MLB News and Notes With Fantasy Implications - September 8, 2020

Hopefully everyone had an excellent holiday weekend. As the baseball regular season winds down to the final few weeks, we saw the trade deadline come and go. This made for an even busier news week, as plenty happened that fantasy players need to pay special attention to. Here is the MLB news and notes over the past week for all 30 major league teams:

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Latest MLB News and Notes

NL East

Atlanta Braves

Freddie Freeman hit a grand slam on Sunday, only two days removed from hitting another grand slam, giving him two in three games.
Ronald Acuna hit his 18th career leadoff home run on Saturday, which set a franchise record for the Atlanta Braves. Acuna is still only 22-years-old, making that accomplishment even more eye-opening. The elite outfielder has homered four times since returning from a minor hamstring injury on September 4. Acuna is trying to reclaim his status as fantasy baseball’s best player.
Cole Hamels was cleared to throw live batting practice on Saturday. The Braves need Hamels healthy before the playoffs, as they possess one of the worst starting rotations among all playoff contenders.

Miami Marlins

The Marlins snatched up Starling Marte in a trade from the Diamondbacks in what could have major fantasy implications. The Marlins have shown to be an aggressive team on the base paths, and Marte still has plenty of speed to burn.
Sixto Sanchez looks like the real deal three starts into his MLB career. He faced the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday, pitching seven innings, giving up two earned runs, and striking out five. On the season, he owns a 2.37 ERA and 1.00 WHIP. For those that picked up Sanchez, enjoy this stud for the rest of the year.
While Sixto Sanchez has received all the praise, Trevor Rogers is another rookie who has looked excellent since coming up. Through three starts, Rogers has a 3.00 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP, striking out 21 in 15.0 innings pitched. He is worth a grab for those in need of starters.
Elieser Hernandez was lost for the season with a right lat strain. It is a disappointing end for Hernandez, who had looked excellent this season.

New York Mets

Jacob deGrom is the best pitcher in baseball still plain and simple. Following the passing of all-time great Met Tom Seaver, deGrom took the mound on Sunday against the Phillies, and he pitched seven innings of three-hit ball, striking out 12. Even more impressive was the fact he had an unreal 35 swinging strikes in the start. On the year, he owns a 1.69 ERA and a 0.88 WHIP in 48.0 innings pitched. He has struck out 70 batters as well.
The Mets added reliever Miguel Castro, utility man Todd Frazier, and catcher Robinson Chirinos before the trade deadline. Castro is a reliever with some of the best stuff in baseball. It will be interesting to see if the Mets can get more out of him. The other two are not fantasy relevant.
Pete Alonso homered in back-to-back games on Thursday and Friday. The reigning home run champion has struggled this season, as he has only hit eight home runs on the year. Hopefully, this gets the slugger going, as fantasy owners invest high capital in the first baseman.

Philadelphia Phillies

There are few hitters as hot as Rhys Hoskins currently. Hopefully, those who owned Hoskins were patient enough with the slugging first baseman, as he has returned exceptional value this month. He has homered seven times in 11 games and hit safely in seven consecutive games.
Scott Kingery was placed on the 10-day injured list with a mid-back issue. Kingery has had a brutal 2020, as he has been on the COVID-19 list, struggled through injury, and only hit .127 on the year.
The Phillies have one of the worst bullpens in baseball, and they made a last-second move when they acquired David Phelps from the Milwaukee Brewers. Phelps is a deceptively good reliever, and he was having a solid year, pitching 13.0 innings, and maintaining a 2.77 ERA. He should come into high leverage situations immediately for the Phillies.

Washington Nationals

Juan Soto missed his second consecutive day on Sunday, as he battles elbow soreness. Soto had an MRI done, and everything came back clean. The National all-star outfielder has looked like the best pure hitter in baseball to date, as he is hitting .354 with 11 home runs in only 27 games played.
For as good as Juan Soto has been, Trea Turner has been excellent this season as well. While he hasn’t stolen as many bases as many would like, he has swung the bat better than we have ever seen from him. He is currently hitting .365 through 39 games.
Outside of those two, it has been an unpleasant season for the defending World Series champions. The Nationals are 14-25, giving them the second-worst record in the national league.

