There is a strong expectation that New York Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole will opt out of the final four years and $144 million of his nine-year, $324 million contract with the team as he tries to get into the free-agent mix this winter now that he's back from an early-season elbow injury and pitching well. However, if Cole chooses to opt out, the Yankees can nullify it by adding a 10th year at $36 million onto his original deal. The 33-year-old six-time All-Star and reigning American League Cy Young winner has only made 12 starts in 2024 due to a right-elbow injury that cropped up in spring training. After a small hiccup at the end of July, he has been the ace we've come to know him as in his last five starts, posting a 1.93 ERA with 10 walks and 31 strikeouts in 28 innings pitched.

New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto will be the biggest free agent on the market this winter, and ESPN's Jeff Passan writes that high-ranking front office and ownership-level sources think that it will come down to a bidding war between the Yankees and New York Mets. The industry agrees the floor for Soto's next contract will be $500 million. The Red Sox, Cubs, Dodgers and Angels could likely afford Soto but are long shots to make a real push. Believe it or not, the four-time All-Star will turn just 26 this October. He's already considered one of the best all-around players of his generation and has excelled in the Bronx, slashing .291/.421/.590 with a 1.012 OPS, a career-high 37 home runs, 95 RBI, five steals and 108 runs scored in 130 games played. It seems hard to believe that the Yankees will let him walk out of the Bronx, and if he does, it might not be to go very far.

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that right-hander Tyler Glasnow (elbow) will resume playing catch on Friday, and the team is "hopeful" that he can return before the end of the season. The Dodgers never considered Glasnow's right-elbow injury to be serious, but the 31-year-old hasn't bounced back the way they had hoped, putting his availability in question for the final month of the regular season in question. It's good news that Glasnow will resume throwing on Friday, but it doesn't mean that fantasy managers stashing him will get much use out of him to close things out in 2024. At this point, LA's primary objective is to have him stretched out and healthy for the postseason in October. In his first year in LA, Glasnow was a first-time All-Star with a dominant 32.4% strikeout rate while going 9-6 with a 3.49 ERA and 0.95 WHIP in 22 starts (134 innings).

Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm (hand) was pulled from Thursday's game early against the division-rival Atlanta Braves after injuring his left hand, but X-rays came back negative, according to the team. Bohm injured his hand on his only at-bat of the game and was replaced at third base by Edmundo Sosa. The Phillies could opt to send Bohm for more testing, but for now, it looks like he's avoided a serious injury and should be considered day-to-day heading into the second game of the series at Citizens Bank Park on Friday. Losing Bohm for an extended period of time would be really bad news for the Phils and fantasy managers. The former third overall pick in 2018 out of Wichita State was an All-Star for the first time in 2024, and although his 13 homers aren't all that impressive, he has a career-best .290 average, 89 RBI and leads the league with 44 doubles in 131 games.

Baltimore Orioles right-hander Grayson Rodriguez (lat) threw from flat ground at Dodgers Stadium before the series finale on Thursday against the Los Angeles Dodgers and said he plans to throw off a mound "soon." Rodriguez is deferring to the team's medical staff on what a timeline might look like for his return. It's good progress for the 24-year-old, but with just a month left in the regular season, fantasy managers aren't going to get much usage out of Rodriguez the rest of the way, even if he doesn't encounter any setbacks. The fact that Rodriguez last started for the O's on July 31 means he needs a bit longer to get his arm built back up as well. At this point, Baltimore's primary concern is most likely having him ready for a postseason run. In his second year in the big leagues, G-Rod has a 13-4 record, 3.86 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 26.5% strikeout rate in 116 2/3 innings over 20 starts.