Per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, it sounds as though St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras' six-game suspension has been reduced to four games. Contreras will begin serving his four-game suspension on Friday night and will not be available for the series opener versus the visiting San Francisco Giants at Busch Stadium. He will not be eligible to return to the field until the second game of the series next Tuesday in Seattle against the Mariners. The 33-year-old veteran was tossed out of a game on Aug. 25 against the Pittsburgh Pirates when he tossed his bat, which ended up hitting the home-plate umpire. Alec Burleson (wrist) is currently on the injured list, so it's possible we'll see Nolan Gorman shift to first base, with Cesar Prieto or Jose Fermin starting at third this weekend.

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Miami Marlins third baseman Connor Norby (undisclosed) is going back on the 10-day injured list with an undisclosed injury on Friday, according to Craig Mish. In a corresponding move, the Fish are recalling infielder Maximo Acosta from Triple-A Jacksonville, and he'll be a candidate to see playing time at the hot corner going forward. It's been an injury-plagued year for the 25-year-old Norby, who has played in only 77 games in his first full year in Miami while slashing .247/.298/.373 with a below-average .671 OPS, six home runs, 31 RBI, 36 runs scored and seven stolen bases. Depending on the specific nature of Norby's injury, he could very well miss the rest of the regular season with less than a month left of play. In addition to Acosta, Javier Sanoja could also see regular playing time at third in Miami with Norby out again.

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The Cincinnati Reds announced on Friday that they activated catcher Tyler Stephenson (thumb) from the 10-day injured list and optioned catcher Will Banfield to Triple-A Louisville in a corresponding move. The Reds also outrighted right-hander Joe La Sorsa to Louisville. The Reds have not released their starting lineup yet for Friday's series opener against the visiting New York Mets, but Stephenson should be behind the plate against left-hander David Peterson. With Stephenson now back from the IL, it will push veteran Jose Trevino back to a backup role in Cincinnati. Stephenson suffered a fractured left thumb three weeks ago but is already back with the team as they look to get into the postseason in the final month of the regular season. Stephenson hasn't been nearly as good as he was in 2024, as he's hit just .226 with nine homers and 36 RBI in 72 games for Cincy in his sixth MLB season.

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The New York Mets announced on Friday that they optioned right-hander Kodai Senga to Triple-A Syracuse and recalled right-hander Wander Suero to the major-league roster in a corresponding move. The Mets had been debating this move for a while now for the struggling Senga, who had to approve the move. The 32-year-old Japanese hurler has really struggled since the All-Star break, posting a rough 6.56 ERA and 0-3 record with 35 strikeouts and 22 walks in 35 2/3 innings over eight starts, so the Mets will send him to the farm for now in hopes that he can figure it out and return to the club for the stretch run and potentially the postseason. New York has the luxury of doing so after rookie right-handed pitching prospects Nolan McLean and Jonah Tong have looked good since their call-ups. There's no guarantee Senga will return to the Mets' starting rotation in 2025.

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Chicago Cubs outfielder Kyle Tucker (calf) is out of the starting lineup again for Friday's series opener against the visiting Washington Nationals at Wrigley Field. Willi Castro will make the start in right field and will bat sixth against Nationals right-hander Jake Irvin. Tucker was pulled from Tuesday's game against the Atlanta Braves with calf tightness and will now miss a second straight game. It's somewhat concerning that Tucker isn't back in there following an off day on Thursday, but it doesn't mean he won't return at some point this weekend against the Nats. Manager Craig Counsell said the team is hopeful the 28-year-old left-handed hitter can return this weeknd, potentially as the designated hitter. Since a cold spell in August, Tucker has gotten back on track at the plate, so it's a bad time for him to sit out due to injury.

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Washington Nationals outfielder Dylan Crews isn't in the lineup for Friday's game against the Chicago Cubs and right-hander Javier Assad. Daylen Lile will take Crews' place in right field and bat cleanup. This season has been a struggle for Crews, the second overall pick in the 2023 draft. He got off to a poor start before sitting out almost three months with an oblique strain. Since he returned on Aug. 14, Crews has gone 13-for-62 (.210) with no homers, four RBI, 10 runs scored, three stolen bases, and 16:8 K:BB in 19 games. The 23-year-old has taken 244 trips to the plate this season and put together a .200/.279/.341 line with seven HRs, 19 RBI, 34 runs, and 14 steals.

