Morning Java - 09/06: Burnes Targets Tuesday Debut, Ohtani Sits a Third Straight, Valdez Blanks Cleveland
TL;DRSkim
The five fastest-moving roster calls of the morning, in priority order:
- ADD — Corbin Burnes is targeting his season debut Tuesday vs. the Royals after 43-44 pitches in live action, with roughly a 60-pitch limit expected.
- WATCH — Jac Caglianone left before the third with left elbow soreness; Nick Loftin took over in right. No word yet on severity or imaging.
- WATCH — Shohei Ohtani sat a third straight game. Roberts expects him to hit in the cage and will have a "conversation" today about where things stand; the Dodgers are hopeful he avoids the IL.
- HOLD — Zac Thornton (18% owned) was tagged for six earned runs and four homers in five innings, the worst outing of his career — with Yankee Stadium up next.
- HOLD — Colson Montgomery hit his 31st, passing Jose Valentin for the most by a primary White Sox shortstop.
Burnes Lined Up for Tuesday Debut
ADD · ARI · SP
Corbin Burnes threw 43-44 pitches across three scoreless innings in live action Friday and is expected to make his season debut Tuesday against Kansas City. Arizona will hold him to roughly 60 pitches.
This has been a long road. Burnes underwent Tommy John surgery in June 2025 and his rehab was further delayed by a shoulder complication this season, which is why the timeline slid from an early-September target to next week. He has not thrown a competitive major-league pitch in nearly 15 months.
Action: ADD in 12-team and deeper leagues where he's available — this is the last genuinely impactful arm hitting wires this season. But set expectations: a 60-pitch debut means three or four innings, no win equity, and at most three or four starts before the season ends.
Caglianone Exits With Elbow Soreness
WATCH · KC · 1B/OF
Jac Caglianone left before the top of the third with left elbow soreness, with Nick Loftin taking over in right field. Kansas City has not commented on severity or imaging.
An early exit for a left-handed hitter with soreness in his lead elbow is worth treating seriously until the club says otherwise.
Action: WATCH — Bench him and check the lineup card before first pitch. If he's out again today without an explanation, expect an IL move.
Ohtani Out a Third Straight Game
WATCH · LAD · DH/SP
Shohei Ohtani was out of the Dodgers lineup for a third consecutive game. He arrived at the park late, and Dave Roberts said he expected Ohtani to hit in the cage — something he hadn't done in a couple of days — with a conversation to follow today about how he responded.
The picture hasn't changed since midweek: left knee, right biceps, and neck discomfort, with the club hopeful he can avoid the injured list rather than projecting a return date. Alex Call and Teoscar Hernández have absorbed the DH at-bats.
Action: WATCH — Hold in every format, but do not pencil him in. Three straight days out with cage work only means you need a real bench option for the start of this week, not a placeholder.
Thornton Torched for Four Homers
HOLD · NYM · SP
Zac Thornton (18% owned) allowed six earned runs on four home runs in five innings, the worst outing of his young career. His next start comes at Yankee Stadium.
Action: HOLD in deep leagues, but bench him for the Yankee Stadium turn. A pitcher who just gave up four homers doesn't need a short porch in his next matchup. Reassess after that.
Montgomery Sets White Sox Shortstop Record
HOLD · CWS · SS
Colson Montgomery hit his 31st home run, taking the team lead and passing Jose Valentin for the most in a season by a primary White Sox shortstop. Miguel Vargas reached 30 on the same night, and Munetaka Murakami sits one back — Chicago is on the verge of its first 30-homer trio in years.
Action: HOLD all three. Montgomery and Vargas are rostered nearly everywhere; if Murakami is available in your league, he's the claim, since he's the only one of the three who hasn't already had his breakout night publicized.
Valdez Blanks Cleveland for Seven
HOLD · DET · SP
Framber Valdez threw seven shutout innings in Detroit's 6-0 win at Progressive Field, allowing three singles and a walk with three strikeouts and a hit batter on 94 pitches. The left-hander improved to 9-10, matching his longest outing of the year. Kyle Finnegan and Beau Brieske finished it, and Cleveland pushed only two runners past first base all night.
