MLB Player News

Martinez is starting at DH and batting sixth in Sunday's Game 2 of the NLDS versus Philadelphia.

Martinez began Game 1 on the bench but came on as a pinch hitter in the eighth inning and delivered an RBI single. Jesse Winker was the starter at DH in that contest, and he'll move to the bench to begin the second game of the series. Sunday will mark Martinez's second start at DH for the Mets in the postseason, while Winker has started in that role three times.

Hays (back) did not appear in Game 1 of the NLDS against the Mets on Saturday.

Hays missed the final two games of the regular season with a back issue, and despite having a week off he still did not take the field in Philadelphia's first postseason game. If his absence was health related, the Phillies' decision to include him on the roster suggests he should be back in the short term.

Rojas (thigh) is batting ninth and starting at shortstop in Game 1 of the NLDS against San Diego on Saturday.

Rojas sat out the final four games of the regular season after aggravating a left adductor injury, but the team expressed optimism that he'd be back for Game 1 of the Division Series. That will indeed be the case Saturday, as Rojas is slated to start at shortstop for Los Angeles. Tommy Edman -- who had been filling in at shortstop in Rojas' stead -- will head back to center field for Game 1, which pushes Andy Pages back to a fourth-outfielder role.

Freeman (ankle) is batting third and playing first base Saturday in Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the Padres.

Freeman told reporters Friday that he'd be in the lineup for Game 1, but Dodgers manager Dave Roberts expressed uncertainty about that happening early Saturday. The situation seemed to be touch-and-go throughout the afternoon, as third baseman Max Muncy was spotted warming up with a first baseman's mitt and Freeman told reporters following his pregame routine that he wished he "had an answer" about whether he'd play, per Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times. It appears that Freeman will ultimately try to push through the injury, though he'll almost certainly be less than 100 percent and will probably be limited in what he can do on the basepaths.

Kelly (shoulder) isn't expected to be able to pitch again this season unless the Dodgers reach the World Series, Eric Stephen of SBNation.com reports.

Per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, Kelly tweaked his shoulder in a simulated game this week. The issue explains why the right-handed reliever was left off Los Angeles' NLDS roster. Though Kelly posted an unimpressive 4.78 ERA and 1.47 WHIP over 32 innings during the regular season, he recorded a 9.8 K/9 and tied for third on the team with 13 holds.

Kershaw's injured toe has not improved, and he won't be available to pitch again in 2024 regardless of how far the Dodgers advance in the playoffs, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Kershaw is dealing with a bone spur in his left big toe and hasn't pitched since Aug. 30. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts indicated Saturday that the issue may have gotten worse as the veteran southpaw has tried to prepare for a return, and that will prevent Kershaw from pitching again this season. The future Hall of Famer was limited to a career-low seven appearances in 2024 and posted a 4.50 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 24:9 K:BB over 30 innings.

Freeman (ankle) isn't certain to play in Game 1 of the NLDS, and manager Dave Roberts said Saturday that he is "not as hopeful" about the first baseman's status as he was Friday, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Freeman told reporters Friday that he intends to play in the first game of the Division Series, but Roberts' comments one day later suggest that such a scenario is far from certain. It's not clear if Freeman has suffered a setback or if he was being overly optimistic when he said he expected to play, and it's worth noting that the severity of his sprain --- which he suffered just over a week ago -- typically has a recovery period of 4-to-6 weeks. Freeman is on the Dodgers' NLDS roster, but if he's unable to play Saturday, Enrique Hernandez could get the start at first base.

Grove is included on the Dodgers' roster for the NLDS versus San Diego.

Grove recorded 39 appearances -- including two starts -- during the regular season and posted a 5.12 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 54:16 K:BB over 51 innings. The right-hander was sent to the minors in mid-September but was activated Saturday to serve as a relief option for this playoff round. Grove will give Los Angeles a bit of length out of the bullpen, as 14 of his 39 outings during the campaign went longer than one inning.

Jacob has a spot on the Padres' roster for the National League Division Series against the Dodgers.

Jacob was optioned to Triple-A El Paso in late September, though that came after the minor-league season had concluded. The righty reliever spent most of the campaign with El Paso but logged seven appearances over two stints with San Diego, posting a 2.45 ERA, 0.75 WHIP and 19:2 K:BB over 14.2 innings. Jacob pitched more than one inning in five of the seven outings and topped out at 3.2 frames against Tampa Bay on Aug. 31.

Perez is part of the Padres' roster for the National League Division Series versus the Dodgers.

Perez wasn't part of San Diego's roster for the wild-card round versus Atlanta, as the team didn't need him as part of the rotation for the three-game set. However, Perez will be available for the NLDS and could start Game 4 of the series since Joe Musgrove (elbow) is out for the remainder of the postseason and beyond as he prepares for Tommy John surgery. Perez was inconsistent for the Padres during the regular season and finished with a 4.53 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 107:49 K:BB over 135 innings.