MLB Player News

With the season on the line, Milwaukee will turn to Montas as they find themselves down 1-0 in the series heading into Game 2 against the Mets. Teams that lose Game 1 are 0-8 in series since the current Wild Card format began in 2022.

It will be a battle of left-hander with Suárez up against Jose Quintana. Suárez was one of the best pitchers in baseball over the few couple of months of the season but predictably settled in as just a solid depth piece in the rotation. He finishes with a 3.46 ERA in 27 starts but gives the Phillies a solid option in a crucial Game 4.

With the Tigers throwing left-hander Tarik Skubal, the left-handed hitter Naylor will take a seat in favor of veteran Austin Hedges.

With Tyler Freeman sustaining an oblique injury, Martínez will be called up to take his place as a versatile bench option for the ALDS. The switch-hitter bated just .232/.298/.338 with three home runs and three steals in 43 games this season, but he can hit from both sides of the plate and play most positions around the field, which makes him a solid bench option for the Guardians.

Freeman finished the season in Triple-A, so it was a bit of a surprise that he made the ALDS roster over Angel Martínez; however, the injury will now rob him over the opportunity to play in a postseason game. Martínez will be added to take his place.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Senga “continues to feel good” after throwing two innings in Game 1, and the right-hander could throw three innings in Game 5 if the series gets there. Senga faced eight hitters over two innings on Saturday, striking out three and walking one. There was some rust, which is understandable considering he made just one start this season, but he looked pretty good considering how long he’s been out so that should fill the Mets with confidence.

Quintana threw six shutout innings for the Mets in the Wild Card round against the Brewers, and will look to keep that run of success going against the Phillies in Game 4, which would either be an opportunity for the Mets to advance or stave off elimination.

There had been some question of whether it would be Cobb or Joey Cantillo who would get the start after Gavin Williams said himself that he would be used out of the bullpen this series. Now we know it will be the 37-year-old veteran taking the ball. Cobb pitched just 16 1/3 innings this season for the Guardians after coming over in a deadline deal with the Giants; however, he has allowed just two runs on 13 hits in 11 2/3 career postseason innings while striking out 10 and walking three, so Vogt will turn to that experience over the rookie Cantillo.

With the Guardians throwing Matthew Boyd, the Tigers will sit most of their left-handed bats, including Carpenter, Colt Keith, and Zach McKinstry. Justyn-Henry Malloy will DH instead of Carpenter and hit lead-off, while Andy Ibanez will start at second base for Keith and bat third, and Wenceel Perez will start in right field and bat fifth.

Painter is the Phillies’ top pitching prospect and was sidelined for all of 2024 after undergoing Tommy John surgery last July. He was recently getting rave reviews for his work in bullpen sessions at the end of the season and will now get a chance to face live hitters in game situations during the Arizona Fall League. Given his age and the fact that he missed all of this season, the Phillies are not going to rush him to the big leagues; however, a strong showing in the AFL and a clean bill of health heading into 2025 could put Painter on the map for a mid-season call-up to Philadelphia.

Francona was reported as Reds manager back on October 3rd but we now have the details of the contract, and the move became official with a press conference on Monday. The 65-year-old Francona stepped down as Guardians manager after the 2023 season but returns to the dugout after missing just one year. He has a 1950-1672 career record while managing just three teams over a 23-year career, which is a nice change for the Reds since they went .409-.456 in six years with David Bell as manager and never finished above third-place in the NL Central.