MLB Player News

Schlittler will start against the Red Sox on Tuesday in Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series.

There had been some talk that New York might go with lefty Max Fried in the series opener, but manager Aaron Boone ultimately settled on Schlittler as his Game 1 starter. Schlittler is the favorite to win the AL Cy Young Award after he went 14-6 with a 1.95 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 239:49 K:BB over 193.2 innings for the Yankees during the regular season.

The Red Sox reinstated Houck (elbow) from the 60-day injured list Sunday. He will start Boston's regular-season finale against the Cubs.

Houck will return to make a lone big-league appearance in 2026 on the final day of the regular season after completing his long recovery from hybrid UCL reconstruction surgery. The right-hander made four minor-league rehab appearances in September, most recently completing 3.1 innings on 42 pitches for Triple-A Durham on Sept. 19. Houck will likely be operating with a limited workload Sunday and may not work deep enough into his start to qualify for a win.

Lambert will start Sunday's game against the Athletics in Sacramento, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Lambert was believed to have made his final appearance of the regular season during his 2.2-inning start in Thursday's series opener, but since the Astros have yet to punch their ticket to the postseason, he'll end up getting the ball on two days' rest in Game 162. The Astros will clinch the AL West title with a win or a Rangers loss, so the team is expected to make all of its top pitchers available for Sunday's contest. Given that he's pitching on short rest, Lambert is unlikely to work deep enough into the game to qualify for a win.

Johnson allowed four runs on seven hits and four walks while striking out three over five innings in a no-decision versus the Mariners on Saturday.

Johnson allowed 12 runs over 27.2 innings over his five games in September, a step back from his strong August but still a decent way to wrap up the campaign. He closes out at a 5-9 record, 5.04 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 79:43 K:BB through 100 innings over 22 games (19 starts). Johnson's work late in the season should keep him in the mix for a spot in the rotation moving forward.

Wesneski (6-2) allowed two runs (one earned) on six hits and a walk while striking out five over seven innings to earn the win Saturday over the Athletics.

Wesneski allowed 13 runs (eight earned) across 28.1 innings over five games in September. He had gone two games without a win prior to his strong regular-season finale. Over 11 starts following his recovery from Tommy John surgery, Wesneski delivered an excellent 3.25 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 46:20 K:BB across 61 innings. There will likely be a spot for him in the postseason rotation if the Astros are able to clinch a spot Sunday.

Anderson left Saturday's game against the Angels due to a left forearm bruise.

Anderson was quickly pulled from Saturday's start after taking a comebacker off his pitching arm in the fourth inning. It appears the 22-year-old southpaw has avoided a serious injury, a good sign for him and the Mariners heading into the offseason. Anderson made his major-league debut Aug. 22, and across seven big-league starts he posted a 3.79 ERA and 1.23 WHIP across 35.2 innings.

Messick will be the Guardians' starter for Sunday's regular-season finale against the Royals, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.

The Guardians secured the AL Central division Saturday -- and the No. 2 seed in the AL playoffs -- following their win over Kansas City and the White Sox's loss to the Rockies. Still, the Guardians will have Messick toe the rubber Sunday, though it will likely be an abbreviated outing for the 25-year-old southpaw.

Anderson was removed from Saturday's start against the Angels due to a left elbow injury, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.

Anderson took a 103.8 mph comebacker from Christian Moore in the fourth inning, and the former was promptly removed from the game after talking with trainers. Kramer notes that Anderson has stayed in the dugout rather than going to the clubhouse for further evaluation, so the move to remove the 22-year-old southpaw appears to have been a precautionary decision, especially with the Mariners eliminated from playoff contention. Michael Rucker was brought out from the bullpen following Anderson's exit.

Martin (9-8) took the loss against the Rockies on Saturday, allowing two runs on three hits and one walk while striking out one batter in two-thirds of an inning.

It wasn't the start that the White Sox were hoping out of Martin, as the team saw its hopes of winning the AL Central snuffed out with Saturday's loss combined with the Guardians' 11-5 win over the Royals. Martin allowed four batters on base while tossing only 25 pitches before being pulled, though James Fegan of the Chicago Sun-Times notes that the right-hander's previous start against the Tigers this past Sunday was cut short due to right calf discomfort. That's worth monitoring heading into the playoffs, and a potential calf issue could limit or even prevent Martin from pitching in the wild-card round. He'll end the 2026 regular season with a 3.95 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and a 122:46 K:BB over 146 innings, with both his strikeouts and innings pitched being career highs.

Wacha (9-10) took the loss against the Guardians on Saturday, allowing six runs (two earned) on six hits and one walk with four strikeouts over 6.1 innings.

Wacha was spotted an early lead but instantly coughed it up, allowing four runs in the second inning following a leadoff error. The veteran hurler still posted a quality start for the third time in five September outings, finishing the season having tallied five or more innings in 31 of 32 starts. Overall, he'll wrap up the campaign with a 3.32 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 158:54 K:BB while surpassing 200 frames for the first time in his 14-year career.