Lawrence Butler Says he Will be Full-Go for Spring Training
Athletics outfielder Lawrence Butler (knee) is moving around well following knee surgery and said he will be fully ready for the start of spring training in February, according to Martin Gallegos of MLB.com. Butler has dealt with knee issues in the past, and he had surgery early this month to fix a torn right patellar tendon. The 25-year-old also had scar tissue removed from the same knee and received a platelet-rich plasma injection in his left patellar tendon. Butler cleared the 20-homer mark for the second straight season and also had his first 20-20 campaign with the A's in 152 games played in 2025 in his second full season in the big leagues, but his knee issues could help explain why he hit only .234 (133-for-569) in 630 plate appearances. With better health in his knees, Butler's fantasy profile is still on the rise as a budding power-speed outfield threat.
Source: MLB.com - Martin Gallegos
Source: MLB.com - Martin Gallegos
George Springer Having MRI Exam on his Side
Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter George Springer (side) went for an MRI exam because of "right-side discomfort" that knocked him from Game 3 of the World Series on Monday night against the Los Angeles Dodgers, according to J.P. Hoornstra of Newsweek Sports. "We'll see how he is tomorrow," manager John Schneider said. Springer called for a trainer following a swing in the top of the seventh inning and left the contest shortly after to be evaluated. Ty France replaced him as a pinch-hitter, who was later replaced by Davis Schneider in the 18-inning marathon. It's unclear if Springer will be able to play in Game 4 of the World Series on Tuesday night in L.A., but if he's dealing with an oblique injury, there's a good chance he won't be able to play for the rest of the series. Springer has been a major contributor all year for Toronto, so losing their leadoff hitter for the rest of the series would be a big blow. He went 0-for-3 with two K's on Monday night before leaving, and he's gone 14-for-57 (.246) with four homers, six doubles, nine RBI, and 13 runs in 14 playoff games this October.
Source: Newsweek Sports - J.P. Hoornstra
Source: Newsweek Sports - J.P. Hoornstra
George Springer Pulled Early in Game 3 With Side Injury
Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter George Springer (side) was pulled from Game 3 of the World Series early on Monday night against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the top of the seventh inning with what appeared to be a right-side injury, according to Shi Davidi of Sportsnet. Springer called out for a trainer to examine him before leaving the game, with Ty France replacing him as a pinch-hitter. The 36-year-old dealt with a knee scare this postseason as well, but didn't miss any time. However, if this ends up being an oblique injury, it could easily knock him out for the remainder of the World Series, which would be a big loss for Toronto. We won't know Springer's status for Game 4 of the best-of-seven series on Tuesday until he undergoes some tests. Before leaving in the seventh, Springer went 0-for-3 at the plate with two strikeouts.
Source: Sportsnet - Shi Davidi
Source: Sportsnet - Shi Davidi
Kristian Campbell Will Work to Gain Strength This Offseason
Boston Red Sox second baseman Kristian Campbell will focus on adding weight and strength to his frame this offseason, according to Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic. Campbell won the second base job out of spring training, signed an eight-year, $60 million deal in April, and then won American League Rookie of the Month honors. However, he struggled over the next couple of months and was sent to Triple-A Worcester in June. The 23-year-old stayed there through the rest of the season. He hit .223 with a .664 OPS in 67 games with the BoSox, and while his numbers looked better on the farm, he still wasn't lifting the ball much. At 6-foot-3, 191 pounds, Campbell already has a wiry frame, but he lost weight during the season, which led to a noticeable dip in his exit velocity and hard-hit rates. Boston still believes in Campbell for the long term, but chief baseball officer Craig Breslow didn't commit to a role for Campbell on the big-league roster to start the 2026 season.
