Morning Java - 09/15: Fairbanks' Nerve Issue Returns for a Third Time, Detmers One K From 200, Skubal Blanks Cincinnati
TL;DRSkim
The five fastest-moving roster calls of the morning, in priority order:
- DROP — Pete Fairbanks was pulled mid-game with a recurrence of the nerve irritation that has already cost him two IL stints this season. Likely done for 2026.
- HOLD — Reid Detmers extended his quality-start streak to seven and is one strikeout from 200 — a mark no Angels lefty has hit since 1999.
- HOLD — Tarik Skubal threw seven shutout innings with nine strikeouts on 90 pitches against Cincinnati.
- DROP — Emmet Sheehan (48% owned) was optioned by the Dodgers to clear a bullpen spot.
- ADD — Jesús Sánchez (1% owned) was claimed off waivers by Arizona as a left-handed bat for the stretch run.
Fairbanks' Nerve Issue Returns, Season Likely Over
DROP · MIA · RP
Pete Fairbanks was removed mid-game after trainers and manager Clayton McCullough identified nerve irritation. McCullough said the sensation was "similar to what he had previously."
This is the third episode of the same problem. Fairbanks has been diagnosed with Raynaud's syndrome, a condition in which diminished blood flow to the hand causes numbness in the fingers. He lost three weeks in late April and May after an outing at Dodger Stadium was cut short, then went on the 15-day IL on Aug. 25 with right median nerve irritation after facing one batter against Boston. He was only reinstated on Sept. 9.
For fantasy purposes, treat the ninth inning in Miami as open. When Fairbanks went down in August, Michael Petersen and Calvin Faucher were the primary committee candidates, and that's where the save chances go again.
Fairbanks signed a one-year deal with Miami after seven seasons in Tampa Bay and is a free agent after this year. His season line is a 6.02 ERA over 40.1 innings with 18 saves, though he'd found a groove before the August injury — a 1.80 ERA with a 42.1% strikeout rate over his prior 11 appearances.
Action: DROP in redraft. A third nerve recurrence with 12 games left means he has almost certainly thrown his last pitch of 2026. If you need saves, speculate on Faucher or Petersen instead.
Detmers One Strikeout From 200
HOLD · LAA · SP
Reid Detmers threw six innings with three earned runs and eight strikeouts in a 6-4 Angels win over Seattle, extending his quality-start streak to seven consecutive outings. He sits one strikeout from 200 on the season — a threshold no Angels left-hander has reached since Chuck Finley in 1999. Ben Joyce closed it for his fifth save.
Don't let the team's record obscure what he's done. Detmers has been the best pitcher in baseball since the All-Star break, carrying a sub-1.50 ERA over that stretch, and he became the first pitcher in Angels history with six straight starts of six-plus innings and one run or fewer. The Angels are 57-93 and need to go 6-6 to avoid 100 losses.
Action: HOLD and start him in every format. He's not a "mid-rotation floor" — he's an SP1 over the last two months, and the only thing suppressing his value is win support.
Skubal Blanks the Reds
HOLD · LAD · SP
Tarik Skubal threw seven shutout innings against Cincinnati, allowing three hits and one walk with nine strikeouts on 90 pitches. He needed just six pitches to get through the sixth, retiring the top three Reds hitters a third time through the order.
Action: HOLD and start him every time. He's a two-time reigning AL Cy Young winner and a top-three fantasy starter, now lining up for a postseason rotation spot in Los Angeles.
Sheehan Optioned as Dodgers Shuffle Pen
DROP · LAD · SP
Emmet Sheehan (48% owned) was optioned to clear a bullpen spot after Edgardo Henriquez went on the 15-day IL with lower back discomfort. Paul Gervase was recalled.
Separately, Dave Roberts was pointed about Edwin Díaz's rehab work, saying it "hasn't been good" and leaving open the possibility that Díaz doesn't make the October roster.
Action: DROP Sheehan — being optioned with 12 games left ends his fantasy season. Gervase is a deep-league flier only. The Díaz comment is the more useful note: don't hold him expecting a ninth-inning role.
Diamondbacks Claim Sánchez
ADD · ARI · OF
Jesús Sánchez (1% owned) was claimed off waivers by Arizona, replacing the recently designated Lourdes Gurriel Jr. He's a left-handed bat for a lineup that needs one against right-handed pitching down the stretch, and will likely take the roster spot of Tommy Troy or Ryan Waldschmidt.
Action: ADD in NL-only and 14-team-plus leagues only. A 1%-owned platoon piece on a wild-card contender has a narrow path to enough at-bats to matter in 12 games.
Mesa Named AL Player of the Week
HOLD · TB · OF
Victor Mesa Jr. (11% owned) was named AL Player of the Week after a hot stretch. Tampa Bay acquired him from Miami, and he's been a bright spot down the stretch.
Action: ADD in 14-team-plus leagues if he's available. A Player of the Week award plus everyday at-bats on a playoff team is enough to speculate on for two weeks — but don't pay up, since the full-season line doesn't support the price.
Merrill Takes NL Player of the Week
HOLD · SD · CF
Jackson Merrill posted a 1.521 OPS last week to win NL Player of the Week, his second career award after August 2024.
Action: HOLD and start him. He's a center fielder in the middle of a wild-card race playing his best baseball of the season.
Tatis Homers 449 Feet
HOLD · SD · OF
Fernando Tatis Jr. (100% owned) hit a 449-foot home run to straightaway center as San Diego built a 5-1 lead.
Action: HOLD — Universally rostered. He's finishing strong after a season-long power drought.
