MLB Player News

Smith will start Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series against the Astros on Tuesday, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

Smith is no stranger to working multiple innings, so the length of his start will likely depend on how he fares. He opened a game for the White Sox on Sept. 10, firing two scoreless frames against the Pirates while striking out three. Hagen ended the regular season with a 1.29 ERA and 0.96 WHIP with a 41:16 K:BB across 28.0 innings.

Judge (calf) logged four at-bats during a live batting practice session Monday, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.

Phillips notes that Judge struck out once, drew a pair of walks and hit a comebacker to the pitcher during his time at the dish. While it's a positive sign that he was able to log several at-bats against live pitching, he didn't participate in any on-field running or fielding. The slugger's availability is still up in the air heading into Game 1 of the Yankees' wild-card series against the Red Sox. Judge hasn't appeared in a game since suffering a right calf strain Sept. 16 against Minnesota.

Stanton (calves) ran the bases at Yankee Stadium on Monday in addition to taking live batting practice, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.

Stanton hasn't played in a game since late April, first due to a right calf strain and later because of a strain to his left calf. However, he's improved enough that he's under consideration for the Yankees' wild-card roster versus the Red Sox.

Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young said Monday that Seager could require minor offseason surgery for a bone spur in his elbow "that he's dealt with for a few months," Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.

It's not a given that Seager will choose the surgical route, but if he does, the expectation is that he will be fully recovered in time for the start of spring training. Injuries limited Seager to 102 games for the second season in a row, and he regressed at the plate year-over-year, finishing with a .227/.312/.424 batting line with 20 home runs during the 2026 campaign.

Blubaugh will start for the Astros on Tuesday in Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series versus the White Sox, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Blubaugh is capable of covering multiple innings, but it will be a bullpen game for the Astros. The right-hander made 64 appearances for Houston this season in a relief role, collecting a 3.66 ERA and 94:42 K:BB over 96 frames. Hunter Brown will get the ball on normal rest for the Astros in Game 2 on Wednesday.

Burrows (elbow/shoulder) is considered healthy and could be included on the Astros' wild-card series roster versus the White Sox, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Burrows initially landed on the injured list in mid-July with right elbow inflammation, and he later came down with shoulder inflammation. The right-hander has since recovered from those injuries, and Houston is mulling the possibility of adding Burrows to its postseason roster. Burrows has logged an ugly 5.99 ERA and 75:35 K:BB over 94.2 innings in the majors this season and has made only one game appearance over the past month, which gives you an idea as to the state of the Astros' pitching staff that they're considering adding him to the mix.

Okert (hamstring) threw a bullpen session Monday and could be included on the Astros' wild-card series roster against the White Sox, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Okert has been shelved since early September with a right hamstring strain, but it sounds like the Astros could get one of their better relievers back in time for the playoffs. The left-hander has logged a 2.13 ERA, 0.87 WHIP and 68:14 K:BB over 67.2 innings this season.

Judge (calf) said Monday that he's been "feeling great" while running on an anti-gravity treadmill but has yet to try running the bases, Jorge Castillo of ESPN.com reports.

Judge plans to do some more running on the anti-gravity treadmill Monday and could try running outside, as well. The slugger was also scheduled to take live batting practice on the field. Judge is aiming to be included on the Yankees' wild-card series roster despite suffering a moderate right calf strain less than two weeks ago. If he is on the roster, it could be in a designated hitter role.

Angels interim general manager John Mozeliak said Monday that Trout approached him about playing left field and designated hitter next season, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Trout logged 109 starts in center field and 33 at DH in 2026, but defensive metrics were again unkind as the 35-year-old finished with a minus-5 in Outs Above Average, per Baseball Savant. The three-time American League MVP's 142 games played in 2026 was his highest total since 2016, but he was more good than great offensively, slashing .242/.382/.421 with 22 home runs, 54 RBI and 11 steals.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that Judge (calf) is "making progress" and will take live batting practice Monday, Brendan Kuty of The Athletic reports.

Judge did some hitting and throwing indoors Sunday and will hit on the field Monday. The three-time American League MVP has pledged to be ready for the wild-card series matchup against the Red Sox, though the Yankees have not committed to Judge being healthy enough to be included on the roster. Judge suffered a moderate right calf strain less than two weeks ago.