MLB Player News

Houser (forearm) is expected to have a normal offseason throwing program and be ready for spring training, Justice delos Santos of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Houser missed the final month-plus of the regular season while dealing with a right forearm strain. He will continue going through physical therapy for now but is expected to begin his offseason throwing at his normal time. Houser posted a 4.02 ERA and 75:34 K:BB over 109.2 innings in 2026 across 16 starts and 10 relief outings.

Steele (elbow) is not on the Cubs' roster for their wild-card series versus the Padres, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Steele has been out all season while recovering from UCL revision surgery and a flexor strain. He is physically ready to pitch now, having made four rehab appearances this month, but the Cubs have decided he's not a fit for their playoff roster. Steele could earn consideration in subsequent rounds, if his team advances.

Gausman (shoulder) is on the Cubs' roster for the wild-card series against the Padres, Jared Wyllys of AllCHGO.com reports.

Gausman injured his left (non-throwing) shoulder during his final start of the regular season last Wednesday. The Cubs have not yet announced their probable starters for Game 2 on Wednesday or a potential Game 3 on Thursday, but it's likely Gausman will start one of those contests. Gausman logged a 4.83 ERA and 57:11 K:BB over 50.1 innings in nine starts after the Cubs acquired him at the trade deadline.

The Padres activated Musgrove (elbow) from the 60-day injured list Tuesday, Dennis Lin of The Athletic reports.

Musgrove has not pitched in a major-league game in nearly two full years. He had Tommy John surgery in October 2024, had a setback during spring training and was then slowed earlier this month because he was having difficult recovering in between rehab starts. However, Musgrove was never shut down from throwing, and he's made enough progress to convince the Padres to include him on their roster for their NL Wild Card Series against the Cubs. Musgrove will be available in a relief role.

Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix said Tuesday that Snelling (elbow) is expected to be throwing off a mound during spring training and should be game-ready by May or June, Isaac Azout of FishOnFirst.com reports.

Snelling required an internal brace surgery in May to repair a UCL tear in his left elbow. The recovery time for that type of procedure is shorter than that of a Tommy John rehab, giving Snelling a chance to contribute to the Marlins at some point before the All-Star break next season. The left-hander yielded three runs in five innings in his major-league debut in 2026, and he's been dominant at Triple-A Jacksonville the last two seasons while pitching to a 1.46 ERA and 132:33 K:BB over 98.2 frames.

Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom said Monday that Fitts (lat) is on track to be ready at the start of spring training but will have his workload monitored, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Fitts underwent right lat surgery in April after getting hurt while pitching at Triple-A Memphis. It's unclear where Fitts currently is in the rehab process, but Bloom said the righty is "hellbent on being part of this picture from the jump" next season. Assuming health, Fitts will be in the mix for a rotation spot next season. However, after all the time off there's a good chance he'll begin the campaign back at Memphis.

Chace (elbow) was activated from the 60-day injured list Monday.

Chace spent the 2026 campaign rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, but he was unable to see any game action. The team reported in June that he was progressing well and had been cleared to toss bullpen sessions, and the fact that he's now been reinstated would seemingly indicate that he's healthy heading into the offseason.

Reid (shoulder) was activated from the 60-day injured list Sept. 15.

Reid missed most of the last few months of the 2026 season after suffering a shoulder impingement, but he managed to toss four scoreless frames against High-A Cedar Rapids on Sept. 5, striking out four along the way. He's also expected to play in the Arizona Fall League, signaling that he's made a full recovery.

Boyd has been named the starting pitcher for Tuesday's Game 1 of the National League Wild Card Series against the Padres, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports.

This was the expected move from the Cubs, who last deployed Boyd against Miami on Thursday, allowing him to line up for the start in Game 1 of the wild-card round. The southpaw pitched well in his last six outings of the regular season, posting a 3.28 ERA and 1.12 WHIP with 25 strikeouts over 35.2 innings.

Steele (elbow) threw a bullpen session off the mound at Petco Park on Monday, John Fanta of NBC Sports reports.

It remains to be seen if Steele, who has spent the season recovering from UCL revision surgery and a flexor strain, will be added to the roster for Chicago's wild-card series against the Padres. If he is added to the roster prior to Tuesday's Game 1, he would presumably be deployed out of the bullpen.