Passan: Mets and Cubs “line up nicely” for trades

Ohtani remains without a definitive timeline to return to pitching in games for the Dodgers, but the fact that he’s progressed to facing hitters again means that he’s getting close. It’s purely speculation, but it feels like the Dodgers are going to want to give him a couple outings in the final month to make sure that he’s ready before putting him back on the mound in the postseason. There should be additional clarity on his timetable at some point relatively soon.

Weathers left with a trainer after recording one out and allowing three hits to open the fourth inning. He was charged with two runs on eight hits in the abbreviated outing. He struck out three and didn’t hand out a free pass. The 26-year-old southpaw is headed for additional evaluation and imaging to determine the severity of the issue. He’s managed to avoid the injured list in his Yankees debut this season, but that appears to be in play given this latest development. He’s in obvious jeopardy of missing his next start against the Red Sox on Friday. There should be an update on his status later this weekend.

Mathews returns to the big leagues with both Andre Pallante (elbow) and Hunter Dobbins (forearm) landing on the injured list in rapid succession. The 25-year-old southpaw has allowed three runs with a 10/6 K/BB ratio across nine innings of work in a pair of starts over the last couple weeks. He figures to have a rotation spot with the Cardinals for at least a couple weeks and offers enough strikeout upside to be interesting for fantasy purposes. The big question is whether he can throw enough strikes to be a consistent starter at the highest level.

Dobbins is the second St. Louis starter to hit the shelf in the last 48 hours after they went nearly two years without losing a single member of their rotation to the injured list. He was lifted from Friday’s start against the Phillies in the fifth inning. The 26-year-old has posted a 3.67 ERA and 52/24 K/BB ratio across 54 innings at the highest level this season. It’s unclear how much time he’ll miss, but there’s a strong possibility his season is over with only five weeks remaining on the calendar.

Thomas is the least exciting of the Dodgers’ contingency plans to replace Andy Pages (hand), but he’s the one that makes the most sense from a short-term standpoint. The 26-year-old, who spent five seasons with the division-rival Diamondbacks to open his career, is capable of handling center field and figures to split time with both Tommy Edman and Enrique Hernández for the next couple weeks. He doesn’t offer enough realistic upside at the plate to envision a scenario where he’s an impactful fantasy contributor down the home stretch.

Pages can be dropped in nearly all redraft fantasy leagues as he’s expected to miss 4-5 weeks after suffering the injury when he was hit by a pitch during Friday’s game against the Pirates. The 25-year-old was in the midst of a stellar campaign where he was delivering second-round fantasy value, hitting .272/.338/.458 with 72 runs scored, 21 homers, 80 RBI and 12 steals in 550 plate appearances. It sounds like there’s a chance he’s back at the end of the regular season and should be ready to roll by the time the Dodgers kick off the postseason. It’ll be a combination of Alek Thomas, Tommy Edman and Enrique Hernández taking over in center field during his absence.

It’s time. Anderson’s meteoric rise concludes with his major-league debut against the Cubs on Saturday following an unprecedented 18-start run at Double-A Arkansas where he compiled a microscopic 1.06 ERA, 0.64 WHIP and 135/13 K/BB ratio across 93 1/3 innings in his professional debut. The 22-year-old southpaw, who was the third-overall selection in last year’s draft, offers enough strikeout upside to be relevant in all fantasy formats over the final five weeks of the season. His signature offering is an upper-80s slider that he can consistently land in the strike zone for strikes, while also burying it below the zone to generate whiffs as a putaway pitch. It’s so early in his long-term development trajectory that fantasy managers should keep realistic expectations in check, but it’s not hyperbolic to assert that Anderson is unquestionably one of the more exciting, front-of-the-rotation caliber pitching prospects to reach the big leagues in recent memory. He’s long gone in most competitive fantasy leagues and should remain rostered until further notice.

Díaz will be the answer to a trivia question in Seattle for years to come if top prospect Kade Anderson follows in the trajectory that many scouts and evaluators believe he is on. The 29-year-old allowed one run over 1 1/3 innings of work during his lone appearance for Seattle earlier this week.

Abrams takes a seat for the third consecutive game as he continues to deal with a sprained left ankle that he suffered earlier this week. The 25-year-old fantasy standout is expected to make the gradual transition to second base during the final few weeks of the season with Nasim Nuñez taking over temporarily until sizzling-hot top prospect Seaver King, who has homered eight times in 16 games since the start of August, is ready to take over the position. He figures to be ready the moment rosters expand in September, which makes him a worthwhile stash in deeper mixed leagues. The Nationals also have intriguing infield prospect Devin Fitz-Gerald, who came over in the MacKenzie Gore trade last offseason, making noise in the upper minors as well.

Ernie Clement takes over at shortstop for the second consecutive contest. The encouraging news is that Giménez appears likely to avoid a trip to the injured list after being reevaluated prior to Saturday afternoon’s tilt in New York. It sounds like there’s a chance he’s ready to return in a couple days after suffering a right hamstring injury earlier this week.