MLB Player News
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Chris Bassitt SP | TOR
Blue Jays' Chris Bassitt: Will be available for ALDS
Bassitt (back) is expected to be available to pitch during the ALDS, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Bassitt landed on the 15-day injured list late in the regular season with lower-back inflammation, but he's made good progress with the injury since then. While it appears likely Bassitt will be included on the Blue Jays' ALDS roster, it's unclear whether the club will use him in the rotation or bullpen.
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Jose Berrios SP | TOR
Blue Jays' Jose Berrios: Will not be on ALDS roster
Berrios (elbow) has yet to resume throwing and will not be part of the Blue Jays' ALDS roster, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.
A second opinion on Berrios' right elbow confirmed that he has no structural damage, but he's not close to being ready to pitch in a game setting. While i's possible Berrios will be an option later in the playoffs if the Blue Jays make a run, that won't be a consideration until he's ramped up his throwing.
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Hunter Greene SP | CIN
Reds' Hunter Greene: Unravels in third inning
Greene took the loss to the Dodgers on Tuesday in Game 1 of the National League Wild Card Series. He allowed five runs on six hits and two walks while striking out four over three innings.
The hard-throwing righty gave up a leadoff home run to Shohei Ohtani in the bottom of the first, which set the tone early for the Dodgers. Greene appeared to be settling in but lost his focus and command entirely in the third inning when he gave up back-to-back walks and then back-to-back homers to Teoscar Hernandez and Tommy Edman. After missing more than two months with a groin injury, Greene returned to post a 2.81 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 59:12 K:BB over his final 48 regular-season innings prior to Tuesday's hiccup.
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Blake Snell SP | LAD
Dodgers' Blake Snell: Brilliant against Reds
Snell earned the win over the Reds on Tuesday in Game 1 of the National League Wild Card Series. He allowed two runs on four hits and one walk while striking out nine over seven innings.
Making his first postseason start with the Dodgers, Snell turned in the longest playoff outing of his career. He induced 19 swinging strikes on 91 pitches and shut the Reds out until the seventh inning. Los Angeles needs one more win to secure the series -- Snell figures to start Game 2 of the NLDS against Philadelphia if the Dodgers advance.
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Garrett Crochet RP | BOS
Red Sox's Garrett Crochet: Fans 11 during Game 1 gem
Crochet earned the win during Tuesday's 3-1 victory over the Yankees after giving up one run on four hits while striking out 11 batters across 7.2 innings. He did not issue a walk.
A second-inning home run from Anthony Volpe put Crochet and the Red Sox in an early hole, but the 26-year-old southpaw responded by retiring the next 17 batters he faced. The streak ended with an eighth-inning single from Volpe, but Crochet stayed on the mound for one more at-bat, striking out Austin Wells to finish a 117-pitch start. If the Red Sox take care of business and eliminate their biggest rival from the postseason, Crochet would be likely to make his next start Sunday in Game 2 of the ALDS against the AL East-champion Blue Jays.
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Max Fried SP | NYY
Yankees' Max Fried: Stuck with no-decision in Game 1
Fried pitched 6.1 shutout innings during Tuesday's loss to the Red Sox, giving up four hits and three walks while collecting six strikeouts. He did not factor into the decision.
The 31-year-old lefty pitched his way out of a couple of jams in the fourth and fifth innings to keep the Sox off the scoreboard through six. However, MLB's highest-scoring offense wasn't able to replicate its regular-season success against Garrett Crochet, forcing Fried to settle for a no-decision in his first postseason appearance as a Yankee after Luke Weaver gave up two runs following Fried's removal in the seventh. If New York can come back to take the series from Boston, Fried will presumably get the call to start against Toronto in Game 2 of the ALDS on Sunday.
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Nick Pivetta RP | SD
Padres' Nick Pivetta: Fans nine in Game 1 loss
Pivetta took the loss in Tuesday's game against the Cubs after surrendering two earned runs on three hits and no walks while striking out nine batters across five innings.
The right-hander allowed just one baserunner through the first four innings of Tuesday's contest, but a pair of solo homers from Seiya Suzuki and Carson Kelly to lead off the fifth put Chicago in front. Pivetta struck out the next three batters he faced to finish his start; however, a shutdown performance from the Cubs' bullpen kept the Padres behind for the rest of the game. It was a reassuring performance from the 32-year-old after he finished the regular season by giving up six runs in 10.1 frames, but San Diego will now need to win two straight games at Wrigley Field for Pivetta to have any chance of facing the Brewers in the NLDS.
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Matthew Boyd SP | CHC
Cubs' Matthew Boyd: Takes no-decision in Game 1
Boyd didn't factor into the decision Tuesday against the Padres, giving up one earned run on four hits and a walk while striking out two batters across 4.1 innings.
Back-to-back doubles from Jackson Merrill and Xander Bogaerts in the second inning allowed the Padres to plate their lone run of the game. Boyd likely would have conceded a few more runs if it weren't for Dansby Swanson's defense, and consistent hard contact from San Diego's offense led to the southpaw's removal in the fifth inning after just 58 pitches. If the Cubs manage to advance to the NLDS, Boyd would likely be called upon to start Game 2 in Milwaukee on Monday.
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Gavin Williams SP | CLE
Guardians' Gavin Williams: Tough-luck loss in Game 1
Williams permitted just two unearned runs on five hits and one walk over six-plus innings but was saddled with a loss in Tuesday's 2-1 defeat to the Tigers. He struck out eight batters.
The Tigers plated their first run in the top of the first inning thanks to a pair of two-out singles and an error, and they added another in the top of the seventh on a squeeze bunt after Williams was pulled from the game. That turned out to be enough, as Tarik Skubal and the Tigers' bullpen kept the Guardians in check. Williams accrued up 19 whiffs on his 88 pitches, picking up where he left off after closing out the regular season on a high note. He would likely pitch Game 2 of the ALDS versus the Mariners on Sunday, should the Guardians advance.
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Tarik Skubal SP | DET
Tigers' Tarik Skubal: Fans 14 in Game 1 masterpiece
Skubal yielded only one run on three hits and three walks while striking out 14 over 7.2 innings to pick up the win in Tuesday's 2-1 victory over the Guardians.
The Guardians managed to scratch together a run in the bottom of the fourth inning despite not hitting the ball out of the infield, and Skubal also walked the light-hitting Austin Hedges twice. He was otherwise in complete control, regularly topping 100 mph with his fastball and inducing 26 swinging strikes on 107 pitches. The left-hander's 14 strikeouts tied a Tigers postseason record. If the Tigers advance to the ALDS to play the Mariners, Skubal would likely start Game 2 on Sunday.