MLB Player News

With Dean Kremer (triceps) heading to the injured list on Friday, Tate will get another opportunity to work out of the O’s bullpen. The 30-year-old hurler has been terrific in 11 appearances with the Orioles this season, compiling a 2.84 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and a 6/6 K/BB ratio over 12 2/3 innings of work.

Rojas has a torn adductor muscle and he’ll need surgery in the offseason, but he’ll be able to play through it through the postseason.

This explains why Kelly is not on the roster for the series against the NLDS against the Padres. The right-hander will be eligible to return in the coming playoff series, but Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters that he wouldn’t be available until the World Series, if the Dodgers were able to advance.

Roberts said he was still hopeful that Freeman would be able to play Saturday in Game 1 of the NLDS against the Padres, but “not as hopeful as yesterday.” The 35-year-old first baseman is trying to come back from a sprain that typically sidelines a player for 4-to-6 weeks. The Dodgers lineup is expected out soon, and there’s no guarantee Freeman will be in it against San Diego.

The Guardians got all of those runs before an out was even recorded, with Thomas homering as the first batter off Reese Olsen after opener Tyler Holton was pulled. The Guardians were pretty quiet the rest of the way, but it never did turn into a contest, as Cleveland was just fine using its best relievers in advance of Sunday’s off day. Game 2 will come Monday and feature a Tarik Skubal-Matthew Boyd matchup that would seem to favor Detroit.

That means no win for Bibee, even though he hardly seemed stressed in throwing 75 pitches and striking out six with one walk. Instead, the win went to Cade Smith, who got four outs in the fifth and sixth innings. Bibee should be back to pitch on four days’ rest in Game 4 if necessary.

Unfortunately, that one run came on a three-run homer from Lane Thomas that put the Guardians up 5-0 in the first. Olsen, though, did a great job afterwards, allowing just two more hits and striking out four. The showing might get him a start if the series goes to a fourth game.

The Guardians actually went the entire final month of the season without facing a lefty, and Fry’s start today was his first since Sept. 18. He got the nod even though the lefty was only an opener, and fortunately, he remained in after singling off Holton in the first and later had a two-run double off Ty Madden, producing Cleveland’s only runs after the first inning. The Guardians did pinch-hit for him in the eighth, but that was mostly about letting Kyle Manzardo get his feet wet. Fry will almost surely get another start over Manzardo on Monday against Tarik Skubal.

Sweeney has opened the postseason 1-for-10 after finishing the regular season 1-for-17 in his final five games. The Tigers don’t really have anyone else they want to use at shortstop, but they could try for more offense by putting Zach McKinstry there and using Matt Vierling at third and Wenceel Pérez in the outfield. McKinstry’s just as cold as Sweeney, though.

Hunter Renfroe got the nod over Pham against the Orioles’ Zach Eflin. Today’s lineup is the same the Royals used in the opener against Baltimore: 2B Michael Massey, SS Bobby Witt Jr., DH Vinnie Pasquantino, C Salvador Perez, 1B Yuli Gurriel, LF MJ Melendez, RF Pham, CF Kyle Isbel, 3B Maikel Garcia.

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.