Morning Java - 09/11: Volpe Returns With a Grand Slam and Five RBI, Jared Jones Carries No-Hit Bid Into the Seventh, Carroll's MRI Clean
TL;DRSkim
The five fastest-moving roster calls of the morning, in priority order:
- ADD — Anthony Volpe hit a grand slam with three hits and a career-high five RBI in his first game back from Triple-A.
- ADD — Jared Jones (25% owned) carried a no-hit bid into the seventh, finishing with 7 IP of one-hit ball and eight strikeouts in a 2-0 Pirates win.
- HOLD — Corbin Carroll (100% owned) had a clean MRI on his lower back and is expected to return today.
- HOLD — Max Fried labored through 3⅓ innings on 80 pitches despite seven strikeouts. Third start back and still not stretched out.
- HOLD — Jazz Chisholm Jr. (77% owned) says he expects to play again this season, targeting the Yankees' return from their road trip.
Volpe Returns With a Grand Slam
ADD · NYY · 2B
Anthony Volpe made his return from Triple-A count, hitting a grand slam as part of a three-hit, career-high five-RBI night in the Yankees' 10-3 win over Colorado that completed a three-game sweep.
This is the payoff from the minor-league run. Volpe was optioned in early August after slashing .240/.325/.322 in 56 big-league games, then hit .284/.381/.642 with 11 homers in 37 games at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, including a .440 September. He was recalled Thursday to cover second base while Jazz Chisholm Jr. is on the IL, and Boone had said he was comfortable sliding him there.
New York is 84-62, leading the AL wild-card chase and trying to run down Tampa Bay (87-59) in the East.
Action: ADD in 12-team and deeper leagues. The job is his for at least the next week and the bat has carried over. Temper it slightly — one game doesn't erase a .240 season in the majors — but this is the most actionable add on the board.
Jones Takes No-Hit Bid Into the Seventh
ADD · PIT · SP
Jared Jones (25% owned) threw seven innings of one-hit ball with eight strikeouts and two walks on 90 pitches, 61 for strikes, as Pittsburgh beat the White Sox 2-0 to complete a three-game road sweep.
He was working on a no-hitter into the seventh before Colson Montgomery doubled with two outs. Jones finished the inning anyway, matching the longest outing of his career in his 40th career start. Luke Weaver handled the eighth and Mason Montgomery closed it for his 12th save.
Note the record: Jones is 4-6, which is why he's only 25% owned. Oneil Cruz drove in both runs, and Pittsburgh (74-73) is above .500 for the first time since July 29, within 4.5 games of San Diego for the third NL wild card.
Action: ADD in 12-team and deeper leagues. The strikeout stuff is real and the win-loss record has suppressed his price. Treat him as a matchup start rather than an automatic one.
Carroll's MRI Comes Back Clean
HOLD · ARI · OF
Corbin Carroll (100% owned) underwent an MRI on his lower back that showed no structural damage, and he's expected back in the lineup today.
Action: HOLD and activate. Confirm he's in the lineup before locking — back issues tend to cost stolen bases even after a clean scan, so watch whether Arizona lets him run.
Fried Labors Through 3⅓ in Third Start Back
HOLD · NYY · SP
Max Fried allowed one run on one hit with seven strikeouts, but needed 80 pitches to record just 10 outs and was pulled in the fourth inning of the Yankees' 10-3 win over Colorado.
The strikeouts mask the problem, which is efficiency rather than stuff. Colorado saw a lot of pitches and didn't chase. "It was a little of everything," Fried said. "They were having some good at-bats and not chasing."
Read it against the build-up. This was his third start since coming off the IL, after 3⅔ innings in the Aug. 29 doubleheader nightcap and 5⅔ at San Diego on Sept. 4. He's 4-4 with a 2.73 ERA and 87 strikeouts across 18 starts, and the Yankees' projected postseason rotation is Cam Schlittler, Gerrit Cole and Fried, with Carlos Rodón in the mix. "We're looking forward to having me completely built up for the end of the season into the playoffs," Fried said. "They've had a plan."
Action: HOLD everywhere. But don't expect six innings in a must-win fantasy week yet — three straight short outings means the pitch count is still the story, not the results.
