Christopher Morel Back in Wednesday's Lineup: Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Christopher Morel (abdomen) will start in left field and bat cleanup for the Rays on Wednesday against the division-rival Toronto Blue Jays and right-hander Kevin Gausman. Morel is returning to the starting lineup after being pulled from Sunday's series finale against his old team, the Chicago Cubs, with an abdominal contusion. The 26-year-old appeared as a pinch-hitter in Tuesday's game against Toronto and will now return to the starting nine. He has faced Gausman just twice in his career and has a solo home run. Morel's playing time has dipped in 2025, as he is rarely on the field against right-handed pitchers. The Dominican native is batting a weak .227/.293/.410 with a .703 OPS, 11 home runs, 27 RBI, and seven steals in 256 at-bats. However, he has hit .316 (6-for-19) with a homer and four RBI so far in 10 games in September. - as of Wed, 17 Sep 2025 17:07:35

Payton Tolle to Pitch Out of Bullpen for Rest of the Season: Boston Red Sox rookie left-hander Payton Tolle will be a reliever for the rest of the season in Boston, according to manager Alex Cora. With Tolle moving to the bullpen the rest of the way, left-hander Kyle Harrison will move to the starting rotation and will take on the division-rival Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday, per Tim Healey of The Boston Globe. Fellow rookie Connelly Early has been much more impressive than Tolle in their first couple of big-league starts, and Early will start on four days of rest in the series finale on Sunday. Tolle, the team's No. 2 prospect per MLB Pipeline, struggled in his first three major-league starts against the Pirates, Diamondbacks, and Athletics, allowing nine earned runs on 11 hits (four homers) while walking six and striking out 12 in 10 1/3 innings. He'll serve in a long-relief role down the stretch as Boston looks to hang onto one of the final wild-card spots in the American League. - as of Wed, 17 Sep 2025 16:56:42

Francisco Alvarez Starting on Wednesday: New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (triceps) is doing the catching for left-hander David Peterson and will hit eighth on Wednesday against the visiting San Diego Padres and right-hander Nick Pivetta. Alvarez was hit on the triceps by a pitch in Monday's win over the Padres and was quickly replaced by a pinch-runner, but he avoided a serious injury and is back in there the very next day. The 23-year-old backstop has been a magnet at the plate and is also playing through a broken pinkie finger on his left hand and a torn UCL in his right thumb, so he's nowhere near 100 percent as the Mets try to hang onto the final wild-card spot in the National League over the final week and a half of the 2025 season. The Venezuelan catcher has hit just .194 (6-for-31) with a homer and an RBI in 11 games in September and can't be counted on for much power while playing through his injuries. - as of Wed, 17 Sep 2025 16:46:50

Tyler Soderstrom Returns to A's Lineup: Athletics outfielder/first baseman Tyler Soderstrom (groin) is starting in left field and batting cleanup in Wednesday's contest on the road at Fenway Park against the Boston Red Sox and right-hander Lucas Giolito. Soderstrom will return to action in Beantown after missing the last five games with groin tightness. Fantasy managers will want to get the 23-year-old left-handed slugger back in their lineups against a right-handed pitcher. He's in the midst of a breakout 2025 campaign in his first full season in the big leagues and comes into Wednesday's game hitting .278 (146-for-525) with career-highs across the board in home runs (24), RBI (89), runs scored (71), and stolen bases (eight) in 147 games. Soderstrom has been red-hot in September, too, going 13-for-32 (.406) with a homer, four doubles, and 11 RBI in 10 games. Start him against Giolito. - as of Wed, 17 Sep 2025 16:39:45

