Regan's Rumblings: 30 Teams; 30 Potential September Contributors

September 1 roster expansion is upon us, and while that doesn't necessarily mean that all teams will call up their top guys from Triple-A, help is coming. Service time considerations, 40-man roster issues, and, for pitchers, workload concerns all factor into the decision as to whether guys get called up. I struggled to find one impact guy for all 30 teams, but here is a list of one guy per team who should get the call and help next month.

Arizona Diamondbacks – Domingo Leyba, SS/2B – I'm not sure where they'd play him, but Leyba seems likely to be back up next month and he can certainly hit, going 3-for-9 with Arizona earlier this year, and he's hitting .307/.355/.529 for Triple-A Reno, though lots of guys can hit at that elevation, and he won't help on the base paths.

Atlanta Braves – Austin Riley, OF/3B – I don't think the Braves will recall Drew Waters or Cristian Pache, but Riley will be back. Riley got off to a blazing start with the Braves, but then hit just .197 in his final 157 at- bats before getting hurt. With guys like Nick Markakis and Ender Inciarte nursing various injuries, Riley could get sufficient time to re-establish himself.

Baltimore Orioles – Ryan Mountcastle, OF/1B – Mountcastle is not on the 40-man roster, but it can't be too tough to find a guy who is that can be DFA'd. Mountcastle is hitting .310/.342/.531 in Triple-A, including 25 home runs. His 22.9 K percentage is reasonable these days, though his 4.2 BB percent is troubling and could leave him very vulnerable to MLB pitching. Still, the power is real, and the O's should give him a look.

Boston Red Sox – Trevor Kelley, RP – Bobby Dalbec is somewhat interesting, but it's hard to see him having much of a role, barring injuries. Kelley, though, should return for another stint. He's sporting a 1.9 0ERA and 57:19 K:BB in 61.2 innings while leading Pawtucket with 12 saves. He'll be of use in the Boston bullpen, perhaps even in the late innings eventually.

Chicago Cubs – Adbert Alzolay, SP – There isn't much to be excited about at the upper levels here, but Alzolay should get a couple of starts in September depending on how things shake out. He was brutal in his first MLB stint, posting a 7.15 ERA and allowing four homers in 11.1 innings. His 4.70 Triple-A ERA isn't earth-shattering, but he does throw in the mid-90s and his 12.7 AAA K/9 is encouraging.

Cincinnati Reds – Brian O'Grady, OF – Could this be another Aristides Aquino? Unlikely, but O'Grady is batting .275/.355/.552 with 27 homers and 17 steals for Triple-A Louisville. He was just 1-for-12 in an earlier MLB stint, but despite being a no name 27-year-old, hopefully he'll get a longer look for the perpetually-building-for-the-future Reds.

Cleveland Indians – Bobby Bradley, 1B – The Indians' best prospects are at lower levels, but Bradley should get another look next month. He's hitting .261/.341/.566 with 31 homers for Triple-A Columbus, with a 34.4 K percentage being the main culprit in his relatively low batting average. The power though is real, and he does have a 10 BB percentage. It seems unlikely that the Indians would shift Carlos Santana to third to cover for Jose Ramirez, but if that does happen, perhaps Bradley gets some 1B reps.

Colorado Rockies – Sam Hilliard, OF – Hilliard is 25 and not considered a top prospect, but these are video game numbers he's putting up in Triple-A. The outfielder is batting .264/.336/.541 with 25 homers and 22 stolen bases. Hilliard has struck out 163 times in 125 games, his fourth consecutive year topping 150 strikeouts, but the 6'5" lefty can crush the ball and contribute on the bases. The Rockies can give this guy a look or roll out Ian Desmond every day. I know who I'd prefer to see.

Chicago White Sox – Luis Robert, OF – One could certainly make the case that Eloy Jimenez should have been up at this point last year, and you can make the case for Robert in 2019. Meaning of course that it's very possible we don't see the Sox's top prospect until 2020. For the year, between three levels, Robert is batting a robust .332/.383/.630 with 30 home runs and 36 stolen bases. Sounds like Ronald Acuna lite. Robert has a 1.005 OPS in Triple-A thanks to 14 home runs in 172 games, but a 25 K percentage is a bit high, and his walk rate for the year is just so-so at 5.4 percent. That supports holding him back, but with guys like Leury Garcia, Jon Jay and Adam Engel patrolling CF and RF, it's very easy to make the case that Robert would upgrade the 25-man roster, and significantly.

