MLB Player News

Steele won't start Sunday against the Brewers after the Cubs were eliminated from playoff contention Saturday, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.

The Cubs stumbled down the stretch and are no longer in postseason contention, so they won't send out their ace for the final game of the season. Steele struggled over his final three outings with 15 runs allowed, but he was in the thick of the race for the NL Cy Young Award for most of the campaign and will finish his third year in MLB with a 3.06 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 176:36 K:BB over 173.1 innings.

Plassmeyer was optioned the Phillies' spring training complex Sunday.

The 26-year-old was called up to start the penultimate contest of the regular season Saturday in Game 2 of the doubleheader against the Mets, but he was rocked for 10 runs (nine earned) across 3.2 innings. Plassmeyer spent most of the campaign at Triple-A Lehigh Valley and posted a 5.05 ERA in 14 starts, so he's unlikely to receive a look during the playoffs for Philadelphia.

Priester (3-3) took the loss Saturday, allowing four runs on 10 hits and one walk over 5.1 innings against the Marlins. He struck out three.

Priester got off to a rough start, surrendering a leadoff double to Jorge Soler to start the game, along with two more singles and a run in the first inning. He would go on to allow another three more runs on the day, with the last two coming home after the right-hander was relieved by Dauri Moreta with one out in the sixth. Priester allowed a season-high 10 hits in the contest while it marked the fifth time in his last six starts in which he gave up at least four runs.

Dodd was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett to start Sunday's regular-season finale against the Nationals, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

The 25-year-old was previously announced as Atlanta's probable starter for Sunday, and he's now officially been added to the MLB roster. Dodd has a 7.62 ERA, 1.94 WHIP and 14:11 K:BB across 28.1 innings (six starts) this season, but he'll receive a chance to end the campaign on a positive note with game No. 162 being meaningless for Atlanta.

Ryu did not factor into the decision Saturday, allowing two runs on seven hits over three innings against the Rays. He struck out one and did not issue any walks.

Ryu got knocked around early, giving up one run on three hits in the first inning as the Rays took an early lead. He would allow another four hits over the next two frames before being relieved by Trevor Richards to open the fourth. The lefty has now failed to make it through five innings in three consecutive starts, allowing six or more hits in each of those outings. Ryu also recorded just one strikeout on the day, which marked his season low.

Lauer (4-6) took the loss Saturday, allowing eight runs on nine hits and four walks over four innings against the Cubs. He struck out two.

Chicago handed Lauer a rude welcome in his first big-league appearance since being demoted to Triple-A in June as the Cubs tallied six runs in the opening frame on three home runs. The 28-year-old southpaw surrendered two more scores in the fourth and will close the chapter on a disappointing 2023 campaign with a 4-6 record, 6.56 ERA, 1.67 WHIP and 43:24 K:BB, while serving up 16 home runs in just 46.2 innings this season.

Adon did not factor into the decision Saturday, allowing three runs on six hits and two walks over four innings in a 5-3 loss against Atlanta. He struck out five.

Adon turned in another brief start, failing to go more than five innings for a sixth consecutive outing while yielding three runs. Over that stretch (27.2 innings), Adon posted a 7.48 ERA and 28:18 K:BB with an 0-4 record.

Wicks allowed six runs on six hits across 1.2 innings and did not factor into the decision Saturday against the Brewers. He walked one and struck out one.

Wicks allowed a pair of home runs and was yanked after tossing 44 pitches, but Chicago still managed to win 10-6. This was the young lefty's worst start of his rookie season, as he came into the contest having allowed only 11 earned runs across his first 33 innings. The poor outing pushed his ERA from 3.00 to 4.41, though it was still a promising debut for Wicks. He should have the inside track on a rotation spot to begin the 2024 season.

Strider (20-5) earned the win Saturday, allowing three runs on six hits and three walks over five innings against the Nationals. He struck out seven.

Strider closed out the 2023 regular season on a high note Saturday, posting a quality start and fanning seven batters en route to his 20th win of the campaign. While the 24-year-old allowed three or more runs in five of his last six starts, Strider managed to finish 2023 with a 3.86 ERA and 281:58 K:BB across 186.2 innings while leading the league in wins and strikeouts.

Crawford did not factor into the decision Saturday, allowing one hit over six scoreless innings against the Orioles. He struck out seven.

Crawford dominated the Orioles, allowing just one baserunner across six scoreless frames. The outing capped off a career year for Crawford, who set a new best in ERA (4.04) and collected a 135:36 K:BB across 31 appearances (129.1 innings).