Morning Java - 09/14: Devers' Season Ends at 37 Homers With Surgery Expected, Bandura Debuts in His Place, Jobe Goes 6⅓ With Eight K

TL;DRSkim

The five fastest-moving roster calls of the morning, in priority order:

• DROP — Rafael Devers is on the 60-day IL with a core muscle injury. Season over with 13 games left; surgery expected Tuesday.
• STASH — Scott Bandura had his contract selected from Triple-A Sacramento and made his major-league debut in Devers' roster spot.
• ADD — Jackson Jobe (13% owned) threw a career-best 6⅓ innings with eight strikeouts and one earned run, generating 16 whiffs on 42 swings.
• WATCH — Cal Quantrill (41% owned) worked six innings despite back tightness. Monitor for a missed start.
• ADD — Xavier Edwards (80% owned) was reinstated from the 10-day IL and returns to everyday second base for Miami.

Devers Shut Down With Core Muscle Injury

DROP · SF · 1B/DH

Rafael Devers was placed on the 60-day injured list Sunday with a core muscle injury, ending his season with 13 games remaining. He travels to Philadelphia today to be evaluated by Dr. William Meyers — the same specialist who performed Matt Chapman's bilateral core muscle surgery last month — and Tony Vitello said the expectation is that surgery follows on Tuesday.

The timing is brutal because of how he'd been hitting. Devers homered in each of his last two games, including a grand slam, and hit 11 home runs over his final 18 games with eight homers and 20 RBI in his last 11. His pursuit of the Giants' first 40-homer season since Barry Bonds ends at 37 — his most since a career-high 38 in 2021.

The final line: .258/.340/.525 with an .865 OPS, 37 homers, 98 RBI and a major-league-leading 36 doubles. Since the All-Star break he hit .275 with 18 homers and a .988 OPS. The 98 RBI are the most by a Giant since Buster Posey's 103 in 2012.

He played through it all year. Devers started 148 of San Francisco's first 149 games and had a 309-game consecutive-games streak before taking his first day off last Wednesday. "I think it's something that's bothered him for a few years now and kind of something that was a mystery to him," Vitello said. The Giants, already eliminated, now have 16 men on the 60-day IL.

Action: DROP in all redraft formats — there is no return. In keeper and dynasty leagues, note that core surgery in mid-September gives him a full offseason of runway, so his 2027 value is essentially unaffected.

Bandura Selected From Sacramento, Debuts in Devers' Spot

STASH · SF · OF

Scott Bandura had his contract selected from Triple-A Sacramento to fill Devers' roster spot and made his major-league debut, batting fifth as the designated hitter against San Diego. He's an outfielder who has significantly raised his prospect stock this season and was playing well at Triple-A.

Action: STASH in dynasty and deep NL-only formats. A debut on an eliminated team with 13 games left carries almost no redraft value, but the at-bats should be steady while San Francisco evaluates.

Jobe Delivers Career-Best Outing

ADD · DET · SP

Jackson Jobe (13% owned) threw 6⅓ innings against Colorado, allowing three hits and one earned run with one walk and eight strikeouts on 87 pitches. He generated 16 whiffs on 42 swings, reached the seventh inning for the first time in his career, and struck out Mickey Moniak three times.

The development note matters more than the line: Jobe added a cutter mid-season rather than waiting for the offseason, which is an aggressive move for a young arm and speaks to how the Tigers view his readiness.

Action: ADD in 12-team and deeper leagues. Two strong outings in a row from a top-prospect arm at 13% ownership is worth a claim, though Colorado is a soft opponent and Detroit may limit his innings.

Quantrill Pitches Through Back Tightness

WATCH · TEX · SP

Cal Quantrill (41% owned) worked six innings despite dealing with back tightness. Jeff Wilson noted he's "been terrific," and the tightness may be manageable.

Action: WATCH — Don't drop him, but back tightness on a pitcher is the kind of thing that turns into a skipped start. Have a replacement identified before his next turn.

Edwards Reinstated From IL

ADD · MIA · 2B

Xavier Edwards (80% owned) was reinstated from the 10-day IL after a left thumb sprain and returns to everyday second base. In the corresponding move, Owen Caissie went on the 10-day IL with a lumbar stress reaction after a CT scan revealed a fracture.

Action: ADD or activate Edwards immediately — he's a stolen-base source with two weeks left, which is exactly what closes category gaps. DROP Caissie; a stress fracture ends his season.

Schlittler Takes Comebacker, Stays In

HOLD · NYY · SP

Cam Schlittler was struck by a line drive but remained in the game, later reporting tightness and saying the next couple of days will determine his status.

The season he's having is remarkable. Schlittler carries a 1.95 ERA across 30-plus starts, making him one of only three Yankees starters with a sub-2.00 ERA in the earned-run era, alongside Ron Guidry (1.74 in 1978) and Spud Chandler (1.64 in 1943). Aaron Boone on his value: "I think valuable is a good word. He might be the MVP, too."

