MLB Player News

Young hasn’t pitched this spring due to elbow pain and went back to Cincinnati last weekend to determine whether he’ll require Tommy John surgery. The 31-year-old lefty was in camp as a non-roster invitee. With stopper Alexis Díaz dealing with mechanical issues after battling a knee issue in camp, his absence definitely hurts the Reds’ middle relief depth.

Anthony Volpe is starting at second base in the first game. Chisholm’s return from his sprained thumb presumably will knock Max Schuemann off the Yankees roster.

It’s Santillan’s second IL stint of the year, as he missed mostly of July and August with an oblique strain.
With his velocity down about two mph from the previous couple of seasons,

the 29-year-old Santillan concludes the year with a 6.42 ERA in 40 2/3 innings. That would seem to make him a non-tender candidate this winter.

Phillips has a 5.53 ERA in 27 2/3 innings for the Reds this year, mostly because he’s walked 28 batters. He’ll be used in middle relief.

Boone clarified that the team wouldn’t rule out the possibility that Judge plays, but he did mention that Judge got a PPP injection for his calf and will have no activity for the next few days after the injection. Boone confirmed that Judge has a “moderate” strain in the calf, but also said that the designation doesn’t matter. If Judge feels that he is able to play, then he will play. We may not know his availability for a Wild Card series until right before the series starts.

Williamson was just activated from the injured list on Sunday after missing over a month with a hamstring injury. Perhaps that is connected to his removal from the starting lineup on Tuesday, so we’ll keep an eye on that. Jorge Mateo will now start at shortstop against Carlos Rodon and the Yankees in Game 1.

Turns out, all you have to do to get a full-time title is take a team that was 14 games under .500 in June and lead them to the playoffs. Tracy’s contract will cover the next three seasons with a club option for 2030. He will be the 49th manager in Red Sox history and certainly earned the job with his performance this season.

Mullins has not started against any of the last five left-handed pitchers the Rays have faced, and they will face Carlos Rodon and Max Fried on Tuesday, which means it’s unlikely that Mullins starts either game. Jonny DeLuca should continue to take his place in center field, but it’s interesting to note that both Chandler Simpson and Victor Mesa Jr. are in the lineup on Tuesday and have started against the last three lefties. They may both be emerging as full-time players for the Rays.

This is now the third straight game that McMahon has been on the bench. Jose Caballero is starting at third base, as he has in the last two games. McMahon may start in the second game of the doubleheader, but it would be safe to say that he has lost the primary share of the third base job to Caballero.

Eflin left his start on March 31st with an injury and then underwent Tommy John surgery on April 8th. Eflin said, “Probably ever since about four or five weeks after surgery, I felt really, really good. I’ve reached all the milestones that I needed to.” He is going to start throwing in the next week or two, which should allow him to be ready close to the start of the season. The usual recovery timeline for Tommy John surgery is about a calendar year, which means Eflin could be ready to go in April of 2027, but it remains to be seen where he will pitch since it’s unlikely the Orioles will pick up his $25 million mutual option.

Gilbert seemed overmatched in his major league debut last season, but he’s more than held his own in hitting .237/.327/.396 with 11 homers in 384 plate appearances this year. It’s hard to see much upside beyond this unless he gains some bat speed, but he should remain in the Giants’ outfield plans for next year.