Bauers will start in left field and bat eighth in Thursday's NLCS Game 3 versus the Dodgers.

Bauers drew the start in left field in Game 2 and went 0-for-3 at the dish, but he'll get another opportunity in Game 3 as the series moves to Los Angeles. The 30-year-old Bauers was one of the Brewers' best hitters down the stretch of the regular season, slashing .360/.458/.560 with a pair of home runs in September. He's gone 3-for-8 with one home run, one double and a 1:1 BB:K in four games this postseason.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Thursday that Jones is "in the conversation" to be an everyday major-leaguer next season, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Jones slashed .274/.362/.571 with 35 home runs and 29 stolen bases between Double-A Somerset and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2025. However, he also had a 35.4 percent strikeout rate, and he finished with a .663 OPS over the final two months. With his power and speed, the fantasy upside with Jones is huge, but it's unlikely the Yankees will hand him a starting job right away next season, given his swing-and-miss concerns.

Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said Thursday he would be "surprised" if Alvarado (forearm) is not back next season, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

The Phillies have a $9.5 million club option on Alvarado for 2026, and while Dombrowski did not confirm the option would be exercised, it seems that is the most likely scenario. Alvarado served an 80-game PED suspension and also missed time late in the year with a forearm injury, resulting in him appearing in only 28 games. The lefty remained effective when on the bump, posting a 3.81 ERA and 32:7 K:BB over 26 innings. It's not clear whether the forearm issue will affect Alvarado's offseason throwing, but Dombrowski did not mention any health concerns with the reliever moving forward.

Ashby will serve as the Brewers' opening pitcher in Thursday's Game 3 of the NLCS against the Dodgers, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Ashby tossed a scoreless frame as the opener in NLCS Game 1 and will get another opportunity to open in Game 3 as the series moves to Los Angeles. He's expected to be followed by Jacob Misiorowski, who is in line to eat up most of the innings for the Brewers as a bulk reliever.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Thursday he expects Dominguez to play regularly next season, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Boone currently envisions Dominguez as the team's primary left fielder, though he made that statement with the caveat that he will have to see how the offseason goes before making any definitive declarations. Dominguez led the club with 93 starts in left field during the 2025 regular season, but he had a diminished role over the final two months and finished with an uninspiring .257/.331/.388 batting line across 429 plate appearances.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone confirmed Thursday that Cole (elbow) will not be ready for the start of the 2026 season, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reports.

Cole had Tommy John surgery with internal bracing in March, so the expectation has been that he will begin the 2026 season on the injured list. The hope is that his absence will be brief, but a clearer picture of his timeline will be available at a later date. Cole has begun throwing on flat ground but has yet to progress to mound work.

Volpe (shoulder) will begin next season on the injured list, Deesha Thosar of Fox Sports reports.

Volpe underwent surgery Tuesday to repair a partially torn labrum in his left shoulder, an injury that he initially suffered in early May. The expectation is he will be ready to hit at the start of February, but he will not be allowed to dive on his surgically repaired shoulder until April or so. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman noted Thursday he expects Volpe back sometime in April or, in a worst-case scenario, May, Greg Joyce of the New York Post reports. Per the Talkin' Yanks podcast by Jomboy Media, manager Aaron Boone said Thursday that, once recovered, Volpe will be "right in the mix" to serve as the team's starting shortstop to begin 2026. Jose Caballero is likely to serve in that role until Volpe is ready, and there are no guarantees Volpe gets the job back after he slashed .212/.272/.391 with 19 home runs and 18 stolen bases over 153 regular-season contests in 2025.

Judge recently underwent an MRI on his right elbow, and it's been determined he will not require surgery, Deesha Thosar of Fox Sports reports.

Judge needed a brief stint on the injured list after being diagnosed with a flexor strain in late July, and he was limited to designated-hitter duty for a month upon his return. However, the injury has either already healed or is on track to do so without surgery, and Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Thursday that he expects Judge to be ready to serve as the team's full-time right fielder next season.

Rodon underwent surgery Wednesday to remove loose bodies and shave down a bone spur in his left elbow, Jorge Castillo of ESPN.com reports.

Rodon will not be allowed to throw for eight weeks and the operation "probably delays him" to begin the 2026 season, Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Thursday. It sounds like the left-hander should be ready to make his season debut sometime in April, but a firmer timetable for Rodon's return will not be known for a while. The southpaw won a career-high 18 games during the 2025 regular season, finishing with a 3.09 ERA and 203:73 K:BB over 195.1 innings.

Alcantara will undergo core-muscle surgery Thursday, Andy Martinez of Marquee Sports Network reports.

The expectation is that Alcantara will have a relatively normal offseason and report to spring training in full health. Alcantara has seen spot duty with the Cubs each of the last two seasons, going 5-for-21 at the dish. The 23-year-old slashed .266/.349/.470 with 17 home runs and 10 stolen bases over 102 contests in 2025 at Triple-A Iowa. Alcantara is out of minor-league options, so he's likely to make the Cubs' Opening Day roster in 2026, though it could be as a reserve outfielder.