Toronto Blue Jays @ Texas Rangers
Friday, September 18, 2026, 7:05 PM CDT (105.3 The Fan / Rangers Sports Network)
The Shed
RHP Dylan Cease vs. RHP Kumar Rocker
Go Rangers!
Game 154 Game Day Thread – Toronto Blue Jays @ Texas Rangers
Jays Roster Moves: Lorenzen DFA, Rodríguez up
There is a little bit of Jays news this afternoon:
- Michael Lorenzen has been DFAed.
- José Rodríguez has been called up.
- Anthony Santander is playing in the outfield for the Bisons.
- Andres Gimenez is dealing with a hamstring, but it is ‘feeling better’. He will be available off the bench tonight.
- Trey Yesavage threw a side session in Texas.
- Shane Bieber will throw a side session tomorrow.
Rodríguez came to us from the Dodgers, in trade for Sebastian Rodriguez on September first this year. Jose is a 25-year-old right-hander. He has pitched in 28 Triple-A games this year, with a 4.50 ERA. in 38 innings, he’s allowed 30 hits, 23 walks and 51 strikeouts. That’s a lot of strikeouts (and a lot of walks). He throws high 90s.
Lorenzen….well, you know.
Tonight’s lineups:
Orioles vs. Brewers discussion: September 18
Clinging to ever-fainter AL wild card hopes, the Orioles are back in Baltimore to play the MLB-best Brewers over the penultimate weekend of the 2026 regular season. No big deal or anything, but the Orioles probably need to sweep this series, and definitely need to at most lose a single game, to hold on to that tenuous hope.
It’s not an impossible task. The Orioles have had some good baseball against good teams at times this year. They are capable of playing well. They are also fully capable of not playing well, reflected in their records against teams like the Yankees (2-8) and Red Sox (4-9). Not being competitive against two of their AL East rivals is one reason why they are where they are.
Scoreboard watching is almost entirely irrelevant. The Orioles have to win enough to get themselves to 83 wins and then see what happens. If the Orioles do win tonight, the best thing for their slim chances beyond that would be if the Guardians beat the Athletics and the White Sox lose to the Tigers. It’s better for the Orioles if the White Sox are the third wild card team rather than the Central leader because the O’s have the head-to-head tiebreaker over Chicago, which they don’t over Cleveland.
Again, though, it doesn’t matter if the Orioles don’t go 8-1. Maybe they could go 8-1 and it still wouldn’t matter! That’s the problem with how many games they’ve blown that they should have won this year, such that they now face a three game deficit with nine games to play. They have had some bad luck this year, to be sure, but mostly the players who were supposed to play well have not played well, with the exception of Pete Alonso. I like that guy.
Orioles lineup
- Dylan Beavers – LF
- Pete Alonso – 1B
- Gunnar Henderson – SS
- Coby Mayo – 3B
- Samuel Basallo – C
- Christian Encarnacion-Strand – DH
- Colton Cowser – CF
- Jeremiah Jackson – 2B
- Leody Taveras – RF
Cade Povich has been recalled to make the start for the Orioles. I am on the record as a Povich disliker, chiefly because of his poor last two seasons in the majors, when he had a 5.21 ERA. Through seven games of this season, he’s done much better at a 4.05.
The Brewers are a bit worse against lefties as compared to righties, at least in terms of their team OPS. Perhaps in tonight’s game, Povich will be a good enough lefty to capitalize on that platoon advantage. That’s not to say it will be easy. Even with that weaker split as a team, the Brewers have gone 33-14 in games started by lefties. Wow! The Orioles, if you are wondering, while much better than they began the season, are 24-25 in those games.
Brewers lineup
- Jackson Chourio – LF
- Brice Turang – 2B
- William Contreras – C
- Andrew Vaughn – 1B
- Christian Yelich – DH
- Joey Ortiz – 3B
- Garrett Mitchell – CF
- Luis Lara – RF
- Cooper Pratt – SS
The Brewers starting pitcher, Dustin May, began the season with the Cardinals, where he posted a disappointing 4.38 ERA (89 ERA+). Milwaukee acquired him at the trade deadline and he’s been worse for them (4.91 ERA, 85 ERA+). Orioles fans are well acquainted with the fact that this means little for how the team’s hitters will perform against a particular pitcher.
Aaron Judge heading to the injured list with calf strain
Just days after his return from a lengthy absence, Aaron Judge is once again heading to the injured list, a heavy blow for a Yankees team with great postseason aspirations that relies on the presence of their star player. Although the news broke today, Judge will be officially placed on the IL on Saturday, leaving the Yankees short a healthy player for tonight’s matchup against the Diamondbacks.
