Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Sal Frelick is headed to the bench ahead of Thursday's game against the Los Angeles Angels. This seems like purely a matchup decision with left-hander Yusei Kikuchi on the mound for the Halos. Frelick has been impressive with the bat lately as he carries a six-game hitting streak into this contest. He mashed a big three-run home run during Wednesday's contest. He figures to be back in the mix for Friday's contest. Frelick is someone that has hit well enough this season to warrant rostering in most formats for the fantasy playoffs. Isaac Collins, Blake Perkins, and Jackson Chourio will cover the outfield for the Brewers on Thursday.

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Los Angeles Dodgers infielder/outfielder Tommy Edman is out of the starting lineup ahead of Thursday's game against the San Francisco Giants. The Dodgers have been fairly cautious with Edman since he returned from the injured list. He normally only plays in second consecutive games before getting a breather. Edman has struggled against right-handed pitching this season, so it makes sense why he's taking a seat on Thursday. In his absence, Miguel Rojas covers second base while Andy Pages patrols center field against right-hander Logan Webb on Thursday. Edman doesn't offer enough upside with the bat to warrant rostering in most fantasy formats right now.

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Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Jose Soriano (forearm) was placed on the 15-day injured list on Thursday. Soriano was hit in the forearm by a line drive during his start on Wednesday. Luckily, the X-rays came back negative, so Soriano is only dealing with a contusion. Despite that, Soriano is going to miss the rest of the regular season. He'll finish the 2025 campaign with a 4.26 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, and a 152/78 K/BB ratio across 31 starts. In a corresponding move, left-hander Sam Aldegheri has been recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake. Aldegheri has pitched well in the minors this season and figures to take over Soriano's spot in the rotation for the rest of the season.

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New York Yankees infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. is out of the starting lineup ahead of Thursday's game against the Baltimore Orioles. This appears to be a rare rest day for Chisholm who last sat out on August 23. Chisholm has been a solid contributor lately, slashing .259/.283/.414 with three home runs, eight RBI, and five steals in September. The expectation is that he'll be back in the lineup on Friday. In the meantime, Amed Rosario will take over at second base and bat fifth on Thursday. Fantasy managers should adjust their lineups accordingly.

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Baltimore Orioles first baseman Ryan Mountcastle (finger) is back in the starting lineup ahead of Thursday's game against the New York Yankees. It was recently revealed that Mountcastle missed the last two games due to a minor finger injury. He appears to be fine now, so he won't require a stint on the injured list. He'll bat leadoff and serve as the designated hitter versus left-hander Max Fried on Thursday. Mountcastle has seen his playing time dip down the stretch of the season. The O's seem committed to Coby Mayo at first base, so Mountcastle could be a trade candidate this winter. At the moment, Mountcastle is nothing more than a deep league option.

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Los Angeles Angels catcher Logan O'Hoppe is out of the starting lineup ahead of Thursday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers. O'Hoppe made his return to the lineup on Tuesday after missing some time due to a concussion. He went hitless during his return and is now set to miss his second straight game on Thursday. There is no word on O'Hoppe still dealing with any lingering symptoms. This sounds like a matchup decision based on O'Hoppe's struggles against right-handed pitching this season. Sebastian Rivero will bat eighth and do the catching versus right-hander Quinn Priester on Thursday.

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Baltimore Orioles second baseman Jackson Holliday (undisclosed) has been nicked up and will sit out of Thursday's game against the New York Yankees, according to interim manager Tony Mansolino. With Holliday out, Ryan Mountcastle (finger) will return to the lineup in the leadoff spot and will serve as the designated hitter against Yankees left-hander Max Fried. Luis Vazquez is manning the keystone and will hit in the nine-hole for the O's. Fantasy managers shouldn't be too worried about Holliday returning during the series against New York this weekend. The 21-year-old former first overall pick in 2022 is in his first full MLB season and is currently slashing .250/.321/.390 with a .711 OPS, 17 home runs, 55 RBI, 68 runs scored, and 17 stolen bases in 142 games. He's been caught stealing a league-high 11 times. Vazquez is not a realistic DFS sleeper against Fried.

