Colorado Rockies utility man Willi Castro (heel, knee) will not return this season, he announced on Wednesday. Castro is dealing with plantar fasciitis in his left heel and also soreness in his right knee, and he was placed on the 10-day injured list back on Sept. 5. The Rockies have nothing left to play for this season, so Castro has elected to get an early start on his rehab for the offseason. The 29-year-old Puerto Rican switch-hitter will finish his first season in Denver with a .260/.331/.417 slash line, a .748 OPS, 15 home runs, 56 RBI, 65 runs scored, and 10 stolen bases across 120 games played and 477 plate appearances in his eighth year in the majors. Castro's 15 long balls are a new career high. He should be healed in plenty of time before spring training in 2027, assuming there is no lockout, and will return to the Rockies as a versatile defender with a modest power/speed profile. The best thing about Castro in fantasy is that he is eligible at first base, second base, third base, shortstop, and the outfield.

Colorado Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman (thumb) is missing a third straight game for Thursday's series finale at Coors Field against the division-rival San Diego Padres, per MLB.com. Brett Sullivan will catch right-hander Tanner Gordon and will hit eighth against Padres right-hander Michael King. Goodman is currently managing a sore right thumb and is considered day-to-day, so he could have a chance to return to action for Friday's series opener at home against the Seattle Mariners. It is an inopportune time for fantasy managers to be without Goodman in the fantasy playoffs, as the 26-year-old catcher currently leads all MLB catchers with a career-high 38 home runs in 482 at-bats in 2026. The former fourth-rounder from the University of Memphis is also hitting .245/.312/.529 with an .841 OPS, 81 RBI, 80 runs scored, and five stolen bases. Hopefully he will be able to return for the Rockies this weekend against Seattle.

Across 90 2/3 innings (19 starts) in 2026, Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Jared Jones has recorded a 4-6 record with a 4.17 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and 119 strikeouts. After missing the first two-plus months of the 2026 season while working his way back from an elbow injury, Jones allowed 16 earned runs across his first 25 innings pitched following his return. However, the 25-year-old has been lights-out as of late. Across 18 innings (three starts) in September, Jones has pitched to a 1.50 ERA and 0.83 WHIP with 26 strikeouts and two wins. Across 55 2/3 innings since the All-Star break, Jones has posted an excellent 29.7% strikeout rate while keeping his walk rate to a manageable 8.5%. When the hard-throwing righty is healthy and has full command of his arsenal, Jones carries high-end fantasy upside. In any league where he remains on the waiver wire, Jones should be a priority target for fantasy managers ahead of his final appearances of the 2026 season.

Across 149 plate appearances in 2026, St. Louis Cardinals utility man Thomas Saggese is hitting .267/.315/.407 with four home runs, 13 RBI, 25 runs scored, and four stolen bases. The 24-year-old's strikeout rate remains slightly elevated at 24.8%, but it's still an improvement on the 28.1% mark he posted in 2025. Saggese also brings solid underlying contact metrics, as he's logged a 9.9% barrel rate and 43.6% hard-hit rate. With Cardinals middle infielders Masyn Winn and JJ Wetherholt both missing time at the start of September, Saggese has been playing an everyday role in St. Louis at either second base or shortstop in recent weeks. Wetherholt returned to the Cardinals on Wednesday, which could impact Saggese's playing time outlook. Still, Saggese's ability to play both the outfield and third base should allow him to stay in his team's lineup on a near-everyday basis. With his balanced profile and multi-positional eligibility, Saggese profiles as a useful deep-league waiver wire addition.