Blaze Alexander hits IL with back discomfort

Nelson returns to Arizona’s pitching equation after missing nearly three months with an elbow strain. The 28-year-old never worked more than two innings during his minor league rehab assignment which means he’s likely going to pitch in relief for the Diamondbacks as they attempt to secure a playoff spot in the final two weeks of the season.

Law loses his spot in Arizona’s bullpen after allowing just one run over nine innings of work since returning to the big leagues in late August.

Velazquez is back in the lineup for the first time since September 6 after receiving some time off for precautionary reasons with lower body soreness. The 21-year-old top prospect is an obvious candidate for Cleveland’s postseason roster after a sizzling-hot stretch last month where he hit .356 with 15 homers during a 23-game span.

Scherzer struck out three and walked three, and the Jays went on to win 5-1. The victory was the 224th of his legendary career. While he has been blasted for seven or more runs a couple of times since August 1, he has allowed three runs or fewer in every other start. Toronto avoided being swept by Detroit with the performance and now trails the White Sox by 1.5 games for the final AL Wild Card spot. Scherzer is lined up to face the Orioles in Baltimore next time out.

Varland entered in the top of the ninth with two men on and nobody out but slammed the door to bounce back from Monday’s outing against the Tigers. The right-hander has allowed just five earned runs in the second half. He has a 1.30 ERA on the year and is tracking to be one of the earliest-drafted closers in 2027 fantasy leagues.

Montero struck out four and walked two, and Detroit went on to lose 5-1. He was recently reinstated from the paternity list and crossed 150 innings for the season on Wednesday, far surpassing his previous career high in the majors. Montero has appeared in 31 games (25 starts) for the Tigers this year and lines up to face the Nationals at home next time out.

Bateman has hit leadoff in all but two games dating back to August 14, and he’s now batting .333 through his first 157 major league plate appearances. That average is unlikely to hold up heading into 2027 given it has come with a BABIP north of .400, but the performance and role in the lineup are notable.

Albernaz added that Bradish is reviewing his potential options. He’s most likely going to require surgery, which will impact his offseason throwing program. The 30-year-old hit the injured list with abdominal discomfort over the weekend. He’s obviously done for the remainder of the season and can be safely dropped in all fantasy formats.

Basallo is back at catcher and hitting sixth following a two-game absence due to an ongoing right shoulder issue. It sounds like he’s going to play through the ailment for the final two weeks of the season without going on the injured list.

Albernaz added that Holliday is beat up from a physical standpoint. It doesn’t sound like a massive concern, but the Orioles have added José Barrero to their taxi squad for precautionary reasons. Holliday is hitting just .202 (25-for-124) with one homer, nine RBI and two steals over his last 30 games.