MLB Player News

Pfaadt will start Game 1 of the National League Wild Card Series against the Brewers on Sunday, Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com reports.

Pfaadt was inconsistent over the final month of the regular season but was effective in his final regular-season start, striking out eight in 5.2 scoreless innings to earn the win over the White Sox. He'll face a tougher test against the Brewers but will have a chance to prove himself in the postseason as the Diamondbacks attempt to gain an early advantage in the series.

Urena did not factor into the decision, allowing four hits and three walks over six scoreless innings in Sunday's 2-1 loss to the Padres. He struck out three.

Urena finished the season on a high note, working his way through the Padres lineup without difficulty. The right-hander finished his season with a 6.45 ERA and 1.61 WHIP across 44.2 innings with 29 strikeouts. Urena is expected to look for a new contract in free agency this winter.

Greene (4-7) surrendered four runs on nine hits and a walk while striking out six over five innings to take the loss Sunday versus the Cardinals.

The Cardinals tagged him for one run in the second inning and three more in the third, and that was enough for Greene to take the loss. The right-hander allowed 16 runs (15 earned) over 26.2 innings across his last five starts of the campaign. He finished the year with a 4.82 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 152:48 K:BB through 112 innings across 22 starts. It's a small step back from his 4.44 ERA in 125.2 innings in 2022. The hard-throwing 24-year-old is still likely to feature in the Reds' rotation in 2024, but he could benefit from further development of his changeup to improve his arsenal -- opposing hitters slugged .500 against that pitch and .515 on his fastball in 2023.

Houser (8-5) allowed three hits and two walks over five scoreless frames Sunday, striking out five and picking up a win over the Cubs.

Houser worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the first inning and steered clear of danger for the rest of his outing. It was his first scoreless start since May 24. He's given up two or fewer earned runs in five of his last six starts, registering a 3.21 ERA during that span. Houser turned in a 4.12 ERA and a 96:34 K:BB through 111.1 innings during his 2023 regular season.

Mikolas (9-13) allowed three runs on seven hits and struck out 10 without walking a batter over seven innings to earn the win Sunday over the Reds.

Mikolas matched his season high with 10 strikeouts. He logged quality starts in his last two outings of the season after an inconsistent campaign overall, which saw the veteran right-hander post a 4.78 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 137:39 K:BB across 201.1 innings. Mikolas is under contract for 2024, so he should be a mid-rotation starter for the Cardinals after enduring the worst of his five years with the club in 2023.

Hill (8-14) picked up the win in Sunday's 2-1 extra-inning game against the White Sox. He allowed one run on two hits while striking out three over two innings.

This was Hill's second appearance out of the bullpen since going unclaimed on waivers Sept. 14, and his first win since he was starting for the Pirates in June. The southpaw wrapped his season with a 5.41 ERA and 1.52 WHIP across 146.1 innings with 129 strikeouts. The 43-year-old Hill enters free agency with uncertainty regarding his future; however, his 3.38 ERA in a limited sample of 10 innings as a reliever may be enticing enough to teams looking to bolster their bullpen with a multi-inning arm.

Seabold allowed two runs on six hits and a walk over four innings in Sunday's win against the Twins. He struck out five and did not factor in the decision,

Seabold coughed up two runs in the second inning before turning in three scoreless frames. He entered the contest after Brent Suter threw one inning as the opener. Seabold yielded 13 runs over 9.2 MLB innings after the calendar turned to August and ended his 2023 campaign with a 7.52 ERA across 87.1 frames.

Butto (1-4) allowed two runs on five hits and two walks while striking out four over six innings, taking the loss Sunday versus the Phillies.

Butto earned his third quality start of the season but was once again let down by his offense. The right-hander allowed two or fewer runs in all but two of his nine appearances (seven starts), but he came away with just one win. He finishes 2023 with a 3.64 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 38:23 K:BB over 42 major-league innings.

Ober allowed one run on two hits over 6.2 innings during Sunday's loss to Colorado. He struck out nine and did not factor in the decision.

Ober was terrific aside from coughing up a solo shot to Nolan Jones in the fourth inning. Ober matched his season high with nine punchouts while forcing a season-high 22 whiffs. He gave up two or fewer runs in each of his final four starts of the regular season, registering a 2.08 ERA and a 26:3 K:BB during that stretch. Ober ended the year with a strong 3.43 ERA and 146:29 K:BB through 144.1 innings.

Kirby (13-10) allowed three hits and struck out seven without walking a batter over six shutout innings to earn the win Sunday versus the Rangers.

While the Mariners came up short in pursuit of a playoff spot, Kirby still took the hill and turned in a gem for his final start of the year. He won his last three starts of the campaign, allowing just three runs over 19 innings in that span. The 25-year-old right-hander ends 2023 with a strong 3.35 ERA as well as a 1.04 WHIP and 165:19 K:BB over 190.2 innings across 31 starts. His 0.9 BB/9 was by far the best among qualified starters this season -- Tampa Bay's Zach Eflin was next closest with a 1.2 BB/9.