Connelly Early to Make his Next Start on Sunday: Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora said that rookie left-hander Connelly Early will make his next start on four days of rest in Sunday's series finale against the division-rival Tampa Bay Rays, according to Mass Live's Christopher Smith. The 23-year-old former fifth-round pick in 2023 out of Virginia has looked sharp in his first two MLB starts for the BoSox, giving up only one earned run on 10 hits while walking one and striking out 18 over 10 1/3 innings against the Athletics in both outings. While Early has been impressive, this will be only the third time all year that he's been asked to pitch on four days of rest. The team's No. 6-ranked prospect, per MLB Pipeline, went 10-3 with a 2.60 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 132:40 K:BB in 100 1/3 innings with Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester before getting the call to the majors. Early hasn't been known as an overpowering pitching prospect, but he has set up his impressive offspeed pitches with his fastball nicely early in his MLB career. - as of Wed, 17 Sep 2025 16:29:37

Ed Howard Promoted to Triple-A Iowa, Will Also Play in Arizona Fall League: Chicago Cubs infield prospect Ed Howard was promoted to Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday. The former first-round draft pick has dealt with injuries since coming into the minor league system in 2021, much of which centered around a hip injury in 2022 that required surgery, which has derailed his progress. This year, the 23-year-old played two games at High-A and 15 more at Double-A prior to his promotion to Triple-A this week. Including a 1-for-4 game for Iowa on Tuesday, the right-handed hitter is just 6-for-61 (.098) in 2025. He'll use the remainder of the 2025 season and the Arizona Fall League to recoup some at-bats, and it will allow the Cubs to see if he's going to be a part of their future, a player who once ranked as the club's No. 5 prospect back in 2021. - as of Wed, 17 Sep 2025 14:46:27

Nabil Crismatt to Pitch Out of Bullpen to Close Out the Season: Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said the team will go with a four-man starting rotation for the rest of the season, which means right-hander Nabil Crismatt will pitch out of the bullpen the rest of the way, according to Alex D'Agostino of SI.com. Crismatt surprisingly held his own as a member of Arizona's rotation in the second half of the season after being called up from Triple-A Reno on Aug. 17. The 30-year-old native of Columbia has made six appearances (five starts) for the D-backs and has posted a solid 2.70 ERA (3.85 FIP) and 1.27 WHIP with 21 strikeouts and seven walks in 30 innings pitched while going 3-0. Crismatt was a bit fortunate to have an ERA under 3.00, but he'll attempt to continue pitching well out of the bullpen as Arizona tries to sneak into the final wild-card spot in the National League the last two weeks of the season. - as of Wed, 17 Sep 2025 14:37:25

George Klassen Promoted to Triple-A, Strikes Out Eight in First Start: Los Angeles Angels pitching prospect George Klassen was promoted to Triple-A Salt Lake on Tuesday after spending the entirety of 2025 at Double-A. The Angels' third-ranked prospect posted a 5.35 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, and struck out 126 batters in 102 2/3 innings pitched (24 starts) this season, but had been better as of late, recording a 1.17 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and a 21.4 percent K-BB% over his last four starts prior to the promotion. After being traded from the Phillies in August of last year, the former sixth-round draft pick registered a 16.9 percent walk rate in eight starts, but improved that to 10.0 percent in 2025, so there could be less reliever risk than there once had been. In his first start at Triple-A on Tuesday, the 23-year-old allowed two earned runs on six hits and one walk while striking out eight in six innings of work. He's worthy of consideration in dynasty leagues and could debut in the majors in 2026. - as of Wed, 17 Sep 2025 14:29:07

Joe Musgrove Throws Bullpen Session: San Diego Padres right-hander Joe Musgrove (elbow) threw an up-and-down bullpen session at Citi Field on Tuesday before the team's game against the New York Mets. Musgrove threw around 15 pitches in what amounted to a two-innings simulated game. The 32-year-old still has a ways to go, but he's hoping to be cleared to potentially work out of the team's bullpen in October if they make a deep run in the playoffs. He underwent Tommy John surgery on his right elbow on Oct. 11 of 2024 and has not pitched at all during the 2025 campaign, and even though he's ramping up his throwing program off a mound, he remains more of a long shot to return before spring training of 2026. Getting Musgrove back in the rotation next year would be a huge boost to the Padres' pitching staff, but it remains to be seen if he can return to his pre-injury form. - as of Wed, 17 Sep 2025 14:27:32

