MLB Player News

Lynch (shoulder) is pitching in an Arizona Fall League game Thursday, Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com reports.

Lynch missed most of the second half due to a shoulder injury, but he logged one rehab start with Triple-A Omaha in late September and is now making up for lost time in the AFL. The 26-year-old left-hander could be a candidate for an Opening Day rotation spot with the Royals in 2024 if his health cooperates.

Pfaadt will start Game 3 of the World Series on Monday versus the Rangers, Theo Mackie of The Arizona Republic reports.

After putting up a 5.72 ERA and 1.41 WHIP during the regular season, Pfaadt has seemingly flipped a switch during the playoffs, posting a 2.70 ERA and 1.08 WHIP with 22 strikeouts across 16.2 innings. The 25-year-old rookie will follow Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly in the D-backs' rotation, with Pfaadt also in line to start Game 7 of the World Series, if necessary.

Kelly will start Game 2 of the World Series on Saturday against the Rangers, Theo Mackie of The Arizona Republic reports.

Zac Gallen will get the nod for the Diamondbacks in Game 1 on Friday and Brandon Pfaadt is lined up to handle Game 3 on Monday. Kelly recorded a huge win against the Phillies in Game 6 of the NLCS, tallying eight strikeouts across five innings of one-run ball. He carries an overall 2.65 ERA with 19 strikeouts through 17 innings (three starts) this postseason.

Eovaldi will start Game 1 of the World Series on Friday versus the Diamondbacks, Jeff Wilson of RangersToday.com reports.

He'll be facing off against Zac Gallen, who was announced as Arizona's Game 1 starter Wednesday afternoon. Eovaldi has been tremendous so far this postseason, boasting a 4-0 record, 2.42 ERA and 28:4 K:BB through four starts covering 26 innings. He's worked at least six innings each time out.

Gallen will start Friday in Game 1 of the World Series against the Rangers, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

Gallen was available in relief but wasn't needed as the Diamondbacks disposed of the Phillies in Game 7 of the NLCS on Tuesday to advance to the World Series. He'll be pitching on five days' rest after taking a loss in each of his two NLCS outings. The Rangers have not yet named a Game 1 starter.

Suarez allowed three runs on six hits across 4.2 innings to take the loss in Tuesday's 4-2 defeat to the Diamondbacks in Game 7 of the NLCS. He struck out six.

Suarez's luck finally ran out, as he allowed three runs in a postseason outing for the first time in nine career playoff games. The majority of the damage came in the fifth inning, when Corbin Carroll knocked in an RBI single. Jeff Hoffman then replaced Suarez and allowed Carroll to score, which left Suarez with an additional run and stuck him in line for the loss. Suarez's postseason concludes with a sterling 1.93 ERA and 0.80 WHIP with 19 strikeouts across 18.2 innings.

Pfaadt did not factor into the decision in Tuesday's 4-2 victory over the Phillies in Game 7 of the NLCS, allowing two runs on four hits and two walks across four innings. He struck out seven.

Pfaadt once again chained together a successful outing, pitching only four innings in the contest as the team turned things over to the bullpen in a do-or-die game. Despite the shorter appearance, Pfaadt still impressed in the strikeout column. He has now pitched to an 11.9 K/9 in 16.2 postseason innings, compared to a 8.8 mark across 96 regular-season innings. The hope heading into the World Series is that Pfaadt can maintain his newly discovered strikeout gains and continue his postseason success. He has pitched to a 2.70 ERA and 1.08 WHIP with 22 strikeouts in those 16.2 playoff innings.

Gallen will be available for Game 7 of the NLCS against the Phillies on Tuesday, Matt Breen of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Gallen took the mound for Saturday's Game 5, allowing four runs on six hits and two walks while fanning one over six innings. Despite tossing 93 pitches only a few days ago, he'll be ready to go in relief if called upon with a chance to go to the World Series on the line.

Wheeler will be available out of the bullpen for Game 7 of the NLCS against the Diamondbacks on Tuesday, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

It'll be all hands on deck for the Phillies in Game 7, and Wheeler will be ready in relief if skipper Rob Thomson calls his name. Wheeler fired 99 pitches in Saturday's Game 5, but as Healey notes, Tuesday would be his between-starts bullpen day, so he'll likely be available for an inning.

Lauer elected free agency Monday, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

The Brewers understandably didn't want to give Lauer a raise via arbitration after he posted a 6.56 ERA and 1.67 WHIP over 46.2 innings this season. He's just 28 years old and posted a 3.84 ERA and 286:109 K:BB over 288.1 innings for Milwaukee from 2020-22, so the left-hander shouldn't have trouble finding another opportunity elsewhere.