MLB Player News

Greinke will start Game 4 of the ALCS against the Red Sox on Tuesday, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports.

Greinke will be asked to give his team some length Tuesday, which may be a tall task considering his last start took place one month ago. He did manage to toss a scoreless frame in Game 3 of the ALDS. Greinke finished the regular season with a 4.16 ERA and 1.17 WHIP and a 120:36 K:BB across 171 frames.

Kopech could be moved into the starting rotation next season, Vinnie Duber of NBC Sports Chicago reports.

Duber adds that Craig Kimbrel might not return in 2022, so Kopech could also serve as the team's top setup option in front of closer Liam Hendriks. However, it appears that the organization wants to see Kopech in the rotation, which would seemingly increase his fantasy value if he finds success as a starter. The 25-year-old would likely have a capped workload, though, after tossing just 69.1 innings as a reliever this season.

Seabold (undisclosed) is scheduled to make a start Tuesday in the Arizona Fall League, Josh Norris of Baseball America reports.

Seabold was pulled early in his penultimate start at Triple-A Worcester on Sept. 26 due to an unspecified injury, but he was able to return to the mound a week later to make his final start of the season for the affiliate. He tossed five innings of one-run ball in that contest, and the Red Sox's decision to send him to the AFL implies no concerns about his health heading into the offseason.

Rodriguez will start Game 3 of the ALCS against the Astros on Monday, Bill Koch of The Providence Journal reports.

Rodriguez last pitched in Game 4 of the ALDS versus the Rays -- he allowed two runs on three hits with six strikeouts and zero walks in five innings -- and he'll make his first appearance of the ALCS on Monday. It'll be a tough task for the left-hander as Houston is averaging 6.8 runs through six playoff games this year and has yet to score fewer than five runs in a single contest.

Astros manager Dusty Baker said Garcia (knee) threw a bullpen session and is "feeling a lot better," Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston reports.

Garcia, who started Saturday's 9-5 loss to the Red Sox in Game 2 of the ALCS, labored through one inning (33 pitches) and was charged with five earned runs before departing with right knee discomfort. His ability to get back on the mound a day later suggests that Garcia avoided a major issue, and while Baker said the team isn't considering removing the right-hander from the ALCS roster, it's unclear what role he'll have moving forward. Because Jake Odorizzi was needed in long relief Saturday due to Garcia's early exit, the Astros will need to break in a new starter for Tuesday's Game 4 in Boston. Baker mentioned Zack Greinke as a potential candidate to step in and fill the opening.

Eovaldi picked up the win in Game 2 of the ALCS against the Astros on Saturday, giving up three runs on five hits and a walk over 5.1 innings of work while striking out three batters.

It wasn't the most dominant performance of the postseason for Eovaldi, who came into the day with a 2.61 ERA and a 16:1 K:BB through his first two playoff starts. It didn't have to be, however, as the Red Sox hit one grand slam in the top of the first and another in the top of the second. Eovaldi only allowed a single baserunner through his first three innings before getting scored on three times in his fourth frame, but he had a nine-run cushion to work with at that point. He'll be on schedule to start Game 6 next Friday but could potentially be used in relief before then if necessary.

Garcia exited Saturday's game against Boston with right knee discomfort, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Garcia gave up a grand slam in the first inning and had another run charged to his line after he walked the leadoff man in the second inning before exiting. The good news for the Astros is that he isn't dealing with an arm problem. If the knee issue passes quickly, the fact that he exited early could in theory leave him able to return within the next few days, but it's possible the injury is serious enough that he'll have to be removed from the roster.

Garcia was removed from Game 2 of the ALCS against the Red Sox on Saturday with an apparent injury, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The nature and severity of Garcia's injury aren't yet clear, but he left the game with no outs in the top of the second inning after a visit with trainers. He allowed four runs on two hits and three walks while striking out two in one inning prior to his removal.

Urquidy will start Game 3 of the ALCS against the Red Sox on Monday, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports.

Urquidy didn't make an appearance in the ALDS against the White Sox after his scheduled start was postponed, but he'll make his second career playoff appearance Monday. The right-hander returned to the mound in early September and posted a 4.25 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in 29.2 innings across the final month of the regular season.

Valdez allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits and three walks while striking out two in 2.2 innings in Friday's win over the Red Sox in Game 1 of the ALCS. He didn't factor into the decision.

Valdez began Friday's contest by tossing two scoreless frames, but he was removed from the game after Boston put together a rally in the top of the third inning. The southpaw has now posted a 7.71 ERA and 2.43 WHIP in seven innings across his first two starts in the postseason. He tentatively lines up to make his next start on the road in Game 5.