Nestor Cortes to Face Hitters on Friday: San Diego Padres left-hander Nestor Cortes (biceps) will face live hitters on Friday at the team's spring training facility in Arizona, according to Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune. Cortes has been cleared to take the next step after throwing a few bullpen sessions following his placement on the 15-day injured list on Sept. 5 with tendinitis in his left biceps. He's on track to make it back to the big-league roster before the end of the regular season, but when he's back, there's a good chance he'll be relegated to a long-relief bullpen role. And if the Friars make the postseason, the veteran hurler won't be a lock to be on the roster after how poorly he's pitched in 2025. Cortes has more often than not thrown batting practice in his eight starts with the Padres and Milwaukee Brewers this year, surrendering eight home runs and 16 earned runs in 26 1/3 innings. - as of Wed, 17 Sep 2025 14:18:37

Carter Kieboom Recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake: Los Angeles Angels infielder Carter Kieboom was recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake on Tuesday after shortstop Zach Neto (hand) was placed on the 10-day injured list with a hand injury. Kieboom was on fire at Triple-A, collecting at least one hit in 24 of his last 25 games, going 40-for-100 (.400) over that stretch, including six doubles, a triple, one home run, five steals, and an 11:16 BB:K. In 93 games for the Bees, the former first-round draft pick slashed .319/.368/.449 with nine home runs and 11 steals. Unfortunately, the 28-year-old has never been able to translate that success to the majors, with a career .200/.297/.301 slash line in 134 major league games dating back to 2019. The 6-foot-1 slugger drew the start at first base for the Halos on Tuesday in his first game back in the bigs, going 1-for-3 out of the seventh spot in the order, so perhaps he can keep his momentum going this time around. For managers looking to take a risk in hopes of catching lightning in a bottle, the right-handed hitter is eligible at 1B, 2B, and 3B in Yahoo! leagues. - as of Wed, 17 Sep 2025 14:17:55

Xander Bogaerts Could Return This Weekend: San Diego Padres shortstop Xander Bogaerts (foot) worked out at the team's spring training facility in Arizona the last couple of days and could come off the 10-day injured list to rejoin the team this weekend for a series in Chicago against the White Sox, according to manager Mike Shildt. Bogaerts has been running, fielding, and hitting against live pitching in recent days and hasn't suffered any setbacks. It looks like he could return to the big-league roster without going on a minor-league rehab assignment. The 32-year-old veteran has been out since late August with a non-displaced fracture in his left foot. He should return to regular starting duties at shortstop in San Diego when he's ready, allowing Jake Cronenworth to shift back to second and Luis Arraez back to first base/designated hitter duties. In his third year in SD, Bogaerts is hitting .262/.330/.387 with only 10 homers, 49 RBI, and a career-high 20 steals in 131 games. - as of Wed, 17 Sep 2025 14:11:33

Trevor Rogers in Line to Start on Friday: Baltimore Orioles left-hander Trevor Rogers (toe) is listed as the team's probable starter for Friday's contest against the division-rival New York Yankees, according to Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports. Rogers was pulled from his last start early on Friday against the Toronto Blue Jays after he developed a blood blister under the nail of his left big toe. He won't end up missing a turn in Baltimore's rotation, though, and will get the ball in a tough matchup against the Yanks this weekend. The 27-year-old southpaw has bounced back in a big way with the O's in 2025 after he was sent to the minors a year ago following a tough stretch after the club acquired him in a trade with the Miami Marlins. Although it's not an ideal matchup on Friday, Rogers has been money in his 15 starts with Baltimore over 94 1/3 frames, posting a 1.53 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, and 88:24 K:BB while going 8-2. - as of Wed, 17 Sep 2025 14:06:02

