MLB Player News

Cecconi has been added to the Guardians' roster for the ALCS, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.

The Guardians have opted for another bullpen arm with Cecconi over utility player Daniel Schneemann. Cecconi has not pitched in a game in more than two weeks but offers the club some length, if needed.

Griffin will start Game 1 of the ALCS against the Rays on Monday, Nick Camino of WKYC Channel 3 Cleveland reports.

Griffin will take the mound for the series opener after tossing 2.2 innings, allowing one run on two hits while striking out seven batters in Game 3 of the ALDS against Chicago. The southpaw threw 53 total pitches (39 strikes) in his last outing, and he will likely be operating under a similar workload Monday in Tampa Bay.

The Rays named Rasmussen as their starting pitcher for Game 1 of the ALCS against the Guardians on Monday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Tampa Bay's three-game sweep of the Yankees made it easy to set up their ace to start Game 1 of the ALCS, so this announcement is hardly a surprise. Rasmussen dominated New York in the division series, striking out 10 with just one hit and two walks allowed across eight scoreless innings.

McClanahan (forearm) won't be available to pitch during the rest of the postseason, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

It would have been a great story for the left-hander to rejoin the Rays during their playoff run after going down with forearm soreness in early September, but it's not a major surprise he's been ruled out given that there's been no indication he's close to game ready. McClanahan also spent time on the IL earlier in the season due to a back issue, limiting him to 24 starts. He posted a 3.36 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 106:39 K:BB across 118 innings this season and is entering his penultimate year of arbitration eligibility in 2027. Manager Kevin Cash indicated that McClanahan should be fully ready for the start of spring training, per Topkin.

Burke was charged with the loss in Game 5 of the ALDS against the Guardians on Saturday, giving up two runs on four hits with four strikeouts and no walks over five innings.

The White Sox couldn't have asked for much more from Burke, who surrendered the only runs of the game on a two-run homer by Jose Ramirez during the fourth inning. The right-hander can hardly be faulted for the long ball given that the pitch was a mere 0.74 feet off the ground, which is the lowest pitch hit for a home run in the playoffs since tracking was implemented in 2008. Burke received his first taste of the postseason this year and equipped himself well in three games with a 3.77 ERA, 0.70 WHIP and 18:1 K:BB across 14.1 innings.

Williams earned the win in Game 5 of the ALDS against the White Sox on Saturday, striking out 12 and allowing one hit and two walks across 5.2 scoreless innings.

Williams took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, but he was unable to complete that frame after loading the bases via a hit-by-pitch, a single and a walk. Still, it was a dominant performance from the right-hander, who helped the Guardians set an MLB record for strikeouts in a nine-inning game -- both regular season and playoffs -- with 21, per Sarah Langs of MLB.com. Williams made two starts and one relief appearance during the ALDS, punching out 24 with a 1.54 ERA and 0.94 WHIP over 11.2 innings. He now tentatively lines up to start Games 3 and 7 of the ALCS against the Rays, but manager Stephen Vogt has already shown he's willing to utilize his starter pitchers flexibly this postseason.

Williams will start Game 5 of the ALDS versus the White Sox on Saturday, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.

Williams finished out the Guardians' Game 4 victory Thursday, throwing 18 pitches in a scoreless inning on what would have typically been his bullpen day. That appearance will not, however, prevent him from starting Saturday's winner-take-all contest. Williams struck out 11 and was charged with two runs over five-plus innings in Game 2, taking a no-decision. He will be opposed by Sean Burke in Game 5.

Olson (shoulder) is taking part in a throwing progression and is expected to be ready for spring training, MLB.com reports.

Olson missed the entire 2026 season following a right shoulder labral repair in early February. Setbacks cannot be ruled out as he works his way back from major shoulder surgery, but as things stand right now the Tigers believe he'll be ready to compete for a rotation spot during spring training.

White Sox manager Will Venable said Friday that Burke will start Saturday in Game 5 of the ALDS versus the Guardians, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

Burke got the win in bulk relief in Game 2 of the series, yielding just one run over 5.1 innings while fanning six batters. The White Sox have elected to have the right-hander make a traditional start in Saturday's winner-take-all affair. He is expected to be opposed by Gavin Williams.

Jax (back) allowed a run on one hit and one walk over two innings during Game 3 of the ALCS against the Yankees on Wednesday.

The right-hander exited his final outing of the regular season due to a lower-back contusion after being struck by a 104-mph comebacker, but he had a week and a half to rest up before entering Wednesday's series clincher. Jax, who posted a 3.14 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 106:28 K:BB in 23 starts during the regular season, and Ian Seymour should be the candidates to start Game 4 of the ALCS for Tampa Bay.