Toronto Blue Jays left-hander Yusei Kikuchi (neck) is listed as the team's probable starter on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Rays. Kikuchi left his last start early on Tuesday against the New York Yankees with a left upper trapezius cramp, but the 32-year-old southpaw later expressed confidence that he could make his next turn through the starting rotation. Toronto needs all hands on deck as they try to lock down one of the last wild-card spots in the American League down the stretch with under 10 regular season games remaining. The Japanese hurler has been solid for the Jays in 2023 with a 3.74 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 170 strikeouts in 158 2/3 innings over 30 starts, and he's been even better in the second half with a 3.03 ERA (2.80 FIP) and 74 K's in 65 1/3 frames over 12 starts.

Toronto Blue Jays catcher Danny Jansen (finger) is out of a cast after visiting with his surgeon on Wednesday, although he's now in a splint. His surgery to set and stabilize the bone in his finger has been successful and he can now start doing mobility work with his fingers. However, there's no timeline set for his return just yet. The 28-year-old backstop has been out with a right middle-finger fracture that he suffered when he was hit by a foul ball on Sept. 1. At this point in the season with less than 10 games remaining in the regular season, if Jansen ends up returning at all, it will most likely be if the Blue Jays make it to the postseason as an American League wild-card team. Alejandro Kirk will continue to serve as the team's primary catcher until Jansen is able to return.

Detroit Tigers left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez (back), who was removed from his last start with a left-back spasm, will throw a bullpen session on Friday to make sure he can start on Sunday against the Oakland Athletics. "We're not anticipating any problems," manager A.J. Hinch said. While pitching through injury on Sept. 18 against the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers, E-Rod allowed five earned runs on five hits (two homers) while walking one and striking out one in just three innings of work. The 30-year-old Venezuelan southpaw will be a little more risky in fantasy coming off the injury, but managers cannot pass up the excellent matchup against the rebuilding A's if they are still vying for a fantasy title.

Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (knee) entered Thursday's 5-3 loss to the New York Yankees as a pinch-hitter and had an RBI groundout. Guerrero hasn't started the last two games due to right-knee pain, but thankfully an MRI exam ruled out any structural damage, so he should be considered day-to-day heading into Friday's series opener at the Tampa Bay Rays. The Blue Jays can ill-afford to have Vlad Jr. miss much more time as they look to stay in one of the final wild-card spots in the American League to close out the year. Rookie Spencer Horwitz has seen more playing time of late with Guerrero injured. The 24-year-old Guerrero came into Thursday's game hitting .246 (16-for-65) with four home runs, two doubles, 11 RBI and nine runs scored in 17 starts in the final month of the regular season.

Philadelphia Phillies left-handed pitcher Jose Alvarado notched his ninth save of the season on Thursday, shutting down the New York Mets in a narrow 5-4 victory. Alvarado tossed a scoreless frame, allowing just a hit while striking out a pair. With the heart of the Mets lineup coming up in the eighth, the Phillies elected to go to Craig Kimbrel in the high-leverage spot, leaving Alvarado to handle the ninth. The lefty did end up facing the top of the Mets order after Kimbrel allowed a few baserunners in the eighth, but Alvarado had no trouble with them. The 28-year-old is an interesting deeper-league option that could vulture a save or two in the final week given the Phillies' playoff push and their willingness to use multiple relievers to close out games.

Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase converted his league-leading 42nd save of the season Thursday, finishing off a 5-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles. Clase allowed a hit and a walk to make things interesting, but struck out a pair in his inning of work to close things out. He now has five more saves than anyone else in the majors, meaning he will almost surely finish at the top of the leaderboard. Although he's had his ups and downs, he has been worth his price as the first reliever taken in drafts this season. He is likely to remain near the top of the board next year, although he may not go first among relievers.

Los Angeles Angels closer Carlos Estevez was unable to close out the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday, taking the loss and the blown save in a 5-4 defeat. Estevez was tasked with holding onto a one-run lead, but he wasn't able to convert as he allowed two runs on four hits and a walk over IP. Estevez has been good for the most part this year, but he has been prone to blow-ups on occasion. The righty has allowed either zero or two-plus runs in every outing since the start of August. That is definitely not ideal for managers who need ratio help. He will likely close out the season as the Angels closer, but what happens next year is up in the air.

Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton (knee) went 1-for-4 with an RBI and two strikeouts in his first game back on his rehab assignment with Triple-A St. Paul. Buxton initially began his rehab assignment in late August, but was pulled off after tweaking his knee. It is likely that Minnesota will give the oft-injured outfielder plenty of time to get into game shape, as they have essentially clinched their division. The hope is that Buxton can make it back before the end of the season to get a few games in before the playoffs start, but fantasy managers shouldn't count on much the rest of the way.

Atlanta Braves left-handed pitcher Max Fried (finger) was solid on Thursday, limiting the Washington Nationals to one run on three hits and a walk over six innings. He struck out seven. Near the end of his start, he had some fluid build-up in his left index finger, which was drained after he was taken out. Fried also skipped his last start with a blister on his left hand, so the Braves will likely be cautious with the lefty heading into the playoffs. Fried said he feels confident he can manage the situation, so he could still make what would likely be his final start at some point next week. Fantasy managers should keep a close eye on the situation, as a decision will need to be made on whether to start Fried in the finals.

Detroit Tigers designated hitter Miguel Cabrera was removed from Thursday's game in the sixth inning after fouling a pitch off his lower leg. There are no signs of a fracture and Cabrera will be re-evaluated after the game. Miggy is in the midst of his final season of baseball, one which will hopefully not end with this injury. It is very likely that even if Cabrera is injured, he will take an at-bat in the team's final game to get one last hoorah. Although he's slowed down the past few years, Miggy has had an inner-circle hall-of-fame caliber career.

Miami Marlins right-hander Sandy Alcantara (forearm) looked good in his minor-league rehab start for Triple-A Jacksonville on Thursday, tossing four scoreless innings while giving up just one hit, walking none and striking out four. Alcantara is attempting to return to the Marlins after suffering a UCL sprain in his right arm. The Fish are hoping to get the 2022 National League Cy Young winner back in some capacity down the stretch as they push for the final wild-card spot in the NL. With only 10 days left in the regular season, though, Alcantara may not be able to return in a traditional starting role. He only threw 51 pitches during his rehab outing on Thursday.

The San Francisco Giants placed shortstop Paul DeJong on unconditional release waivers on Thursday and recalled infielders Marco Luciano and Tyler Fitzgerald from Triple-A Sacramento in corresponding moves. Brandon Crawford (hamstring) also went on the 10-day injured list and won't return this year, so expect Luciano and Fitzgerald to split time at the 6 for the Gigantes the rest of the way. The 30-year-old DeJong spent time with the Giants, St. Louis Cardinals and Toronto Blue Jays in 2023, but he wasn't good in any of those stops, hitting a combined .226 (74-for-328) with 14 home runs, 37 RBI, four steals and 41 runs scored in 112 games. In just 18 games in San Francisco, he went 9-for-49 (.184) with a homer, five RBI and two runs scored.

The San Francisco Giants placed shortstop Brandon Crawford (hamstring) on the 10-day injured list on Thursday with a right-hamstring strain, ending his season. Crawford's injury came on Wednesday night. Not only will he miss the rest of the 2023 season, but Wednesday's contest could end up being his final game in San Francisco after 13 seasons with the organization. The Giants also released veteran Paul DeJong, so it will be Marco Luciano and Tyler Fitzgerald likely splitting duties at shortstop in the Bay Area the rest of the way. The 36-year-old Crawford showed he doesn't have a whole lot left in the tank this year, as he hit .197/.276/.319 with seven home runs, 11 doubles, a triple, 38 RBI, three stolen bases and 31 runs scored in 92 games. Crawford will be a free agent this winter.

