MLB Player News

Luzardo (shoulder) played catch on flat ground Sunday, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

Luzardo was shut down for nine days due to left shoulder inflammation, but he was cleared to play catch after the stiffness dissipated and he regained range of motion in the shoulder. The left-hander will not return from the 15-day injured list before the end of the regular season, but the Phillies are "very optimistic" about Luzardo's progress, per president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski. If Luzardo is ready for the wild-card round, the Phillies could use him in a relief role since he won't have his stamina rebuilt enough to start.

Misiorowski allowed a hit and struck out four without walking a batter over three shutout innings in a no-decision versus the Orioles on Sunday. Per Adam McCalvy of MLB.com, this was an intentionally planned short outing for Misiorowski to keep his innings in check ahead of the postseason.

McCalvy adds that Misiorowski is expected to see more regular usage in his last projected start of the regular season at home versus the Cardinals, which will line him up to take the mound during the NLDS. Since the All-Star break, Misiorowski has allowed just 16 runs (15 earned) over 58.1 innings, adding an 80:15 K:BB in that span. For the year, he's at a 1.86 ERA, 0.80 WHIP and 247:42 K:BB through 169.1 innings over 29 starts. The good news for fantasy managers is that Misiorowski is expected to have one more start even if the Brewers clinch everything they can before it's his turn to pitch again.

Wilkinson did not factor into the decision Sunday, allowing three hits and no walks over five scoreless innings against the Dodgers. He struck out six.

Wilkinson silenced the Dodgers offense, spinning five shutout innings before departing at 76 pitches (51 strikes). Sunday marked the rookie's first start since Sept. 4, as his previous two outings came from the bullpen. In seven appearances (five starts), the southpaw owns a 1-3 record with a 3.65 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 18:4 K:BB in 24.2 frames. Should Wilkinson remain in the rotation, he's lined up to start Saturday in a rematch with Los Angeles.

Sheehan did not factor into the decision Sunday, allowing a hit and a walk while striking out nine over 5.1 scoreless innings of bulk relief against the Giants.

Entering in the second inning after Jack Dreyer, Sheehan was dominant in bulk relief, allowing just two batters to reach on his watch. The 26-year-old has looked phenomenal in three September appearances, permitting just one run over 17 innings with a 24:3 K:BB. On the year, the right-hander owns a 5-8 record with a 4.57 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 132:33 K:BB in 112.1 innings (23 appearances). With several moving parts in the Dodgers rotation, it remains to be seen if Sheehan will log another regular-season outing, but if he does, it'll likely come on the road against the Giants over the weekend.

Sugano (12-11) took the loss Sunday, allowing one run on a hit and two walks over five innings against the Mariners. He struck out five.

Sugano was more than serviceable across five frames, especially at home at Coors Field, but a lack of offense from the Rockies saddled the right-hander with the loss. He has now lost six of his past seven starts, with his last win coming Aug. 11. With a 5.36 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 91:36 K:BB in 147.2 innings (28 starts), Sugano is tentatively scheduled to make his final start of the season Saturday against the White Sox.

Sanchez (18-6) earned the win Sunday over the Mets, allowing two runs on six hits and no walks across 6.1 innings. He struck out six.

It was a nice return to form for Sanchez, who had given up 11 runs across 12.1 innings in his previous two outings. The southpaw blanked the Mets for five innings Sunday before giving up a solo home run to Bo Bichette in the sixth. Overall, Sanchez sports a 2.93 ERA with a 1.22 WHIP and a career-high 221 strikeouts across 32 starts (200 innings) this year. Sanchez is currently in line for one more regular-season start, tentatively scheduled to come next weekend at home against the Rays.

Sasaki (finger) is expected to be activated from the 15-day injured list to pitch in Tuesday's contest against San Diego, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Sasaki has been shelved since developing a blister on his right middle finger Aug. 26 against Atlanta. Manager Dave Roberts noted that the right-hander will pitch in some capacity as a part of a bullpen game in the series opener versus the Padres, but Sasaki won't be the "bulk" pitcher.

Burnes allowed four runs on five hits and two walks while striking out two over 2.2 innings in a no-decision versus the Yankees on Sunday.

Burnes served up three home runs during the third inning, prompting an early exit as the Diamondbacks can't afford to cede ground since they lag behind in the playoff race. Over his three starts so far, Burnes has surrendered nine runs across 10.1 innings with an 8:4 K:BB. He's now been tagged for five runs, and it's clear he's still got some more rust to shake off following his return from June 2025 Tommy John surgery. Burnes is tentatively projected to make his last start of the regular season at San Diego.

Alcantara (13-11) allowed four runs on eight hits and a walk while striking out three over six innings to take the loss versus the Padres on Sunday.

After a midweek cameo as a closer, Alcantara was back in his usual starting role Sunday. It went about as well as his last few starts, which is to say not that well at all. He's given up at least four runs over each of his last five starts, allowing 23 runs across 27.1 innings in that span. Alcantara is at a 3.91 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 152:59 K:BB through 212 innings over 34 games (33 starts) this season. The Miami ace is projected for one more start this year, which is expected to be at home versus Atlanta.

Buehler (9-6) allowed three runs on three hits and two walks while striking out six over 6.2 innings to earn the win over the Marlins on Sunday.

Buehler came into this start on a stretch of four straight no-decisions, a span in which he gave up eight runs over 17 innings. He was able to dig a little deeper for a quality start and a victory, throwing 63 of 89 pitches for strikes in this outing. For the season, Buehler has a 4.56 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 128:56 K:BB through 150 innings over 31 starts. He's projected for a home start against the Diamondbacks to wrap up his regular season.