MLB Player News
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Michael King RP | SD
Padres' Michael King: Left out of wild-card rotation
Padres manager Mike Shildt said Monday that King will be available out of the bullpen for the National League Wild Card Series against the Cubs, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.
Nick Pivetta and Dylan Cease will start Games 1 and 2, respectively, and Yu Darvish is in line to take the ball in a potential Game 3. King was limited to only five starts from late May on due to shoulder and knee problems, and he posted a 6.11 ERA and 12:9 K:BB over 17.2 innings in those outings. The righty could be added back to the rotation if the Padres advance to the NLDS, but he'll be assigned to the bullpen for the wild-card round.
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Lucas Giolito SP | BOS
Red Sox's Lucas Giolito: Out for wild card with elbow issue
Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Monday that Giolito is dealing with a right elbow injury and will not be on the team's American League Wild Card Series roster against the Yankees, Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald reports.
If healthy, Giolito would have started a potential Game 3. Instead, he is headed to visit with Dr. Jeffrey Dugas, who performed the right-hander's March 2024 internal brace surgery. More clarity on Giolito's possible availability for later playoff rounds could be available following that exam. Connelly Early would now seem to be the favorite to start a potential Game 3 against the Yankees, though Cora declined Monday to divulge who would pitch that contest.
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Corbin Burnes SP | ARI
Diamondbacks' Corbin Burnes: Aiming for July return
Burnes (elbow) said Monday that he's hoping to be ready to rejoin the Diamondbacks' rotation sometime in July next season, Jack Janes of Cronkite News reports.
Burnes underwent Tommy John surgery in June, so a season debut next July, while optimistic, is possible. The pace of Burnes' rehab will ultimately be dictated by the team, and it's unclear whether the Diamondbacks have the same midseason goal as the pitcher. Burnes finished the 2025 season with a 2.66 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 63:26 K:BB across 64.1 innings.
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Hunter Greene SP | CIN
Reds' Hunter Greene: Confirmed for Game 1 on Tuesday
Greene will start Game 1 of the National League Wild Card Series against the Dodgers on Tuesday.
The Reds left open the possibility of using Greene out of the bullpen Sunday in the final game of the regular season, but once that didn't happen, he became the obvious choice to take the ball in Game 1. Greene collected a 2.76 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 132:26 K:BB over 107.2 innings covering 19 starts this season. He'll be opposed by Blake Snell on Tuesday.
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Cameron Schlittler P | NYY
Yankees' Cam Schlittler: Would start potential Game 3
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Monday that Schlittler would start Game 3 of the American League Wild Card Series versus the Red Sox on Thursday, if necessary, Meredith Marakovits of YES Network reports.
Schlittler solidified himself as the best option for a potential Game 3 by striking out nine over seven shutout innings against the Orioles in his final regular-season start. The rookie right-hander finished the campaign with a 2.96 ERA and 84:31 K:BB over 73 frames covering 14 starts. With Schlittler pegged for Game 3, Luis Gil and Will Warren will either be in the bullpen for the first round of the postseason or left off the roster.
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Grayson Rodriguez SP | LAA
Orioles' Grayson Rodriguez: Will ramp up throwing in October
Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias said Monday that Rodriguez (elbow) will begin ramping up his throwing program in October, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.
Rodriguez missed the entire 2025 season due to multiple issues with his pitching arm and eventually had a right elbow debridement to remove a bone spur in August. Barring setbacks, Rodriguez is expected to be ready for the beginning of spring training. Even if he stays healthy in 2026, Rodriguez is likely to have some workload restrictions in place following a lost season.
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Tyler Wells SP | BAL
Orioles' Tyler Wells: Expected to be in 2026 rotation
Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias said Monday that the team plans for Wells to be a starting pitcher next season, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.
It's possible Wells opens next season in the bullpen if the Orioles make multiple high-impact starting pitcher acquisitions this offseason, but the righty set himself up well to be a member of the 2026 rotation after collecting a 2.91 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 18:2 K:BB over 21.2 innings in four September starts following a return from UCL revision surgery. Because he's totaled just 62.1 frames over the last two seasons, Wells' workload will likely be monitored closely in 2026.
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Joe Elbis SP | ARI
Diamondbacks' Joe Elbis: No appearances in 2025
Elbis didn't make any appearances in the majors or minors during the 2025 season after the Diamondbacks placed him on the restricted list April 15.
After the Diamondbacks added Elbis to their 40-man roster last offseason, he was optioned to Double-A Amarillo early in spring training. The 23-year-old righty then opened the Texas League season on Amarillo's 7-day injured list before eventually reverting to the Diamondbacks' restricted list a few weeks later. Arizona hasn't shed any light on why Elbis didn't end up pitching at all this season, and the Diamondbacks will eventually need to add him back to the 40-man roster or designate him for assignment once he's formally reinstated.
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Nick Lodolo SP | CIN
Reds' Nick Lodolo: Makes relief appearance Sunday
Lodolo (groin) surrendered one earned run on two hits and two walks over one inning of relief in Sunday's 4-2 loss to the Brewers.
After exiting his start in Thursday's win over the Pirates due to a right groin injury, Lodolo received a clean bill of health following a bullpen session earlier Sunday, then was called upon to pitch in relief in a must-win game. Though the Reds ultimately came up short, they backdoored their way into the playoffs after the Mets lost to the Marlins later Sunday to cede the third and final wild-card spot to Cincinnati. Now that Lodolo has seemingly put the groin issue behind him, he could be in line to make a start during the Reds' three-game wild-card series versus the Dodgers that begins Tuesday.
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Cole Ragans RP | KC
Royals' Cole Ragans: Ends season on high note
Ragans didn't factor into the decision Sunday against the Athletics, allowing two hits and one walk over 4.1 scoreless innings. He struck out eight.
The left-hander was electric despite the short outing, piling up 17 swinging strikes on 72 pitches while leaning heavily on his fastball. He put together a particularly dominant stretch during which he struck out six of eight batters faced. Since returning from the injured list, Ragans has been exactly what the Royals hoped for, looking sharp across three outings. Over that span, he's delivered a 2.77 ERA, 0.77 WHIP and a 22:4 K:BB across 13 innings, showing not only that his strikeout ability remains intact but also that there are no lingering concerns about his durability or effectiveness heading into the offseason.