MLB Player News

Alvarez (shoulder) was outrighted to Triple-A Nashville on Friday, Jane Lee of MLB.com reports.

The move is more procedural than anything else, as Alvarez underwent shoulder surgery in September and is expected to miss the majority -- if not all -- of the 2017 season. The 26-year-old has appeared in just four games since the end of 2014, so he faces a lengthy rehab whenever he is healthy enough to return to the mound.

Kluber (quad) will start Game 2 of the ALDS against the Red Sox on Friday.

Kluber had already been tabbed to get the ball Friday, but there remained still a slight possibility that the mild quad strain that held him out of his final regular season start could resurface, but it looks like he's good to go. He'll square off against southpaw David Price in Game 2.

Darvish has been announced as the starting pitcher for Game 2 of the Rangers' ALDS series with the Blue Jays, MLB.com's TR Sullivan reports.

Darvish will follow Cole Hamels in the Rangers' rotation and take the ball Friday afternoon. Darvish had a couple rough starts in September, but he finished the season on a high note, giving up just one earned run and posting a 21:2 K:BB in 13 innings over his final two starts -- both victories.

Hamels has been announced as the starting pitcher for Thursday's ALDS opener against the Blue Jays, MLB.com's TR Sullivan reports.

Hamels did not close the regular season campaign on a high note, watching his ERA go from 2.67 on Aug. 26 to 3.32 at season's end, but he was the team's most consistent starter up to that point, so manager Jeff Banister decided to give him the nod in the team's postseason opener.

Kaprielian (elbow) is still expected to pitch in the Arizona Fall League, the Star-Ledger's Brendan Kuty reports.

He has been throwing batting practice sessions lately as he continues to work his way back from an elbow injury that sidelined him for the bulk of the 2016 season. If he is indeed able to pitch in the AFL, that would allow him to take on a slightly bigger workload in 2017 than he would otherwise be able to. One of the Yankees' top pitching prospects, Kaprielian should be assigned to High-A or Double-A in 2017.

Stroman was named the starting pitcher for Tuesday's wild-card game against the Orioles, MLB Network Radio reports.

There was some debate about whether Stroman or Francisco Liriano would get the ball for Toronto in the winner-take-all game Tuesday, but general manager Ross Atkins decided to go with the former. Atkins alluded that the decision was partially made due to certain matchups the Blue Jays hoped to exploit, Liriano's experience coming out of the bullpen, as well as the fact that Stroman was on the team since the beginning of the season. Although his 0-5 record in September didn't show it, the 25-year-old right-hander did have a solid finish to the season, posting a 3.41 ERA and 0.7 HR/9 in the final month of the season, although his career 5.27 ERA against Baltimore doesn't instill any extra confidence. Stroman will start opposite Chris Tillman to decide who will face the Rangers in the ALDS.

Verlander (16-9) allowed just one run on six hits and a walk with eight strikeouts across seven strong innings Sunday versus the Braves, but took a tough-luck loss.

Verlander was called upon to start with a postseason berth on the line, and although he twirled another excellent outing, the sacrifice fly he allowed in the first stood up as the winning run in a pitchers' duel with Julio Teheran. Verlander enjoyed a return to form this season, compiling an impressive 3.04 ERA and 1.00 WHIP to go along with a 10.1 K/9 over 227.2 innings. Now 33 years old, Verlander will enter 2017 once again a coveted fantasy asset after a couple of years in the wilderness.

Sale (17-10) lost after allowing five runs on six hits and a walk with six strikeouts in five innings against the Twins on Sunday.

It only took one pitch for Sale to fall behind, as Byron Buxton sped around the bases for an inside-the-park home run after launching the lefty's first offering deep to center field. Sale also surrendered a conventional long ball to Miguel Sano in the third, bringing home three runs. The 27-year-old is still one of the American League's Cy Young front-runners after compiling a 3.34 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 5.18 K/BB in a career-high 226.2 innings, including an MLB-best six complete games.

Perez allowed three runs (two earned) on seven hits and a walk with two strikeouts across just three innings in Sunday's start versus the Rays.

The lefty was extremely hittable Sunday, and while he induced his MLB-best 40th double play, he was scored upon twice in the second and once more in the third before being lifted from the game. Perez strung together four excellent starts from Aug. 31 to Sept. 19, but yielded 10 earned runs over his final two starts and will enter the postseason on a sour note. It remains to be seen whether Perez will be part of the starting rotation in the playoffs, but if he is, his immense home-road splits could certainly come into play.

Berrios (3-7) won after allowing one run on four hits in five innings during Sunday's 6-3 win over the White Sox. He walked three and struck out three.

Berrios closed out his season on a high note, allowing fewer than two runs for the first time in 14 starts this year. The 22-year-old rookie struggled in his first taste of the majors, posting an 8.02 ERA and 1.87 WHIP. Poor command was a major reason for his struggles, as he issued 35 walks and surrendered 12 home runs in just 58.1 innings. The 2012 first-round draft pick never had control problems in the minors, however, and should improve in that regard next year.