Daily Dose: Some Rest For Ryu

Some "good news" for the Dodgers isn't doing much to comfort fantasy owners.

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An MRI of Hyun-Jin Ryu's left shoulder showed no structural damage after he left Friday's start against the Giants after the first inning, giving the Dodgers hope that his season isn't finished. But with only a handful of games left in the regular -- read: fantasy -- season, Ryu's year may be over for fantasy purposes.

Ryu will take four days off from throwing after receiving a cortisone injection over the weekend, but Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said he was pleased with the news, all in all.

"It's good news as far as we're concerned," Mattingly said. "There's nothing new from any of his original MRIs.

"He'll be off for the next couple days and then meet up in Chicago with us and start throwing. Then we'll see where we're at."

Ryu obviously won't make his next scheduled start, which was set for Wednesday, but Mattingly said he wouldn't rule out Ryu starting next Monday against the Giants. In that scenario Ryu could actually find two more starts before the regular season ends, but that's clearly a best-case scenario.

The more likely scenario is that Ryu begins throwing in Chicago with an eye toward a return in the National League Division Series. With the Dodgers in no serious danger of missing a Wild Card berth at worst, the club likely won't need Ryu to make any important starts down the stretch. Factor in the fact that the Dodgers can lean on impending Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke and a revitalized Dan Haren, and the club has little incentive to push Ryu to rush back.

But the Dodgers will still need a fifth starter in the meantime. That pitcher is likely to be Carlos Frias. Frias, a 24-year-old rookie, has a 3.91 ERA through 25 1/3 innings this year. In his lone start for the Dodgers, the right-hander held the NL East-leading Nationals scoreless over six innings of work.

Frias isn't a recommended start Wednesday at Coors Field, but if he remains in the rotation into the season's final week he could provide some NL-only value with starts against the Giants and Rockies at Dodger Stadium.

Papelbon Suspended

There's no uncertainty about how long Jonathan Papelbon will be sidelined.

The closer, who allowed four runs and was ejected after grabbing his crotch in response to the boos of Phillies fans Sunday, received a seven-game suspension from MLB Monday. Papelbon won't appeal the ruling, meaning he'll be out until next week's series against the Marlins, the same team that caused his meltdown Sunday.

Papelbon, for his part, said he was simply adjusting himself and that he was a victim of poor timing. Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg, presumably not an idiot, didn't offer much in the way of support for his hot-headed closer.

“That’s not my job or position to believe him,” Sandberg said when asked if he believed the story. “All I can base it on is what he told me and he had no intentions of that being toward the fans. It’s not my position or my spot to make any judgment on that, but just to listen to him.”

Papelbon's loss is Ken Giles' gain. The 23-year-old has been a revelation as the Phillies' setup man this season, and he'll now get to show his chops at finishing games in Papelbon's absence. If his numbers as the eighth-inning guy are any indication, he'll excel -- Giles has a 1.08 ERA, 0.79 WHIP and 60/10 K/BB ratio in 41 2/3 innings this season. It's fair to wonder whether he'd already be the closer if the Phillies weren't paying Papelbon $40 million over four years to do the job.

Giles is a must-add for save-needy owners, and even when Papelbon returns he could help as a dominant reliever with great rate stats in the season's final week.

McHugh Exits Monday's Start

With so few games left to play every injury could potentially be season-ending, but the hope is that Collin McHugh escaped serious harm Monday.

The right-hander left Monday's start after taking a comebacker off his left, non-pitching arm. McHugh was diagnosed with simply a bruised forearm, but it was enough to force his exit. It's a shame, too, as McHugh was turning in another strong effort, allowing only an unearned run while striking out seven over 6 2/3 innings. McHugh did earn the win, his 10th of the season, for his efforts.

Owners will now play the waiting game to see if he will be able to take the mound against the Mariners over the weekend. If by a stroke of bad luck McHugh's season is over, it was a brilliant year for the 27-year-old, who owns a 10-9 record, 2.66 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 151/40 K/BB ratio over 148 2/3 innings. McHugh, along with Dallas Keuchel and a couple high-upside arms including 2013 No. 1 overall pick Mark Appel, have things looking up for the Astros for the first time in a long time.

National League Quick Hits: The Giants activated Brandon Belt from the 15-day disabled list Monday. Belt, who hadn't played since August 6 with concussion symptoms, didn't start for the Giants against the Diamondbacks ... Before that contest, Angel Pagan was scratched due to back stiffness. Pagan's back has been bothering him since June, so it may not be a one-game deal for the 33-year-old ... Bryce Harper left Monday's game with lightheadedness, and it turns out he's fighting a case of the flu. It's nothing serious and Harper should be back in the Nats' lineup, if not Tuesday, then soon ... Tyson Ross will have his next scheduled start pushed back a few days due to general soreness. Robbie Erlin will start in his place against the Phillies Thursday, an interesting streaming option for NL-only owners, with the hope that Ross will be back for at least one more start this year ... Ross' fellow rotation mate Andrew Cashner made quick work of the Phillies Monday, twirling a two-hit shutout. Cashner needed just 92 pitches to finish them off ... Nolan Arenado will undergo an MRI on his chest after exiting Sunday's game. With little left to play for and no reason to risk further injuring their budding star third baseman, it will be interesting to see how the Rockies proceed with Arenado ... Jacob deGrom struck out 13 batters over seven innings against the Marlins, including fanning the first eight Marlins to step to the dish. The likely NL Rookie of the Year now owns a 2.68 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 134/40 K/BB ratio over 134 1/3 innings this year. deLightful. (I'm so, so sorry).

American League Quick Hits: Albert Pujols left Monday's game with what could have been a bad injury, grabbing his hamstring following a bases-loaded double. Instead, the Angels said it was merely a hamstring cramp for the first baseman. He might be out Tuesday with some soreness, but it's not likely to be an injury that ends his season prematurely ... Pujols' teammate Josh Hamilton (shoulder) hopes to return to the lineup Wednesday. Hamilton took batting practice without issue Monday, and another successful round Tuesday could clear the way for his return ... Anibal Sanchez (pectoral) threw 25 pitches off a mound Monday, reporting he felt good afterward. Sanchez will throw again Tuesday, and the right-hander could be a factor for the Tigers in the bullpen come October ... Danny Duffy (shoulder) won't start again until next Monday at the earliest. Duffy hasn't pitched in a game since September 6, and Tuesday's simulated game should go a long way toward telling whether he'll be ready to go next week ... With Joe Nathan unavailable, the Tigers turned to Joakim Soria to close out Monday's win. Soria responded with a scoreless inning, striking out one for his 18th save of the year. Nathan is still the guy in Detroit, but it's nice to know that Soria is capable of finishing games if needed.