Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman (ankle) hit during the team's simulated game on Thursday, but he didn't play first base. Freeman was injured last week against the San Diego Padres and was held out of the final series against the Colorado Rockies as a precaution. It has helped that the Dodgers had a first-round bye in the playoffs, and Freeman is expected to be ready to roll for Game 1 of the National League Division Series on Saturday against the Padres. With Shohei Ohtani locked into designated hitter duties for the Dodgers, this could present some issues for LA if Freeman isn't feeling good enough to play first base. Max Muncy played first base during the sim game, with Enrique Hernandez at third base. The 35-year-old Freeman, an eight-time All-Star, hit .282/.378/.476 with an .854 OPS, 22 homers, 89 RBI and nine steals in 147 games in 2024. Not having him available for the NLDS would be a big blow to the Dodgers to start the postseason.

New York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo (fingers) hasn't attempted any baseball activities yet, according to general manager Brian Cashman. The Yankees consider Rizzo to be a long shot to be included on the roster for the American League Division Series against the Kansas City Royals, which begins on Saturday. In addition, infielder DJ LeMahieu (hip) has started baseball activities, but Cashman considers Oswaldo Cabrera and rookie Ben Rice as the "primary names" at first base for the Yanks heading into the playoffs. The 35-year-old Rizzo fractured two fingers on his right hand during a hit-by-pitch last weekend to wrap up the regular season. It remains to be seen if the veteran left-handed slugger will be available if the Yankees advance to the ALCS, but his absence will be notable towards the bottom of New York's batting order against KC. Rizzo also missed time with a fractured forearm in 2024 and played in only 92 regular-season contests.

Los Angeles Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said first baseman Freddie Freeman (ankle) is "progressing" and is expected to face live pitching during the team's workouts this week "at some point." Freeman injured his right ankle late last week and was forced to sit out of the final three games of the regular season against the Colorado Rockies. With extra time off this week with the Dodgers having a first-round bye in the postseason, the 35-year-old veteran is expected to be ready to go for the start of the National League Division Series this Saturday at Dodger Stadium against the division-rival San Diego Padres. The fact that Max Muncy hasn't been working at first base this week suggests the Dodgers are confident that Freeman will be ready. Freeman hit a strong .282 (153-for-542) with 22 homers, 89 RBI and nine steals in 147 games played in his 15th year in the big leagues in 2024 and hopefully won't be impacted by his recent ankle injury in the postseason.

New York Mets designated hitter J.D. Martinez is serving as the designated hitter and is batting sixth for the Mets for Game 2 of the wild-card series on Wednesday at American Family Field against the Milwaukee Brewers and right-hander Frankie Montas. The left-handed-hitting Jesse Winker made the start in the Game 1 win on Tuesday at DH for New York. Even though Martinez didn't start in Game 1, he entered as a pinch-hitter later in the game and drove in two with a single in the 8-4 win. The Mets will be hoping that Martinez can turn the page in the playoffs after wrapping up his 14th big league season in October in a rut. The 37-year-old veteran right-handed slugger finished off September with a .109 average (6-for-55) with two doubles, four RBI, seven walks and 15 strikeouts in 16 games played over 63 plate appearances.

The San Francisco Giants replaced president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi on Monday after six underwhelming seasons with the organization. Franchise legend and part owner Buster Posey has been named as Zaidi's replacement, with Bob Melvin expected to return as the manager in 2025. Zaidi fell short of the playoffs for the third straight year as the Giants finished fourth in the National League West with an 80-82 record in 2024. San Fran went 453-417 overall during Zaidi's tenure from 2019-24 with just one winning season and one playoff appearance, both of which came during the team's franchise-record 107-win campaign in 2021. 2024 was a pretty big disappointment after the Giants committed over $320 million in free agency on Blake Snell, Matt Chapman, Jung Hoo Lee, Jorge Soler, Jordan Hicks and Tom Murphy.

New York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo (fingers) fractured two fingers in his right hand on Saturday and is now a long shot to be ready to play in the American League Division Series in the postseason, even though the Yankees chose not to place him on the 10-day injured list. Game 1 of the ALDS starts on Saturday at Yankee Stadium against either the Baltimore Orioles or Kansas City Royals. "I don't necessarily expect him for the division series," manager Aaron Boone said after a 6-4 win on Sunday. "I still view that as very much a long shot. The 35-year-old will receive treatment until testing his hand on Thursday or Friday before giving team officials "an honest assessment" of the situation. Whether he can play will come down to pain tolerance. Rizzo's injury was described as a clean break, giving him a shot to play in the ALDS. DJ LeMahieu, Ben Rice and Oswaldo Cabrera are the options to replace Rizzo at first base in the playoffs if he cannot go.

