MLB Player News

Sasaki allowed two hits and struck out two batters over one scoreless relief inning against San Diego on Tuesday.

Sasaki logged his first game action since landing on the IL due to a finger blister in late August. The right-hander entered in the fourth inning and worked around a pair of two-out singles to work a scoreless frame. Sasaki twice hit triple-digits with his fastball and seemed to have no lingering issues from the blister. The outing was his first out of the bullpen this season, and that could be his role in the playoffs as well, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. While Sasaki has had a mostly promising second MLB campaign, Los Angeles' postseason rotation may not have room for him if Blake Snell (groin) is ready to go, and Sasaki has already demonstrated he can be successful as a late-inning reliever based on his performance during the team's championship run last year.

Burns (groin) worked on adding a sinker in his September outings before getting placed on the 15-day injured list to end his season, Charlie Goldsmith of FOX19 reports.

Burns used the sinker nine times in his last start against the Cubs, with the purpose of giving his fastball another look. "It was moving a lot," Burns said. "Why not? My normal fastball is a cut-carry. This looks different to them. Having two fastballs is the big new thing. You look at Cam Schlittler. He has a cutter, a fastball and a sinker."

Freeland (4-11) took the loss after allowing five runs on nine hits and a walk while striking out two over three innings in Tuesday's 7-2 loss to the Diamondbacks.

Freeland's struggles continue, as he's allowed 12 earned runs on 23 hits over a total of 10.2 innings in his last three outings. The left-hander needed 73 pitches to complete three frames Tuesday, but at least he didn't allow a homer after giving up five long balls in his previous two starts. He's lined up to make his final start of the season Sunday on the road against the White Sox.

Soroka (9-5) earned the win after allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits and a walk while striking out nine over seven innings in Tuesday's 7-2 victory over the Rockies.

The Diamondbacks needed a strong outing from Soroka to keep their playoff chances alive, and the veteran delivering by fanning nine -- his highest mark since April 10, when he struck out 10. He's now allowed just one earned run in his last two starts, posting a 15:2 K:BB across 12 innings in that span. He's expected to make his final start of the season Sunday against the Padres.

Manaea (6-7) earned the win Tuesday against the Rangers after allowing three runs (two earned) on three hits and two walks while striking out nine over six innings. He also hit two batters.

Manaea allowed an RBI double to Josh Jung in the third before Texas scored twice without a hit in the fourth, aided by two passed balls and consecutive sacrifice flies. The veteran southpaw kept the Rangers scoreless over his final two innings, and New York's three-run sixth turned a 3-2 deficit into a 5-3 lead, allowing him to earn the win. Manaea matched his season high with nine strikeouts and lowered his ERA to 4.67. He's lined up to make his final start of the season Sunday on the road against the Nationals.

May did not factor into the decision Tuesday against the Philies, allowing two runs on one hit and two walks while striking out two batters across two innings.

May was pulled from his start early for a second consecutive outing, after giving up a two-run homer to Brandon Marsh in the second inning. May has failed to complete five innings in six of his last seven starts, posting a 7.84 ERA and 1.74 WHIP across 20.2 innings in that span, which is not the kind of form the Brewers were hoping for out of the right-hander so close to the playoffs. He's currently lined up to take on the Cardinals at home this weekend.

Junk didn't factor into the decision Tuesday against the Cubs after allowing two hits and a walk while striking out six over five scoreless innings. He also tossed a wild pitch.

Junk kept Chicago off the board while Miami built a 1-0 lead, allowing just two hits before departing after five innings. Junk's six strikeouts tied his season high, and the scoreless performance lowered his ERA to 4.31. He's given up one earned run or zero in six of his last seven outings, posting a 4.10 ERA in that stretch.

Wheeler did not factor into the decision Tuesday against the Brewers, allowing three runs on five hits and one walk while striking out 11 across 5.2 innings.

Wheeler set the tone early by striking out the side in the first inning, with his third punchout being the 2,000th of his career. The hard-throwing right-hander wasn't done there, as he proceeded to strike out each of the next four batters he faced, setting a franchise record of seven straight punchouts to start a game. Wheeler is lined up to throw this weekend at home against the Rays, though he could be pushed back for the NL Wild Card Series next week, depending how the playoff picture unfolds. He has a 13-5 record over 27 starts with a 3.06 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 188:47 K:BB over 156 innings this season.

King (12-10) took the loss Tuesday, allowing five runs on six hits and two walks over four innings against the Dodgers. He struck out five.

The right-hander delivered a scoreless first inning but was tagged for four runs in the second and another in the fourth to end his evening. King's poor showing snapped a four-start win streak and is the first time since July 28 he surrendered more than three earned runs in an outing. During that nine-start stretch, he posted a 2.26 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 45:18 K:BB across 55.2 innings. King tentatively lines up to pitch the final game of the regular season Sunday versus the Diamondbacks, but the Padres are likely to prioritize his availability for next week's wild-card series.

Molina (3-2) allowed two runs on four hits and a walk while striking out six over six innings to take the loss versus the Twins on Tuesday.

With this performance, Molina picked up his first quality start in the majors. The right-hander threw 57 of 85 pitches for strikes and matched his season high for strikeouts. He's now at a 3.97 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 31:7 K:BB across 34 innings through nine appearances (five starts). The Giants' rotation is being held together by tape at this point in the season, so it's possible Molina gets one more turn at home versus the Dodgers over the weekend.