MLB Player News

Ryan will start Game 3 of the AL Wild Card Series versus the Blue Jays on Thursday, if necessary, Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Ryan had been lined up for the start, so this doesn't come as a surprise. The Twins hope they can save him for the ALDS, of course, which they would be able to do if they are able to eliminate Toronto with a Game 2 victory. Ryan boasted a 197:34 K:BB over 161.2 innings during the regular season, but his 4.51 ERA points to the inconsistency he dealt with.

Lopez earned the win in Tuesday's 3-1 victory over the Blue Jays in Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series, allowing one run on five hits and two walks across 5.2 innings. He struck out three.

Lopez had a solid outing in his second career postseason start, mainly relying upon the defense behind him to take care of a bevy of outs on contact. Things began to break down a bit for the right-hander in the sixth inning after he allowed an RBI single to Kevin Kiermaier, but he was pulled with the lead intact. He had a 3.68 ERA and 1.15 WHIP with 38 strikeouts across 29.1 innings in September heading into the contest.

Gausman took the loss after giving up three runs on three hits and three walks across five innings in Tuesday's 3-1 defeat against the Twins in Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series. He struck out five.

Gausman entered the postseason with a 2.43 ERA across 29.2 innings in September, but he was unable to keep it rolling in Tuesday's loss. His weak spot proved to be Royce Lewis, to whom Gausman conceded two home runs in the first and third innings. The team ultimately decided to hand things over to the bullpen after only 73 pitches, which may leave the right-hander available if needed to cover a few outs later in the series. Gausman now has a 4.91 ERA and 1.13 WHIP across 25.2 career postseason innings with 30 strikeouts.

Glasnow took the loss in Tuesday's 4-0 defeat against the Rangers in Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series, allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits and five walks across five innings. He struck out eight.

Glasnow had his ups and downs in his 10th career postseason start, and he ultimately struggled to keep runs off the board. The blame cannot be placed solely on the right-hander, however, as the team also committed three errors behind him. While the 16 whiffs Glasnow compiled in the contest speak to some level of dominance against the Rangers lineup, he also struggled with his command, most notably throwing a wild pitch in the fifth inning that allowed Corey Seager to score. He now has a 5.72 ERA and 1.49 WHIP with 61 strikeouts across 45.2 postseason innings in his career.

Montgomery allowed six hits across seven scoreless innings to pick up the win in Tuesday's 4-0 victory over the Rays in Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series. He struck out five.

Coming off a season where he mustered a career-best 3.20 ERA across 188.2 innings, Montgomery carried that momentum with him into the postseason. The southpaw looked sharp in the contest, picking apart the Rays lineup to earn the first postseason win of his career. Tuesday's outing marked the fifth quality start in a row for Montgomery dating back to the regular season, and the fourth time in that sample in which he logged seven innings.

Scherzer (shoulder) isn't included on the Rangers' roster for their AL Wild Card Series versus the Rays that begins Tuesday.

Scherzer's absence doesn't come as a surprise, considering he recently had to pause his throwing program after not feeling as well as he had hoped during a light bullpen session. Working his way back from a teres major muscle strain in his right shoulder, Scherzer still hopes to be available at some point during the playoffs. It's not a guarantee that it will happen, however, and it might require the Rangers to make a deep postseason run.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Tuesday that while Bassitt is probably the leading candidate to start a potential Game 3 of the AL Wild Card Series, he's not locked in, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Kevin Gausman will take the hill for Game 1 on Tuesday, while Jose Berrios gets the ball for Wednesday's Game 2. While Bassitt represents the logical choice to start Game 3, Schneider didn't rule out using the righty in relief in the first two games or perhaps taking a different approach to Game 3. Bassitt comes into the playoffs riding high, having struck out 12 over 7.2 scoreless frames in his final regular season start.

Ryu is not on the Blue Jays' AL Wild Card Series roster, Mike Wilner of the Toronto Star reports.

Ryu wasn't going to get a start in the series and has made just one relief appearance in his entire career, so his exclusion from the roster isn't a surprise. He could potentially be added should the Jays advance to the ALDS.

Bradley will not be part of the Rays' AL Wild Card Series roster, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The Rays need only three starting pitchers for the series and plan to carry 15 position players, so Bradley isn't going to make the cut. They will have the ability to reset their roster prior to the ALDS, if they advance, and it's possible Bradley could be added on then.

Berrios will start Game 2 of the American League Wild Card Series on Wednesday against the Twins, Blake Murphy of Sportsnet reports.

The Blue Jays confirmed earlier in the day that Kevin Gausman will take the ball for Game 1, and it'll be Berrios who gets a shot in the second game of the series. The right-hander gave up four runs in each of his last two starts of the regular season, so he'll look for a better result in Wednesday's outing.