Morning Java - 09/18: Young Carted Off After Collision With Teammate, CT Negative; Ureña Spins Seven Shutout; Chapman Unavailable
TL;DRSkim
The five fastest-moving roster calls of the morning, in priority order:
- DROP — Jared Young was carted off after a collision with teammate Nolan McLean — not a pitch. CT scan negative, but he has concussion symptoms.
- ADD — Walbert Ureña (39% owned) threw 7 shutout innings with 9 strikeouts and no walks in the Angels' 5-4 win in 10.
- WATCH — Aroldis Chapman was unavailable with lat tightness. No IL move announced; he's a 90%-plus-owned closer.
- HOLD — Devin Williams (59.1% owned) threw live BP and could be activated today, but the Mets plan to script his appearances rather than hand back the ninth.
- HOLD — Jeremy Peña is 7-for-9 in the series against Atlanta with three home runs, two on first pitches.
Young Carted Off After Collision With McLean; CT Negative
DROP · NYM · 1B
Jared Young was knocked unconscious and carted off on a stretcher in the sixth inning of Thursday's 3-0 loss to Philadelphia at Citi Field. This was not a hit by pitch — Young and Mets starter Nolan McLean both converged on Justin Crawford's slow roller up the first-base line, and as Young dove for the ball, McLean tried to leap over his teammate and drove his knee into the side of Young's head at full speed.
A CT scan at the hospital came back negative, but interim manager Andy Green said Young has concussion symptoms with full use of his extremities. "It was a terrifying moment on a baseball field," Green said. "Took him a while to come to. It was a really scary collision." When Young regained consciousness, his first question was "What happened?" He was immobilized on the cart and gave a thumbs-up as he left the field.
Mark Vientos took over at first base. McLean was not injured but was visibly shaken; Green pulled him after the sixth despite his willingness to continue. Young, 31, was hitting .266/.330/.429 with nine homers and 39 RBI across 342 plate appearances in 103 games as a first baseman, DH and occasional corner outfielder.
Action: DROP in redraft. Concussion symptoms with nine days left in the season means the seven-day concussion IL at minimum, and there's no reason for an eliminated Mets club to rush him. Vientos absorbs the first-base at-bats.
Ureña Blanks Minnesota Over Seven
ADD · LAA · SP
Walbert Ureña (39% owned) threw seven scoreless innings with nine strikeouts and no walks, setting up the Angels' 5-4 extra-inning win over the Twins. The bullpen let the lead go before Wade Meckler drove in the winner in the 10th. Ureña gained 10.7 points on the add tracker, the largest move on the board.
Action: ADD in 12-team and deeper leagues. A nine-strikeout, zero-walk start is the kind of line that justifies chasing, though the Angels' bullpen makes his win equity unreliable — buy the ratios and strikeouts.
Chapman Unavailable With Lat Tightness
WATCH · BOS · RP
Aroldis Chapman was unavailable with lat tightness, per interim manager Chad Tracy. No IL move has been announced, which points to short-term maintenance rather than a shutdown.
He's one of the highest-owned closers in fantasy, coming off his 400th career save earlier this month, so an unexplained absence in the final stretch matters more than the phrasing suggests — particularly with Boston holding the second AL wild card and playing meaningful games every night.
Action: WATCH — Hold, but if you're in a daily league and need saves this weekend, have a backup source lined up. A second straight unavailable day would change this to a real concern.
Williams Nearing Activation, But Not the Ninth
HOLD · NYM · RP
Devin Williams (59.1% owned) threw live batting practice and is on track for activation as soon as today. The important part for fantasy: the Mets plan to script his appearances and will not automatically return him to the closer role. He'll be available in high-leverage spots, but the ninth inning isn't being handed back.
Action: HOLD — Do not trade for him expecting saves. New York is eliminated, so even the high-leverage innings won't generate many opportunities. This is a keeper-league health note more than a redraft asset.
Peña Torching Atlanta
HOLD · HOU · SS
Jeremy Peña is 7-for-9 in the series against the Braves with three home runs, two of them on first pitches. Houston is lining up Peter Lambert, Hayden Wesneski and Hunter Brown for the series as it pushes for positioning.
Action: HOLD and start him. If anything this is a sell-high window rather than a buy-low one — he's a shortstop producing at a rate no one should expect to continue.
Gray Makes Second-to-Last Start Before October
HOLD · BOS · SP
Sonny Gray started Thursday night at Globe Life Field against Texas, opposite Tyler Alexander opening for Cody Bradford. It was his 28th start and second-to-last before the postseason.
At 36, Gray is having one of the best seasons of his career: 17-5 with a 2.76 ERA, a 1.17 WHIP and 140 strikeouts over 156⅔ innings, the fourth-best ERA among qualified American League starters. He owns a 12-5 record with a 2.81 ERA in 20 career appearances against the Rangers. Boston entered at 82-70, holding the second AL wild card with a magic number of five.
Action: HOLD and start him. He's a top-15 fantasy starter, not a streamer — if your league's ownership data shows him in single digits, that's a data error, not an opportunity.
