Cortes (elbow) played catch Sunday, which went well according to Yankees' pitching coach Matt Blake, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.

Cortes is working his way back from a left elbow flexor strain, and he's hopeful to pitch in the ALCS if New York is able to advance. His ability to throw with no issues Sunday is promising, and his next step will depend on how he responds Monday.

Verdugo is expected to start in left field in Game 2 of the ALDS versus Kansas City on Monday, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Verdugo started in Game 1 and came through with a big performance, going 2-for-3 with a walk, two runs and an RBI. His seventh-inning RBI single broke a 5-5 tie, providing what proved to be the winning run. Verdugo's expected start in Game 2 seems to indicate that he's currently the preferred option in left field over rookie Jasson Dominguez, as the Yankees are electing to deploy the lefty-hitting Verdugo over the switch-hitting Dominguez against southpaw Cole Ragans.

Cortes (elbow) is slated to play catch Sunday, Jorge Castillo of ESPN.com reports.

Cortes is still hoping to be able to pitch at some point in the postseason if the Yankees are able to advance past the ALDS. The southpaw is dealing with a left elbow flexor strain and wasn't included on New York's roster for the divisional series. Cortes was pitching well before going down with the injury, giving up just one run over 15.1 innings while posting an 18:7 K:BB during his final three starts.

Cabrera is starting at first base and batting eighth in Saturday's Game 1 of the ALDS against Kansas City.

Cabrera played primarily at third base during the regular season but made five starts at first. Jazz Chisholm is locked into the starting role at the hot corner for the postseason, so Cabrera is needed much more at first base with Anthony Rizzo left off the roster due to a pair of fractured fingers. Ben Rice is also on the team's ALDS roster as an option at first base.

Ellis is included on the Yankees' roster for the American League Division Series versus the Royals.

Ellis played in just 11 games between the White Sox and Yankees in the regular season and logged just five plate appearances. However, he came in handy as a base stealer, notching five thefts in as many attempts. Ellis ended the campaign in the minors and will likely be used almost exclusively as a pinch runner during the divisional round.

Stroman is not on the Yankees' roster for the ALDS against Kansas City.

Stroman struggled during the regular season, posting a 4.31 ERA and 1.47 WHIP over 154.2 innings. He was briefly moved to the bullpen in mid-September but returned to a starting role for his final appearance of the campaign after Nestor Cortes (elbow) landed on the injured list. The Yankees aren't likely to need more than four starters in the ALDS, and the team elected to roll with Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt ahead of Stroman.

Freeman is included on the Guardians' roster for the ALDS versus Detroit.

Freeman ended the regular season in the minors after struggling to a .209/.305/.321 slash line throughout the campaign. His inclusion on the ALDS roster gives Cleveland added versatility, as Freeman made at least one start at second base, third base, shortstop and center field this season. Freeman also gives the team speed off the bench -- he stole 11 bags in 17 attempts during the campaign.

Brennan is not in Cleveland's lineup for Game 1 of the American League Division Series versus Detroit.

Brennan started all three games during the Guardians' final series of the regular season against Houston, playing twice in right field and once in left field. However, Jhonkensy Noel will start in right field in the first game of the ALDS while Steven Kwan gets the start in left. Brennan plays mostly against right-handed pitchers, and Detroit is opening Game 1 with southpaw Tyler Holton, which likely explains Brennan's exclusion from the lineup. However, Brennan could enter the game at some point, as righty Reese Olson is expected to work in bulk relief Saturday.

Cousins (pectoral) was activated off the 15-day injured list Saturday ahead of Game 1 of the American League Division Series versus Kansas City, per MLB's transaction log.

Cousins finished the regular season on the injured list due to a pectoral strain but was able to toss a series of bullpen sessions ahead of the playoffs. The right-hander was able to prove his health and will serve as a relief option for New York against the Royals. Cousins has posted a 2.37 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 53:20 K:BB while logging eight holds and one save over 38 innings this season.

Noel is starting in right field and batting seventh Saturday against Detroit in Game 1 of the ALDS.

Will Brennan got the start in right field in two of the Guardians' final three regular-season games, but Noel is getting the call for the first game of the ALDS against the Tigers. Detroit is slated to use left-hander Tyler Holton as the opener in the contest, and righty Reese Olson is expected to follow in bulk relief. Noel batted .246 against southpaws and just .205 versus righties during the regular season.