Burleson Reaches 110 RBI
HOLD · STL · 1B/OF
Alec Burleson (97% owned) drove in his 110th run of the season, holding the major-league lead despite St. Louis sitting at 73-76.
Action: HOLD — Locked into the middle of the order. One of the safest counting-stat sources left on any roster.
Tong Posts First Six-Inning, No-Earned-Run Start
STASH · NYM · SP
Jonah Tong (5% owned) threw six innings on 83 pitches, allowing four hits and one unearned run with a walk and six strikeouts — the first time in his career he's completed six innings without an earned run.
Action: STASH in dynasty and NL-only formats. One start doesn't establish a floor, and the Mets are eliminated, so there's no redraft case.
Mathews Goes 6⅔ With Eight K
ADD · STL · SP
Quinn Mathews (7% owned) allowed one earned run over 6⅔ innings with eight strikeouts to earn the win.
Action: ADD in 14-team and NL-only leagues. He's a starter who has stabilized late, and at 7% ownership he's free — but the Cardinals are out of it, so expect innings management.
Schmidt Returns Wednesday or Later
WATCH · NYY · SP
Clarke Schmidt is slated to rejoin the Yankees rotation Wednesday or later in the week, with Boone preferring to avoid giving him short rest.
Action: WATCH — With 12 games left he gets two starts at most, and likely on a pitch count. Stream him only if the matchup is favorable and confirmed.
Judge to Sit Wednesday's Finale
WATCH · NYY · OF
Aaron Judge (98.3% owned) will get Wednesday's series finale off with an off-day following. Boone framed it as routine rest, not injury.
Action: HOLD — Bench him Wednesday in daily leagues. No other action. Expect more scattered rest as New York positions for October.
Devin Williams Eyeing Weekend Return
WATCH · NYM · RP
Devin Williams threw off a mound at Citi Field and will do so again Thursday. He doesn't anticipate needing a rehab assignment and could be activated as soon as this weekend.
Action: WATCH — Only relevant in holds leagues. The Mets are out of the race at 69-79, so save chances will be scarce even if he's activated.
Ohtani Begins Tee Work
WATCH · LAD · DH
Shohei Ohtani (100% owned) starts hitting off a tee today, his first swings since the 15-day IL placement. Andy Pages has progressed to soft-toss with modified baseballs and will move to normal balls soon.
Action: HOLD Ohtani — his earliest activation remains Sept. 23, which would give you roughly five games. IL-stash Pages, who won't help before then.
Rojas' Shoulder Improving
WATCH · LAD · SS
Miguel Rojas said his shoulder feels better and didn't require an injection. He remains the strong-side option against left-handed starters and started against Nick Lodolo.
Action: No action outside NL-only formats. He's a platoon bench piece.
Blue Jays Shuffle Roster
WATCH · TOR · MULTI
Toronto activated LHP Brendan Cellucci and infielder/outfielder Davis Schneider while optioning LHP Ricky Tiedemann (0% owned) to Triple-A Buffalo. Rudy Martin Jr. went on the 10-day IL with a left hamstring strain.
Action: No redraft action. Tiedemann remains a dynasty hold; Martin's IL stint ends his season.
Little Steadying the Toronto Pen
WATCH · TOR · RP
Brendon Little has a 2.25 ERA with 33 strikeouts against 15 walks over 20 appearances since late July, including a strikeout of the side on Friday.
Action: WATCH in holds leagues. The walk rate keeps him out of the highest-leverage spots, so there's no saves path.
Orioles Recall Heuer
WATCH · BAL · RP
Baltimore recalled right-hander Codi Heuer from Triple-A Norfolk and optioned Yaramil Hiraldo.
Action: DROP Hiraldo if rostered. Heuer is roster churn on an eliminated team — no action.
Saggese Leading Off for St. Louis
WATCH · STL · 2B
Thomas Saggese led off for the Cardinals against San Francisco, continuing a strong September while filling in for Masyn Winn and JJ Wetherholt in the middle infield.
Action: WATCH — A leadoff spot is worth something in 14-team-plus leagues, but Winn's return would end it. Check the lineup before claiming.
Greene's Value Shows in Detroit's Splits
HOLD · DET · OF
The Tigers are 64-63 with Riley Greene (82% owned) in the starting lineup and 6-16 without him since his Aug. 11 injury.
Note the framing: Greene returned on Sept. 1 and has been raking since, going 15-for-29 with four homers in his current stretch. The split is a retrospective case for his value, not a reason to wait on him.
Action: HOLD and start him every day. He's a top-30 overall bat, not a bench consideration.
Miller's Historic Velocity Workload
HOLD · SD · RP
Mason Miller (100% owned) may be the first reliever in major league history to throw more than 80 innings in a season while averaging 99-plus mph on his fastball. A teammate called him the most valuable reliever on the team and "arguably in baseball too."
Action: HOLD — Universally rostered and locked into the ninth for a playoff team.
Scherzer Closing on Verlander's Strikeout Total
HOLD · TOR · SP
Max Scherzer faces a former team this week and sits 14 strikeouts behind Justin Verlander on the all-time list. Verlander may retire after pitching later this month.
Action: HOLD only in deep leagues. Scherzer is 2-7 this season with a previous season-high of five strikeouts before his 10-K milestone game — the historical storyline doesn't translate to fantasy production.
Astros' Thin Roster Construction
HOLD · HOU · TEAM
The Astros have just one qualifying hitter with an OPS above .800 — Yordan Alvarez (99.8% owned) — yet remain in first place in the AL West with two weeks to go.
Action: HOLD Alvarez. Avoid speculative Astros bats; there's no hidden production behind him.