MLB Player News

The Guardians removed Freeman from their ALDS roster Monday due to a strained left oblique.

Freeman suffered the injury during a recent simulated game. He will not be eligible for the ALCS, should the Guardians advance. Freeman could potentially return for the World Series, although it's unclear whether he'll be healthy enough to do so. Angel Martinez will take over Freeman's roster spot.

Brennan is not in the lineup Monday for Game 2 of the ALDS against the Tigers, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.

With southpaw Tarik Skubal on the bump for the Tigers, the left-handed hitting Brennan will begin the contest on the bench. He didn't start against lefty opener Tyler Holton in Game 1, either, nor did he enter versus any of the three righties the Tigers used after Holton. Jhonkensy Noel is getting the call again in right field for the Guardians.

Naylor is absent from the lineup Monday for Game 2 of the ALDS versus the Tigers, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.

He went hitless but caught a shutout in Game 1. With left-hander Tarik Skubal on the hill for the Tigers, Naylor will yield to Austin Hedges at catcher.

Manzardo is not in the lineup Monday for Game 2 of the ALDS against the Tigers, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.

It's lefty ace Tarik Skubal on the bump for the Tigers, so the left-handed hitting Manzardo will grab a seat. David Fry is in the designated hitter spot and batting second for the Guardians.

Cortes (elbow) played catch Sunday, which went well according to Yankees' pitching coach Matt Blake, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.

Cortes is working his way back from a left elbow flexor strain, and he's hopeful to pitch in the ALCS if New York is able to advance. His ability to throw with no issues Sunday is promising, and his next step will depend on how he responds Monday.

Verdugo is expected to start in left field in Game 2 of the ALDS versus Kansas City on Monday, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Verdugo started in Game 1 and came through with a big performance, going 2-for-3 with a walk, two runs and an RBI. His seventh-inning RBI single broke a 5-5 tie, providing what proved to be the winning run. Verdugo's expected start in Game 2 seems to indicate that he's currently the preferred option in left field over rookie Jasson Dominguez, as the Yankees are electing to deploy the lefty-hitting Verdugo over the switch-hitting Dominguez against southpaw Cole Ragans.

Cortes (elbow) is slated to play catch Sunday, Jorge Castillo of ESPN.com reports.

Cortes is still hoping to be able to pitch at some point in the postseason if the Yankees are able to advance past the ALDS. The southpaw is dealing with a left elbow flexor strain and wasn't included on New York's roster for the divisional series. Cortes was pitching well before going down with the injury, giving up just one run over 15.1 innings while posting an 18:7 K:BB during his final three starts.

Cabrera is starting at first base and batting eighth in Saturday's Game 1 of the ALDS against Kansas City.

Cabrera played primarily at third base during the regular season but made five starts at first. Jazz Chisholm is locked into the starting role at the hot corner for the postseason, so Cabrera is needed much more at first base with Anthony Rizzo left off the roster due to a pair of fractured fingers. Ben Rice is also on the team's ALDS roster as an option at first base.

Ellis is included on the Yankees' roster for the American League Division Series versus the Royals.

Ellis played in just 11 games between the White Sox and Yankees in the regular season and logged just five plate appearances. However, he came in handy as a base stealer, notching five thefts in as many attempts. Ellis ended the campaign in the minors and will likely be used almost exclusively as a pinch runner during the divisional round.

Stroman is not on the Yankees' roster for the ALDS against Kansas City.

Stroman struggled during the regular season, posting a 4.31 ERA and 1.47 WHIP over 154.2 innings. He was briefly moved to the bullpen in mid-September but returned to a starting role for his final appearance of the campaign after Nestor Cortes (elbow) landed on the injured list. The Yankees aren't likely to need more than four starters in the ALDS, and the team elected to roll with Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt ahead of Stroman.