MLB Player News

Taylor (lat) is slated to pitch in the Arizona Fall League for the Glendale Desert Dogs.

Taylor missed LSU's 2023 national championship season following Tommy John surgery and missed most of this season with a lat strain, so this is a chance for him to make up for lost time. It's a weak crop of pitching prospects in the AFL, and Taylor has the stuff to stand out, headlined by a mid-90s fastball, low-90s cutter and a pair of breaking balls. He posted a 1.13 ERA, 0.63 WHIP and 25:1 K:BB in 16 innings over four starts for Single-A Kannapolis earlier this year.

Grove was removed from the Dodgers' NLDS roster Tuesday due to a shoulder injury, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

The details of Grove's injury remain unknown, though the issue is apparently severe enough to warrant holding him out for the remainder of the series. The 27-year-old righty would also be ineligible to pitch in the NLCS if Los Angeles advances past the Padres, meaning he will have to wait until the World Series before potentially making another appearance. In the meantime, Ben Casparius will act as Grove's roster replacement.

Kelly (shoulder) isn't expected to be able to pitch again this season unless the Dodgers reach the World Series, Eric Stephen of SBNation.com reports.

Per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, Kelly tweaked his shoulder in a simulated game this week. The issue explains why the right-handed reliever was left off Los Angeles' NLDS roster. Though Kelly posted an unimpressive 4.78 ERA and 1.47 WHIP over 32 innings during the regular season, he recorded a 9.8 K/9 and tied for third on the team with 13 holds.

Grove is included on the Dodgers' roster for the NLDS versus San Diego.

Grove recorded 39 appearances -- including two starts -- during the regular season and posted a 5.12 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 54:16 K:BB over 51 innings. The right-hander was sent to the minors in mid-September but was activated Saturday to serve as a relief option for this playoff round. Grove will give Los Angeles a bit of length out of the bullpen, as 14 of his 39 outings during the campaign went longer than one inning.

Jacob has a spot on the Padres' roster for the National League Division Series against the Dodgers.

Jacob was optioned to Triple-A El Paso in late September, though that came after the minor-league season had concluded. The righty reliever spent most of the campaign with El Paso but logged seven appearances over two stints with San Diego, posting a 2.45 ERA, 0.75 WHIP and 19:2 K:BB over 14.2 innings. Jacob pitched more than one inning in five of the seven outings and topped out at 3.2 frames against Tampa Bay on Aug. 31.

Kelly is not included on the Dodgers' roster for the National League Division Series against San Diego.

Kelly had a shoulder injury that sidelined him late in the season, but he was able to return from the injured list Sept. 18 and gave up only one run while posting a 5:2 K:BB over 3.1 innings thereafter. However, the right-handed reliever won't be an option out of the bullpen for Los Angeles during the NLDS. The Dodgers gave a roster spot to hard-throwing rookie Edgardo Henriquez, who logged just three regular-season appearances.

Cousins (pectoral) was activated off the 15-day injured list Saturday ahead of Game 1 of the American League Division Series versus Kansas City, per MLB's transaction log.

Cousins finished the regular season on the injured list due to a pectoral strain but was able to toss a series of bullpen sessions ahead of the playoffs. The right-hander was able to prove his health and will serve as a relief option for New York against the Royals. Cousins has posted a 2.37 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 53:20 K:BB while logging eight holds and one save over 38 innings this season.

Ramirez elected free agency Saturday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Ramirez was designated for assignment by the Rays in late August but remained in the organization and finished the campaign in Triple-A. The right-handed hurler logged a 4.35 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 15:10 K:BB over 20.2 innings while going 3-0 with one save in the majors last season. Ramirez worked as a starter early in his career but has been almost exclusively a reliever since 2019.

Holton will serve as the Tigers' opening pitcher Saturday for Game 1 of the ALDS in Cleveland, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.

Holton pitched in both games of the wild-card series versus the Astros, including as an opener in Game 2. That means he will technically be "starting" back-to-back postseason games for the Tigers, but the bullpen will be heavily involved Saturday.

Atlanta president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos said Friday that the team plans to pick up Bummer's $7.25 million club option for 2025, Grant McAuley of 92.9 The Game Atlanta reports.

The 31-year-old lefty held a 3.58 ERA and 69:18 K:BB over 55.1 innings in 2024 in his first season with Atlanta. Bummer could have an even more important role in 2025 with A.J. Minter heading into free agency and recovering from hip surgery.