September 15, 2025
New York Mets outfield prospect
Carson Benge was named the organization's minor league Player of the Year on Monday. The Mets' top-ranked prospect had a strong year that began at High-A and ended at Triple-A. He slashed .308/.413/.513 with 12 home runs and 19 steals in 92 games between High-A and Double-A, although Triple-A proved a bit more challenging. The 2024 first-rounder hit safely in seven of his first 11 games at that level, but is just 1-for-28 (.036) over his last seven games. There was some momentum that seemed to give hope to a potential 2025 MLB debut, but at this point in the season, he's basically run out of time, at least in terms of fantasy. Look for a 2026 debut, and he should bring solid hit, power, and run tools to the big leagues once he gets there.
--Jarod RuppSource: Anthony DiComo
September 15, 2025
Chicago Cubs outfield prospect
Kevin Alcantara was recalled from Triple-A Iowa on Sunday after
Owen Caissie (concussion) hit the 7-day injured list with a concussion. The Cubs' fifth-ranked prospect was called up at the beginning of the month and had been sent back down to Triple-A the day before, but with Caissie on the IL, Alcantara will rejoin the big league club. The 23-year-old was rarely used during his time in the majors, recording at-bats in just two games during his two-week stint. Things don't look like they'll be much different this time around, as Alcantara did not start on Sunday, rather, it was
Willi Castro who drew the start in right field. The 6-foot-6 slugger has some power, but until he's more involved, he can safely be left to the waiver wire in all leagues.
--Jarod RuppSource: MiLB.com - Transactions Page
September 15, 2025
Cleveland Guardians left-hander
John Means (elbow) struggled in his latest rehab start with Triple-A Columbus on Sunday. Means lasted 3 2/3 innings and yielded six runs on five hits, including two homers, and four walks. The 32-year-old did throw 82 pitches, his most in any of his six rehab starts, but has managed a brutal 9.60 ERA with 11:10 K:BB in four appearances and 15 innings with Columbus. It's unclear if the Guardians plan to activate Means from the 60-day injured list before the season ends. If he does get into a game this year, it'll be the first time since May 2024 for the former Baltimore Oriole. Means underwent Tommy John surgery in June 2024, and he settled for a one-year, $1 million guarantee with the Guardians in free agency last offseason. The Guardians will have to decide during the upcoming offseason whether to pick up Means' $6 million club option for 2026.
--Connor ByrneSource: MLB.com
September 15, 2025
Philadelphia Phillies shortstop
Trea Turner (hamstring) is progressing well in his recovery from a strained right hamstring and could return during the final week of the regular season, Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. After Turner took grounders at shortstop over the weekend, manager Rob Thomson said that "it looks like he's ahead of schedule." Turner's progress since going on the 10-day injured list on Sept. 8 is highly encouraging for the Phillies as the postseason approaches. The Phillies hold an insurmountable 12-game lead in the NL East, and the 32-year-old is among the reasons for that. Turner leads the NL in batting average and has slashed .305/.356/.458 with 15 homers, 69 RBI, 94 runs scored, and 36 stolen bases over 637 plate appearances.
Edmundo Sosa (groin) initially took over for Turner at short, but he was out of the lineup with a groin injury over the weekend. That left
Bryson Stott to handle short, while
Donovan Walton and
Weston Wilson split time at second.
--Connor ByrneSource: Scott Lauber - Philadelphia Inquirer
September 15, 2025
Boston Red Sox left-handed pitching prospect
Connelly Early will start on Tuesday against the Athletics, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports. Right-hander
Lucas Giolito will get the ball on Wednesday, while fellow righty
Brayan Bello will toe the rubber in the series finale on Thursday. Giolito and Bello had been slated for Thursday and Friday, respectively, but the Red Sox decided to move each of them up a day. As for Early, he'll get a rematch with the Athletics after dominating them in his first major league start in a 6-0 win on Sept. 9. The 23-year-old threw five scoreless innings of five-hit ball and totaled a jaw-dropping 11 strikeouts against one walk. Early, who previously faced the A's on the road, will be making his Fenway Park debut on Tuesday.
