Oregon Professional Athletes

Oregon Alumni Week in MLB: Sept. 13–19

Three Oregon alumni made headlines across MLB this week — one with a dominant start in a pennant race, one returning from a serious injury, and one heading to the shelf in a notable roster move.

Peterson Shines in Cubs' Wild Card Moment

David Peterson gave the Chicago Cubs exactly what they needed Monday against the Atlanta Braves. The Oregon product turned in six innings of one-run ball, punching out seven and allowing the Cubs to cruise to a 7-3 victory at Wrigley Field. It was a vintage outing from Peterson, who lowered his ERA to 5.11 on the season — a number that flatters neither the start nor the pitcher's overall campaign, but the timing was everything. The Cubs are locked in a stiff fight for the top National League Wild Card spot, and Peterson's gem helped keep the pressure on.

Pete Crow-Armstrong stole the highlight reel with a homer and four RBIs, but Peterson was the engine. Keeping Atlanta's lineup to a single earned run over six frames, in a game the Cubs couldn't afford to drop, is exactly the kind of contribution a rotation piece earns its keep with in September.

Nelson Returns to Bolster Arizona

Across the NL West, Ryne Nelson made his long-awaited return to the Diamondbacks. Arizona reinstated the right-hander from the 60-day injured list this week, designating Derek Law for assignment to clear roster space. Nelson had been sidelined since mid-June with a partial flexor tear — a diagnosis that can end seasons or careers — but avoided surgery and worked his way back.

He made his first appearance Thursday against the Marlins, logging 1.1 innings. The Diamondbacks, clearly managing his workload carefully, are getting a live arm back at exactly the right moment of the season. Nelson's return gives Arizona a bullpen option with legitimate upside, and his ERA sits at 4.89 after his first action back. The bigger story is simply that he's on the mound at all.

Steer Shut Down for the Year

Less encouraging news out of Cincinnati: Spencer Steer was transferred to the 60-day injured list, effectively ending his 2026 season. The Reds made the move to clear a 40-man roster spot, claiming infielder/outfielder Oswaldo Cabrera off waivers from the Yankees in the same set of transactions. Manager Terry Francona has addressed the team's plans for Steer heading into the offseason — the focus now shifts to his recovery and what role he'll play for Cincinnati in 2027.

Steer had been one of the more intriguing young bats in the Reds' lineup entering the year, making the shutdown a notable blow for the organization's near-term outlook at the corner infield and outfield.

Also Noted

Jonny DeLuca continued to contribute for the Rays in their AL Wild Card chase, going 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored Wednesday as Tampa Bay edged Oakland 4-3. The outfielder is hitting .259 on the season and has been a steady presence at the bottom of the Rays' lineup. Robby Ahlstrom, meanwhile, was optioned by the Rangers this week to make room for Michel Otañez on the active roster, logging a rough 0.2-inning outing Friday before the move.

This content was generated by FanDaily's AI newsroom.

Injury Watch Dominates Oregon's MLB Week

Three of Oregon's most prominent MLB alumni — Spencer Steer, Ryne Nelson, and David Peterson — are all navigating significant roster uncertainty as the 2026 season enters its final weeks, while outfielder Jonny DeLuca is quietly building a case as the Ducks' most consistent big-league presence right now.

Steer and Nelson: Rehabbing, but Trending Up

The Reds are offering cautious optimism about Spencer Steer's recovery. Cincinnati issued an encouraging injury update on the Oregon left fielder, suggesting his timeline is moving in the right direction — welcome news for a Reds club still jockeying for position in the NL Central picture this late in the season. Steer hasn't appeared in the game log this week, underscoring that he remains sidelined.

In Arizona, the Diamondbacks released their latest update on righty Ryne Nelson, who has been working his way back as a rehabbing starter. The D-backs have been measured in managing Nelson's return, and the latest dispatch offers some clarity on where he stands — though he, too, has yet to log a start during the review period. For a rotation that has leaned heavily on depth all season, Nelson's availability down the stretch matters.

Peterson's Future in Chicago Is an Open Question

David Peterson did take the mound this week, starting for the Cubs against the Brewers on Tuesday and turning in 4.1 innings of work — four strikeouts, one earned run, with his ERA sitting at 5.28. It was a serviceable but unspectacular outing against Milwaukee's lineup, and it comes at a moment when Peterson's longer-term status in Chicago is far from settled.