Red Sox Rotation Still Unsettled Behind Gray
WATCH · BOS · SP
With Gray's turn now behind them, Boston has tonight and Sunday marked TBD. Garrett Whitlock (17% owned) has been working in relief. On the health side, Garrett Crochet continues rehabbing at Worcester and "probably not" getting a rehab game this weekend, and Ceddanne Rafaela is also progressing there.
Action: WATCH — Avoid streaming Boston starters until the rotation is posted. DROP Crochet in redraft; no rehab game scheduled with nine days left means he isn't pitching in the regular season.
Contreras' Hand X-Rays Negative
WATCH · MIL · C
William Contreras (98% owned) left Wednesday's game after his hand was struck and went numb for roughly five minutes. X-rays were negative for a fracture, though he said the sensation felt "like a fracture." He expressed frustration at the timing after just returning from a prior absence and is uncertain about the recovery window.
Action: WATCH — Check today's lineup before starting him. If he sits, pick up the best available backup catcher rather than a middle infielder; Milwaukee's catching depth is the relevant replacement, not a corner bat.
Padres Pound Coors, Take Three of Four
HOLD · SD · TEAM
San Diego scored 29 runs on 52 hits in taking three of four at Coors Field, closing with a 9-2 win. Xander Bogaerts had a five-hit night including a home run, double and triple. The Padres' magic number to clinch a playoff spot is down to six.
Action: HOLD Padres regulars. Note the Coors series is finished — don't stream San Diego bats expecting altitude help this weekend.
Quantrill Confirmed for Saturday
HOLD · TEX · SP
Cal Quantrill (32% owned) said his back is fine and will make his next start, expected Saturday, after a four-inning relief outing midweek.
Action: HOLD — The back scare from earlier this week is resolved. Confirm the opponent before streaming him.
Phillies Claim Urquidy, Painter Starts Saturday
WATCH · PHI · SP
Philadelphia claimed right-hander José Urquidy (0% owned) off waivers from the White Sox and will use him Friday in a bullpen-game configuration for bulk innings. Andrew Painter (15% owned) starts Saturday carrying a 3.58 ERA across nine starts since his late-July recall.
Action: Avoid Urquidy — a bulk role in a bullpen game offers no win or save equity. HOLD Painter as a back-end starter; note his ownership has dropped from 26% after a rough outing against Houston, which makes him a cheap claim if you need a Saturday start.
Greene Riding a Seven-Game Hit Streak
HOLD · DET · OF
Riley Greene has hit safely in seven straight games. Teammate Max Clark (22% owned) gained 3.5 points on the add tracker. Detroit went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position through five innings on Thursday.
Action: HOLD Greene and start him — he's a top-30 bat in form. Clark is a 14-team-plus add if you need outfield depth.
Díaz Activated Into a Low-Leverage Role
WATCH · LAD · RP
Edwin Díaz (50% owned) is active today following a bullpen session, but Dave Roberts plans to use him only in low-leverage situations — a significant step down from his prior role. Separately, Andy Pages will be activated this homestand without a rehab assignment, since Oklahoma City's season ends Sunday.
Action: DROP Díaz in redraft. A manager publicly limiting him to low leverage with nine days left means zero saves. Pages is a deep-league flier only.
Sasaki Returning Next Week as a Starter
WATCH · LAD · SP
Roki Sasaki remains on the 15-day IL, but Roberts confirmed he'll return next week as a starter, keeping him in the mix for October positioning.
Action: WATCH — A late-September return gives you one start at most, likely on a limit. Only worth a roster spot in leagues where your playoffs extend to the final week.
Swanson Nearing Activation
WATCH · CHC · SS
Dansby Swanson was expected to be activated today after a brief rehab assignment at Triple-A Iowa ahead of the Cincinnati series.
Action: HOLD and activate once confirmed. Everyday shortstop at-bats for a contending Cubs club is worth the roster spot for the final nine games.
Finnegan to IL, Season Over
DROP · DET · RP
Kyle Finnegan (2% owned) was placed on the 15-day IL retroactive to Sept. 16 with left groin inflammation, ending his season with 10 games remaining.
Action: DROP in all formats.
Leiter Hoping for Sunday Bullpen
WATCH · TEX · SP
Jack Leiter continues rehabbing biceps and foot issues and hopes to throw a bullpen session Sunday. He remains unavailable for the regular season, with postseason availability the only question.
Action: DROP in redraft; dynasty hold only.
Houck Building Toward a Bullpen Session
WATCH · BOS · SP
Tanner Houck struck out the side in a seventh-inning Triple-A appearance on Sept. 15 and has a bullpen session planned. No September return is expected.
Action: DROP in redraft. Postseason-only asset for Boston.
Curry Optioned as Mets Go to Five-Man Rotation
WATCH · NYM · P
Xzavion Curry was optioned after starting Thursday as the Mets shift to a five-man rotation for the final two weeks. Cameron Weston, a waiver claim from Baltimore, was recalled.
Action: DROP Curry. The rotation change eliminates the spot starts that were his only path to value.