MLB Player News

Gore didn't factor into the decision Tuesday against the Mets after giving up two runs (one earned) on four hits and one walk while striking out two over five innings.

Gore fell an inning shy of a quality start, but this abbreviated outing was still a step in the right direction since he had given up at least three runs while pitching four or fewer innings in each of his previous three starts. Even with this solid showing, Gore has an elevated 5.91 ERA and 1.78 WHIP through five outings since the beginning of September.

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.

Fried (5-5) took the loss in the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Rays, giving up four runs on six hits and two walks over 6.2 innings. He struck out four.

The veteran lefty kept things close until the seventh inning, when Tampa Bay tagged Fried for three runs and chased him after 97 pitches (64 strikes). With the 6-1 loss, the Rays clinched the AL East crown, but the Yankees are still locked into a wild-card spot. Tuesday's outing was the first time Fried had allowed more than one run since July 27, and he wraps up his regular season with a 2.80 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 104:33 K:BB in 112.2 innings. His next start should come in the first round of the playoffs, which will begin for New York next Tuesday, Sept. 29.

Messick did not factor into the decision Tuesday against the Red Sox, allowing one run on five hits and one walk while striking out five over five innings.

Tuesday's pitchers' duel featured two candidates in the American League Rookie of the Year race in Messick and Payton Tolle. Messick got the better of Tolle, with the former allowing only one run on an RBI groundout in the second inning. Messick was in line for his 13th win of the season before the Red Sox tied things up at 2-2 in the eighth on a solo homer by Mickey Gasper. Messick is currently slated to make one final start in the regular season this weekend against the Royals, though the 25-year-old southpaw may not pitch depending on the Guardians' playoff situation. If Tuesday's outing at Fenway Park was Messick's last of the regular season, he'll finish with a 12-9 record across 31 starts with a 2.55 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 191:48 K:BB over 183.1 innings.

Tolle did not factor into the decision Tuesday against the Guardians, allowing two runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out five across 5.2 innings.

In what will be Tolle's final start of the regular season, the hard-throwing southpaw ended up tossing 91 pitches (63 strikes) and generating 10 whiffs while falling one out short from a quality start. The eight hits allowed were one short of a season worst, though he extended his streak of five-plus strikeouts to six. Tolle didn't initially make the Red Sox's 26-man roster at the end of spring training but was quickly promoted from Triple-A Worcester in late April and stayed with the big club from there. He'll end the regular season with a 9-6 record over 26 starts with a 3.03 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 171:40 K:BB over 148.2 innings. Tolle appears in line to start in Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series, which is currently slated for next week on the road against the Yankees.

Rasmussen (16-5) picked up the win in the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Yankees, allowing one run on one hit and three walks over 6.2 innings. He struck out 11.

With the 6-1 victory, the Rays clinched the AL East crown and a first-round bye in the playoffs. Rasmussen took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, but a leadoff double by Heliot Ramos led to New York's only run of the game. The quality start was the right-hander's 18th of the season, while the 11 Ks represented his third outing of the season in double digits, and first since Aug. 1. Unless the Rays decide to get him some work on the final day of the regular season to keep him on turn, Rasmussen wraps up the 2026 campaign with new career bests in innings (172), wins (16), strikeouts (174) and WHIP (0.91), and he seems almost certain to be on the bump for Tampa Bay's first postseason contest Oct. 3.

Martinez (15-5) took the loss in the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Yankees, allowing two runs on five hits and a walk over six innings. He struck out seven.

The right-hander made only one real mistake, but Cody Bellinger put it into the right-field seats in the fourth inning for a two-run homer, accounting for the only runs in the game. The seven strikeouts were a season high for Martinez, while the quality start was his 16th of the season. Martinez has given up three runs or fewer in six straight outings, posting a 2.52 ERA, 0.79 WHIP and 25:3 K:BB in 35.2 innings over that span. The Rays clinched the AL East title and a first-round bye in the playoffs with a win in the nightcap, so it remains to be seen whether Martinez will stay on turn and get the start for the final game of the regular season, on the road Sunday in Philadelphia.