Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw (toe) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session ahead of Friday's game against the Colorado Rockies. The left-hander has been sidelined since late-August due to a big toe issue. It's worth noting that Kershaw threw an 80-pitch bullpen session on Wednesday. It sounds like Kershaw is making progress, but it's unclear if he'll be ready before the end of the regular season. Fantasy managers are unlikely to get anything from Kershaw at this point, but at least he could contribute to the Dodgers postseason run.

Boston Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen (shoulder) apparently was dealing with a shoulder issue during his 27th save of the season on Wednesday in the 2-1 win over the division-rival Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Jansen walked two and struck out two in his scoreless inning of work and also showed decreased velocity, but he stayed in the game and finished out the victory. The Red Sox's training staff went out to look at the 36-year-old veteran before letting him continue. There's a good chance that Jansen won't be available out of the bullpen for at least a few days as he works through his shoulder issues. If he is forced to miss any save situations, Chris Martin or Josh Winckowski might be the best bets for a few save chances down the stretch. Jansen, a four-time All-Star, has a 3.42 ERA and 1.10 WHIP with 61 K's and 20 walks in 52 2/3 innings this year in addition to his 27 saves.

Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman went 3-for-5 with a double, two runs scored, and a stolen base in Wednesday's 8-4 win over the Marlins. The 35-year-old now has a mini five-game hit streak going during which he's gone 7-for-19 (.368) with two doubles, a home run, five RBI, six runs scored, a 3:3 BB:K, and a stolen base. It's another strong season overall for the veteran, posting a .283-22-88-81-8 line with a .369 wOBA and 140 wRC+. He'll try to change his luck against Thursday's starter for the Marlins, however, who he is 0-for-6 off of lifetime with a walk and two strikeouts.

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw (toe) was seen throwing off a mound on Wednesday, according to David Vassegh of SportsNet LA. The 36-year-old has been sidelined since late August due to a bone spur in his toe and is already starting to make significant progress in his recovery. The team has expressed that they do not expect the three-time Cy Young winner to return in the regular season but hope he will be available in October. Kershaw underwent offseason elbow surgery and missed a majority of the 2024 season before returning in late July. Through 30 innings this season, he has held a 4.50 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP. Kershaw would bring a much-needed boost to a decimated Dodger rotation in the playoffs.

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Lance Lynn (knee) was placed on the 15-day IL earlier on Wednesday due to right knee inflation and will be sidelined for the remainder of the 2024 season. In a corresponding move, the Cardinals promoted their No.10 ranked prospect, Michael McGreevy, from Triple-A Memphis. Through his first season in St. Louis, the 37-year-old held a 3.84 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP with a 44:109 BB:K ratio. After struggling through the first half of the summer with a 4.96 ERA, Lynn settled down in the second half with a much-improved 1.29 ERA. McGreevy made one appearance in the big leagues earlier this summer, back in July, where he tossed seven innings of one-run ball. Fantasy managers should pay close attention to how McGreevy performs over the final week of the season as he could contend for a spot in the rotation next spring.

Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel has been designated for assignment, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN. Kimbrel has carried a rough 13.94 ERA, 2.23 WHIP, and a 9:12 BB:K ratio since August 11 and has taken two losses during this period. In addition, he has not recorded a save since July 7 after tallying 23 through most of the first half. While he has still been able to generate strikeouts at an elite 31.5% rate, he has given up hard contact at a very high rate, with a 10.6% barrel rate and a 43.1% hard-hit rate. 29-year-old Seranthony Dominguez has established himself as the go-to option in the ninth inning in Baltimore, as he has tallied nine saves across his past 12 1/3 frames of work. Kimbrel will now be a free agent and could eventually find a new home on a team looking to add a veteran piece to their bullpen.

Colorado Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon and outfielders Charlie Blackmon and Nolan Jones are all out of the lineup for Wednesday's series finale at Coors Field against the division-rival Arizona Diamondbacks with left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez on the bump. Aaron Schunk will start at third and hit out of the nine-hole, Sam Hilliard will start in left and bat seventh, and catcher Jacob Stallings will be the designated hitter and bat fifth. Hunter Goodman is catching and hitting sixth. Hilliard has hit .250 (27-for-108) in his return to the Rockies this year with eight homers and 23 RBI in 49 games played. Stallings has hit .260 (59-for-227) with a career-high nine homers in 76 games, and Schunk has hit just .194 (14-for-72) with one homer and three RBI in his first 32 big-league games. None of Colorado's replacements are particularly attractive DFS sleepers, even at Coors Field.