Seth Lugo Suffers Setback: Kansas City Royals right-hander Seth Lugo (back) has been temporarily shut down after he did not respond well to a bullpen session on Monday, according to Anne Rogers of MLB.com. He'll go a few days without throwing before potentially returning to the mound. Lugo has been on the 15-day injured list with a low-back strain since Sept. 1, and it's now up in the air whether he'll be able to return this season. Between Lugo's injury and his horrid performance in August (9.11 ERA in 26 2/3 innings), it has been a rough month-plus stretch for the 35-year-old. After finishing as the AL Cy Young runner-up in 2024, Lugo has gone 8-7 with a 4.15 ERA, a 1.29 WHIP, and 125:55 K:BB in 145 1/3 innings this season. - as of Wed, 17 Sep 2025 12:57:27

Jung Hoo Lee Sitting on Wednesday: San Francisco Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee is not in the lineup on Wednesday against Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Brandon Pfaadt. Drew Gilbert will take over in center field in Lee's place and bat ninth. While Lee has hit a solid .302/.375/.419 with a home run, four RBI, and seven runs scored in 12 games this month, he's now mired in an 0-for-17 slump that dates back to last Wednesday. Gilbert, meanwhile, has gone a productive 8-for-32 (.250/.306/.500) with two homers, a pair of doubles, five RBI, and six runs over 10 games in September. - as of Wed, 17 Sep 2025 12:47:34

Kyle Tucker's Progress has "Plateaued": Chicago Cubs outfielder Kyle Tucker (calf) is seeking additional, outside treatment for an injured left calf that has "plateaued," manager Craig Counsell said. Tucker is dealing with a strain that has kept him out since Sept. 2, and he has not recovered as quickly as anticipated. It's now in question whether the 28-year-old will be able to make it back before the regular season ends. The Cubs are close to securing a wild-card spot, giving them little incentive to rush Tucker back before October. While Tucker did endure a severe slump earlier this summer, he has been a key contributor to the team's success this season. The four-time All-Star has slashed .270/.381/.472 with 22 homers, 73 RBI, 89 runs scored, and 25 stolen bases across 133 games and 585 plate appearances. Willi Castro and Seiya Suzuki have gotten most of the playing time in right field in Tucker's absence. - as of Wed, 17 Sep 2025 12:41:33

Isaac Paredes has "Outside Chance" to Return This Weekend: Houston Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes (hamstring) has "an outside chance" to return from the 60-day injured list this weekend, according to general manager Dana Brown. Paredes has been participating in baseball activities in Florida, and while the GM admitted that it "may be a long shot," getting him back for a series against the Seattle Mariners would be a significant development for the Astros. They trail the surging Mariners by a half-game in the race for the AL West title and have gone almost two months without Paredes, who strained his right hamstring on July 19. The 26-year-old slashed .259/.359/.470 with 19 homers, 50 RBI, and 51 runs scored over 409 trips to the plate in the first few months of the season en route to his second straight All-Star nod. If Paredes does come back soon, it could soften the blow of a potentially lengthy Yordan Alvarez (ankle) absence. The designated hitter is dealing with a "severe" ankle sprain that will force him to miss an undetermined amount of time. - as of Wed, 17 Sep 2025 12:30:37

Willson Contreras Goes on 10-Day Injured List, Done for Season: The St. Louis Cardinals have placed first baseman Willson Contreras (shoulder) on the 10-day injured list with a strained right shoulder, retroactive to Sept. 16. The team recalled infielder Jose Fermin from Triple-A Memphis in a corresponding move. Contreras exited a loss to the Cincinnati Reds on Monday with what was believed to be a biceps injury, but it turns out his shoulder will send him to the IL and keep him out for the rest of the season. The 33-year-old former catcher amassed 563 plate appearances in 2025 and slashed an above-average .257/.344/.447 with 20 homers, 80 RBI, 70 runs scored, and five stolen bases. With Contreras out of commission, Alec Burleson should get the majority of playing time at first base for the remainder of the Cardinals' season, which will leave the corner outfield to Lars Nootbaar and Jordan Walker. - as of Wed, 17 Sep 2025 12:19:35