MLB Player News

Urquidy elected free agency Wednesday after clearing waivers.

Designated for assignment by the Phillies on Sunday, Urquidy wasn't scooped up by another team and will now get a head start on finding a new destination heading into 2027. The 31-year-old righty made big-league stops with the Pirates, White Sox and Phillies this season, logging a 4.95 ERA, 1.49 WHIP and 30:7 K:BB over 36.1 innings.

Atlanta outrighted Vanasco to Triple-A Gwinnett on Wednesday.

Vanasco has been outrighted before, so he has the ability to decline the assignment and become a free agent. The 27-year-old was claimed off waivers by Atlanta in August but never made an appearance for them. Vanasco has permitted 15 runs (14 earned) over 10.1 career innings in the majors.

Hernandez cleared waivers and elected to become a free agent Wednesday.

Hernandez had been removed from Atlanta's 40-man roster, and he's now a free agent after clearing waivers. The righty had been set for minor league free agency, anyway, so this simply gives him a head start. Hernandez gave Atlanta quality work out of the bullpen this season, posting a 2.25 ERA and 13:6 K:BB over 12 frames.

Manager Aaron Boone said Wednesday that Schmidt (biceps) will be shut down for the rest of the season, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.

Schmidt landed on the injured list shortly before the regular season ended due to right bicep neuritis, and rather than trying to get him ready to contribute to the team's postseason run, the Yankees have decided to focus on getting him fully healthy for 2027. The 30-year-old righty will be entering his final year of arbitration eligibility this winter.

Rays manager Kevin Cash said Wednesday that Wells (forearm) "looked really good" in a throwing session Tuesday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Wells has been sidelined for the pat two weeks with right forearm tightness, but he has a good chance to be cleared to be on the Rays' ALDS roster. The righty reliever has been excellent this season in 57 appearances between the Orioles and Rays, logging a 2.38 ERA and 72:18 K:BB over 72 frames.

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.

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.

Hendriks announced his retirement from professional baseball Tuesday.

The 37-year-old Hendriks had a mid-career breakout resulting in 114 saves and three All-Star Game appearances during a four-year stretch from 2019-to-2022. Even more impressively, he beat lymphoma and made it back from Tommy John surgery after that. All told, Hendriks will finish with a 3.88 ERA and 116 saves over parts of 14 major-league seasons.

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.

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.