New York Mets outfielders Starling Marte and Jesse Winker are both on the bench for Game 1 of the team's big divisional doubleheader on Monday at Truist Park against the Atlanta Braves. Harrison Bader is starting in center field and batting ninth, while Tyrone Taylor gets the nod in right field and will bat seventh against Braves right-hander Spencer Schwellenbach. Bader has never faced Schwellenbach before, while Taylor is hitless in just three at-bats against him. The 35-year-old Marte is typically a lineup regular for the Mets, but he enters Monday's big doubleheader with just one hit in his last five games and hasn't homered in the second half of the season. Bader gives the Mets a nice little power-speed combination at the bottom of the lineup, but he comes into Monday with no hits and five strikeouts in 12 plate appearances in his last six games dating back to Sept. 20.

New York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo (hand) left Saturday's game after getting hit in his right hand by a pitch, according to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. He was replaced by Oswaldo Cabrera. After taking the pitch, Rizzo tried to remain in the game but was eventually removed later in the afternoon. Fantasy managers should not expect Rizzo to be penciled in the starting nine on Sunday afternoon in the regular-season finale, as the Yankees will likely exercise caution with their starting first baseman ahead of the playoffs. Cabrera will likely be the next man up at first base if Rizzo misses an extended period of time heading into October.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder/designated hitter Andrew McCutchen is out of the starting lineup on Saturday against the New York Yankees in the Bronx. With McCutchen out, Bryan Reynolds is serving as the DH and batting second, while Billy Cook makes the start in left field and is hitting in the nine-hole against Yankees right-hander Luis Gil. McCutchen could use a day off with the season about to wrap up, as he's gone hitless in his last 11 at-bats with four strikeouts in three games played. The five-time All-Star and former MVP is batting only .232 (104-for-448) in his 16th year in the league, but he has reached the 20-homer mark for the first time since 2021 and has provided 50 RBI in his 120 games played for the Bucs. Reynolds clubbed two homers at Yankee Stadium on Friday night and will be a popular DFS pick against Gil, even though he has never faced him in his career. Cook has gone 9-for-41 (.220) with two homers in his first 14 MLB games this year.

New York Mets outfielder Starling Marte will start on the bench for Friday's series opener versus the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Jesse Winker will instead make the start in right field for the Mets and bat sixth against Brewers right-hander Frankie Montas. Even after the Mets' last two games against the division-rival Atlanta Braves were rained out, Marte will take a seat to start a three-game weekend set in Milwaukee. Marte hasn't been great in 15 games in September, batting .229 (11-for-48) with no homers, a double, a triple, nine RBI and 10 strikeouts. Winker will be an interesting DFS play on Friday with a .286 career average and .786 OPS in seven total at-bats against Montas in his career. The 31-year-old left-handed slugger has 13 of his 14 homers on the year against righties while hitting .260 (88-for-339) against them in 401 plate appearances.

New York Yankees infielder DJ LeMahieu (hip) is encouraged about how his hip is feeling and expects to start doing baseball activities over the next few days to try and put himself in a position to be ready for the American League Division Series. The Yankees won the American League East division on Thursday evening and will now have a bye for the wild-card round of the postseason, giving LeMahieu some extra time to heal. "I don't know if they'll use me or not, but I'm definitely gonna try to be available," LeMahieu said. The 36-year-old veteran infielder hasn't played since early September due to a right-hip impingement and could be left off the playoff roster even if he's ready to go by the start of the ALDS. LeMahieu has battled injuries during a frustrating 2024 season and has hit just .204 (41-for-201) with two homers and 26 RBI.

New York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo and catcher Austin Wells will get the day off for Friday's series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Yankee Stadium a day after the team clinched the American League East division title. Oswaldo Cabrera will start at first base and bat ninth, while Jose Trevino will do the catching and hit eighth against Pirates rookie right-hander Jared Jones. The Yankees are giving a lot of their regulars a day off after they celebrated their division title on Thursday evening with a win over the division-rival Baltimore Orioles. Since returning from a fractured forearm on Sept. 1, Rizzo has gone 17-for-71 (.239) with no home runs, five doubles, seven RBI, eight walks and 17 strikeouts in 21 games played. The Yankees will be hoping he can find some of his power stroke from the left side of the plate with the playoffs starting next week.

Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said that the team isn't overly concerned about first baseman Freddie Freeman's (ankle) injury that he suffered in the win over the division-rival San Diego Padres on Thursday night that clinched the National League West title. However, Freeman won't play in the final regular-season series in Colorado against the Rockies this weekend, but Friedman said he likely could have if the Dodgers hadn't already clinched the division. Freeman was on crutches and wearing a walking boot in the Dodgers' clubhouse on Thursday night during their celebration. The 35-year-old injured his ankle while trying to apply a tag at first base on a pickoff attempt. With the Dodgers having a first-round bye in the postseason, Freeman should be ready to roll when the Division Series starts.