A piece from Cubs Blog Chicago floated through the fan discourse this week asking a pointed question: should the Cubs bring Peterson back beyond this season? That conversation is worth watching for Oregon fans. Peterson, acquired as a rotation stabilizer, hasn't pitched himself into a clear answer one way or the other. His Tuesday start — solid enough, not dominant — reads like a microcosm of his Cubs tenure.

DeLuca: The Quiet Constant in Tampa

While his fellow Ducks deal with health and contract uncertainty, Jonny DeLuca is simply playing baseball. The Rays right fielder had a productive week in Tampa Bay's outfield, going 1-for-his-game on Saturday in a 3-2 win over Houston, collecting two hits Thursday against Atlanta, and chipping in two hits and an RBI in Sunday's game against Texas. He enters the final stretch hitting .264, a mark that reflects steady, reliable production for a Rays club that has leaned on him in the lineup.

DeLuca has now appeared in every game tracked this week — a quiet durability that shouldn't be overlooked given the injury noise surrounding his Oregon classmates.

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Oregon's MLB footprint this week is a study in contrasts: three alumni waiting for health to unlock opportunity, and one outfielder in Tampa reminding everyone what consistent availability looks like. With Steer's recovery progressing and Nelson working back in Arizona, the Ducks could close September with more names in box scores than they have right now.

Jonny DeLuca Turns Chaos Into Clutch

Oregon's Jonny DeLuca delivered the most memorable play of the Ducks' MLB week without even hitting a clean home run — and that's what made it perfect.

With two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning on August 30, DeLuca yanked a ball off elite Athletics closer Mason Miller that ricocheted out of Samad Taylor's glove and tumbled over the wall. The bizarre, ruling-confirmed homer tied the game, and Tampa Bay went on to win 5-4 in 11 innings, with Jorge Mateo delivering the walk-off RBI single in extras. DeLuca finished that game 1-for-his-at-bats with a homer and three RBI — a Sunday that will live rent-free in Rays highlight reels.

It wasn't a one-game flash. DeLuca went 1-for-1 with a walk on Monday against the Mets, kept his average above .260 through a three-game Mets set, and enters the final stretch of the season batting .262 — quietly productive in a Rays lineup that has needed every run it can manufacture.

Cleavinger Hurt, Peterson Struggles

The week wasn't clean for all Oregon arms. Garrett Cleavinger, who had been a reliable piece in Tampa's bullpen, was placed on the 15-day injured list on September 5 with left forearm tightness. The Rays selected right-hander Ty Johnson from Triple-A Durham to fill the roster spot. Forearm tightness is a phrase no pitcher — or fan — wants to hear this late in a pennant race, and the timing stings for a Rays team still grinding for positioning.

In Chicago, David Peterson had a rough midweek outing that the Cubs would rather forget. Acquired from the Mets at the trade deadline alongside Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes, Peterson came in with high expectations as a rotation piece. But against Milwaukee on September 2, he lasted just 3.2 innings, allowed six earned runs, and struck out four in a 9-5 loss that extended the Brewers' NL Central lead. His ERA sits at 5.39, and the Cubs will need considerably more from the Oregon lefty if they want to make noise in October.

Ahlstrom Grinding in Texas

Robby Ahlstrom continued his role as a depth arm for the Rangers, logging three appearances during the week. He was sharp on Tuesday — a strikeout-per-inning performance in a blowout win — but rougher in a September 2 outing against the Athletics, surrendering three earned runs in one inning. His ERA currently sits at 6.29, reflecting a tough stretch for a pitcher carving out big-league reps. The Rangers' rotation situation will determine whether Ahlstrom stays in the mix heading into the season's final weeks.

Spencer Steer On The Bubble in Cincinnati

A footnote worth tracking: Spencer Steer's name surfaced in roster movement news this week. As the Reds worked to activate Graham Ashcraft off the 60-day IL, Steer was mentioned as a potential casualty in the corresponding roster shuffle. Steer is a versatile presence the Reds have valued for his positional flexibility, so any move involving him would signal Cincinnati making a calculated bet on pitching depth down the stretch.

DeLuca's week — equal parts luck and nerve — was the kind of moment that defines late-season baseball. For Oregon fans watching their Ducks across the majors, it was the high note in what was otherwise a mixed, gritty stretch run.