Valdez entered with a 4.17 ERA in a disappointing first season on his three-year deal in Detroit, but he's now gone seven innings in three of his last four starts. A.J. Hinch has been pushing him to attack the zone early rather than nibble, and it's holding.
Action: HOLD in all formats and start him. Three straight strong outings is enough to trust him again as a back-end mixed-league starter, though the strikeout rate keeps a ceiling on him.
Greene Goes 4-for-4 With Two Homers
HOLD · DET · OF
Riley Greene had a season-high four hits, two home runs and four RBI, driving in every Tigers run before a three-run seventh. He took Parker Messick deep in the first and sixth, singled Gleyber Torres home in the third and doubled him home in the seventh.
Both homers were his first since Aug. 4 at Seattle, which matters given he only returned from a three-week IL stint last week. This was his second multi-homer game of the year and the clearest evidence yet that the bat is fully back.
Action: HOLD — He's a top-30 outfielder, not a depth piece. Start him everywhere without qualification.
Grisham to IL, Jones Takes Over in Center
WATCH · NYY · OF
Trent Grisham has been placed on the 10-day IL with a right hamstring strain suffered on the stolen-base attempt where Luis Campusano threw him out Friday. Imaging ruled out the worst outcomes, but there's real doubt about whether he returns inside the final three weeks.
Spencer Jones takes over as the regular center fielder and doubled in a run in his first extended look.
Action: IL-stash Grisham if you have the slot; DROP in shallow leagues where three weeks of nothing is unaffordable. ADD Jones in AL-only and 15-team formats — the playing time is real, though the strikeout rate makes him a batting-average liability.
Taillon to IL a Day After His Return Start
DROP · TOR · SP
Jameson Taillon (2% owned) has been moved to the 15-day IL with right elbow inflammation, one day after being activated to start for Toronto. The Blue Jays are seeking a second opinion on his MRI. John Schneider wouldn't close the door, but the season is likely over.
Action: DROP everywhere. There's no path back this year, and Toronto now has to find rotation innings for a wild-card push with three weeks left.
Judge Faces Live Pitching Monday
WATCH · NYY · OF
Aaron Judge (98% owned) is scheduled to face live pitching Monday at Yankee Stadium, the key step before activation. He has said he'd need at least two live sessions before being cleared. The Yankees are building him up at the major-league level rather than sending him out on a rehab assignment — Boone described a path of playing a game, taking a day off, then working up to five to seven innings.
Adjust your timeline accordingly. Earlier in the week the talk was a return as soon as Sept. 8; the live-pitching schedule now points to activation in roughly 7-10 days, which puts him back around the middle of the month with two weeks left.
Action: WATCH — Hold in every format and keep the IL slot. But if you're in a head-to-head league with playoffs starting soon, plan the next two weeks as though he isn't coming.
Rushing Scratched With Elbow Soreness
WATCH · LAD · C
Dalton Rushing was scratched from what would have been his first start since being activated Tuesday, with right elbow soreness. He's playing through a partial UCL tear that cost him nearly a month on the IL, and he has been limited strictly to hitting since returning — pinch-hitting in each of the last four games, hitless in four at-bats with a hit by pitch.
Before the game he tested the elbow, throwing from varying distances in the outfield out to roughly 120 feet and throwing to second base from behind the plate. That work is what prompted the scratch, and it puts a pause on the throwing progression he needs to complete to catch again this season.
Action: WATCH — Only relevant in two-catcher and dynasty leagues. A hitter-only catcher who can't catch has no standard-league value, and the elbow now casts doubt on even the postseason target.
Muncy Scratched With Illness
WATCH · LAD · 3B
Max Muncy was scratched about two hours before first pitch with an illness, with Kiké Hernández taking third base. The Dodgers characterized it as short-term.
