MLB Player News

German gave up two runs on one hit and two walks while striking out three over 1.1 innings against Tampa Bay on Friday.

The right-hander was activated from the injured list Sept. 22, but Friday marked his first appearance since July 31. The long layoff showed through his control, as German threw only half of his 32 pitches for strikes and walked a pair of batters. The two free passes came back to bite him when Wander Franco brought both runners home on a two-out, ninth-inning single. Given his long layoff and the Yankees' bullpen depth, German's odds of making the team's playoff roster -- should New York qualify for the postseason -- may be quite low.

Whitlock (pectoral) won't be reinstated from the 10-day injured list Saturday, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

Whitlock threw a bullpen session Friday, but he won't rejoin the active roster Saturday. Manager Alex Cora isn't yet sure whether the right-hander will be able to return Sunday, but it wouldn't be surprising to see him available for the postseason if the Red Sox secure a wild-card spot.

Houck will start Saturday's game against the Nationals, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

Houck has pitched out of the bullpen in each of his last three appearances, and he posted a 4.26 ERA and 1.42 WHIP in 6.1 innings during that time. He tossed two innings against the Orioles on Tuesday and will pitch on short rest in Saturday's matchup against Washington.

Gray pitched four innings against Arizona on Friday, surrendering seven runs on seven hits and no walks while striking out seven. He did not factor in the decision.

The veteran began the contest with a pair of scoreless innings before falling apart in the third. In that frame, Arizona swatted three homers and put up seven runs to take a 7-0 lead. Colorado came back to pull off the victory, however, and Gray was let off the hook. The seven runs were the most the veteran has given up in a single game this season, as were the trio of long balls. Assuming Gray doesn't take the mound again this weekend, he'll finish the campaign with an 8-12 record to go along with a 4.59 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 157:58 K:BB across 149 innings.

Lauer didn't factor into the decision Friday against the Dodgers after allowing five runs on six hits and two walks while fanning three across five innings.

Lauer had given up one run or fewer in each of his prior five starts, but the wheels came off in this one and he finished with his second-worst mark of the season when it comes to runs allowed. He was facing one of the best offenses in the National League, however, and this poor outing shouldn't erase the great job he's been doing on the mound of late. The southpaw will end the regular season with career-best marks in both ERA (3.19) and WHIP (1.14) across 24 appearances (20 starts).

Kershaw (forearm) said Friday that he's unlikely to pitch during the postseason, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

Kershaw was removed from Friday's win over the Brewers in the top of the second inning with left forearm discomfort. Manager Dave Roberts said the southpaw will undergo further testing Saturday, but he doesn't sound optimistic regarding the 33-year-old's postseason status. Kershaw made 22 starts during the regular season and recorded a 3.55 ERA and 1.02 WHIP in 121.2 innings.

Gonzales (10-6) was tagged with the loss Friday against the Angels after allowing two runs on three hits and two walks across six innings, fanning five. He also hit a batter.

Gonzales had to settle with an unfortunate loss due to the lack of run support, but the veteran ended the season on a strong note since he recorded five straight quality starts. The left-hander, who posted a 3.75 ERA since the beginning of September, ends the campaign with a 3.96 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP across 143.1 innings (25 starts), and he's now posted an ERA below the 4.00 threshold in each of his last three seasons, all of them with Seattle.

Suarez (8-8) earned the win Friday over Seattle after allowing one run on three hits and two walks across five innings, striking out five.

Suarez had given up three-plus runs in back-to-back appearances, but he closed out the season with a strong performance en route to his eighth win of the campaign. The 23-year-old southpaw finishes the year with a career-high 23 appearances (14 starts) while logging a 3.75 ERA and 1.23 WHIP through 98.1 innings, all of them being career-best marks.

Whitlock (pectoral) threw a bullpen session Friday.

The activity puts Whitlock in line to possibly pitch in a regular-season game either Saturday or Sunday, which would be a significant boost to a bullpen that's been tested over the last month. The Red Sox will monitor how Whitlock responds during the day Saturday before making a decision on subsequent steps.

DeSclafani (13-7) earned the win over San Diego on Friday, pitching five scoreless innings during which he allowed four hits and no walks while striking out three.

The right-hander breezed through his final regular-season start, tossing 48 of 71 pitches for strikes and capping his career-best campaign by notching his 13th victory. It's the first time in his seven seasons that DeSclafani has reached double-digit wins, and he also concludes the campaign with the best ERA (3.17) and WHIP (1.09) of his career. He was even better down the stretch, posting a 2.25 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 25:6 K:BB across his final six starts.