NL Central

Chicago Cubs

Ian Happ has been on a tear of late, and he was once again at it on Saturday, hitting two home runs in the first game of a double-header. He has six total home runs in his past eight games. Happ was a popular breakout pick after struggling his first few years through the league, and it certainly looks like it is happening this season.
Yu Darvish continues to look like a potential Cy Young award winner, as he struck out 11 Pirates in seven innings on Saturday. On the year, Darvish has a National League best 1.44 ERA through 50.0 innings pitched.
Jose Quintana returned to the injured list with lat inflammation. Quintana had only made three relief appearances before the injury. The Cubs need a healthy Quintana in the playoffs if they are to make a run at the World Series.

Cincinnati Reds

The Reds showed that they are going all-in to win the World Series this season as they did not shop Trevor Bauer, and also acquired reliever Archie Bradley and outfielder Brian Goodwin.
Bradley is an extremely interesting addition, as he has some of the best stuff out of any reliever in baseball. The Reds are excellent at getting the most from their pitchers, so do not be surprised to see Bradley post elite ratios while in Cincinnati. He had a 4.22 ERA in 10.2 innings pitched with the Diamondbacks, striking out 12.
Nick Senzel was cleared to work out on Tuesday last week as he looks to return in the near future. Senzel has been on the injured list for an unknown reason since August 14. He had been heating up prior to his injury, including a game where he went 3-for-4 with a home run and four RBI.
After being blown up by the St. Louis Cardinals in his most recent start, Sonny Gray had his next scheduled start pushed back. The Reds claim it is not injury-related, but it is concerning following a game where Gray gave up six runs over 2/3 of an inning.

Milwaukee Brewers

If you didn’t pounce on new setup man Devin Williams when you had the chance, I’m sorry. Williams looks like one of the best relief pitchers in baseball, and possesses perhaps the best changeup in the game. The righty has pitched 17.0 innings, and owns a minuscule 0.53 ERA and 0.59 WHIP. He has also struck out 35.
The Brewers held Corbin Burnes despite interest from several teams before the trade deadline. Burnes has been excellent this season through 38.1 innings, as he has a 2.35 ERA, a 1.04 WHIP, and 53 strikeouts. He has quickly entered top-25 starting pitcher territory, and there is no looking back.
The Brewers DFA’d first baseman Justin Smoak, and acquired Daniel Vogelbach. Vogelbach has started the past two games (as of Sunday), and has hit safely in both games. Batting 5th for a solid lineup, Vogelbach should be monitored closely the rest of the season.
Josh Hader set an MLB record of 12 hitless appearances to start the year. It came to an end on Saturday against the Indians, but it was quite the accomplishment for the best closer in baseball.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Top prospect Ke’Bryan Hayes was finally called up last week, and he has made an immediate impact for the Pirates. Through four games, Hayes is hitting .357, including his first big league home run in his debut game against the Cubs. Hayes is an intriguing player for fantasy purposes, as he has great plate discipline and good raw power.
Joe Musgrove returned from the injured list on Wednesday last week, and he looked solid in his return. On a pitch count limit, Musgrove pitched three innings, striking out four and giving up two earned runs. He was hitting 95-mph on the radar gun, and he also walked zero hitters.
Mitch Keller is nearing a return as he threw a live batting practice on Friday. The potential stud has yet to live up to his high prospect pedigree to date, but the Pirates hope he can provide them with a spark to close out the last few weeks of the season.

St. Louis Cardinals

Kwang Hyun Kim was sent to the injured list after he was sent to the emergency room after suffering pain in his right side. Kim was diagnosed with a kidney ailment. He had been excellent since joining the Cardinals rotation a few weeks ago, pitching three consecutive starts without giving up a run. His timeline for a return is unknown.
Carlos Martinez will rejoin the rotation on Tuesday after not pitching since July 29. He tested positive for COVID-19 during the Cardinals’ widespread outbreak. Watch his pitch count on Tuesday before making any rash moves for the Cardinals’ former ace.

