few weeks of the regular season.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
