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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

Atlanta Braves catcher Sean Murphy is not in the club's starting lineup Thursday night against the Washington Nationals and right-hander Jake Irvin. The backstop went 0-for-3 with a walk and a pair of strikeouts in Wednesday night's extra-innings loss and will give way to Travis d'Arnaud behind the plate on Thursday in Washington. While his bat has been sensational from an overall standpoint in his first season in Atlanta, Murphy has limped to a .172 average with a .596 OPS since the All-Star break and has not hit a home run since Aug. 13. Nonetheless, he has still put forth a .260 average with 20 home runs and an .850 OPS across 103 appearances while giving the Braves elite defense behind the plate this season.

Washington Nationals pitcher Jake Irvin will be in search of a bounce-back effort on Thursday when he toes the rubber at home against the Atlanta Braves. The rookie right-hander surrendered four earned runs across just 4 2/3 innings his last time out against the Milwaukee Brewers while he walked five Brewers hitters in that outing. He had previously surrendered three earned runs or fewer in seven straight starts but the rough outing in Milwaukee saw his ERA rise to 4.34 on the season. Additionally, Irvin owns a 5.29 FIP, 5.02 SIERA, and a weak 9.2% K-BB% across his first 23 starts on the campaign, suggesting he has been worse than his surface ERA entails.

New York Mets pitcher David Peterson will be in search of more strikeouts on Thursday when he takes the ball on the road against the Philadelphia Phillies. Peterson tossed 5 2/3 innings of two-run ball against the Reds his last time out but also racked up a hefty 10 strikeouts in the process. The left-hander hasn't had a great season as he sports a 5.22 ERA across 25 outings (19 starts) but his 4.45 FIP, 3.97 SIERA, 55.4% ground-ball rate, and 25.3% K% report he has been far better than his surface ERA suggests. However, he has been battered for a 7.35 ERA on the road where he also sports a 1.84 HR/9 versus a tidy 3.18 ERA and 0.88 HR/9 at Citi Field this season.

Miami Marlins right-hander Sandy Alcantara (forearm) will make a minor-league rehab start on Thursday for Triple-A Jacksonville. Alcantara threw a bullpen session on Monday and is getting close to rejoining Miami's starting rotation as they look to secure the National League's final wild-card spot. The 28-year-old won the NL Cy Young Award in 2022, but he hasn't been as effective in 2023, going 7-12 with a 4.14 ERA (4.03 FIP), 1.21 WHIP, 48 walks and 151 strikeouts in 184 2/3 innings over 28 starts. He's attempting to return from a UCL sprain in his right elbow, but it remains to be seen how effective he'll be for the Fish down the stretch if he's able to get through his rehab start on Thursday night. Even if Alcantara is able to return in the final 10 games of the regular season, fantasy managers can't expect much.

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich (back) continues to sit out on Thursday against the St. Louis Cardinals. Yelich has played for the Brewers just one time since Sept. 8 due to lingering back issues, and it's a surprise at this point that he hasn't been placed on the injured list. Mark Canha will get the nod in left field in this one and will hit third in the order against Cardinals right-hander Miles Mikolas. With just 10 games remaining in the 2023 regular season, fantasy managers may not see Yelich play another game as the Brew Crew looks to get him rested up for a potential lengthy playoff run. Yelich has had a nice bounce-back season for fantasy managers, but it's a shame that it appears to be ending on a low note.

St. Louis Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras (wrist) left Wednesday's game early against the Milwaukee Brewers with left-wrist discomfort. Contreras had an atypical bandage on his wrist in the clubhouse before the game even started, so it has been bothering him for a while. Before he was removed from the game, Contreras went hitless in his two at-bats with a walk to drop his season average to .264. With an off day coming on Thursday, perhaps the veteran backstop will feel good enough to play on Friday for the start of a series in San Diego against the Padres. However, with the Cards officially eliminated from playoff contention, don't expect the team to be in a rush to bring him back. Andrew Knizner should draw starts behind the plate if Contreras misses any more time going into the weekend.

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw (shoulder) will toe the slab against the San Francisco Giants on Saturday. Kershaw threw four innings of shutout baseball his last time out against the Seattle Mariners and it's not known if he will be on a pitch or innings limit as he continues to deal with issues in his left shoulder. It's hard to sit one of the best pitchers in the game, but managers who play in leagues that cap starts or innings will have a choice to make if they think it's possible Kershaw only throws four or five innings.

Miami Marlins third baseman Jake Burger (quad) was removed early from Wednesday's game against the New York Mets due to right quad tightness. While he should be considered day-to-day, it is something to watch, as leg injuries can be tricky and Burger has been a nice fantasy contributor since being traded to the Marlins. The 27-year-old has hit .310/.366/.524 with eight home runs over 44 games for Miami. Stay tuned to see if the team provides any updates and what they may be.

New York Mets outfielder DJ Stewart (wrist) was scratched from Wednesday's lineup against the Miami Marlins and was sporting a large ice wrap on his wrist before the game. With Stewart out, Rafael Ortega drew the start in left field and was hitting sixth in the batting order against Marlins right-hander Eury Perez. For now, consider Stewart to be day-to-day and check back to see if he's available on Thursday for the start of a series against the Philadelphia Phillies. The 29-year-old left-handed hitter has played pretty well for the Mets in just 50 games this year, hitting .264 (37-for-140) with 11 home runs, eight doubles, 26 RBI and 20 runs scored in 160 plate appearances.

New York Mets outfielder Starling Marte (groin) is scheduled to begin a minor-league rehab assignment with Single-A St. Lucie on Thursday. The veteran outfielder has been sidelined since early August due to a groin issue. It was uncertain if Marte was going to play again this season, but it appears he will. The team is hopeful that Marte will be able to return in time for the final homestand of the season. The assumption is that Marte will progress to playing in Triple-A by the weekend before rejoining the Mets' roster by early next week.

St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado is taking the day off on Wednesday against the division-rival Milwaukee Brewers. With Arenado getting a breather, Juniel Querecuto will get the start at third base for the Cards and bat in the eight-hole against Brewers right-hander Adrian Houser. St. Louis is giving the 32-year-old All-Star some rest after the club was officially eliminated from playoff contention after their loss on Tuesday. Arenado is hitting .268/.317/.461 with 26 home runs, 93 RBI, three stolen bases and 71 runs scored in 557 at-bats in 2023 in his third year with the team. However, he's been slowing down of late and has gone 14-for-64 (.219) with no homers, two doubles, six RBI, nine strikeouts, a steal and 10 runs scored in 16 starts in the month of September.

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich (back) remains out of the team's starting lineup on Wednesday with the club facing the Cardinals in St. Louis. Tyrone Taylor is in left field and hitting sixth, Blake Perkins is in center and batting ninth, and Sal Frelick is in right field and in the seven-hole against Cardinals left-hander Zack Thompson. It's kind of a surprise that the Brewers have yet to put Yelich on the 10-day injured list at this point, as he's played in just one of the last 12 games due to lingering back issues. Milwaukee isn't going to rush him back, either, as they're going to need his bat clicking on all cylinders if they hope to make a deep postseason run. The 31-year-old veteran has had a fine 2023 season, but he has struggled down the stretch offensively, likely because of his injury.