Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell said that left-hander Justin Steele's (elbow) catch play has gone well of late and that a bullpen session is next, and it could happen "on this road trip." The Cubs' current road trip ends this Sunday at Coors Field against the Colorado Rockies. If the 29-year-old southpaw can get through a successful bullpen session this week, he could move to a simulated game or live bullpen session next. Steele is currently on the 15-day injured list due to left-elbow inflammation, but barring a setback, he should be able to return at the end of the month of September for a start or two to close out the year. Steele, a first-time All-Star in 2023, has been similarly as good in 2024 despite spending some time on the IL due to injuries. He has an ERA just over 3.00 with a career-high 24.9% strikeout rate as a trusted weapon at the top of Chicago's starting rotation.

Baltimore Orioles manager Brandon Hyde thinks that first baseman Ryan Mountcastle (wrist) will be able to come off the 10-day injured list before the end of the 2024 regular season in September. "I think he's going to come back by the end of the regular season, I just don't know when," Hyde said on Monday. Mountcastle is recovering from a left-wrist sprain that he suffered on Aug. 22 against the Houston Astros during a slide into second base. The 27-year-old started swinging a bat last Friday and is slowly working his way up in baseball activities before potentially going on a minor-league rehab assignment. The O's won't rush him back with a postseason spot pretty secure, and Mountcastle is unlikely to help much in fantasy the rest of the way if he does come back in September. His power has been down yet again in 2024 with only 13 homers after hitting a career-high 33 in 2021.

New York Yankees outfielder Alex Verdugo made the start in left field while batting ninth on Monday in the series opener at Yankee Stadium against the visiting Kansas City Royals, but it seems likely that he's going to be the odd man out in New York's outfield with prospect Jasson Dominguez being called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Monday. Manager Aaron Boone said that Aaron Judge will be in center field on most days, with Giancarlo Stanton serving as the designated hitter, as expected. The Yankees didn't call up Dominguez to ride the pine at the big-league level, so he will most likely take over regular duties in left field and send Verdugo to the bench more often than not. Verdugo did go 2-for-4 with his 12th homer of the year in the 10-4 win over the Royals on Monday, but he came into the contest with a .235/.295/.356 slash line with a below-average .651 OPS in 519 at-bats in 2024.

New York Mets right-hander Paul Blackburn (back, hand) was originally expected to come off the 15-day injured list to start on Monday in Toronto against the Blue Jays, but those plans were scrapped due to a back issue, and Blackburn will not pitch in the series in Toronto this week. Right-hander Tylor Megill made the spot start on Monday and tossed six shutout innings with two walks and nine strikeouts in a tough-luck no-decision. The Mets will see if Blackburn improves in the next couple of days, according to manager Carlos Mendoza. A comebacker to his right pitching hand put the 30-year-old on the IL on Aug. 25, but now he could be in danger of missing the rest of the 2024 regular season if his back injury is serious enough. The Mets could definitely use Blackburn as they try to sneak into the National League playoffs as a wild-card team, although he's been pretty lackluster since joining the Mets via trade.

Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (foot) fouled a ball off his toes on his left foot during Monday's 3-2 loss to the New York Mets at the Rogers Centre and underwent X-rays in the middle of the game, which came back negative. The Blue Jays will see how Guerrero feels on Tuesday, but it sounds like he has avoided a serious injury. Guerrero, who was serving as the designated hitter in this one, played the entire game and finished 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts in the loss. Fantasy managers should consider Vlad to be day-to-day for now, but don't be surprised if Toronto holds him out of the starting lineup as a precaution on Tuesday. If the 25-year-old misses any time, rookie Spencer Horwitz will see more time at first. Guerrero, who has been an All-Star each of the last four seasons, is having a great season with a .324/.395/.554 slash line, 28 homers and 94 RBI in 141 games.