--Connor ByrneSource: Christopher Smith - MassLive.com
September 15, 2025
The Tampa Bay Rays have called up right-hander
Joe Boyle from Triple-A Durham to start against the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. The 26-year-old has made 10 appearances (six starts) with the Rays this season and gone 1-3 with a 5.40 ERA, a 1.39 WHIP, and 39:21 K:BB in 36 2/3 frames. The Rays demoted Boyle in late August after he struggled to an unsightly 9.42 ERA over four appearances and 14 1/3 frames last month. Boyle will face a daunting task in trying to contain an elite Toronto offense in his return. The Blue Jays rank second in the league in OPS and fourth in runs scored.
--Connor ByrneSource: Marc Topkin - Tampa Bay Times
September 15, 2025
The San Francisco Giants are set to promote first baseman
Bryce Eldridge from Triple-A Sacramento, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The Giants used a first-round pick in 2023 on Eldridge, who is now widely considered one of the top 20 prospects in the sport. Since the Giants bumped Eldrige to Triple-A at the beginning of June, the 6-foot-7, 240-pounder has slashed .249/.322/.514 with 18 home runs, 63 RBI, and a 30.8% strikeout rate in 286 plate appearances. San Francisco wasn't planning to call up Eldridge this year, but the team's circumstances have changed in recent weeks. The Giants have unexpectedly made a late charge into wild-card contention, and first baseman
Dominic Smith (hamstring) may miss the rest of the regular season after suffering a hamstring strain over the weekend. The Smith injury will open the door for the 20-year-old Eldridge to get playing time at first base and/or DH, depending on where the Giants deploy
Rafael Devers. As a left-handed hitter, Eldridge could platoon with the righty-swinging
Wilmer Flores over the next couple of weeks.
--Connor ByrneSource: Susan Slusser - San Francisco Chronicle
September 14, 2025
Toronto Blue Jays outfielder
George Springer continued his renaissance season in an 11-2 drubbing of the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday. As a key part of a 14-hit onslaught, Springer finished 3-for-5 with a homer, two doubles, two RBI, and an additional run scored. The 35-year-old, who hasn't posted an OPS under 1.000 in any month since June, has enjoyed a stunning resurgence in 2025 after back-to-back lackluster seasons. Springer is slashing .303/.395/.554 with 29 homers, 75 RBI, 99 runs scored, and 16 stolen bases in 528 plate appearances. The former Houston Astro looks like a shoo-in to reach 30 HRs for the first time since 2019 and score 100 runs for the first time since 2018.
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
September 14, 2025
Chicago Cubs reliever
Andrew Kittredge threw a scoreless ninth inning on Sunday to pick up his fifth save of the year in a 4-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. Kittredge was perfect aside from a two-out walk, as the right-hander struck out the other three hitters he faced - including 44-home run man
Junior Caminero. Notably, Kittredge has picked up all three of the Cubs' saves since they placed closer
Daniel Palencia (shoulder) on the 15-day injured list on Sept. 8. As long as Palencia's out, Kittredge could be manager Craig Counsell's go-to choice for saves. The 35-year-old has pitched to a solid 3.31 ERA with a .98 WHIP, 56 strikeouts, and 11 walks in 49 innings this season.
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
September 14, 2025
Boston Red Sox ace
Garrett Crochet (16-5) struck out double-digit hitters for the eighth time this season and earned his 16th win in a 6-4 defeat of the New York Yankees on Sunday. The left-hander fanned 12, tying a season high, while allowing three earned runs on five hits and one walk over six innings. After combining for 22 strikeouts in his past two starts, Crochet comfortably leads the majors with 240 (Detroit's
Tarik Skubal ranks second with 224). The 26-year-old, who's also No. 1 in the league in innings pitched (191 1/3), now owns a stellar 2.63 ERA with a 1.05 WHIP. He's scheduled to make his next start on Saturday against the division-rival Tampa Bay Rays. Crochet stifled the Rays in a July 12 win, throwing a complete-game, three-hit shutout with nine strikeouts.
