The Cleveland Guardians activated outfielder Steven Kwan (back) from the 10-day injured list on Wednesday, and he is starting in left field and batting leadoff against Cincinnati Reds right-hander Jakob Junis at Progressive Field. The Guardians have to be happy to get one of their best hitters back in the lineup at the tail end of the regular season before the playoffs kick off next week. The 27-year-old has been sidelined with inflammation in his back since the middle of September. He has hit a strong .291/.364/.419 with a .783 OPS, 13 home runs, 43 RBI and 12 stolen bases in 475 at-bats in 2024, but Kwan hasn't looked as good since the All-Star break. He is currently riding a four-game hitting streak, but he also went 6-for-36 (.167) with two RBI, nine walks and eight strikeouts in 10 games in the month of September before going on the IL.

Arizona Diamondbacks right-handed reliever Paul Sewald (neck) threw a 20-pitch bullpen session at Chase Field on Monday and is scheduled to throw again on either Thursday or Friday, making it unlikely that he would be activated from the injured list before the final few games or two of the regular season. "Paul's got a disk problem in his neck," manager Torey Lovullo said. "It's causing some problems with his left side, his left shoulder, so he can't go out there at full strength and compete. We made the decision, along with his input, to just step away and heal up and get strong." Sewald was put on the IL (retroactive to Sept. 12), which would mean that the first day he could be activated would be this Friday. With Sewald on the shelf, Justin Martinez has stepped into the closer's role for the Snakes. It's unclear if Sewald will be available to the team if they get into the postseason.

Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Ryne Nelson (shoulder) threw 16 pitches in an abbreviated bullpen session on Sept. 21 and threw 28 pitches in a similar session on Tuesday. Nelson experienced shoulder discomfort during a throwing session on Sept. 14 and was put on the 15-day injured list. The Diamondbacks are hopeful that he will be ready to return when his IL stint is up, which would allow him to be a part of the playoff roster if the team secures a wild-card spot in the National League. Manager Torey Lovullo said the team is undecided on whether Nelson could return to the starting rotation or be used as a multi-inning reliever in the short-term. The 26-year-old will likely be used in relief whenever he returns. Entering play on Wednesday, Arizona is in the final wild-card spot in the NL but is only up by half a game over the Atlanta Braves.

Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette (finger) will have surgery on Wednesday to put a pin in his injured right middle finger. Bichette's fracture was a bit "displaced," according to manager John Schneider, so this surgery is expected to help the bone set. The 26-year-old will now begin his recovery this offseason as he looks to bounce back from what was an extremely disappointing showing in 2024. Bichette was forced to the injured list two separate times with calf injuries and then fractured his finger upon returning late in the year. The two-time All-Star was limited to only 81 games this year and finished with a disappointing .225/.277/.322 slash line with a career-worst .598 OPS, four home runs, 31 RBI and five stolen bases in his 336 plate appearances. Bichette's finger should be completely healed by the start of spring training in 2025.

The Chicago Cubs recalled outfield prospect Kevin Alcantara from Triple-A Iowa on Wednesday and optioned outfielder Miles Mastrobuoni to the Arizona Complex League in a corresponding move. Alcantara, the team's No. 6 prospect per MLB Pipeline, earned the late-season call-up after batting a combined .278/.353/.428 with a .781 OPS, 14 home runs, 61 RBI, 14 stolen bases and 61 runs scored in 111 total games with Iowa and Double-A Tennessee this year. The 22-year-old outfielder is extremely athletic for his size (6-foot-6, 188 pounds). He hits from the right side and also throws right-handed. Alcantara could get a little run to close out the Cubs' 2024 season this weekend, especially if Seiya Suzuki (ankle) is unable to return. Alcantara can get long with his swing because of his size, but if he can shorten his swing down, he has easy 30-homer power at the next level.