Source: The Athletic - Jen McCaffrey
Source: The Athletic - Jen McCaffrey
Lars Nootbaar Not Guaranteed to be Ready for Opening Day
St. Louis Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom said that outfielder Lars Nootbaar (heels) isn't guaranteed to be ready for Opening Day in 2026 after having surgery on both of his heels. The Cardinals will not rush Nootbaar through the rehab process, but if he does miss time at the start of the season, it would be a "limited amount of time." The 28-year-old outfielder had surgery on both of his heels on Oct. 7 and could be delayed in the early going next season. Despite playing in a career-high 135 games for the Red Birds in 2025, Nootbaar wasn't able to improve on his counting stats as a hitter. The former eighth-round pick in 2018 out of USC slashed .234/.325/.361 with a .686 OPS, 13 home runs, 68 runs scored, 48 RBI, and four stolen bases in his 509 at-bats. At best, Nootbaar will be a late-round flier for outfield depth in fantasy drafts next spring.
Source: Matt Pauley
Source: Matt Pauley
Bryce Harper "Hurt" by Recent Comments From Dave Dombrowski
Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper said he felt "uncomfortable" by recent comments made by president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, when Dombrowski wondered aloud about whether Harper could return to an elite level in 2026. "I have given my all to Philly from the start," Harper said. "Now there is trade talk? I made every effort to avoid this. It's all I heard in D.C. (with the Nationals). I hated it. It makes me feel uncomfortable." Harper added that he was "hurt" by Dombrowski's original comments. Dombrowski said it "couldn't be further from the truth" that the Phillies are considering trading Harper this offseason, and that "we love him." The 33-year-old former MVP is signed through the 2031 season, but he posted an .844 OPS in 2025, his lowest mark since 2016. Still, Harper was a productive hitter for the Phils, hitting 27 homers in 132 regular-season games. Harper has a full no-trade clause in his contract, but he didn't negotiate an opt-out clause into his 13-year, $330 million deal.
Source: The Athletic - Matt Gelb
Source: The Athletic - Matt Gelb
Tommy Edman Could Have Offseason Ankle Surgery
Los Angeles Dodgers utilityman Tommy Edman (ankle) has been a strong contributor once again for the Dodgers in October despite playing through a lingering right-ankle injury that he's dealt with for the last two seasons. It's an injury that has caused Edman to miss significant time this year, landing him on the injured list two separate times. The 30-year-old had another setback with his ankle while playing in the final week of the regular season, which hasn't made him an option to take over in center field for the struggling Andy Pages. Edman has been limited to second base in the postseason. Edman said his ankle is "healthy," but he could need surgery this offseason to clean it up. The switch-hitting utility man hit a disappointing .225 during the regular season with 13 homers and 49 RBI, but he's picked things up in the postseason, going 11-for-42 (.262) with two homers and six RBI in 11 games.
Source: DodgersBeat.com - Cody Snavely
Source: DodgersBeat.com - Cody Snavely
Orioles Finalizing Deal to Hire Craig Albernaz as the Next Manager
The Baltimore Orioles are finalizing a deal to hire Craig Albernaz as their new manager on Monday, sources told Jeff Passan of ESPN. The 42-year-old was previously an associate manager with the Cleveland Guardians and was a widely sought-after candidate for other open managerial jobs. Albernaz will try to turn around an Orioles team that is coming off a 75-87 (last in the American League East) season in 2025. Baltimore fired previous manager Brandon Hyde in the middle of May after the team started 15-28, and they named Tony Mansolino as the interim manager for the rest of the year. Albernaz has a reputation for forging strong relationships with young players, which the Orioles have plenty of. He was a finalist for Cleveland's managerial job in 2023 and joined the team as a bench coach after Stephen Vogt was hired. Albernaz had a nine-year catching career that topped out at the Triple-A level.
Source: ESPN.com - Jeff Passan
Source: ESPN.com - Jeff Passan
Bo Bichette to Start at Second Base in Game 3 of World Series
Toronto Blue Jays infielder Bo Bichette will return to the starting lineup for Game 3 of the World Series on Monday against Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Tyler Glasnow, according to manager John Schneider. Bichette will be back at second base and will most likely hit cleanup again, like he did in the team's Game 1 win on Friday night. The All-Star shortstop missed over seven weeks with a knee sprain suffered in early September, but he was included on the World Series roster and made his return in Game 1, picking up a single and a walk in the 11-4 blowout win. He did not play in the Game 2 loss on Saturday, although he did have a plate appearance off the bench late in the game. Bichette will make his second start of the World Series against a pitcher he has struggled against, as he's gone 2-for-16 with an RBI, three walks, and four K's in his career against Glasnow.
