MLB Player News

The Hill experiment is over in Kansas City after just two starts in which he walked eight batters and allowed seven runs — five earned — over nine innings of work. The 45-year-old ageless wonder deserves credit for making it back to the big leagues, but there’s a strong possibility that this is the end of the road after 21 seasons.

Basallo has taken an absolute beating behind the plate in recent weeks while managing to play through a lingering right shoulder issue. The 22-year-old former top prospect was able to stay in for a couple innings after taking a foul tip directly off his catcher’s mask. He was 0-for-2 at the dish prior to departing. The hope is that his early exit was merely out of an abundance of caution, but he’ll presumably undergo evaluation for a possible concussion. It’ll be Carlos Narváez handling the catching duties in his absence.

Bateman suffered the injury on an awkward slide while making a catch in the second inning of Monday’s series opener in Baltimore. The 24-year-old rookie walked and scored a run before his early exit. The positive news is that X-rays came back negative for any fractures. There’s a chance he manages to avoid the injured list. He’s been an unexpected late-season revelation, hitting .320 with two homers and three steals in 38 games since arriving in the big leagues last month.

Báez walloped a no-doubter to left field off Nationals starter DJ Herz, which traveled 426 feet, according to Statcast. It was his third big fly of the season. The 33-year-old veteran has lost playing time to some of the younger alternatives on Detroit’s roster over the last few weeks and he continues to fade from fantasy relevance, even in deeper leagues.

Morales came off the bench to take Tigers reliever Drew Sommers deep with an opposite-field shot into the right-field seats in the eighth inning. It was his third long ball in 13 games since being called up earlier this month. He’ll continue to get opportunities against left-handed pitchers over the final week of the season. The over-the-fence pop is very real and he has a shot at fantasy relevance if he can carve out a semi-regular role with the Nationals.

Montero came on after top prospect River Ryan tossed three shutout frames in his Tigers debut. He struck out five and only allowed a pair of baserunners, needing just 58 pitches (37 strikes) to complete four frames. He’s likely to factor into Detroit’s pitching plan when they face the Pirates this weekend.

Ryan threw just 43 pitches (26 strikes) during his abbreviated Tigers debut before giving way to Keider Montero for a bulk relief outing. He gave up only two hits and one walk during his lone trip through Washington’s lineup. He averaged 96.5 mph on his fastball and topped out at 98.1 mph during his first outing back in the majors since undergoing elbow surgery back in 2024. He won’t offer a ton of volume, but he represents a worthwhile option for fantasy purposes when he faces the Pirates to close out the regular season on Sunday.

Herz was tagged for five hits, including a two-run homer by veteran Javier Báez in his first big-league outing since last year’s Tommy John surgery. He struck out four and only issued a pair of walks. The 25-year-old figures to be in the mix for a spot in Washington’s rotation next spring. He’ll face the Mets to close out the season on Sunday. He’s not a recommended streaming option for fantasy managers.

Bateman appeared to injure his right knee and immediately left the field with a trainer following an awkward slide while making a play in center field during the second inning of Monday’s game. There should be an update on his status following the contest.

Let’s have some fun, folks. Davidson, who went undrafted back in 2023, will get his first taste of the majors during the final week of the season after blossoming into one of the most intriguing prospects in San Francisco’s system. He’s in right field and hitting third against the Twins on Monday. The 24-year-old outfielder has been sizzling-hot on the doorstep of the majors for the last couple weeks and ascends to the big leagues after hitting .290/.361/.527 with 29 homers and 20 steals in 125 games in the upper minors this season. He’s the type of intriguing talent that is worth rostering in deeper fantasy leagues with only a handful of games left on the calendar. It wouldn’t be surprising if he made an impact down the home stretch given his fantasy-relevant skillset.

Mayer will make his San Francisco debut during Monday’s series opener against the Twins at Oracle Park. The 23-year-old former top prospect, who came over from the Red Sox in the Erik Miller swap at the trade deadline last month, has been out nursing forearm and foot injuries since late June. He’s talented enough to be an impactful fantasy contributor at some point in the future, but it simply hasn’t happened at this early juncture of his career. He could benefit exponentially from the change of scenery, but is unlikely to offer much in the final week of the regular season.