MLB Player News

Kikuchi was removed from Wednesday's game against the Royals due to a left forearm cramp.

Kikuchi made it through five innings of one-run ball and struck out six batters before leaving the game alongside one of the Angels' trainers. Regardless of the severity of his injury, Wednesday will be the final start that Kikuchi makes in 2025, and he'll conclude the season with a 3.99 ERA and 1.42 WHIP alongside a 174:74 K:BB over 178.1 innings spanning 33 starts.

Buxton went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 4-2 loss to Texas.

Buxton clobbered his 32nd homer of the season and his third of the month. While 2025 will go down as a lost year for the Twins, it was anything but a failure for Buxton, who has just about paid off for fantasy managers who took a late-round gamble on the oft-injured outfielder in drafts this past spring. Buxton is up to 123 games played, his most since 2017, and he's collected a career-high in long balls, RBI (78), walks (41) and runs scored (94).

Maton threw a clean ninth inning for the save Wednesday against Minnesota. He struck out one.

Maton recorded his career-high fifth save of the season in his eighth consecutive scoreless outing. The right-hander has given the Rangers' bullpen a nice boost for the most part since coming over from St. Louis, working to a 3.27 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 32:7 K:BB over 22 innings for Texas. Maton's 2.69 ERA and 1.04 WHIP in 2025 both represent career bests.

Varland will start Thursday's game against the Red Sox, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports.

Varland has turned in a 5.66 ERA and 1.50 WHIP over 20.2 innings since being traded to Toronto, and the Jays will now see how he fares in a new role. The 27-year-old righty began his career working primarily as a starter with the Twins, though he will likely only remain in Thursday's game for an inning or two before turning things over to the bullpen.

Olson (shoulder) has been working on a throwing progression, though he's not yet ready for bullpen work and is likely still a ways off from returning, MLB.com reports.

Olson last appeared on the mound for Detroit back on July 24, and he's currently on the 60-day injured list as he recovers from a right shoulder strain. He received a platelet-rich plasma injection on Aug. 5, and there's a chance he can return if the Tigers make the playoffs and happen to stick around for a bit, but the righty's regular season is over. Whether Olson pitches again in 2025 or not, he should be a part of Detroit's rotation next year, and he's pitched well for the team since making his MLB debut in 2023.

Gipson-Long (neck) threw a bullpen session Tuesday and is working out in Toledo as part of reserve squad with the Triple-A season over, per MLB.com.

Gipson-Long has been out since Sept. 11 due to neck stiffness. It's possible he returns before the regular season ends, though the Tigers now have just four games remaining. If Gipson-Long does make it back this week, he'll likely slot into a bullpen role with limited fantasy value. The 27-year-old righty could reemerge as a rotation option in 2026, depending on what Detroit does over the offseason.

X-rays on Basallo's right hand came back negative following his removal from Wednesday's game against Tampa Bay, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

Basallo had to come out of the game after taking a 96 mph offering from Pete Fairbanks off his hand in the ninth inning, but he seemingly managed to escape without suffering any fractures. The Orioles could decide to hold him out of Thursday's series finale to give him time to recover, which would likely give Ryan Mountcastle a start as the designated hitter with Coby Mayo at first base.

Basallo was removed from Wednesday's game against the Rays after getting hit on the right hand by a pitch, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

Interim manager Tony Mansolino said after the game that Basallo will receive an X-ray on his hand, which will help determine the severity of the backstop's injury. Should the 21-year-old need to miss any amount of time, Ryan Mountcastle would stand to benefit from extra reps as Baltimore's designated hitter.

Baz did not factor into the decision Wednesday against the Orioles, allowing three walks and no hits across four scoreless innings. He struck out three.

It's unclear exactly why Baz was limited to four innings after throwing only 49 pitches (31 strikes), though he was effective nonetheless. The 26-year-old Baz's campaign will likely end on a high note -- he delivered nine scoreless innings over his last two starts, allowing just two hits while striking out seven. Overall, Baz's ERA sits at 4.87 with a 1.33 WHIP and 176:64 K:BB across 31 starts (166.1 innings) this season.

Wells (2-1) took the loss Wednesday against Tampa Bay, giving up three runs on seven hits and a walk across four innings. He struck out four.

It was a tough outing for Wells, who gave up a run in each of the first three innings. Prior to Wednesday, the 31-year-old right-hander had not allowed more than two runs in any of his three starts. Wells, who missed all but the final month of the season while recovering from UCL revision surgery, will likely finish the campaign with a 2.91 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 18 strikeouts across 21.2 innings.