Boston Red Sox reliever Liam Hendriks (elbow) is likely to be shut down for the rest of the season, according to manager Alex Cora. "Basically where we're at right now we'll probably shut him down. We've got nine games in the regular season so it's going to be hard to get him going again," Cora said. Hendriks has been working all season to return from Tommy John surgery but recently suffered a minor setback a couple weeks ago. With Boston four games back from a wild-card spot, it appears the better game plan is to have Hendriks aim for a 2025 return. The 35-year-old hasn't pitched in a major-league game since June 2023 but has been effective when healthy. Boston will need a healthy Hendriks to produce in 2025 and help a bullpen that ranks 26th in the majors with a 4.53 ERA. Fantasy managers looking for bullpen help to finish the season should look to Boston reliever Josh Winckowski, as he's posted a 3.18 ERA and recorded two saves in September for the Red Sox.

Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Corbin Burnes was dominant on Friday, striking out eight batters in seven innings during the Orioles' 7-1 win over the Detroit Tigers. Burnes walked three batters but only allowed three hits and allowed no runs while recording his 15th win of the season. This marks Burnes' fifth straight start giving up two earned runs or less, a great sign for the Orioles as Baltimore gets ready for October. The 29-year-old has been fantastic in his first season in Baltimore, posting a 2.95 ERA. He'll be the focal point of Baltimore's rotation as they look for their first postseason series win since 2014. His final scheduled start of the season is set for next Thursday when the Orioles finish a series at Yankee Stadium against the Yankees.

Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers (shoulder) will undergo an MRI exam on his right shoulder on Saturday, and when asked if he is OK, manager Alex Cora said, "No, he's not... Probably this is it for him." The skipper said that Devers injured his right shoulder while taking swings in the cages before the contest at Fenway Park against the Minnesota Twins. The 27-year-old went 1-for-4 with a walk and three strikeouts on Friday night and was replaced at third base by Vaughn Grissom in extra innings. Devers has dealt with injuries to both of his shoulders this year, but with Boston looking unlikely to make the playoffs and with just over a week left in the regular season, it appears that Devers' 2024 campaign will come to a close a bit early. If this is indeed it for Devers this year, he'll finish with a .272/.354/.516 slash line with 28 homers and 83 RBI.

Baltimore Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins (neck) was unavailable for Friday's 7-1 win at Camden Yards against the visiting Detroit Tigers due to neck discomfort stemming from his collision on Thursday, according to manager Brandon Hyde. Mullins collided with outfielder Austin Slater on Thursday and was held out of Friday's action as a result. Until we know more on the severity of his injury, fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day and check back to see if he's available on Saturday. Colton Cowser got the start in the outfield on Friday with Mullins out and went 2-for-4 with two home runs, two RBI, two runs scored and two strikeouts in the win. Mullins has hit just .228 (95-for-417) on the year with a .300 on-base percentage, with the majority of his value coming from his speed yet again with 30 thefts in 140 games. He needs five more steals in the final week to set a new career-high in that category.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and two runs scored in Friday's 8-3 loss to the Reds. The home run was his 20th of the year, giving the 25-year-old his first 20/20 season of his young career. Despite the achievement, Cruz is slashing just .196/.281/.357 in September after a hot August in which he slashed .389/.449/.537. Overall on the season, the Dominican has been productive even with a high strikeout rate (30.9%), putting together a .267-20-75-70-22 line over 138 games with a .336 wOBA and 113 wRC+, making him a solid multi-category contributor for fantasy.