MLB Player News

It looks to be another routine night off for the 29-year-old outfielder. Even with a right-hander on the hill, Verdugo will take a seat for the Braves in favor of Eli White. Verdugo’s usefulness from a fantasy perspective, even in the deepest of leagues, will likely come to an end when Jurickson Profar returns from his suspension on July 2.

The A’s are prepping for their pending move to Las Vegas and looking for someone to guide the ship when they open their indoor stadium in 2028. So far, Ken Rosenthal and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reported that Philadelphia Phillies president of business operations Sam Fuld and Chicago Cubs assistant general manager Jared Banner are among the names being discussed. There are additional reports that Milwaukee Brewers assistant general manager Matt Kleine and Boston Red Sox assistant general manager Taylor Smith are also involved in the process, but it appears Falvey has taken himself out of consideration. A decision is expected to be made this week.

What makes this interesting is that the Guardians are starting right-hander Daniel Espino as the opener for left-hander Foster Griffin. Antonacci usually doesn’t play against lefties, and his being the DH means that the White Sox have more flexibility to pinch-hit for him. There’s a chance that he gets his at-bat in the first inning and then, when his spot in the order comes up again, he could be replaced by Tommy Pham or Brenton Doyle, both of whom started in Game 1, to hit against the left-handed Griffin.

The Guardians are starting Daniel Espino as an opener, but Foster Griffin, who is a left-handed pitcher, will follow him, so the White Sox will bench the left-handed-hitting Benintendi for Randal Grichuk. Chase Meidroth will move up in the batting order and hit fifth, while Grichuk starts in left field and bats eighth, which makes it likely his first at-bat will not be against the right-handed Espino.

Buehler posted a 4.63 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, and 131/57 K/BB ratio in 153 2/3 innings for the Padres this season. He was better in the second half, registering a 3.62 ERA across 64 2/3 innings, and he has a good track record of postseason success with a 3.04 ERA and nearly 30 percent strikeout rate in 94 2/3 innings. The Padres will hope for another postseason gem from the 32-year-old.

Contreras got the Brewers on the board with a shot off Nick Pivetta in the fourth inning. The 28-year-old also drew a walk in the ninth inning, but the Brew Crew were unable to score and picked up their first postseason loss. Contreras has homered twice in this series with a slash of .364/.462/.909 over the first three games.

Cronenworth went deep off left-hander JoJo Romero to give San Diego a 3-2 lead in the must-win game. The 32-year-old also singled and is now hitting .200/.250/.400 in the postseason. He’ll have a chance to help San Diego stave off elimination again in Game 4 against the Brewers on Wednesday.

With no Mason Miller and still no Adrian Morejon, the Padres were limited in options for the final few frames, and they turned to their Game 1 starter. The right-hander issued a pair of walks in the bottom of the ninth with one out, but a terrific play by Xander Bogaerts turned into a double play, and the Padres stay alive for at least one more game. Game 4 will take place in San Diego on Wednesday, and while King won’t be available for that game — one would think, anyway — he should be a multi-inning option for Game 5, should it come.

Pivetta allowed five hits, and one of them was a homer from William Contreras. The veteran right-hander was able to strike out five four without issuing a walk in a solid — if unspectacular — start that helps the Padres stay alive for at least one more day. Pivetta won’t be available for Game 4 come Wednesday, but likely could give San Diego an inning or two in Game 5 come Friday, if necessary.

May struggled to locate in his three innings, and while he was able to keep the Padres off the board in the first two frames, he gave up a pair in the third in a less-than-spectacular outing for the 29-year-old. He walked a pair while allowing three hits, and threw just 27-of-52 pitches for strikes. May would likely be available to pitch in Game 5 if necessary.

Nightengale attributes the info to a high-ranking Phillies executive. Cora is still getting paid by the Red Sox for one more year, so another season with the fam sounds like a good idea. It was reported that Cora previously turned down the Phillies in late April after he was fired by Boston, causing the Phillies to go with Don Mattingly as Rob Thomson’s replacement this year. Cora and Phillies president Dave Dombrowski previously worked together in Boston and won a World Series in 2018.