MLB roster expansion: 10 most intriguing additions, including top prospects and former All-Star, batting champ

MLB teams had their rosters expand from 26 to 28 players on Sunday, Sept. 1

By R.J. Anderson Sep 1, 2024 at 12:33 pm ET• 5 min read

Sept. 1 is an important date on Major League Baseball's calendar. For most people, it represents the beginning of the end, the start of the final month of the regular season. For some players, however, it represents only the beginning. Active rosters across MLB expanded from 26 to 28 players on Sunday, creating 60 additional opportunities for players to take advantage of during the season's final four weeks.

As such, we here at CBS Sports wanted to bring in the roster expansion period by highlighting some of Sunday's most notable additions. For our purposes, we didn't limit ourselves to the traditional Sept. 1 addition -- in part because the calculus around promoting a prospect to the minors has changed with the implementation of the Prospect Promotion Incentive system. Rather, we considered any player added to a roster, even if it means they're a veteran returning from injury. Also, by "notable" we don't necessarily mean the players likeliest to make an impact on the postseason races -- in some cases, we find the players presented here notable for other reasons.

Now, with that out of the way, let's tackle 10 notable Sept. 1 roster additions. (The players are presented in no particular order.)

1. Zach Eflin, RHP, Orioles

Again, Eflin isn't your traditional September roster addition -- he's a nine-year veteran whose roster spot was never in doubt. His availability was, however, and he was activated from the injured list after missing half-a-month with shoulder inflammation. Eflin, obtained from the Rays at the trade deadline, had begun his Orioles career with a four-start stretch that saw him compile a 2.13 ERA and a 12.50 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Having a hearty and hale Eflin gives the Orioles their best chances at either running down the Yankees in the East and/or making some noise once the playoffs begin.