MLB Player News

Kittredge will serve as the opening pitcher in Game 2 of the NL Wild Card Series against the Padres on Wednesday, Jared Wyllys of AllCHGO.com reports.

Kittredge turned in a 3.32 ERA and 0.83 WHIP across 21.2 innings in the regular season with the Cubs while serving primarily as a high-leverage reliever. The 35-year-old righty will now be tasked with securing the first few outs of Wednesday's contest before presumably handing the game over to Shota Imanaga for bulk-relief work.

Hernandez will start in left field and bat eighth Tuesday in Game 1 of the National League Wild Card Series versus the Reds.

Michael Conforto was not included on the Dodgers' wild-card roster, and it's Hernandez who will get the first opportunity in left field against Hunter Greene and the Reds. Hernandez posted a .975 OPS with two home runs over his final eight regular-season contests and is a career .278/.353/.522 with 15 homers in 86 playoff games.

Hays (back) will start in left field and bat cleanup Tuesday in Game 1 of the National League Wild Card Series versus the Dodgers.

It's Hays' first start since Sept. 20, as he's been battling back spasms. He was able to see action as a pinch hitter in the final game of the regular season Sunday and will hit in the middle of the lineup against Blake Snell in the Dodgers as the Reds kick off postseason play.

Vest pitched around one hit over 1.1 scoreless frames to notch a save in Tuesday's 2-1 victory over the Guardians.

Vest entered the game in the eighth inning with a runner on second base, two out and the Tigers clinging to a one-run lead. He finished off that frame with a groundout but immediately was back in hot water in the ninth when Jose Ramirez reached on a leadoff infield single and advanced to third base on a two-base error. However, Vest also managed to extinguish that rally with a strikeout, a fielder's choice and a popout. Vest picked up the final five traditional saves down the stretch of the regular season for the Tigers and has now registered their first postseason save. However, while Vest will be the favorite to close games for Detroit, manager A.J. Hinch's propensity to mix and match means Vest could also be used earlier in games if the situation calls for it.

Williams permitted just two unearned runs on five hits and one walk over six-plus innings but was saddled with a loss in Tuesday's 2-1 defeat to the Tigers. He struck out eight batters.

The Tigers plated their first run in the top of the first inning thanks to a pair of two-out singles and an error, and they added another in the top of the seventh on a squeeze bunt after Williams was pulled from the game. That turned out to be enough, as Tarik Skubal and the Tigers' bullpen kept the Guardians in check. Williams accrued up 19 whiffs on his 88 pitches, picking up where he left off after closing out the regular season on a high note. He would likely pitch Game 2 of the ALDS versus the Mariners on Sunday, should the Guardians advance.

Skubal yielded only one run on three hits and three walks while striking out 14 over 7.2 innings to pick up the win in Tuesday's 2-1 victory over the Guardians.

The Guardians managed to scratch together a run in the bottom of the fourth inning despite not hitting the ball out of the infield, and Skubal also walked the light-hitting Austin Hedges twice. He was otherwise in complete control, regularly topping 100 mph with his fastball and inducing 26 swinging strikes on 107 pitches. The left-hander's 14 strikeouts tied a Tigers postseason record. If the Tigers advance to the ALDS to play the Mariners, Skubal would likely start Game 2 on Sunday.

Rice is not in the lineup Tuesday for Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series against the Yankees.

With tough southpaw Garrett Crochet toeing the rubber for the Red Sox, the left-handed-hitting Rice will begin the contest on the bench. It will be Paul Goldschmidt at first base and Austin Wells doing the catching for the Yankees.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Tuesday that Early would likely start a potential Game 3 of the American League Wild Card Series versus the Yankees, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports.

Early became the most likely candidate to take the ball in Game 3 after Lucas Giolito (elbow) went down, and Cora has confirmed it will indeed be the lefty, barring something unforeseen. The rookie collected a 2.33 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 29:4 K:BB across 19.1 innings covering four September starts for the Red Sox.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Tuesday that while Giolito's right elbow injury is not as bad as the team feared it might be, the hurler is unlikely to be available at any point during the postseason, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports.

Giolito seems to have been cleared of any structural damage after a visit with Dr. Jeffrey Dugas, but the right-hander needs extended rest, so he's done for the season even if the Red Sox make a deep postseason run. It's poor timing for the Red Sox and also Giolito, who will enter free agency this winter. Giolito had a nice bounce-back 2025 campaign, posting a 3.41 ERA and 121:56 K:BB over 145 frames, but he'll head into the free-agent market with health questions.

Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom said Tuesday that releasing Arenado is "not an option," Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

The Cardinals will do their best to trade Arenado this offseason, and Arenado has said he's willing to expand the list of teams to which he would approve a deal. However, if the club is unable to find a trade partner, it will hang on to Arenado as its starting third baseman. Arenado -- who turns 35 in April -- slashed just .237/.289/.377 with 12 home runs over 436 plate appearances in 2025 and is owed roughly $40 million over the next two seasons.