Spencer Jones collects three hits in win Thursday

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.

Molina allowed two hits and walked one, falling one out short of a quality start. He was making his fourth start with the Giants, and it was the second in which he’s allowed zero earned runs over five or more innings. The Padres blasted him for seven runs last time out, however. Molina is a deep-league streamer to consider at home against the Twins in his next scheduled appearance.

Liberatore struck out two and walked three, keeping St. Louis in a game it eventually lost 6-5 in 10 innings. The club’s Opening Day starter is up to 149 1/3 innings this season, just a few shy of beating last year’s career high. While he has slightly increased his K-BB% from a season ago, the results haven’t been as good, with his ERA only falling to 5.36 after Wednesday’s performance. He’s lined up to face the Pirates on the road in his next start.

Cox is up to 13 steals this year, which leads the Giants even though he’s played in just 53 games. He continues to lead off against lefties, as he did Wednesday against Matthew Liberatore. Due to the team’s injuries, he has hit in the top four spots of the order in every game dating back to September 5, mixing in starts at center field and second base. He’s making his case to be on the club’s Opening Day roster in 2027 and is a possible final-week streaming option for fantasy managers in deeper formats.

Gilbert deposited Riley O’Brien’s first pitch of the inning into the center-field seats, giving San Francisco a 6-4 lead in an eventual 6-5 win. He began the game on the bench with left-hander Matthew Liberatore on the mound for the Cardinals. A strict platoon hitter, Gilbert has been leading off against right-handers since mid-August. Meanwhile, Jonah Cox takes that role versus southpaws.

Walker has struggled in September, and he’s been just below league average as a hitter by wRC+ in the second half. A rising strikeout rate has been the issue this month, but the steal was his 20th of the year, making him a 20/20 player with 28 homers. The 24-year-old breakout star has been one of the most valuable players in fantasy this season, especially since he was available off waivers or drafted very late. He’ll be a fascinating player to analyze over the offseason, but he’s proven that his roto skill set is well-rounded.

Bernal’s lone hit on the afternoon was a game-tying single in the bottom of the ninth. The rookie was hitting second for the first time Wednesday, and he has started all 15 games since debuting on September 1. Bernal’s Statcast metrics have popped in a small sample, making him a must-roster player in fantasy down the stretch. It’ll be fascinating to see how the Cardinals handle all their catching depth heading into 2027.

Bachman returns to Los Angeles’ bullpen for the home stretch of the season. He’s been out since early August with nerve inflammation in his right forearm. He’s posted a respectable 4.14 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 46/27 K/BB ratio across 45 2/3 innings over 41 relief appearances this season.

Natera is presumably done for the rest of the season. The 26-year-old southpaw emerged as a viable high-leverage option for Los Angeles this season, finishing with a strong 3.13 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 48/13 K/BB ratio across 31 2/3 innings. He also picked up three saves.

It appears to be a precautionary measure with Milwaukee having already wrapped up a playoff berth. It’ll be Luis Lara taking over in center field and hitting eighth in his place. There should be an update on his status following the contest.