Atlanta Braves star outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (shin) is starting in right field and is batting second against the visiting Cincinnati Reds and right-hander Brady Singer on Thursday, per MLB.com. Acuna fouled a ball off his left shin in Tuesday's game against the Reds and did not start on Wednesday, but he is back for the series finale and should be returned to all starting fantasy lineups against Singer. In just five career at-bats against Singer, Acuna is hitting .600 with a solo home run. The 28-year-old former MVP and five-time All-Star had two separate stints on the injured list this year with hamstring injuries, which have limited his overall production for fantasy managers. Acuna has hit .259 (102-for-394) with 20 home runs, 55 RBI, 20 stolen bases, and 60 runs scored. Braves fans can breathe a sigh of relief that they did not lose Acuna just before the start of the playoffs next week, and they will be hoping he can carry over his hot hitting in September. In 19 games during the month, he has gone 25-for-74 (.338) with seven homers and 19 RBI in 81 plate appearances.

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Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Jesus Luzardo (shoulder) threw a bullpen session that consisted of around 30 pitches on Thursday, as expected, according to Matt Gelb of The Athletic. Luzardo said the session went well. The Phillies could look to have Luzardo throw a simulated game this weekend to face live hitters, and he remains very much in play to return to the starting rotation for the start of the postseason next week in the wild-card series. The Phillies must first get into the postseason, as they entered Thursday tied with the Chicago Cubs for the final wild-card spot in the National League, with the Arizona Diamondbacks on their tails at three games behind with four left to play. Luzardo will be eligible to come off the 15-day injured list for the regular-season finale on Sunday, but he almost certainly won't be an option to pitch in that game as the Phillies look to save him for the playoffs. Getting the 28-year-old southpaw back for next week is the team's top priority after he went 14-5 with a career-best 2.87 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, and 221:52 K:BB in 178 2/3 innings across 29 starts in his second year with the organization.

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The Chicago White Sox announced on Thursday that they placed right-hander Luis Castillo (shoulder) on the 15-day injured list with a right-shoulder impingement and recalled right-hander Tyler Davis from Triple-A Charlotte in a corresponding move. The White Sox had recently sent Castillo to the bullpen, but he did not fare any better there, posting a 13.50 ERA in three relief appearances after recording a 7.52 ERA in his final six starts of the year. The 33-year-old veteran Dominican will finish his 2026 regular season with a 4-11 record, 5.85 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, 112 strikeouts, and 44 walks in 130 2/3 innings across 29 appearances (23 starts) with both the White Sox and Seattle Mariners. Castillo was much worse in his nine outings (six starts) with the White Sox, recording an 8.42 ERA, 1.81 WHIP, and 26:12 K:BB in 31 innings. He will be eligible to return for the American League Division Series in the playoffs, but we have most likely seen the last of Castillo with the White Sox this year.

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Chicago Cubs third baseman Alex Bregman (face) did not return to the starting lineup for the team's series finale against the Miami Marlins at Wrigley Field on Thursday, but he has resumed hitting, according to The Athletic's Patrick Mooney. The All-Star third baseman continues to recover from a freak accident when he was hit by a foul ball while in the on-deck circle against the division-rival Cincinnati Reds on Sunday. Bregman suffered multiple facial fractures, but manager Craig Counsell has not ruled him out from returning for the final regular-season series of the year this weekend at Fenway Park against his old team, the Boston Red Sox. "But he's feeling good in terms of the hitting part. That went well. He's happy with how that went, so we'll just do a little more, run around a little bit more today and see how that makes him feel. And we'll just keep progressing," Counsell said. To be cleared to play this weekend in Boston, Bregman needs to get the swelling down around his left eye. Bregman is hoping that his strong month of September (.295 average, .968 OPS in 18 games) can shift seamlessly into the start of the postseason next week, despite his freak face injury last weekend.

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Boston Red Sox outfielder Ceddanne Rafaela (hamstring) is starting in center field and batting sixth for Thursday's series finale against the visiting Cleveland Guardians and right-hander Daniel Espino, according to MLB.com. Rafaela returned from a stay on the injured list due to a quadriceps injury but was pulled on Wednesday night against the Guardians with tightness in his hamstring. An MRI exam on Thursday morning apparently ruled out anything concerning, and the power/speed threat and starting center fielder is back in action for the final game of the series at Fenway Park. It is great news for the Red Sox, who did not want to head into the start of the postseason next week without their starting center fielder. The 26-year-old will now have four games to try to set a new career-high mark in home runs, as he enters Thursday's action with 16 homers, 70 RBI, 17 stolen bases, 67 runs scored, and a .284/.319/.444 slash line in 536 at-bats this year. Rafaela was a first-time All-Star this year in his third full season in the big leagues.

