Houck (elbow) threw a sim game in Florida

Murakami had an awful day at the plate, and that included a strikeout with the bases loaded in one of the very few chances the White Sox created any sort of chaos. The 26-year-old’s swing-and-miss was readily apparent throughout the season — that’s really an understatement — but so was his power with 35 homers in his 127 games. The average will always be an issue, but Murakami’s power, potential to drive in runs and draw walks will make him relevant in leagues for the next few years at least.

Smith, 27, struck out four, as the White Sox whiffed a whopping 21 times in the game. The right-hander allowed one run in his six innings in the series, and this was his first save of the postseason. He’ll get the opportunities — assuming they arise, of course — in the ALCS against the Rays beginning Monday.

Ramírez golfed a pitch well below his ankles out of the park for a two-run shot that gave Cleveland a 2-0 lead in the fifth inning. That pitch was just 0.74 feet off the ground, which is the lowest in the history of the tracking era (2008). That’s the second homer of the postseason for Ramírez, and it’s a great reminder of how incredible the 34-year-old has been after his worst regular season due to injuries and lackluster — comparatively, in particular — results when on the field. He’ll now have a chance to reach the World Series for a second time if they can get pat the Rays in the ALCS, with that series beginning Monday.

Burke blanked the Guardians over the first three innings, but after a base hit by Steven Kwan, José Ramírez was able to almost literally golf out a two-run homer near his feet to give Cleveland the 2-0 cushion. It’s a disappointing end — even if it’s mostly not his fault — to a breakout season for the White Sox, and Burke was a large part of that with a 3.34 ERA and 185 strikeouts as a 26-year-old in 2026. He’ll pitch near the top of the Chicago rotation to open 2027, assuming unforeseeable changes.

Doyle gets the nod over Braden Montgomery, who has gone just 1-for-19 thus far in his playoff at-bats. The full lineup as the White Sox try not to blow a 2-0 lead and advance to the ALCS against the Rays: 1. Sam Antonacci LF, 2. Kyle Teel C, 3. Miguel Vargas 3B, 4. Munetaka Murakami 1B, 5. Andrew Benintendi DH, 6. Tristan Peters RF, 7. Chase Meidroth 2B, 8. Colson Montgomery SS and Doyle in center behind Sean Burke on the mound.

Halpin will get his first start of the postseason as the Guardians look to complete the 2-0 comeback. Angel Martinez will begin Saturday’s win-or-go-home contest on the bench, but seems likely to be involved at some point. The full lineup against Sean Burke in Game 5: 1. LF Steven Kwan 2. 3B José Ramírez 3. RF Chase DeLauter 4. DH Jo Adell 5. 1B Nathaniel Lowe 6. 2B Travis Bazzana 7. C Patrick Bailey 8. CF Halpin and Brayan Rocchio at shortstop with Gavin Williams on the mound.

Misiorowski will square off against Dodgers trade deadline acquisition Tarik Skubal, who was reportedly pursued by the Brewers prior to the deal with Los Angeles, to kick off the best-of-seven opener in Milwaukee. Logan Henderson will start Game 2, and the plan is for Robert Gasser to get the nod in Game 3. There are plenty of narratives here, but the most compelling to monitor is whether Misiorowski can go shut down Los Angeles’ star-studded lineup multiple times to help lead the Brewers to the Fall Classic for the first time since 1982. The hard-throwing 24-year-old allowed two runs over four innings during his playoff debut against the Padres last weekend.

Fuld, who is currently Philadelphia’s president of business operations, has withdrawn his name from consideration. The 44-year-old former big leaguer, who wound up finishing his playing career with the Athletics in 2015, was viewed as one of the front-runners for the vacancy. Passan adds that Red Sox assistant general manager Taylor Smith is one of the top candidates for the role.

The Laser Eye Center of Miami shared the news on Instagram that Guerrero underwent successful laser eye surgery to correct his vision. It’s notable that Guerrero’s offseason procedure comes on the heels of a disastrous campaign where he batted .260/.332/.356 with 72 runs scored, nine home runs, 57 RBI and seven steals in 609 plate appearances over 144 games. He swung at more pitches outside of the strike zone and walked much less often than previous years. The 27-year-old first baseman represents a logical rebound candidate for fantasy purposes heading into next season based on the fact that he remains in his physical prime and boasts an extensive track record of elite offensive production. He’s going to be a borderline top-100 pick in most fantasy drafts next spring.

The biggest name in the entire fall showcase circuit, Walcott finished last season with a cup of coffee at Triple-A Round Rock after slashing .322/.398/.586 with nine homers and 11 steals in 171 plate appearances for Double-A Frisco. The 20-year-old prodigy added some additional muscle while recovering from elbow surgery back in the spring and has looked like one of the top prospects in baseball again. He’s a long shot to break camp in the majors next spring, but he figures to arrive as Texas’ shortstop of the future by midseason.