MLB Player News

Verlander (13-8) allowed two hits and three walks while striking out five over five shutout innings to earn the win Saturday over the Diamondbacks.

Verlander's three walks were his most in a start since he was traded from the Mets, but he still got the job done. The Astros' playoff spot was confirmed with their win and the Mariners' loss to Texas. Verlander has delivered three scoreless outings in his 11 starts with Houston, and he ends September having allowed 17 runs (16 earned) over 39 frames in six starts. He has a 3.22 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 144:45 K:BB in 162.1 innings over 27 starts this season. Verlander's next turn through the rotation tentatively lines up for Game 3 of the AL Wild Card Series.

Smyly will start Sunday's game against the Brewers, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Smyly figures to work a few innings in what may turn out to be a bullpen game for Chicago after the club was eliminated from postseason contention Saturday night. The veteran southpaw has plenty of experience in a starting role, though he was converted to a reliever for the final month of the season and has worked only 15.2 innings over 11 appearances in September.

Clevinger (9-9) took the loss Saturday, allowing six runs on seven hits and two walks over 1.2 innings against the Padres. He struck out two.

Clevinger hadn't allowed more than six hits or two earned runs in any of his previous four starts, but he yielded four runs in the first frame and two more in the second Saturday as he delivered his shortest outing of the season. The 32-year-old hurler had been on quite the run since returning from a bicep injury July 29, posting a 6-4 record with a 2.96 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 55:12 K:BB across 67 innings. However, Saturday's dud increased Clevinger's season-long ERA from 3.40 to 3.77 to go with a 1.23 WHIP and 110:40 K:BB across 131.1 innings - his biggest workload since 2018.

Wacha (14-4) earned the win Saturday, allowing three hits and one walk over seven scoreless innings against the White Sox. He struck out seven.

The 32-year-old scattered three singles and needed just 87 pitches to complete seven scoreless innings en route to his 14th victory of the campaign. Outside of a recent seven-run start against the Dodgers, Wacha compiled a 6-1 record with a 2.82 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 48:15 K:BB across 44.2 innings after returning from a shoulder injury Aug. 15. Building upon a resurgent 2022 season for the Red Sox, the right-hander's first year in San Diego concludes with a 3.22 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 124:43 K:BB across 134.1 innings with his highest win total since Wacha went 17-7 in 2015.

Rom came away with a no-decision in Saturday's 15-6 rout of the Reds, giving up four runs on seven hits and three walks over 4.1 innings. He struck out seven.

The Cardinals' offense handed the southpaw a 10-0 lead after two innings, but Rom wasn't efficient enough to stick around and qualify for his second win, getting the hook after 90 pitches (55 strikes). The seven strikeouts did tie his career high, however, set Sept. 13 against the Orioles. Rom has had a shaky start to his big-league career, posting a 32:19 K:BB through his first 33.2 innings but also an 8.02 ERA thanks to seven homers allowed. The 23-year-old could have an uphill climb to secure a full-time rotation spot next spring.

Castillo (14-9) took the loss Saturday, giving up four runs on five hits and five walks over 2.2 innings as the Mariners were downed 6-1 by the Rangers. He struck out four.

The right-hander picked the worst possible time to have his shortest outing of the season, as the loss eliminated the M's from postseason contention. Castillo got the hook after 86 pitches (52 strikes), and his control deserted him in September -- he issued multiple free passes in five of six starts on the month, leading to a 4.96 ERA and 38:18 K:BB through 32.2 innings. He also came up just short of his first 200-inning campaign, finishing with a career-high 197 innings over 33 starts. Castillo still has four years left on the $108 million contract extension he signed last September, and the 30-year-old should anchor the Seattle rotation once again in 2024.

Dunning will start Sunday's game against the Mariners, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

The Rangers will call on Dunning to pitch on only three days of rest with an opportunity to clinch the division on the line. He tossed a gem in his last outing Wednesday against the Angels by firing seven scoreless innings on 87 pitches, so it's unclear as to how long he'll be able to go Saturday.

Heaney didn't factor into the decision Saturday as the Rangers won 6-1 over the Mariners, allowing five hits and a walk over 4.1 scoreless innings. He struck out two.

While the southpaw didn't record the win, he was a key part of Texas' playoff-clinching victory. Heaney tossed 85 pitches (51 strikes) in his first start since Sept. 4, and he extended his streak of appearances without giving up an earned run to five. The Rangers still need a win Sunday, or an Astros loss, to lock up the AL West crown and a first-round bye in the playoffs, but if they wind up with a wild-card spot, Heaney could play a big role in that series too with Jon Gray (forearm) and Max Scherzer (shoulder) both currently on the IL. On the season, Heaney has a 4.15 ERA and 151:60 K:BB through 147.1 innings.

Kershaw appears in line to start Game 1 of the National League Divisional Series, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

Kershaw had a chance for one final tune-up Saturday night against the Giants, surrendering two runs on five hits and two walks while striking out five across 5.1 innings. He would ultimately take the loss in a low-scoring contest, though he looked sharp, firing 52 of his 83 pitches for strikes. Manager Dave Roberts all but solidified Kershaw as the starter for Game 1, so expect an official announcement to arrive sometime next week.

Quintana came away with a no-decision in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader sweep of the Phillies, giving up four runs (three earned) on seven hits over four innings. He struck out five without walking a batter.

The Mets handed the veteran lefty an 8-0 lead after three innings, but Quintana stumbled in the fourth and got the hook after 96 pitches (64 strikes), failing to qualify for his fourth win of the year. He coughed up 10 runs (eight earned) in 10 innings over his final two starts of 2023, a sour ending to the campaign given the 3.02 ERA he posted in his first 11 trips to the mound after coming off the IL following the All-Star break. With one more season left on his contract at $13 million, Quintana should be locked into a rotation spot for the Mets in 2024.