MLB Player News

Green will serve as the opener Sunday against the Rangers, Marly Rivera of ESPN.com reports.

The 28-year-old will make his 15th start in the final game of the regular season as Masahiro Tanaka is set to follow as the primary pitcher. Green has a 4.24 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 96:18 K:BB through 68 innings this season.

Lopez (10-15) allowed one run on five hits with one walk and nine strikeouts across eight innings to earn a victory against the Tigers on Saturday.

The 25-year-old was able to end the season on a good note, bouncing back from yielding 16 runs in his last three outings. Lopez was feast or famine in September, yielding either five runs or just one run in every start this month. Lopez ends the 2019 season with a 10-15 record, 5.38 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and 169 strikeouts in 184 innings.

Hernandez (2-1) pitched two scoreless innings, allowing a hit and a walk while striking out two and picking up the win in Saturday's 9-4 win over the Yankees.

Hernandez worked behind opener Luke Farrell in the bullpen game for the Rangers, and Hernandez's two spotless innings were enough for the win. The 23-year-old owns a 4.32 ERA and 1.62 WHIP in 16.2 innings this year despite an unsightly 19:13 K:BB across his nine appearances.

Yarbrough (11-6) allowed three runs on five hits and two walks while striking out three over five innings in a loss to the Blue Jays on Saturday.

All of the damage against Yarbrough was done in the first inning, with the lefty allowing base hits to each of the first four batters he faced. Yarbrough eventually settled in and allowed just one hit over his final four frames. He was also knocked around in the first inning of his Sept. 22 start, so if the Rays advance and Yarbrough pitches in the ALDS, it will likely be behind an opener.

Alexander pitched five innings of two-run ball and took a no-decision in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader against the White Sox. He allowed seven hits and two walks, while striking out four.

Alexander was probably lucky to only give up two runs with all the traffic on the bases, but he limited the damage by allowing just one extra-base hit. The lefty finishes his season with a 4.86 ERA and 47 strikeouts across 53.2 innings at the big-league level. After splitting the year between Triple-A and the majors, Alexander will head into 2020 as rotation depth for the Tigers who once again could find himself shuttling back and forth between Toledo and Detroit.

Giles threw a perfect ninth inning with one strikeout against the Rays on Saturday en route to his 23rd save of the season.

Giles' availability has been somewhat limited down the stretch -- he was not cleared to throw on back-to-back days after returning from an elbow injury in early August -- but he continued to pitch brilliantly when called upon. There's no reason to think those limitations will be lifted at this point, so this will almost certainly be it for Giles' 2019. He ends the year with a sparkling 1.87 ERA and only one blown save in 24 chances.

Thornton (6-9) allowed only one hit over five scoreless innings in a win over the Rays on Saturday. He struck out eight and walked four.

It's been a rough season for Thornton overall, but he finished strong with a 2.19 ERA and 26:9 K:BB in September (24.2 innings). With the way he closed it out, and with a lack of established veterans in the Toronto rotation, Thornton would seem to stand a great chance of breaking camp next year with a starting role. He'll have to secure his spot in spring training.

Rogers picked up his 30th save of the season Saturday against the Royals, striking out one and walking one in a scoreless ninth inning.

Rogers emerged from an an unclear bullpen situation to become the clear primary ninth-inning option this season. No one else has saved more than 10 games for the Twins this year, and no one on the team's current roster has saved more than three. The role is well-deserved, as Rogers owns a 2.61 ERA and a 32.4 percent strikeout rate on the season while walking just 4.0 percent of opposing batters.

Hendriks (4-4) allowed two runs on three hits over two-thirds of an inning while blowing the save and taking the loss Friday against Seattle. He struck out one batter.

This wasn't the Hendriks we've grown accustomed to seeing; after retiring the first batter he faced, Hendriks uncorked a couple wild pitches and gave up three base knocks to lose the game. It was his second blown save in six appearances and seventh of the season, but he's been outstanding outside of those few hiccups. He sits with the second-lowest FIP among all qualified relievers this season (1.79), behind only Kirby Yates.

Manaea may be the likeliest candidate to start the American League Wild Card Game against the Rays on Wednesday due to both his performance since coming off the injured list and Tampa's left-handed-heavy lineup, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Mike Fiers is considered the other realistic alternative for the one-game playoff, and he posted a 1-0 record, 2.25 ERA and .171 BAA across 12.0 innings over two starts versus the Rays this season. However, Manaea has been positively dominant over his five starts since making his delayed season debut, generating a 4-0 record, 1.21 ERA and 30:7 K:BB across 29.2 innings. The Rays have also been about average hitting against southpaws, posting a .256/.326/.422 collective line with a .319 wOBA versus that handedness on the season while striking out at a 25.6 percent clip. Manager Bob Melvin is expected to announce his decision within the next couple of days, and if Manaea does get the call, he'll be working on a solid five days' rest.