MLB Player News

Ray will start Sunday's regular-season finale against the Royals.

The Diamondbacks have already clinched a wild-card berth and they have an off day Thursday, but they will keep Ray on normal rest and get Patrick Corbin and Zack Godley acclimated to the bullpen in preparation for the postseason. Ray has put together a fantastic season and looks primed for the Game 1 start in the NLDS if Arizona makes it that far.

Ryu (forearm) will start Friday against the Rockies after throwing a successful 34-pitch bullpen session Tuesday, J.P. Hoornstra of The Orange County Register reports.

While this is good news for Ryu's prospects of making the Dodgers' postseason roster, starting him at Coors Field could be bad news for fantasy owners. The soft-tossing lefty has given up nine runs over 10 innings to the Rockies this season, making him nothing more than a desperation play Friday.

Wood (16-3) picked up the win over the Padres on Tuesday, giving up two runs on eight hits and a walk over six innings while striking out only one.

Both runs scored on fifth-inning solo homers, but the Dodgers offense came to life after that to propel Wood to win No. 16. The lefty finishes the regular season with a stellar 2.72 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 151:38 K:BB in 152.1 innings, and he's lined up to start Game 4 of the NLDS next week, should the series last that long.

Ray (15-5) picked up the win over the Giants on Tuesday, allowing two unearned runs on three hits and two walks over five innings while striking out five.

The Arizona offense, and J.D. Martinez in particular, staked Ray to an 8-0 lead after two innings, allowing him to take it easy and throw only 80 pitches (50 strikes) while still earning the win. Zack Greinke is set to start the NL Wild Card Game for the D-backs next Wednesday, but if they advance to the NLDS, Ray should be well rested when he takes the mound for Game 1.

Anderson (6-6) tossed seven scoreless innings Tuesday to pick up the win over the Marlins, scattering four hits and striking out five.

The lefty was sharp all night, facing the minimum number of batters through five innings thanks to two double plays. Anderson finishes off the regular season with a 4.81 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 81:26 K:BB in 86 innings, and his 1.19 ERA in 22.2 September innings should give him a leg up on keeping a rotation spot to begin 2018.

Urena (14-7) allowed six runs on nine hits and four walks over five innings Tuesday to take the loss against the Rockies. He struck out four.

Trevor Story's three-run blast off Urena in the first inning set the tone in what ended up being a 6-0 defeat for the Marlins. The right-hander will get one more crack at win No. 15 at home in the season finale against the Braves on Sunday.

Thompson (3-2) picked up a win Tuesday after allowing one run on four hits over five innings in a 4-1 victory over the Nationals. He struck out five and walked two.

Thompson finishes the year 3-2 with a 3.88 ERA and a 35:22 K:BB in 46.1 innings. His 5.96 FIP indicates he was pretty lucky to finish with an ERA below 4.00. The 23-year-old should get a chance to compete for a rotation spot next spring.

Nicasio got the final four outs to earn his fifth save in Tuesday's 8-7 win over the Cubs, allowing one hit with two walks and three strikeouts.

Nicasio came in with two down and the bases empty in the eighth inning after two Chicago home runs off John Brebbia had trimmed a five-run lead down to one. He nearly surrendered the tying run on a Kris Bryant ground rule double that came a few feet from clearing the wall, but got Anthony Rizzo to pop out to end the threat in the eighth. Nicasio didn't allow any more contact after that, issuing a pair of free passes to go with three swinging strikeouts. While he's got a solid grip on the closer role, Nicasio may not be available Wednesday after needing 31 pitches to secure this one.

Martinez labored through 4.1 innings in Tuesday's no-decision against the Cubs, allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits with four walks and six strikeouts.

Martinez displayed electric stuff from the get-go, striking out the first two batters he faced. While the talented 26-year-old struggled with command later on in the outing in the absence of master pitch-framer Yadier Molina (concussion) and was removed after 92 pitches, Martinez did enough to lead his club an important victory even though he wasn't credited with the win. Martinez's next start is scheduled for Sunday's season finale against Milwaukee, but plans could change if St. Louis is eliminated from postseason contention in the coming days.

Williams (7-9) allowed one run on three hits and three walks across six innings to earn the win Tuesday against the Orioles. He struck out six.

Williams was extremely effective in this one, scattering three baserunners before allowing a solo home run to Chris Davis with two outs in the sixth inning. He has now gone at least five innings while allowing two runs or fewer in five of his last six starts to lower his ERA to a respectable 4.07. One of the club's less heralded young pitchers, Williams made strides this season toward becoming a solid arm in the middle of the rotation. He is not scheduled to appear again this year and will look to carry his growth over to the 2018 campaign.