NL West

Arizona Diamondbacks

Zac Gallen continues to pitch in truly dominant fashion, as he reeled off his seventh straight quality start after pitching seven innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers, striking out seven and giving up zero runs. Gallen owns a 1.80 ERA on the season. He also set an MLB record with this start, breaking Aaron Sele’s record of 21 consecutive starts giving up less than three earned runs.
Merrill Kelly is likely to miss the rest of the season with a blood clot in his shoulder. It is a disappointing turn of events for the Diamondbacks pitcher, as he owned a 2.59 ERA with a 0.99 WHIP through 31.1 innings pitched.

Colorado Rockies

Raimel Tapia looks to be firmly cemented into the leadoff spot, as he has hit from the top of the order for two consecutive weeks. He has made that decision count, as he has hit safely in all but two of those games, including five multi-hit games. Add Tapia immediately if you are in need of runs or batting average, as he has provided both at a high level over the past few weeks.
Jon Gray was added to the injured list with right shoulder inflammation. Gray had seen a decrease in his velocity this season, as he has averaged nearly 1-mph lower than the past few seasons on his fastball. His results have suffered as a result, as he owned a 6.69 ERA and only struck out 22 in 39.0 innings pitched.
Rookie outfielder Sam Hilliard has enjoyed recent success. Since August 25 where his run started, Hilliard has hit .295, with five home runs and two stolen bases. Watch for Hilliard over the last few weeks of the season, as he could return high-end value.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Cody Bellinger returned from a minor injury on Thursday last week. Bellinger has not had the greatest season, as he is only hitting .216. However, his .198 BABIP is absolutely not sustainable. This is where the shortened season may screw up what otherwise could have been a rejuvenated second half for Bellinger. He does have ten home runs and 48 total runs and RBI, so he has helped in those categories.
Justin Turner is scheduled to return next Tuesday after hitting the injured list with a hamstring injury on August 29. Turner was having a typical Justin Turner year, hitting .282, with two home runs and 20 RBI in 32 games.
Clayton Kershaw became the third-youngest pitcher to reach 2,500 career strikeouts last Thursday. Kershaw has been sensational this season, as he owns a 1.50 ERA, with a 0.72 WHIP in 36.0 innings pitched.
Trying to one-up a future hall of famer, Tony Gonsolin has been sensational in his five starts this year. While he hasn’t pitched deep into most of his games, he does have a 0.76 ERA and a 0.72 WHIP in 23.2 innings pitched. He has also struck out 25. Gonsolin is firmly in the rotation after the Dodgers traded Ross Stripling to the Blue Jays, and he is a must-own for the rest of the year.

San Diego Padres

The Padres acquired star pitcher Mike Clevinger from the Cleveland Indians, as they are going all-in to win the World Series in the immediate future. Clevinger becomes their staff ace on a rotation that includes Dinelson Lamet and Chris Paddack. From a fantasy standpoint, Clevinger will face more difficult lineups in the west. In his debut game on September 2nd, Clevinger pitched six innings of two-run ball, striking out two.
Catcher Austin Nola was also acquired, and he should make an immediate impact. The Padres arguably only needed a bat at the catcher spot to fill out their lineup. Nola has been excellent this season, hitting .304 with six home runs and 20 RBI in 33 games. He is a must-add in all formats.
Trevor Rosenthal converted his first save opportunity for the Padres on Sunday. It was his eighth save of the year, but his previous seven came with the Kansas City Royals before he was traded. It has been quite the bounce-back year for the former Cardinals closer, as he owns a 2.70 ERA in 16.2 innings of work, striking out 26. He has failed to blow a save opportunity so far.
Fernando Tatis Jr. hit his league-leading 15th home run on Sunday, and he looks like the odds on favorite to be the top overall pick heading into 2021 fantasy drafts.

San Francisco Giants

Austin Slater returned on Saturday after coming off of the injured list. He went 0-for-5 in his first game back, but got back to his breakout form on Sunday, going 2-for-4 with a run scored. On the year, Slater owns a .328 average with four home runs and six stolen bases. His 1.030 OPS on the year is elite, and Slater looks to get his owners back on track to end the year.
Donovan Solano is another Giant who has enjoyed a true breakout season, as he is hitting .344 with three home runs and 27 RBI. He tagged former Giants Madison Bumgarner on Sunday with a home run, going 3-for-4 overall. At the age of 32, Solano has been one of the most fun players to root for on the year.