Chisholm Expects to Play Again This Season
HOLD · NYY · 2B
Jazz Chisholm Jr. (77% owned) told reporters he anticipates returning before the regular season ends, targeting the Yankees' return from their upcoming road trip. He's on the 10-day IL with a sprained right thumb and was told no baseball activities for 7 to 10 days.
Action: HOLD in roto leagues where his 40 stolen bases still matter for the final week. DROP in shallow redraft formats where you can't carry a bench bat through a playoff week. Note that Volpe has the second-base job in the meantime.
Blaze Alexander to the IL
WATCH · ARI · 3B
Blaze Alexander was placed on the 10-day IL with lower back discomfort.
Action: DROP in all redraft formats — a 10-day stint with roughly two weeks left leaves essentially nothing.
Marsh Fouls Ball Off Foot, X-Rays Negative
WATCH · PHI · OF
Brandon Marsh exited after fouling a pitch off his right foot in the ninth. X-rays were negative, but he's dealing with significant soreness and is day-to-day. With Philadelphia in playoff position, expect caution — possibly some DH days if the bruise lingers. No IL stint appears imminent.
Action: WATCH — Check the lineup before locking. A foot bruise on a player whose value includes his legs is worth a day or two of patience.
deGrom Sharp Early
HOLD · TEX · SP
Jacob deGrom struck out eight of the nine batters he faced through the early innings of his start.
Action: HOLD — Nothing to act on. Start him every time out.
Rutschman Expected Back Today
HOLD · BOS · C
Adley Rutschman (71% owned) is expected back in the lineup today after receiving a cortisone injection in his hyperextended elbow earlier this week.
Action: HOLD and activate once he's confirmed in the lineup. Cortisone manages the symptom rather than fixing it, so watch for recurrence over the final two weeks.
Contreras Rehab Game Today
WATCH · BOS · C
Willson Contreras (50% owned) has a rehab game scheduled with Double-A Portland today and is eligible to be activated later this week. The left hamstring strain has kept him out for over a month.
Action: WATCH — Expect activation within a week. Confirm he's actually catching before you start him; a month-old hamstring on a catcher is a real question.
Pérez Gaining Adds in Atlanta
ADD · ATL · SP
Martín Pérez (13% owned) gained 3.9 points on the add tracker as Atlanta's rotation depth gets tested. He's been a steady mid-rotation arm with a sub-3.20 ERA across 21 starts.
Action: ADD in 12-team and deeper leagues as a fourth or fifth starter. He's a ratios play with a thin strikeout rate, not a category winner.
Ashcraft to IL With Arm Discomfort
WATCH · PIT · SP
Braxton Ashcraft was placed on the 15-day IL retroactive to Sept. 7 with right arm discomfort. Reporting indicates no structural concerns, and no MRI findings or surgery talk have surfaced.
Action: DROP in redraft — a 15-day stint backdated to Sept. 7 means a late-September return at the earliest.
Iglesias Locks Down Another Save
HOLD · ATL · RP
Raisel Iglesias (83% owned) recorded a clean save with a strikeout. His hold on Atlanta's ninth inning is secure.
Action: HOLD — No change.
Mason Montgomery Records 12th Save
HOLD · PIT · RP
Mason Montgomery (22% owned) closed out Pittsburgh's 2-0 win for his 12th save of the season, finishing a two-hit shutout behind Jones and Weaver.
Action: ADD in 12-team leagues where saves are scarce. A confirmed closer at 22% ownership with the Pirates playing meaningful games is an underpriced source of the category.
Speier and Weaver Working High Leverage
WATCH · SEA / PIT · RP
Gabe Speier (1% owned, Seattle) and Luke Weaver (7% owned, Pittsburgh) each logged a strikeout-heavy scoreless inning in setup roles. Weaver handled the eighth ahead of Montgomery's save.
Action: WATCH — Holds-league relevance only. Neither is in line for saves.
Campbell to Triple-A IL With Foot Contusion
WATCH · BOS · OF
Kristian Campbell was placed on the 7-day IL at Triple-A Worcester with a left foot contusion, removing a potential call-up option for Boston amid its outfield injuries.
Action: STASH in dynasty only. No redraft relevance.
Bernal Impresses in Debut Road Trip
STASH · STL · C
Leo Bernal showed well on both sides of the ball across a nine-game debut road trip for St. Louis.
Action: STASH in dynasty formats. Nine games is not a sample to act on in redraft, and the Cardinals have established catching ahead of him.