Everything that happens in and around MLB has some additional context when viewed from a fantasy baseball perspective. From lineup changes to minor league call-ups to injuries and so much more, the news cycle will constantly affect player values in fantasy baseball.
Our fantasy baseball buzz file, with contributions from our ESPN fantasy writers, aims to provide fantasy managers with the intel they need as news breaks around MLB.
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Sept. 24: Thursday's news to know
By Todd Zola
The final Thursday of the regular season is a relatively busy one, with a dozen games -- five in the afternoon and seven in the evening. Action commences at 12:35 p.m. ET when the Pittsburgh Pirates host the St. Louis Cardinals.
The weather should cooperate today, but the weekend ahead could be a mess with a Nor'easter expected to have some impact. MLB has already made one schedule change, with the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs playing a doubleheader on Friday. They'll hope to be able to play their Game 162 on Saturday. The Red Sox are in the playoffs, while the Cubs' fate is still currently in limbo.
The Chicago White Sox enter today's game one game behind the Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central. However, if the White Sox beat the Kansas City Royals this afternoon, they will clinch a playoff berth.
The Phillies host the Milwaukee Brewers this evening. The Brewers are two games ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers for home-field advantage throughout the National League playoffs, but the Phillies are still aiming to lock down a playoff spot. A win gets it done.
The San Diego Padres enter tonight's meeting with the Dodgers one game ahead of both the Phillies and Cubs for the top NL wild card. Both of those teams hold the tiebreaker edge over the Padres. San Diego ends the season against the Arizona Diamondbacks. If the Padres are swept, they could miss out on the postseason. Arizona meets the Colorado Rockies this afternoon in the final game of the season at Coors Field, then heads to San Diego for three potentially crucial contests.
The Red Sox and Guardians meet today in the final game of their series at Fenway Park. The Red Sox hope to have Ceddanne Rafaela in the lineup after he had to leave last night's game early. The initial report is leg cramping, but he's set for an MRI today.
The Guardians will open with right-hander Daniel Espino, then bring in Joey Cantillo as the bulk reliever. The move will force Red Sox manager Chad Tracy to make a few decisions, since they've been using a few platoons.
Ronald Acuna Jr. missed last night's game, but the Atlanta Braves indicated that the absence was precautionary. The star outfielder had left Tuesday's contest after fouling a ball off his left shin. X-rays were negative, and Acuna wanted to play, but with their playoff seed wrapped up, the club took the safe route.
The Seattle Mariners have not been mathematically eliminated from the postseason, but they need to sweep their series against the Los Angeles Angels, beginning tonight at home, and then get a lot of losses from the two teams ahead of them in the standings. The Texas Rangers begin play today tied with the Houston Astros atop the AL West. However, the Astros hold the tiebreaker between those two teams.
Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena missed last night's game after being hit in the wrist by a pitch on Tuesday night. He's questionable for tonight's road affair with the Athletics.
Be sure to check out the latest fantasy lineup advice as well as the MLB betting tips for Thursday.
Sept. 23: Wednesday's news to know
By Todd Zola
Today's action gets underway at 1:10 p.m. ET with an interleague affair in Motown. The Detroit Tigers host the Washington Nationals in a game between clubs playing out the string.
For the second straight day, a pair of teams will be taking the field twice, with the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles making up yesterday's rainout with a separate-admission doubleheader at Camden Yards. The good news is that Mother Nature should cooperate today, with early forecasts favorable everywhere. The bad news is that things could get ugly this weekend, with rain expected in the Northeast.
The Los Angeles Dodgers expect to have Shohei Ohtani serving as their designated hitter when they host the San Diego Padres this evening. Manager Dave Roberts indicated that Ohtani will be examined today and, barring a surprise, will return to the lineup. He's been convalescing on the 10-day IL, taking care of lingering knee and biceps issues.
Ceddanne Rafaela is expected to return to the Boston Red Sox lineup tonight when they host the Cleveland Guardians. The Gold Glove center fielder has been out for over two weeks with a right quad strain. Nate Eaton will return to his reserve role.
Ronald Acuna Jr. had to leave last night's Atlanta Braves game in the third inning after fouling a ball off his left shin. He was able to walk off the field with no assistance, and X-rays were negative, so the club is hopeful that he won't miss much time, if any. Brewer Hicklen finished Acuna's at-bat last night and would be the likely replacement if needed.