Worth flagging separately: Muncy is hitting .213 over his last 30 games and .056 over his last seven, and the Dodgers rank last among NL teams in runs scored since July 1.
Action: WATCH — Illness is a one-or-two-day issue, so don't drop over it. The slump is the actual problem; he's benchable in weekly leagues until the bat shows something.
Dodgers Activate Bobby Miller, Díaz Starts Rehab
WATCH · LAD · RP
Los Angeles activated RHP Bobby Miller from the injured list, optioned Kyle Hurt and designated OF Alek Thomas for assignment. Miller is good for about 50 pitches. Edwin Díaz begins a rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City today. Justin Wrobleski takes the bulk innings in today's game.
Action: WATCH Díaz closely — a healthy Díaz reclaiming the ninth is the most valuable saves development left on the calendar. Miller is a bulk-innings arm, not a fantasy add.
Messick Strikes Out 10 in a Loss
WATCH · CLE · SP
Parker Messick (11-9) matched his career high with 10 strikeouts over five innings but took the loss, surrendering both Riley Greene homers.
Action: WATCH — Ten strikeouts in five innings is a legitimate signal from a young starter on a team holding the third AL wild card. Worth an add in 14-team-plus leagues, though the short outing shows the efficiency isn't there yet.
McLain Homers as Francona Backs Him
HOLD · CIN · 2B
Matt McLain homered, and Terry Francona defended his approach despite a low batting average. "He has been battling," Francona said. "It's good to see his grinding. I know his batting average isn't what we want it to be. He has some home runs. Plays flawless defense. He's a very good base runner. You can't quit on guys like that."
Action: HOLD — The manager publicly committing to playing time is the useful part here. The average may not recover, but the at-bats aren't going away.
DeLauter Day-to-Day With Wrist Soreness
WATCH · CLE · OF
Chase DeLauter hurt his wrist on his final swing and remains sore and stiff, though he's improving. No IL move has been made.
Action: WATCH — Bench him today. Wrist injuries sap power well past the point of a return to the lineup, so temper expectations even once he's active.
Castro to IL With Plantar Fasciitis
WATCH · COL · 2B/SS
Willi Castro (20% owned) was placed on the IL with left foot plantar fasciitis, and has also been dealing with knee soreness. He'd been out three straight days before the formal move.
Action: DROP in 12-team leagues. Plantar fasciitis is slow to resolve and there's no reason for a non-contending Colorado club to rush him back in September.
Montes Cleared After Wall Collision
WATCH · SEA · OF
Lazaro Montes left Friday's game after colliding with the right-field wall, but X-rays came back negative and he's optimistic. No IL placement.
Action: WATCH — Check today's lineup. Negative X-rays plus no IL move usually means a day or two.
Baker Exits With Dehydration
WATCH · TB · RP
Bryan Baker left Friday's game with dehydration and said he'd be fine with rest. He remains day-to-day.
Action: WATCH — Dehydration is the least concerning exit on this board. Expect him available within a day or two.
Cleavinger to IL With Forearm Tightness
DROP · TB · RP
Garrett Cleavinger was placed on the 15-day IL with left forearm tightness following a rough stretch. Tampa Bay recalled RHP Ty Johnson and designated INF Oliver Dunn for assignment. No timeline has been given.
Action: DROP — Left forearm tightness with no timeline, on a reliever who was already struggling, is not worth a roster spot.
Flaherty Set for Short Rehab Outing
WATCH · DET · SP
Jack Flaherty (30% owned) makes a short rehab outing with Triple-A Toledo today, with a return to Detroit's rotation expected within one to two weeks.
Action: WATCH — IL-stash only. A short rehab outing means the build-up isn't finished, so a mid-September return with a limited pitch count is the realistic case.
Ewing Ends Long Homer Drought
WATCH · UTIL
A.J. Ewing hit his first home run in 209 plate appearances, potentially breaking through a rookie slump. His hard-contact profile has held up better than his surface results.
Action: WATCH — Deep dynasty only. One homer in 209 plate appearances is a data point, not an inflection.