New York Yankees outfielder Everson Pereira (hamstring) remains absent from Thursday's lineup for the series finale versus the Toronto Blue Jays. The 22-year-old hasn't been seen in the lineup since last Thursday's doubleheader against the Boston Red Sox due to a low-grade hamstring strain. Pereira sustained the injury during that series when he slipped on the wet dugout steps at Fenway Park. The No. 3 Yankees prospect is unfortunately losing out on some valuable opportunity in center field in wake of Jasson Dominguez's (elbow) UCL surgery. In the meantime, Estevan Florial patrols center and hits seventh against right-hander Jose Berrios on Thursday.

New York Mets outfielder DJ Stewart (wrist) is not seen in Thursday's lineup for the series opener against the Philadelphia Phillies as a result of left wrist soreness. The 29-year-old, wearing an .899 OPS in 160 plate appearances this summer, also missed Wednesday's matchup with the ailment and needs at least another day to heal. Stewart should be considered day-to-day, and fantasy managers might want to start looking for another hot bat to ride in the home stretch with Stewart cooling down a bit lately. Jeff McNeil will park in right field and bat sixth against left-hander Ranger Suarez for this one.

Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Brandon Lowe (knee) was pulled from Thursday's game versus the Los Angeles Angels due to an apparent right knee injury. The 29-year-old left during the top of the ninth inning after fouling a ball off of his right knee earlier in the game. He went 0-for-2 with a walk before Curtis Mead replaced him defensively. Fantasy managers should deem Lowe day-to-day until we hear more, but it bodes well that he wasn't forced from the contest immediately. The Rays have a deep depth chart at the keystone, so Osleivis Basabe and Jonathan Aranda could also slide in if Lowe is not ready for Friday's series opener vs. the Toronto Blue Jays or beyond.

Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Ranger Suarez takes the bump for Thursday's start versus the New York Mets. 2023 has presented a rollercoaster ride for the 26-year-old, offering weak statistical returns in May and July with strong numbers in June, August, and September thus far. With a stint on the injured list due to a hamstring strain mixed in, Suarez owns a 2.86 ERA with 36 strikeouts in six starts (34.2 innings) since Aug. 1. The southpaw will look to continue these steady results against a Mets team he shows an equally impressive 2.96 ERA with 19 punchouts in 27.1 frames dating back to 2019. With the fantasy playoffs fully underway in most leagues, Suarez looks like a fine streaming option for those seeking a quality start on Thursday's shorter slate.

Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (knee) is out of Thursday's lineup for the series finale against the New York Yankees, but an MRI on his right knee returned negative for structural damage. The 24-year-old is being deemed day-to-day with inflammation, and it appears at this time that he can avoid a stint on the injured list. Fantasy managers can breathe a sigh of relief after Guerrero was scratched from Wednesday's lineup with this somewhat lingering knee issue. Spencer Horwitz is manning the cold corner and batting sixth on Thursday against right-hander Gerrit Cole in Guerrero's stead. Vlad Jr.'s next chance to return comes during Friday's series opener against the Tampa Bay Rays.

The St. Louis Cardinals placed catcher Willson Contreras (wrist) on the 10-day injured list with left wrist tendinitis on Thursday, ending his season. The 31-year-old left Wednesday's game due to left wrist discomfort, and Thursday's MRI revealed the injury. Contreras put forth an awful start to his Cardinals tenure, but looked more like his All-Star self this summer by hitting .346 (63-for-182) with a 1.057 OPS in 56 games since June 25. The veteran backstop should remain one of the top 10 catchers drafted off fantasy boards next year. Andrew Knizner and Ivan Herrera will take St. Louis the rest of the way behind the plate.

Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan is back in the starting lineup Thursday night against the visiting Baltimore Orioles and right-hander Grayson Rodriguez. Kwan didn't appear in the Guardians' 6-2 loss to the Royals on Wednesday afternoon but will return to the leadoff spot and man left field Thursday in Cleveland. One of the tougher outs in baseball, Kwan is hitting .270 on the season with five homers, 20 stolen bases, and a 9.7% BB% that nearly matches his tiny 10.2% K%. The 26-year-old has logged a two-hit game in three of his last four contests while he's collected two doubles, two runs, and four RBI in that time.