MLB Player News

Drury went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and three RBI during Wednesday's Game 2 of the NLCS in the 8-5 win over the Phillies.

Drury had been just 1-for-15 in the postseason and 4-for-31 dating back to the beginning of October, so Game 2's outburst was a pleasant surprise for the Padres. The 30-year-old veteran has played for six teams in eight seasons but has minimal playoff experience with just six plate appearances prior to the 2022 postseason. Look to see if Drury can follow up Game 2's offensive explosion as the NLCS progresses.

Stott is out of the lineup Wednesday for Game 2 of the Phillies' National League Championship Series with the Padres.

The Phillies will send two of their lefty-hitting regulars (Stott and Brandon Marsh) to the bench with southpaw Blake Snell on the hill for San Diego. Edmundo Sosa will check in for Stott at shortstop.

Lux will sit for Game 3 of the NLDS against the Padres on Friday.

The Dodgers are going with a righty-heavy lineup against southpaw Blake Snell. Max Muncy will handle second base in Lux's absence, with Austin Barnes entering in the lineup in his place, pushing Will Smith to designated hitter and Justin Turner out to Muncy's former spot at the hot corner.

Chavis elected free agency Oct. 6.

The 27-year-old corner infielder will presumably have to settle for a minor-league deal in free agency this winter after he struggled to solidify himself as a short-side platoon player for the Pirates by the end of this past season. Though he smacked 14 home runs and drove in 49 runs over 426 plate appearances, Chavis got on base at a weak .265 clip and struck out 29.6 percent of the time.

Torres (illness) will bat third and start at second base in Game 1 of the ALDS against the Guardians on Tuesday.

Torres missed the tail end of the regular season due to an illness, but the Yankees' time off during the wild-card round allowed him to get fully healthy. He'll need to play a significant role in the ALDS, as DJ LeMahieu was left off the roster due to a foot fracture.

Stott will be on the bench for Game 1 of the NLDS against Atlanta.

Stott started four of the last five times faced a lefty in the regular season, but he'll sit here against Max Fried. Edmundo Sosa will start at shortstop in his place.

Albies is no longer sporting a cast to protect his fractured right pinkie finger and is scheduled to join Atlanta for its upcoming National League Division Series with the Phillies, though he's not expected to be activated from the 10-day injured list for this round of the postseason, Maria Torres of The Athletic reports.

Rather than gearing up for a potential return to the lineup during the upcoming week, Albies will turn his focus to regaining strength and full range of motion in his hand after it was immobilized for the past three-plus weeks while he donned the cast. Depending on how Albies checks out during his return to on-field workouts over the next several days, he could be an option to rejoin the roster if Atlanta advances to the NL Championship Series.

Drury is out of the lineup for Sunday's Game 3 matchup with the Mets in the wild-card round.

Drury will sit for the second time in the wild-card series, with Wil Myers replacing him once again at first base. Myers closed the regular season by going 8-for-22 with four extra-base hits over his final eight games, and that appears to have given him the edge on playing time over Drury thus far in the postseason.

Merrifield left Saturday's game against Seattle after taking a pitch off his helmet, Mitch Bannon of SI.com reports.

Merrifield initially stayed in the game to run the bases but was replaced by Raimel Tapia when the Blue Jays took the field. The fact that the team was leading by seven runs and inserted one of its better outfield defenders suggests that the move may have been at least somewhat tactical rather than purely injury-related.

Drury is out of the lineup for Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series against the Mets on Friday, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

Drury went 2-for-13 with two walks and a run over his final four games of the regular season, and he's not in the lineup for San Diego's postseason opener. Wil Myers will man first base and bat sixth versus New York righty Max Scherzer.