It is hot out here in the Desert

It is hot in the desert.

Real hot.

On August 20th, the Arizona Diamondbacks exited Target Field with their tails between their legs, having been outscored 27-8 in a three-game sweep.

Since then, they have lost twice.

The D-backs have gone 15-2 in their past 17 games and had won 13 straight before falling to San Diego Friday night. During this stretch, they've impressively gone 6-0 against a Dodgers team that looked unbeatable not so long ago.

J.D. Martinez powered Arizona to a 13-0 victory on Monday with four home runs, and he's now got 35 in 100 games. In that same contest, Robbie Ray – suddenly one of the National League's most dominant starters – fired 7 2/3 scoreless innings with 14 strikeouts. The Snakes have a ton of players going really well right now, and it appears they've avoided a serious setback with their biggest star.

Paul Goldschmidt hasn't played since last Saturday due to an ailing right elbow, and the issue was considered serious enough to merit an MRI this week, but the scan came back clean. Manager Torey Lovullo is taking it easy with the first baseman it seems likely he'll return Saturday or Sunday.

The Diamondbacks won't unseat the Dodgers in the AL West, but they're certainly shaping up as an imposing postseason matchup.

* The only team hotter than Arizona? That would be the Cleveland Indians, riding a 16-game winning streak into the weekend. Their successful week was highlighted by brilliant outings from Corey Kluber (13 strikeouts in a win over the White Sox on Thursday), Carlos Carrasco (came just short of a shutout on Tuesday) and Mike Clevinger (delivered his third consecutive scoreless outing on Thursday). On top of all that, it sounds like Andrew Miller and Jason Kipnis are close to returning; both worked out on the field Friday.

* Who will win the American League home run race? It's going to come down to the wire. Aaron Judge appeared to be a shoe-in throughout the first half, but his post-break slump lingers on; he's gone deep only nine times (with a .185 average) since winning the HR Derby in mid-July. Oakland's Khris Davis has taken advantage of the Judge's drought and overtook the league lead with No. 39 on Wednesday, though Judge moved back into a tie by homering the following day.

Justin Smoak (37), Joey Gallo (37), Mike Moustakas (36) and Logan Morrison (36) are all in the mix as well. Of course, no one's going to catch Giancarlo Stanton (53) for the MLB lead.

* After coughing up ninth-inning leads on Sunday and Tuesday, Blue Jays closer Roberto Osuna now has 10 blown saves on the season, most of anyone in baseball. Still, acting manager DeMarlo Hale insisted that the team has no plans to make a change, seemingly reflecting the leaning of John Gibbons who returned to the dugout Friday.

It's the right move for the Jays. They're out of the playoff race, buried at the bottom of the AL East, and might as well let the 22-year-old fight through these struggles. His peripherals are excellent, and there's a huge gulf between his 3.66 ERA and 1.83FIP. Fantasy owners should take the same route and stick with him.

* Meanwhile, it appears Aroldis Chapman's temporary banishment from closing duties has ended, with Joe Girardi indicating that he intends to move back to the fireballer in the ninth. Chapman has gotten back on track in his past five appearances and should be good to go the rest of the way.

* Last Friday, Kelvin Herrera came in to protect a three-run lead in Minnesota but allowed two runs to score and left the bases loaded with two outs before Scott Alexander came in and finished the job. Six days later, he made his next appearance, once again facing the Twins but this time at home. He once again struggled, coughing up three runs to blow the save and take the loss. Once again, he failed to complete his inning.

He pitched again the next night, Friday, but this time entered in the eighth and with Kansas City trailing. More of the same: he recorded one out and allowed two runs on two hits.

The usage confirmed Ned Yost's intention to move away from Herrera in the closer role. Given that the righty has been experiencing elbow soreness, it might be wise to just shut him down. Alexander and Brandon Maurer will take care of the ninth based on matchups going forward.

* In his debut as a Houston Astro on Tuesday, Justin Verlander looked great, picking up a win with six innings of one-run ball against the Mariners. He struck out six and walked one. Verlander has recorded a victory in six of his last eight starts and should have more to come with Houston's prodigious offense backing him.

* It had been more than 50 years since a New York Yankees starter recorded 200 strikeouts in a season before turning 24 – that is, until 23-year-old Luis Severino reached that milestone on Sunday with a 9-K effort against the Red Sox.

The right-hander has really turned the corner this year after a frustrating 2016 campaign that saw him register a 5.83 ERA in 22 appearances with the Yanks. The control is improved and the stuff is just nasty. He figures to be one of the top pitchers to come off the board next spring.

* Jake Arrieta came out of Monday's game after recording only seven outs due to a hamstring injury, but fortunately an MRI determined his strain to be of the Grade 1 (least severe) variety. It sounds like there's a good chance the Cubs righty will only miss one start, putting him in line to potentially return before next weekend.

* He missed almost the entire first half, and now Carlos Rodon is going to sit out most of September. He got an MRI on his problematic left shoulder this week, and while the good news is that only inflammation was revealed, the lefty is still being shut down. He finishes with a 4.15 ERA and 1.37 WHIP in his age 24 season. Maybe 2018 will be the year he finally fulfills his potential, which is plentiful.

* The strange late-season journey of Juan Nicasio continues: After going from the Pirates to the Phillies on waivers at the end of August, he was flipped to the Cardinals this week for an infield prospect. Nicasio is a nice add for the St. Louis bullpen but is unlikely to see any save chances, and won't be eligible for the postseason.

* Michael Conforto underwent shoulder surgery to repair a posterior capsule tear. That's a scary-sounding operation but the expectation is that he'll be fully recovered within six months, giving him plenty of time to be ready for Opening Day 2018. Hopefully there are no long-term negative effects because the outfielder enjoyed a breakout season, posting a .939 OPS and 27 homers in 109 games, and he's a critical piece of the Mets offense going forward.

* Byron Buxton, who's suddenly gone cold after a scorching August (0-for-18 in his last four games), admitted on Friday that his aching hand is holding him back at the plate. It's tough for fantasy owners to sit him given everything he can do with his legs, but that might be the right call until he gets right.