In The Field
SS Tim Beckham returned to the Orioles' lineup on Friday after missing two games following a tooth extraction. Beckham has turned in quite the second-half and remains a viable SS option in most leagues this week. OF Mookie Betts is day-to-day with a foot contusion but will likely be back in the Red Sox' lineup today. Betts should be good to go for this week's games but owners will want to keep an eye on his status just to be safe. 2B Dustin Pedroia took a foul ball off the nose on Monday but returned to the Red Sox' lineup on Wednesday but was back on the bench with a sore knee on Saturday. He'll likely see a game or two off this week as well making him a player that will be tough to trust in leagues that don't allow daily lineup adjustments. The Red Sox continue to wait on 3B Eduardo Nunez who has yet to return to the lineup after suffering a knee injury. Nunez owners will likely need to look elsewhere this week as it's hard to imagine him returning and making much of an offensive contribution. 1B Hanley Ramirez was back in action on Wednesday after missing over a week with a biceps injury. Ramirez is a viable 1B option in most leagues once again this week. OF Lonnie Chisenhall's status for the upcoming week is still up in the air as he continues to rehab a calf injury. The same can be said for OF Michael Brantley who continues to recover slowly from his ankle injury. Neither of the two Indians outfielders should be counted on this week. 3B Jose Ramirez returned to the Indians' lineup early last week after missing time with a hamstring injury but could be in and out this week as the team looks to get him extra rest before the playoffs. Ramirez is still deserving of starts even if he misses a game or two, but daily lineup league owners should keep an eye on his status daily. 1B Miguel Cabrera is day-to-day once again after he left Saturday's game with back pain. Owners thinking about plugging Cabrera in this week will want to keep watch of his status. OF Josh Reddick is day-to-day with back soreness but should be fine for the upcoming week. Keep an eye on Reddick's status through roster deadlines but plan on having the Astros' outfielder available. C Salvador Perez was back in action on Saturday, a day after taking a foul tip off of the jaw in Friday's game. Perez is a top fantasy closer option this week. 3B Yunel Escobar has nearly recovered from his oblique strain and could be back in the Angels' lineup this week. Escobar has some value in AL-only leagues when healthy but owners are probably better off continuing to look elsewhere. OF Max Kepler is day-to-day after leaving Saturday's game with a hip injury. Kepler should be fine for the upcoming week but owners in deep leagues looking his way will want to confirm his status before starting him. 3B Miguel Sano still isn't running at 100-percent making it very unlikely that he'll be back in action this week. Sano owners should continue looking to other options. OF Brett Gardner returned to the Yankees' lineup on Saturday after missing Friday's game with a sore shoulder. Gardner is a viable outfield play again this week. SS Jean Segura is day-to-day after leaving Saturday's game with a sprained finger. Owners will want to keep a closes eye on his status before starting him this week. OF Carlos Gomez returned to the Rangers' lineup last week after recovering from his ankle injury but he may not see a full slate this week as the team juggles the lineup with 3B Adrian Beltre limited to a designated hitter capacity. Gomez is worth a look in some deeper leagues when he's in there, but he'll be a day-to-day play. OF Nomar Mazara was back in action last week after missing a few games the previous week with quad tightness. Mazara is worth starting consideration in most leagues this week. OF Steve Pearce has officially been shut down for the season as he'll be unable to return from his back injury this week. Pearce is droppable in leagues where he was being stashed away.
On The Mound
There were rumblings that the Orioles would shut Dylan Bundy down following his last start in an effort to preserve his arm in what has turned into a meaningless season for the Orioles, but manager Buck Showalter denied the rumors. Bundy remains a viable play in deeper leagues this week. Carson Fulmer may not return to the mound this season after leaving Thursday's start with a blister issue on his pitching hand. Fulmer wouldn't have been a recommended fantasy play this week regardless. Danny Salazar will be a very intriguing streaming option this week after manager Terry Francona expressed a desire to give him a start before the season wraps up. Keep an eye on this situation for a potential SP boost. Jordan Zimmermann returned to the mound on Thursday after recovering from his neck injury but struggled in the outing. Zimmermann just isn't a reliable fantasy starter at this point in his career. Lance McCullers will return to the mound for the Astros today after missing most of the month with arm fatigue. If McCullers looks good in the outing, he'll be worth a look in fantasy lineups this week assuming he gets another start. Danny Duffy has looked strong in two starts since returning from his elbow injury last Sunday. He's worth a look in most leagues once again this week. Garrett Richards has steadily increased his pitch count with every start and may not be limited when he takes the mound this week. Richards is a viable option in most leagues this week. Andrew Heaney continues to play catch but it doesn't look likely that he'll return from his shoulder injury this week. He can be ignored in fantasy circles. Jose Berrios continues to wear down admitting he's dealing with fatigue following a short start against the Yankees. Berrios won't be a recommended play this week. Sean Manaea is questionable for his next start after he was scratched on Saturday with upper back tightness. Keep an eye on Manaea's before starting him this week. James Paxton didn't give fantasy owners much confidence going into the final week of the season after he was unable to make it out of the third inning. Paxton should see his pitch count increase again but the risk outweighs the upside here. The same can be said for Felix Hernandez who looked terrible in Wednesday's start in which he allowed six runs in 3.1 innings. He should be avoided this week. Keep an eye on Alex Cobb's status this week as there have been rumblings that he may be skipped in his final start. Cobb was effective in his first season back from Tommy John surgery but fantasy owners may need to look elsewhere this week.
In The Bullpen
Zach Britton received an injection to help ease the pain in his injured knee but it's looking doubtful that he'll be able to contribute much this week. Brad Brach will likely see save opportunities for the Orioles this week and is worth adding if you're in need of saves. Cody Allen is dealing with arm soreness which makes him a big question mark for the upcoming week. Keep an eye on Allen's status but it's probably not a bad idea to handcuff him with Andrew Miller in leagues where he's available. Miller owners could get an unexpected boost in the saves category this week. If you're desperate for saves, Bryan Shaw could potentially get the nod for a save or two as well.
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