The Royals optioned Cruz to Triple-A Omaha on Wednesday.

He'll give up his spot on the 28-man active roster with Michael Lorenzen (hamstring) returning from the 15-day injured list to start Wednesday's game versus the Nationals. Cruz has spun 5.2 scoreless frames during his time with the big club in 2024.

Walters will serve as the Guardians' opening pitcher in Wednesday's contest versus the Reds, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.

The Guardians are altering their final-week pitching plans after locking up a first-round bye in the playoffs. Walters will serve as the Guardians' first pitcher in what's expected to be a bullpen game in the series finale Wednesday, with Joey Cantillo's next start being pushed back to Friday against the Astros as a result.

Strickland (3-2) took the loss against the White Sox on Tuesday, allowing three runs on two hits and one walk while retiring one batter.

Strickland entered in the eighth inning following seven scoreless frames by starter Jack Kochanowicz. Strickland was able to retire the first batter he faced but then gave up a pair of doubles and a walk to result in a run. Brock Burke came on in relief for the veteran hurler and gave up two more hits, which allowed another pair of runners to cross the plate. Though he wasn't charged with a blown save, the outing didn't help Strickland's case for grabbing any remaining save opportunities in an Angels bullpen that doesn't have a clear closer following Ben Joyce's shoulder injury and subsequent placement on the injured list.

Anderson walked one and struck out one in a scoreless ninth inning Tuesday to record his first save of the season in a 3-2 win over the Angels.

The 31-year-old righty had five previous career saves, all of them coming with the Halos in 2018-19. Anderson hasn't exactly been sharp of late, posting a 4.15 ERA, 1.73 WHIP and 14:8 K:BB through 8.2 innings in September, but he misses bats with his fastball-slider combo and can be an effective high-leverage arm when he maintains a semblance of control. If the White Sox have any more late leads to protect over the final handful of games this season, Anderson could get the call again.

Francis came away with a no-decision in Tuesday's 6-5 extra-inning loss to the Red Sox, allowing three hits and a walk over five scoreless innings. He struck out four.

In his final start of the season, Francis saw his quality-start streak snapped at seven when he got the hook after just 71 pitches (48 strikes), but he still ended a breakout campaign on a high note. The right-hander developed a splitter in the minors and moved back into the big-league rotation after the All-Star break, and the new pitch helped him deliver a dazzling 1.80 ERA, 0.60 WHIP and 58:8 K:BB through 65 innings. Francis has put himself firmly in Toronto's 2025 pitching plans.

Martin (3-1) picked up the win Tuesday, walking one and striking out one in a scoreless ninth inning during Boston's 6-5 extra-inning victory over Toronto.

The veteran righty worked the bottom of the ninth in a tie game on the road, so he wasn't being held back for a potential save chance -- Chase Shugart wound up recording the save instead, the first for a Red Sox reliever since Kenley Jansen (shoulder) was shut down. Martin still appears to be the top choice for high-leverage spots, but he's had a bumpy September, posting a 7.71 ERA and 1.57 WHIP through seven innings with an 8:1 K:BB.

Miller (2-2) got the win over the Rangers on Tuesday after pitching a scoreless ninth inning. He allowed two hits and struck out two.

Miller entered with the game tied, hoping to keep it that way to give his team a chance to win it in the bottom of the frame. He allowed back-to-back one-out singles but rebounded with a strikeout and fly out to get out of the jam. The A's would end up walking it off to give Miller the win. The right-hander has allowed a baserunner in each of his last five appearances but has still managed to lock up four saves and a win since Sept. 11. For the year, Miller owns a 2.30 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 99:21 K:BB in 62.2 innings.

McArthur (elbow) will not return in 2024, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

McArthur is being shut down after his attempts to rehab a Grade 1 UCL sprain have not gone well. The right-hander functioned as the Royals' closer for a large part of the year, racking up 18 saves in 25 chances with a 4.92 ERA, 1.45 WHIP and 49:14 K:BB over 56.2 innings. Given the nature of his injury, it's unclear if he'll be ready to go from the start next spring.

Harvey (back) won't return in 2024, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Harvey has not made sufficient progress while rehabbing his back injury, and the Royals have opted to shut him down instead. He'll end the season with a 4.44 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 55:16 K:BB over 50.2 innings while adding a save and 28 holds across 49 appearances between the Nationals and the Royals.

Zerpa (2-0) earned the extra-inning win over the Nationals on Tuesday, pitching a perfect inning.

Zerpa worked the ninth inning in a scoreless game, and he was able to keep it that way. He's allowed just one hit while striking out six over four innings across four appearances since he rejoined the major-league roster Sept. 14. The left-handed reliever is at a 4.06 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and 47:18 K:BB with 10 holds and a blown save over 51 innings in the majors this season.