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout (knee) recently said that he's open to the idea of moving to a corner outfield spot or designated hitter next season. This news comes while Trout is recovering from his second knee surgery of the season. Trout has resisted the idea of moving from center field in the past, but seems open to the idea now. It's worth noting that Trout has struggled in the designated hitter spot throughout his career. However, Trout is one of the greatest hitters in the game, so he'll find a way to adjust, but there will probably be a learning curve. Trout has only played over 100 games once over the last five seasons. A move to full-time DH could help the 33-year-old stay healthy, which is great for fantasy managers and baseball in general.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen is absent from the starting lineup ahead of Monday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals. The veteran slugger has started in six of the last seven contests. That being said, it's not shocking to see McCutchen getting a rest day with the Pirates having little incentive to win with their season basically over. In his place, Joey Bart will serve as the designated hitter and bat third versus right-hander Andre Pallante. Bart is in the middle of a breakout season with a .267 batting average and 13 home runs with 43 RBI in 71 games this season. He has a favorable matchup here for fantasy managers looking for a streaming option or DFS help.

Cleveland Guardians right-hander Carlos Carrasco (hip) threw three innings in a minor-league rehab start for Double-A Akron on Friday and allowed two runs on three hits while striking out three. Carrasco threw 41 pitches (27 for strikes) and felt OK afterwards. In 21 starts for Cleveland in 2024, he has gone 3-10 with a 5.64 ERA. "He's building back up. We want to make sure his hip is feeling better and everything is healed up," manager Stephen Vogt said on Sept. 3. "We want to get Cookie healed back up to be an option for us to start." The 37-year-old veteran went on the 15-day injured list back on Aug. 9 with a strained left hip and is slowing working his way back towards a late-season activation. However, with Carrasco struggling this year and with rookie Joey Cantillo holding his own as the No. 5 starter, it seems more likely that Carrasco will return to a bullpen role when he's fully healthy.

Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw (toe) has thrown off a portable mound but is still dealing with pain in his toe. Kershaw was placed on the 15-day injured list on Aug. 31 with a bone spur in his left big toe. It's good news that the 36-year-old future Hall of Famer is throwing off a mound, but the fact that he still has pain in his toe probably makes him more of a long shot to return to the Dodgers' starting rotation before the end of September. And depending on how Kershaw recovers from here on out, there's a realistic chance he won't be stretched out enough to be considered an option in the playoffs. The three-time Cy Young winner and former MVP had offseason shoulder surgery and has only made seven starts in 2024, going 2-2 with a 4.50 ERA, a 1.50 WHIP and a 24:9 K:BB in 30 innings pitched for the Blue.

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (side) has returned to second base and is hitting leadoff on Friday in the series opener against the division-rival Los Angeles Angels and rookie left-hander Samuel Aldegheri. Altuve injured his side in the game on Wednesday against the Oakland Athletics and sat out of the series finale against the division rivals on Thursday before returning to start the weekend series in Anaheim. Fantasy managers will want to get the 34-year-old All-Star back into all starting lineups, especially against a young hurler without much experience. Altuve has been excellent for the Astros and fantasy managers all year and enters Friday's game with a .302/.357/.450 slash line, .806 OPS, 19 homers, 62 RBI, 20 steals and 86 runs scored in 576 at-bats as a contributor across all categories. He's been even better in September with a .389 average, a homer, four doubles and five RBI in nine games.

New York Mets designated hitter J.D. Martinez and outfielder Starling Marte will both start on the bench on Friday for the contest against the division-rival Philadelphia Phillies and right-hander Aaron Nola at Citizens Bank Park. Outfielder Jesse Winker will serve as the DH for the Mets and hit fifth, while Tyrone Taylor makes the start in right field and hits seventh against Nola. It's a tough matchup for the entire Mets batting order. Winker is hitting just .182 with a home run and two RBI in 22 career at-bats versus Nola, while Taylor has hit .375 with an RBI, albeit in just eight at-bats in his career against Nola. Martinez could use a day off, as the 37-year-old has struggled so far in September, going 3-for-21 (.143) with four RBI. Marte has also struggled since coming off the injured list back on Aug. 18, going 12-for-56 (.214) with three doubles and four RBI.