There has been a heavy cloud in Yankee land ever since Judge left Wednesday’s game against the Minnesota Twins in the sixth inning of an eventual 5-4 loss. Now, we know for sure that he is out for nearly the entire remainder of the season (Jon Heyman reports that he could be activated for Game 162).
According to Judge, he felt a problem in the first inning but initially decided to play through it before eventually leaving with right leg discomfort that’s been diagnosed as a calf strain. In the game, Judge struck out in both of his plate appearances before giving way to pinch-hitter Heliot Ramos, who took over in right.
Moving forward, it’s a glass-half-empty, half-full scenario; considering this injury is unrelated to his previous issue, it mostly depends on how you want to look at it. Clearly, it’s severe enough that, at the very least, the Yankees decided to err on the side of caution, removing their star hitter from the home stretch.
As far as Judge’s replacement on the roster is concerned, since the official IL placement will come on Saturday, the Yankees can’t announce who is coming up, but all expectations are that Max Schuemann will get the nod. The utility player formerly of the A’s last appeared in the bigs roughly a month ago, accumulating 87 plate appearances in 41 games off the bench for the Yankees this season with a pair of home runs.
Mets vs Phillies: Lineups, broadcast info, and open thread, 9/18/26
Mets lineup
Francisco Lindor – SS
Juan Soto – LF
Bo Bichette – 3B
Carson Benge – RF
Mark Vientos – DH
A.J. Ewing – CF
Marcus Semien – 2B
Brett Baty – 1B
Luis Torrens – C
SP: Zac Thornton – LHP
Phillies lineup
Kyle Schwarber – DH
Trea Turner – SS
Bryce Harper – RF
Luis Arraez – 2B
Alec Bohm – 1B
Edmundo Sosa – LF
Bryson Stott – 3B
J.T. Realmuto – C
Derek Hill – CF
SP: Jose Urquidy – RHP
Broadcast Info
First pitch: 7:15 PM EDT
TV: Apple TV+
Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2
Game #154: A’s at Guardians Game Thread
The Athletics begin a three-game series against the Cleveland Guardians tonight, looking to bounce back from a three-game sweep by the Tampa Bay Rays earlier this week. Cleveland is battling the Chicago White Sox for the American League Central division title, giving the A’s an opportunity to play spoiler should they emerge with the series victory.
Before the game, the A’s made a small roster move.
The club optioned left-hander Joe Rock to Triple-A one day after he made his Athletics’ debut. Rock failed to retire any of the three Rays batters he faced, allowing one hit and two walks before exiting with the bases loaded and no outs.
Right-hander Mason Barnett, promoted to start tonight, takes Rock’s place on the A’s big-league roster. The 25-year-old has bounced between the majors and the minors this season. When Barnett was first called-up earlier this year, he primarily worked in relief. Injuries and struggles from other pitchers later moved him into the A’s rotation, where he struggled over four starts before being sent back to Triple-A.
Barnett enters his 19th game and fifth start of the season with a 1-4 record, a 7.08 ERA, a 1.62 WHIP and 38 strikeouts in 40 2/3 innings. He will make his first career start against the Guardians this evening. With the A’s rotation in flux, a strong outing could help Barnett earn another opportunity to start before the end of the season.
Here’s the A’s lineup for the series opener:
It appears that A’s manager Mark Kotsay learned little from Thursday’s defensive struggles. Versatile Zack Gelof fits best on the dirt, particularly at third base and second base, yet, he is starting in left field — the same position where he injured his knee trying to catch a fly ball in Detroit earlier this season. The move allows the A’s to further evaluate defensively challenged Tommy White at third base.
With Shea Langeliers restricted from playing defense, Jonah Heim, who has struggled at the plate and behind it, will catch. Michael Stefanic receives a rare start, while Denzel Clarke is once again out of the starting lineup despite collecting a single, a walk and two stolen bases yesterday. Clarke, the Athletics’ best defensive outfielder, needs playing time after missing nearly the entire season because of injuries.
The Guardians, meanwhile, are rolling with the opener strategy. Right-hander Daniel Espino will be the first pitcher Cleveland sends to the mound. The 25-year-old has shown incredible perseverance to reach the majors. Cleveland’s former top prospect was once hailed as the next great arm to emerge from the team’s highly-regarded pitching development system. Then, a string of injuries nearly derailed his career before it could begin.
Given Espino’s injury history, he has worked in relief since making his MLB debut in June. This will be his second time serving as the opener in his last three games. Espino pitched two innings in his first outing as an opener, so it seems likely he will last that long again today before turning things over to a new pitcher.
