Trevor Story crushes solo home run in loss Sunday

Scherzer told the media that he will make a decision regarding his future in the offseason before adding that he wanted to pitch in front of his family in the Rogers Centre one final time in case he decides to hang up his spikes after 19 seasons in the big leagues. The 42-year-old Future Hall of Fame starter finds himself just a handful of strikeouts behind former Tigers teammate Justin Verlander on the all-time strikeout list heading into what could potentially be the final outing of his remarkable career.

Basabe is sitting out his straight game with left hamstring tightness. It’ll be Shay Whitcomb taking over at the hot corner in his place.

It’s a bit perplexing the Marlins basically elected to play with a shortened bench during the final week of the regular season. Edwards is sitting out his sixth consecutive game due to an ongoing left thumb issue on Saturday afternoon. It’ll be rookie Jared Serna drawing another start at second base in his place.

Curry passed through waivers unclaimed after being designated for assignment earlier this week. The 28-year-old righty will become a minor league free agent in a couple weeks after posting a respectable 5.48 ERA across 21 1/3 innings in the majors this season.

Barco joins Pittsburgh’s bullpen for their final two games of the season against the Tigers after posting an underwhelming 7.64 ERA over 17 2/3 innings over seven relief appearances earlier this season. The 25-year-old starter is one of the better pitching prospects in the Pirates’ system, but he hasn’t gotten an extended look at the highest level yet.

Dotel returns to the minors after allowing two runs over three innings during Friday’s showdown against the Tigers. The 24-year-old concludes his rookie campaign with a respectable 4.46 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 41/16 K/BB ratio across 42 1/3 innings over 22 appearances. He’s shown some flashes of potential, but Dotel remains a long way off from sustained fantasy relevance.

Culpepper returns for Minnesota’s final two regular-season contests against the Rangers following a minimum stint on the injured list with a left hamstring strain. The 23-year-old top prospect has delivered for fantasy managers since arriving in the big leagues back in early August, hitting .275/.333/.404 with 15 runs scored, three homers, 11 RBI and one steal in 120 plate appearances. He’s one of the more dynamic power and speed combo threats to reach the majors recently and should be an intriguing late-round sleeper candidate in drafts next spring.

Hoffman heads to the shelf with two games remaining in the regular season. The 33-year-old has shared the closing role in Minnesota with Andrew Morris for the last couple weeks. He’s recorded one save along with a strong 2.50 ERA and 27/12 K/BB across 18 innings since being acquired from the Blue Jays at last month’s trade deadline. There should be some clarity on his health heading into the offseason at some point in the coming days.

It’s a positive development for fantasy managers relying on Bateman down the home stretch after he missed three games earlier this week with right hip discomfort. The 24-year-old rookie is back in center field and hitting leadoff in this one. He’s batting .318 with 27 runs scored, two homers, 11 RBI and three steals in 39 games since being called up by the Blue Jays last month.

Early will make his Nationals debut during their final regular-season series after coming over from the Red Sox in the Curtis Mead deal back at the trade deadline. The 24-year-old southpaw compiled a solid 3.44 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 93/34 K/BB ratio across 91 2/3 innings prior to hitting the injured list with elbow inflammation back in early July. It’s unlikely that he’ll make the leap into an upper-echelon fantasy starter, but he’s going to be an impactful contributor for a long time. He’ll presumably have a spot in Washington’s rotation locked up heading into next spring.