The end of the 2026 MLB season is officially in sight. Once Monday comes there will be just a few weeks left. It’s “go” time for fantasy managers as a result. If there’s a player you’ve been holding onto waiting for him to turn things around, then it could be time to cut bait and move forward with someone who is producing in the moment.
Teams out of playoff contention will also begin shutting guys down if they’re banged up, which is yet another factor to consider while we check in on batting orders around the league.
Arizona Diamondbacks
Tim Tawa has played all but two games since the All-Star break, splitting his time between first base and center field. Jordan Lawlar returned this week and started in center field in three straight, all versus lefties, bumping Ryan Waldschmidt to left. Keep eyes on how those two fit in against righties with Max Kepler and Lars Nootbaar needing time. Ildemaro Vargas has filled in at second base for Ketel Marte this week.
Athletics
Henry Bolte is leading off against all lefties and most righties. Zack Gelof has started every game since returning from the IL on August 3, hitting high in the order and bouncing between 2B, 3B, and LF. Lawrence Butler has started every game since July 29, which includes starts versus 10 left-handers. The depth of this lineup has been decimated with Nick Kurtz, Shea Langeliers, Brent Rooker, and now Tyler Soderstrom all injured.
Atlanta Braves
Austin Riley hasn’t hit higher than seventh in August. Lane Thomas is a weak-side platoon hitter with Mike Yastrzemski in left field. Ha-Seong Kim has started once since coming off the IL on August 4.
Baltimore Orioles
Pete Alonso hit leadoff last Friday, but it appears to have been a one-game experiment. Samuel Basallo returned from the IL this week and made his second start of the season at first base. Jackson Holliday has hit inside the top three in every game since August 7, including versus southpaws.
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Boston Red Sox
Trevor Story could return from the IL on Friday, which will most affect Andruw Monasterio’s playing time as he’s been the everyday shortstop. Roman Anthony is on a rehab assignment that could stretch into September, but there’s no more outfield/DH logjam with Masataka Yoshida sidelined. Keep eyes on if-and-when Franklin Arias receives a call-up. It could come down to Story’s health and performance over the next couple of weeks.
Chicago Cubs
Nico Hoerner has made three starts at shortstop since Dansby Swanson went on the IL, giving him 11 on the season for those tracking 2027 eligibility. Pedro Ramírez has taken over for Hoerner at second base and seems to be the primary beneficiary for increased playing time.
Chicago White Sox
Colson Montgomery has dropped to hitting sixth against righties with Braden Montgomery now one spot ahead of him. Brenton Doyle, Randal Grichuk, and Luisangel Acuña are in weak-side platoon roles.
Cincinnati Reds
Sal Stewart is up to eight games (seven starts) at second base, so it’ll be tight for leagues with a 10-start minimum for next-season eligibility. Matt McLain has started every game since coming off the IL on July 30, and he’s been moving up from the bottom of the order this week. Héctor Rodríguez has started only three of eight games since this time last week.
Cleveland Guardians
Steven Kwan is back to leading off most every day, including against most lefties. José Ramírez and Travis Bazzana are mixing in DH starts to accommodate Angel Genao, who has only sat twice since his August 5 debut.
Colorado Rockies
Cole Carrigg has eight games (four starts) at shortstop, which is something to watch down the stretch with the Rockies’ outfield surplus and Ezequiel Tovar having the worst batting line among qualified hitters this season. Zac Veen is starting against righties since being recalled from Triple-A, platooning with Jordan Beck.
Detroit Tigers
Max Clark has sat once since debuting on July 31, strictly playing center field while hitting in the bottom third of the order. Gleyber Torres has started every game in August, hitting first or second. Brett Callahan has taken over left field since debuting on Sunday.
Houston Astros
Daulton Varsho has only sat once since being acquired at the trade deadline. Jeremy Peña took a pitch off his hand this week and didn’t start Thursday, so keep an eye on his status heading into this weekend.
Kansas City Royals
Maikel Garcia is likely headed right back to the injured list after returning on Monday, which should re-open third base for Nick Loftin. Note that Loftin has also been leading off this week as the team finally seems to be ending the Carter Jensen leadoff experiment. Vinnie Pasquantino’s return this week has helped lengthen this lineup, but keep eyes on Jac Caglianone’s ankle heading into Friday.
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Los Angeles Angels
Moisés Ballesteros has reached 10 starts behind the plate and has only sat once since being acquired from the Cubs at the trade deadline. Zach Neto is hitting cleanup against RHP and leading off vs. LHP. Meanwhile, Wade Meckler is batting first against right-handers.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Kyle Tucker has sat three times in August while primarily hitting sixth or seventh. Max Muncy doesn’t sit against every lefty, but Enrique Hernández covers third base when he gets the day off. If-and-when Will Smith returns from the IL, this lineup will be back to full strength.
