Ferguson threw two perfect innings, striking out two and earning a hold in Tuesday's 5-1 victory over the Astros.

Ferguson was sharp, retiring all six batters he faced in his first two-inning outing since May 21. The right-hander has been solid in September, posting a 2.89 ERA and 0.75 WHIP across eight appearances and 9.1 innings. His season line of a 4.79 ERA and 1.33 WHIP in 54 outings and 56.1 innings looks rougher, but those numbers are heavily skewed by two blowup appearances on May 14 and June 18, when Ferguson allowed a total of 11 runs.

Ellard will be the White Sox's opening pitcher in Wednesday's game against the Yankees, Brooke Fletcher of Chicago Sports Network reports.

Ellard has gone more than one inning in just four of 16 appearances this season, so it will be a true opener assignment for the lefty. Tyler Alexander and Wikelman Gonzalez should be available to cover multiple innings out of Chicago's bullpen.

Sands tossed a perfect ninth frame to earn a save Tuesday over the Rangers.

Sands needed just nine pitches to retire the side for his third save of the season and his first since May 16. Sands had blown his previous two save opportunities and Tuesday marked only his second scoreless outing in his last seven appearances. Saves are far and few between for the Twins, but it seems Sands is in the mix for more in the final week along with Kody Funderburk.

Munoz picked up the save Tuesday against the Rockies, striking out two over a perfect inning.

Munoz carved through the Rockies in the ninth inning, notching two strikeouts to preserve a Mariners win and clinch a postseason berth. The hard-throwing righty has been dominant all season, logging a 1.47 ERA and 0.99 WHIP across 61.1 innings. His 38 saves rank third in the majors, behind only Robert Suarez and Carlos Estevez.

Aldegheri (0-1) took the loss Tuesday, allowing three runs on seven hits and two walks over 4.2 innings against the Royals. He struck out three.

Aldegheri stumbled out of the gate Tuesday, giving up hits to the first two batters he faced and ultimately surrendering a pair of runs in the opening frame. This marked the southpaw's first big-league start of the season and his first MLB appearance since July 8. Through three appearances spanning nine innings, Aldegheri owns an 8.00 ERA and 2.22 WHIP.

Smith struck out two batters in a perfect inning and earned a save against the Tigers on Tuesday.

Smith was one pitch away from an immaculate inning as he dominated Detroit's 5-6-7 hitters in order. It was his 16th save of the year and first since Sep. 14. He's converted nine of his last 10 save chances, posting a 2.51 ERA and a ridiculous 26:0 K:BB over 14.1 innings during that span. Smith is sporting a 3.01 ERA with a 103:19 K:BB through 71.2 frames this season.

Finnegan has allowed two runs on three hits and a walk across 1.2 innings since coming off the injured list Friday.

After missing nearly a month due to a right groin strain, Finnegan has made two relief appearances, and he's been scored on each time. In Tuesday's loss to the Guardians, the righty came on in the seventh inning with an inherited runner on first and promptly allowed a double and a single to plate two Cleveland runs. Finnegan logged 12 straight scoreless outings for the Tigers before going down with his injury, so he may simply be dealing with some rust, but he should still see high-leverage work in the last few games of the regular season as Detroit fights for a playoff spot.

Detmers said Tuesday that tests on his left elbow showed no structural damage so he does not need surgery, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Detmers said he is planning a normal winter in terms of offseason work. As for his role next year, he added that he would prefer to start but will do whatever the teams asks of him. The southpaw pitched in 61 games in 2025 but made no starts after spending the first four seasons of his career in the majors as exclusively a starter while posting a 4.90 ERA.

The Orioles activated McDermott from the bereavement list and placed him on the 15-day injured list Tuesday due to back discomfort.

McDermott's season is over after the 27-year-old right-hander posted an ugly 15.58 ERA, 2.77 WHIP and 9:12 K:BB across 8.2 innings for Baltimore this season. He served up three home runs and 15 earned runs in his limited work.

The Orioles optioned Espada to their spring training complex Tuesday, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

Since Triple-A Norfolk's season is complete, Espada will head to the Orioles' spring training facility. Espada has appeared in just one game for Baltimore this season, throwing three innings of one-hit ball while striking out four over the weekend against the Yankees.