Yordan Alvarez left ankle sprain after a plate collision, hobbling off in the first inning as Houston built a 2-0 lead over Texas. He had walked earlier and recently returned from a hand injury, posting strong numbers in 18 games with a 1.024 OPS. The Astros immediately reshuffled the outfield, moving Jesús Sánchez to left and bringing rookie Zach Cole into right field.

Houston sits two games up on Texas in the AL West and wild-card chase, while Texas holds a 6-4 season-series edge. Cleveland is within a half-game behind, turning the three-game set into a high-stakes sprint for the final playoff spots.

Otto Lopez has surged to a .340 over his last 14 games, giving the Marlins another versatile, multi-category contributor as they head toward the fantasy playoffs, especially with a Coors Field trip on tap. Harrison Bader has heated up since joining the Phillies, batting .352/.410/.544 with expanding power at the top of the order. Verlander continues a late-season bump for the Giants, while Tanner Bibee delivered back-to-back quality starts, including a complete game, boosting late-season trust.

Ketel Marte and Eugenio Suárez have cooled in September, threatening middle-infield and corner-depth depth, while Aaron Nola and George Kirby battle inconsistency and tougher matchups. Managers must weigh rest-of-season risk against upside in a tight fantasy race, with several hot names and a few uncertain arms shaping last-week decisions.