Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Eric Lauer performed well on Thursday as he fired five-shutout frames in the team's 4-2 loss to the Marlins. The lefty struck out nine batters on the night, including four straight to begin the game, without walking a batter and allowing just one single in his 71-pitch effort. He was in line for the win until the bullpen blew it in the late innings, but it was good to see him dominate after struggling in his first game back off the IL last week. Lauer will take a 3.83 ERA and 1.24 WHIP into his final start of the season in a home showdown with the Diamondbacks.

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Kyle Schwarber was 0-for-2 in Thursday's 2-0 loss to the Chicago Cubs but did walk twice. He's been struggling to hit recently, batting .185 in his last 15 games, but still has five home runs in that span. Overall, it's been a productive season for Schwarber, who's slugged 42 HRs and has slashed .212/.315/.483 with 95 runs, 87 RBI, and nine stolen bases over 149 games. The lefty is a must-start in every league unless fantasy managers are going all in for batting average.

The Miami Marlins activated outfielder Avisail Garcia (hamstring), infielder Joey Wendle (hamstring) and pitcher Tommy Nance (groin) from the injured list on Thursday. The Marlins also placed infielder/outfielder Garrett Cooper (pinkie) on the 10-day injured list with a pinkie fracture and Steven Okert (triceps) on the 15-day injured list with left triceps tightness. Jesus Sanchez was recalled and Jerar Encarnacion and Luke Williams were optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville. Garcia is starting in right field and batting cleanup on Thursday, while Wendle is at the 6 and hitting seventh against Milwaukee Brewers left-hander ... [More]

The Colorado Rockies activated second baseman Brendan Rodgers (hamstring) from the injured list on Thursday and placed outfielder Connor Joe (ribs) on the 10-day injured list in a corresponding move. Rodgers went on the IL a week ago and will be back for the final handful of games in the 2022 regular season. It remains to be seen if he'll be back in the starting lineup on Thursday against the San Francisco Giants. The 26-year-old is returning to a .261/.319/.396 slash line with 11 homers, 61 RBI and 68 runs in 502 at-bats this year. Joe will miss the rest of the regular season with his injury. He'll finish his season hitting .238/.338/.359 with seven home runs, 28 RBI, 56 runs scored and six stolen bases in 111 games in his second season in Colorado.

Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager (forearm) is not in the starting lineup on Thursday against the Seattle Mariners. Seager will miss his second straight game due to a bruised left forearm that he suffered on Tuesday. The 28-year-old remains day-to-day after X-rays came back negative on his arm. With Seager out again Thursday, rookie Josh H. Smith will start at shortstop and hit ninth in the batting order against Mariners left-hander Marco Gonzales. DFS gamers can probably do a lot better than Smith in the nine-hole on Thursday. The 25-year-old rookie has just 38 hits in his first 190 MLB at-bats this year with two home runs, 16 RBI, 22 runs scored and four stolen bases.

Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner (leg) remains out of the starting lineup on Thursday against the division-rival San Diego Padres. Turner is dealing with an injured left leg and could be out for another few games as the Dodgers look to rest him up before the postseason. LA has already locked up the National League West and the top seed in the National League, so they have nothing left to play for heading into the final few games of the regular season. Max Muncy is starting at third base and is hitting fifth on Thursday against Padres right-handed opener Steven Wilson. Muncy is hitting exactly .200 on the season, but he does have 21 home runs. He's gone hitless in his last 13 at-bats with three strikeouts over four games.

Seattle Mariners outfielder Jesse Winker (wrist) is back in the starting lineup on Thursday against the Texas Rangers and right-hander Jon Gray, serving as the designated hitter and batting sixth. Winker will return to action after missing the last two games due to a bruise left wrist. He's really struggled in the month of September, going 8-for-45 (.178) with no homers, two RBI and 13 strikeouts in his 17 games. The 29-year-old left-handed hitter has a .219/.343/.340 slash line with 13 home runs, 50 RBI and 48 runs scored on the season in 447 at-bats in his first year in Seattle after he made the All-Star team for the first time with the Cincinnati Reds in 2021.

Detroit Tigers shortstop Javier Baez had a solid day at the plate on Thursday, going 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBI, and two runs in the 10-3 win against the Kansas City Royals. September's been the best month of the 29-year-old's season, as he's sporting a .902 OPS with five long balls. However, the first year in Detroit hasn't been kind to Baez, who has a .241/.281/.396 slash line with 16 HRs, 62 runs, 63 RBI, and nine stolen bases across 139 games. The mix of power and speed is still there but doesn't compare to his 31 homers and 18 SBs from a season ago. Baez is still startable in many leagues, especially during his hot streak.

Boston Red Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo had a pair of hits, including a double, and scored twice in Thursday's 5-3 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. It brought the 26-year-old's batting average to .285. Verdugo's pretty one-dimensional, though, as he has just 11 HRs and one stolen base with 72 runs and 74 RBI over 147 games. The former top prospect's still deserving of a starting job in most fantasy leagues and will contribute to batting average the rest of the way as the season comes to a close.

Boston Red Sox second baseman Trevor Story (heel, illness) is now sick and is very unlikely to return again this season. Time is running out for Story to return to the Red Sox's lineup, so fantasy managers shouldn't expect him to contribute within the next week. If it's indeed the case, the 29-year-old slugger will finish his first season with the Red Sox with a .238/.303/.434 slash line, 16 home runs, 66 RBI, 53 runs scored and 13 stolen bases in 396 plate appearances over 94 games played. There's a good chance he'll move to shortstop next year with Xander Bogaerts fully expected to opt out of his contract this winter. Christian Arroyo and Enrique Hernandez will continue splitting time at the keystone the rest of the way with Story unlikely to return.

Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Mark Melancon picked up his 18th save of the season on Wednesday in the 5-2 win over the Houston Astros. In his inning of work, Melancon didn't allow a hit or a run while walking none and striking out none. Melancon has a 4.67 ERA (4.04 FIP) and a 1.54 WHIP on the year, but he's been better in the season's final month, posting a 2.70 ERA (5.82 FIP) with a save and four strikeouts in 10 innings pitched. Fantasy managers shouldn't expect another save before the end of the regular season, though, as the 37-year-old's previous save before Wednesday night came all the way back on Aug. 17.

The New York Mets will move right-hander Jacob deGrom's next start up to Friday for the series opener against the division-rival Atlanta Braves, according to skipper Buck Showalter. The Mets will roll with deGrom in a huge series. Entering play on Thursday, the Mets sit just one game ahead of Atlanta for the division lead in the National League East. deGrom will face off with left-handed ace Max Fried for the Braves in what is essentially a playoff game at the end of the regular season schedule. As always, deGrom is a must-start in fantasy, despite the tough matchup. In his two starts against the Braves in 2022, deGrom has allowed five earned runs on six hits (one homer) while walking one and striking out 21 in 12 1/3 innings.

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola couldn't get it done against the Chicago Cubs Wednesday, as he gave up four runs on five hits in six innings. He struck out eight and did not walk a batter. His record for the year fell to 10-13 in the 4-2 loss. With a 3.36 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, and 226 strikeouts in 198 1/3 innings, Nola deserves better than his record. He should get one more start in 2022, and fantasy managers and Phillies fans are counting on better results with the season on the line.

Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Brandon Woodruff was outstanding Wednesday night, striking out 10 batters over six shutout innings to lead the team to a 5-1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. Woodruff allowed five hits and one walk and was credited with his 13th win of the year. This outing lowers Woodruff's ERA and WHIP to 3.05 and 1.09 with 183 strikeouts in 147 1/3 innings across 26 starts. He also has five straight quality starts, with double-digit strikeouts in each of his last four.

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said third baseman Justin Turner (leg) would probably be out for a few days. He fouled a ball off his last week, then aggravated it again on a slide in Tuesday's game against the San Diego Padres. The 37-year-old is experiencing swelling in his shin. It's unclear how many games the veteran will miss and is considered day-to-day. Turner is slashing .280/.353/.444 with 13 home runs, 81 RBI, 61 runs, and three stolen bases over 521 plate appearances in 125 games in 2022. Miguel Vargas and Max Muncy will fill in at third base while Turner is sidelined.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Tyler O'Neill (hamstring) may not return from the 10-day injured list during the team's upcoming postseason run. "I think there's a shot, but obviously, the clock is ticking," said Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak. The 27-year-old sustained a Grade 1 left hamstring strain on September 17. He has been limited to 96 games due to injuries, slashing .228/.308/.392 with 14 home runs, 58 RBI, 56 runs, and 14 stolen bases over 383 plate appearances. O'Neill is not expected to return before the regular season, and his status for the postseason is up in the air. Dylan Carlson will continue to see everyday at-bats while O'Neill is sidelined.

Colorado Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon (knee) was placed on the 10-day injured list with a torn meniscus in his left knee. He will miss the rest of the season. The 36-year-old slashed .264/.314/.419 with 16 home runs, 78 RBI, 60 runs, and four stolen bases over 577 plate appearances in 135 games in 2022. There is no timetable for his recovery, but he is expected to return when Spring Training starts next season. Michael Toglia and Yonathan Daza should see an uptick in at-bats while Blackmon is sidelined.

St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado will get the day off on Wednesday against the Milwaukee Brewers. Arenado and a few others will take a seat a day after the team clinched the National League Central division on Tuesday. Rookie Juan Yepez will get the nod at the hot corner instead and will bat cleanup against Brewers right-hander Brandon Woodruff. Yepez has handled himself quite well in his first major-league season for the Cardinals and he's hit well in limited opportunities of late, going 7-for-18 (.389) with a homer, two RBI and three runs scored in six games in the last two weeks of play. He'll be a solid under-the-radar DFS play against Milwaukee.

Chicago Cubs left-hander Justin Steele (back) threw a successful bullpen session on Tuesday and is expected to throw one more high-intensity bullpen, but it sounds as though he will not make it back to make another start for the Cubs in 2022. "It just makes sense to me to just go ahead and send him off on a high note," manager David Ross said about Steele. It doesn't make sense for the Cubs to rush the 27-year-old southpaw back with nothing to play for this year. Steele showed plenty of improvement in his sophomore season in the big leagues, going 4-7 with a 3.18 ERA (3.21 FIP), a 1.35 WHIP, 126 strikeouts and 50 walks in 119 innings pitched over his 24 starts for the Cubbies.

New York Yankees infielder DJ LeMahieu (toe) will be activated from the 10-day injured list to face the Baltimore Orioles on Friday, according to skipper Aaron Boone. With the Yankees clinching the American League East division on Tuesday night, the team is going to ease LeMahieu into action so that he's ready to go for their postseason run. It means that the 34-year-old might not play every day for the rest of the regular season. He'll be returning to a .262/.358/.381 slash line with 12 home runs, 46 RBI, 74 runs scored and four stolen bases in his 523 plate appearances over 120 games. The three-time All-Star hasn't played in a big-league game since Sept. 4, so there could be some rust involved as well.