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Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras (hand) is missing a sixth straight game in Thursday's series finale against the visiting Cleveland Guardians, per MLB.com. Nick Sogard is making another start at first base and will bat out of the leadoff spot against Guardians right-hander Daniel Espino. Contreras was hit by a pitch on his right hand in last Thursday's game against the Texas Rangers. X-rays came back negative, but Boston has elected to give him some extra rest with the postseason starting next week. We would expect Contreras to return during this weekend's series at home against the Chicago Cubs. The four-time All-Star has hit a career-high 27 home runs while driving in 81 runs in 129 games across 533 plate appearances, but he has only played in four games in September after hitting only .217 (18-for-83) with three homers, 11 walks, and 26 strikeouts in 23 games in August. The Red Sox will need Contreras, who has been one of their most consistent hitters for the majority of the 2026 season, in top form if they want to make a deep playoff run.

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Miami Marlins outfield prospect Cam Cannarella tore through the Miami farm system this season on his way to Triple-A, logging just 19 games at High-A, then only 34 at Double-A before earning the promotion to the minors' highest level. Although his strikeout rate spiked from 12.9 percent at the lower levels to 23.8 percent while at Jacksonville, the Marlins' sixth-ranked prospect maintained a strong walk rate of 14.1 percent and still hit .282 with an .813 OPS to go along with three home runs and 11 steals in 45 games with the Jumbo Shrimp. In all, he hit 15 home runs across all three levels, not bad for someone who doesn't have a highly rated power tool, so it's something to keep an eye on in 2027. If the 23-year-old can continue to produce home runs to go with his penchant for contact and a keen eye, not to mention his plus speed, there could be a valuable fantasy asset here who would be on the verge of making his MLB debut next year.

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Baltimore Orioles outfield prospect Ike Irish (knee) was enjoying his first full season of professional baseball earlier this year while playing for High-A Fredericksburg. The former first-round draft pick had really heated up before a torn left meniscus ended his season in late July. The Orioles' fifth-ranked prospect batted .361 with nine doubles, a triple, seven home runs, and nine steals over his final 26 games before the injury. The hot stretch pushed his season-long slash line to .286/.388/.528 with 16 home runs and 20 steals in just 76 games for the Keys. The left-handed hitter recently returned to the diamond and will head to the Arizona Fall League to make up for lost time. As such, he should be fully healthy come spring and looks ready to spend much of the 2027 season at Double-A. He likely won't make his major league debut until 2028, but the 22-year-old has shown good contact, plenty of power, and an ability to steal bases despite not having a ton of speed, so his dynasty arrow is pointing way up for the potential to impact multiple fantasy categories.

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Colorado Rockies corner infield/outfield prospect Charlie Condon capped off a strong 2026 season by smacking a home run in his final game of the year. The Rockies' third-ranked prospect finished with 27 long balls in 130 games played, while batting .273 with a stellar .390 on-base percentage thanks to a 13.2 percent walk rate. The former third-overall draft pick continued to strike out at a high rate of 25.1 percent, though that isn't that out of the ordinary for a guy who has as much power as he does. The 6-foot-5 slugger surprisingly never got the call to the majors this year despite a few very hot stretches of production, but that doesn't mean he won't be in the mix for a roster spot in 2027. The 23-year-old has a shot to make the team out of camp next year, and even if he doesn't, expect him to be one of the first high-profile prospect names called up in 2027. The strikeouts could make him a batting-average risk for fantasy, but the pop he possesses will play well at Coors Field, and the right-handed hitter is still a solid dynasty investment.