Action: HOLD — No IL move appears imminent based on his postgame comments, but confirm he makes his next start. If he's scratched, that changes the picture for anyone relying on him in a fantasy final.

Bradish to IL, Likely Done for the Year

DROP · BAL · SP

Kyle Bradish was placed on the 15-day IL with lower abdominal discomfort, which likely ends his season. He'd allowed seven earned runs over 12 innings across his last three starts. Baltimore recalled Yaramil Hiraldo.

Action: DROP — A 15-day stint with 13 games left means no return.

Verlander Reaches 93 MPH Off the Mound

WATCH · DET · SP

Justin Verlander threw off the mound and reached 93 mph. A.J. Hinch said he's targeting the season's final weekend for a possible appearance, which would come in relief only.

Action: WATCH — Dynasty curiosity. A one-inning relief cameo in the final series has no redraft value.

Flaherty Set for Toledo Rehab Next Week

WATCH · DET · SP

Jack Flaherty (29% owned) is expected to make a rehab outing with Triple-A Toledo next week. If it goes well, Detroit hopes to activate him for a two- or three-inning relief role before the season ends. Hinch said the club wants to "honor the work that he's done."

Action: DROP in redraft. A rehab outing next week followed by a two-inning relief role means at most one usable appearance.

Yesavage Throws Bullpen, Eyeing Final Week

WATCH · TOR · SP

Trey Yesavage threw a bullpen with Toronto's pitching coaches present and is expected to get into a rehab game this week, with a shot at rejoining the active roster in the final week.

Action: IL-stash in 12-team-plus leagues. He's a starter, and if he returns it will likely be in a limited role, so temper the expectation.

Correa Cleared to Ramp Up

WATCH · HOU · SS/3B

Carlos Correa has been cleared to increase activity at West Palm Beach and is sprinting and fielding well. Joe Espada said Correa will join the club in Houston during the next homestand to see a team doctor, after which they'd like to get him into games at Triple-A Sugar Land.

Action: DROP in redraft. Triple-A games that haven't been scheduled yet, with 13 games left, means he isn't helping you this season. Dynasty hold.

Guerrero Homers at Home for the First Time This Season

HOLD · TOR · 1B

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit his first home run at Rogers Centre this season, a solo shot to left that earned a curtain call, after narrowly missing one earlier in the game.

Action: HOLD and start him. The home-park split is a curiosity rather than a predictive signal, and Toronto has six home games left.

Rice Leads Off With No. 38

HOLD · NYY · DH

Ben Rice opened the game against the Mets with his 38th home run of the season, the third leadoff homer of his career and his first this year from the top spot.

Action: HOLD and start him everywhere. Thirty-eight homers from a leadoff bat is elite production in every format.

Schwarber Snaps Hitless Stretch

HOLD · PHI · DH

Kyle Schwarber had been hitless in his previous 15 at-bats before collecting hits late against Atlanta.

Action: HOLD — A 15-at-bat slump from a middle-of-the-order bat in mid-September isn't a reason to sit him. Keep starting him.

Burleson Retakes the RBI Lead

HOLD · STL · 1B/DH

Alec Burleson hit a three-run double and has retaken the major-league lead in RBI.

Action: HOLD and start him. He's been one of the season's most productive run-drivers and the Cardinals have him locked into the middle of the order.

Greene Scorching in Detroit's Surge

HOLD · DET · OF

Riley Greene is 15-for-29 with four home runs over his current stretch, with an .856 OPS that would be a career best. He's the first Tigers player since J.D. Martinez to post at least 30 doubles, 20 homers and 68 RBI in three consecutive seasons.

Action: HOLD and start him. He's a top-30 overall bat playing his best baseball with two weeks left.

Tatis Homers for 21st

HOLD · SD · OF

Fernando Tatis Jr. hit his 21st home run, becoming the first player since Randy Winn in 2005 to open a season with at least 55 consecutive homerless games and still reach 20.

Action: HOLD — The season-long power outage is behind him and he's finishing strong. Start him everywhere.

Garcia Works Back-to-Back Days

HOLD · TEX · RP

Robert Garcia threw a scoreless eighth to protect a 7-4 lead — his first back-to-back relief appearance since April, which is a meaningful health signal after his rehab assignment earlier this month.

Action: HOLD in holds leagues. He's a setup arm, not a save path.

Brewers Can Clinch the NL Central Tuesday

HOLD · MIL · TEAM

Milwaukee is 92-56 with the best record in baseball and gets its first chance to clinch the NL Central on Tuesday. The Pittsburgh series lines up Jacob Misiorowski Tuesday, Logan Henderson Wednesday and Dustin May Thursday.

Action: HOLD Brewers bats and arms, but plan around the clinch. Once Milwaukee locks the division, expect rest days for regulars in the final week — that's a real risk for anyone counting on their bats in a fantasy final.

Sandlin Perfect Through Three

WATCH · CWS · RP

Nick Sandlin retired all nine batters he faced across three innings with three strikeouts on 30 pitches.

Action: WATCH — A three-inning bulk outing is not a closer audition. Holds leagues only.