New York Yankees outfielder Giancarlo Stanton is out of the starting lineup for Friday's game against the Kansas City Royals. This appears to be a routine rest day for the veteran slugger. Stanton has struggled this season, he's slashing .191/.275/.420 with 24 home runs and 60 RBI in 101 games. The expectation is that Stanton will play in the final two games of the regular season. In the meantime, Oswaldo Cabrera will cover right field and bat eighth versus right-hander Jordan Lyles on Friday.

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Los Angeles Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel (knee) is back in the starting lineup for Friday's game against the Oakland Athletics. The 21-year-old is back in the lineup for the first time since leaving Monday's game due to knee tightness. This season, Schanuel is slashing .284/.407/.343 with one home run and five RBI in 27 games. He'll resume his regular role in the leadoff spot and covering first base versus southpaw Ken Waldichuk on Friday.

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Pittsburgh Pirates rookie right-hander Osvaldo Bido will make the start on Friday for the beginning of a series against the Miami Marlins. This will mark Bido's ninth career major-league start, but he won't be a recommended fantasy streamer against a Marlins squad that is fighting for their playoff lives in the final weekend series of the regular season. The 27-year-old Dominican hurler has gone 2-5 with an ugly 6.36 ERA (4.28 FIP), 1.54 WHIP, 20 walks and 44 strikeouts in 46 2/3 innings over his 14 appearances (eight starts). In his eight starts this year, Bido has allowed 23 runs (22 earned) on 35 hits (three homers) while walking 13 and striking out 31 in 32 2/3 frames. Stay away.

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Colorado Rockies outfielder Kris Bryant (illness) remains out of action on Friday with the team taking on the visiting Minnesota Twins. Bryant has been under the weather of late and will now miss his fourth straight game. With just two more regular season games this weekend, we may not see Bryant again in 2023. Elehuris Montero is playing first base and batting cleanup, while Sean Bouchard is making a start in right field and hitting seventh for the Rockies against Twins right-hander Joe Ryan. The 31-year-old Bryant has had yet another disappointing season in his second year in Colorado, hitting .239 (70-for-293) with only 10 home runs, 10 doubles, 31 RBI and 36 runs scored in 327 plate appearances and 78 games in 2023.

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San Diego Padres catcher Luis Campusano will start Friday's game against the Chicago White Sox on the bench for the fourth straight game. In his absence, Brett Sullivan will do the catching and hit seventh against White Sox right-hander Dylan Cease. Campusano isn't believed to be dealing with an injury, and it's a bit odd since he's currently riding a six-game hitting streak in which he's gone 11-for-23 (.478) with a homer, double, five RBI and four runs scored. The Friars technically have not been eliminated from wild-card contention in the National League, either. Campusano is turning 25 years old on Friday and has hit a strong .319 (52-for-163) this year with a career-high seven home runs, 30 RBI and 27 runs scored in 49 games in his fourth MLB season.

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Miami Marlins second baseman Luis Arraez (ankle) remains out of the starting lineup on Friday against the Pittsburgh Pirates due to a left-ankle sprain that he aggravated over the weekend. Arraez suffered an ankle injury at the worst possible time down the stretch with the Marlins trying to secure the final wild-card spot in the National League, and this will be his fourth straight missed game. Jon Berti will man the keystone on Friday and will hit sixth in the batting order. The Marlins and fantasy managers can only hope that Arraez will be able to return on Saturday. The 26-year-old left-handed hitter still leads the league with a .353 batting average (202-for-573) in 146 games in 2023, adding a career-high 10 home runs, 30 doubles, three triples, 69 RBI, three steals and 71 runs scored.

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Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz (hamstring) is back in action on Friday against the Toronto Blue Jays and left-hander Yusei Kikuchi, serving as the designated hitter and batting leadoff. The Rays held Diaz out as a precaution for the last two games, but he'll be available to start the final series of the regular season on Friday. Fantasy managers still competing for hardware this year need to get the 32-year-old back in their starting lineups. Isaac Paredes is playing first base and batting fifth, while rookie Osleivis Basabe is at the hot corner and hitting in the eight-hole. Diaz is having the best season of his career in his seventh big-league season, slashing .328/.408/.515 with a .923 OPS, 21 home runs, 35 doubles, 76 RBI and 94 runs scored in 135 games.

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Following Sunday's regular season finale, Detroit Tigers designated hitter Miguel Cabrera will become the team's special assistant to the president of baseball operations. Cabrera will officially hang up his cleats and retire after a storied career that will surely lead him to being a first-ballot Hall of Famer. But when he's done putting on a uniform, he'll remain with Detroit and work in their front office. The 40-year-old Venezuelan only has four home runs in his final big-league season, and he's also hitting .254 (82-for-323) with just 33 RBI and 20 runs scored. Miggy is finishing his career off strong, though, going 18-for-60 (.300) with a homer, two doubles, nine RBI and four runs scored in his 16 starts in September.

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Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson will get the day off on Friday against the visiting Boston Red Sox after the team clinched the American League East title on Thursday night. Jorge Mateo will start at the 6 and hit ninth for the O's against Red Sox right-hander Nick Pivetta. Ramon Urias is playing the hot corner and is hitting in the eight-hole. In his first full major-league season, Henderson has really impressed, hitting .257/.326/.492 with an .818 OPS, 28 home runs, 28 doubles, nine triples, 82 RBI, 10 stolen bases and 99 runs scored in 614 trips to the plate over 148 games for the first-place Orioles. The 22-year-old will continue on as the regular shortstop for Baltimore into the postseason next week.

