MLB Player News

Sanchez will start Game 4 of the NLCS on Friday against the Diamondbacks, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Taijuan Walker was the presumed starter for Game 4, but Sanchez will instead get the ball in a pivotal matchup. Sanchez pitched well during the regular season, maintaining a 3.44 ERA with a 20.2 K-BB% across 99.1 innings. He has yet to appear in a postseason contest during his career.

Blach went unclaimed off waivers Wednesday and was sent outright to Triple-A Albuquerque.

Blach posted a 5.54 ERA and 1.64 WHIP through 74 innings in 2023, and he'll have the opportunity to elect free agency in the offseason. The 32-year-old southpaw holds a 5.66 ERA since 2022, though playing his home games at Coors Field may have contributed to his inflated numbers over the past two seasons.

Cincinnati outrighted Lively to Triple-A Louisville on Wednesday.

Lively passed through waivers unclaimed after being removed from the Reds' 40-man roster. The 31-year-old right-hander made it back to the majors this season for the first time since 2019 but posted a rough 5.38 ERA in 12 starts and seven relief appearances covering 88.2 innings.

Nola allowed three hits over six scoreless innings to earn the win in Tuesday's 10-0 victory over the Diamondbacks in Game 2 of the NLCS. He struck out seven.

Nola followed up a solid outing against Atlanta in the NLDS with another gem, this time taking advantage of a quiet Diamondbacks offense to cover the bulk of a shutout. Key for Nola in this contest was the success of commanding his curveball, which averaged a 32.7 called plus swinging-strike percentage during the regular season but was up to a 39 percent mark in Tuesday's start. In the playoffs so far, the right-hander has a tidy 0.96 ERA and 0.75 WHIP with 19 strikeouts across 18.2 innings.

Kelly took the loss in Tuesday's 10-0 defeat to the Phillies in Game 2 of the NLCS, allowing four runs on three hits and three walks over 5.2 innings. He struck out six.

Kelly stumbled in this outing after coming off a clean start against the Dodgers in the NLDS. His biggest dilemma was limiting the long ball, as he gave up three separate solo home runs, two of which came off the bat of Kyle Schwarber in the third and sixth innings. The right-hander may have been a bit unlucky given he managed to mostly keep the traffic off the basepaths aside from the big mistakes. Kelly has pitched to a 3.00 ERA and 0.92 WHIP with 11 strikeouts across 12 innings this postseason.

Pfaadt will start Game 3 of the NLCS on Thursday versus the Phillies, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

Zac Gallen took the loss in Game 1 on Monday in Philadelphia and Merrill Kelly will try to right the ship for the visiting Diamondbacks in Game 2 on Tuesday. Then it'll be Pfaadt in Game 3 on Thursday as the best-of-seven National League Championship Series moves to Arizona. The 25-year-old rookie right-hander did not face the Phillies during the regular season. He threw 4.1 scoreless innings on just 42 pitches in Game 3 of the NLDS against the Dodgers last Wednesday.

Cecconi has been added to the Diamondbacks' NLCS roster.

Arizona has elected to add an extra arm to the bullpen for their series against the Phillies, with Cecconi taking Jace Peterson's spot. Cecconi held a 4.33 ERA and 20:4 K:BB over 27 innings covering four starts and three relief appearances for the Diamondbacks this season. He'll provide the bullpen with some length.

Pfaadt is lined up to start Game 3 of the NLCS on Thursday against the Phillies, Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com reports.

Zac Gallen has been confirmed for Game 1 on Monday in Philadelphia and Merrill Kelly will follow him in Game 2 on Tuesday, then the Diamondbacks will likely turn to Pfaadt for Game 3 as the best-of-seven series shifts to Chase Field in Arizona. The 24-year-old rookie right-hander struggled in Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series at Milwaukee before bouncing back to deliver 4.1 scoreless innings in Game 3 of the NLDS versus the Dodgers.

Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said Friday that Henry (elbow) could be a bullpen option in the NLCS against the Phillies, Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com reports.

Henry has been on the shelf since late July due to inflammation in his left elbow, but he resumed throwing off a mound toward the end of the regular season and faced live hitters in Friday's intrasquad game at Chase Field. Prior to the lengthy IL stint, the 26-year-old southpaw held a 4.15 ERA and 64:35 K:BB in 89 innings (16 starts, one relief appearance) with Arizona.

Kelly will start Game 2 of the NLCS on Tuesday against Philadelphia, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.

Kelly was dominant in his postseason debut against the Dodgers, throwing 6.1 scoreless frames while striking out five batters and walking two. He'll follow Game 1 starter Zac Gallen in the D-backs' rotation and look to contain a surging Phillies offense that posted a .938 OPS in the NLDS.