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Washington Nationals outfielder Jacob Young (back) is not in the lineup on Friday against the Chicago Cubs. Robert Hassell III will play center field and bat eighth in a meeting with right-hander Javier Assad. Young left a 5-2 win over the Miami Marlins on Tuesday with back spasms and didn't play on Wednesday. The Nationals were idle on Thursday, and Young will get another day off before a potential weekend return. The glove-first 26-year-old has played in 105 games this season and hit .235/.303/.287 with one homer, 26 RBI, 31 runs scored, and 14 stolen bases in 326 plate appearances.

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The New York Yankees have reinstated outfielder Austin Slater (hamstring) from the 10-day injured list and optioned catcher J.C. Escarra to Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports. Slater is back after missing a month with a strained left hamstring - an injury he suffered less than a week after the Yankees acquired him from the Chicago White Sox. Slater is 0-for-7 as a Yankee and has hit .223/.284/.400 with five homers, 12 RBI, and 20 runs scored in 142 plate appearances in 2025. The 32-year-old will give the Yankees some extra outfield depth over the final few weeks of the season.

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Washington Nationals right-hander Josiah Gray (elbow) will start for High-A Wilmington on Sunday, according to Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com. It'll be Gray's first game action since he underwent Tommy John surgery with an internal-brace procedure in July 2024. Gray only made two starts last season (none after April 4), but he was an All-Star out of the Nationals' rotation in 2023. He racked up 30 starts that year and recorded a 3.91 ERA with a 1.46 WHIP, 143 strikeouts, and 80 walks in 159 innings. The 27-year-old isn't expected to return to the majors this season, but he could push for a rotation spot next spring.

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Detroit Tigers reliever Paul Sewald (shoulder) has begun a minor-league rehab assignment with High-A West Michigan, according to Emily Waldron of Baseball America. Seawald has been out with a strained right shoulder since July 12, but the Tigers acquired him from the Cleveland Guardians on July 31 with the hope that he'd bolster their bullpen late in the season. The 35-year-old threw 15 1/3 innings with the Guardians this season and posted a 4.70 ERA with a 1.17 WHIP, 18 strikeouts, and four walks. Barring setbacks, the Tigers expect to activate him from the 60-day injured list around Sept. 10.

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Miami Marlins outfielder Kyle Stowers (oblique) will begin a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Jacksonville on Friday, Isaac Azout of Fish on First reports. Stowers has been on the 10-day injured list with a Grade 1 strain of his left oblique since Aug. 17, but he could return to the Marlins sometime in the next week. That's welcome news for fantasy managers, as the 27-year-old has unexpectedly broken out this season. Stowers earned a place on the National League All-Star team and has slashed .288/.368/.544 with 25 homers, 73 RBI, 61 runs scored, and five stolen bases over 117 games and 457 plate appearances.

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The New York Mets sent right-hander Reed Garrett (elbow) on a rehab assignment to the Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies on Thursday. Garrett actually started the game, threw one shutout inning, and struck out two batters. The Mets placed Garrett on the 15-day injured list on August 25 due to elbow inflammation. Given that he was assigned for a rehab start just 15 days later, this development is encouraging for both the Mets and Garrett's fantasy managers, as elbow injuries can be particularly challenging for pitchers. With the Mets in the middle of a playoff run and their bullpen struggling a bit, it would not be surprising to see Garrett back up with the big league club sooner rather than later. Garrett owns a 3.61 ERA and 1.22 WHIP in 52 1/3 innings pitched.

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Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers (head) left Thursday's contest after taking a foul ball off his head while catching. He will likely undergo testing for a concussion, with more news regarding his status coming on Friday. At this time, Jeffers is considered day-to-day, and fantasy managers will want to wait for news later in the day on his status for the upcoming three-game series they have starting Friday against the Kansas City Royals. With the Twins firmly out of contention to make the postseason in 2025, sitting at 62-78, it's unlikely the Twins will try to rush Jeffers back into the lineup. On the season, Jeffers is slashing a modest .262/.353/.394 with nine home runs, 44 RBI, and 47 runs scored. Mickey Gasper entered the game for Jeffers and will likely see more playing time should Jeffers miss any time.

