MLB Player News

It certainly sounds like Leclerc is the front-runner for saves this season in Texas, but Young added that the Rangers have a number of pitchers with closing experience, specifically citing Jonathan Hernández, Ian Kennedy, Brett Martin and even Brock Burke as potential ninth-inning options. Leclerc should be considered the favorite for early-season saves, but he’s had control issues in the past, which could open the door for someone else to step into the role. It’s a situation worth monitoring closely at the outset of the 2023 season.

As of now, the plan is for the Brewers to “re-evaluate him for mound readiness at the end of September.” While it’s great that Woodruff is building back up, the fact that he is not pitching off a mound and won’t even be evaluated until the end of the month makes it seem unlikely he will pitch meaningful innings this postseason. Perhaps if the Brewers are able to advance, he could give them some innings out of the bullpen or as an opener, but it remains to be seen how effective he will even be.

Rodríguez is recovering from Tommy John surgery performed last September. He has apparently done well with his rehab and should be 100 percent for the start of the 2027 season, so the Giants want to get him some live innings over the fall and winter. There is a chance he could be the team’s closer next season.

Oviedo has been on the 60-day injured list since March with a right elbow strain but has been inching closer to a return. His start on Thursday will be as an opener for John Holobetz, so Oviedo is unlikely to pitch more than one inning, but he does have a few weeks to present himself as a potential bullpen option for the Red Sox in the playoffs.

Ritchie will come up to take Reynaldo Lopez’s spot on the roster and likely start on Wednesday against the Cubs. Ritchie has a 4.50 ERA and a 53/36 K/BB ratio across 58 innings with the Braves this season and would not be a recommended streaming option for this one.

This move was reported overnight and is now official. López had shoulder surgery previously, which cost him most of the 2025 season, so we’ll have to wait and see whether this discomfort he’s feeling will lead to another surgery. As of now, it’s hard to count on López helping the Braves much in October.

López gave up five runs in just three innings against the Cubs. With Bryce Elder also down and A.J. Smith-Shawver getting sent to the pen, the Braves are running low on starters. López, though, seemed like he was going to be more of a bullpen option in October anyway.

Carroll’s homer off Jack Ralston barely stayed fair down the right field line. He also had an RBI single on a blooper to left in the fifth. It was a nice way to shake off a rough start to the month that had seen him go 5-for-33 with a 14/0 K/BB in his last nine games. A loss tonight would have been devastating to Arizona’s postseason chances with the Padres winning. As is, the D-backs are 2 1/2 games behind San Diego, 3 1/2 games behind the Phillies and four games behind the Cubs with 11 to play. They’ll have to overtake one of the three in order to secure a berth.

Making his second start since Tommy John, Burnes allowed three runs in the second and then back-to-back homers to Jakob Marsee and Javier Sanoja in the fourth before eventually departing down 5-4. His cutter was a pretty steady 93 mph early in the game, but it fell off to 91.5 mph in the fourth and fifth. If the regular season were extended by a month, Burnes might be a viable mixed-league starter in October, but the only way we’d know for sure is if the D-backs advance. Burnes should face the Yankees on Sunday.

Morillo kept Arizona’s deficit at one in the top of the ninth and was credited with the win after Corbin Carroll’s walkoff homer. Morillo blew his last save chance Tuesday, but that’s really been his only misstep in months. He has a 2.28 ERA in 59 1/3 innings, and while the D-backs don’t have a closer, he’s probably the team’s best bet for saves the rest of the way.

Alcantara outpitched Corbin Burnes and left with a one-run lead that later increased to three runs, but Arizona was able to come back from there. This makes four straight starts in which Alcantara has given up at least four runs, taking his ERA from 3.38 to 3.86. At least he did rebound some with six strikeouts tonight, matching his total from his three previous starts combined. He’ll face the Padres next.