MLB Player News
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Marcus Stroman SP | NYY
Yankees' Marcus Stroman: Cracks ALCS roster
Stroman is on the Yankees' roster for the ALCS versus the Guardians.
Stroman was left off the ALDS roster but will be carried on the ALCS roster as a long reliever. The veteran right-hander posted a 4.31 ERA and 113:60 K:BB over 154.2 innings during the regular season, covering 29 starts and one relief appearance.
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Anthony Rizzo 1B | NYY
Yankees' Anthony Rizzo: Included on ALCS roster
Rizzo (fingers) is on the Yankees' roster for the ALCS against the Guardians.
Rizzo suffered two fractured fingers on his right hand during the second-to-last game of the regular season, but he has been cleared for game action barely more than two weeks after the incident. The 35-year-old will regain his starting job at first base, shifting Oswaldo Cabrera and Jon Berti to bench roles.
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Pedro Avila RP | CLE
Guardians' Pedro Avila: Makes Cleveland's ALCS roster
Avila is on the Guardians' roster for the ALCS versus the Yankees, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.
Avila was not on Cleveland's ALDS roster, but after it used its bullpen heavily against the Tigers it makes sense to add some more relief protection. The 27-year-old Avila is capable of pitching multiple innings, having tallied 74.2 frames over 50 appearances while posting a 3.25 ERA during the regular season for the Guardians.
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Angel Martinez SS | CLE
Guardians' Angel Martinez: Not on ALCS roster
Martinez is not on the Guardians' roster for the ALCS against the Yankees, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.
Martinez was on the ALDS roster as an injury replacement for Tyler Freeman (oblique) but saw just one plate appearance during the series. The Guardians have elected to carry another reliever, Pedro Avila, instead.
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Kerry Carpenter RF | DET
Tigers' Kerry Carpenter: Logs three ABs off bench in Game 5
Carpenter (hamstring) entered Saturday's 7-3 loss to the Guardians in Game 5 of the ALDS in the top of the fifth inning and went 1-for-3 with an RBI.
Carpenter exited the Tigers' Game 4 loss with a left hamstring injury and was viewed as a game-time decision leading up to the series finale, but he was ultimately excluded from the lineup. However, manager A.J. Hinch's choice not to start the left-handed-hitting Carpenter might have made more to do with the matchup against Guardians southpaw Matthew Boyd than the hamstring injury. Carpenter stepped in as a pinch hitter for designated hitter Justyn-Henry Malloy in the fifth inning, with Boyd having already departed the game by that point. Though Carpenter's hamstring issue may have prevented him from playing the outfield had the Tigers advanced to the ALCS, he'll now have the entire winter to move past the injury. He should be back to 100 percent well before spring training.
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Tanner Bibee SP | CLE
Guardians' Tanner Bibee: Tabbed to start Game 2 of ALCS
Bibee has been confirmed to start Game 2 of the American League Championship Series against the Yankees, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.
Bibee's most recent start came in Game 4 of the ALDS versus Detroit, when he allowed two runs on four hits and two walks while striking out three batters over four innings. The right-hander also started Game 1 of that series and fared better, tossing 4.2 scoreless frames with six punchouts and one walk. Bibee will be opposed by Yankees ace Gerrit Cole in the second game of the ALCS.
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Alex Cobb SP | CLE
Guardians' Alex Cobb: Will start Game 1 of ALCS
Cobb has been named the starter for Game 1 of the American League Championship Series versus the Yankees, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.
Cobb was able to start only three games during the regular season, though he was effective with a 2.76 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 10:3 K:BB over 16.1 innings. The right-hander started Game 3 of the ALDS versus Detroit and took the loss, allowing two runs on three hits and one walk while striking out two batters over three frames. That was his first outing since Sept. 1, so Cobb may not be ready to handle a full workload -- he exited after 41 pitches in his ALDS start.
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Anthony Rizzo 1B | NYY
Yankees' Anthony Rizzo: Could return for ALCS
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Sunday that Rizzo (finger) could be on New York's ALCS roster, Meredith Marakovits of YES Network reports.
Rizzo fractured two fingers on his right hand late in the regular season and wasn't part of the Yankees' roster for their ALDS victory versus Kansas City. He resumed baseball activities in early October and is set to ramp up further Sunday, per Boone, but his inclusion on the ALCS roster is far from a certainty. If he does return for the series against the Guardians, he would likely take over the starting role at first base, which was handled twice each by Oswaldo Cabrera and Jon Berti during the ALDS.