MLB Player News

The Red Sox added Mead (wrist) to their wild-card series roster Wednesday, Jorge Castillo of ESPN.com reports.

Mead will be replacing Roman Anthony, who suffered a hand injury Tuesday and is now ineligible to play until the ALCS, should Boston advance that far. Mead has spent the past two months working his way back from a fractured wrist he suffered during his first game with the Red Sox, though the fact that he's been added to the wild-card roster suggests that he's feeling well enough to play. He'll remain on the bench to begin Game 2 against the Yankees but could be available to pinch hit.

Anthony will be removed from Boston's wild-card series roster after an MRI showed an aggravation of his previous right hand injury, as well as multiple new strains, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Anthony was injured on a check-swing and had to be removed from Tuesday's Game 1 loss to the Yankees. He drove back to Boston after the contest for imaging, which revealed the bad news. Anthony is now ineligible to play before the ALCS, and there's a good chance he is done for the rest of the postseason, regardless of how far the Red Sox advance. Manager Chad Tracy said that Anthony Seigler and Curtis Mead (hand) are the top candidates to take Anthony's spot on the roster.

Paredes (knee) will start at designated hitter and bat third Wednesday in Game 2 of the wild-card series versus the White Sox.

Per Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle, Paredes has been dealing with left knee soreness after fouling a ball off his leg. However, while he will not man his usual third base, Paredes is feeling well enough to hit. Nick Allen will handle the hot corner.

Trammell is not in the lineup Wednesday for Game 2 of the wild-card series against the White Sox.

Trammell started in left field in Game 1 but was removed after just one plate appearance following a sacrifice bunt. With Yordan Alvarez playing left field in Game 2, Trammell will begin the festivities on the bench.

Duran is absent from the lineup Wednesday for Game 2 of the wild-card series against the Yankees.

The left-handed-hitting Duran was regularly out of the lineup versus lefty hurlers, so it's not a surprise he's sitting out as the Yankees send southpaw Max Fried to the mound. Nate Eaton will play left field, and Jahmai Jones will be Boston's designated hitter in Game 2.

Anthony (hand) is not in the lineup Wednesday for Game 2 of the wild-card series versus the Yankees.

Anthony exited Game 1 on Tuesday after experiencing soreness in his right hand, which is the same hand that was injured and caused him to miss a good portion of the regular season. While Anthony remains on the roster for now, he will begin Wednesday's contest on the bench. Nate Eaton will play left field, and Jahmai Jones will be the designated hitter and leadoff man for the Red Sox.

Rays manager Kevin Cash said Wednesday that Wells (forearm) "looked really good" in a throwing session Tuesday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Wells has been sidelined for the pat two weeks with right forearm tightness, but he has a good chance to be cleared to be on the Rays' ALDS roster. The righty reliever has been excellent this season in 57 appearances between the Orioles and Rays, logging a 2.38 ERA and 72:18 K:BB over 72 frames.

Varsho underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left wrist Tuesday, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Varsho has dealt with chronic inflammation in his wrist caused by cysts, and he opted to have those cysts removed Tuesday. The operation will prevent Varsho from being an option for the Astros during the postseason, but he should be fine in time for spring training. An impending free agent, Varsho slashed .221/.281/.355 with 12 home runs and 12 stolen bases over 140 games this season between the Blue Jays and Astros.

Smith didn't factor in the decision in Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series against the Astros on Tuesday. He allowed two hits with one strikeout and no walks over three innings.

The left-hander served as the opener for Tuesday's bullpen game and pitched more than two frames in an appearance for the second time this year. Smith's first campaign in the big leagues has been a major success, as he finished the regular season with a 1.29 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 41:16 K:BB across 28 innings. He'll surely be unavailable for Game 2 on Wednesday after tossing 38 pitches in the series opener.

Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said Wednesday that the team has yet to decide whether Miles will be used as a starting pitcher or reliever next season, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports.

Miles made eight starts and 41 relief appearances during his rookie season with the Blue Jays, logging a 2.63 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 93:25 K:BB over 95.2 innings. The righty didn't pitch at all in 2023 while recovering from Tommy John surgery, and he threw a total of just 16 innings from 2024-to-2025. It would be a significant workload increase in 2027 if the Blue Jays did decide to use Miles as a starter, and his ultimate role could depend on what Toronto does in terms of rotation additions over the offseason.