James Wood lifted for lack of hustle

A rare sign of life from Marsh, who had driven in just one run all month. He hadn’t had a two-hit game since Aug. 21 or homered since Aug. 13. The three-RBI game was his first since way back on June 25. Still, he did overtake his previous career high in RBI by getting up to 61 tonight.

Wheeler struck out 11 in all in the no-decision, and third of those was the 2,000th of his career. He could pitch again Sunday, but it seems very unlikely that he will. Assuming that he’s done until the Phillies’ Wild Card series, he ends the year 13-5 with a 3.06 ERA. Two runs in the sixth tonight prevented him from posting a sub-3.00 ERA for the sixth time in seven seasons.

Duran only allowed a walk and a single, with the runner having taken second base on defensive indifference in a three-run game. Duran has taken two losses this month, but he hasn’t blown a save since July 27.

May was pitching on three days’ rest, so this was a planned short outing. He’s expected to work again Sunday against the Cardinals before the Brewers firm up any NLDS plans.

Gordon, pitching for the first time since being called up Friday, entered with the Brewers down 3-0 after three and pitched four scoreless innings while Milwaukee came back to tie, but he then gave up three runs in the eighth to put himself in line for the loss. That inning featured an unfortunate play in which Alec Bohm probably would have been out at third, but Garrett Mitchell’s throw hit him in the leg and deflected all the way to the wall down the third base line, allowing Bohm to score. If Bohm had been thrown out, the Phillies would have scored only once in the frame. Gordon figures to pitch again at some point during Sunday’s game.

Acuña is officially day-to-day after preliminary X-rays came back negative for any fractures. It’s a massive relief for the postseason-bound Braves after one of their franchise cornerstones fouled a ball off his lower left leg during the third inning of Tuesday’s series opener against Cincinnati. Early indications are that Acuña managed to avoid serious injury, but he might need a couple days off to rest and recover before returning to Atlanta’s lineup.

Stammen’s remark serves as a warning to fantasy managers that King, who is starting Tuesday’s series opener against the Dodgers on short rest, isn’t a lock to start Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Diamondbacks this weekend. The 31-year-old will only get the ball if it’s a win-or-go-home situation that decides whether San Diego makes the postseason. Assuming that doesn’t happen, he’ll be pushed back to Game 1 of the Wild Card Series.

Acuña departed immediately after fouling a ball off his lower left leg in the third inning. The positive news is that he was able to walk off the field without any assistance. He finished 0-for-1 at the dish. It looks like his exit was precautionary, but it’s obviously a concerning development for the playoff-bound Braves as they play out their final handful of regular-season contests. There should be an additional update on his status shortly.

Varsho is on the bench for a second straight game due to the ongoing issue, according to Astros manager Joe Espada. It would certainly help explain his recent struggles as he’s hit just .083 (2-for-24) over his last seven games. He’s posted a disastrous .535 OPS with five homers and three steals in 41 games since being acquired from the Blue Jays at last month’s trade deadline. It’ll be Brice Matthews taking over in center field for the second consecutive contest.

Ohtani will make his return to Los Angeles’ lineup following a minimum stint on the injured list due to ongoing biceps and knee issues. The 32-year-old generational talent is expected to play in each of their final five games against the Padres and Giants, respectively, to close out the regular season. He’s expected to lead off against right-handed starters with Mookie Betts getting the nod against lefties, a trend that will likely continue into the postseason.