MLB Player News

Cease does not need surgery on his injured right shoulder, but his immediate availability is up in the air, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports.

An MRI showed inflammation, with Cease saying his shoulder feels a "bit heavy and achy and not normal." In the unlikely event that the Blue Jays squeeze their way into the postseason, the right-hander could eventually return to pitch. However, it's a long shot that he will be back later this week before the curtains close on the regular season. Cease has collected a 2.40 ERA and 239:78 K:BB over 169 innings covering 29 starts in his first year with the Blue Jays.

The Blue Jays activated Yesavage (knee) from the 15-day injured list Monday.

Yesavage will rejoin the rotation with a start Monday versus the Orioles after being shelved since early August following meniscus surgery on his left knee. He threw only 34 pitches over two-thirds of an inning during his lone rehab outing, and the Blue Jays are aiming to get just three frames out of Yesavage against Baltimore. The right-hander has authored a 3.65 ERA and 91:46 K:BB over 93.2 frames covering 18 starts in the big leagues this season.

Gore (shoulder/back) will start Tuesday's game against the Mets in Arlington.

Gore was limited to four innings and 69 pitches during his previous outing Wednesday against the Red Sox while he dealt with spasms in his shoulder and upper back area, but he apparently checked out fine during his between-starts bullpen session and will return to the bump on five days rest. The southpaw will tentatively line up for two starts during the final week of the season, though he could have his turn Sunday in Minnesota skipped if the Rangers' playoff positioning is secure.

Verlander (hamstring/hip) is scheduled to be reinstated from the 60-day injured list to start Saturday against the Pirates, Jeff Seidel of the Detroit Free Press reports.

The 43-year-old made one start at the beginning of the season before landing on the IL due to a hamstring injury, and he then dealt with hip inflammation while going through his rehab program. Verlander hasn't made any rehab starts and is likely to have a limited workload Saturday. The future Hall of Famer announced in July that he is retiring after the 2026 season, and he'll return to an MLB mound Saturday to close the book on his 21-year career.

The Nationals activated Herz (elbow) from the 60-day injured list Monday.

Herz is set to start Monday's game against the Tigers in what will be his first appearance at the major-league level since 2024, as he's completed the long road back from April 2025 Tommy John surgery. The left-hander made 10 rehab starts, posting a 3.16 ERA and 30:7 K:BB over 25.2 innings. Herz threw 4.1 innings and 65 pitches in his last start Sept. 11, so he'll be on a relatively limited workload versus the Tigers.

Luzardo (shoulder) played catch on flat ground Sunday, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

Luzardo was shut down for nine days due to left shoulder inflammation, but he was cleared to play catch after the stiffness dissipated and he regained range of motion in the shoulder. The left-hander will not return from the 15-day injured list before the end of the regular season, but the Phillies are "very optimistic" about Luzardo's progress, per president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski. If Luzardo is ready for the wild-card round, the Phillies could use him in a relief role since he won't have his stamina rebuilt enough to start.

Misiorowski allowed a hit and struck out four without walking a batter over three shutout innings in a no-decision versus the Orioles on Sunday. Per Adam McCalvy of MLB.com, this was an intentionally planned short outing for Misiorowski to keep his innings in check ahead of the postseason.

McCalvy adds that Misiorowski is expected to see more regular usage in his last projected start of the regular season at home versus the Cardinals, which will line him up to take the mound during the NLDS. Since the All-Star break, Misiorowski has allowed just 16 runs (15 earned) over 58.1 innings, adding an 80:15 K:BB in that span. For the year, he's at a 1.86 ERA, 0.80 WHIP and 247:42 K:BB through 169.1 innings over 29 starts. The good news for fantasy managers is that Misiorowski is expected to have one more start even if the Brewers clinch everything they can before it's his turn to pitch again.

Wilkinson did not factor into the decision Sunday, allowing three hits and no walks over five scoreless innings against the Dodgers. He struck out six.

Wilkinson silenced the Dodgers offense, spinning five shutout innings before departing at 76 pitches (51 strikes). Sunday marked the rookie's first start since Sept. 4, as his previous two outings came from the bullpen. In seven appearances (five starts), the southpaw owns a 1-3 record with a 3.65 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 18:4 K:BB in 24.2 frames. Should Wilkinson remain in the rotation, he's lined up to start Saturday in a rematch with Los Angeles.

Young (9-5) allowed two runs on three hits and three walks while striking out nine over six innings to take the loss versus the Brewers on Sunday.

Young had a decent performance, but he didn't get any run support. The nine strikeouts were a season high for the right-hander, who continues to produce mostly good outings despite being winless over his last seven games. He's at a 3.62 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 127:58 K:BB through 151.2 innings over 27 starts this season. He's projected to wrap up his campaign with a road matchup against the Yankees.

Sheehan did not factor into the decision Sunday, allowing a hit and a walk while striking out nine over 5.1 scoreless innings of bulk relief against the Giants.

Entering in the second inning after Jack Dreyer, Sheehan was dominant in bulk relief, allowing just two batters to reach on his watch. The 26-year-old has looked phenomenal in three September appearances, permitting just one run over 17 innings with a 24:3 K:BB. On the year, the right-hander owns a 5-8 record with a 4.57 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 132:33 K:BB in 112.1 innings (23 appearances). With several moving parts in the Dodgers rotation, it remains to be seen if Sheehan will log another regular-season outing, but if he does, it'll likely come on the road against the Giants over the weekend.