Kansas City Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino (thumb) took batting practice at Nationals Park on Thursday before the team's series finale against the Washington Nationals. It's another step in Pasquantino's recovery after suffering a right-thumb injury that will keep him out through the end of the regular season this Sunday. The 26-year-old left-handed slugger needed surgery to fix a fractured right thumb, but it's good to see that he's already swinging a bat over three weeks removed from going under the knife. The Royals must first clinch a wild-card spot in the American League before the Royals will begin discussing whether Pasquantino has a shot to join them if they make a deep playoff run in October. Catcher Salvador Perez has seen more time at first base for KC since Pasquantino's injury, with Freddy Fermin filling in behind the dish.

Texas Rangers catcher Jonah Heim will retreat to the bench for Thursday's series finale against the division-rival Oakland Athletics in the final game at the Oakland Coliseum. Carson Kelly will do the catching for rookie right-hander Kumar Rocker and will bat eighth against A's right-hander J.T. Ginn. The 29-year-old's day off comes after he homered in each of the first two games of the series. Heim made his first All-Star team in 2023 before eventually helping lead the Rangers to their first World Series title. He hasn't been nearly as good in 2024, though, batting .219 (98-for-448) with 13 home runs and 57 RBI in 480 plate appearances. Since joining the Rangers in the middle of the season via trade, Kelly has slashed .233/.296/.311 with a .607 OPS, one homer and seven RBI in 28 games for the Rangers as the No. 2 backstop behind Heim.

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that the hope is that shortstop Miguel Rojas (groin) will be able to play in the regular-season finale this Sunday at Coors Field against the division-rival Colorado Rockies. Rojas is undergoing an MRI exam and receiving a cortisone injection on Thursday after tweaking his groin in Wednesday night's win over the division-rival San Diego Padres. He said he's been dealing with a groin injury in his leg the last few weeks. "We figure that with the playoff schedule, you never play more than three days in a row," Rojas said. "Hopefully my ability to stay on top of it, plus the injection helps." The Dodgers are playing it safe with their primary shortstop ahead of the postseason in October. With the defensive whiz out for the next couple of games, expect Tommy Edman to move to the 6 with Andy Pages perhaps making some appearances in center field for the Blue.

Los Angeles Angels shortstop Zach Neto (shoulder) left Thursday's series finale against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field after injuring his right shoulder on a slide into second base. Neto stayed down on the ground for a while and appeared to be in a significant amount of pain as trainers came out to look at him. He eventually walked off the field under his own power, but with just three games remaining in the 2024 regular season this weekend, Neto may not be able to make it back for the three-game series versus the division-rival Texas Rangers in Anaheim. Before leaving, he went 1-for-2 and was eventually replaced by Jack Lopez at the 6, with Michael Stefanic entering the game at second. If this is the end of the road for Neto in 2024, it has been a strong year in his first full season in the big leagues, as he hit 23 homers, drove in 77 and stole 30 bags in 155 games played.

MLB.com's Mark Bowman writes that Atlanta Braves left-hander Chris Sale will make his next start whenever the Braves are facing elimination. Left-hander Max Fried will start the series opener against the Kansas City Royals because he's more of a creature of habit who doesn't like too many extra days of rest. Right-hander Reynaldo Lopez (shoulder), who remains on the injured list, will be a wild card who could be used at any point between Saturday and the team's doubleheader against the division-rival New York Mets on Monday. Atlanta's final two games against the Mets were postponed on Wednesday and Thursday due to inclement weather. The 35-year-old Sale, who is a front-runner for the National League Cy Young award, could very well be held back until one of Monday's games. He's been one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball in 2024 with a league-best 2.38 ERA and 225 K's in 29 starts.