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Tampa Bay Rays outfield prospect Theo Gillen recorded a strong 2026 season, one that began at High-A and finished at Double-A. The Rays' second-ranked prospect was promoted to Double-A after 57 games at High-A, and despite a dip in batting average from .342 to .288, he did not appear to be overmatched. The former first-rounder's strikeout rate actually improved there, from 23.8 percent to 19.8 percent, while his walk rate remained steady. All in all, the 6-foot-2 slugger slashed .315/.419/.546 with 22 home runs and 44 steals in 116 games and moved all the way up to No. 12 on MLB.com's top prospects list. His type of all-around skill set makes the left-handed hitter a valuable dynasty asset, and he'll have his sights set on Triple-A next year. Once he's knocking on the door to the major leagues, which could be as soon as later next season, even redraft managers should be keeping a close eye on him.

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Chicago Cubs veteran right-hander Kevin Gausman (shoulder) said his left shoulder is still sore from the diving play he made at third base in the loss to the Miami Marlins on Wednesday night at Wrigley Field, according to Bruce Levine of 670 The Score. Gausman is getting treatment, but he would not predict his availability to pitch in the wild-card series next week. The 35-year-old is now up in the air as an option to pitch for the Cubbies in Game 1 of the wild-card series next week against an undetermined opponent. In his final regular-season start of 2026 on Wednesday night, Gausman allowed two earned runs on six hits (one homer) while walking one and striking out seven in 5 2/3 innings in a no-decision. He had a 4.38 ERA and 1.29 WHIP in 23 starts with the Toronto Blue Jays to begin the year before being traded to the Cubs at the deadline in early August. Gausman was not quite as good in nine starts with Chicago, going 4-2 with a 4.83 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, and 57:11 K:BB in 50 1/3 innings pitched.

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Miami Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said on Thursday that right-hander Sandy Alcantara will not make one more start this weekend against the division-rival Atlanta Braves, according to Stephen Strom. However, Alcantara, who picked up another save in the win over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Wednesday night, will continue to be available out of the bullpen. Alcantara is 100% healthy, but McCullough said he felt like it was the right time to give the right-hander a breather with the season coming to an end this weekend. Going into Thursday's series finale against Chicago, the 31-year-old Dominican has gone 13-11 on the year with a 3.89 ERA (4.09 FIP) and 1.23 WHIP with 152 strikeouts and 59 walks in a league-high and career-high 213 innings pitched across 35 appearances (33 starts). Although he will not make another start this week, Alcantara could still help fantasy managers vying for a championship if he continues to work as a high-leverage reliever in save situations with regular closer Pete Fairbanks (hand) done for the season.

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Miami Marlins middle infielder Xavier Edwards (thumb) continues to sit for Thursday's series finale at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs, per MLB.com. Jared Serna will make the start at the keystone for the Fish and will bat eighth against Cubs left-hander Matthew Boyd. The 27-year-old Edwards injured his thumb on Saturday against the San Diego Padres and has not played since. With the Marlins eliminated from postseason contention, they might elect to sit Edwards for the rest of the final week of the regular season. He has minimal power, but Edwards is a spark plug because of his speed and contact skills, and he is currently hitting .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 played and 595 plate appearances in just his second full season in the majors. Edwards' next chance to return to the lineup will be in Friday's series opener in Miami against the division-rival Atlanta Braves.

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Boston Red Sox outfielder Ceddanne Rafaela (hamstring) is undergoing an MRI exam on Thursday on his injured right hamstring, manager Chad Tracy told Tim Healey of The Boston Globe. In his return from a quadriceps injury on Wednesday that had landed him on the injured list, Rafaela was pulled from the contest against the Cleveland Guardians with tightness in his right hamstring. The Red Sox are hoping it was just a cramping issue, but we will know for sure at some point on Thursday. Fantasy managers should not expect the starting center fielder to be back in action for Thursday's series finale against the Guardians at Fenway Park, but hopefully Rafaela will be ready to return for Friday's series opener against the visiting Chicago Cubs. The 26-year-old was a first-time All-Star in 2026 and is currently slashing a healthy .284/.319/.444 with a .763 OPS, 16 home runs, 70 RBI, 17 stolen bases, and 67 runs scored across his 136 games played. If Rafaela can return before the end of the weekend, he will have a chance to set a new career high in home runs.

