MLB Player News

Manager Gabe Kapler said Tuesday it's "the dream scenario" for Belt (thumb) to be ready in time for the National League Championship Series, Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic reports.

Belt landed on the injured list last week after suffering a fractured left thumb, and he'll be sidelined for at least the NLDS. It was reported the injury is expected to require about four weeks to heal, though the team is still holding out hope the 33-year-old will return ahead of that timeline. Darin Ruf and LaMonte Wade should see action at first base in the meantime for the Giants.

Martinez (ankle) is not on the Red Sox's wild-card roster, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

Martinez left Sunday's regular-season finale against the Nationals with a left ankle sprain, an issue which is evidently serious enough to prevent him from serving even in a designated hitter role just two days later. Whether or not Martinez has a chance to be active for the ALDS should Boston advance remains to be seen.

Harper went 1-for-1 with a double and a walk Sunday in the Phillies' 5-4 loss to the Marlins.

Harper and the Phillies' rough series in Atlanta earlier this week eliminated the team from the playoff race, but the 28-year-old outfielder at least had a productive weekend to wrap up the season, going 5-for-10 with a home run and two doubles over the three games in Miami. The 2015 National League MVP should find himself as one of the frontrunners for the award once again this year, after he concluded the campaign with an MLB-best 1.044 OPS to go with 35 home runs, 101 runs, 84 RBI and 13 stolen bases.

Torrens went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored in Sunday's 7-6 loss to the Angels.

Torrens doubled off Reid Detmers to lead off the second inning. He scored later in that inning and in the sixth frame. He batted .308 over his final six games, with three runs scored. The 25-year-old finished the season with a .243/.299/.431 slash line, including 15 long balls, 47 RBI and 39 runs scored in 378 plate appearances.

Soler went 1-for-3 with a home run, an additional run scored and a walk in Sunday's win over the Mets.

Soler, who sat the first two games of the series, went yard off Noah Syndergaard on Sunday and is ending the regular season on a strong note, hitting safely in each of his last six games. The slugging outfielder, who ends the regular season hitting a mere .223 with 27 homers across 149 games, looked better toward the end of the season and posted a .274 average across 106 at-bats since the beginning of September onward.

Ohtani went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and two walks in Sunday's 7-6 win over the Mariners.

Ohtani took Tyler Anderson deep in the first inning, putting the Angels on the board right away. He only had two long balls in his last 21 games, but he finished with 46 home runs. The 26-year-old finished the season with a .257/.372/.592 slash line, including 46 home runs, 100 RBI, 103 runs and 26 steals in 639 plate appearances.

Buxton went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer, a double and two runs in Sunday's 7-3 win over the Royals.

Buxton's hot streak continued Sunday, as he closed out the season with extra-base hits in each of the final four games of the year. During that time, he went 9-for-19 with three home runs, five doubles, eight runs and four RBI. The 27-year-old missed significant time due to injuries in 2021 but slashed .306/.358/.647 with 19 homers, 50 runs, 32 RBI and nine stolen bases across 61 appearances.

McCutchen went 1-for-2 with a two-run home run in Sunday's 5-4 loss to the Marlins.

McCutchen knotted the score at 3-3 with his 27th long ball of the season in the third inning and second in the last three games. The 34-year-old concludes a respectable 2021 campaign with a .222/.334/.444 slash line, 27 home runs, 78 runs and 80 RBI in 145 games.

Manager Alex Cora said after Sunday's game that he isn't sure whether Martinez (ankle) will be available for Tuesday's AL Wild Card Game against the Yankees, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

Martinez sustained a sprained ankle while running to the outfield in Sunday's win over the Nationals, and he was replaced by a pinch hitter in the top of the sixth inning. The 34-year-old will be evaluated Monday to determine his status for Tuesday's winner-take-all contest.

Martinez exited Sunday's game against Washington with a left ankle sprain, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

Martinez was replaced by a pinch hitter in the top of the sixth inning after he went 0-for-1 with a strikeout to begin the game. Whether the 34-year-old will be available for a potential Game 163 or AL Wild Card Game remains to be seen.