MLB Player News

Miley (neck) was claimed off waivers by the Cubs on Friday.

The veteran lefty's underlying numbers may not fully support his 3.37 ERA this season, but seeing him land on waivers was still a surprise. He didn't strike out many batters (18.1 percent), but he avoided walks (7.2 percent) and kept the ball on the ground at a 49.4 percent clip, leading to a 3.97 FIP and 4.07 xFIP. If his ERA regresses to match those estimators next season, the Cubs will likely still be quite happy to have him at a modest $10 million, though there's of course some risk that he regresses far more than that in his age-35 season. Miley missed the tail end of the regular season with a neck strain, but there's been no indication that it's the type of injury which will delay his preparation for spring training.

The Diamondbacks have exercised Kelly's $5.25 million club option for 2022, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

Kelly was limited to five games during the shortened 2020 campaign, but he made 27 starts in 2021 and posted a 4.44 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 130:41 K:BB across 158 innings. The 33-year-old should enter spring training with a secure spot in Arizona's 2022 starting rotation.

Fried (1-1) allowed four hits and no walks while striking out six in six scoreless innings to earn the win over the Astros in Game 6 of the World Series on Tuesday.

Fried had given up at least five runs in each of his last two appearances, but he bounced back Tuesday to help Atlanta clinch its first World Series title since 1995. The southpaw made five starts during the 2021 postseason and posted a 4.23 ERA and 1.19 WHIP in 27.2 innings.

May (elbow) played catch for the first time Monday since undergoing Tommy John surgery, per his personal Twitter account.

May went under the knife in May after suffering a UCL injury, and he's since been cleared to resume throwing. It typically takes at least one year to fully recover from this procedure, so the flamethrower is in store for a lengthy rehab stint.

Anderson picked up the win in Game 3 of the World Series against the Astros on Friday, tossing five hitless, scoreless innings while walking three and striking out four.

In a very 2021 move, Anderson was pulled without having allowed a hit after throwing just 76 pitches. He didn't have great control, as just 39 of those pitches (51.3 percent) were strikes, and he'd already hit a batter in addition to his trio of walks, so manager Brian Snitker evidently didn't trust him to maintain that level of performance with the top of the Astros' order due up for the third time. The Atlanta bullpen finished the job with four scoreless innings, so the move looks like the correct one.

Morton underwent successful surgery Thursday to repair his fractured right fibula and is expected to be ready for the start of spring training in February, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

Morton suffered the injury during his start in Game 1 of the World Series when he was struck by a comebacker, and it's not a surprise he needed to go under the knife to address the issue. The veteran right-hander will turn 38 years old in November and had an impressive 2021 campaign in which he had a 3.34 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 216:58 K:BB over 185.2 innings.

Morton underwent X-rays after leaving Game 1 of the World Series against the Astros on Tuesday and was diagnosed with a fractured right fibula.

Morton was hit by a comebacker during the second inning and initially remained in the contest, but he exited after 2.1 scoreless frames due to the pain. The 37-year-old will obviously be sidelined for the remainder of the World Series but is expected to be ready for spring training in 2022.

Morton was removed from Game 1 of the World Series against the Astros on Tuesday with swelling in his right ankle, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

The right-hander was struck in the right ankle by a comebacker during the second inning, though he completed the frame and returned for the third before limping off following a strikeout. Morton allowed one hit with three strikeouts and two walks over 2.1 scoreless frames before being pulled. Atlanta will scramble in a bullpen game for the rest of Game 1, and it's unclear if the 37-year-old will be able to make his next turn through the rotation, which lines up for Game 5 on Sunday, if necessary.

Wright was added to Atlanta's World Series roster Tuesday, Kiley McDaniel of ESPN.com reports.

Wright allowed seven runs in 6.1 MLB innings this season and owns a career 6.56 ERA in 70 frames at the highest level. His experience as a starter means he can give Atlanta length if needed, but he's unlikely to see the field except in a blowout.

Morton will start Game 1 of the World Series against the Astros on Tuesday.

Morton lined up to start Game 7 of the NLCS versus the Dodgers on Sunday if necessary, but Atlanta took care of business in Game 6, allowing him to open the World Series on the mound. The veteran right-hander has a 3.77 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 19:8 K:BB across three starts (14.1 innings) this postseason.