MLB Player News
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Hunter Renfroe RF | KC
Royals' Hunter Renfroe: Not in Game 1 lineup
Renfroe is not in the lineup for Tuesday's Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series versus the Orioles.
Renfroe started eight of the final 12 games of the regular season in right field (five against lefties, three versus righties). However, with Vinnie Pasquantino back in action and limited to designated-hitter duties, the Royals are going with Tommy Pham in right field for Game 1 versus righty Corbin Burnes.
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Francisco Lindor SS | NYM
Mets' Francisco Lindor: Plays hero to clinch playoff spot
Lindor went 2-for-5 with a home run, two runs scored and three RBI in an 8-7 win over Atlanta during the first game of Monday's doubleheader.
The matinee features a wild finish that saw 12 of the game's 15 runs cross the plate over the final two innings, but it was Lindor's two-run blast in the top of the ninth off Pierce Johnson that sealed the victory for the Mets and booked their ticket to the playoffs. Lindor was rested for the nightcap, and he wraps up an impressive regular season with a .273/.344/.500 slash line, 33 homers, 29 steals, 91 RBI and 107 runs over 152 contests.
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Edwin Diaz RP | NYM
Mets' Edwin Diaz: Blows save but nabs big win Monday
Diaz (6-4) blew the save but picked up the win in the first game of Monday's doubleheader against Atlanta, giving up two runs on three hits and a walk over 1.2 innings. He struck out two.
With both teams needing at least one win in the twin bill to lock up a wild-card spot, the matinee featured a wild, desperate finish that saw 12 of the game's 15 runs cross the plate over the final two innings. Diaz came on with one out and two on in the eighth, and after retiring Gio Urshela, the Mets' closer missed his chance to escape the frame unscathed when he was late covering first base on a Jarred Kelenic grounder down the line that Pete Alonso dove to stop well behind the bag. Atlanta wound up taking a 7-6 lead, but when New York tacked on two more runs in the top of the ninth, Diaz was able to slam the door shut. It was his first blown save since Aug. 28, and only the second time in 13 September appearances that the right-hander had been scored upon. Diaz heads into the playoffs with a 1.93 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 26:5 K:BB over 14 innings in the final month of the regular season.
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Keider Montero SP | DET
Tigers' Keider Montero: Left off wild-card roster
Montero is not on the Tigers' roster for the American League Wild Card Series against the Astros, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.
The Tigers' starting pitching plans beyond Tarik Skubal in Game 1 are cloudy, but Montero didn't make the cut despite a 3.79 ERA over 10 starts and two relief appearances from August on. He could potentially be added to the ALDS roster, if the Tigers advance.
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Kerry Carpenter RF | DET
Tigers' Kerry Carpenter: Not in Game 1 lineup
Carpenter is absent from the lineup Tuesday for Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series against the Astros.
The left-handed-hitting Carpenter doesn't typically start against lefties, so it's not a surprise to see him out of the lineup as the Astros send southpaw Framber Valdez to the hill. Justyn-Henry Malloy will be the Tigers' designated hitter and No. 2 hitter.
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Joey Lucchesi SP | NYM
Mets' Joey Lucchesi: Delivers quality start Monday
Lucchesi (0-2) took the loss in the second game of Monday's doubleheader against Atlanta, allowing one run on three hits and four walks over six innings. He struck out five.
The 31-year-old got the spot start -- just his second MLB appearance of 2024 -- after the Mets clinched a wild-card berth by winning the first game of the twin bill, and Lucchesi delivered his first quality start in the majors since Sept. 27 of last year. A lack of run support from a lineup resting top players like Francisco Lindor saddled him with the loss, however. Lucchesi tossed 111 pitches (62 strikes) in the outing, but he likely wasn't factoring into New York's postseason rotation plans anyway.
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Tylor Megill SP | NYM
Mets' Tylor Megill: Fans eight in no-decision Monday
Megill came away with a no-decision in the first game of Monday's doubleheader against Atlanta, giving up three runs on eight hits and two walks over 5.2 innings. He struck out eight.
The right-hander had some trouble keeping the ball in the yard, serving up a two-run homer to Ozzie Albies in the third inning and a solo shot to Ramon Laureano in the sixth, but the Mets' offense got Megill off the hook for a loss in an eventual 8-7 victory that clinched a wild-card spot for New York. Megill hadn't given up a homer in five starts since rejoining the big-league staff in late August, and in 31 innings over that stretch he sports a 2.32 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 36:10 K:BB. It's not clear how the 29-year-old will fit into the Mets' postseason rotation plans, but after throwing 100 pitches Monday (66 strikes) he's likely unavailable for the Wild Card Round.
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Alex Jackson C | TB
Alex Jackson: Elects free agency
Jackson has elected free agency, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Jackson initially remained in the Rays' organization after being outrighted off their 40-man roster last month, but he's now exercised his right to free agency. The catcher has a career .456 OPS over parts of five major-league seasons.
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Chas McCormick LF | HOU
Astros' Chas McCormick: On Houston's wild-card roster
The Astros activated McCormick (hand) from the 10-day injured list Tuesday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
McCormick has been sidelined since mid-September with a small fracture in his right hand, but he's progressed enough to be included on the team's wild-card roster. While an option to get some reps versus lefties, McCormick is not in the Game 1 lineup against southpaw Tarik Skubal.