The starting nine for Stephen Vogt’s Guardians:
Barnett and the rest of the Athletics’ pitching staff will have to tread carefully because Cleveland’s lineup is more potent than the one the A’s faced when these teams met in Sacramento in May. Trade deadline acquisitions Jo Adell and Nathaniel Lowe have added power to a lineup anchored by future Hall of Famer Jose Ramirez, while second baseman Travis Bazzana and right fielder Chase DeLauter have been two of the American League’s top-performing rookies.
Time to return to winning ways and cause some chaos in the American League Central. Let’s go, A’s!
Follow the Game:
Watch:
Athletics – NBCSCA
Ranger Suarez takes the bump in Tampa Bay
⚾️ First Pitch: 7:10pm – Tropicana Park, Tampa, FL
📺 TV: NESN
📻 Radio: WEEI
Royals at Pirates, September 18 live game discussion
Welcome to the penultimate weekend of regular season baseball and the Royals’ final road series of the year. What a long, disappointing journey it’s been. I’m old enough to remember when the baseball season seemed like it would never end, and this one felt like it just started a couple of weeks ago.
Speaking of when I watched baseball as a youth… I had a habit back then of comparing the expected starting pitcher ERAs to determine who I thought was likely to win the series. If I still did that, today’s matchup of Randy Dobnak (2.73 ERA) versus Paul Skenes (3.78 ERA) would be a slam dunk for KC in my mind. Sadly, I’ve since learned better. Ignorance is bliss, y’all.
Unbelievably, Dobnak Time is still running strong after a full 13 games and 11 starts. That’s 1/3 of a season! At this point, it doesn’t seem like DT will stop before the season does. That bodes super well for the hirsute 31-year-old. Even if the Royals inexplicably didn’t bring him back in some capacity for 2027, it now seems like he could probably wrangle a big league deal out of someone instead of having to exercise an upward mobility clause just to get on the 40-man roster in a tailspin.
Paul Skenes is having the worst season of his young career, and he still figures to be worth nearly 5 fWAR. If only we could all have such lackluster seasons. He’s had a couple of good starts in a row, but before that he got shelled by the lowly San Francisco Giants. A team I’ve been assured has little to no offensive capabilities. So maybe the Royals have a shot. Either way, this will be Skenes first ever appearance against the Royals. They managed to just dance around him each of the past two seasons, but the time has come for them to face the music.
Lineups
Jac Caglianone, who doesn’t have a hit after missing time with the most recent arm injury, gets the day off. But Maikel Garcia will play for the second straight day. John Rave and Nick Loftin will man the corners.
To be entirely honest, the Pirates only have like three hitters who scare me. And I haven’t even heard of a couple of them. But that doesn’t mean tonight’s game will be easy.
Two-start pitchers: Logan Gilbert fronts a small list of quality options for the season’s final week
Hello and welcome to the final installment of our weekly two-start pitcher article for the 2026 MLB season.
If your fantasy league is still playing this week, then every inning matters. You know where you stand in each and every category, and grinding out every additional win or strikeout could be the difference between winning and losing at this stage. The pickups that are made this week could be what sets you apart from your competition.
This is a living document, so we'll update the options below as the weekend moves along.
Before we get into it, we'll start with a couple of notes on situations that may be unresolved or teams that may not have a two-start pitcher lined up for the upcoming week. With teams setting their rotations for the postseason, there are also pitchers who may be held back from making their projected second start, which is definitely something to keep in mind.
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The Dodgers continue to roll with a six-man rotation and will also be interested in setting up their rotation for the postseason, so with only six games on the schedule it’s highly unlikely that any of their starters are going to pitch twice. Yoshinobu Yamamoto will take the ball on Monday and it’s possible that he may get an inning or two on Sunday if someone else (Blake Snell maybe) gets skipped during the week, but he should be locked into lineups regardless of whether it’s one start or two, so there’s no actionable takeaways there.
The Brewers have also been utilizing a six-man rotation for most of the second half and with six games on their docket, it’s unlikely that any of their starters get a two-start week. Jacob Misiorowski is scheduled to start on Monday against the Phillies and it’s possible he could throw a few innings on Sunday as well if the Brewers want him to get the work in. He’s in all fantasy lineups no matter what though, so that wouldn’t change anything.
The Twins have been utilizing a six-man alignment as well down the stretch, so with six games on their schedule that means that everyone will just take the ball once. Bailey Ober is pitching on Monday and would be the beneficiary if any of their other starters were to get skipped during the week, but as of now that seems unlikely. He would make for a decent streaming option though with matchups against the Giants in San Francisco and against the Rangers at home.