Source: Sportsnet.ca - Arden Zwelling
Source: Sportsnet.ca - Arden Zwelling
Cubs to Pursue Dylan Cease in Free Agency
The Chicago Cubs are expected to add reinforcements to their starting rotation this offseason. According to Bruce Levine, the Cubs are planning to pursue free-agent right-hander Dylan Cease. This doesn't come as a surprise considering Cease is going to be one of the top arms in free agency. The 29-year-old is coming off a down year where he posted a 4.55 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, and a 215/71 K/BB ratio across 32 starts with the San Diego Padres this past season. Despite a down year, Cease figures to get a hefty payday this offseason. The Cubs originally drafted Cease in the sixth round of the 2014 draft, but eventually traded him and Eloy Jimenez for Jose Quintana in 2017. This would be a nice full circle story, but there figures to be plenty of suitors for Cease.
Source: Bruce Levine
Source: Bruce Levine
Max Scherzer Named Game 3 Starter
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Max Scherzer has been tasked with taking the ball for Game 3 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Scherzer will look to keep the good times rolling after tossing 5.2 innings, allowing two runs, and striking out five batters during Game 4 of the ALDS. That was his only work of the postseason, but Scherzer has plenty of experience, including two World Series championships. He'll be looking to help give his team a 2-1 lead in this series. The organization also announced that Shane Bieber would take the ball for Game 4.
Source: Bob Nightengale
Source: Bob Nightengale
Twins Narrow Down Manager Search to Four Candidates
The Minnesota Twins have reportedly narrowed down their search for a new manager down to four candidates. It sounds like Derek Shelton, James Rowson, Scott Servais, and Ryan Flaherty are the final candidates for the vacant manager job. Between the bunch, Shelton and Servais have the most experience considering they both managed teams for five-plus seasons. Rowson has been the Yankees hitting coach and served as the bench coach for the Miami Marlins through 2020-2022. Flaherty was the bench coach with the Chicago Cubs for the last two seasons. It'll be interesting to see who the Twins decide to replace Rocco Baldelli going forward.
Source: New York Times
Source: New York Times
Tyler Glasnow Named Game 3 Starter
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow will get the starting nod for Monday's Game 3 of the World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays. The Dodgers will look to even the series on Saturday after dropping the opener. Glasnow has been nearly impossible to touch during the postseason. He struck out eight batters across 5.2 innings of work during Game 3 of the NLCS. Overall, Glasnow has a 0.68 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and 18 strikeouts over 13.1 innings during the postseason. Following Game 3, Shohei Ohtani will get the ball for Game 4 of this series.
Source: Sonja Chen
Source: Sonja Chen
Addison Barger Moves into Starting Lineup for Game 2
Toronto Blue Jays infielder/outfielder Addison Barger will slide into the starting lineup ahead of Saturday's Game 2 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Barger blasted a pinch-hit grand slam during Game 1 of this series. He has been on fire this season, Barger is slashing .324/.405/.622 through 42 plate appearances. As a result, Barger will take over in right field and bat seventh versus right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Saturday. Myles Straw will head to the bench after starting in right field to begin the series.
Source: Blue Jays
Source: Blue Jays
Bo Bichette Absent for Game 2
Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette is out of the starting lineup ahead of Saturday's Game 2 of the World Series. Bichette made his first appearance of the postseason during Game 1 of this series. He went 1-for-2 with a walk during Friday's win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Considering the injury, it's not shocking to see the Jays' being cautious with Bichette. In his absence, Isiah Kiner-Falefa will cover second base and bat eighth versus right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto. It wouldn't be shocking to see Bichette come in as a pinch-hitter at some point during this game.
Source: Blue Jays
Source: Blue Jays
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