MLB Player News

Smith will serve as the opener Thursday in Game 4 of the ALDS against the Guardians, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

Smith has given up one earned run in 6.1 innings across his three postseason appearances, and the White Sox will turn to him again to pitch the first inning of Game 4. Erick Fedde is a likely candidate to follow Smith out of the bullpen.

The Padres removed Peralta from their NLDS roster on Wednesday.

Peralta was added to the roster Tuesday as a replacement for Mason Miller, but now that the latter has returned from paternity leave, Peralta will be required to come off the roster without making an appearance in the NLDS.

Miller was reinstated from the paternity list ahead of Game 4 of the NLDS versus the Brewers on Wednesday.

He was away from the club for Game 3 on Tuesday in order to attend the birth of his first child, but it will be only a one-day absence for the star closer. Miller was saddled with a blown save and loss in Game 2 on Sunday.

O'Brien said recently that he wants to put on "as much muscle as I can" this offseason in order to help his body absorb the toll of the 2027 season, Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

O'Brien finished tied for the National League lead with 38 saves this season, but he faded after the All-Star break, posting a 5.11 ERA, 1.54 WHIP and 25:16 K:BB over 24.2 innings while blowing four of 18 save chances. The 31-year-old also saw his velocity dip in the second half, as he averaged 97 mph with his four-seamer after averaging 98.2 mph with the pitch in the first half. As things stand right now, O'Brien is the clear favorite to open next season as the Cardinals' closer again.

Padres manager Craig Stammen said after Tuesday's NLDS Game 3 win over the Brewers that Morejon was unavailable to pitch in the contest due to "stickiness in his shoulder," AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

With Morejon and Mason Miller (paternity) unavailable, Michael King closed out Tuesday's victory. Morejon's shoulder issue appears to be minor, as Stammen said the left-hander could be ready to pitch in Game 4, if needed. The southpaw has allowed one run with a 2:0 K:BB over four innings in two appearances this postseason.

Diaz earned the save in Game 3 of the NLDS against Atlanta on Tuesday, allowing a hit with no walks or strikeouts in a scoreless ninth inning.

The 32-year-old entered for the ninth with a 3-1 advantage, and he got off to an inauspicious start as Ozzie Albies doubled to open the frame. Diaz dialed in from there, however, and retired the next three batters to tally his first save since mid-August. The right-hander was plagued by injuries and ineffectiveness this year -- which resulted in him losing the closer role -- but he finished the regular season with five straight scoreless outings and has been unscored upon in his first two appearances of the playoffs. He seems unlikely to fully reclaim the closer role given that Evan Phillips was called upon for the save in the series opener, but it still appears that Diaz has regained the trust of manager Dave Roberts.

The Padres added Peralta to their NLDS roster Tuesday, Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com reports.

Peralta will join San Diego's NLDS roster as a temporary replacement for Mason Miller, who was placed on the postseason paternity list Tuesday. If the Padres extend the series long enough to allow Miller to return, Peralta would be forced back off the roster.

The Padres placed Miller on the postseason paternity list Tuesday, Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com reports.

Miller will be permitted to spend no more than three days away from the team while he welcomes a new addition to his family, and he'll be allowed to rejoin the active roster immediately upon returning if San Diego is able to extend the series. In the meantime, the Padres will add Wandy Peralta to their NLDS roster to replace Miller in the bullpen.

Espino will be the Guardians' opener Wednesday in Game 3 of the ALDS against the White Sox, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.

He'll be opposed by another opener in Chicago's Sean Newcomb. Espino logged a 4.11 ERA and 25:7 K:BB over 15.1 innings for the Guardians during the regular season, and he made a scoreless appearance for the White Sox in Game 1 of the ALDS. The Guardians haven't divulged plans for who will follow Espino, but Foster Griffin is a prime candidate for a bulk role if Cleveland wants to go that route.

Newcomb will serve as an opener Wednesday in Game 3 of the ALDS against the Guardians, James Fegan of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Newcomb tossed two shutout innings in Game 2, though he let a pair of inherited runners score. The lefty will be tasked with covering an inning or two in Game 3 as part of another bullpen game for the White Sox. The Guardians have not yet named a Game 3 starter, but Foster Griffin is a prime candidate to take the ball.