TJ Rumfield hits three-run homer in comeback try

Early will make his Nationals debut during their final regular-season series after coming over from the Red Sox in the Curtis Mead deal back at the trade deadline. The 24-year-old southpaw compiled a solid 3.44 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 93/34 K/BB ratio across 91 2/3 innings prior to hitting the injured list with elbow inflammation back in early July. It’s unlikely that he’ll make the leap into an upper-echelon fantasy starter, but he’s going to be an impactful contributor for a long time. He’ll presumably have a spot in Washington’s rotation locked up heading into next spring.

Perales remains one of the more talented arms in Washington’s system, but he had a rough time in his first exposure to big-league hitters, allowing 14 runs on 15 hits with a 13/13 K/BB ratio across 11 innings of work over six relief appearances. He’ll need to improve his control if he’s going to have a real shot at making any sort of fantasy impact down the road.

Hampton’s stint with the Nationals wound up lasting only a couple weeks. The 25-year-old former top pitching prospect heads back to waivers after being claimed from the Yankees earlier this month. His promising career has been derailed by elbow injuries the last few years.

Sure, why not. Baty will make his third appearance of the season at shortstop during New York’s penultimate regular-season contest with Francisco Lindor taking a turn at DH. The 26-year-old former top prospect Has shown some serious signs of life in recent weeks, hitting .395 (17-for-43) with three homers and 16 RBI since the start of September. He’ll be eligible at four different positions, including third base, first base, second base and outfield, which makes him an interesting late-round target as a bench option in fantasy drafts next spring.

McDermott returns to the big leagues for the first time since late August. He’ll fortify New York’s middle relief depth heading into their final two regular-season contests afainst the Nationals. The 28-year-old former starter has posted an underwhelming 5.87 ERA across 7 2/3 innings between the Mets and Dodgers this season.

Yan allowed two runs over 1 2/3 innings against the Nationals on Friday in what will likely be his final appearance of the season. The exuberant 30-year-old rookie showed some promise during an up-and-down few weeks in the majors, posting a serviceable 4.87 ERA, 1.72 WHIP and 26/15 K/BB across 20 1/3 innings of work. He figures to be in the mix for a spot in New York’s bullpen next spring.

It’s challenging to forecast Snell making a significant impact from a volume standpoint, but it’s a phenomenal matchup to close out the regular season. The 33-year-old southpaw was cleared to take the ball as a tune-up for the postseason after departing his previous start back in mid-September after one inning with groin tightness. He’s unlikely to work too deep into his final regular-season outing, but the Giants are rolling out a borderline Triple-A lineup as they limp to the finish line. He’s a worthwhile option in deeper mixed leagues, but fantasy managers shouldn’t expect the Dodgers to push him from a pitch count perspective.

McGonigle enters the final weekend of the season as the favorite to take home the AL Rookie of the Year Award over Guardians starter Parker Messick, who has posted a stellar 2.55 ERA over 183 1/3 innings of work. The 22-year-old hitting machine became just the fifth rookie since 2000 to reach base safely at least 262 times, which broke a Tigers record held by Al Kaline since 1953. He’s going to finish as one of the most impactful late-round picks in recent memory, hitting .276/.376/.425 with 96 runs scored, 17 homers, 70 RBI and 12 steals across 699 plate appearances.

Verlander will take the ball Saturday afternoon against the Pirates at Comerica Park for the final start of his legendary 21-year career. 43-year-old future Hall of Famer will retire as a three-time Cy Young Award winner and the 2011 AL MVP. He enters his final outing ninth on the all-time strikeout list, just ahead of former Tigers teammate Max Scherzer, with 3,554 punchouts that he’s accumulated over more than two decades since 2005. He has been sidelined by hip and hamstring issues since early April.

The Diamondbacks have won a staggering six consecutive contests to pull within a single game of the Phillies for the final NL Wild Card playoff berth with two games left on the schedule. Sánchez’s removal from Arizona’s roster will be to create a roster spot for the club to bring up some additional catching depth after Gabriel Moreno suffered a mild hamstring injury during Friday’s game. The 28-year-old was claimed off waivers from the Blue Jays earlier this month and has played against most right-handed starters as a temporary stopgap.