MLB Player News

Wacha (10-13) allowed two hits and three walks while striking out five over six scoreless innings to earn the win Saturday over the Athletics.

Wacha was able to end the season on a high note with his first quality start in five outings. The veteran right-hander earned a decision in each of his last 10 starts, going 6-4 with a 4.55 ERA after the start of August. His year as a whole was a little better than that last stretch despite the poor record, as he finished 2025 with a 3.86 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 126:45 K:BB over 172.2 innings across 31 starts, though it was a slight step back from his work over the previous three seasons.

Gilbert allowed two runs on four hits and a walk while striking out five over five innings in a no-decision versus the Dodgers on Saturday.

Gilbert gave up a two-run home run to Dalton Rushing in the fifth inning. This was a somewhat limited start for Gilbert, who threw 48 of 75 pitches for strikes. The Mariners are locked into the No. 2 seed in the American League, so they had no need to push the right-hander. He'll finish the regular season at a 3.44 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 173:31 K:BB across 131 innings through 25 starts, and it's expected Gilbert will be part of the rotation for the ALDS.

Dana (0-4) allowed five runs on five hits and a walk while striking out five over seven innings to take the loss Saturday versus the Astros.

Dana had his longest start in the majors, and he was efficient in throwing 67 of 93 pitches for strikes. He still gave up three home runs, which accounted for all five runs on his line, matching his season high in runs allowed. The right-hander concludes the campaign with a 6.40 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 33:18 K:BB through 32.1 innings across seven appearances (five starts) in the majors. Dana will need to show better command to have a chance at securing a rotation spot on a full-time basis in 2026.

McCullers will start Sunday's season finale against the Angels, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

McCullers was activated from the 15-day injured list Saturday after missing the minimum amount of time with right hand soreness. The Astros have been eliminated from postseason contention for the first time since 2016, so McCullers will likely have a long leash Sunday. He owns a 6.71 ERA over 52.1 innings in 15 appearances and had been demoted to the bullpen in late August before landing on the shelf. McCullers remains under contract through 2026, and with the Astros set to be without all of Hayden Wesneski, Ronel Blanco, Luis Garcia and Brandon Walter for the majority or entirety of next season while the quartet recovers from elbow surgeries, McCullers stands a good chance of being included in the Opening Day rotation coming out of spring training.

Allen will start Sunday's regular-season finale against the Rangers, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.

Allen will toe the rubber for Cleveland with an opportunity for the team to win the AL Central on Sunday with a victory. The southpaw has posted an impressive 2.00 ERA and 1.06 WHIP with 13 strikeouts over 18 innings in three starts in September. With Allen on the mound Sunday, Gavin Williams is expected to take the ball for Game 1 of the Guardians' wild-card series Tuesday.

Paddack will draw the start on the mound in Sunday's game against Boston, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Paddack will replace Tarik Skubal on the rubber in Game 162 after Detroit secured a playoff berth with a 2-1 win over the Red Sox on Saturday, allowing the team the rest their ace in the regular-season finale. Since being acquired from the Twins in July, Paddack has posted a 6.12 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 24:6 K:BB in 42.2 innings over 11 appearances. He was moved to the bullpen earlier this month but should be able to provide the Tigers with a decent amount of length after tossing five innings of long relief in his most recent appearance Sept. 19 versus Atlanta.

Skubal will no longer start Sunday's regular-season finale against Boston, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Skubal will get a breather after Detroit secured a playoff berth with a 2-1 win over the Red Sox on Sunday. Chris Paddack will now take the mound in Game 162 for the Tigers, allowing the team to save Skubal for the playoffs. Skubal will finish his 2025 campaign with a sparkling 2.21 ERA and 0.89 WHIP while compiling 241 strikeouts over 195.1 innings in 31 starts.

McCullers (hand) was activated from the 15-day injured list Saturday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

McCullers will make his return to the major-league roster with just two games left in the regular season. The 31-year-old has been sidelined since Sept. 12 with right hand soreness, and he was at one point described to be "highly unlikely" to return to action in September by general manager Dana Brown. McCullers has posted a 6.71 ERA and 1.85 WHIP with 57 strikeouts over 52.1 innings in 15 appearances, including 12 starts, with Houston this season. In a corresponding move, Nick Hernandez was designated for assignment Saturday.

Schlittler (4-3) picked up the win Saturday, scattering two hits and a walk over seven scoreless innings in a 6-1 victory over the Orioles. He struck out nine.

The nine Ks were a career high for Schlittler in his 14th big-league start, and Baltimore didn't get a runner past second base over the right-hander's 97 pitches (63 strikes). He wraps up the regular season with a 2.96 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 84:31 K:BB in 73 innings, and while the Yankees have veteran options like Max Fried and Carlos Rodon available, Schlittler has made a strong case to have a significant role in the team's postseason rotation plans.

Sugano (10-10) took the loss Saturday as the Orioles fell 6-1 to the Yankees, giving up four runs on five hits -- including three home runs -- over 4.1 innings. He struck out three without walking a batter.

The 35-year-old righty tossed 48 of 73 pitches for strikes before getting the hook, but Sugano may have been catching too much of the plate -- Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Ryan McMahon all took him deep in the first two innings. Sugano lost his last five decisions to put his first North American season in the books, with his last win coming Aug. 14. Over 157 innings for Baltimore, he posted a 4.64 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 106:36 K:BB.