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Toronto Blue Jays rookie right-handed pitching prospect Trey Yesavage will take the ball and start on Sunday against the Kansas City Royals, according to manager John Schneider. The skipper mentioned previously that Yesavage would pitch at some point during the weekend series in KC, and now we know that it will come in the series finale. In his major-league debut on Monday versus the Tampa Bay Rays, he showed why he's one of the higher-ceiling pitching prospects in the game, fanning nine batters while giving up just one run in five innings. The 22-year-old former 20th overall pick in 2024 out of East Carolina went 5-1 with a 3.12 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, and 160:41 K:BB in 25 outings (22 starts) over 98 innings at four different minor-league levels this year before recently getting called up to the big leagues for the first time. Yesavage will have a favorable matchup in his second MLB start and should be able to rack up more K's, although he might be on a short leash.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers announced on Thursday that left-hander Clayton Kershaw will retire as a player at the end of the 2025 season. The three-time National League Cy Young winner, 2014 NL MVP, and 11-time All-Star will make his final regular-season start at Dodger Stadium on Friday night against the division-rival San Francisco Giants. It's the end of an era. The 37-year-old former first-rounder in 2006 will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer when he's eligible after posting a 2.54 career ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 222 wins, and 3,039 strikeouts in 2,844 2/3 regular-season innings. Even at the tail end of his career, Kershaw has held his own in L.A.'s starting rotation this year, pitching to a 3.53 ERA and 1.22 WHIP with 71 strikeouts and 30 walks in 102 innings over 20 starts. His 2.54 career ERA leads all active players. Kershaw will be hoping to lead the Blue to a second straight World Series championship before walking off into the sunset.

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San Francisco Giants pitching prospect Carson Whisenhunt (back) made his first rehab appearance at Triple-A Sacramento on Tuesday. The Giants' seventh-ranked prospect allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits and a walk while striking out only one batter in 1 2/3 innings of work. Not only that, but the 24-year-old also threw two wild pitches in the outing. It's not clear if he'll get any more work down there before rejoining the big league club, but the Triple-A regular season ends on Sunday. The Giants could use the reinforcements as they are just two games back in the Wild Card, although the left-hander could be a risky proposition for the fantasy playoffs. The southpaw recorded a 5.01 ERA (6.92 FIP), 1.46 WHIP, and a 3.9 percent K-BB% in five starts for San Francisco before the injury.

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Miami Marlins outfielder GriffinConine (shoulder) is expectedto stay with the club's Triple-A affiliate in Jacksonville for the remainder of the Triple-A regular season,according tomanagerClayton McCullough, which wraps up this Sunday. After that, he could potentially rejoin the big league club for a series that begins Tuesday in Philadelphia, although the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp are in the Triple-A playoffs, so he could log a few extra games there as well before rejoining the Marlins. The 28-year-old has been working his way back from surgery on his left shoulder and hasn't played in the big leagues since April. Through six rehab games at Triple-A, the former second-round pick is 5-for-16 (.313) with a double, two home runs, and a 5:7 BB:K. Whenever the left-handed slugger returns, though, he's not a realistic option in most leaguesfor the fantasy baseball playoffs.

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The Kansas City Royals expect left-hander Bailey Falter (biceps) to start a minor-league rehab assignment on Thursday night with Triple-A Omaha. It remains to be seen if Falter will be able to return to the big-league squad in the last week and a half of the season. The 28-year-old southpaw was placed on the 15-day injured list in late August and is trying to return after suffering a left-biceps contusion. Before his injury, the Royals had moved Falter into a relief role, killing what little fantasy value he had. In 26 appearances (24 starts) with the Royals and Pittsburgh Pirates this year, Falter has a 4.45 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, and 81:46 K:BB in 125 1/3 innings. He has appeared in only four games (two starts) with the Royals and has allowed 15 earned runs with seven walks and 11 punchouts in only 12 innings pitched.

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Arizona Diamondbacks pitching prospect Philip Abner has been called up from Triple-A Reno for what will be his major league debut whenever he enters a game. The 23-year-old began the season at High-A and earned a promotion to Double-A in mid-May, then made it to Triple-A at the end of August. The former sixth-round draft pick has pitched well overall, but has been impressive at Triple-A, not having allowed a run and just two hits with an 11:3 K:BB in 8 1/3 innings pitched in relief. The southpaw will likely join the D-backs in a middle relief role, however, that won't help fantasy managers much, and as such, he should be left on the waiver wire.

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Boston Red Sox right-hander Dustin May (elbow) was able to throw a bullpen session on Wednesday, according to Christopher Smith of Mass Live. May is "trending in the right direction," according to manager Alex Cora, but the skipper also acknowledged that the 28-year-old might be running out of time to make it back to help the team this year, including in the postseason if the team qualifies. May landed on the 15-day injured list last week with neuritis in his right elbow, making it unlikely that we'll see him again in 2025. If he were to return in October, he would almost certainly be used in a relief role out of the bullpen. Since coming over to Boston in a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers in July, May has not been effective, sporting a 5.40 ERA and 1.69 WHIP with 26 strikeouts and 13 walks in 28 1/3 innings over six outings (five starts).

