4 mins agoToronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s (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.--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Kaitlyn McGrath

16 mins agoThe 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.--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Katie Woo

3 hours agoCleveland 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.--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com

3 hours agoAtlanta 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.--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com

4 hours agoWashington 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.--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com

4 hours agoDetroit 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.--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com

4 hours agoNew 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.--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com

4 hours agoToronto 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.--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com

5 hours agoLos 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.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com

6 hours agoMiami 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.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Sports Grid - Craig Mish

6 hours agoMilwaukee 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.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com

6 hours agoLos 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).--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Orange County Register - Jeff Fletcher

6 hours agoTampa 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.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Bally Sports Florida - Tricia Whitaker

6 hours agoThe Detroit Tigers are hiring Jeff Greenberg as their new general manager on Thursday, according to sources. Greenberg, who is currently an associate GM with the Chicago Blackhawks, worked with Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris with the Chicago Cubs and will be his No. 2 guy in Detroit moving forward. The 37-year-old will be the 20th GM in the 123-year history of the organization, dating back to 1901. Before working for the Blackhawks, Greenberg spent 11 seasons with the Cubs, including his final three seasons as an assistant GM. He also held roles as director of pro scouting and baseball operations and director of baseball operations. He played a key role for the Cubs that helped them scout and develop talent that led to five playoff appearances during his tenure, including a World Series title in 2016.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com - Jeff Passan

6 hours agoThe 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.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Bally Sports Florida - Tricia Whitaker