MLB Player News

Manzardo got the best of Braves starter Bryce Elder in the fourth inning, taking the first pitch he saw 468 feet to right field for his first homer of the season to tie the game at 1-1. It would be the only hit of the night for Manzardo, who entered the day hitting .086 and is still hoping to tap back into the form he saw last season when he hit 27 homers and drove in 70 runs. Manzardo’s struggles date back to spring training when he slashed .182/.237/.345 in 59 plate appearances, making him hard to trust until things begin to turn around.

Garcia sat out Game 1 against left-hander Payton Tolle, but will be in the lineup with Sonny Gray on the hill. Jazz Chisholm will also start at second base and bat sixth, and Trent Grisham will play center field and bat seventh. George Lombard Jr. will be the only right-handed hitter in the lineup, but there could be plenty of turnover if the Red Sox go to a left-handed reliever out of the bullpen.

This always seemed likely after the 22-year-old reaggravated a hand injury on a check swing on Sunday and then further hurt it in Game 1 on Tuesday. Nate Eaton will start in left field and bat ninth against left-hander Max Fried, but now the bigger question will be whether or not the Red Sox request permission to replace Anthony on their roster for the postseason.

In the final week of the regular season, Varsho admitted that he might need offseason surgery, and that was indeed the case. The 30-year-old hit .221/.281/.355 with 12 home runs, 12 steals, and a career-low 20.3 percent strikeout rate. He’ll be a free agent in the off-season, and it will be really interesting to see what kind of contract he can get, keeping in mind his clear defensive value.

According to the Texas Orthopedic and Spine Associates website, the procedure removed damaged tissue from the triangular fibrocartilage complex in the wrist. Holliday will be able to begin his rehab in a few weeks, and he should be good to go for spring training.

The White Sox are running back the same lineup that scored six runs in a Game 1 win, which makes total sense. Meidroth, who had missed the last three games of the regular season with left hamstring discomfort, went 2-for-4 in that game with a run and an RBI. Colson Montgomery, who homered in Game 1, will continue to hit behind him in the ninth spot.

The 32-year-old Rees, a former Blue Jays prospect, got a little attention back in 2019 after posting a crazy 0.73 ERA and an 88/15 K/BB in 61 2/3 innings in A-ball. He topped out in Triple-A with the Jays, but he will get another look from a major league team next spring after spending two years in indy ball and 2026 in Mexico.

Ogando, 26, joined the Orioles organization in 2025 after seven years with the D-backs and a 2024 spent in indy ball. He had a 4.89 ERA and a 61/37 K/BB in 49 2/3 innings out of the pen between Double- and Triple-A this year.

Thomas has been sidelined since September 10th with oblique tightness and just began hitting off a tee on September 22nd. This live batting practice session gives him a good shot to be active for the NL Divisional round, where he would likely serve as a pinch hitter and starter against left-handed pitching.

Anthony left Tuesday’s game in the 6th inning after he reaggravated a hand injury that cost him three months earlier this season. What’s more troubling is that Alex Speier of the Boston Globe reported that the “issue predated the game” and that Andruw Monasterio “said he was notified prior to the game that he might have to replace Anthony due to the discomfort in his hand.” Red Sox manager Chad Tracy also said after the game that Anthony had been feeling some discomfort in the month since he returned from the injured list. All signs point to the 22-year-old no longer being an option for Boston this postseason. According to MLB rules, “A club may request permission from the Commissioner’s Office to replace a player who is injured during the course of a series, but that player is then ineligible for the rest of that round and the subsequent round.” The Red Sox may have to decide on that shortly.

Marsh sat out Game 1 with the Braves throwing left-hander Chris Sale, but he’ll be back in against Tyler Mahle. Marsh hit a career-high 18 home runs this season while stealing 11 bases and posting a .260/.304/.408 slash line.