Boston Red Sox right-handed closer Kenley Jansen (lat) said after Friday night's 3-1 win over the Chicago White Sox at Fenway Park that he's dealing with a lat issue. Jansen last pitched on Wednesday, when he allowed four earned runs on one hit while walking three and striking out one in one-third of an inning versus the New York Mets. The veteran closer was apparently unavailable on Friday night, which is why Josh Winckowski entered with a two-run lead in the ninth to pitch a clean inning to earn the first save of his career. The 36-year-old Jansen said he won't pitch again until he's past the lat issue, but it's anyone's guess when that might be, and he could very well require a trip to the injured list. It's unclear how Boston might approach the ninth inning if Jansen misses extended time, but Winckowski and Chris Martin could be the top options for fantasy managers still scrounging for saves.

San Diego Padres rookie outfielder Jackson Merrill (knee) fouled a ball off his leg (just above his knee) in Friday night's win over the division-rival San Francisco Giants at Petco Park and was replaced in center field by Tyler Wade due to a left-patellar contusion, according to the team. Before hitting the showers early, Merrill went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts in the 5-1 victory. The good news for the 21-year-old is that X-rays came back clear on his knee, so fantasy managers can consider him day-to-day heading into Game 2 of the series on Saturday. Don't be surprised if Merrill is out, though. The former 27th overall pick in 2021 has been a huge clutch piece of the Friars' offense in his first year in the big leagues in 2024 and entered Friday's game with a .292/.323/.498 slash line with an .821 OPS, 22 homers, 82 RBI and 16 stolen bases. Merrill is relevant in all fantasy formats and hopefully won't miss too much time.

Updating a previous report, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that outfielder Teoscar Hernandez (foot) is "not doing great" after leaving Friday night's game at Dodger Stadium against the Cleveland Guardians when he was hit on the left foot by a pitch. X-rays on Hernandez's left foot came back negative, but Roberts said he thinks the outfielder will be going on the 10-day injured list. The 31-year-old was hit by a pitch in the first inning and was replaced by pinch-runner Chris Taylor, who also replaced him in left field. The main priority for the Dodgers at this point will be to get Hernandez healthy for a deep playoff run in October. Taylor should see an increase in playing time with Hernandez hurt, but the Dodgers could also use Kevin Kiermaier or rookie Andy Pages in left field. Hernandez is having an excellent first year in LA but may not be able to help fantasy managers much the rest of the way.UPDATE: Hernandez was in a walking boot when he left the stadium. Roberts said the concern level on Hernandez's injury is "high."

San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado went 3-for-5 with a pair of home runs in Friday's 5-1 win over the Giants, tying the franchise record for most home runs with 163 for San Diego in his career. The home runs represented numbers 24 and 25 this year, and he also collected three RBI in the contest, scored twice, and stole a base. The 32-year-old has been hitting well lately, going 20-for-59 (.339) over the last two weeks (14 games) with five home runs and has now put together a .274-25-89-69-9 line with a .338 wOBA and 121 wRC+ for the season. Fantasy managers will hope he remains hot heading into the fantasy baseball playoffs.

Houston Astros outfielder Yordan Alvarez blasted a pair of three-run home runs in a 2-for-4 effort during Friday's 8-0 win over the Diamondbacks, giving him six RBI on the day. The 27-year-old is up to 32 home runs on the season and has driven in 79, along with 89 runs scored, and six stolen bases. It was the 3x All-Star's third multi-homer game in his last nine games and he's coming off a month in which he recorded a .382/.481/.697 slashline. Alvarez is hitting .310 now on the season with a .406 wOBA and 170 wRC+, making him one of the top options for fantasy again in 2024.