Morning Java - 09/25: Spence Hits His First Three Career Homers in One Game, Waldrep to Tommy John, Arraez Sprains Ankle
TL;DRSkim
The five fastest-moving roster calls of the morning, in priority order:
- ADD - Lucas Spence hit the first three home runs of his career in one game, driving in five as Houston beat the Athletics 7-5 to stay tied atop the AL West.
- WATCH - Luis Arraez sprained his left ankle and appeared unable to put weight on it. X-rays negative, further evaluation pending.
- DROP - Hurston Waldrep had Tommy John surgery and is on the 60-day IL. His 2027 season is now at risk.
- DROP - Luis Castillo (43% owned) went on the 15-day IL with right shoulder impingement.
- ADD - Zack Gelof (29% owned) homered twice against Houston and has the everyday third-base job with Max Muncy on the IL.
Spence Hits First Three Career Homers in One Game
ADD · HOU · CF
Lucas Spence hit the first three home runs of his major league career - all in the same game - driving in five as Houston outlasted the Athletics 7-5 at Sutter Health Park.
The sequence: a three-run shot in the second off Mason Barnett, 429 feet to right-center on a 1-1 changeup, for his first big-league homer. A 387-foot solo shot in the seventh to break a 4-4 tie. Then a leadoff homer in the ninth on a first-pitch fastball from Elvis Alvarado.
He joins Seby Zavala (July 31, 2021) and Joshua Baez (Aug. 15, 2026) as the only players to do it. The 23-year-old was called up Wednesday and had just 40 major league at-bats coming in. "It's super-enjoyable looking back at it, but just taking it one at-bat at a time," he said.
Houston (79-80) stays tied with Texas for the AL West lead with three games left, holding the tiebreaker at 9-4 head-to-head. Christian Walker (27th) and Isaac Paredes (24th) also homered. Peter Lambert gave up four runs in 2⅔ before Miguel Ullola threw three scoreless in relief; Bryan Abreu worked 1⅓ for his ninth save.
Action: ADD in 14-team-plus leagues for the final weekend if you need outfield at-bats - he's now the everyday center fielder with Brice Matthews and Daulton Varsho both on the IL. STASH in dynasty. Don't expect this to repeat.
Arraez Sprains Ankle, X-Rays Negative
WATCH · PHI · 2B
Luis Arraez suffered a left ankle sprain against Milwaukee and appeared unable to put weight on the leg as he left the field. X-rays came back negative for a fracture, with further evaluation underway.
Action: WATCH - Check the lineup. An ankle that couldn't bear weight is unlikely to produce useful at-bats in the final three days even if he's technically available.
Waldrep Has Tommy John Surgery
DROP · ATL · SP
Hurston Waldrep underwent Tommy John surgery on his right elbow and was moved to the 60-day IL. The 23-year-old was one of Atlanta's top young arms, and the recovery timeline puts most or all of 2027 at risk.
Martín Pérez (13% owned) also went on the IL with lower back inflammation, leaving Brent Suter and Grant Holmes (17% owned) to cover.
Action: DROP in redraft and most keeper formats. In deep dynasty, a 23-year-old with his stuff is worth holding through the rehab year if you have the roster room.
Castillo to IL With Shoulder Impingement
DROP · CWS · SP
Luis Castillo (43% owned) was placed on the 15-day IL with right shoulder impingement. Davis Martin (34% owned) picks up the rotation spot.
Separately, Ben Joyce (5% owned) went on the 15-day IL with the same diagnosis for the Angels. Joyce said he felt discomfort after Saturday's outing and again before Thursday's game, and characterized it as part of his post-surgery rehab rather than new damage. He expects a normal offseason.
Action: DROP both - the season ends Sunday. Martin is a one-start streamer only.
Gelof Homers Twice, Holds Third Base
ADD · OAK · 3B
Zack Gelof (29% owned) hit two home runs against Houston, including a solo shot in the eighth that pulled the Athletics within a run. He's the everyday third baseman with Max Muncy on the 10-day IL.
Action: ADD in 12-team-plus leagues for the final weekend. Guaranteed at-bats plus a two-homer game is as good as a last-days flier gets.
Varsho to IL, Seeing Hand Specialist Monday
WATCH · HOU · OF
Daulton Varsho (8% owned) was placed on the 10-day IL with left wrist inflammation and will see a hand specialist Monday. He's tried multiple treatments without resolution, and his postseason availability is now in question. Jorge Barrosa was selected to the roster to cover.
Action: DROP Varsho in redraft. Barrosa is a deep-league flier only.
Padres Clinch, Salas in Line for History
STASH · SD · C
San Diego clinched its third straight postseason appearance, a franchise first. Ethan Salas is positioned to become the youngest player ever to catch a major league playoff game next week - he turned 20 in May.
Action: STASH in dynasty. He debuted Sept. 2, so there's no meaningful redraft case, but a 20-year-old catching in October is a franchise-cornerstone signal.
