Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Dylan Cease (shoulder) said that he will take some downtime over the next few weeks to allow the inflammation in his shoulder to subside. However, the 30-year-old also expects to have a relatively normal offseason, hopefully alleviating any long-term concerns about a major injury. With surgery currently off the table, the belief is that time away from throwing will give his shoulder what it needs to return to full health. With the expectation that he will be ready for Opening Day in 2027, he is someone to remember at the top end of drafts come draft day, as his track record for endurance is unparalleled. That being said, how he responds to a ramp-up in the winter will be a key indicator of whether this shoulder issue is truly behind him. He will finish the 2026 season with 239 strikeouts over 169.0 innings pitched, along with an impressive 2.40 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and 11 wins.

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Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung (hand) suffered a fractured right hand, according to X-rays after an early removal from Friday's game. A pitch hit the 28-year-old in the first inning of a pivotal game against Minnesota, and the testing later confirmed the injury. He will miss time while he heals, ending his 2026 season on a sour note. Still, despite battling multiple injuries all season, he will finish with a .299 batting average and 12 home runs over 104 games. While nothing has been confirmed, it would appear that he will be ready for Spring Training next season. He remains in the mix for late-round fantasy upside heading into 2027, with the potential for more should he be able to stay healthy. That said, his draft price will surely take his extensive injury history into account.

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New York Yankees right-handed pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez will pitch on Sunday against the division-rival Baltimore Orioles in the final game of the 2026 regular season, weather permitting, according to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. It will be Rodriguez's seventh start in his first year in the big leagues, and his first since he allowed four earned runs in 3 2/3 innings with three walks and five strikeouts in a loss to the Los Angeles Angels on the road on Aug. 31. The 23-year-old Puerto Rican native is 0-3 with the Yankees this year with a 5.40 ERA (4.86 FIP) and 1.57 WHIP with 21 strikeouts and 16 walks in 26 2/3 innings pitched over his six starts. The former fourth-rounder by the Boston Red Sox in 2021 went 8-4 with a 2.45 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, and 105:54 K:BB in 106 1/3 innings across 21 starts in the minors for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Rodriguez is the team's No. 2 overall prospect, per MLB Pipeline, but his lack of control at the major-league level in a small sample size will make him extremely risky for fantasy managers still vying for a championship on the final weekend of the regular season.

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The Minnesota Twins officially activated shortstop prospect Kaelen Culpepper (hamstring) from the 10-day injured list on Saturday and placed right-handed reliever Jeff Hoffman (forearm) on the 15-day injured list with inflammation in his right forearm in a corresponding move, according to Aaron Gleeman. The Twins have elected to bring Culpepper back for the final two games of the regular season after he was placed on the IL on Sept. 16 with a left-hamstring strain. He should be back in action on Saturday evening at home against the Texas Rangers and right-hander Nathan Eovaldi. The 23-year-old former first-rounder in 2024 from Kansas State University is viewed as the team's shortstop of the future, and MLB Pipeline has him ranked as Minnesota's No. 3 overall prospect, behind only outfielder Walker Jenkins and catcher Vahn Lackey. Culpepper has looked good in his first 109 major-league at-bats, hitting .275 with three home runs, 11 RBI, 15 runs scored, and a stolen base. He brings a strong contact-oriented approach with good bat speed and the ability to send line drives to all parts of the field.

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The Minnesota Twins placed right-handed reliever Jeff Hoffman (forearm) on the 15-day injured list on Saturday with inflammation in his right forearm, according to Aaron Gleeman. The Twins activated shortstop prospect Kaelen Culpepper (hamstring) from the 10-day injured list in a corresponding move. After blowing the save in Game 7 of last year's World Series against the Dodgers, Hoffman finishes his 2026 campaign with a 6-8 record, 3.55 ERA (2.47 FIP), a 1.32 WHIP, only six saves, a career-high 102 strikeouts, and 30 walks in 66 innings out of the bullpen for the Twins and Toronto Blue Jays. He had five of his six saves on the year in Toronto, but also an ERA near 4.00. Although Hoffman was used as more of a late-inning setup man after being acquired in a trade by Minnesota, he fared better in his 20 relief outings with the Twins, with a 2.50 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and 27:12 K:BB in 18 innings pitched. Despite not seeing many save chances, Hoffman picked up a career-high 22 holds and was still very valuable in fantasy formats that reward points for holds.

