Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette (knee) continues to swing a bat and has begun throwing, but a timeline for a running progression is "still unclear," according to Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet. Still, the Jays are "hopeful" that Bichette will be able to return to their lineup for the playoffs. However, it remains to be seen when that will happen and in what capacity. The 27-year-old All-Star is trying to make it back from a PCL sprain in his left knee that has kept him sidelined for the last three weeks. Toronto is trying to hold off the division-rival New York Yankees to win the American League East, which would give them a first-round bye and give Bichette more time to recover. If the Yankees win the division and secure a first-round bye, it would seem likely that Bichette wouldn't be ready for the wild-card round, which starts on Tuesday. Until Bichette can return, Andres Gimenez will start at the 6 for Toronto.

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Cincinnati Reds left-hander Nick Lodolo (groin) has been cleared to throw his bullpen session this weekend, according to Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer. After being pulled from his start on Thursday as a precaution against the Pittsburgh Pirates with a groin injury, Lodolo didn't feel the need to get any further evaluation, and doesn't think it's a serious injury. It's great news for the Reds, as it looks like Lodolo would be ready for a potential wild-card series next week if they can overtake the New York Mets for the final wild-card spot in the National League this weekend. The 27-year-old southpaw was downright dominant in Thursday's win over the Pirates, striking out a season-high 12 batters and allowing only two hits in 6 1/3 shutout innings. Injuries are nothing new for Lodolo, but he's one of the nastier lefty arms in the game when he's healthy.

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Milwaukee Brewers right-handed reliever Trevor Megill (elbow) threw a simulated inning on Friday and is likely to come off the 15-day injured list to pitch in the regular-season finale on Sunday against the division-rival Cincinnati Reds, according to Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Megill, who should slot back in immediately as the team's closer, will be making his first appearance for the Brew Crew since Aug. 24 due to a flexor strain in his right elbow. Milwaukee wants to get him into a game situation this weekend before the playoffs begin for them on Oct. 4 in the National League Division Series. Right-hander Abner Uribe picked up Milwaukee's last save in the win over the San Diego Padres, but he'll go back to being a high-leverage setup man in the late innings with Megill returning. The 31-year-old Megill has a career-high 30 saves in 2025 and 51 combined, dating back to the start of 2024.

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San Diego Padres outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (illness) is starting in right field and will hit in his usual leadoff spot for Friday's series opener against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks and right-hander Zac Gallen at Petco Park. Tatis was battling the flu and COVID this week and missed the entire three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers. The 26-year-old is feeling much better now, though, and will return for the final regular-season series this weekend before the wild-card round of the postseason begins next Tuesday. He'll get his legs back under him this weekend and will look to continue swinging a hot bat before his illness. In his last eight games going into this week, Tatis had gone 13-for-32 with two home runs, three RBI, 11 runs, and three steals. The Padres are going to need Tatis clicking on all cylinders if they want to make a deep run in October.

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Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson said that shortstop Trea Turner (hamstring) had another encouraging day of work on Friday, but he will not come off the 10-day injured list to play on Saturday against the Minnesota Twins, according to Lochlahn March of the Philadelphia Inquirer. However, Turner may return on Sunday. The 32-year-old All-Star and likely National League batting champion in 2025 has been sidelined since Sept. 8 with a right-hamstring strain. The Phillies have not rushed him back after already locking up a playoff spot and a first-round bye, but they would like him to get some at-bats this weekend before the end of the regular season. Barring a setback, Turner should be a lock to play in Game 1 of the Division Series on Oct. 4. They will be hoping that Turner can pick up right where he left off before his injury. He's currently hitting .305 (179-for-587) on the year with 15 homers, 69 RBI, 94 runs, and 36 steals.

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Baltimore Orioles second baseman Jackson Holliday (knee) is back at second base and is hitting leadoff for the O's for Friday's series opener in the Bronx against the division-rival New York Yankees and right-hander Will Warren. Holliday missed two games earlier this week as a precaution due to knee soreness, but the former first overall pick is back on Friday and will be available for the final series of the regular season. The 21-year-old will be looking to finish off the season strong after picking up just one hit with nine strikeouts in his last 29 at-bats. In his first full season in the big leagues as a starter in Baltimore, Holliday has been a strong contributor, slashing .245/.316/.381 with a .697 OPS, 17 home runs, 55 RBI, 69 runs, and 17 stolen bases across 146 games. There's a lot to like about Holliday's long-term outlook as a likely 20-20 guy for years to come.

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Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz (ankle) remains out of the starting nine for Friday's series opener against the hosting Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. Alexander Canario is starting in center field and will hit seventh against Braves left-hander Joey Wentz. Cruz injured his left ankle on Wednesday against the Cincinnati Reds and will sit out for the second straight game. With Pittsburgh having nothing to play for in the final series of the season this weekend, they won't rush the 26-year-old back into the lineup. If this is it for the Dominican in 2025, he will finish just a hair over the Mendoza Line with a .201 batting average (94-for-467) in 133 games. It's by far the lowest average in his five big-league seasons, but Cruz was still able to reach the 20-homer mark for the second straight season and also has stolen a league-high 38 bases. His swing-and-miss tendencies have to be a real concern heading into 2026, though.

