MLB Player News

Sale (wrist) opted into the final two years of his five-year, $145 million contract Tuesday, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.

If Sale had been healthy over the first few years of his deal, he may have decided to head back to the open market ahead of his age-34 season, but he simply hasn't been able to stay on the field. He's only made 11 total starts through the first three years of his contract, with Tommy John surgery wiping out all of his 2020 season and most of 2021 before a series of injuries limited him to just two outings in 2022. He's expected to be recovered from wrist surgery (on his non-throwing arm) by spring training and will attempt to be a much more significant contributor next season.

Javier will start Game 4 of the World Series against Philadelphia on Wednesday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

There were initial conversations that Javier wasn't a sure thing to start Game 4 if Monday's Game 3 were to be rained out, but after MLB confirmed Monday's postponement, the Astros were quick to confirm that Javier would toe the rubber Wednesday night in Game 4. He's set to face off against Aaron Nola in Philadelphia.

McCullers will not make his scheduled start Monday night in Game 3 of the World Series against the Phillies, as the game has been postponed due to rain.

The Astros quickly announced that McCullers will simply have his start pushed back by a day, as Game 3 is now scheduled for Tuesday evening. The team then expects to turn to Cristian Javier in Game 4, Justin Verlander in Game 5 and Framber Valdez in Game 6, if needed.

Wheeler is scheduled to start Game 6 of the World Series against the Astros, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.

The Phillies watched Wheeler's velocity dip during his last outing and have elected to give their ace an extra day of rest. Philadelphia is expected to start Ranger Suarez in Game 3, Aaron Nola in Game 4 and either Noah Syndergaard or Kyle Gibson in Game 5 if all goes according to plan.

Syndergaard won't make his scheduled start in Monday's Game 3 of the World Series against Houston, as the game has been postponed due to rain.

Game 3 will now be played Tuesday, and the team has already confirmed that Ranger Suarez will be the one toeing the rubber. Syndergaard is now scheduled to start Game 5, per Matt Gelb of The Athletic, which is set to take place Thursday.

Javier isn't guaranteed to start Game 4 on Wednesday if a Monday rainout pushes Game 3 back to Tuesday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Those delays would line up Justin Verlander on regular rest for Wednesday's Game 4. Of course, Javier excelled against the Yankees in the ALCS and Manager Dusty Baker said he's "undecided" about who'd start. If Monday's Game 3 is played, Javier appears locked in to start Game 4 on Tuesday.

McCullers will start Game 3 of the World Series against the Phillies on Monday.

He will pitch opposite Noah Syndergaard in his first appearance since throwing five innings against the Yankees on Oct. 23. McCullers has given up three earned runs on 10 hits and three walks while striking out 13 over 11 innings in two postseason starts.

Syndergaard will start Game 3 of the World Series against the Astros on Monday.

He has thrown 5.1 innings across three appearances this postseason, with his three innings Oct. 15 against Atlanta representing his postseason high. Syndergaard has given up one run on three hits and a walk while striking out four over that span. He is pitching opposite Lance McCullers and will presumably turn the ball over to the bullpen after one turn through the order, if not earlier.

Valdez pitched 6.1 innings and earned the win during Saturday's 5-2 win over the Phillies in Game 2 of the World Series, allowing one run on four hits and three walks while striking out nine.

Valdez gave the Astros a much-needed performance in Game 2, keeping the red-hot Phillies' lineup off the scoreboard until the seventh inning. The 28-year-old had great control with his curveball Saturday, and he recorded five of his nine K's via the breaking ball. Valdez has been outstanding in the playoffs -- he has allowed only three earned runs in 19 innings during the postseason while amassing 24 strikeouts. The southpaw finished the regular season at 17-6 with a 2.82 ERA, but he looks even better in the playoffs.

Wheeler pitched five innings and took the loss during Saturday's 5-2 defeat to the Astros in Game 2 of the World Series, allowing five runs (four earned) on six hits and three walks while striking out three.

Wheeler had a rough start to Game 2, allowing three consecutive doubles in a three-run first inning. The 32-year-old was able to settle down and recorded two outs in the fifth inning before giving up a two-run blast to Alex Bregman, making the score 5-0. This was the first start of the postseason where Wheeler did not pitch six innings, and the five runs that scored while he was on the mound matched the total runs allowed in his last four starts combined. He is now 1-2 in the postseason with a 2.67 ERA across 30.1 innings. On a positive note, Wheeler threw only 69 pitches, so he has a chance to make an impact later on in the World Series.