MLB Player News

Thomas (intercostal) will take batting practice at Truist Park on Wednesday, Jesus Cano of The Athletic reports.

Thomas is just under three weeks removed from suffering a left intercostal strain. He's responded well to increased workouts and will have a big test Wednesday in taking batting practice on the field. If Thomas proves his health, he'll be a candidate to be added to Atlanta's roster for the NLDS, should his team advance.

Gausman will start Game 2 of the wild-card series versus the Padres on Wednesday, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.

Gausman will be tasked with helping to stave off elimination after the Cubs were shut out in the Padres' 8-0 Game 1 victory. The right-hander injured his left (non-throwing) shoulder in his final regular-season start one week ago, but he feels well enough to take the ball in Game 2's win-or-go-home scenario.

General manager Brandon Gomes said Tuesday that Henriquez (back) is "trending really well" after throwing an encouraging round of live batting practice, Sonja Chen of MLB.com reports.

Henriquez ended the regular season on the injured list due to a low-grade back strain, but because the Dodgers have a bye during the wild-card round, he'll have time to heal before the team begins its postseason run. The 24-year-old righty still has a few boxes left to check off, but assuming he doesn't suffer any setbacks during his remaining workouts, he'll likely be included in the Dodgers' NLDS roster.

Bregman is starting as the designated hitter and batting second Tuesday for Game 1 of the wild-card series against the Padres.

Bregman is not in the field Tuesday since it is the "safest way to make sure he gets at-bats" according to Cubs manager Craig Counsell, Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com reports. With the 32-year-old starting as the designated hitter, Pedro Ramirez enters the lineup as the third baseman and Michael Conforto exits to the bench.

Conforto is not in the lineup Tuesday for Game 1 of the wild-card series against the Padres.

Alex Bregman has the start as the designated hitter instead of Conforto on Tuesday and is batting second. With Bregman not in the field, Pedro Ramirez is taking over at the hot corner.

Duran (0-1) was charged with a blown save and the loss in Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series against Atlanta on Tuesday. He allowed three runs on two hits with one strikeout and no walks over two innings.

Manager Don Mattingly called upon his closer to begin the seventh inning with the Phillies leading 3-2, and Duran delivered a clean frame on 17 pitches. The right-hander returned for the eighth and retired the first two batters he faced, but an infield single and a hit-by-pitch set the table for Austin Riley to launch a three-run homer. Duran recorded more than three outs in just one of his 61 appearances during the regular season, so the multi-inning usage by Mattingly will likely be scrutinized heavily. The Phillies are now facing elimination after having their closer throw 27 pitches in Game 1.

Luzardo didn't factor in the decision Tuesday in Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series against Atlanta. He gave up a run on three hits and one walk while striking out six across five innings.

Luzardo fired one scoreless inning out of the bullpen Sunday versus the Rays as he returned to a big-league mound after missing most of September due to shoulder inflammation, so it was quite impressive to see him in such strong form Tuesday while making his first start in three weeks. The left-hander threw 77 pitches (48 strikes) and generated 11 whiffs in what was the best playoff start of his big-league career. Luzardo closed the regular season with a 2.86 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 221:52 K:BB across 179.2 innings. The Phillies will need to win the next two games for him to make another start this year.

Sale didn't factor in the decision in Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series against the Phillies on Tuesday. He struck out nine while giving up three runs on four hits and a walk over 6.1 innings.

The veteran left-hander surrendered a run during the first inning but shut down Philadelphia for the next five frames before he put on two runners in the seventh that came around to score on righty reliever Didier Fuentes. Sale made just three starts in September as the club managed his workload down the stretch, and he looked plenty fresh Tuesday, touching 100 mph and throwing 95 pitches (65 strikes). Atlanta completed the comeback, and should it complete the series win, Sale tentatively lines up to pitch in Game 2 of the NLDS against the Dodgers on Sunday.

Riley went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run during Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series against the Phillies on Tuesday.

The veteran third baseman came to the plate in the eighth inning with Atlanta trailing 3-2, and he delivered a three-run homer to right-center field off Philadelphia closer Jhoan Duran to flip the script. Riley closed the regular season by going 0-for-11 with six strikeouts in his last three games, dropping his OPS for the campaign to a career-worst .654 in 159 contests. Already the Game 1 hero, Riley could effectively erase all his 2026 struggles if he continues to perform in the playoffs.

The Padres recalled Duran from Triple-A El Paso on Tuesday and placed him on the 60-day injured list with a right forearm strain.

The transaction was made in order to free a spot on the 40-man roster for Joe Musgrove (elbow), who was activated from the 60-day IL. Duran should recover from his forearm injury well ahead of spring training.