MLB Player News

Boyd has been named the starting pitcher for Tuesday's Game 1 of the National League Wild Card Series against the Padres, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports.

This was the expected move from the Cubs, who last deployed Boyd against Miami on Thursday, allowing him to line up for the start in Game 1 of the wild-card round. The southpaw pitched well in his last six outings of the regular season, posting a 3.28 ERA and 1.12 WHIP with 25 strikeouts over 35.2 innings.

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.

Steele (elbow) threw a bullpen session off the mound at Petco Park on Monday, John Fanta of NBC Sports reports.

It remains to be seen if Steele, who has spent the season recovering from UCL revision surgery and a flexor strain, will be added to the roster for Chicago's wild-card series against the Padres. If he is added to the roster prior to Tuesday's Game 1, he would presumably be deployed out of the bullpen.

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.

Wade announced his retirement from professional baseball Monday.

Wade inked a minor-league contract with the Rangers last winter but was released in April and never signed on anywhere else. The 31-year-old will finish his career having slashed .216/.294/.284 over parts of nine major-league seasons.