MLB Player News

Tellez will sit for the first game of the AL Wild Card Round against the Rays on Tuesday.

Tellez is evidently far enough along in his recovery from a knee strain that he was able to make the postseason roster but not far enough along that he'll be able to start the first game of the series, though it's worth noting the Rays are starting lefty Blake Snell in Game 1. Whether or not Tellez is able to start future games remains to be seen. Alejandro Kirk will be the designated hitter Tuesday.

The Twins selected Kirilloff's contract Tuesday ahead of Game 1 of the team's wild-card series with the Astros.

Minnesota designated pitcher Sean Poppen for assignment to clear room on the 40-man roster and the active roster for Kirilloff, one of the organization's top prospects. He'll be on the bench for Game 1, but Kirilloff could get the chance to make his first MLB start at some point during the postseason if any members of the Twins' regular outfield (Max Kepler, Byron Buxton and Eddie Rosario) are forced to miss time.

Diaz is not in the lineup for Game 1 of the Wild Card Round against the Blue Jays on Tuesday, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

Diaz made the postseason roster despite missing all of September with a hamstring issue. It's not clear whether the injury is still lingering and forcing him into a bench role or if the Rays simply prefer Joey Wendle at third base against righties like White Sox starter Lucas Giolito.

Tellez (knee) will be part of the Blue Jays' roster for their AL Wild Card Series against the Rays.

Tellez has missed three weeks with a strained knee but is evidently ready to return. Whether or not he's ready to start right away remains to be seen. He was quite a useful player for Toronto prior to the injury, hitting .283/.346/.540 in 35 games.

Diaz (hamstring) will be on the Rays' playoff roster, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Diaz missed all of September with a hamstring injury, but he's been working out and participating in simulated games over the past week and is now ready to go. He started the majority of the Rays' games prior to the injury and will likely fill a fairly significant role during the postseason.

The Twins are expected to add Kirilloff to their postseason roster Tuesday ahead of Game 1 of the team's wild-card series with the Astros, Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com reports.

With the statuses of third baseman Josh Donaldson (calf) and outfielder Byron Buxton (concussion) uncertain for the three-game series, the Twins will promote one of their top hitting prospects to help fill the void. If Donaldson can't start Tuesday, Marwin Gonzalez would likely fill in for him at the hot corner, leaving a spot open for Kirilloff in the outfield in the event Buxton is also sidelined. Due to the cancellation of the 2020 minor-league season, Kirilloff's only competitive at-bats have come in simulated games at the Twins' alternate training site, but the 22-year-old is regarded as an advanced hitter from the left side. He spent the 2019 campaign at Double-A Pensacola, slashing .283/.343/.413 while striking out at a respectable 18.5 percent rate.

Santana went 3-for-3 with a homer, four RBI, three runs scored and a walk in Sunday's 8-6 win over the Pirates.

Santana got Cleveland on the board with a two-run homer in the third inning. He scored again on a Franmil Reyes blast in the sixth. Santana then added a two-RBI double in the seventh before scoring a third time on Reyes' sacrifice fly. The strong finale left Santana with a .199/.349/.350 slash line, eight homers, 30 RBI and 34 runs scored in 60 games this season.

Tellez (knee) ran the bases during a workout Saturday and took live batting practice Sunday, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Tellez still appears unlikely to be ready to go for the Blue Jays' wild-card series next week, but based on his activity this weekend, he looks like he may be an option for the divisional-round series, should Toronto qualify. The 25-year-old concluded the regular season with a .283 average to go with eight home runs and 23 RBI over 35 games before he was shut down earlier this month with a right knee strain.

Voit went 1-for-5 with a three-run home run in Saturday's win over the Marlins.

Voit got ahold of a Nick Vincent cutter in the sixth inning, driving it over the right-field wall for a three-run blast. The homer extended Voit's major-league home run lead heading into the final day of the regular season. His 22 long balls are three more than the 19 hit by Jose Abreu, who ranks second in the category.

Abreu went 2-for-5 with a double and three RBI in Saturday's 9-5 win over the Cubs.

Abreu finished off a five-run, fourth-inning rally with a three-run double to give the White Sox the lead and bring them back from an early deficit. The three RBI give Abreu 60 through 59 games and assures him of an RBI-per-game pace for the shortened season.