McCray optioned down to Sacramento

Bautista will be making his first appearance in the majors since July 20, 2025. The hard-throwing 31-year-old former closer has missed most of the last three seasons due to labrum and rotator cuff surgeries following a Tommy John procedure following the 2023 campaign. There’s a chance that Bautista factors into Baltimore’s closing mix during the final week of the regular season, which gives him some fantasy appeal in deeper mixed leagues.

Elias added that Helsley, who hasn’t pitched since making a minor league relief appearance for Triple-A Norfolk last weekend, is going to focus on being ready for next season after missing the final three months of the season with elbow discomfort. The hard-throwing 32-year-old stopper has a $14 million player option for next season that he seems highly likely to pick up after making just 17 appearances in his Orioles debut due to injury.

Schuemann receives the call to replace injured superstar Aaron Judge (calf) on New York’s roster prior to Saturday’s game against the Diamondbacks. The versatile 29-year-old has hit .194 (14-for-72) with two homers and three steals in 42 games for the Yankees this season.

The primary concern for the Red Sox, who technically have a chance to clinch a playoff berth this weekend, is ensuring that Contreras is ready for the start of the postseason. The encouraging news is that X-rays came back negative for any fractures after Contreras was hit by a pitch on the right hand during Thursday’s series finale against the Rangers. It’s a tough break for fantasy managers in the middle of playoff action, but it feels like Contreras is going to need a couple additional days off to rest and recover before he’s ready to return. It’ll be Nick Sogard drawing another start at the cold corner in his absence.

Franklin returns to Baltimore’s outfield mix after missing nearly three weeks with hand inflammation. The 26-year-old rookie has hit just 147 (5-for-34) with two steals in 16 games for the Orioles since being called up back in early August.

Kjerstad went 4-for-19 with nine strikeouts during a nearly three-week stint with Baltimore. He winds up back in the minors with rookie Christian Franklin back from the injured list. The 27-year-old former top prospect doesn’t seem like an essential part of the club’s core moving forward and seems like a logical offseason trade candidate.

Verlander is attempting to make it back for the final start of his Hall of Fame career at Comerica Park against the Pirates next weekend. The 43-year-old icon is scheduled to throw another bullpen session early next week to determine whether he’s ready to take the ball one final time before hanging up his spikes. He’s been out with hip and hamstring issues since early April.

Peters is officially day-to-day with a left shoulder contusion, according to the White Sox. It doesn’t sound like he underwent any precautionary imaging after running full speed into the outfield wall during the fifth inning of Friday’s eventual loss to Detroit. The 26-year-old breakout sensation is presumably going to get a couple additional days off to rest and recover in the aftermath of the scary-looking collision.

Suarez hasn’t pitched for Atlanta since mid-June due to a forearm strain. The 35-year-old’s return would provide a much-needed bridge to closer Raisel Iglesias for the playoff-bound Braves. He’ll likely require a handful of rehab outings before the club decides on his next steps, but he figures to be ready for the postseason.

Walcott made a massive impact during the RoughRiders’ postseason run, which came to an end on Friday night, going 4-for-11 with one homer and four steals in their three-game playoff series. The -year-old prodigy missed most of the year after undergoing elbow surgery back in the spring, but looked like one of the top fantasy prospects in the game after returning, hitting .329/.404/.608 with 10 homers and 12 steals in 39 games.