The Mets are also rolling with a six-man rotation to end the season, so there are no two-start pitchers there either. Sean Manaea pitches on Tuesday (at Rangers) and could conceivably pitch on Sunday as well (at Nationals) if anyone gets skipped during the week. We’ll update here if anything happens to change.
Someone on the Yankees is likely to make two starts next week, we just aren’t sure whether it’ll be Gerrit Cole or Carlos Rodon. Both are scheduled to pitch in Tuesday’s doubleheader against the Rays and both would be on regular rest for the regular season finale against the Orioles on Sunday. It’s also possible that the Yankees mix in a bullpen game there and no one winds up with the two-start week. If we gain any clarity from Yankees’ skipper Aaron Boone over the weekend, we’ll update here.
Very similar to the Yankees’ situation, we don’t have a clear picture on what the Rays will do with their rotation next week. It looks like Nick Martinez and Drew Rasmussen are lined up for the two games of Tuesday’s doubleheader against the Yankees. One of them could end up pitching again on Sunday and give them a two-start week, but that’ll all depend on how the club plans to structure its rotation for the postseason. Rasmussen should be locked into lineups regardless and Martinez is still a decent option even if it’s just a single-start week.
The Blue Jays’ rotation is extremely short-handed at the moment, leading to much uncertainty on what they will do over the final week of the season. My best guess would be another bullpen day on Monday, and then if the team is still in the mix for a wild card on Sunday, you could see Max Scherzer draw a second start for the week. It’s a gamble for sure if you want to chance that he makes two starts, but it’s one that could wind up paying off.
The Nationals also plan to utilize a six-man rotation over the final week of the season, so none of their underwhelming options are going to wind up making two starts. Unless it was Cade Cavalli though, fantasy managers shouldn’t have interest anyways.
Going Twice…
Note: Probable pitchers as of September 18 and are subject to change.
American League
▶ Strong Plays
Logan Gilbert, Mariners, RHP (vs. Astros, vs. Angels)
While it has been a disappointing season overall for the Mariners in 2026, Gilbert has certainly done his job, posting a 3.69 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and a 194/46 K/BB ratio over 178 innings through his first 30 starts. That’s right in line with what expectations were for the right-hander coming into the season. He’ll look to finish the year strong with a pair of home matchups against familiar divisional foes that he has had all sorts of success against. In a week where the quality two-start options are quite limited, Gilbert represents one of the best overall plays on the board.
Drew Anderson, Tigers, RHP (vs. Nationals, vs. Pirates)
Drew Anderson has pitched very well since joining the Tigers’ rotation in early August, registering a 2.58 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and a 31/19 K/BB ratio over 38 1/3 innings. He draws a pair of really nice matchups to finish the season with both starts coming in the spacious confines of Comerica Park. I know that he’s hard to trust given the limited track record stateside, but Anderson actually makes for a very strong play this week and is someone that I’d start in all formats.
Jake Bennett, Red Sox, LHP (vs. Guardians, vs. Cubs)
Bennett has done a really nice job in his rookie campaign for the Red Sox, compiling a 3.78 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and a 90/20 K/BB ratio across 109 2/3 innings in his 19 starts. His performance has dropped off considerably in the second half though as he seems to be hitting a bit of a wall from a workload perspective. Since July 22 he holds a 5.14 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP over 56 frames. What has still been there is the strikeouts. He has punched out six or more batters in five of his last six starts. If you’re able to absorb the ratio risk and need to make up ground in strikeouts, he’s a strong option this week.
▶ Decent Plays
Cristian Javier, Astros, RHP (at Mariners, at Athletics)
As you can expect after such a long layoff, we have seen plenty of inconsistency in Javier’s performance this season. He appears to have shaken off the rust though and is rounding into form now. Over his last three starts, the 29-year-old hurler holds a 2.20 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and a 15/7 K/BB ratio over 16 1/3 innings of work. That’s enough for me to give him a shot in a two-start week against two familiar divisional foes. Having to pitch at Sutter Health Park to finish the week isn’t ideal, but the A’s offense is limping to the finish line and there aren’t any left-handed bats there that we should be worried about. I’d feel comfortable streaming him in all league sizes.
Daniel Lynch IV, Royals, LHP (vs. White Sox, vs. Guardians)
Lynch has struggled with the transition back to being a full-time starter after spending most of the season in the bullpen. In his first eight starts he holds an uninspiring 5.28 ERA and a 17/11 K/BB ratio over 30 2/3 innings. That’s not helpful at all for fantasy purposes. He has pitched better lately though, allowing just two runs over 10 innings in his last two starts while notching victories in both of them. He gets the opportunity to play spoiler against a pair of divisional rivals this week and the added intensity of those games should lead to quality results. I’d definitely be streaming him in 15-teamers and I may even take the plunge in 12’s if I needed another viable arm.
