MLB Player News

Kjerstad has been on the shelf recovering from a hamstring strain since the end of spring training. The 27-year-old former prospect doesn’t have much of a path to playing time in Baltimore once he’s fully healthy given their abundance of corner outfield depth. Still, it’s a positive sign to see him healthy and back in game action again after missing the final few months of last season in the minors with an undisclosed medical issue.

Riley has been limping to the finish line of the regular season, slashing just .203/.266/.339 with two homers, eight RBI and a 22/4 K/BB ratio over 64 plate appearances since the calendar flipped to September. Hopefully a day off to reset is what he needs to get back on track. Mauricio Dubon will cover third base in his absence and will bat fifth for the Braves on Sunday.

If you’re going to have to take a day off once in a while, doing so against Phillies star left-hander Cristopher Sanchez isn’t the worst idea in the world. The rookie outfielder has been on a tear at the plate recently, slashing .351/.397/.544 with three homers, 12 RBI and a pair of stolen bases in 63 plate appearances over his last 15 games. Nick Morabito will start in his place in center field and bat eighth for the Mets on Sunday.

While Aranda does stay in the lineup against most left-handers, he’ll get a breather in this one with Patrick Sandoval toeing the slab for the Red Sox. Expect him to make an appearance off the bench in a key late game spot if the right situation arises. Ryan Vilade will start in his place at first base and will bat second for the Rays on Sunday afternoon in Tampa Bay.

Contreras winds up missing the entire weekend series against the Rays after being hit on the hand by a pitch during Thursday’s contest. He isn’t dealing with any structural damage and is still considered day-to-day, but the Red Sox obviously aren’t going to rush him back here. Their priority will be to have him ready to go for the start of the postseason. Nick Sogard will once again start in his place at first base and will bat fifth against Griffin Jax and the Rays.

There haven’t been any rumblings of Rocchio dealing with any sort of injury, so it looks like just a routine day of rest for the 25-year-old shortstop. Angel Genao will start in his place and will bat ninth against A’s right-hander Jack Perkins on Sunday afternoon in Cleveland.

McNeil has been a fixture near the top of the Athletics’ lineup, so he’ll get a well-deserved breather in this one. Tommy White will cover first base in his absence and will bat sixth for the A’s against Guardians’ right-hander Gavin Williams.

The Cubs are just easing Swanson back into action and giving him a day to recover after starting the first two games following his return from the injured list on Friday. He should be available off the bench if needed on Sunday. Nico Hoerner will slide over and cover shortstop while Pedro Ramirez starts at second base and will bat eighth against Reds’ right-hander Rhett Lowder.

A disappointing season for Friedl gets even worse on Sunday as he gets booted from the Reds’ 40-man roster to clear a spot for the return of Carson Spiers. The 31-year-old outfielder should pass through waivers unclaimed, at which point he may opt to hit the open market.

He’ll take the place of the injured Chase Burns (groin) on the Reds’ active roster. The 28-year-old hurler has made five appearances in the minor leagues as he finished his recovery from Tommy John surgery, posting a 3.75 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and a 30/5 K/BB ratio over 24 innings of work. It’s likely that he’ll get to make one start during the final week of the season and could be worth a look as a streaming option in deeper leagues.

It’s possible that Burns suffered the injury during Friday’s start against the Cubs and that’s the reason that his workload was so limited. It’s also possible that the Reds were looking for any reason to shut him down early and curtail his overall workload for the season. Either way, fantasy managers in redraft leagues can cut bait and find an alternative option for the final week of the season.