Santander opened a rehab assignment with the Buffalo Bisons, homering on his third plate appearance off Adrian Sampson as he works back from a left shoulder subluxation. Bo Bichette’s knee sprain leaves Toronto hoping Santander can provide a late-season power lift, with nine Bisons games to regain timing and a two-sided swing. Gausman praised Heineman after a complete-game shutout of Houston, underscoring the trust in Toronto’s catching depth, while Manoah’s rehab path triggers a 40-man shuffle that DFA’d Orelvis Martinez as Buffalo looms for a potential final-series call.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa is back with the Blue Jays, a homecoming that doubles as a depth upgrade for an infield that was briefly shaken by injury and a deadline purge. IKF brings multi‑position flexibility and a track record of strong on-base presence, reclaiming a playoff-eligibility move for Toronto. He posted career highs in average and OBP during his prior Jays stint, swatted seven homers in 83 games, and helped spark a dramatic ninth‑inning comeback win against Houston. He loves the city and sees Toronto as home once again.

Toronto has retooled around IKF, with Ernie Clement at short, Addison Barger moving around the infield, and Joey Loperfido in the fold, especially against lefties. IKF’s versatility makes him the top infield backup as Bichette heals, a factor fantasy managers will weigh in deeper leagues and daily formats as the Jays navigate a tight playoff race.

Atlanta heads into the final Snitker season with retirement looming and a quiet reckoning on a peak window slipping from top World Series odds to a tougher path. The Braves may break their free-agent habit to upgrade at shortstop, with Bo Bichette named the marquee target and Trevor Story emerging as a credible fallback. Nick Allen has served as the stopgap, but durability and upside concerns keep Atlanta’s shortstop plan in flux.

Sal Stewart debuted for Cincinnati, injecting youth and upside into CIN's lineup as Hunter Greene delivered a playoff-caliber start. In the ninth, Emilio Pagán yielded back-to-back homers to Bo Bichette and Daulton Varsho, flipping a 2-1 Reds edge into a 4-2 Toronto advantage. The night underscored CIN's growing prospect depth and Jays' late-inning power, offering fantasy angles on a fresh rookie’s impact, a dominant young starter, and closing-risk in late innings.

John Schneider throws batting practice before Jays games from about 45 feet, a throwback habit he carried through the minor leagues. Teammates and stars praise the routine as a live-action swing-lesson, with Schneider guiding exit velocity and spray. George Springer, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette describe how the BP sessions sharpen timing and approach, while Davis Schneider jokes about the thrill of facing his manager’s pitches. The piece portrays a rare, intimate pregame ritual that fuels both technical adjustments and team chemistry.

The dynamic elevates pregame energy at Rogers Centre as the Jays’ hitters fine-tune approach, leverage velocity, and learn to read flight and location in real time. Schneider’s BP role blends coaching, risk, and camaraderie, offering fantasy readers a lens into how such routines might correlate with early-season swings and exit velocity trends.