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Boston Red Sox right-hander Jordan Hicks (shoulder) has resumed playing catch, although manager Alex Cora acknowledged that he may have already run out of time to have a chance to return this year, according to Christopher Smith of Mass Live. Hicks is trying to work his way back from tendinitis in his right shoulder. The 29-year-old began the year with the San Francisco Giants in a starting role but was eventually moved to the bullpen after struggling. He has been worse since joining Boston in a trade, going 1-2 with an 8.20 ERA (6.20 FIP), two saves, 15 strikeouts, and 12 walks in 18 2/3 innings pitched. Even if Hicks were to make it back this year, the Red Sox would think twice before including him in their bullpen on a playoff roster in October.

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Detroit Tigers infielder Colt Keith (back) left Thursday's game early against the Cleveland Guardians and appeared to be grabbing his lower-back area, according to Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press. Keith immediately alerted manager A.J. Hinch before going down the tunnel with assistant athletic trainer Kelly Rhoades. The 24-year-old had an RBI double in his only plate appearance before being pulled from the game. Zach McKinstry moved from shortstop to third base, while Trey Sweeney entered the game to play shortstop. It's unclear what the severity of Keith's injury is, but the Tigers will likely play it safe with him in hopes that he'll be available for the start of the playoffs in October. Keith has been a lineup regular this year for the first-place Tigers and entered Thursday's game hitting .254 (105-for-413) with 13 home runs, 44 RBI, and 65 runs scored in 136 games played.

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Kansas City Royals outfielder John Rave was recalled from Triple-A Omaha on Thursday after Kyle Isbel (hamstring) was placed on the 10-day injured list. The 27-year-old debuted with the team in late May, logging 156 plate appearances before being sent down in late August. During his time in the majors, the left-handed slugger hit just .199, but was able to walk at a 10.3 percent rate, hit four home runs, and steal seven bases in his limited action. Even so, the former fifth-round draft pick is not a viable fantasy option as he'll likely just get sporadic starts down the stretch, so he's best left on the waiver wire.

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Miami Marlins middle infielder Xavier Edwards (wrist) remains sidelined for Thursday's contest against the hosting Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Javier Sanoja will make the start at second base and will hit ninth against Rockies right-hander Tanner Gordon. Right-wrist soreness will keep Edwards out for the fifth straight game. With the regular season winding down with just a week and a half of play left, it's possible we won't see Edwards again this year. The speedy switch-hitter and former first-round pick hasn't been quite as good as he was in 2024, but he's still been serviceable as a regular for Miami, slashing .280/.339/.353 with a .692 OPS, three home runs, 39 RBI, 73 runs scored and 24 stolen bases in a career-high 130 games in his third year in the big leagues. Stolen bases will always be the main fantasy draw with Edwards. Sanjoja will be a weak DFS sleeper, even at Coors Field.

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Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Anthony Santander (shoulder) is "very likely" to continue his minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Buffalo through the weekend, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet reports. Santander, who has been out since late May with an injured left shoulder, played the outfield with Buffalo for the first time on Wednesday. However, there were no balls hit to him in his seven innings of work in the grass. With Buffalo's season ending on Sunday, Santander should finally rejoin the Blue Jays next week. The ex-Baltimore Oriole, 30, has gone through a nightmarish first season with Toronto after joining the team in free agency. Before suffering the injury, Santander slumped to a .179/.273/.304 line with six homers, 18 RBI, and 14 runs scored over 50 games and 209 plate appearances.

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Boston Red Sox outfielder Wilyer Abreu (calf) is finally nearing a return from the 10-day injured list. Abreu will work out in Boston on Friday, and if that goes well, he could join the team in Tampa Bay on Saturday or Sunday, manager Alex Cora told reporters. Abreu has been on the shelf since Aug. 18 with a strained right calf. The hope was that Abreu would miss a minimal amount of time, but his recovery hasn't gone as quickly as expected. He'll end up sitting out a little over a month if the Red Sox activate him this weekend. The 26-year-old has slashed a strong .253/.325/.486 with 22 homers, 69 RBI, 52 runs scored, and six stolen bases over 108 games and 395 plate appearances this season.

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