Shane Baz, Orioles, RHP (vs. Blue Jays, at Yankees)
Baz’s first season with the Orioles can definitely be characterized as a disappointment. He enters the final week of the season with an atrocious 6-15 record, 4.11 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP over 173 innings with just 152 strikeouts along the way. He has been way more hurtful than helpful for fantasy purposes. You should expect more of the same over his final two starts. He could give you 8-10 strikeouts with a chance at a victory, but it’ll likely come at the expense of a poor WHIP and an ERA that isn’t going to be helpful. If that still sounds appealing to you, go ahead and roll the dice.
MacKenzie Gore, Rangers, LHP (vs. Mets, at Twins)
Gore has had another extremely inconsistent season, leading to a disappointing 4.67 ERA, 1.3 WHIP and a 172/69 K/BB ratio over 165 2/3 innings in 32 starts. Even the strikeouts have disappeared lately, with just three in total over 11 innings in his last three starts. It’s possible that the dropoff in production has been due to the heavy workload, in which case, there’s no real reason to expect him to bounce back in a two-start week here. The matchups are good though and in some leagues the 6-8 strikeouts that he’s able to provide here could wind up being the difference at the end of the season.
▶ At Your Own Risk
Foster Griffin, Guardians, LHP (at Red Sox, at Royals)
While Griffin has been a breakout star in 2026 and one of the best waiver wire finds of the season, he has not been the same pitcher since joining the Guardians at the trade deadline and shouldn’t be blindly started in the final week of the season. Over eight starts since the trade he holds a miserable 5.79 ERA, 1.61 WHIP and a 35/15 K/BB ratio across 37 1/3 innings of work. It’s possible that he fixes whatever has been ailing him and gets back on track this week, but the more likely scenario is continued ratio damage. Perhaps the strikeouts and the shot at a victory are worth the trade off, but think twice before locking him into lineups this week.
Yusei Kikuchi, Angels, LHP (at Athletics, at Mariners)
Kikuchi has had a rough season overall, registering a 5.02 ERA and 1.55 WHIP across 57 1/3 innings through his first 12 starts sandwiched around a trip to the injured list. He has also notched just one victory on the year. His performance has been slightly improved since returning from the injured list and he’ll try to finish the season on a high note against two divisional foes. I’m not thrilled about the prospects of using him at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, as his long balls woes could lead to a disastrous outing there. I’d only start Kikuchi if I was desperate to make up ground in strikeouts and could afford the hit to my ratios.
Anthony Kay, White Sox, LHP (at Royals, vs. Rockies)
On the surface, a pair of matchups at the Royals and against the Rockies would normally make anyone a strong streaming candidate – especially in the final week of the season. There are some serious red flags to consider here though. Kay has really struggled down the stretch, with a 7.06 ERA over 21 2/3 innings in his last five starts. He also hasn’t completed five innings in any of those outings, and with there being a strong chance that the White Sox will need Sunday’s game to keep their playoff hopes alive, they won’t hesitate to go to the bullpen in that one either. He’s an extremely volatile play this week. He could wind up delivering eight strikeouts and a victory with solid ratios. He could wind up giving you six innings total with three strikeouts and awful ratios. It’s up to your risk tolerance whether you want to take the chance or not.
Brady Basso, Athletics, LHP (vs. Angels, vs. Astros)
Basso has been transitioning to the Athletics’ starting rotation down the stretch, but he has yet to work deeper than four innings in any game so far and is very unlikely to pitch deep enough to earn a victory in either of these starts. The overall results on the season have been mediocre at best and his limited strikeout ability isn’t attractive for streaming purposes. Unless your ratios can’t be impacted by poor performance and you’re desperate for a live body to try to pick up a couple of strikeouts, Basso is best left on the waiver wire.
National League
▶ Strong Plays
Jared Jones, Pirates, RHP (vs. Cardinals, at Tigers)
After shaking off a bit of rust in his return from the injured list, Jones has been terrific for the Pirates and for fantasy managers. Over his last 13 starts, he holds a 3.56 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and an 84/22 K/BB ratio over 65 2/3 innings – and that includes an eight-run debacle against the Mets. He has allowed three earned runs or fewer in each of those 12 other starts. He gets a nice draw for the final week and represents one of the stronger overall options on the board. He should be started in all leagues without question.