The Cleveland Guardians placed right-hander Alex Cobb (finger) on the 15-day injured list on Thursday and recalled reliever Andrew Walters from the minors in a corresponding move. Cobb was scratched from his scheduled start last weekend due to a blister on his right pitching hand and he'll now miss the next couple of weeks. At this point, Cleveland is probably just hoping to have the 36-year-old healthy for the postseason, where he'll likely be a long reliever if he's even on the roster after making only three starts in 2024 due to injuries. Walters, the team's No. 22 prospect per MLB Pipeline, was the team's second-round pick in 2023. He has a 2.32 ERA and 79 strikeouts in 50 innings in the minors this year with Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus. With Cobb now back on the IL, both Joey Cantillo and Ben Lively should stick in Cleveland's rotation down the stretch.

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (side) is not in the team's starting lineup on Thursday at Minute Maid Park for the series finale against the division-rival Oakland Athletics. Altuve's absence shouldn't come as a surprise after he was forced from Wednesday night's win over Oakland due to right-side tightness. Manager Joe Espada said after the game that he's not really concerned about Altuve's injury, with the team calling him day-to-day for now. Fantasy managers need to get the 34-year-old All-Star out of their lineups on Thursday and check back on Friday to see if he's available for the series opener in Anaheim against the Los Angeles Angels. Mauricio Dubon is at the keystone and batting ninth on Thursday against A's right-hander Mitch Spence. If Altuve misses additional time, Dubon will likely see most of the starts at second in his place for Houston.

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (side) left Wednesday's 5-4 loss to the division-rival Oakland Athletics at Minute Maid Park early after he appeared to be in pain after taking a swing in the fifth inning. Altuve stayed in the game, bunted foul with two strikes to end his at-bat and then immediately went into the team's clubhouse. He was replaced at second by Mauricio Dubon. The All-Star second baseman is getting treatment on his right side, and manager Joe Espada said he is "not really concerned" about the severity and Altuve is day-to-day. The 34-year-old went 0-for-3 with a strikeout before leaving. It's good news, but fantasy managers should expect Altuve to miss at least a game or two. The Astros finish their series against the A's on Thursday before a series opener on Friday at the Los Angeles Angels. Houston can ill-afford to lose Altuve for any stretch of time as October nears.

Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman notched his eighth save of the season in Tuesday's 6-4 win over the Marlins. The 36-year-old veteran came in to pitch the top of the ninth inning up by three. He got the first out on a strikeout, allowed back-to-back singles, got the second out on a fly-out, allowed an RBI single, and ended the game with another strikeout. Chapman has been inconsistent this season but has converted three of four save opportunities in the last seven days. He appears to be the fantasy arm to roster with David Bednar recently being removed from the closer's role. Chapman has now converted eight of 13 save opportunities this season with a 4.18 ERA, a 14.63 K/9 rate, and a 6.27 BB/9 rate in 56 innings pitched this season.

Texas Rangers right-hander Max Scherzer (shoulder) is set to return from the injured list and make a start against the Seattle Mariners on Saturday, according to manager Bruce Bochy. In addition to Scherzer, right-handed veteran Jacob deGrom (elbow) will make his season debut on Friday after recovering from Tommy John surgery. Scherzer's last start for Texas came on July 30 and he's been out ever since due to right-shoulder fatigue. But the 40-year-old future Hall of Famer threw four shutout innings with eight strikeouts in a minor-league rehab game for Triple-A Round Rock last Saturday and has been chomping at the bit to get back to the majors to try and finish off the year strong. It's been in injury-riddled 2024 campaign for Scherzer, who has made only eight starts, but he'll be a tempting fantasy streamer in his first start back against a weak Seattle offense.

Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw (toe) threw off a makeshift mound in the outfield at Dodger Stadium on Monday before the game against the Chicago Cubs. During the session, Kershaw didn't wear a shoe on his left foot to test out his injured toe. The 36-year-old future Hall of Famer is attempting to return from the 15-day injured list before the end of the regular season in September after dealing with a bone spur in his big left toe. The Dodgers are basically approaching this hoping to have Kershaw 100% for the postseason in October, but if he does return from the IL this month, he's unlikely to be able to make more than a start or two for fantasy purposes. Kershaw allowed eight earned runs on 12 hits while walking three and striking out five in his last two starts before landing on the IL, and his playoff struggles have been well-documented.

Minnesota Twins first baseman Carlos Santana (illness) is back in the starting lineup ahead of Monday's game against the Los Angeles Angels. The veteran switch-hitter sat out of Sunday's game due to a minor illness. Santana will cover first base and bat leadoff against left-hander Reid Detmers on Monday. The Twins have been having Santana bat leadoff against lefty starters lately, so we'll see if that ends up being a long term solution. The 38-year-old hasn't been great with the bat, but his 20 home runs gives him some fantasy value.