Detroit Tigers – Tim Adleman, SP – We won't see Casey Mize and Matt Manning until 2020, but the 31-year-old Adleman should join the club in September. After spending 2018 pitching in Korea, Adleman has returned with excellent Triple-A results – 3.34 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 9.7 K/9, 3.0 BB/9. He's 5-0 with a 2.86 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in his last seven starts. Take a look at the Detroit rotation and tell me they shouldn't at least give this guy a look.

Houston Astros – Kyle Tucker, OF – Captain Obvious with this one. Tucker has cooled off a bit lately, but he has a .910 OPS, 32 homers and 30 steals in Triple-A. A healthy Michael Brantley and a relatively productive Josh Reddick have kept Tucker in Triple-A, but Reddick is also hitting .161/.185/.210 in August, and with the Astros looking for another title, Tucker will get his shot.

Kansas City Royals – Xavier Fernandez, C – Couldn't come up with anything exciting here, so I'll take a catcher hitting .277/.320/.454 with five homers and a strong 11.5 K percentage in 130 Triple-A at-bats. Fernandez won't show up on any top prospect lists, but he's a career .273 hitter who can hit for a little power. Factor in the Royals having a lack of quality catchers on the 40-man roster, and it's possible Fernandez gets a look.

Los Angeles Angels – Taylor Ward, 3B – With Jo Adell seemingly unlikely to get the call this year, I'll go with Ward. He's struck out in 32.9 percent of his MLB PAs dating back to last year, but at .303/.426/.581 for Triple-A Salt Lake, he'll get a September callup. Matt Thaiss is the third baseman for now, but he's hitting just .174 in 102 at-bats, so if Thaiss doesn't pick things up quickly, it could be Ward getting another try.

Los Angeles Dodgers – Gavin Lux, 2B – The guy everyone wants to see, but it's no lock that we will. The Dodgers are awash in depth, and Lux isn't on the 40-man roster, but that could be easily accommodated (by Tyler White). All Lux is doing is batting .407/.493/.747 in 44 Triple-A games, giving him 25 homers, 10 stolen bases and a 1.039 OPS at the minors' two highest levels. A lefty swinger, Lux is batting .389 against Triple-A southpaws, so probably no need for a platoon there. I think he'll get the call and have 2019 value, but it's not a lock.

Miami Marlins – Monte Harrison, OF – Assuming his wrist is healed, Harrison should make his MLB debut next month. He's hitting a solid .284/.372/.479 for Triple-A New Orleans, with nine homers and an impressive 20 steals in just 50 games. The potential BA downside is pretty big, as after putting up 215 Ks in Double-A last year, he's striking out at a 30.3 percent clip this year. That his profile reminds me of Reggie Abercrombie isn't good, but if the strikeouts aren't a huge issue, Harrison's ceiling is high.

Milwaukee Brewers – Tyrone Taylor, OF – I struggled with this one, as there's no one impactful left at the upper minors now that guys like Trent Grisham and, of course, Keston Hiura are in the big leagues. Taylor, though, could get a look. A former top prospect in the system (many years ago), Taylor is batting .275/.338/.475 with 13 homers and five steals in 85 games. His speed and athleticism haven't seemed to show up as much in recent years, but he's on the 40-man roster, so a 2019 debut seems likely. Seems unlikely that sufficient playing time will be there for now, however.

Minnesota Twins – Willians Astudillo, C – The Twins' top guys are more 2020/2021 options, so what about a triumphant return for this guy? Astudillo is rehabbing an oblique injury in the minors, but the rehab is going well: .361/.395/.583 in 38 PAs with his standard 1:1 K:BB. He hasn't been nearly as good in the big leagues this year, but I do see him having value if he gets enough at-bats. With eligibility at several positions, Astudillo could play enough to have AL-only value next month.

New York Mets – Stephen Nogosek, RP – With a full rotation, an injured Tim Tebow (joking, joking…) and no upper-level position prospects ready to make an impact, perhaps Nogosek can and help out a beleaguered bullpen. Nogosek was hit hard in a pair of stints earlier this year, but check out these minor league numbers: zero runs allowed in 28 Triple-A innings, and overall, a 0.38 minor league ERA in 47 innings. Okay, so his 48:22 K:BB in those innings is far from encouraging, but have you seen the Mets' bullpen?

New York Yankees – Breyvic Valera, 2B – We should also see top prospect Deivi Garcia, but as it will be in a bullpen role, the fantasy impact likely will be minimal. Still perhaps a guy to target in holds leagues, as the strikeouts should be there. Valera should return in a utility role, as he's hitting an excellent .306/.393/.490 with 14 homers and eight steals in Triple-A.

