MLB Player News

Sanchez tossed five scoreless innings in Friday's Game 2 win against the Cubs but didn't factor into the decision. He allowed four hits and two walks while striking out six.

Sanchez struggled a bit to close out the regular season as he allowed nine runs over seven innings during his last two starts. The right-hander got into some trouble in the fourth and fifth innings Friday, but the Cubs were unable to score any runs as the Marlins' pitching staff combined for a shutout to secure the sweep. Sanchez should factor into the team's rotation plan for the NLDS against Atlanta, but manager Don Mattingly hasn't yet revealed who will start for Miami during the series.

Clevinger (elbow) could return to the roster for the NL Division Series if the Padres can beat the Cardinals and advance to the next round Friday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

Clevinger's final start of the season was pushed back due to biceps issues and wound up being cut short after just one inning due to an elbow impingement. He was left off the wild-card roster but apparently has a chance to return fairly soon. The Padres expressed some optimism about his availability prior to the NL Wild Card Series, however, so their optimism regarding his availability for a potential next-round appearance should be taken with a grain of salt.

Davies lasted just two innings in his start Thursday against the Cardinals in Game 2 of the NL Wild Card Round, giving up four runs on five hits while walking one and striking out three. He did not factor into the decision.

Davies gave up one run on a Yadier Molina single in the first inning, followed by an RBI single from Harrison Bader and a two-run homer by Kolten Wong in the second. While he finished that inning with a pair of strikeouts, he was pulled for Pierce Johnson to start the third. The performance, which was Davies' first career playoff start, was far out of line with what he accomplished during 12 regular-season outings, as he finished the year with a 2.73 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP.

Castillo struck out seven batters over 5.1 innings in Game 2 of the NL Wild Card Series on Thursday, allowing just one run on six hits and a walk, but he picked up the loss thanks to an even better performance from Atlanta starter Ian Anderson.

The Reds got some strong pitching performances during their very brief time in the playoffs, but they failed to score a single run in 22 innings across their two losses. Castillo looked quite good in his first career postseason outing, allowing only an RBI double to Ronald Acuna in the fifth inning, but one run proved to be more than his teammates could manage. Still, the strong postseason debut caps off a good campaign for the 27-year-old righty, who cruised to a 3.21 ERA and a career-best 2.65 FIP in his 12 starts this season.

Woodruff gave up three earned runs on five hits and zero walks while striking out nine in 4.2 innings Thursday against the Dodgers.

He did not pitch poorly, but he gave up a few singles in the bottom of the fifth inning and Mookie Betts' bases-clearing double was the finishing blow. Woodruff cemented his status as a frontline starter this season, finishing 10th in the majors with 91 strikeouts while his 3.05 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 73.2 innings were also top-20 marks among qualified pitchers.

Anderson picked up the win in Game 2 of the NL Wild Card Round against the Reds on Thursday, striking out nine while walking two and allowing just two hits over six scoreless innings.

The stage certainly didn't look too large for the 22-year-old in his playoff debut, which was also just his seventh start at the big-league level. He did load the bases in the second inning on a single and a pair of walks, but that was the only time he allowed a runner to even reach second base. He's certainly earned a start in the NLDS against either the Cubs or Marlins.

Kershaw struck out 13 over eight scoreless innings Thursday to pick up the win over the Brewers in Game 2 of the NL Wild Card Series.

He allowed three hits and one walk in this dominant performance. Kershaw could start Game 1 of the NLDS on Tuesday on normal rest, or he could start Game 2 with an extra day's rest.

Wainwright didn't factor in the decision in Game 2 of the NL Wild Card Round against the Padres after allowing two runs on six hits with three strikeouts and two walks over 3.1 innings.

The veteran right-hander was staked an early 4-0 lead and held the Friars off the board through three frames, but he ran into trouble during the fourth inning. It's an underwhelming performance in what could be his final outing of the season, as the Cardinals will need to win Game 3 on Friday if Wainwright is to pitch again in 2020.

Sanchez won't start Game 2 of the Wild Card Series against the Cubs on Thursday as originally scheduled, as the game has been postponed due to rain, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Sanchez will start Friday for what was originally scheduled as Game 2, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports. Pablo Lopez, who had been scheduled to pitch Friday, will start Saturday if Game 3 is necessary.

Darvish won't start Game 2 of the Wild Card Series against the Marlins as scheduled, as the game has been postponed due to rain, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Darvish will presumably get the nod Friday for what was originally scheduled to be Game 3. The Cubs need a win to stay alive, and turning to a pitcher who recorded a 2.01 ERA and 0.96 WHIP in 12 starts this season should certainly help.