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St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt (back) is back at first base and is hitting second on Friday against the visiting Cincinnati Reds and left-hander Brandon Williamson. Goldschmidt didn't play the last two games due to back tightness, but he'll return for the final series of the regular season this weekend. It was a good time for him to take a rest on Thursday, though, as the 36-year-old former MVP has gone hitless in his last three games played. Fantasy managers still playing for a title this weekend will want to get Goldy back in their lineups, though. He's hitting .267/.362/.444 with an .806 OPS, 25 home runs, 79 RBI, 11 stolen bases and 87 runs scored in 588 total at-bats in 2023.

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Oakland Athletics rookie first baseman Ryan Noda went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and two strikeouts out of the leadoff spot in the team's 2-1 win over the Minnesota Twins on Thursday. Noda's 16th home run of the year snapped a 1-1 tie in the eighth inning and was the difference-maker in the game. The 27-year-old has reached base safely in each of his last six games, and the long ball was his first since Sept. 11. In 25 games (23 starts) in September, he's gone just 20-for-87 (.230) with four home runs, four doubles, 12 RBI, 42 strikeouts and 14 runs scored for the A's. Noda is up to 16 round-trippers, 54 RBI, three stolen bases and 62 runs scored in his first 395 major-league at-bats in 2023 while hitting .233/.367/.415.

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Free-agent RHP Tyler Clippard announced his retirement from Major League Baseball on social media on Thursday, Sept. 28.

Detroit Tigers outfielder Matt Vierling was productive in the 7-3 win over the visiting Kansas City Royals on Thursday, going 2-for-5 with a triple, two RBI, a run scored and two strikeouts out of the leadoff spot for the Tigers. Vierling has had a penchant for multi-hit games in the month of September, but he's still hitting a mediocre .247 (20-for-81) with two homers, six doubles, a triple, 11 RBI, a stolen base and 18 runs scored in 22 games (21 starts) this month. In his first year in Detroit and third in the big leagues, the 27-year-old is slashing .257/.326/.373 with a career-high nine home runs, 19 doubles, four triples, six stolen bases and 59 runs scored in 517 plate appearances and 131 games.

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Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Jack Suwinski went 2-for-4 with an RBI while hitting in the cleanup spot in the 3-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday. The second-year outfielder hit a wall in the second half of the season for the Pirates, but he's picked things up in September and is hoping to finish on a high note this weekend. The 25-year-old left-handed hitter has batted .295 (23-for-78) with four home runs, three doubles, a triple, 16 RBI, four stolen bases and 12 runs scored in 24 games (22 starts) in the final month of the season. Overall, he's hitting .223/.341/.457 with 26 home runs, 72 RBI, 13 stolen bases and 63 runs scored in 435 at-bats in his second major-league campaign.

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Miami Marlins right-hander Edward Cabrera will make the start for the team on Friday in the series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Cabrera will get the nod to kick off a huge three-game series against the Bucs to close out the 2023 regular season as the Fish look to secure the final wild-card spot in the National League over the Chicago Cubs. The 25-year-old Dominican comes into Friday's game with a 7-7 record, 4.22 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and 115 strikeouts in 96 innings over 21 outings (19 starts) this year. He hasn't gone more than 5 1/3 innings in four outings in September, but Cabrera has been pretty great with a 1.89 ERA, .167 opponent's average, 11 walks and 22 strikeouts in four appearances (two starts) covering 19 innings in September.

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The San Francisco Giants reinstated relief pitcher Luke Jackson from the paternity list on Thursday. Jackson wasn't available for the series this week against the San Diego Padres, but he'll be in the team's bullpen for the final series of the regular season against the division-rival Los Angeles Dodgers with nothing on the line for either club. In his first year in the Bay Area, the 32-year-old veteran right-hander has been solid for the Gigantes, going 2-2 with a 2.97 ERA (3.28 FIP), 1.23 WHIP, 15 walks and 43 strikeouts in 33 1/3 relief innings.

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The San Francisco Giants placed third baseman J.D. Davis (shoulder) on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to Sept. 27) on Thursday with a left-shoulder strain. Davis injured his shoulder earlier this week during a slide against the San Diego Padres and will now end up missing the rest of the regular season, which concludes this Sunday. In his first full year in San Francisco in 2023, the 30-year-old former Met hit .248/.325/.413 with 18 home runs, 23 doubles, a triple, 69 RBI, one stolen base and 61 runs scored in 144 games and 546 plate appearances. He hit .262 (16-for-61) with three homers, five doubles, nine RBI and 10 runs scored in 20 games (17 starts) in the final month of the season.

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New York Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo (shoulder) has an AC joint issue in his right shoulder and will have an MRI exam on Friday to determine if there is "any rotator damage," according to manager Buck Showalter. It sounds like Nimmo will not play in the final series of the 2023 season this weekend. If Nimmo has damage to his rotator cuff and requires surgery, he may not be ready for the start of next season. The 30-year-old left-handed hitter will finish his eighth season in New York with a .274/.363/.466 slash line, an .829 OPS, a career-high 24 home runs, 30 doubles, six triples, career-high 68 RBI, three stolen bases and 89 runs scored in 682 trips to the plate and 152 games.

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Toronto's SP Chris Bassitt recorded 12 strikeouts in 7.2 innings with the win in a 6-0 win over the Yankees on Thursday, Sep. 28.

Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Chris Bassitt was magnificent Thursday, tossing 7 shutout innings and earning the win in a 6-0 victory over the New York Yankees. Bassitt allowed five hits and one walk while striking out a season-high 12 batters. The 34-year-old will end the season at exactly 200 innings pitched, a feat he has never accomplished before. It has been a great year for the veteran, who has pitched to a 3.60 ERA and 1.18 WHIP while racking up 186 strikeouts in the aforementioned 200 IP. He will have solid mid-round value next season.

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