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St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn (knee) had successful surgery on Thursday to fix a torn meniscus in his right knee in Texas, according to Jeff Jones of the Belleville News. Previous estimates have Winn returning to full baseball activities by January, which means he should be ready in plenty of time before spring training. Winn had been playing through the injury for a while, but once it was clear that the Cardinals weren't going to be in the postseason, they shut him down. The 23-year-old is an excellent defender and can also contribute offensively, although he's not a high-end fantasy shortstop due to a lack of power. In his third big-league season, Winn finished with a .253/.310/.363 slash line, .673 OPS, nine home runs, 51 RBI, 72 runs scored, and nine stolen bases in 129 games played. He should be just fine for Opening Day in 2026, barring a setback during his offseason rehab.

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Cincinnati Reds outfielder Austin Hays (back) is feeling better after dealing with back spasms the last few days, but he's not ready to return for Friday's series opener of a crucial season-ending divisional series in Milwaukee against the Brewers, according to MLB.com's Mark Sheldon. Hays has not played since leaving last Saturday's game against the Chicago Cubs, but the Reds aren't close to putting him on the injured list. If the Reds put him on the IL and make the postseason, they would lose him for the playoffs. It makes things tougher for Cincy, who entered Friday one game back of the New York Mets for the final wild-card spot in the National League, since Hays has hit .301/.323/.505 with five homers and 15 RBI in 25 games since Aug. 23. He has dealt with multiple injuries in 2025 but has hit 15 home runs and 64 RBI in 102 games in his first year with the team. With Hays out this past week, the Reds have mostly been using Will Benson in left field.

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Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Max Kepler (illness) is not feeling well and will not start in Friday's series opener against the visiting Minnesota Twins at Citizens Bank Park. Kepler had to be removed from Thursday's series finale early against the Miami Marlins because he was under the weather, and he's still not feeling well going into the weekend. Nick Castellanos is starting in right field and will hit seventh against Twins right-hander Joe Ryan. Kepler should be able to return at some point this weekend for the final series of the regular season, but with Philly having locked up a first-round bye in the postseason, the 32-year-old will have plenty of time to heal up before the start of the Division Series. Hopefully, a little time off will get Kepler right, as he's hit .222 (12-for-54) with three home runs, nine RBI, a steal, and 17 strikeouts in 16 games in September.

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The Atlanta Braves announced on Friday that they claimed right-hander Alek Manoah off waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays and optioned him to the minors. To make room on the 40-man roster, the Braves moved second baseman Ozzie Albies (thumb) to the 60-day injured list. If anyone can turn Manoah around, it could be the Braves. The 27-year-old was a Cy Young candidate and an All-Star with Toronto in 2022, when he went 16-7 with a 2.24 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, and 180:51 K:BB in 31 starts. He had a disastrous 5.87 ERA and 1.74 WHIP the following year in 19 starts and was sent to the minors. Manoah made his way back in 2024 before needing Tommy John surgery. He made 10 minor-league rehab starts this year and posted a 3.96 ERA with 35 K's and 23 walks in 38 2/3 innings. Manoah will look to turn things around in spring training in 2026 while competing for a rotation spot, but he'll most likely start in the minors.

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The Tampa Bay Rays announced on Friday that they placed outfielder Everson Pereira (back) on the 10-day injured list with lower-back inflammation and reinstated infielder Jonathan Aranda (wrist) from the 10-day IL in a corresponding move. Pereira recently injured his back and will not be available for the final three games of the 2025 season this weekend in Toronto against the division-rival Blue Jays. The 24-year-old played in just his second major-league season with Tampa this year and appeared in just 23 games, going 9-for-65 (.138) with two home runs, eight RBI, seven runs, and two steals in 73 plate appearances. Pereira made his big-league debut two years ago with the New York Yankees and played in only 27 games, hitting .151 (14-for-93) with no homers, 10 RBI, and four stolen bases.

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The Tampa Bay Rays activated infielder Jonathan Aranda (wrist) from the 10-day injured list on Friday and placed outfielder Everson Pereira (back) on the 10-day IL in a corresponding move, according to the team. The Rays have not released their starting lineup for Friday's series opener against the division-rival Toronto Blue Jays, but Aranda should be back in there for the first time since fracturing his left wrist in late July. The 27-year-old left-handed slugger won't be able to contribute in fantasy, but he will make it back for the final three games of the regular season in what has been a breakout year for him. The Mexican first baseman was on a tear before his injury this summer, batting .316 (113-for-358) with 12 home runs, 54 RBI, and 53 runs scored in 103 games played. Aranda will be a nice source of power at the first base position going into next year.