Oakland A's – Jesus Luzardo, SP – Jorge Mateo is another name to watch, but Luzardo has SP1 upside, even if that's not quite his ceiling for 2019. A lat injury has limited him to just 37 innings this year, but the southpaw has stretched out to 4.2 innings in each of his last two starts. Another pair of Triple-A outings and he could be ready to contribute as a starter at the big league level. Luzardo rocketed up the charts last year, tossing 109.1 innings of 2.88 ERA ball with a 130:29 K:BB. He's worth a stash in all leagues right now.

Philadelphia Phillies – Nick Williams, OF – Nothing too exciting here. Guys like Williams, Cole Irvin and Phil Gosselin should be back. Williams has a .975 OPS in 44 games since being sent down, but his 25.1 K percentage remains high, offering little hope that he's figured things out. We know he can hit Triple-A pitching, but he's still hitting just .158 at the big league level this year. Assuming Williams is recalled, he should be on NL-only radars, but that's about it.

Pittsburgh Pirates – Ke'Bryan Hayes, 3B – Hayes isn't on the 40-man roster, which complicates things, but he's probably the team's top prospect, and he's in Triple-A, so a callup is possible. For the year, Hayes is batting a modest .262/.311/.416 but he does have a 1.197 OPS in his last seven games, so perhaps he's getting hot at the right time. Colin Moran has been adequate at best at the hot corner with a .283/.331/.447 slash, so perhaps Hayes gets a look.

San Diego Padres – Jacob Nix, SP – The Padres have graduated most of their MLB-ready talent, but Nix remains the most likely Triple-A option to come up and contribute. Nix is rehabbing an elbow injury so he's been limited to just 18.1 innings this year, but his last outing came in Triple-A and it was excellent – 5 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K. Another couple of outings and he could be an option for the big club.

Seattle Mariners – Justin Dunn, SP – Dunn is still in Double-A, but he was a rumored callup candidate last month, and since he has a 3.18 ERA in his last three starts, his time could be coming soon. Dunn ha a 3.67 ERA and 1.23 WHIP this year, but with a 10.7 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9, he's shown excellent swing-and-miss stuff and solid control. There's plenty of opportunity in a mediocre Seattle rotation.

San Francisco Giants – Mauricio Dubon, SS – I'd like to see Dubon start appearing in games at second, as that's his easiest path to the big leagues, but it's still not happening. Dubon has hit .330 in 24 games since being traded from the Brewers, and his 19 home runs and 10 steals offer intriguing fantasy potential. He probably won't hit for this type of power in San Francisco, but he'll run and hit for average. I think we'll see him in September.

St. Louis Cardinals – Dylan Carlson, OF – I'm not sure whether he's on the radar for another promotion, but in 11 games since being promoted to Triple-A, the Cardinals' top prospect has raked: .455/.510/.773 with three homers in 11 games. Carlson for the year has 24 home runs and 18 steals to go with a .297/.378/.542 slash, so the fantasy upside is obvious. On the pitching side, monitor Daniel Ponce de Leon in deeper leagues, as he should return.

Tampa Bay Rays – Nate Lowe, 1B – Lowe should never have been sent down last month, and it's a lock that he returns in September. Lowe hit .294/.365/.510 with the Rays, has a .937 Triple-A OPS, and since being sent down, he's hitting .316/.400/.532. He needs to be up now. Meanwhile in August, Ji-Man Choi has a .694 OPS, and while Jesus Aguilar has been better (.782 OPS), Lowe has been misused.

Texas Rangers – Andy Ibanez, 2B – The 26-year-old Ibanez has had his best full year yet, batting .303/.378/.492 with 17 homers and six steals for Triple-A Nashville. His 10.4 BB percentage is a nice improvement over last year's Triple-A mark of 7.8 percent. While Rougned Odor's job is obviously in jeopardy due to his .195 BA, the Rangers also have Nick Solak and Danny Santana as options, so it's tough to see where Ibanez fits.

Toronto Blue Jays – Anthony Kay, SP – Nate Pearson is the guy I want to see, but it seems like he's more of a 2020 guy at this point. The Blue Jays have graduated most of their top-level talent already, but Kay could get a look. The former Mets prospect has a 1.64 ERA in his last four starts with an 11.5 K/9, though he's also managed an ugly 5.7 BB/9 during that time. Despite that, he could get a look.

Washington Nationals – Carter Kieboom, 2B/SS – With Brian Dozier struggling to a .180 BA this month, Kieboom should be an option no later than 9/1. Clearly, he struggled during his first big league stint, but a .929 Triple-A OPS leaves little doubt that he's conquered Triple-A pitching. In his prime, it's not out of the question that Kieboom could be a .300/.380/.500 type of hitter.