MLB Player News

Ohtani will be the Dodgers' starting pitcher for Game 3 of the National League Wild Card Series versus the Reds, if necessary, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

Blake Snell will get the ball in Game 1, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto will start Game 2. If there is a Game 3, that start will go to Ohtani. The two-way superstar peaked on the mound at the right time, finishing with a 0.46 ERA and 27:4 K:BB over 19.2 innings covering his last four regular-season starts.

Diaz's status for Tuesday's wild-card series opener versus the Cubs is in question due to a strained oblique, Dennis Lin of The Athletic reports.

Diaz tweaked his oblique during Saturday's 12-4 win over the Diamondbacks. The Padres don't believe the injury is serious, but Martin Maldonado and Luis Campusano will travel with the team to Chicago as insurance in case Diaz isn't included on the roster for the wild-card round. Diaz is the clear No. 2 catcher for the Padres behind Freddy Fermin, but he has served as the personal catcher this season for Nick Pivetta, who is slated to start Game 1 of the series.

Elbis didn't make any appearances in the majors or minors during the 2025 season after the Diamondbacks placed him on the restricted list April 15.

After the Diamondbacks added Elbis to their 40-man roster last offseason, he was optioned to Double-A Amarillo early in spring training. The 23-year-old righty then opened the Texas League season on Amarillo's 7-day injured list before eventually reverting to the Diamondbacks' restricted list a few weeks later. Arizona hasn't shed any light on why Elbis didn't end up pitching at all this season, and the Diamondbacks will eventually need to add him back to the 40-man roster or designate him for assignment once he's formally reinstated.

Lodolo (groin) surrendered one earned run on two hits and two walks over one inning of relief in Sunday's 4-2 loss to the Brewers.

After exiting his start in Thursday's win over the Pirates due to a right groin injury, Lodolo received a clean bill of health following a bullpen session earlier Sunday, then was called upon to pitch in relief in a must-win game. Though the Reds ultimately came up short, they backdoored their way into the playoffs after the Mets lost to the Marlins later Sunday to cede the third and final wild-card spot to Cincinnati. Now that Lodolo has seemingly put the groin issue behind him, he could be in line to make a start during the Reds' three-game wild-card series versus the Dodgers that begins Tuesday.

Lynch (6-2) earned the win Sunday against the Athletics. He struck out three over 2.1 perfect innings.

Lynch closed the regular season in dominant fashion, retiring all seven batters he faced with a trio of punchouts. His 4.76 FIP is worth noting, but the southpaw turned in solid surface numbers in 2025, recording a 3.06 ERA and 1.36 WHIP over 57 appearances and 67.2 innings. The Royals didn't lean on him consistently in high-leverage situations, but he generally delivered when used and often provided more than just a single inning, as he did Sunday.

Massey went 4-for-5 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored in Sunday's 9-2 victory over the Athletics.

Massey capped the regular season swinging well, tying his season high with four hits -- his second four-hit effort in the past five games. Even with that strong finish, it's been a rough year for the utility man, who battled multiple injuries and struggled when on the field, slashing .244/.268/.313 with nine doubles, three homers and 20 RBI across 77 games.

Garcia went 2-for-3 with a double, two RBI, a run scored and a walk in Sunday's win over the Athletics.

Garcia wasted no time, ripping a leadoff double on the first pitch of the game before adding a sacrifice fly in the second inning and an RBI single in the fourth. The strong regular-season finale lifted his 2025 OPS to an even .800 with 39 doubles, five triples, 16 homers, 74 RBI and 23 stolen bases across 160 games, cementing a breakout year after he posted just a .613 OPS in 157 games last season.

Jensen went 3-for-5 with a solo home run and two additional runs scored in Sunday's victory over the Athletics.

Jensen capped Sunday's regular-season finale with three hits, highlighted by a towering 482-foot homer in the seventh inning that stretched the lead to six. The young catcher hasn't looked overmatched since his Sept. 2 call-up, batting .300/.391/.550 with six doubles, three homers and 13 RBI across 20 games. Despite having a disappointing 2025 in which they missed the postseason, the Royals may have a future star behind the plate in Jensen, especially as Salvador Perez ages.

Basso (1-1) took the loss Sunday, allowing a run on three hits and two walks over 1.1 innings against Kansas City. He recorded no strikeouts.

The 27-year-old opened the game Sunday but couldn't find a rhythm, loading the bases before exiting in the second inning with one out. Tyler Ferguson then allowed an inherited runner to score. Basso didn't make his first big-league appearance of the year until Aug. 27 after dealing with a left shoulder strain and beginning with Triple-A Las Vegas. He managed strong results with a 2.31 ERA across 11 outings and 11.2 innings, though a 1.80 WHIP, 4.07 FIP and 6.9 BB/9 suggest trouble beneath the surface.

Kurtz went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer in Sunday's 9-2 loss against the Royals.

The rookie slugger provided Oakland's only offense of the night with a 423-foot blast off Sam Long in the eighth inning, marking his 36th homer of the season and his seventh since September 10. Over that span, he hit .233 with 13 RBI while continuing to show his game-changing power. Kurtz looks like the clear favorite for AL Rookie of the Year honors, as he'll finish the regular season with an impressive .290/.383/.619 slash line, 26 doubles, 86 RBI and 90 runs scored to go along with his outstanding long-ball total across 488 plate appearances.