Tampa Bay Rays designated hitter Nelson Cruz went 1-for-5 with a solo home run during Friday's 4-3 win over the New York Yankees. In the top of the first inning, the 41-year-old blasted a solo shot off Nestor Cortes to give the Rays an early lead 1-0. It was his 32nd long ball of the season. "The Boomstick" is slashing .266/.336/.502 with 32 home runs, 86 RBI, 79 runs scored, and three stolen bases over 571 plate appearances in 2021. Cruz is one of the most consistent hitters in MLB and should be a middle-round pick in next season's drafts.

Washington Nationals infielder Alcides Escobar homered against the Boston Red Sox Friday, driving in the team's first run in a 4-2 loss. Escobar went 2-for-5 for the game, and the solo shot was his fourth of the season. He's slashing .357/.400/.514 with two homers and a steal in his last 15 games, and somewhat unbelievably playing himself into consideration for a role on the 2022 Washington squad. Regardless of where he plays next season, he should not be drafted to fantasy rosters.

Houston Astros outfielder Michael Brantley isn't in the starting lineup on Friday for a game against the Oakland Athletics and left-hander Sean Manaea. The veteran is hitting .312 with a .364 on-base percentage, eight home runs, and a stolen base in 500 plate appearances this season. Brantley has started the last two games at designated hitter, but it'll be Chas McCormick batting seventh and starting there on Friday. McCormick is hitting .254 with a .311 on-base percentage, 13 home runs, and four stolen bases in 312 plate appearances this season. He could be a quality streaming option, but only in deeper leagues.

New York Mets starting pitcher Rich Hill made his final start of the season Thursday, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits and three walks in five innings to earn his seventh win of the season. Hill struck out six batters. With a 3.86 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, and 150 strikeouts in 158 2/3 innings, Hill continues to contribute in the majors. He's only finished six innings three times since May 26, however, making him difficult to count on in fantasy, and that should continue to be true in 2022.

Minnesota Twins third baseman Josh Donaldson went 1-for-4 with a three-run homer and three strikeouts in Thursday's loss to Detroit. Donaldson gave Minnesota a 4-1 lead in the third inning after blasting a 422-foot homer at 108.2 MPH. The veteran third baseman did collect a hat trick of strikeouts, but it was nice to see him leave the yard after going nine games without a round-tripper. Donaldson has been able to stay on the field more so than in past years, delivering a solid .823 OPS with 25 homers, 70 RBI, and 70 runs scored.

New York Yankees starting pitcher Corey Kluber put together a so-so effort in Thursday's no-decision against the Blue Jays. Kluber pitched 4 2/3 innings allowing two runs on seven hits while striking out a pair. He issued just one walk. While the numbers weren't great, Kluber encouragingly managed to generate 11 whiffs, with at least two of them on four different pitches. The veteran right-hander had just one win in September while pitching to a 4.37 ERA, though the underlying numbers suggest he's close to looking like the Kluber from earlier in the year.

Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Alex Cobb (8-3) wasn't his sharpest on Thursday, surrendering five runs in five innings, but didn't factor into the decision of the 7-6 loss to the Texas Rangers. He also struck out five and walked two, while all five of the runs came via two home runs. His ERA jumped to 3.76 after the outing, and he now has 98 strikeouts across 93.1 innings and 18 starts. It was his last start of the season, and possibly in an Angels uniform, with Cobb entering free agency over the winter. He has discussed his desire to stay in Anaheim, but if he does move elsewhere, hopefully, he can sustain the improvements he made after posting a 5.10 ERA from 2018 to 2020.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Zack Greinke (neck) made a rehab start at Triple-A Sugar Land on Thursday. He pitched two scoreless innings, throwing 34 pitches and recording three strikeouts. The 37-year-old veteran has been out since September 21 due to a neck injury. Assuming he has no setbacks, he should be available to start a game in the ALDS. Over 29 starts this year, Greinke went 11-6 with a 4.11 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP. His strikeouts were down significantly this year as he managed just a 17% strikeout rate, which ranked in the bottom 9% of the league. Last year, he had a far superior 24.5% strikeout rate.

San Diego Padres pitcher Yu Darvish (hip) was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left hip impingement. The Padres optioned Ryan Weathers to Triple-A El Paso, reinstated Craig Stammen from the IL, and recalled Shaun Anderson in corresponding moves. He allowed two earned runs on five hits and four walks while striking out six over four innings in his previous start. The 35-year-old was one strikeout shy from logging his fifth 200K campaign. Darvish's season is officially over, and the Padres right-hander finishes with a 4.22 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and a 199:44 K: BB over 166 1/3 innings in 2021.

The San Francisco Giants designated pitcher Jose Quintana for assignment on Thursday. The move was made to help clear space for the return of pitcher Johnny Cueto (elbow) and outfielder Darin Ruf (oblique) from the injured list. The team also placed relief pitcher Tony Watson (shoulder) on the injured list on Thursday. Quintana joined the Giants in late August and only made five appearances with the team, all in relief. He had a 4.66 ERA and a 1.45 WHIP over those five appearances.

Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez (ankle) is in his usual No. 3 spot in the lineup for Thursday's game against Shane Bieber and the Cleveland Indians. He's playing designated hitter in the game. Perez sprained his ankle after tripping on the steps in the team's dugout during Wednesday's game. He was removed from the game and replaced by Cam Gallagher. It's great to see Perez back in the lineup just a day after the injury as he is chasing down a home run crown. He's homered in two straight games and he has an MLB-leading 48 homers on the year.

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Lorenzo Cain is absent from the lineup for Thursday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals, according to MLB.com. Cain has put up average numbers across the board, slashing .261/.335/.406 with eight home runs in 75 games. He can still run, though, stealing 13 bags this season. Jackie Bradley Jr. will play center in his place and bat eighth. Bradley isn't playing because of his offense, as he's hit just .164 with a .502 OPS. Fantasy managers shouldn't think about streaming Bradley and look elsewhere for outfield help.

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Avisail Garcia is not in the lineup for Thursday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals, according to MLB.com. It appears as just extra rest before the Brewers make a postseason run. He's been a consistent slugger in the middle of the lineup this season, smashing 29 HRs with 85 RBI, 68 runs, and a .265/.333/.496 slash line. Tyrone Taylor will man the outfield and bat cleanup in his place. Taylor has been above average with the bat in 89 games, as he's hit .239 with 12 HRs, five stolen bases, and a .772 OPS. He's better against left-handers, slashing .269/.313/.487, so with southpaw J.A. Happ on the mound, he's not a bad streaming option.

New York Mets starting pitcher Rich Hill will start Thursday's game against the Miami Marlins. He's being bumped up a bit as he was originally slated to make his next start during the team's upcoming series against the Atlanta Braves. The 41-year-old lefty has pitched well this month with a 2.70 ERA and 29 strikeouts over 26.2 innings. He draws a favorable matchup against a Marlins team he held to one run over six innings earlier this month.

Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez (ankle) left Wednesday's contest with a right ankle sprain, according to the team. The 31-year-old picked up the injury while backing up on a double play. It remains to be seen if Perez will miss the rest of the season with the ailment, as he has a chance of hitting 50 home runs. With 48 HR on the season, the most by a catcher in any season, Perez has had a magical year that has surely propelled fantasy managers to a title.

Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez (undisclosed) was removed in the second inning of Wednesday's game against the Cleveland Indians with an apparent injury. He appeared to be hurt while backing up a double play in the top of the second inning, but it wasn't clear what he injured. Cam Gallagher entered the game to take over catching duties. Perez had already done damage before leaving the game. He hit a three-run home run, his MLB-leading 48th of the year, in the first inning of the game. We should have an update on the nature and severity of the injury later tonight.

The Los Angeles Dodgers activated first baseman Albert Pujols from the injured list on Wednesday. He only spent a day on the injured list. He was placed there on Tuesday after experiencing side effects from the second COVID-19 vaccine. Relief pitcher Andrew Vasquez was optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move. The future Hall of Famer has played in 82 games for the Dodgers this year and he has slashed .255/.302/.467 with 12 home runs, 38 RBI and 19 runs. He will likely serve primarily as a pinch-hitter for the rest of the regular season, but he may see a spot start or two.

The Houston Astros activated Michael Brantley (knee) from the 10-day injured list on Wednesday. He is in the starting lineup for Wednesday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays, playing designated hitter and batting second. Brantley missed a little over two weeks due to a knee injury. Over 116 games on the year, he's slashed .315/.367/.441 with eight home runs, 45 RBI and 68 runs. He's been one of the hardest players in the majors to strike out this year with a 10.1% strikeout rate that ranks in the 99th percentile.

In likely his final start of 2021, San Diego Padres starter Yu Darvish permitted two earned runs in four innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Despite six strikeouts, the right-hander labored over 85 pitches, surrendering five knocks and four walks. After an All-Star first half, Darvish cratered in his final 12 starts, absorbing eight losses and a disappointing 6.16 ERA. Overall, the 35-year-old registered eight victories, a 4.22 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 29 percent strikeout rate over 166 innings (30 starts). Under contract for another two seasons, Darvish should enter 2022 as a contender to be the Friars Opening Day starter. Consider him a backend SP2 in early offseason fantasy drafts.

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale was handed his first loss of the season Tuesday against the lowly Baltimore Orioles, and it couldn't have come at a worse time for Boston fans or fantasy managers. Sale cruised through five innings, but gave up three in the sixth, leaving him with those three runs allowed on four hits and a walk with six strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings. He now has a 2.90 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and 45 strikeouts in 40 1/3 innings this season. He figures to line up for one more start on the final day of the season.