Zack Wheeler, Phillies, RHP (vs. Brewers, vs. Rays)
Wheeler is tentatively lined up to start twice next week, though if seeding for the Wild Card is already decided by Sunday, it’s very likely that he’ll get skipped or work in a very limited capacity as the Phillies structure their rotation how they want to for the postseason. That means it’s probable that he’ll only get a single start against the Brewers this week. He’s a strong option and should be started for fantasy leagues regardless, just be aware that he’s probably not going to end up making two starts.
Kevin Gausman, Cubs, RHP (vs. Marlins, at Red Sox)
The Cubs may wind up needing Sunday’s game for seeding purposes, but they’ll have already clinched a postseason berth and will want to align their rotation for the Wild Card series, so it’s possible that Gausman doesn’t wind up making that second start or is limited if he does. He’s still a quality option for the week as he starts off with a strong matchup at home against the Marlins and would be in most fantasy lineups regardless. Just understand that he may not end up making two starts.
▶ Decent Plays
Michael Soroka, Diamondbacks, RHP (at Rockies, at Padres)
If anyone is going to make two starts for the Diamondbacks in the final week of the season, it looks like it’s going to be Soroka. It’s not an easy draw though, as he has to battle the Rockies at Coors Field to start the week before finishing up with the Padres in San Diego. He has pitched well overall on the season and is coming off of a strong start against the Marlins his last time out. You can’t count on the ratios being as strong as they have been given the matchups, but the strikeouts and chances of earning a victory are still there. He makes for a solid streaming option in the season’s final week.
Robbie Ray, Padres, LHP (at Dodgers, vs. Diamondbacks)
As of now, Ray is lined up to make two starts next week, though his availability on Sunday will ultimately be determined by how the Padres choose to line up their rotation for the Wild Card series. Meaning he may end up with just a one-start week against the Dodgers in Los Angeles which is far from ideal. He’s probably still worth using, just understand that he probably doesn’t get two starts and his overall ceiling for the week is greatly diminished.
Andre Pallante, Cardinals, RHP (at Pirates, vs. Brewers)
To the shock and dismay of most fantasy prognosticators, Pallante has actually had himself a nice season in the Cardinals’ rotation, posting a 3.70 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and a 104/47 K/BB ratio over 151 innings while picking up 12 victories. He’s coming off of a brutal start against the Giants though where he was rocked for six runs on eight hits over his five frames. The matchup against the Pirates to start the week looks strong and he could be facing a Brewers’ squad missing most of its regulars on the final day of the season. As long as you keep your expectations in check, he’s a fine streaming option.
Janson Junk, Marlins, RHP (at Cubs, vs. Braves)
Junk has done a nice job logging innings for the Marlins this season, but he hasn’t been very helpful for fantasy purposes, registering a mediocre 4.50 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and a 78/31 K/BB ratio over 114 innings of work. He now has to finish the season battling two of the stronger offenses in the National League, which is most definitely not a recipe for success. He’s also not a big strikeout guy, so if you’re trying to climb in that category, there are probably better options on the board for the ratio hit you could take here. He has a higher floor than most doubles available on the waiver wire if you just need a handful of strikeouts and an outside shot at a win.
Blade Tidwell, Giants, RHP (vs. Twins, vs. Dodgers)
Tidwell has made 16 appearances (eight starts) for the Giants this season, logging a 4.56 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and a 42/21 K/BB ratio over 53 1/3 innings. What he has on his side this week is the strong likelihood that he’ll actually make two starts, and the second one against the Dodgers could come against a bunch of backups on the final day of the season. If you need seven strikeouts, decent ratios and an outside shot at a win, he’s probably worth a shot in deeper mixed and NL-only formats.
▶ At Your Own Risk
Andrew Abbott, Reds, LHP (at Braves, at Blue Jays)
Abbott has really struggled down the stretch for the Reds, compiling a 9.15 ERA over 19 2/3 innings in his last five starts. When he’s on his game, he is able to pile up strikeouts and is a threat to win, but he has not been in that form consistently in quite some time. The matchups are also tough, batting two potential playoff teams on the road. Once again, if your only concern is strikeouts and wins and you are alright taking on the ratio risk, you can fire away. If you care about your ratios at all though, I’d sit this one out.
JR Ritchie, Braves, RHP (vs. Reds, at Marlins)
With AJ Smith-Shawver getting moved back to the bullpen, it looks like JR Ritchie gets an opportunity to close out the season in the Braves’ rotation. His first start back did not go well, giving up six runs over 4 2/3 innings against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. The matchups are a bit better this week, but it’s not enough to trust him if you still have to protect your ratios. If all you’re trying to do is gain ground in wins and strikeouts and you need the volume, go ahead.