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Across 182 innings (31 starts) in 2026, Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Logan Gilbert has recorded a 12-11 record with a 3.81 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and 197 strikeouts. While Gilbert has still been a very useful pitcher for fantasy managers, he hasn't been quite as dominant this season as he has been in his peak years. After posting a 32.3% strikeout rate in 2025, Gilbert's strikeout rate has fallen to 26.7% in 2026. The 29-year-old's numbers have taken a considerable hit lately, as he's posted a 6.65 ERA across 21 2/3 innings in September. Surrendering the long ball has been a major issue for Gilbert in the second half of the season. Across 56 1/3 innings (10 starts) since the beginning of August, Gilbert has allowed 14 home runs (2.20 HR/9). Heading into his final scheduled start of 2026 against the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday, fantasy managers may want to temper expectations for the usually dependable Gilbert.

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Across 653 plate appearances in 2026, San Diego Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill is hitting .252/.300/.459 with 26 home runs, 86 RBI, 82 runs scored, and 26 stolen bases. The 23-year-old got off to a rough start to the year, hitting .219 with 10 home runs across 396 plate appearances before the All-Star break. However, Merrill has been red hot in the second half, hitting .300 with 16 homers across his last 261 trips to the plate. Merrill has been particularly key to San Diego's late-season surge as an offense, hitting .325 with four home runs, 16 RBI, 10 runs scored, and two stolen bases over his first 85 plate appearances in September. The star center fielder has lowered his strikeout rate this month to 18.8% while also posting elite barrel (19.7%) and hard-hit (62.1%) rates. Heading into San Diego's final weekend of the regular season, Merrill profiles as one of the top five-category producers in all of fantasy baseball.

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Across 102 innings (19 starts) in 2026, Houston Astros right-hander Hunter Brown has recorded a 6-3 record with a 3.26 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, and 120 strikeouts. The 28-year-old got off to a rough start to the year, missing over two months with a shoulder injury and posting a 4.94 ERA across 27 1/3 innings in July. However, Brown has begun to rediscover his top form in recent outings. Across his last 33 1/3 innings (six starts), Brown is 3-0 with a 2.43 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, and 48 strikeouts. Brown has had issues with command all year long, and his 11.9% walk rate has led to an elevated WHIP. However, he's boosted his strikeout rate all the way up to 28.1% and has struck out 39.1% of the batters he's faced across his first four starts of September. Heading into his final start of the regular season on Saturday against the Athletics, Brown is beginning to look like the fantasy ace he was drafted to be ahead of 2026.

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Across 501 plate appearances in 2026, Cleveland Guardians second baseman Travis Bazzana is hitting .245/.337/.404 with 15 home runs, 57 RBI, 53 runs scored, and 19 stolen bases. The 24-year-old's underlying batted-ball metrics are underwhelming, as he's logged just a 4.8% barrel rate and a 36.2% hard-hit rate. However, Bazzana's 11.2% walk rate is impressive for a young player and helps him get on base consistently and use his speed. Bazzana has also been red-hot of late, hitting .288 with six home runs, 15 RBI, and 11 runs scored across 69 plate appearances in September. If the former top prospect is starting to grow into his power, he could begin to emerge as one of the better second base options for fantasy managers. In leagues where he's on the waiver wire, Bazzana should be a priority target for fantasy managers.

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Across 444 plate appearances in 2026, Baltimore Orioles third baseman/first baseman Coby Mayo is hitting .225/.293/.463 with 24 home runs, 63 RBI, 63 runs scored, and four stolen bases. Swing-and-miss is the obvious red flag in Mayo's profile, as he's struck out in 30.2% of his plate appearances. However, the 24-year-old brings significant power upside with a 13.7% barrel rate and a 47.6% hard-hit rate. Mayo has hit .265 with 12 home runs since the All-Star break, and he's established himself as an everyday presence in the heart of the Baltimore lineup. For fantasy managers in need of power, Mayo profiles as a priority target on the waiver wire heading into the final weekend of the regular season.

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Across 655 plate appearances in 2026, Minnesota Twins first baseman Josh Bell is hitting .255/.317/.416 with 20 home runs, 92 RBI, 76 runs scored, and two stolen bases. The 34-year-old may not have one clear standout skill, but he remains a steady source of power and run production. Bell has kept his strikeout rate manageable at 19.9% while still posting solid barrel (9.5%) and hard-hit (42.0%) rates. The veteran switch-hitter also remains locked into everyday playing time in the heart of the Twins lineup, putting him in a good position to rack up runs and RBI. Heading into the final weekend of the regular season, Bell profiles as a balanced producer for fantasy managers to target on the waiver wire.

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