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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal will look to stay dominant on Thursday when he gets the ball to kick off a four-game set with the Oakland A's on the road. The left-hander hurled seven innings of one-run ball while allowing just three hits with nine strikeouts and no walks his last time out against the Angels, continuing a stretch that has seen him surrender just five earned runs over his last four starts with two earned runs or fewer surrendered in five of his last six. Skubal has lowered his ERA to a healthy 3.25 mark on the season while he also sports an eye-popping 2.28 FIP, 2.99 SIERA, and a big-time 25.9% K-BB% across his 13 starts on the campaign. He certainly appears to be a budding ace and a major dynasty league asset at the age of 26.

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Jose Berrios will take aim at a division rival Thursday night when he takes on the New York Yankees in the Bronx. It's yet another crucial game for the Blue Jays, who have won five in a row, as they sit in the second Wild Card spot in the American League but remain just a single game ahead of both the Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners. The right-hander has enjoyed a nice bounce-back season, working to a 3.49 ERA across 30 starts while he is coming off of a seven-inning shutout effort over the Red Sox his last time out. Berrios tossed six innings of three-run ball in his lone start against the Yankees this season but also owns a 5.52 ERA across six career starts at Yankee Stadium.

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Randal Grichuk (head) is back in left field and is hitting leadoff for the Halos on Thursday against the Tampa Bay Rays and right-hander Zach Eflin in the series finale. Grichuk took a pitch to the helmet on Tuesday and left the game early and sat out as a precaution on Wednesday, but he's back in there now after clearing the concussion protocols. The 32-year-old veteran is hitting a solid .270 (106-for-393) on the year, but he hasn't done much for the Angels since they acquired him at the trade deadline from the Colorado Rockies. In 44 games in Anaheim, Grichuk has gone 32-for-153 (.209) with seven home runs, eight doubles, a triple, 16 RBI and 17 runs scored in 165 plate appearances.

Los Angeles Angels left-hander Tyler Anderson (knee) is having his start pushed back to Sunday against the Minnesota Twins on the road because of some knee discomfort. Davis Daniels will be recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake to pitch for the Angels on Friday, and they may use an opener in front of him. Left-hander Kenny Rosenberg will take the mound in Minnesota on Saturday. It's not a serious injury for Anderson, but it's something that will make him even more risky as a deep-league streamer for fantasy purposes. The 33-year-old southpaw was good for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2022, but he hasn't been nearly as good with the Halos this year, posting a 5.43 ERA in his 27 outings (25 starts).

Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash said that outfielder Luke Raley (neck) will miss some time. There's no timetable for him, but he's very sore on Thursday after reporting numbness in his left arm after a pinch-hitting appearance in the loss to the Los Angles Angels on Wednesday. The 29-year-old left-handed hitter was scheduled to undergo an MRI exam on Thursday, so we should know more about the specifics of his injury once the results are known. The Rays have already locked up a playoff spot, so there's a good chance that fantasy managers won't have Raley for most, if not all, of the 2023 regular season. Raley hasn't started a game since Sept. 15 when he crashed into a staff member during pre-game batting practice.

The Tampa Bay Rays reinstated right-hander Jason Adam (oblique) from the 15-day injured list on Thursday and optioned left-hander Jalen Beeks to Triple-A Durham in a corresponding move. Adam was on the shelf for three weeks due to a left-oblique strain but is now back with the Rays and ready to rejoin their bullpen for the stretch run and the postseason. The 32-year-old veteran has been great for Tampa as a high-leverage reliever in 2023 when he's been healthy, going 4-2 with a strong 2.67 ERA (3.76 FIP), 0.96 WHIP, a career-high 12 saves, 20 walks and 69 strikeouts in 54 relief innings. Adam may not see many more save opportunities the rest of the way, but he could be an asset in holds leagues again now that he's back.

Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Alek Manoah (arm) received multiple injections to his pitching arm in recent weeks following extensive visits with medical professionals, according to industry sources, and he's been officially shut down in 2023. The shots were intended to reduce inflammation and discomfort after no structural issues were found by doctors. In 2022, Manoah finished third in American League Cy Young voting with a 2.24 ERA in 196 2/3 innings. Early season struggles in 2023 caused him to be demoted to the Florida Complex League on June 6. He eventually returned to Toronto on July 7 and made six more starts, but he was mostly ineffective and was optioned back to Triple-A Buffalo. It's going to be an interesting offseason for the 25-year-old, and needless to say he's probably not going to be on many fantasy radars in 2024 until he proves his 2022 form is back.

New York Yankees relief pitcher Wandy Peralta (triceps) is dealing with some "tricep stuff," according to manager Aaron Boone. Peralta hasn't pitched in almost a week and could be in danger of missing the remainder of the 2023 regular season. If this is the end of the line for the 32-year-old Dominican southpaw, he will finish the year with a 4-2 record, a solid 2.83 ERA (5.05 FIP), 1.22 WHIP, four saves, 30 walks and 51 strikeouts in 54 relief innings over 63 appearances out of the bullpen for the Yankees. Peralta has been pretty fortunate to have an ERA under 3.00 on the year with a bloated 13.2 percent walk rate, his highest walk rate since 2018 when he was with the Cincinnati Reds.