MLB Player News

Helsley's MRI on his right middle finger came back clean Saturday, but he'll nevertheless be unavailable for Game 2 of the Wild Card Series against the Phillies, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

Helsley initially suffered the injury while fielding a groundball in his final appearance of the regular season. He didn't look like himself in Game 1 against the Phillies on Friday, losing the plate and throwing less than half of his 33 pitches for strikes while allowing four earned runs before his exit. While he's seemingly escaped a serious injury, that kind of workload will still keep him from pitching again for at least one day.

Helsley will undergo an MRI on the middle finger of his right hand after he exited the Cardinals' loss in Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series against the Phillies on Friday, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

The 28-year-old jammed his finger Tuesday in his final appearance of the regular season and aggravated the injury Friday after he struggled with his command in the playoff opener. Helsley threw only 15 of his 33 pitches for strikes, and he was charged with the loss after he gave up four runs on a hit, two walks and a hit by pitch over one inning. The right-hander reported a lack of feeling in his fingers before he was removed from the contest, and the MRI will hopefully shed some light on the specifics of his injury.

Helsley was removed from Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series against the Phillies on Friday after he apparently aggravated his jammed right middle finger, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

The right-hander suffered the injury during the penultimate game of the regular season Tuesday and was cleared after throwing a bullpen session Thursday, but he struggled with his command in Game 1 before being lifted. Helsley retired the first two batters he faced to end the eighth inning and keep the Cardinals ahead 2-0, but he came back out for the ninth and exited after he let in a run via a hit by pitch with the bases loaded. He ended up being charged with four earned runs as the bullpen behind him also struggled, and his availability for the rest of the series is now up in the air.

Nelson was left off the Phillies' roster for the NL Wild Card Series against the Cardinals on Friday, Alex Coffey of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Nelson spent the full 2022 campaign in Philadelphia's bullpen but won't be included on the opening roster for the playoffs. He appeared in 47 games and had a 4.85 ERA, 1.49 WHIP and 69:36 K:BB across 68.2 innings.

Hand (elbow) was activated from the 15-day injured list Friday and is on the Phillies' roster for the NL Wild Card Series against the Cardinals, Alex Coffey of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

The veteran left-hander landed on the shelf with elbow tendinitis Sept. 22, but he's back with the team for the wild-card round. Hand finished the regular season with 13 holds, five saves and a 2.80 ERA over 45 innings.

Gonzalez (elbow) could be activated if he's needed during the Dodgers' postseason run, per MLB.com.

Gonzalez is currently on the 60-day injured list as a result of the elbow surgery he underwent in May. The lefty reliever experienced fatigue during his rehab but was able to log four minor-league appearances in late September, pitching four scoreless innings and striking out four batters. Gonzalez didn't take the mound for the Dodgers during the regular season, but he has playoff experience and will work to be ready in case injuries create the need for a lefty reliever during the team's postseason run.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts expects Treinen (shoulder) to make the NLDS roster, though the right-hander's role and availability are yet to be determined, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Treinen hasn't pitched in a game for over a month, so it may be too much to expect him to immediately pitch in high-leverage situations or on back-to-back days. The veteran reliever has thrown only five innings all season, giving up one run and posting a 6:1 K:BB. Treinen is a critical piece of Los Angeles' bullpen when healthy, so it would be a major boost to the team's title chances if he's able to work his way back into shape over a potential deep playoff run. He faced three batters in a simulated game Wednesday and will toss another sim game in the next few days, per Matthew Moreno of DodgerBlue.com.

Helsley (finger) didn't feel any pain during a side session Thursday and will be included on the Cardinals' wild-card roster, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

Helsley exited Tuesday's game against the Pirates due to a jammed right middle finger, but the issue won't impact his availability to begin the postseason. Over the last month, the right-hander has converted all seven of his save chances while posting a 2.38 ERA and 1.06 WHIP in 11.1 innings over 11 appearances.

Naughton will be on the Cardinals' wild-card roster, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

Naughton was sent to the minors Sept. 21, but he'll rejoin the Cardinals ahead of the NL Wild Card Series against the Phillies, which begins Friday. The southpaw held left-handed hitters to a .163 batting average in the majors this year, which factored into the decision to include Naughton on the roster over Genesis Cabrera.

Helsley (finger) is throwing a bullpen session Thursday to help determine his availability for the NL Wild Card Series against the Phillies, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

The right-hander exited Tuesday's game against the Pirates with a jammed middle finger, and his availability for the wild-card round remains up in the air. The issue doesn't appear to be a serious concern since Helsley never underwent medical imaging, and the closer could be available for Game 1 on Friday if all goes well during Thursday's session.