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Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said that catcher Gabriel Moreno (hamstring) left Friday night's win over the division-rival San Diego Padres with a tender left hamstring, according to Steve Gilbert of MLB.com. The skipper expects Moreno to be in the starting lineup on Saturday night at Petco Park as the designated hitter. The D-backs will call up a catcher to have another backup just in case. Outfielder Jesus Sanchez was designated for assignment to open up a spot on the roster. In the Snakes' 11-4 victory on Friday night, Moreno went 2-for-3 at the plate with an RBI, two runs scored, and a walk before being replaced behind the dish by James McCann. The D-backs can ill-afford to lose their starting catcher with just two games remaining in the regular season, as the Venezuelan backstop is hitting over .300 on the year with 16 home runs. Arizona enters play on Saturday just one game behind the Philadelphia Phillies for the final wild-card spot in the National League with two games left to play.

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Philadelphia's SP Cristopher Sanchez recorded 10 strikeouts in 7 innings but took the loss in a 2-0 loss to the Rays on Friday, Sep. 25.

Kansas City Royals' C Carter Jensen had five RBIs going 2-for-4 with two home runs in a 12-9 loss to the Guardians on Friday, Sep. 25.

Dodgers' SP Tarik Skubal recorded 10 strikeouts in 7 innings collecting the win in a 2-0 win over San Francisco on Friday, Sep. 25.

Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Andrew Vaughn (illness) was placed on the 10-day Injured List on Friday, retroactive to Tuesday. Before Friday's game, Vaughn had been sidelined for four straight games due to a lingering illness. The Brewers decided to place him on the shelf now, so Vaughn will be eligible to return before the postseason on October 3. This season, Vaughn slashed .306/.390/.444 with six home runs and 43 RBI across 331 plate appearances. In a corresponding move, outfielder Brandon Lockridge has been recalled to give the Brewers a fresh body for the final few games of the regular season.

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Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Corbin Burnes (shoulder) was placed on the 15-day Injured List on Friday. Burnes was expected to make his final start of the season on Sunday, but instead, he'll go to the shelf due to right shoulder inflammation. Burnes only made three starts this season as he missed most of the year while recovering from Tommy John surgery. He was lit up for a 7.84 ERA and 1.55 WHIP across his 10.1 innings of work this season. The D-Backs still have a chance to make the postseason, so there's a chance that Burnes can contribute in October. His regular season is over, and it's unclear what exactly fantasy managers should expect out of Burnes next season.

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Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Chandler Simpson (foot) was forced to make an early exit during Friday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Marc Topkin reports. Simpson sustained an injury after fouling a ball off his foot in the sixth inning. He attempted to stay in the game, but he was pulled in the seventh inning. He was hitless during his three plate appearances during the victory over the Phillies. The expectation is that he'll undergo imaging to determine the severity of the injury. For now, Simpson should be considered day-to-day until more information is known.

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Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung (hand) was removed from Friday's game against the Minnesota Twins. Jung was taken out of the game after getting hit by a pitch on the hand, Kennedi Landry reports. He remained in the game to run the bases and play the field, but Jung was removed for a pinch-hitter once his spot in the batting order came up again. Before being removed, Jung went hitless with a run scored. The assumption is that Jung will undergo X-rays to determine the severity of the injury. Cody Freeman would likely see more starts at third base if Jung is forced to miss any time. Fantasy managers should check back on Saturday for another update on Jung.

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Seattle Mariners relief pitcher Andres Munoz (knee) was placed on the 15-day Injured List on Friday, Ryan Divish reports. Munoz hasn't pitched since Sunday, and now goes to the shelf due to right knee inflammation. His inconsistent 2026 season will now come to an end with a few games left in the regular season. He'll finish the season with a 4.24 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and an 89/24 K/BB ratio with 28 saves across 57.2 innings of work. The expectation is that Jose A. Ferrer and Seranthony Dominguez will work in save situations over the final few days of the regular season. Fantasy managers should expect Munoz to be back in the closer role and fully healthy for the start of next season.

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Philadelphia Phillies infielder Luis Arraez (ankle) is out of the team's starting lineup on Friday against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays, and the report on his ankle injury from Thursday night is "not a great one," interim manager Don Mattingly told Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Mattingly did not give a grade on the sprain, and the Phillies have not decided on an injured-list placement, which would take Arraez out until at least Oct. 5, or around Game 3 of the divisional round. X-rays on Arraez's left ankle came back negative on Thursday night, but his sprained ankle is still stiff and sore, which is why he will not play on Friday. Bryson Stott is at second base and batting fifth on Friday, with Edmundo Sosa at third base and hitting ninth against Rays right-hander Freddy Peralta. The Phillies would obviously love to avoid putting the 29-year-old All-Star on the IL, but if he cannot play at all this weekend, they might have no choice. The four-time All-Star and three-time batting champion has hit only .278 (49-for-176) in his 46 games with the Phillies this year after being traded from the San Francisco Giants in early August, but he is still the league's leading hitter at .310 overall. Not having Arraez available next week for the start of the playoffs (if the Phillies qualify) would be a big loss for Philadelphia.

