MLB Player News

The Rays optioned Johnson to Triple-A Durham on Sunday.

Johnson was swapped out for a fresh arm in Jesse Scholtens after making his first eight career MLB appearances in September. While the strikeout punch Johnson showed in the minors carried over to his first stint in the majors, he may need more time back on the farm to begin 2027 before taking on a more permanent role in Tampa Bay.

Torres is absent from the lineup for Sunday's contest in Milwaukee.

Torres started in left field five of the previous six times the Cardinals have faced a righty, but he'll begin Sunday's finale on the bench. Jose Fermin will patrol left field for St. Louis.

Burleson is not in the starting lineup for Sunday's game against the Brewers.

Major League Baseball's RBI leader with 116, Burleson will give way to Leo Bernal at first base against Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski to close the campaign. Burleson turned out to be a tremendous draft-day value in 2026, though his days of flying under the radar are likely over.

Wetherholt is not in the lineup for Sunday's game in Milwaukee.

Wetherholt will grab a seat for Sunday's regular-season finale while Cesar Prieto covers second base. Assuming he does not appear off the bench Sunday, Wetherholt will finish his rookie season with a .242/.339/.365 batting line, 17 home runs, 14 stolen bases and a 64:104 BB:K.

Jensen is not in the starting lineup for Sunday's game against the Guardians.

Maikel Garcia will get a turn atop the order as Luke Maile catches and Salvador Perez serves as the designated hitter to close out the regular season for Kansas City. Jensen currently sits seventh among fantasy catchers in traditional rotisserie leagues, having slashed .239/.323/.467 with 27 homers, 81 RBI, 80 runs scored and two stolen bases in 149 games this season.

Vargas is not in the starting lineup for Sunday's game against the Rockies.

Vargas is a big reason why the White Sox made the playoffs in 2026, as he has broken out with 33 homers and 22 steals through 159 games. His overall numbers put him second at third base in terms of earned fantasy value, behind only Junior Caminero.

Guerrero is not in the starting lineup for Sunday's game against the Reds.

On the heels of an AL pennant run last fall, Guerrero disappointed in a major way in 2026, with his OPS falling 160 points to .688. Recent comments about his performance and contract drew the ire from the Toronto fanbase, but he quickly walked those comments back. Charles McAdoo will draw the start at first base in the season finale.

Alvarez is not in the starting lineup for Sunday's game against the Nationals, aa reports.

Luis Torrens will step in behind the plate to catch for Sean Manaea in the Mets' final game of 2026. Alvarez reached the century mark in games played for the third time in four years, but his strikeout rate shot up to a career-high 30.7 percent in 2026, costing him more than 20 points in batting average compared to 2025.

Soto (hand) is in the starting lineup for Sunday's game against the Nationals.

Soto was plunked on his right hand in the ninth inning Saturday, but X-rays were negative and he will tough it out for the Mets' season finale. Now a five-time All-Star, Soto has an OPS north of .900 for the fourth consecutive season, though a couple of IL stints ate into his counting stats in 2026.

Vasquez is slated to start Sunday's game against the Diamondbacks, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

With their win Saturday, the Padres are locked in as the No. 4 seed in the National League playoffs and will have little at stake in the regular-season finale. As such, the Padres will likely use Game 162 to rest multiple key position players and pitchers, which clears the way for Vasquez to pick up his first start since Sept. 1. Over 31 appearances (22 starts) on the campaign, Vasquez owns a 10-6 record, 4.01 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 85:37 K:BB across 134.2 innings.