Miami Marlins
Griffin Conine is mixing in at first base with Kyle Stowers hurt, and he’s a middle-of-the-order bat versus all righties. Esteury Ruiz is tied for the seventh-most stolen bases in MLB despite having a fraction of the plate appearances of the other league leaders. He starts against all lefties and only some righties. Heriberto Hernández bats second against southpaws and is in the middle of the order vs. most RHP.
Milwaukee Brewers
William Contreras and Christian Yelich have hit as low as seventh recently, but it’s not yet an every-game occurrence. In fact, Contreras has hit first, fourth, and fourth in the three games since. Jake Bauers is an everyday hitter while Garrett Mitchell is back to platooning. Luis Lara has started every game since last Friday.
Minnesota Twins
Luke Keaschall moved up to leadoff against both righties and lefties this week and will be 2B/OF eligible in all formats next season. Kaelen Culpepper has started 10 of 12 since his August 7 debut, all at shortstop while primarily batting ninth. Royce Lewis has locked in 1B/3B eligibility for next season and has nine starts at second base with a little over five weeks left.
New York Mets
Carson Benge continues to bat cleanup while making his NL Rookie of the Year case. Luis Robert Jr. is still receiving a couple days off each week while not starting more than three in a row. Jorge Polanco is out for the season, which could open up more DH opportunities for Francisco Alvarez when Luis Torrens is behind the plate.
New York Yankees
They’ve only faced one lefty since trading for Luis García Jr., which was the only game he sat. Heliot Ramos has also only sat once. George Lombard Jr. has started at shortstop in every game since his August 4 debut. Reinforcements are coming with Cody Bellinger possibly returning on Sunday, which could shake up the outfield picture.
Philadelphia Phillies
Bryce Harper is up to 13 outfield starts while Bryson Stott has 15 starts at the hot corner. Luis Arraez has hit cleanup in every game since being traded for. Playing time has once again consolidated with a consistent starting nine, making Justin Crawford the primary center fielder with Derek Hill playing very sparingly.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Oneil Cruz returned from the IL this week but sat against the first lefty he had an opportunity to face. Spencer Horwitz has resumed leading off against RHP. Rafael Flores Jr. is swinging a hot bat while starting against all lefties and some righties.
San Diego Padres
Jackson Merrill has sat once since May 23. Ty France remains the everyday cleanup hitter. Xander Bogaerts has been hitting as low as eighth recently.
San Francisco Giants
Drew Gilbert has moved up to leadoff against right-handers since last weekend. Willy Adames didn’t end up going on the IL this week, so we’ll see where Marcelo Mayer plays when he returns from his rehab assignment, which could be Monday. He’s played second base and third base while rehabbing.
Seattle Mariners
Colt Emerson and J.P. Crawford are both sidelined, so Brock Rodden has been the everyday shortstop over the past week. Brendan Donovan is leading off with Taylor Ward back down to the bottom half of the lineup. Cal Raleigh is still mostly hitting seventh.
St. Louis Cardinals
JJ Wetherholt is up to five starts at shortstop, so he’ll have dual eligibility on some sites next year. Joshua Báez has started six of seven since being promoted last weekend, but he’s 1-for-21 since his electric three-homer debut.
Tampa Bay Rays
Chandler Simpson resumed leading off this week for the first time since June 5. Liam Hicks has been strictly catching since his trade from the Marlins because Yandy Díaz has yet to play the field this season, which is something to be aware of heading into drafts this offseason.
Texas Rangers
Joc Pederson is up to eight starts at first base this season. This lineup is finally mostly healthy absent Josh Jung.
Toronto Blue Jays
Alejandro Kirk is red hot and has the team’s best batting line this season. George Springer is receiving regular days off but hitting cleanup when he plays. Brett Bateman has been leading off for the past week with Nathan Lukes hitting second vs. RHP.
Washington Nationals
CJ Abrams has yet to start at second base as the organization works with him on that potential move. His season debut at the position will have to wait at least one more day as he’s expected to miss Friday’s game with an ankle issue. If he can get enough playing time to qualify at the position for 2027 it’ll have a big impact on fantasy drafts this offseason. Abimelec Ortiz has been hitting second against righties still. This lineup looks very different from its midseason peak with Abrams, James Wood, Curtis Mead, and Luis García Jr. all missing.
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