MLB Player News

Varsho underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left wrist Tuesday, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Varsho has dealt with chronic inflammation in his wrist caused by cysts, and he opted to have those cysts removed Tuesday. The operation will prevent Varsho from being an option for the Astros during the postseason, but he should be fine in time for spring training. An impending free agent, Varsho slashed .221/.281/.355 with 12 home runs and 12 stolen bases over 140 games this season between the Blue Jays and Astros.

Smith didn't factor in the decision in Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series against the Astros on Tuesday. He allowed two hits with one strikeout and no walks over three innings.

The left-hander served as the opener for Tuesday's bullpen game and pitched more than two frames in an appearance for the second time this year. Smith's first campaign in the big leagues has been a major success, as he finished the regular season with a 1.29 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 41:16 K:BB across 28 innings. He'll surely be unavailable for Game 2 on Wednesday after tossing 38 pitches in the series opener.

Boyd (0-1) took the loss in Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series against the Padres on Tuesday. He gave up four runs on five hits with four strikeouts and a walk over four innings.

The left-hander didn't have trouble finding the zone with 42 of his 58 pitches going for strikes, but the Friars made plenty of hard contact with four extra-base hits, including three homers. The poor showing from Boyd was a departure from his recent form, as he surrendered just two earned runs across 12 frames in his final two starts of the regular season. The Cubs will need to salvage the next two games in San Diego for Boyd to get a chance at redeeming himself with another playoff start.

Nola is likely to start a potential Game 3 of the wild-card series against Atlanta on Thursday, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

Zack Wheeler will be on three days' rest Thursday and would be available out of the bullpen, but the Phillies are likely to turn to Nola on normal rest first if they're able to force a winner-take-all contest. The 33-year-old Nola was terrific down the stretch of the regular season for Philadelphia, collecting a 2.93 ERA and 61:20 K:BB over 61.1 innings covering 11 starts from Aug. 1 on.

Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said Wednesday that the team has yet to decide whether Miles will be used as a starting pitcher or reliever next season, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports.

Miles made eight starts and 41 relief appearances during his rookie season with the Blue Jays, logging a 2.63 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 93:25 K:BB over 95.2 innings. The righty didn't pitch at all in 2023 while recovering from Tommy John surgery, and he threw a total of just 16 innings from 2024-to-2025. It would be a significant workload increase in 2027 if the Blue Jays did decide to use Miles as a starter, and his ultimate role could depend on what Toronto does in terms of rotation additions over the offseason.

Tolle (0-1) took the loss in Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series against the Yankees on Tuesday. He gave up one run on five hits with four strikeouts and a walk over 4.2 innings.

It was a solid showing from Tolle in his first postseason start, but he was saddled with the loss since the Red Sox managed just three hits in the shutout defeat. After struggling in his first taste of the big leagues with a 6.06 ERA seven appearances last year, the left-hander shined as a rookie during the 2026 regular season, making 26 starts and finishing with a 3.03 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 171:40 K:BB across 148.2 innings.

Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said Wednesday that Clement "will have to earn" the second-base job next season, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports.

Atkins was quick to add that Clement "always has" earned regular playing time. The 30-year-old Clement slashed .296/.318/.433 in the first half but just .203/.235/.259 in the second half, which included a .386 OPS in September. Clement should ultimately get a chance at regular reps again in 2027, though it's too soon to say whether that will come mainly at second base or in a super-utility role.

The Red Sox are still "assessing the situation" when it comes to whether they will replace Anthony (hand) on their wild-card series roster, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Anthony was forced to depart Game 1 on Tuesday due to right hand discomfort. It's the same hand that was injured and caused him to miss a large chunk of the regular season, but it's unclear at this point how significant of a setback it is. If Anthony is removed from the roster, he would be ineligible to return until the ALCS (should the Red Sox make it).

King earned the win in Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series against the Cubs on Tuesday. He gave up one hit with eight strikeouts and three walks over seven shutout innings.

The right-hander held Chicago without a hit until the seventh inning, when Nico Hoerner reached on an infield single down the third-base line. It was an electric performance from King, who threw 62 of his 97 pitches for strikes while generating 17 whiffs. The 31-year-old surrendered five runs against the Dodgers during his final start of the regular season, but it was still a productive campaign with a 3.21 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 159:70 K:BB across 185 innings. If the Padres can win one of the next two games to push past the Cubs, King likely lines up to start Game 2 of the NLDS in Milwaukee.

Schlittler (1-0) earned the win in Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series against the Red Sox on Tuesday. He struck out 10 and allowed two hits and one walk across 6.1 scoreless innings.

The right-hander registered 24 whiffs while throwing a career-high 117 pitches, 77 of which went for strikes. Schlittler prevented Boston from even reaching second base against him as he continued his September dominance, which saw him post a 1.20 ERA, 0.63 WHIP and 38:7 K:BB in 30 frames over his last five starts of the regular season. If the Yankees can punch their ticket to the ALDS, Schlittler tentatively lines up to start Game 2 against the Rays.