MLB Player News

With Jed Lowrie and Kevin Smith returning from the injured list on Friday, the A’s needed to free up some roster space and it looks like Castellani drew the short straw. The 26-year-old hurler did a nice job during his time with the big league club, firing 2 2/3 scoreless innings with a 0.75 WHIP and 1/0 K/BB ratio. He should get another opportunity in Oakland in relatively short order.

Verdugo over Jasson Domínguez was expected, but Cabrera over Ben Rice is a surprise. Cabrera didn’t play much in September, going 6-for-25 during the final month of the season. He made five starts at first base over the course of the year. The Yankees lineup: 2B Gleyber Torres, RF Juan Soto, CF Aaron Judge, C Austin Wells, DH Giancarlo Stanton, 3B Jazz Chisholm Jr., SS Anthony Volpe, 1B Cabrera, LF Verdugo.

The Dodgers are carrying 13 pitches, so Grove gets a spot despite finishing the year in the minors. Henriquez, 22, also makes the team after only three career major league relief appearances. Both were picked over Joe Kelly, who allowed one run in four innings after coming off the IL last month. With just 13 hitters on the roster, Kevin Kiermaier loses out.

Pérez was probably going to be added anyway, but it became a certainty when Joe Musgrove went down; he’ll be the team’s fourth starter for the remainder of the postseason. Jacob is taking Nick Ahmed’s spot, giving the Padres an even 13/13 split of pitchers and position players.

If McNeil’s broken wrist responds well, he could be an option in the NLCS. He’s currently four weeks into his recovery after being hit by a pitch.

Martinez should be back in the lineup for Game 2, as the Phillies will throw a lefty then. However, the Mets prefer Winker versus righties at the moment. Today’s lineup is the same one they used in Game 3 against the Brewers: SS Francisco Lindor, 3B Mark Vientos, LF Brandon Nimmo, 1B Pete Alonso, 2B Jose Iglesias, DH Winker, RF Starling Marte, CF Tyrone Taylor, C Francisco Alvarez.

Marcus Stroman and Mark Leiter Jr. are absent, as the Yankees have chosen to go with 11 pitches. That opens up an extra spot on offense for Duke Ellis to serve as a pinch-runner. Ben Rice is also on the roster in place of Anthony Rizzo. DJ LeMahieu was not activated.

Megill was one of the possibilities to start Game 1, and he could pitch in relief today, though David Peterson might be first in line there. Huascar Brazoban and Max Kranick have lost their spots. The Mets made no changes with their position players.

Everything is pretty much as expected here, as Kolby Allard got the last spot on the 12-man pitching staff. The Phillies would have loved to have gotten Spencer Turnbull back, but that’s not happening yet. Walker isn’t in the Phillies’ postseason plans after giving up 15 earned runs and striking out just six in 13 innings last month.

The Tigers are using the same lineup they did Wednesday against the Astros. That means McKinstry at third, even though Matt Vierling was getting most of the playing time there at the end of the regular season. Vierling is again starting in right over Wenceel Pérez. The lineup: CF Parker Meadows, DH Kerry Carpenter, RF Vierling, LF Riley Greene, 2B Colt Keith, 1B Spencer Torkelson, 3B McKinstry, SS Trey Sweeney, C Jake Rogers.

The Guardians are also using David Fry over Kyle Manzardo against the lefty opener Tyler Holton. Brennan and Manzardo might make early appearances once the Tigers switch to a righty, though. The lineup: LF Steven Kwan, DH Fry, 3B José Ramírez, 1B Josh Naylor, CF Lane Thomas, 2B Andrés Giménez, RF Noel, C Bo Naylor, SS Brayan Rocchio.