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Miami Marlins middle infielder Xavier Edwards (thumb) remains out of the starting nine for Friday's series opener at home against the division-rival Atlanta Braves, per MLB.com. Jared Serna will make another start at second base for the Fish and will hit in the nine-hole against Braves left-hander Ray Kerr. This will be Edwards' fifth straight missed game after he aggravated a left-thumb injury last Saturday against the San Diego Padres. The Marlins have not rushed the 27-year-old back after being eliminated from playoff contention. At this point, he only has two more chances to return before the end of the regular season on Saturday and Sunday against Atlanta. The switch-hitting middle infielder was having a second straight solid season for the Fish this year, slashing .280/.360/.371 with a .730 OPS, a career-high six home runs, 52 RBI, 21 stolen bases, and 61 runs scored across 142 games and 595 plate appearances. You are not going to get any power from Edwards, but he remains useful for his speed and contact-oriented approach at the dish in fantasy leagues.

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Detroit Tigers new top prospect Zyhir Hope showed off plenty of promise with Double-A Erie following his trade from the Dodgers in the Tarik Skubal deal. Hope was the headline piece coming back to Detroit after dealing away their ace and he proved his potential with a massive minor-league season at the Double-A level between the Dodgers and Tigers. The 21-year-old left-handed hitter combined to hit .287 with 29 homers and 111 RBI to go with 86 runs scored and 26 stolen bases. Hope has a 50-grade hit tool with 60-grade power and 55-grade speed. The future is bright for Hope and he could make his debut with the Tigers in 2027. Expect the five-category skills Hope has shown in the minors to translate to the big leagues, making him a great target for fantasy managers as soon as next season.

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Detroit Tigers catcher prospect Josue Briceno overcame wrist surgery and battled a late ankle injury in what was an injury-plagued age 22 minor league season. Briceno combined between four minor-league levels in 2026 to combine for a .250 batting average with nine homers and 29 RBI and 23 runs in 42 total games. Briceno played 15 games at Triple-A Toledo and hit just .196 in a very small sample size. He hit .297 in 17 games at Double-A Erie prior to his call up to Toledo. Briceno is the No. 4 prospect of the Tigers and has a 50-grade hit tool with 60-grade power. The catcher position is in good shape in Detroit with All-Star Dillon Dingler and Eduardo Valencia. Briceno is a power bat with limited speed that could potentially shift to first base or find a spot at DH if needed, but he is still a big part of the future plans for Tigers brass and could make a 2027 debut.

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Washington Nationals left-hander Connelly Early (elbow) threw 40 pitches across 1 2/3 innings with Triple-A Rochester on Sept. 20 and will come off the 60-day injured list to make one more start this season this weekend against the division-rival New York Mets, according to MLB.com. Early landed on the injured list on July 1 and was moved to the 60-day IL on Aug. 22 due to inflammation in his left elbow. It will be his first start with the Nationals after the team acquired him from the Boston Red Sox at the trade deadline in early August. In his 17 starts (91 2/3 innings pitched) for the BoSox this year in his second season in the big leagues, Early went 7-5 with a 3.44 ERA (4.60 FIP) and 1.25 WHIP with 93 strikeouts and 34 walks. He had a 2.33 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in a smaller sample size of only four starts in his first taste of the big leagues near the end of the 2025 campaign. Early, a fifth-rounder from Virginia in 2023, is one of the more intriguing young lefty arms in baseball, but he will be far too risky in starting fantasy lineups with championships on the line this weekend against New York after his long injury layoff.

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Tampa Bay Rays first base prospect Xavier Isaac had a good minor league season at age 22 and closed it off well with a good stint at Triple-A Durham. Called up to Durham from Double-A Montgomery on August 25, Isaac played 18 games with the Durham Bulls down the stretch. He finished that stint with three homers and eight RBI in 59 at bats with a .271 batting average and 11 runs scored. Altogether between Montgomery and Durham, Isaac combined to hit .258 with 27 homers and 79 RBI to go with 20 stolen bases and 88 runs scored. Isaac is the No. 18 prospect in the Rays system and looks like he could be ready for a role on the 2027 Rays team. Isaac appears to be a promising talent with 60-grade power, but just a 35-grade hit tool. He could be a good homer and RBI threat but leave something to be desired in the batting average category.

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