Mason Adams, Rockies, RHP (vs. Diamondbacks, at White Sox)
Never Rockies. There’s just no reason to do it, especially in a split week. Adams also hasn’t pitched well this season, posting a 5.09 ERA and 1.65 WHIP over 23 innings in his five starts. The only part that’s mildly appealing is the 23 punchouts. If you are unable to gain or lose ground in ratios and only care about moving up in strikeouts and wins (unlikely here), then you could look to him as a streaming option.
Aaron Judge to IL with calf strain, likely to miss rest of regular season
Aaron Judge will be placed on the 10-day injured list with a right calf strain, the New York Yankees announced Friday, Sept. 18, likely ending his regular season only seven games into his return from a 75-game absence due to a rib fracture.
Judge, the 34-year-old three-time American League MVP, left the Yankees' game at Minnesota on Wednesday with what the Yankees called lower leg tightness. His move to the IL will officially be made Saturday when the club summons a roster replacement.
Judge would be eligible to return on Sunday, Sept. 27, the final day of the regular season. A return then would be unlikely, but at least Judge could return during the club's likely AL wild-card series matchup against the Boston Red Sox.
That would depend on his body cooperating. Judge was limited to 66 games this season, and injuries prompted the Yankees to acquire outfielder Heliot Ramos and infielder Luis Garcia Jr. at the August trade deadline. Center fielder Trent Grisham is also returning from a hamstring injury and manager Aaron Boone said it was unlikely Grisham will return before the regular season ends.
Like Judge, they can only hope he's ready to go when the playoff lights come on.
Other than the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season and his 27-game debut in 2016, Judge's 66 games played in 2026 marks the only other time in his 11-year career he failed to play at least 100 games. He hit 18 home runs in 237 at-bats, giving him 386 for his career. The Yankees clinched at least a wild-card berth Tuesday, one day before Judge suffered his calf injury.
In 2025, Judge won his second consecutive AL MVP, leading the major leagues in batting average (.331), on-base percentage (.457) and slugging (.688).
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Aaron Judge to IL with calf strain, likely to miss rest of regular season
Game Discussion: Milwaukee Brewers (95-58) @ Baltimore Orioles (75-78)
This weekend’s series in Baltimore will be the final interleague series of the year for Milwaukee. With just three three-game series left this season, the Brewers need to go 5-4 to win 100 games for the first time in franchise history. They also need to win at least two more games than the Dodgers to secure the top seed heading into the playoffs.
On the hill tonight for Milwaukee is trade deadline acquisition Dustin May, whose brief tenure with the Crew has been a veritable roller coaster. He’s failed to finish the fifth inning three times and was pulled from a fourth start after just one batter thanks to a comebacker. His other three starts have all been quality starts, a couple of which have been dominant — including his last outing, when he tossed six innings of shutout ball against the Reds.
Pitching for the Orioles is lefty Cade Povich, a third-round pick of the Minnesota Twins in 2021. He has a 4.05 ERA through seven appearances (six starts) this season, although his ERA is north of five across 45 career appearances. Povich has never pitched against the Brewers, although the only two Brewers he’s ever faced — Andrew Vaughn and Bo Naylor — have both gotten hits off him.
No surprises in today’s lineup; Jackson Chourio, Brice Turang, William Contreras, and Vaughn make up the top of the order. Vaughn will start at first base, with Christian Yelich hitting fifth as the designated hitter. Joey Ortiz, Garrett Mitchell, Luis Lara, and Cooper Pratt round out the order. Jake Bauers gets his second straight day off in today’s series opener.
Finally, one bit of roster news: Garrett Stallings, who did an admirable job in relief yesterday, was optioned back to Triple-A Nashville in favor of lefty Colton Gordon. We might see Gordon in relief tonight, but with the Crew still yet to announce a starter for Sunday’s series finale, it’s also possible he’ll pitch then.
As usual, tonight’s opener will be broadcast on Brewers.TV and the Brewers Radio Network. First pitch is set for 6:05 p.m.
Dodgers on Deck: Saturday, September 19 vs. Giants
The Dodgers and Giants continue their first of two weekend series in a row on Saturday night in Los Angeles, with Tarik Skubal making his final regular season start at Dodger Stadium this season.
It’s the second time in three starts Skubal is pitching on four days rest, something he did five times this season with the Detroit Tigers before getting traded to Los Angeles.
Saturday game info
- Teams: Dodgers vs. Giants
- Ballpark: Dodger Stadium
- Start time: 6:10 p.m.
