The Orioles called up OF prospect Austin Hays last week but it's not clear how much playing time he'll see down the stretch. Hays could have fantasy value with regular at bats, but for now he's not worth adding. 3B Eduardo Nunez returned to the Red Sox' lineup on Saturday after missing the previous game with back spasms but exited early with a bruised knee. Nunez is a viable infield play in most leagues when healthy but owners will have to monitor his status before plugging him in after Saturday's early exit. 2B Yoan Moncada was activated from the 10-day DL on Tuesday after recovering from a shin contusion. Moncada hasn't hit well thus far in the majors and it's hard to imagine things turning around quickly enough to make him a recommended start with many fantasy leagues starting their playoffs this week. 3B Jose Ramirez is day-to-day as he continues to deal with a sore wrist. Ramirez isn't expected to miss much more time but owners will want to keep an eye on his status before plugging him into lineups early this week. OF Bradley Zimmer returned to the Indians' lineup on Thursday after recovering from a concussion that had kept him out of action since last weekend. Zimmer's bat has cooled of late and there are likely more reliable options to turn to this week. OF Jay Bruce returned to the Indians' lineup on Friday after missing nearly a week with a neck injury. Bruce is a viable outfield play in most leagues now that he's back. 1B Miguel Cabrera returned to the Tigers' lineup on Saturday after serving his six-game suspension for his role in a brawl with the Yankees a few weeks ago. Cabrera has been a bust for fantasy owners this season and there are likely better options to turn to during these important weeks. C Evan Gattis returned from the 10-day DL on Saturday after recovering from his wrist injury. Gattis is a viable catcher play when he's in the lineup this week. 3B Mike Moustakas is day-to-day after injuring his knee on Wednesday. Moustakas isn't looking at an extended absence but owners will want to keep a close eye on his status just to be safe. 3B Miguel Sano continues to run and hit in the cage but it remains to be seen whether he'll be able to return to action this week. Keep an eye on Sano's status but plan on rolling with other options again. OF Clint Frazier could return to action this week but it's probably unlikely he'll see regular action down the stretch. Frazier owners should expect big things in 2018, but he may not see enough at bats during the final three weeks to make him a valuable fantasy contributor. OF Steven Souza is day-to-day after suffering a bone bruise in his knee after crashing into an outfield wall on Friday. Souza is a solid outfield option when healthy, but owners will need to keep a close eye on his status before plugging him in this week. OF Carlos Gomez is day-to-day after leaving Saturday's game with an ankle injury. Deeper league owners considering starting Gomez this week will need to keep watch of his status through roster deadlines early this week. OF Nomar Mazara returned to the Rangers' lineup on Friday after leaving Wednesday's game with tightness in his quad. Mazara is a viable OF play in most leagues this week. 3B Josh Donaldson remains day-to-day with an illness but should be back in action in the next few days. Plan on having Donaldson available for a full slate this week. OF Steve Pearce is day-to-day as he continues to deal with back stiffness. He's only worth a look in AL-only leagues if he does return. C Russell Martin has resumed workouts as he pushes for a late-season return from his oblique strain but it's doubtful he'll be back this week. AL-only league owners should keep Martin stashed away again this week.
David Price has resumed throwing simulated games as he pushes towards a late season return from his elbow injury but he's still likely a few weeks away from returning. Price will be a risky start coming off of injury even if he can make a start or two down the stretch so fantasy owners will be better off looking elsewhere. Carlos Rodon is done for the season after landing on the DL with shoulder inflammation. Rodon flashed intriguing potential again this season but can't seem to stay healthy. He can be dropped in all redraft leagues. Carson Fulmer could get the chance to stick in the rotation with Rodon out depending on how he fares in today's start, but he isn't a recommended starter in fantasy circles. Danny Salazar will pitch out of the bullpen for now but it's possible he could be back in the rotation before the end of the season. Salazar definitely is not a player that must be stashed, but if you have the roster flexibility to do so it may be worth it in case the Indians try to squeeze another start or two out of him before the playoffs. Michael Fulmer is likely done for the season as he could be facing elbow surgery which will keep him from picking up a baseball for 3-4 months. Fulmer will see a specialist on Monday and owners should be ready to cut ties if surgery is the result. Collin McHugh is questionable for his next start after tearing the fingernail off of his middle finger in Friday's start. Keep an eye on McHugh's status if you're considering him this week. Lance McCullers returned to the Astros' lineup last week for his first start in over a month after he was sidelined with a back injury. McCullers is a viable option in most leagues this week. McCullers return landed Mike Fiers in the Astros' bullpen. Danny Duffy has nearly recovered from his elbow impingement and there's a chance he'll be activated for a start next weekend. Keep an eye on Duffy's status as he'd be startable if he does get the nod. Ian Kennedy is questionable for his next start after leaving Friday's start with tightness in his shoulder. Owners considering Kennedy this week will likely need to look elsewhere. Garrett Richards pitched well in his first, albeit brief, start back from a biceps strain that cost him five months of action. Richards is worth a flier for owners looking for rotation depth but will be a risky play until he can show he can go 5+ innings. CC Sabathia is dealing with a lingering knee issue but isn't likely to miss a start this week. Double-check his status but he's still worth a look in some deep leagues this week. James Paxton will return for a start next week after recovering from his pectoral strain. Paxton is a solid option in most leagues this week even coming off of injury. Felix Hernandez is also expected to return this week but will be a riskier, not-advisable start this week. Jacob Faria is getting closer to a return as he'll throw what could be his only rehab start on Saturday. Faria, who has been on the mend with an abdominal strain, will be worth plugging into some deeper league lineups if he is activated this week. Keep an eye on Chris Archer's status as the Rays' hurler has been dealing with a forearm issue that may have contributed to his terrible outing on Friday. It will be hard to sit Archer this late in the season but he's a risky start right now.
Ken Giles blew Friday's save opportunity, his fourth in 33 chances, but there's no chance the Astros will make a change at the back end of their bullpen. Giles remains a top fantasy RP this week. Kelvin Herrera's injured forearm continues to give him problems causing manager Ned Yost to remove him from the closing role. Brandon Maurer, Scott Alexander, and Mike Minor could all see save opportunities but Maurer and Alexander are the better bets. Blake Parker tallied a blown save early last week but still appears to be the reliever to own in the Angels' pen. He remains a low-end source of saves this week. Aroldis Chapman is back in the closer role for the Yankees after working out his issues in a middle relief role over the last few weeks. Chapman is a strong relief play once again going forward. Roberto Osuna blew his 10th save of the season on Tuesday but the Blue Jays are sticking with him at the back end of their rotation. Osuna remains a solid source for saves this week.
Shane has been a sports statistics geek since the early 90's when he began studying stats on the back of baseball and hockey trading cards. When he's not meticulously tinkering with fantasy lineups, he enjoys cheering on his Cardinals and Blues, playing hockey, cooking, playing guitar, and spending time with his two daughters, Ellie and Ava.