Welcome to September baseball. As the final month of the regular season begins, teams are afforded more flexibility in the form of two additional roster spots, expanding from 26 to 28 players, with one of those allowed to be used on a pitcher.
It’s not as drastic as in years past, when teams had the entirety of their 40-man rosters at their disposal in September, but the two new spots still represent a pivotal opportunity for teams to get creative with their roster construction as the postseason approaches.
Advertisement
Here’s a closer look at 10 of the most interesting September adds, from injury returners to promising prospects to veterans finding new homes just in time for the playoff push.
RHP Luis Garcia, Houston Astros
Slowly but surely, the Astros are getting healthier. The recent returns of Cristian Javier and Yordan Alvarez, plus the trade deadline acquisition of Carlos Correa, have started to make this Houston squad look a lot more familiar and dangerous, which could be bad news for the rest of the American League. And now it’s Garcia’s turn to reestablish himself as a main character in H-Town, as the right-hander made his season debut Monday against the Angels.
Advertisement
The AL Rookie of the Year runner-up in 2021 and a mainstay in Houston’s rotation during its run to the 2022 World Series, Garcia underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2023 and endured an arduous road back that featured multiple setbacks. While the velocity he showcased Monday was notably down from what we saw from him pre-surgery, Garcia was able to complete six innings and record a quality start. It’s a bit too early to tell whether this version of Garcia will warrant getting the ball for a playoff start, but having him back on the mound is certainly an encouraging development for Houston as it gears up for its latest trip to October.
[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season]
RHP Michael Kopech, Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers’ notoriously injured pitching staff is about as healthy as it’s been all year, with Kopech’s activation from the injured list as L.A.’s September mound addition representing the latest boost to the roster. Even accounting for the slew of injuries that shuffled the personnel over the course of the summer, the Dodgers’ bullpen has been undeniably disappointing. After ranking in the top five in MLB in bullpen ERA in every season from 2019 to 2024, Dodgers relievers rank 19th this season, with inconsistent…