MLB Player News

Freeman is included on the Guardians' roster for the ALDS versus Detroit.

Freeman ended the regular season in the minors after struggling to a .209/.305/.321 slash line throughout the campaign. His inclusion on the ALDS roster gives Cleveland added versatility, as Freeman made at least one start at second base, third base, shortstop and center field this season. Freeman also gives the team speed off the bench -- he stole 11 bags in 17 attempts during the campaign.

Brennan is not in Cleveland's lineup for Game 1 of the American League Division Series versus Detroit.

Brennan started all three games during the Guardians' final series of the regular season against Houston, playing twice in right field and once in left field. However, Jhonkensy Noel will start in right field in the first game of the ALDS while Steven Kwan gets the start in left. Brennan plays mostly against right-handed pitchers, and Detroit is opening Game 1 with southpaw Tyler Holton, which likely explains Brennan's exclusion from the lineup. However, Brennan could enter the game at some point, as righty Reese Olson is expected to work in bulk relief Saturday.

Cousins (pectoral) was activated off the 15-day injured list Saturday ahead of Game 1 of the American League Division Series versus Kansas City, per MLB's transaction log.

Cousins finished the regular season on the injured list due to a pectoral strain but was able to toss a series of bullpen sessions ahead of the playoffs. The right-hander was able to prove his health and will serve as a relief option for New York against the Royals. Cousins has posted a 2.37 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 53:20 K:BB while logging eight holds and one save over 38 innings this season.

Noel is starting in right field and batting seventh Saturday against Detroit in Game 1 of the ALDS.

Will Brennan got the start in right field in two of the Guardians' final three regular-season games, but Noel is getting the call for the first game of the ALDS against the Tigers. Detroit is slated to use left-hander Tyler Holton as the opener in the contest, and righty Reese Olson is expected to follow in bulk relief. Noel batted .246 against southpaws and just .205 versus righties during the regular season.

Cobb (finger) is included on the Guardians' ALDS roster.

Cobb ended the regular season on the injured list due to a right finger blister, but his inclusion on the roster for the division series versus the Tigers suggests he's recovered. It's unclear if Cobb will be asked to start a game during the series or if he will serve as an option out of the bullpen. The right-hander posted a 2.76 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 10:3 K:BB over 16.1 innings across three starts during the regular season.

Lively is not included on the Guardians' roster for the American League Division Series versus Detroit.

Lively was a key part of Cleveland's rotation during the regular season, posting a 3.81 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 118:49 K:BB over 151 innings across 29 starts while going 13-10. He had a few poor starts near the end of the campaign and logged a 4.53 ERA along with a 1.39 WHIP over the final two months, which may have played a part in the decision to leave him off roster for the ALDS. The starting pitchers on Cleveland's ALDS roster include Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams, Matthew Boyd and Alex Cobb (finger).

Boyd is expected to start for Cleveland in Game 2 of the ALDS versus Detroit, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

It will be a revenge game for Boyd, who pitched for the Tigers from 2015 to 2021 and again in 2023. The left-hander joined the Guardians for the 2024 campaign and began the season on the IL with an elbow injury before making his Cleveland debut Aug. 13. In the majors, Boyd registered a 2.72 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 46:13 K:BB over 39.2 innings across eight starts. Ben Lively, who made 29 starts for Cleveland during the campaign, was left off the team's ALDS roster.

Montero is part of the Tigers' roster for the American League Division Series versus Cleveland.

Montero wasn't included on Detroit's roster for the AL Wild Card Series against the Astros, but he's active for the ALDS and could potentially start in Game 3 or serve in bulk relief. The right-hander was inconsistent during the regular season and finished with a 4.76 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 77:31 K:BB over 98.1 innings across 19 contests, 16 of which were starts. Casey Mize, who was on Detroit's wild-card roster, is inactive for the ALDS in order to make room for Montero.

Mize isn't included on the Tigers' ALDS roster.

Mize was a starter for Detroit for much of the campaign but moved to the bullpen for his final two appearances of the regular season. The right-hander struggled in that role, giving up three runs over 3.1 innings, which may have contributed to the Tigers' decision to make him inactive for the division series. Keider Montero was added to the team's ALDS roster after being inactive for the wild-card series versus Houston.

Verdugo is expected to start in left field for Game 1 of the ALDS against the Royals on Saturday, Andy Martino of SNY.tv reports.

Verdugo split starts in left field with Jasson Dominguez toward the end of the regular season after the latter was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre on Sept. 9. The duo had a similar slash line during that split, but it appears manager Aaron Boone will go with the veteran Verdugo for Game 1 of the ALDS. Verdugo's lone postseason appearance was in 2021 with the Red Sox, when he slashed .310/.383/.452 with one home run and six RBI across 47 plate appearances.