Brewers Reach 100 Wins
HOLD · MIL · TEAM
Milwaukee beat Philadelphia 5-1 for its franchise-record 100th win, and is the first team in major league history to reach 100 without ever recording a winning streak longer than five games - three separate five-game runs, never a sixth.
Action: HOLD Brewers regulars, but expect rest. With the top seed locked, Milwaukee has no reason to play its starters over the weekend.
Phillies Still Need Help
WATCH · PHI · TEAM
Philadelphia (86-71) lost 5-1 to Milwaukee and remains in the wild-card picture with a magic number of two. San Diego and Arizona play this weekend, which could settle it.
Action: WATCH - Nothing roster-specific, but a team that clinches early may rest regulars. Check lineups before Sunday.
Schlittler Finishes at 1.95
HOLD · NYY · SP
Cam Schlittler closed the regular season with a 1.95 ERA - only Spud Chandler (1.64 in 1943) and Ron Guidry (1.74 in 1978) have been lower in Yankees history. Pitching coach Matt Blake indicated New York is giving "heavy consideration" to Max Fried for Wild Card Game 1 instead.
Action: HOLD - Redraft season is over, but in postseason formats the Game 1 decision matters. Watch for the announcement.
Schmidt Out of the Wild Card and ALDS
DROP · NYY · SP
Clarke Schmidt will not throw as hoped and is no longer an option for New York's bullpen. The earliest he can be activated is Oct. 6, ruling him out of both the Wild Card Series and the ALDS. Bradley Hanner is being brought to New York for bullpen innings.
Action: DROP everywhere.
Luzardo's Bullpen Goes Well
WATCH · PHI · SP
Jesús Luzardo threw a bullpen session that went well and said "chances are good" he'll be ready for the postseason. He's open to starting or relieving - "I'd be the bat boy" if asked.
Action: WATCH in postseason formats. No redraft value with the season ending Sunday.
Henriquez Throws First Bullpen Since IL
WATCH · LAD · RP
Edgardo Henriquez threw his first bullpen since landing on the IL with back discomfort and believes he can be ready for the NLDS.
Action: No redraft action. Postseason-format monitoring only.
Phillips Touches 100 for the First Time
HOLD · LAD · RP
Evan Phillips hit 100.1 mph, the first time he's reached triple digits in his career - a notable marker 16 months after Tommy John surgery.
Action: HOLD in holds and postseason formats. The velocity climb from 97 earlier this month is real.
Rushing to Be Activated With Limited Reps
WATCH · LAD · C
Dalton Rushing will be activated, though Roberts is limiting him to about three pinch-hit at-bats this weekend. Roberts said the light volume is a hurdle for postseason roster consideration.
Action: No action. He still can't catch because of the partial UCL tear, and three pinch-hit at-bats is not a fantasy asset.
Rodriguez Finishes 6.02 but Trending Up
HOLD · LAA · SP
Grayson Rodriguez (4.1% owned) closed his first Angels season with a 6.02 ERA but was "clearly trending up toward the end." Sammy Peralta threw three scoreless and Ryan Watson picked up the save. Los Angeles (61-98) needs two wins this weekend to avoid 100 losses.
Action: DROP in redraft; HOLD in dynasty. He was the top pitching prospect in baseball two years ago and the second-half trend is the part worth owning.
Rocker Beats the Team That Drafted Him
HOLD · TEX · SP
Kumar Rocker got the win as Texas beat the Mets - the club that drafted him 10th overall in 2021 but didn't sign him. Texas took him third overall in 2022. The Rangers (79-80) stay tied with Houston atop the AL West with three to play.
Action: HOLD - Nothing to do with the season ending Sunday, but he's lined up for a meaningful start if Texas plays past Sunday.
Montgomery Sets Strikeout Record, Reaches the Playoffs
HOLD · CWS · SS
Colson Montgomery (29.6% owned) holds the AL single-season strikeout record and shares the MLB mark, but he's playoff-bound with 31 homers and 87 RBI.
Action: HOLD - Thirty-one homers from a shortstop carries real value even with the strikeouts. Just price the batting average accordingly in keeper formats.
Painter Throws Six Strong
HOLD · PHI · SP
Andrew Painter (15% owned) worked six innings with eight strikeouts and one earned run, continuing a strong close to the season.
Action: HOLD in dynasty and keeper formats. He's an established rotation piece on a contender now, not a prospect.
Thornton Closes a Strong Rookie Year
STASH · NYM · SP
Zac Thornton (20% owned) finished his rookie season with a 3.42 ERA over 15 starts, ranking fifth in the NL in walk rate among pitchers with at least 80 innings - a rare bright spot in the Mets' season.
Action: STASH in keeper and dynasty. The command profile is the reason to believe it carries.
Mitchell Sets a Personal Durability Mark
HOLD · MIL · CF
Garrett Mitchell played his 142nd game of the season, after appearing in just 141 regular-season games combined across his first four seasons. He manages Type 1 diabetes.
Action: HOLD - The health is the story. In keeper leagues, a full season finally on record changes how you should price him next spring.