- TV: SportsNet LA, MLB Network (out of market)
- Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)
Kansas City Royals vs. Pittsburgh Pirates: Randy Dobnak vs. Paul Skenes
Kansas City Royals vs. Pittsburgh Pirates, September 18, 2026, 6:40 p.m. ET
The Pittsburgh Pirates are starting off a three-game set against the Kansas City Royals this weekend inside PNC Park
The Royals will hand the ball off to 31-year-old right-hander Randy Dobnak, who is in his first season with the Royals after spending the first part of his career with the Minnesota Twins. Dobnak is making his 12th start of the season and is coming off a loss in his last start on September 12 against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. He pitched well, going 5.2 innings and giving up 4 hits and 3 earned runs in a 5-1 loss.
On the flip side, the Pirates are giving Paul Skenes the start for the 31st time this season. Skenes has had an up-and-down year, but he had a strong showing in his last appearance against the Chicago Cubs on September 12. He went 7 innings, giving up 4 hits and 2 runs at Wrigley Field, but was not part of the decision. He left the game with a 3-2 lead, but the bullpen couldn’t help him out, as Gregory Soto surrendered a pair of runs in the 8th inning to give the Cubs a 4-3 victory.
Location: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA
Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Sportsnet Pittsburgh
Pitching Matchup: Randy Dobnak (3-4, 2.73 ERA) vs. Paul Skenes (10-11, 3.78 ERA)
BD community, this is your game thread against the Kansas City Royals. Chime off in the comments section below.
Bogaerts falls short of cycle, propels Padres to series win
There’s arguably no San Diego Padre who needed a breakout more than Xander Bogaerts. The veteran shortstop has massively underwhelmed since being signed to a long-term contract ahead of the 2023 season. In his last 15 games, Bogaerts owns a .302/.403/.453 slash line. That production has been buoyed by his last seven games, where his slash line improves to .357/.419/.643 with a 1.062 OPS.
The Padres’ offense has surged after scoring just three runs in Game 2. They scored nine in the series finale to take the four-game set versus the Colorado Rockies. That has moved the Friars to a four-game lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks in the final NL Wild Card spot. They’ll now return to Petco Park for their penultimate homestand versus the Miami Marlins.
Taking the mound
Tyler Phillips (MIA) v. Nick Pivetta (SD)
Phillips has looked quite good since being converted to a starter this season. He was highly effective out of the bullpen in 2025 (2.78 ERA), and owns a 3.55 ERA between both relief and starting appearances. Phillips has been solid, though not particularly great over his last few starts. He’s surrendered five runs in his last 8 2/3 innings.
With most of his short career being spent in the bullpen, Phillips hasn’t faced the Padres much. Of those who have faced him (nine at-bats), none have reached base. The Friars will seek to turn that around in their series opener versus Miami tonight.
It’s impossible to overstate just how good Pivetta has been since returning from the IL. In two starts since returning, the right-hander owns a 2.00 ERA through nine innings pitched. That’s dropped his ERA this season to a solid 3.60 mark.
How Pivetta continues to pitch down the stretch could very well determine the Friars’ postseason rotation. The club has a wealth of arms to choose from in a playoff rotation. Pivetta seems likely to make the roster, but that could change in the coming weeks if his arm proves volatile.
Batter up!
The Padres’ lineup, apart from a minor blip on Tuesday, has been mashing lately. They’ve scored an average of 6.6 runs per game in their last 10 games and a ridiculous 7.0 runs per game in their last seven. If San Diego’s offense continues to rake, they’ll have no problem ending Miami’s dwindling postseason hopes.
- Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
- Dustin Harris, LF
- Manny Machado, 3B
- Ty France, 1B
- Jackson Merrill, CF
- Xander Bogaerts, SS
- Austin Hays, DH
- Jake Cronenworth, 2B
- Freddy Fermin, C
Bogaerts falling just short of hitting for the cycle overshadowed some other fantastic performances in the Padres’ series finale. Harris and France continued their hot streaks, going a combined 6-for-9 with five RBI. Every player in San Diego’s starting lineup recorded a hit except for Machado (and he still recorded an RBI).
Relief corps
Michael King continues to dazzle on the mound. The starter went six innings, surrendering two runs to the Rockies in the hitter-friendly Coors Field. Only Yuki Matsui and Griffin Canning were used to record the final nine outs. That gives the Padres options for their series against Miami.
Kyle Hart, Mason Miller, Adrian Morejon, David Morgan, Wandy Peralta, Bradgley Rodriguez and Randy Vásquez will be available out of the ‘pen for San Diego. If Pivetta stumbles early, Vásquez will likely be called upon to cover some of the middle innings.
Gamethread 9/18: Phillies at Mets
Here are the lineups. For the Phillies:
For the Mets:
Let’s talk about it.