MLB Player News

Crawford and the Red Sox won't face Minnesota on Saturday, as the game was postponed due to inclement weather, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

The two teams will play a doubleheader Sunday and Crawford will get the nod in the nightcap, per Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald. In three starts this month, the 28-year-old righty has given up nine earned runs across 16.2 innings while striking out 21 batters, though he's been saddled with a loss all three times.

Lopez and the Twins won't face the Red Sox on Saturday, as the game was postponed due to inclement weather, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Saturday's game will be made up as part of a doubleheader Sunday, and Lopez will get the ball to start Game 1, per Helfand. The 28-year-old righty has made a start against the Red Sox once already this season in May, during which he gave up one earned run over six innings while striking out eight batters and collecting a win.

The Rangers placed Scherzer on the 15-day injured list Saturday with a left hamstring strain.

Scherzer was originally scheduled to start Saturday's game versus Seattle, but instead he will have his season cut short as he moves to the injured list. He finishes the 2024 campaign with a 3.95 ERA and 1.15 WHIP after making just nine starts in a season riddled with shoulder, back and now hamstring injuries. Scherzer is due to become a free agent this offseason, though retirement may also be on the table for the 40-year-old righty.

Dunning is listed as the probable pitcher for Saturday's game against the Mariners.

Dunning replaces Max Scherzer (undisclosed) as the Rangers' starter. Dunning will be making his first MLB appearance since Aug. 30, but the 29-year-old is relatively stretched out, having thrown between 56 and 72 pitches in his last three appearances with Triple-A Round Rock. He has a 5.03 ERA and 74:31 K:BB across 68 innings in 14 starts with the Rangers this season.

Scherzer will not start as scheduled Saturday versus the Mariners due to a possible injury, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Scherzer recently missed more than a month due to shoulder problems, though the team's reason for pulling him off his start Saturday remains unknown. Dane Dunning will start against Seattle in Scherzer's place.

Soriano had an MRI after experiencing discomfort in his pitching elbow and shoulder, and the results came back clean, per MLB.com.

Soriano's placement on the injured list in mid-August was said to be due to right arm fatigue, and the Angels organization has indicated that the hurler isn't dealing with a serious injury. The clean results of the MRI seem to back that up, though the right-hander's transfer to the 60-day IL on Sept. 7 officially ended his 2024 season. Unless he has a setback, Soriano should be ready for spring training in 2025.

The Red Sox optioned Criswell to Triple-A Worcester on Saturday, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

After joining the rotation in mid-August as a replacement for James Paxton (calf) and covering at least three innings in each of his six ensuing outings, Criswell had worked out of the bullpen for his last two appearances, giving up a total of three runs (two earned) over two innings. With Richard Fitts overtaking him as the Red Sox's No. 5 starter and with Luis Garcia (elbow) returning from the injured list, Criswell will end up as an odd man out on the 28-man active roster. The 28-year-old righty owns a 4.08 ERA and 1.35 WHIP across 99.1 innings with the Red Sox on the season.

Castillo appears to be making good progress in his recovery from a hamstring strain, and the Mariners remain cautiously optimistic that he'll be activated from the 15-day injured list when first eligible Monday, MLB.com reports. "Progressing as he should be," manager Dan Wilson said. "I don't think there's any expected date, right now, of his return, but progressing as he has. I know Luis is very diligent about getting his work in and trying to get healthy, and I think as far as we know right now, he's doing well."

The veteran right-hander has been sidelined since Sept. 8, when he suffered the strain while ducking out of the way of a throw on a stolen-base attempt. Castillo's ability to make at least one more start down the stretch could be critical for the Mariners, who remain in contention for an American League wild-card spot entering the season's final week. Castillo has once again proven a consistent workhorse of Seattle's rotation this season, going 11-12 with a 3.64 ERA and 1.17 WHIP across 175.1 innings over 30 starts.

Hancock is slated to start Saturday's game against the Rangers at Globe Life Field.

He'll pick up a second turn through the rotation in place of Luis Castillo (hamstring), who was placed on the injured list Sept. 10. Hancock has made 10 starts for Seattle this season, pitching to a 3-4 record, 4.83 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 33:15 K:BB over 50.1 innings.

Lively (13-9) picked up the win Friday, allowing one run on three hits and a walk over five innings in a 5-1 victory over the Cardinals. He struck out two.

The right-hander looked like he was running out of gas in late August as he set a new career high in innings pitched, but Lively has found a second wind. Over his last three starts, he's given up just one run in 12 innings, and he's won back-to-back outings. On the season, Lively's posted a 3.80 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 114:45 K:BB through 147 innings. With the Guardians on the cusp of clinching the AL Central title, the team could shuffle its rotation ahead of the playoffs, but Lively currently lines up to make his final start of the regular season at home next weekend against the Astros.