MLB Player News

Rooker has checked out well following surgery on his fractured forearm, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.

Rooker was struck by a pitch in the forearm back in mid-September, just seven games into his debut season. He's expected to be ready to go by next year's spring training.

Pederson is not in the lineup for Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series against the Brewers on Wednesday, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Pederson won't start Game 1 with left-hander Brent Suter taking the mound for Milwaukee. A.J. Pollock receives the start in left field while Edwin Rios serves as the designated hitter Wednesday.

Vogelbach (hamstring) is starting Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series against the Dodgers on Wednesday.

Vogelbach suffered a hamstring injury during the final game of the regular season, but he was included on the wild-card roster and will start the first game of the postseason. He'll bat fourth and serve as the designated hitter Wednesday.

Miller is out of the lineup Wednesday for Game 1 of the Cardinals' wild-card series with the Padres, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

The Cardinals are squaring off against a right-handed pitcher (Chris Paddack) in Game 1, so the lefty-hitting Miller's exclusion from the lineup suggests he may have lost hold of a large-side platoon role after an extended slump to finish out the regular season. While his .808 OPS over his 48 games in 2020 was solid enough, Miller faded badly after his big two-homer, seven-RBI game on Sept. 1. From thereon, Miller slashed .165/.275/.316 with three home runs, seven RBI and a 34.1 percent strikeout rate.

Jimenez (foot) remains sidelined for Game 2 of the AL Wild Card Series against Oakland on Wednesday.

Jimenez remains out while dealing with the mild right foot sprain that cost him the final three games of the regular season. He didn't appear off the bench in Game 1 despite reportedly being available, but he wasn't needed as the White Sox won 4-1. Leury Garcia remains the starter in left field in his absence.

Choi is out of the lineup Wednesday for Game 2 of the Rays' wild-card series with the Blue Jays, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

The hamstring injury that sidelined Choi for the final two weeks of the regular season no longer looks to be a major concern, as he was included on the Rays' postseason roster and came off the bench in Tuesday's 3-1 win to make an appearance as a pinch-hitter. His absence from the lineup Wednesday is likely a result of the Blue Jays bringing a lefty (Hyun-Jin Ryu) to the hill.

Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said that Buxton was excluded from the lineup for Wednesday's Game 2 against the Astros because the outfielder "is not felling 100 percent," Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.

Buxton missed the Twins' final two regular-season contests after experiencing mild concussion symptoms, but he was cleared to start in center field Tuesday in the team's postseason opener. Though he played all nine innings in Minnesota's 4-1 loss and went 1-for-4 with three strikeouts and a stolen base, Buxton may have gotten banged up somewhere along the way. While Baldelli noted that he couldn't elaborate on the nature of Buxton's condition, the skipper indicated the 26-year-old may still be available off the bench. Alex Kirilloff will pick up his first career start Wednesday in Buxton's stead.

Buxton is not in Wednesday's Game 2 lineup against the Astros.

The Twins will turn to Alex Kirilloff, their second-best prospect and a left-handed hitter, to make his big-league debut against righty Jose Urquidy, with Max Kepler sliding over to center field. Buxton will likely be used as a late-game defensive replacement or pinch runner if the situation calls for it.

Vogelbach (hamstring) will be on the Brewers' wild-card roster, freelance baseball writer Robert Murray reports.

This does not guarantee that he will be in the Game 1 lineup, but with righty Walker Buehler starting for the Dodgers, Vogelbach will be in the lineup if physically able. He is unlikely to start Game 2 against lefty Clayton Kershaw. The big left-handed masher hit .328/.418/.569 with four home runs in 58 at-bats after getting claimed by Milwaukee on Sept. 3.

Stanton went 1-for-5 with a solo homer Tuesday in a win over the Indians in Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Round.

Stanton cranked a solo home run in the ninth inning off Cam Hill. The 30-year-old only played in 23 games during the 2020 season, yet he was effective when he appeared, recording a slash line of .250/.387/.500. The Yankees will hope for continued good health as they look to make a push during the postseason.