St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker has been recalled from Triple-A on Friday. This move comes after outfielder Tommy Pham was designated for assignment. That being said, Walker is expected to play every day going forward, according to Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol. The Cardinals have high expectations for Walker that he hasn't quite lived up to yet. Last season, Walker did solid as he hit .276 with 16 home runs and 51 RBI in 117 games. In 2024, Walker is hitting .145 with four RBI in 24 games. He'll cover right field and bat seventh versus right-hander Marcus Stroman on Friday. Fantasy managers in redraft leagues don't need to rush to the waiver wire. It might be better to wait and see if Walker can bounce back at the plate before snagging him.

Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Lucas Erceg (hand) is likely going to miss a few days after taking a comebacker off his right hand during Thursday's game. The right-hander is considered as day-to-day as he's still dealing with soreness and swelling in his hand. At least Erceg didn't suffer a serious injury and isn't expected to miss a lengthy amount of time. In the meantime, James McArthur will likely step into the closer role for the next few days. He could have some streaming appeal to fantasy managers in category leagues.

New York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo (forearm) appears to be extremely close to making his return to the big-league club. The 35-year-old has been working his way back from a forearm injury that has sidelined him since mid-June. The good news is that Rizzo is going to play a rehab game on Friday and could return when the roster expand on Sunday. Rizzo hasn't given the Yankees much production with the bat this season. He's hitting .223 with eight home runs and 28 RBI in 70 games. Ben Rice will likely lose some playing time once Rizzo is back in the mix.

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jordan Wicks (oblique) is nearly ready to return to the big league roster. The left-hander was scratched ahead of his start at Triple-A Iowa on Friday. The organization did this so they could have Wicks fresh for a possible start this weekend against the Washington Nationals. Cubs manager Craig Counsell said they could reshuffle their starting rotation over the next few days. Wicks hasn't been great for the Cubs this season, but he gives the team another viable arm down the stretch of the September. The southpaw has a 4.18 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, and 32/10 K/BB ratio across seven games (six starts) with the Cubs this season. He could be a streaming option against the Nats lackluster offense, but isn't a great long term fantasy option.

Boston Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story (shoulder) is set to start as the designated hitter for Triple-A Worcester on Sunday. Story will then start at shortstop on Monday, take Tuesday off and then work full speed toward a return to the majors after that. This will mark the first game action for the 31-year-old since he fractured his shoulder in April. His start to the season was underwhelming, hitting just .226 in 31 AB before hitting the IL. On the heels of another injury-shortened season in 2023, fantasy managers certainly will have their concerns about Story's health going forward. However, current shortstop Ceddanne Rafaela has provided spotty production for the Red Sox, leaving the door open for Story to get consistent at-bats if he's able to return in the last few weeks of the season. Fantasy managers needing help at the shortstop position in the playoff run probably won't need to look Story's way, but in deeper leagues there may be an opportunity to stash him on your bench if needed.