Recently acquired relief pitcher Hunter Harvey (back) has been placed on the 15-day injured list by the Kansas City Royals with back tightness. In a corresponding move, the team recalled veteran reliever Carlos Hernandez. Harvey has two wins and one save with 55 strikeouts in 50 innings, a 4.44 ERA, and a 1.32 WHIP on the season. The team had been using a committee approach to closing, but look for James McArthur and Lucas Erceg to be the primary relievers to get save chances at this time for the Royals, who are 64-53 and fighting for their playoff lives.

The Oakland Athletics reinstated first baseman/outfielder Seth Brown from the paternity list on Saturday and optioned infielder Armando Alvarez to Triple-A Las Vegas in a corresponding move. Brown isn't in the team's starting lineup for Saturday's contest against the hosting Toronto Blue Jays, but he should occasionally slot into the lineup at first base or in right field when the team faces right-handed pitching. On a bad A's team, the 32-year-old veteran left-handed hitter really only belongs on rosters as a depth piece in AL-only leagues. He's not an everyday player and is batting just .213/.270/.371 with a below-average .641 OPS, 10 home runs, 24 RBI and four stolen bases in 240 at-bats this year. He's been better since the All-Star break, though, going 12-for-47 (.255) with three homers, a double and five RBI in 16 games (13 starts).

San Francisco Giants manager Bob Melvin said that right-handed reliever Ryan Walker will serve as the team's closer after the club decided to option former closer Camilo Doval to Triple-A Sacramento on Friday. The Giants were ready to make a change at the back end of their bullpen after Doval blew his fifth save of the season on Thursday night against the Washington Nationals. Walker is deserving of the closer's gig this year after going 7-3 with a 2.24 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 71 strikeouts and only 13 walks in 60 1/3 innings pitched over a league-high 59 appearances (one start). Melvin mentioned Jordan Hicks, who was recently moved to the bullpen after beginning the year as a starter, as another possibility for saves, but Walker is going to get the first crack to replace Doval and should be added immediately by fantasy managers in need of saves.

Chicago White Sox All-Star left-hander Garrett Crochet said he's been experiencing a mechanical issue for the last three or four weeks and cited it as the cause of his struggles on Friday night in his outing against the visiting Chicago Cubs. Crochet said he's tried to convince himself it was something else each time out but has now identified it as "a simple fix." The 25-year-old southpaw allowed seven runs on nine hits (four home runs) in just 2 1/3 innings in the loss to the Cubs on Friday, although he generated 15 swinging strikes. The White Sox were eventually planning on limiting Crochet's innings down the stretch because of the fact he hadn't thrown over 54 1/3 innings at the big-league level in a single season before this year. The elevated workload could finally be taking its toll, as Crochet hasn't gone beyond four innings in a start since June 30, a span six outings.

San Diego Padres first baseman/designated hitter Luis Arraez (thumb) revealed after Friday's extra-inning win over the Miami Marlins that he's been playing with a torn ligament in his left thumb. Arraez was examined by a doctor during the All-Star break and was told he could continue playing with the torn ligament, according to a source. It helps explain why the 27-year-old two-time batting champion sat out this year's All-Star game. The Venezuelan hitter is still hitting just over .300 on the season as a whole, but since the All-Star break, he's gone 18-for-70 (.257) with a homer, four doubles, six RBI, a stolen base and eight runs scored in 16 games played. Arraez doesn't do a whole lot for fantasy managers besides carry a high average, and his thumb injury could compromise his ability to rack up the hits the rest of the way in 2024.