AL East

Baltimore Orioles

Dean Kremer made his MLB debut against the New York Yankees, and he dazzled. Kremer pitched six innings, struck out seven batters, and only gave up one run. The Orioles number ten overall prospect according to MLB Pipeline showed off a massive curveball and decent command. The Orioles will hope the rookie can provide more outings like this to end the year.
Anthony Santander went to the injured list on Saturday, and it looks like the Orioles breakout hitter might be done for the season. In a disappointing turn of events, Santander suffered a right oblique strain. He had an impressive 11 home runs and 32 RBI, both of which were among league-leading numbers for a period of time.
Ryan Mountcastle will look to make up for the loss of Santander, as the Orioles high-end rookie has hit .333 with three home runs and 11 RBI in 58 plate appearances. He looks to be the Orioles cleanup hitter the rest of the way, making him an extremely valuable commodity.

Boston Red Sox

Bobby Dalbec made his MLB debut a little over one week ago, and he immediately showed off his power, hitting a home run in his first big league at-bat. He went on a cold stretch, but got back on track over his past two, homering in back to back games. If you need power over the last few weeks, be sure to snatch up Dalbec, because he has plenty of it.
Matt Barnes secured his fourth save of the season on Friday last week, and he looks like a difference-maker in the saves category for those that picked him up after the Red Sox dealt Brandon Workman to the Phillies. Barnes hasn’t been great this year, as he owns a 4.50 ERA. However, he is the entrenched closer in a bullpen that doesn’t have many options to dethrone him.
Rafael Devers has returned to form over the past few weeks. He has had four multi-hit games since August 30, including seven runs scored and three home runs in that time span. He was off to a slow start, but Devers looks to have returned to his 2019 pace that had players drafting him in the 2nd or 3rd round of fantasy drafts.

New York Yankees

Gleyber Torres returned from the injured list on Saturday, giving the Yankees a much-needed bat in their lineup. He went 1-for-4 with a double in his first game back. Torres has not had a good 2020 season, as he has only hit .232 with one home run, not an ideal return from a top 50 draft pick in the pre-season.
The Yankees have turned to two rookie pitchers within the recent weeks to give them a needed spark in their injury-riddled staff. Deivi Garcia first received the call on August 30, and he shut the Mets out in six innings of work. His second start didn’t go as well, as the Orioles tagged him for four earned runs in 4.2 innings of work. Garcia did strike out six. He doesn’t carry major fantasy potential at the moment.
The higher-rated prospect that received a call up was the Yankees top pitching prospect, Clarke Schmidt. Oddly, the Yankees brought him out of the bullpen with runners on base, which you do not typically see. Schmidt pitched 1.1 innings, giving up three hits and striking out one. It will be interesting to see what the Yankees do with Schmidt. Starting him would make sense, but it’s possible he follows a starter for the time being.

Tampa Bay Rays

The Tampa Bay Rays sit atop the AL East after winning eight of their past 10 games. Randy Arozarena has played a key role in helping spark the Rays during their run. The Rays number 19 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, Arozarena hit two home runs against the Marlins on Sunday. In 6 games, the outfielder has hit .467, with three home runs and a stolen base. Given he is below average in terms of striking out, Arozarena is an intriguing add for the rest of the year.
Vidal Brujan joined the Rays taxi squad and will be activated following their two-game series against the Nationals. Brujan is a speedster who also can hit for a little power. If he gets playing time with the Rays to end the year, he is a must-add for those in need of steals.
After having a 101-mph fastball thrown at his head, Mike Brosseau made the Yankees pay the following day, hitting two home runs. Brosseau has let his bat do the talking all season, as he has hit .316 with five home runs in 63 plate appearances this season. Primarily used against left-handed pitchers, if you are in a daily league or playing DFS, make sure to always have Brosseau ready to go against southpaws.

