Rea allows three earned runs in loss to Twins

With the NL MVP Award race heating up between Ohtani and Cubs rising superstar Pete Crow-Armstrong, a return to the mound would be the unexpected X-factor that could swing things in the two-way talent’s favor. He remains without a definitive return timetable to pitching in games for the Dodgers, but he’s inching closer. There should be a clear timeline once he progresses to facing hitters in live batting practice in the coming weeks.

Sheehan is slated to pitch in relief for the Dodgers down the home stretch. He’ll be available for Tuesday’s game against the Rockies at Coors Field behind starter Eric Lauer. The 26-year-old former starter is back in the majors after spending a couple weeks in the minors. He offers very little fantasy appeal as a multi-inning reliever, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see his stuff play up in shorter bursts out of the bullpen.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters Díaz is headed back to Los Angeles to undergo further evaluation that will determine his next steps. The 32-year-old former elite closer has been an unmitigated disaster during the first year of a three-year, $69 million contract, recording an 11.85 ERA across 13 2/3 innings. He heads back to the shelf after being clobbered for 11 runs over 7 2/3 innings since returning from the injured list back on July 29. The lone encouraging takeaway is that he’s not dealing with any issues related to his surgically repaired elbow. Tanner Scott seems like the most logical candidate to handle the closing duties for the Dodgers over the final six weeks of the season.

It’s not hyperbolic to say that the Athletics were crushed by injuries to key offensive contributors this season with Soderstrom joining Brent Rooker (knee), Nick Kurtz (thumb) and Shea Langeliers (knee) among those to miss significant time. The 24-year-old hit the injured list with a hip impingement over the weekend and will miss the final six weeks of the year. He finishes with a .245/.338/.472 slash line with 58 runs scored, 19 homers, 56 RBI and two steals across 453 plate appearances in 109 games. He’ll be a top 30-40 range outfielder in fantasy drafts next spring.

Twins manager Derek Shelton told reporters Keaschall could get a more extended look atop the lineup, especially against left-handed starters, for the remainder of the season. The 24-year-old former top prospect got off to an ice-cold start at the plate, but has hit .290 (79-for-272) with six homers and seven steals in 86 games since the start of May. A permanent move atop Minnesota’s lineup would be a significant boost to his long-term fantasy value.

Arenado takes a seat for the second straight game after suffering an abdominal injury over the weekend. The 35-year-old veteran would be an injured list candidate if not for the unexpected Ketel Marte situation that caused the Diamondbacks to activate Jose Fernandez from their taxi squad in Boston.

Mesa is back patrolling right field and batting sixth following a three-game absence due to hamstring tightness. It doesn’t appear to be a significant concern moving forward.

Cruz is back in Pittsburgh’s lineup for the first time since June 7. The electrifying 27-year-old fantasy standout sat out Monday’s series opener against Detroit after being activated from the injured list. He wound up missing more than two months with multiple non-displaced fractures in his left hand. He’ll wind up sitting against the occasional lefty, but has made enough progress against them this season that it won’t happen every single time down the home stretch.

Valencia has been a sneaky impactful fantasy contributor this season, hitting .389 (21-for-54) with six homers and 17 RBI in 19 games. He’s not going to deliver a ton of volume with All-Star backstop Dillon Dingler firmly entrenched as Detroit’s starting catcher, but he’s worthy of a roster spot in most fantasy leagues, especially two-catcher formats.

Yesavage is roughly one week removed from undergoing left knee meniscus surgery and is aiming to return before the end of the regular season. The 23-year-old starter will need several weeks to build up his arm strength and pitch count and arm strength before he’s ready to jump back into Toronto’s rotation. He’s worth stashing in deeper mixed leagues, but fantasy managers in shallow formats are probably safe to cut bait.