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Alex Bregman 3B | CHC
Cubs' Alex Bregman: Returning to lineup at DH
Bregman (face) will start at designated hitter and bat third in the first game of Friday's doubleheader in Boston.
Bregman sustained multiple facial fractures and a swollen left eye after being struck by a ball while in the on-deck circle during Sunday's game against the Reds. He did not require surgery, however, and the 32-year-old has made a rapid recovery to return to the Cubs' lineup as he gets ramped back up ahead of the postseason.
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Yunior Marte SP | SF
Giants' Yunior Marte: Drawing another start
Marte is slated to start Friday's game against the Dodgers in San Francisco.
Marte will receive a second straight turn through the Giants rotation in what should be his final outing of the season. Through four appearances (two starts) since being called up from Triple-A Sacramento on Aug. 29, Marte has turned in a 4.66 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and 11:9 K:BB across 19.1 innings.
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Kyle Isbel CF | KC
Royals' Kyle Isbel: Logs two hits in loss
Isbel went 2-for-3 in Thursday's 9-1 loss to the White Sox.
Isbel picked up a pair of singles, marking his first multi-hit effort since Sept. 3. It's been an ice-cold end to the 2026 campaign for the outfielder, as he's hitting just .148/.164/.148 with no RBI and five runs in 20 September contests. On the year, Isbel is slashing .220/.264/.321 with six homers, 24 RBI, 31 runs and six stolen bases over 98 games.
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Connelly Early SP | WAS
Nationals' Connelly Early: Set to join Washington for final series
Early (elbow) is expected to be activated from the 60-day injured list to make his Nationals debut at some point during this weekend's series versus the Mets, MLB.com reports.
Acquired from the Red Sox back on July 26, Early finally appears ready to join the Nationals following a lengthy recovery from left elbow inflammation. He made his second and final rehab appearance this past Sunday at Triple-A Rochester, yielding three unearned runs over 1.2 innings while tossing 40 pitches. Since Early isn't stretched out enough to handle a traditional starting role, the Nationals could look to have him piggyback either Jake Irvin or DJ Herz, who will start Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
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Ceddanne Rafaela CF | BOS
Red Sox's Ceddanne Rafaela: Sitting out first game of twin bill
Rafaela is not in the lineup for the first game of Friday's doubleheader against the Cubs.
Rafaela didn't have to miss any starts because of a right hamstring cramp that he suffered Wednesday versus the Guardians. Presumably, he's simply resting for the first game Friday and will be back in action for the nightcap. Jarren Duran will play center field for the Red Sox during the afternoon tilt.
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Javier Assad RP | CHC
Cubs' Javier Assad: Settling into bullpen role
Assad has made his last four appearances out of the Cubs bullpen, yielding two earned runs on seven hits and no walks while striking out two batters over four innings.
Since making a 4.2-inning spot start against the Marlins on Sept. 5, Assad has shifted back into a relief role. After clinching a wild-card berth Thursday, the Cubs will have little at stake in the regular-season finale Saturday in Boston, so the team could look to get by with a bullpen game that day to keep all of their rotation arms fresh for the playoffs. If Assad isn't needed in Friday's doubleheader, he could end up covering multiple innings as a starter or bulk reliever in Saturday's contest.
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Mookie Betts SS | LAD
Dodgers' Mookie Betts: Delivers three hits in loss
Betts went 3-for-5 with a double, a walk and a run scored in Thursday's 4-2 loss to the Padres.
Betts has gone 14-for-28 (.500) with four multi-hit efforts over his last seven games. He's added two home runs, five doubles and six RBI in that span. With another late-season surge under his belt, Betts looks playoff ready. He's batting .261 with a .784 OPS, 22 home runs, 68 RBI, 70 runs scored, 25 doubles and two stolen bases across 120 contests this season.
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Tyler Glasnow SP | LAD
Dodgers' Tyler Glasnow: Dials up 11 strikeouts
Glasnow (5-2) allowed three runs on three hits and two walks while striking out 11 over 6.1 innings to take the loss versus the Padres on Thursday.
Glasnow gave up one run in the sixth inning and then left two runners on base in the seventh, both of whom scored after Justin Wrobleski took over on the mound. Despite the loss, it was another strong start for Glasnow, who has racked up double-digit strikeouts in his last two starts. He ends the regular season with a 3.53 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 98:25 K:BB across 74 innings over 13 starts. Glasnow will get a little extra rest before a potential start during the NLDS.
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Fernando Tatis Jr. RF | SD
Padres' Fernando Tatis: Adds two steals
Tatis went 2-for-3 with a walk, one RBI and two stolen bases in Thursday's 4-2 win over the Dodgers.
Tatis is up to 38 steals this season, including seven over his last 16 games. He's also batting .369 (24-for-65) with eight extra-base hits in that span. If Tatis keeps running over the weekend against the Diamondbacks, he'll have a chance to reach 40 steals for the first time. He's batting .289 with an .828 OPS, 25 home runs, 82 RBI, 95 runs scored, 31 doubles and three triples over 157 contests this year.
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Mason Miller RP | SD
Padres' Mason Miller: Allows run in save
Miller allowed a run on one hit and struck out two over one inning to earn the save in Thursday's 4-2 win over the Dodgers.
Miller gave up an RBI double to Shohei Ohtani but was able to preserve the Padres' lead. Miller has given up just 13 runs all season (10 earned), but he's allowed six runs (five earned) over his last 13.2 innings dating back to Aug. 25. The star closer has a 1.30 ERA, 0.84 WHIP and 127:24 K:BB through 69 innings while converting 38 of 41 save chances, but he's not in the best form as the Padres look to lock up a playoff spot.