New York Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton had a big game on Thursday, hitting a three-run double and a solo homer en route to a 10-1 mashing of the Baltimore Orioles. Stanton finished the game 2-for-4 with two runs scored and four RBI. The hulking slugger isn't the same hitter he used to be, but he is still productive and hits the ball as hard as ever. His 162-game pace is 39 homers and 104 RBI, so on a per-game level he is great for fantasy. Obviously he isn't going to stay healthy for a full year, but it's worth having him for when he is on the field.

Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman left Thursday's game against the San Diego Padres in the eighth inning after suffering an ankle injury. Freeman was running out a ground ball and tried to avoid a tag at first base, but stumbled awkwardly and appeared to twist his ankle. He was seen after the game in a walking boot and on crutches. While the severity of the injury is unknown, the Dodgers will almost certainly take a cautious approach after clinching the NL West with a win on Thursday. In daily lineup leagues, be prepared to find a fill-in for Freeman for the final weekend.

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw (toe) will not be available for at least "a couple of weeks," according to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Kershaw logged a successful bullpen session last week and looked poised to return for the playoffs but now faces a setback. Kershaw was already ruled out for the remainder of the regular season but could be in danger of missing the entire postseason depending on how far the Dodgers go. The southpaw was diagnosed with a bone spur in his toe on August 31 and was placed on the 15-day IL. The three-time Cy Young winner underwent offseason shoulder surgery, which delayed his 2024 debut until July 25. Through his 30 innings of work this summer, Kershaw posted a 4.50 ERA and 1.50 WHIP. Fantasy managers participating in postseason competitions should not consider selecting Kershaw as he faces an uphill battle to return to the mound.

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve is not in the team's lineup on Wednesday for the series finale against the division-rival Seattle Mariners at Minute Maid Park a day after the Astros clinched the American League West division title yet again. With Altuve getting the day off, rookie Shay Whitcomb will man the keystone and bat seventh versus Mariners right-hander George Kirby. After injuries limited him to 90 games in 2023, Altuve has had a great bounce-back year in 2024. The nine-time All-Star is slashing .293/.349/.436 with 20 home runs, 65 RBI, 22 stolen bases and 92 runs scored in 152 games played this season. Whitcomb, drafted in the fifth round in 2020 out of the University of California-San Diego, will be making his first start since Sept. 1. In his first 19 big-league games in 2024, he's gone 9-for-37 (.243) with three doubles, five RBI, five walks and eight strikeouts.

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that left-hander Clayton Kershaw (toe) is in "a holding pattern," and there are currently no plans for him to face live hitters. "I'll pitch when I can pitch," Kershaw said. The 36-year-old future Hall of Famer threw a 30-pitch bullpen session last Friday, but the fact that there are no plans for him to progress to the next step of his throwing progression likely means that he isn't going to be an option for LA's pitching staff once the playoffs begin. There's a good chance the Dodgers will have a first-round bye, but even then, Kershaw needs more time to build his arm up. Kershaw's injured big left toe -- he was dealing with a bone spur in it -- isn't 100% healed and he hasn't started a big-league game since Aug. 30. After recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, Kershaw has managed to make only seven starts in 2024 for the Blue.

The Baltimore Orioles announced on Tuesday that they released veteran right-handed reliever Craig Kimbrel after recently designating him for assignment. Kimbrel opened the 2024 season as the Orioles' closer and saved 23 games for the second straight season, but the nine-time All-Star also struggled to a 5.33 ERA (4.18 FIP) and a 1.36 WHIP with 73 strikeouts and 31 walks in 52 1/3 innings out of the bullpen. Since the All-Star break, he posted an 11.50 ERA (7.44 FIP) with 21 strikeouts and 17 walks in 18 innings over 19 appearances to convince the Orioles to move on. The 15-year MLB veteran is 36 years old and is nearing the end of his career, but he should be able to latch on with another organization for the 2025 campaign if he wants to continue pitching. At this point, though, it's unlikely that Kimbrel will be used as a primary closer if he continues his career.

Colorado Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon announced his retirement from Major League Baseball on Monday. Blackmon has decided to hang up his cleats at the conclusion of the 2024 season after an iconic 14-year career with the Rockies. Blackmon represented Colorado in four All-Star games and also won two Silver Slugger awards. Chuck Nazty is 38 years old but hit homers in back-to-back games over the weekend against the division-rival Los Angeles Dodgers and has 11 homers and 48 RBI in 118 at-bats this year. Blackmon is the team's career leader in triples with 67, and his 1,797 hits, 2,942 total bases, 333 doubles and 1,618 games played rank second in team history only to Hall of Famer Todd Helton. During the bearded outfielder's six-year prime from 2014-19, he hit .306 with a 120 OPS-plus, 163 home runs and 472 RBI. Blackmon was aided by Coors Field, but it definitely didn't define his greatness.