The lefty-swinging Cruz will retreat to the bench as the Cardinals send left-hander Matthew Liberatore to the bump. Jake Mangum will patrol center field and will bat ninth for the Pirates.

Keller has remained shut down since being diagnosed with a right teres major strain in early August. The rest appears to have accomplished its goal thus far, and Keller looks to be on track to have a normal offseason throwing program. Keller held a 5.29 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 89:42 K:BB over 115.2 innings for the Pirates this season.

Ashcraft landed on the 15-day injured list last week with right arm discomfort. He received multiple medical opinions and his injury is not considered serious, but the Pirates will not push the right-hander to return before the end of the season. Ashcraft had a breakout year for Pittsburgh, logging a 3.65 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 173:35 K:BB over 165.1 innings covering 28 starts.

The Pirates have yet to provide an update on Valdez's status after he exited Friday's game with a left hamstring injury, though he will need at least one day off to recover. Jake Mangum will start in right field Saturday and could continue to do so if Valdez needs to spend time on the IL.

The right-hander has been shuttled between Triple-A and the majors throughout the season and is now getting another look with the Pirates. Mattson has pitched in 37 MLB games this season and has a 4.91 ERA, 1.58 WHIP and 34:18 K:BB over 36.2 innings.

The transaction clears space on the 40-man roster for the addition of Christian Bethancourt. Rodriguez underwent season-ending surgery last week to repair the labrum in his left hip.

Carpenter has been on the shelf since July 27 due to left foot plantar fascitiis, and despite the 72-80 Tigers facing long odds to secure a postseason spot, the 29-year-old isn't yet willing to close the door on a potential return. If Carpenter does end up making it back before the season ends Sept. 27, he could be limited to more of a part-time role.

The procedure brings an end to Smith's season, after the right-hander struggled to bounce back upon hitting the injured list May 22 due to shoulder inflammation. Before being deactivated, Smith turned in a 3.18 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and 20:7 K:BB across 17 innings over 13 appearances for Detroit. The 36-year-old righty is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agency this winter.

Meadows doesn't appear to be a realistic candidate to return from the 60-day injured list for the Tigers' final series of the season, but he could be in store for something close to a normal offseason. The 26-year-old outfielder slashed just .250/.308/.333 with three stolen bases, three runs and two RBI over 39 plate appearances with Detroit before hitting the shelf after sustaining a fractured left radius bone in his left arm and concussion during an on-field collision April 9.

He could follow either Justin Verlander (hamstring/hip) on Saturday or River Ryan on Sunday in a piggyback role, as neither Verlander nor Ryan are stretched out to handle a full workload. Flaherty's stamina isn't built up, either, but was scheduled for a 2-to-3-inning simulated game this past Saturday. The right-handed hurler has been sidelined late July due to right forearm flexor inflammation.

He missed a couple games last week with thumb soreness, and subsequent testing revealed a sprain. The injury will bring an end to the season for Keith, who finishes with a .258/.322/.406 batting line and 10 home runs over 140 contests for the Tigers. Gleyber Torres and/or Eduardo Valencia could handle designated-hitter duties for the Tigers in the final week while Keith is out.

While it's unfortunate that Melton's season will end with him on the IL, it's good news that he appears to have avoided any structural issues with his pitching arm. He had a 7.79 ERA in four September starts, so the fatigue could be something that's nagged at Melton for a little while. Even after the poor final month, Melton will finish with a 2.76 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 94:37 K:BB over 114.1 innings covering 20 starts for the Tigers.

Finnegan had struggled in his last two outings Sunday and Monday. Both games were in Toronto, where he gave up four earned runs on six hits with one strikeout across 1.1 innings through the two games. The Tigers still have a slim chance at making the playoffs as of Thursday, but Finnegan's season is likely over. In a corresponding move, the Tigers recalled Ty Madden from Triple-A Toledo.

Perez suffered an orbital fracture and blurred vision back in June when he was struck in the face by an exercise band. He had to be pulled off a rehab assignment in August because his vision still wasn't back to normal, and it seems Perez will run out of time to return before the curtains close on the regular season.

Vierling initially landed on the IL on July 31 due to a left adductor strain. He then suffered a heel injury in late August, and the pair of issues will result in Vierling being ruled out for the remainder of the regular season. He could theoretically return for the playoffs, but that might be a moot point with Detroit currently 6.5 games back of a wild-card spot.

Vest had already been ruled out for the remainder of the 2026 season after previously undergoing elbow surgery to address a stress fracture. He's now looking at dual rehabs and is expected to be sidelined for several months. When available this season, the 31-year-old Vest recorded a 6.08 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 27:10 K:BB across 26.2 innings.

Horn has been on the injured list all season while working his way back from an arthroscopic procedure he underwent on his left elbow during the offseason. He was cleared to begin throwing in late May, but progress in his recovery has been slow, so he'll go under the knife once again to address the issue. He'll officially miss the entire 2026 campaign as a result, and the timing of his surgery makes it likely that he'll miss most, if not all, of the 2027 season as well.

Sweeney was sidelined with a shoulder strain during spring training and has experienced minimal improvement over the last four months despite receiving injections. He'll now undergo arthroscopic surgery and miss the entirety of the 2026 campaign. Sweeney has a career .202/.261/.313 slash line with 10 home runs, 49 RBI, 47 runs scored, five stolen bases and a 33:124 BB:K across 445 plate appearances over the previous two seasons.

It was feared that Olson would not be ready for Opening Day, but it turned out to be worse than that. Near the end of the 2025 season, there was a hope that he could return for the postseason after hitting the injured list in July, but that did not come to fruition either. Prior to the Tigers announcing Olson's surgery, they signed Framber Valdez on Feb. 4 and Justin Verlander earlier Tuesday. Troy Melton is also an option to find time in the rotation with both Olson and Jackson Jobe (elbow) out.