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St. Louis Cardinals infielder Brendan Donovan (groin) is likely to appear only in an emergency in the final series of the season this weekend at Wrigley Field against the division-rival Chicago Cubs, according to Jeff Jones of the Belleville News. The Cardinals asked Donovan to push hard through a groin injury and general body soreness until they were eliminated from playoff contention, and he did. The Cardinals have been officially limited from the postseason, so they are shutting the 28-year-old down. Donovan was a first-time All-Star in 2025 for the Red Birds, hitting a strong .287 (132-for-460) in 118 games. Although he makes a lot of contact and has hit for a career .282 average in four MLB seasons, the lack of counting stats doesn't make him very attractive to fantasy managers. Donovan contributed only 10 home runs, 50 RBI, three steals, and 64 runs on the season. Nolan Gorman and Jose Fermin can fill in at second for Donovan to close out the final series.

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Milwaukee Brewers reliever Shelby Miller (elbow) will undergo surgery to repair a damaged UCL in his right elbow on Sept. 29. It's unclear if Miller will have Tommy John surgery, though there was optimism a couple of weeks ago that he would not require a full UCL repair. If he undergoes a more minor procedure, Miller could return to the mound sometime in 2026. Miller's 2025 season came to an end when a UCL sprain sent him to the injured list on Sept. 2. Between Arizona and Milwaukee, the 34-year-old logged a 2.74 ERA with a 1.04 WHIP, 54:15 K:BB, 10 saves, and nine holds in 46 innings. Miller is set to become a free agent in the offseason, further clouding his future.

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St. Louis Cardinals left-hander Matthew Liberatore will not make his scheduled start in Sunday's season finale against the Chicago Cubs, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports. With the Cardinals eliminated from contention, they will will shut Liberatore down early and opt for a bullpen game. In what will go down as his last start of 2025, the 25-year-old tossed five innings of one-run ball in a win over the Milwaukee Brewers last Sunday. After spending the majority of his first three seasons as a reliever, Liberatore served as a full-time starter this year. He finished 8-12 with a 4.21 ERA, a 1.31 WHIP, 122 strikeouts, and 40 walks over 29 starts and 151 2/3 innings.

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Los Angeles Angels outfielder Jorge Soler (back) will not return from the 60-day injured list for the team's season-ending series against the Houston Astros this weekend. Soler has been out since July 24 with inflammation in his lower back. Although the 33-year-old ramped up baseball activities earlier this month, time has run out on a potential 2025 comeback. Soler has been on the injured list twice this year with back problems, limiting him to 82 games. The former All-Star took 315 trips to the plate this season and batted an underwhelming .215/.293/.387 with 12 HRs and 34 RBI. He's in line to return to the Angels in 2026 in the last season of a three-year, $42 million contract. Soler signed that deal with the San Francisco Giants heading into 2024, but he has changed hands twice since then. The Atlanta Braves traded Soler to the Angels last October. The first season of the Soler-Angels union didn't go according to plan for him or the team.

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San Francisco Giants right-handed reliever Randy Rodriguez (elbow) underwent Tommy John surgery on Wednesday. Rodriguez will require 12 to 14 months to recover, meaning he's unlikely to return until 2027. The 27-year-old landed on the injured list with a sprained elbow on Aug. 26, prematurely ending his first All-Star season and depriving the Giants of a breakout reliever. He pitched to a sparkling 1.78 ERA with a .89 WHIP, 67:11 K:BB, and four saves over 50 2/3 innings. Rodriguez took over as the Giants' full-time closer at the beginning of August, but after he went down, the role reverted to Ryan Walker.

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St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan (groin) is out of the lineup against the Chicago Cubs on Friday. Nolan Gorman will take over at second and hit fifth. This is the third game off since last Sunday for Donovan, who has been battling groin soreness. After missing just under a month with a strained left groin, Donovan returned Sept. 12 and has gone a sizzling 14-for-37 (.378) with a homer, seven doubles, five RBI, and seven runs scored in eight games. That hot streak has raised the 28-year-old's line to .287/.353/.422 with 10 HRs, 50 RBI, 64 runs, and three steals over 515 plate appearances this season.

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Chicago Cubs outfielder Kyle Tucker (calf) will come off the 10-day injured list and rejoin the lineup on Friday against the St. Louis Cardinals, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports. Tucker, who last played Sept. 2, spent three weeks on the IL with a strained left calf that didn't heal as quickly as he or the team expected. He'll now have a few games to tune up before the playoff-bound Cubs begin a wild-card series against the San Diego Padres on Sept. 30. The Cubs broke a four-year playoff drought this season thanks in part to Tucker, who has slashed .270/.381/.472 with 22 homers, 73 RBI, 89 runs scored, and 25 stolen bases in 585 plate appearances

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