Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Shota Imanaga went six innings in Friday's 7-6 victory over the Nationals, allowing three earned runs on four hits and one walk while striking out eight on the way to picking up his 11th win of the season. It was the southpaw's 15th quality start of the year out of 25 starts, and he's now got a 3.14 ERA on the season with a 1.05 WHIP and a 21.2% K-BB%. The 30-year-old lines up with Pittsburgh at home in his next start, a team he shut down over seven innings at home earlier this season, allowing no runs on four hits and a walk while striking out seven.

Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw (toe) left his start on Friday early against the division-rival Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field with left big-toe pain. Kershaw made it through only one inning in the start of a huge weekend series in Arizona, and he gave up three earned runs on three hits (one homer) while walking one and striking out none before he hit the showers. It's not an arm injury, but it's yet another ailment for the 36-year-old, who hasn't been able to stay healthy in recent seasons. The future Hall of Famer came into Friday's start having made only six starts in 2024 due to a left-shoulder injury. The 10-time All-Star and three-time Cy Young winner will now be up in the air for his next start, depending on the severity of his injury. Heading into the final month of the regular season, the Dodgers' top priority will be having Kershaw healthy for another playoff run in October.

Cleveland Guardians first baseman Josh Naylor (ankle) managed to have a big offensive night in Friday's 10-8 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates at Progressing Field despite leaving the contest early due to a left-ankle bruise. Naylor was replaced late in the game by Tyler Freeman after he apparently rolled his ankle. Before leaving, though, Naylor went 3-for-5 with a double, four RBI and a run scored. Naylor's two-run double in the first inning got Cleveland's scoring started. The 27-year-old appears to have avoided a serious injury, thankfully, but he could be held out as a precaution for Saturday's contest. Fantasy managers should consider him to be day-to-day for now. Naylor, a first-time All-Star in 2024, came into Friday's game with a career-high 28 home runs, and now he's at a career-high 98 RBI through 127 games after driving in four this evening.

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto (shoulder) played catch on Friday and will throw a bullpen session on Sunday. Yoshinobu's next minor-league rehab start will come on Tuesday with Triple-A Oklahoma City, and the plan is for him to go three innings. It will be the 26-year-old Japanese pitcher's second rehab start after he allowed one run (on a homer) while striking out two in two innings (31 pitches) for Oklahoma City on Wednesday. The Dodgers aren't going to rush Yamamoto back into the rotation, so fantasy managers should expect to maybe get a few outings out of him once he returns in the middle of September, barring any setbacks. Yamamoto will be a key piece of the rotation going into the postseason when he's healthy after going 6-2 with a tidy 2.92 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 84 K's in 74 innings in his first 14 starts in 2024 in the States.

New York Mets starting pitcher Kodai Senga (calf) is playing catch from 90 feet and is progressing well, according to Mets manager Carlos Mendoza. Though it's unlikely Senga will pitch again this season, Mendoza noted that the Japanese star is playing catch "like normal" and that it's a good sign for both him and the team. The 31-year-old only pitched in one game for the Mets this season after dealing with a shoulder strain for the entire first half of the year before injuring his calf in his only start in 2024. While the Mets are fighting for a wild-card spot (3.5 games back) it shouldn't be expected that the Mets will rush him back. Should Senga return in 2024, it'd likely be during the playoffs. Fantasy managers that need starting pitching help should instead pivot to David Peterson, whose 2.83 ERA will be a great addition to any fantasy roster.