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Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Jordan Romano (finger) threw a bullpen session Thursday, MLB.com reports. Romano landed on the 15-day IL on August 26 with a finger injury, and after playing long toss on Wednesday, he appears to be heading in the right direction by throwing a bullpen on Thursday. The next step in the process, barring any setbacks, will likely be facing live hitters over the next few days and returning to the Phillies bullpen next week. Currently, Romano is experiencing one of the worst seasons of his seven-year MLB career, with a career-high ERA of 8.23. After bringing him over in the off-season to be the closer, he has lost that job, forcing the Phillies to bring over Jhoan Duran from the Minnesota Twins at the trade deadline. With Romano now pitching in lower-leverage situations, his fantasy value has taken a hit.

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Testing on Jazz Chisholm Jr.'s knees came back clean, and he hopes to be in Friday's lineup against the Toronto Blue Jays, Brendan Kuty of The Athletic reports. Chisholm injured both of his knees while fielding a ball on Thursday and exited the game in the fourth inning. At this time, it's unclear precisely what was being tested in his knee, and the team has not released any additional details since Chisholm was initially diagnosed with contusions. However, when reporters spoke to Chisholm, it appeared he is ready to play Friday and shouldn't be in danger of missing any time. For now, he is labeled as day-to-day, and Jose Caballero entered the game for him in his place. Chisholm is slashing .238/.360/.571 on the season with 28 homeruns, 26 stolen bases, 68 runs scored, and 70 RBI.

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New York Yankees outfielder Trent Grisham recorded his 30th home run of the season on Thursday night against the Houston Astros. It's been an incredible breakout season for the 28-year-old, who is now slashing .247/.355/.485 with 30 homers, 64 RBI, and 75 runs scored in 496 plate appearances. Grisham had batted under .200 in each of the three previous seasons heading into 2025, but he's cut his strikeout rate to a career-low 22% this season. Grisham has also posted the best barrel rate of his career (14.4% entering play on Thursday), so he has not sacrificed hard contact to cut down on the swing-and-miss. Grisham has established himself as a reliable power source for fantasy managers while also leading off most days for a potent Yankees' lineup.

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Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Ranger Suarez picked up his 11th win of the season in his team's 2-0 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday. Suarez pitched six scoreless innings, striking out four while allowing six hits and two walks. In 137 innings (22 starts) this season, Suarez has pitched to a 2.89 ERA and 1.18 WHIP with 128 strikeouts. The 30-year-old lefty does not dominate with strikeouts, but he limits walks (5.6% BB rate entering Thursday) and home runs (0.69 HR/9). Suarez is a must-start pitcher in fantasy as long as he remains healthy the rest of the way.

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Kansas City Royals closer Carlos Estevez picked up his MLB-leading 37th save of the season on Thursday in his team's 4-3 win over the Los Angeles Angels. Estevez allowed one hit but worked around it and recorded two strikeouts in a scoreless ninth inning. In his first season with the Royals, the 32-year-old has converted 37 out of 43 save chances while pitching to a 2.54 ERA with 52 strikeouts in 60 1/3 innings. With just a 22.4% K-BB ratio, Estevez does not have dominant underlying numbers. However, the veteran has now recorded at least 26 saves in each of the last three seasons and remains a must-start fantasy closer.

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Philadelphia Phillies closer Jhoan Duran notched his 26th save of the season on Thursday in his team's 2-0 win over the Milwaukee Brewers. Duran pitched a scoreless ninth inning with one strikeout and did not allow a baserunner. The hard-throwing righty has been excellent since being acquired by Philadelphia from the Minnesota Twins at the trade deadline. In 10 2/3 innings with the team, he's pitched to a 1.69 ERA and 0.94 WHIP with nine saves and 13 strikeouts. Duran is a high-end, must-start closer option in fantasy.

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Minnesota Twins right-hander Pablo Lopez (shoulder) is expected to return to the mound on Friday for a start against the Kansas City Royals, according to Dan Hayes of The Athletic. Lopez suffered a teres major strain in his right shoulder and has not pitched in the big leagues since June 3. Before the injury, he was 5-3 with a 2.82 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, and 61 strikeouts in 60 2/3 innings (11 starts). Lopez worked 5 2/3 scoreless innings in his final rehab appearance with Triple-A St. Paul on August 31, so he could be close to full-go on Friday.

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