Toronto Blue Jays

Teoscar Hernandez was sent to the injured list with an oblique strain, hampering what has been quite the breakout season. Hernandez was second in baseball with 14 home runs, only trailing Mike Trout and Fernando Tatis Jr.
On the other end of things, it looks like we could see star shortstop Bo Bichette and closer, Ken Giles, back at some point before the playoffs. If the Blue Jays make the playoffs, and these two are healthy, they become as dangerous as any team there is.
Rowdy Tellez had himself quite the week, collecting nine hits in his past four games, including two home runs. For the year, the first baseman has eight home runs and 21 RBI. If he’s available in your league, he is worth an add the rest of the way.
Ross Stripling had a decent debut after being traded from the Dodgers. Stripling went 4 1/3 innings, giving up three earned runs and striking out four. It has not been Stripling’s best season, but he is a massive upgrade over what the Blue Jays had before trading for him.

AL Central

Chicago White Sox

What can’t Luis Robert do? The tantalizing outfielder for the White Sox hit a massive 458-foot home run that left the bat at 113-mph. Two days later, he made a five-star catch in the outfield that helped the Sox secure the win in the 9th inning. On the year, Robert has hit .266 with 11 home runs and six stolen bases. He is firmly cementing himself as a high round pick in 2021 drafts.
Jose Abreu took his hit streak to 18 games on Sunday, going 1-for-5 with a run scored. Abreu has returned elite value at first base this season, hitting .315 with 13 home runs and a league-leading 40 RBI.
Dallas Keuchel exited Sunday’s game before the sixth inning due to lower back stiffness. He had only thrown 49 pitches at the time, so this is something to monitor closely going forward. Keuchel has been excellent this season, as he has maintained a 2.19 ERA through nine starts on the year.
Tim Anderson continues to make everyone who doubted his breakout 2019 season regret their decision (including myself). The shortstop is currently hitting .351, with an impressive 34 runs scored, seven home runs, and five stolen bases. He is without a doubt an MVP candidate, and should now have 100% backing from the fantasy community going forward.

Cleveland Indians

In an insane stat, all five of the current Indians starters all have below a 4.00 ERA. Three of them have below a 2.00 ERA. That kind of rotation can take the Indians far into the post-season when the time comes.
Shane Bieber just can’t stop striking hitters out. After striking out 10 hitters on Sunday, Bieber is now up to 94 strikeouts in only 57.2 innings pitched. At that pace, Bieber has the second-best strikeout pace in the history of baseball, only trailing Randy Johnson (as Fantrax’s Chris Clegg pointed out on twitter). Bieber will without a doubt be a top-three starting pitcher heading into the 2021 draft season.
Rookie Triston McKenzie continued to impress on Wednesday last week, as he pitched six innings of scoreless baseball, striking out 10. Through three starts, he owns a 1.69 ERA, striking out 19 in 16.0 innings.
Not to be outdone, Zach Plesac returned to the mound after nearly a month away from the team after being sent home for violating team rules. Plesac pitched six strong innings against the Royals, giving up one earned run and striking out six. On the season, he has a 1.33 ERA and a 0.67 WHIP.

Detroit Tigers

Tarik Skubal seems to be settling in after impressing on Saturday against the Minnesota Twins. Skubal pitched six innings, only giving up one earned run, and striking out six. After not making it through three innings in either of his first two starts, Skubal has pitched 11 innings in his last two starts, only giving up three earned runs. He is a solid streamer option for the rest of the season.
Victor Reyes looks to have the leadoff spot locked down in Detroit, and he offers some excellent upside in a young lineup looking to get reps in for the future. Reyes has a seven-game hitting streak and has hit safely in fourteen of his past fifteen games. He is becoming a must-add player in all league types with his high on-base ability.

Kansas City Royals

Jorge Soler is day-to-day with right oblique soreness. It has been a season to forget for the slugger, as he has only hit .235 with eight home runs, not returning his top 100 value where he was drafted.
Edward Oliveras has hit safely in all three games he has participated in for the Royals after being traded from the Padres. He hit his first home run for the Royals on Sunday, and look to receive every day at-bats near the middle of the Kansas City lineup.