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
September 14, 2025
Boston Red Sox closer
Aroldis Chapman recorded his 30th save of the season in a 6-4 win over the New York Yankees on Sunday. Chapman was dominant in a 1-2-3 ninth inning, inducing two groundouts before striking out
Jose Caballero swinging on a 101 mph fastball to end the game. After he uncharacteristically allowed an earned run in back-to-back appearances before Sunday, the star left-hander returned to form in throwing 10 of 11 pitches for strikes to help Boston avoid a sweep. Chapman has been spectacular during his age-37 campaign, having posted a 1.26 ERA with a .68 WHIP, 82 strikeouts, and 14 walks in 57 1/3 innings.
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
September 14, 2025
Los Angeles Angels third baseman
Yoan Moncada (ankle) exited an 11-2 loss to the Seattle Mariners on Sunday with soreness in his left ankle. Moncada went 0-for-2 before the Angels subbed in
Oswald Peraza for him in the bottom of the fifth inning. It's unclear if Moncada will miss any more time, but with the Angels idle on Monday, he'll have at least one day to recover. The oft-injured Moncada has been on the 10-day IL twice this year - once for a sprained thumb, then for knee inflammation - which has limited him to just 77 games. Moncada hasn't played more than 104 games in a season since 2021, but he has been productive when healthy this year. The switch-hitter has put together a .240/.343/.464 line with 12 homers, 34 RBI, and 39 runs scored in 271 plate appearances.
--Connor ByrneSource: Jeff Fletcher - Orange County Register
September 14, 2025
Kansas City Royals right-hander
Michael Wacha (head) will come off the seven-day concussion injured list to start against the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday, according to Jaylon Thompson of the Kansas City Star. Wacha will end up missing just one start after an off-the-field accident forced him to the IL on Sept. 9. The 34-year-old has been a reliable part of the Royals' rotation for the second straight season, having registered a 3.45 ERA with a 1.18 WHIP, and 117:41 K:BB over 28 starts and 159 innings. Wacha turned in a rough outing against the Mariners in a June 30 loss, though, as they knocked him around for five earned runs on eight hits (including two homers) and a walk in five frames.
--Connor ByrneSource: Jaylon Thompson - The Kansas City Star
September 14, 2025
Kansas City Royals left-hander
Cole Ragans (shoulder) will return from the 60-day injured list to start against the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday, Jaylon Thompson of the Kansas City Star reports. It will be the first start in the bigs since June 5 for Ragans, who has missed three-plus months with a strained rotator cuff. Ragans made three minor-league rehab starts, including two with Triple-A Omaha, and threw 56 pitches over 3 2/3 innings in his final appearance on Sept. 12. Considering his pitch count in the minors, the 27-year-old may not be stretched out enough to go deep into games yet. Regardless, he'll look to improve on the surprisingly poor 5.18 ERA he has logged in 48 2/3 innings with the Royals this season. With 76:16 K:BB and a 2.47 FIP, Ragans would have been an obvious candidate for positive regression had he been healthy over the past three months.
--Connor ByrneSource: Jaylon Thompson - The Kansas City Star
September 14, 2025
Seattle Mariners starting pitcher
George Kirby was dominant on Sunday in an 11-2 win over the Angels, allowing two runs on three hits and no walks with 14 strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings. The ace isn't typically known as a strikeout pitcher, but this is amazingly the second time this season that he has punched out 14 in a game, with the first also being against the Angels on June 8. A few bad starts have inflated the 27-year-old's ERA to 4.46 on the season, but he figures to once again be one of the more reliable pitchers in fantasy for 2026.
--Jeremy HeistSource: MLB.com
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