MLB Player News

Melton will start Thursday's game in Cleveland, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Each of Melton's last 10 appearances have come in relief, though he did throw three innings as recently as Sept. 13. The rookie right-hander will be pitching on four days' rest and should be capable of going a few innings for the Tigers, if needed. Keider Montero should be available for bulk out of the bullpen, though it's unclear whether the Tigers intend to use him.

Santana gave up a run on two hits in 1.1 innings Wednesday to blow his third save of the season in a 4-3 extra-innings win over the Reds. He struck out two without walking a batter.

The right-hander got taken deep by Tyler Stephenson in the ninth inning to tie the game at 2-2, only for the Pirates to pull out the win in the 11th. Santana may not have a classic closer's arsenal, averaging 94.8 mph on his fastball, but he's been very effective this year in a high-leverage role, recording four wins, 15 saves and 12 holds with a 2.24 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 58:17 K:BB through 68.1 innings.

Skenes came away with a no-decision in Wednesday's 4-3 extra-innings win over the Reds, allowing four hits over six scoreless innings. He struck out seven without walking a batter.

The young ace made his closing statement on a strong NL Cy Young Award case, racking up 18 swinging strikes among his 85 pitches (57 total strikes), and Skenes left the mound in line for his 11th win of the season before Dennis Santana blew the save in the ninth. Skenes leads the Senior Circuit in ERA (1.97) and WHIP (0.95) and is tied for the lead with Logan Webb and Jesus Luzardo in strikeouts at 216, although Webb lines up for one more outing this weekend.

Valera went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's 5-1 win over the Tigers.

The 24-year-old rookie took Jack Flaherty deep in the third inning, giving Cleveland a 2-1 lead the team wouldn't relinquish. Valera has started five of six games against right-handed pitching since being added to the 28-man roster, four at DH and one in right field, and he's gone 8-for-33 (.242) with two doubles, two homers, five runs and five RBI.

Matthews is not scheduled to make a start this weekend in Philadelphia.

Matthews had tentatively lined up to pitch the regular-season finale Sunday, but the Twins have Simeon Woods Richardson scheduled to take the ball that day instead. The righty bounced back from a couple rough outings to throw seven innings of one-run ball versus the Rangers on Tuesday in what turned out to be his final start of the season. Matthews will finish with a 5.56 ERA, 1.49 WHIP and 88:24 K:BB over 79.1 frames covering 16 starts for Minnesota in 2025.

Ozuna went 1-for-2 with a solo home run and a pair of walks in Wednesday's 4-3 loss to the Nationals.

Ozuna cut Atlanta's deficit to 4-2 in the eighth inning with a 404-foot blast off Jackson Rutledge. It was Ozuna's 21st homer of the year and his first in 33 games. It's been a disappointing year overall for the 34-year-old Ozuna, though he's swung the bat better of late, going 13-for-42 (.310) with an .884 OPS in his last 12 contests.

Abel is scheduled to start Saturday in Philadelphia.

Abel made a four-inning relief appearance after being recalled from Triple-A St. Paul last weekend and will get an opportunity to make a start for the Twins against his former team. The right-hander was knocked around for six runs over three innings versus the White Sox last month in his only start for Minnesota.

Bibee (12-11) picked up the win in Wednesday's 5-1 victory over the Tigers, allowing one run on five hits and two walks over six innings. He struck out five.

The right-hander extended his win streak to three starts and his quality-start streak to four with another sharp performance, tossing 63 of 105 pitches for strikes. Bibee's produced a 1.30 ERA, 0.76 WHIP and 26:5 K:BB through 27.2 September innings, helping the Guardians make history by overcoming a 15.5-game deficit and catching the Tigers in the AL Central -- they now sit one game up with four to play. Unless he's needed this weekend to help clinch a playoff spot, Bibee will put his 2025 regular season in the books with a 4.24 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 162:54 K:BB through 182.1 innings.

Flaherty (8-15) took the loss Wednesday, giving up three runs on five hits over 4.1 innings as the Tigers were downed 5-1 by the Guardians. He struck out six without walking a batter.

The veteran righty didn't pitch poorly, tossing 55 of 83 pitches for strikes before getting an early hook, but Detroit's offense stayed quiet. Since an eight-run meltdown Aug. 24, Flaherty has delivered a solid 3.33 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 23:9 K:BB over 24.1 innings in five starts, but that hasn't been enough to stop an epic collapse by the Tigers, who have squandered a 15.5-game lead in the AL Central and now sit one game back of the Guardians with four contests left on the schedule. Unless he's needed over the final weekend in an all-hands-on-deck scenario, Flaherty wraps up his 2025 campaign with a 4.64 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 188:59 K:BB though 161 innings.

Gray said Wednesday that he will "definitely" consider waiving his no-trade clause this offseason in order to facilitate a deal to a contender, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Gray declined to waive his no-trade clause when asked last offseason, but he's had a change of heart as the Cardinals continue their rebuilding phase. The right-hander is owed $35 million in 2026 and has a $5 million buyout on a $30 million club option for 2027, so it's a substantial chunk of salary for a contender to take on. However, there is sure to be plenty of interest after Gray had another strong season, posting a 4.28 ERA (3.39 FIP) and 201:38 K:BB over 180.2 innings.