Minnesota Twins

Max Kepler was sent to the injured list with a left adductor strain, and the Twins called up the number 12 overall prospect in their farm in Brent Rooker to replace him. Rooker has a ton of raw power and will be fun to watch while he has an opportunity.
Michael Pineda has looked excellent in his return from suspension after he pitched another quality start against the Detroit Tigers on Monday. Pineda threw seven innings of two-run ball, striking out eight. He is looking like a solid pickup for those who are in need of pitching help down the stretch.

AL West

Houston Astros

Alex Bregman will be activated from the injured list on Tuesday, as the Astros are looking to stay on pace with the Oakland A’s, who lead the division by 3 1/2 games. Bregman has had an OK season, hitting .272 with four home runs in 107 plate appearances.
Bregman is even more important seeing that Jose Altuve was placed on the injured list with a right knee sprain. It is not expected to be serious at this time, but he will be out until at least September 14.
Lance McCullers also hit the injured list on Sunday. He suffered nerve irritation in his neck. McCullers has struggled mightily in his return season, possessing an ugly 5.79 ERA and 1.42 WHIP.
For as bad as the Astros have been hit on the injury front, Kyle Tucker has more than made up for the missing bats. The 23-year-old phenom has torn the cover off the ball the last few weeks, as he has hit five home runs since August 23. He also has a team-high 37 RBI, which ranks him 4th in all of baseball. Throw in five steals, and Tucker has thrown himself into early draft conversation for 2021.

Los Angeles Angels

Mike Trout set an Angels record with his 300th career home run, passing his fellow fish brethren Tim Salmon’s club record. He is currently tied for a league-high 15 home runs with Fernando Tatis Jr., and he’s hitting the ball as well as ever. Those two, along with Mookie Betts and Ronald Acuna, will make up the top four picks in fantasy drafts next season.
All-everything prospect Jo Adell had himself a day against the Astros on Saturday. He hit a home run, he prevented a home run by stealing it over the wall, and he also delivered a game-winning two-run single. Adell has mostly struggled through 26 games this season, only hitting three home runs while hitting a poor .194 with a 39.0% strikeout rate. He will look to turn things around to close out the year.
David Fletcher went to the injured list after he sprained his left ankle trying to beat out a throw at first base. The 26-year-old has enjoyed an excellent season, as he has is hitting .313 with 24 runs scored and two stolen bases.

Oakland Athletics

Matt Chapman was out of the lineup on Monday with hip tendinitis. This will be something to monitor, as these types of injuries can cause nagging pain for extended periods of time. The A’s would suffer significantly without Chapman manning third base.
A.J. Puk was shut down with his shoulder issues rearing its ugly head again. Puk was slated to start the year in the A’s rotation, but a left shoulder strain shut him down for months. He was making progress in rehab, but that looks to not be the case anymore. Puk seems destined for a bullpen role with these injuries he has suffered over the past few years.
The A’s acquired Tommy La Stella from the Angels for Franklin Barretto, and La Stella has already made an impact for Oakland. He had back to back two hit games over the weekend, raising his season average to .272. La Stella figures to give the A’s some life against righties.

Seattle Mariners

The Seattle Mariners won their sixth straight game on Monday, as they now find themselves at 19-22 and 2 1/2 games back from the second-place Houston Astros.
Helping them along the way is the surprising efforts of Marco Gonzales. He is coming off a complete-game four-hitter, where he only allowed one run. This lowered his ERA to an impressive 3.09 and his WHIP to an elite 0.92. I wouldn’t trust Gonzales to continue this pace, but stranger things have happened.
Yohan Ramirez looks like the favorite to get saves for the Mariners currently, as he has converted their past two opportunities. He has been solid this season, maintaining a 3.21 ERA, and striking out 22 in 14.0 innings pitched.

Texas Rangers

Shin-Soo Choo sprained his wrist on Monday, and he’s expected to miss at least a few days. The 38-year-old has not been great this season, but he would be a big loss for a team trying to avoid being baseball’s worst.
Lance Lynn is somehow still a Ranger, so expect plenty of innings from the big man to end the season. Lynn has been the lone bright spot for the Rangers this season, as he has a 2.67 ERA in 57.1 innings pitched.

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MLB News and Notes With Fantasy Implications – September 8, 2020