MLB Player News
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Colt Keith DH | DET
Tigers' Colt Keith: Hoping to be back for ALDS
The Tigers are hopeful that Keith (ribs) will be ready to play in the ALDS, should they advance, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.
Sidelined for the past two weeks with right rib cage inflammation, Keith played catch on the field at Progressive Field on Wednesday. He's also been able to participate in other baseball activities, including swinging a bat, per Evan Woodbery of MLive.com. Keith certainly appears to be moving in the right direction, but a decision on his availability for the ALDS could come down to the wire. With Keith sidelined, Zach McKinstry has been filling in at third base for the Tigers.
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Aroldis Chapman RP | BOS
Red Sox's Aroldis Chapman: Picks up four-out save
Chapman gave up three hits while striking out two batters across 1.1 scoreless innings to record the save in Tuesday's 3-1 win over the Yankees. He did not issue a walk.
With Boston up two runs entering the bottom of the ninth, Chapman made things interesting by allowing three consecutive singles to Paul Goldschmidt, Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger to begin the inning. The veteran reliever then retired the next three batters he faced to preserve the win and secure the 11th postseason save of his career. After posting a career-best 1.17 ERA and 0.70 WHIP during the regular season, Chapman is a safe bet to receive the vast majority of save opportunities for the duration of the BoSox's postseason run.
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Garrett Crochet SP | 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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Will Vest RP | DET
Tigers' Will Vest: Nails down Game 1 save
Vest pitched around one hit over 1.1 scoreless frames to notch a save in Tuesday's 2-1 victory over the Guardians.
Vest entered the game in the eighth inning with a runner on second base, two out and the Tigers clinging to a one-run lead. He finished off that frame with a groundout but immediately was back in hot water in the ninth when Jose Ramirez reached on a leadoff infield single and advanced to third base on a two-base error. However, Vest also managed to extinguish that rally with a strikeout, a fielder's choice and a popout. Vest picked up the final five traditional saves down the stretch of the regular season for the Tigers and has now registered their first postseason save. However, while Vest will be the favorite to close games for Detroit, manager A.J. Hinch's propensity to mix and match means Vest could also be used earlier in games if the situation calls for it.
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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.
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Ben Rice 1B | NYY
Yankees' Ben Rice: Taking seat in Game 1
Rice is not in the lineup Tuesday for Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series against the Yankees.
With tough southpaw Garrett Crochet toeing the rubber for the Red Sox, the left-handed-hitting Rice will begin the contest on the bench. It will be Paul Goldschmidt at first base and Austin Wells doing the catching for the Yankees.
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Connelly Early SP | BOS
Red Sox's Connelly Early: Likely to start potential Game 3
Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Tuesday that Early would likely start a potential Game 3 of the American League Wild Card Series versus the Yankees, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports.
Early became the most likely candidate to take the ball in Game 3 after Lucas Giolito (elbow) went down, and Cora has confirmed it will indeed be the lefty, barring something unforeseen. The rookie collected a 2.33 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 29:4 K:BB across 19.1 innings covering four September starts for the Red Sox.
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Lucas Giolito SP | BOS
Red Sox's Lucas Giolito: Unlikely to pitch this postseason
Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Tuesday that while Giolito's right elbow injury is not as bad as the team feared it might be, the hurler is unlikely to be available at any point during the postseason, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports.
Giolito seems to have been cleared of any structural damage after a visit with Dr. Jeffrey Dugas, but the right-hander needs extended rest, so he's done for the season even if the Red Sox make a deep postseason run. It's poor timing for the Red Sox and also Giolito, who will enter free agency this winter. Giolito had a nice bounce-back 2025 campaign, posting a 3.41 ERA and 121:56 K:BB over 145 frames, but he'll head into the free-agent market with health questions.