MLB Player News

Sasaki allowed two hits and struck out two batters over one scoreless relief inning against San Diego on Tuesday.

Sasaki logged his first game action since landing on the IL due to a finger blister in late August. The right-hander entered in the fourth inning and worked around a pair of two-out singles to work a scoreless frame. Sasaki twice hit triple-digits with his fastball and seemed to have no lingering issues from the blister. The outing was his first out of the bullpen this season, and that could be his role in the playoffs as well, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. While Sasaki has had a mostly promising second MLB campaign, Los Angeles' postseason rotation may not have room for him if Blake Snell (groin) is ready to go, and Sasaki has already demonstrated he can be successful as a late-inning reliever based on his performance during the team's championship run last year.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Wednesday that Scherzer could pitch on short rest Sunday versus the Reds, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports.

Scherzer is starting the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader in Baltimore, but it might not be his final outing of the season. Bringing the 42-year-old back on short rest could serve two purposes. One is that the impending free agent would get to pitch in front of the home crowd in Toronto one more time. Another is that Scherzer is currently 11 strikeouts behind Justin Verlander on the all-time list, so he could pad that total this weekend. Scherzer has yet to commit one way or another in regard to continuing his career in 2027.

Burns (groin) worked on adding a sinker in his September outings before getting placed on the 15-day injured list to end his season, Charlie Goldsmith of FOX19 reports.

Burns used the sinker nine times in his last start against the Cubs, with the purpose of giving his fastball another look. "It was moving a lot," Burns said. "Why not? My normal fastball is a cut-carry. This looks different to them. Having two fastballs is the big new thing. You look at Cam Schlittler. He has a cutter, a fastball and a sinker."

Freeland (4-11) took the loss after allowing five runs on nine hits and a walk while striking out two over three innings in Tuesday's 7-2 loss to the Diamondbacks.

Freeland's struggles continue, as he's allowed 12 earned runs on 23 hits over a total of 10.2 innings in his last three outings. The left-hander needed 73 pitches to complete three frames Tuesday, but at least he didn't allow a homer after giving up five long balls in his previous two starts. He's lined up to make his final start of the season Sunday on the road against the White Sox.

Soroka (9-5) earned the win after allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits and a walk while striking out nine over seven innings in Tuesday's 7-2 victory over the Rockies.

The Diamondbacks needed a strong outing from Soroka to keep their playoff chances alive, and the veteran delivering by fanning nine -- his highest mark since April 10, when he struck out 10. He's now allowed just one earned run in his last two starts, posting a 15:2 K:BB across 12 innings in that span. He's expected to make his final start of the season Sunday against the Padres.

Eovaldi (11-10) took the loss and was charged with his first blown save after allowing three runs on three hits and a walk over one inning in Tuesday's 6-3 loss to the Mets. He did not record a strikeout.

Eovaldi entered to begin the sixth with Texas protecting a 3-2 lead but couldn't hold the advantage. Brett Baty doubled and Marcus Semien reached before Francisco Alvarez delivered a two-run double to put New York ahead 4-3. Luis Torrens followed with a sacrifice fly that brought Alvarez home and completed the three-run inning. Eovaldi needed 29 pitches to record three outs, and this rough appearance increased his ERA to 4.27. This was Eovaldi's first time allowing more than one earned run since the end of July, and he will continue to pitch in relief down the stretch.

Gonsolin allowed five runs on four hits and three walks while striking out five over 2.2 innings of relief Tuesday against the White Sox.

Working out of the bullpen, Gonsolin got through the fifth and sixth innings unscathed before imploding in a five-run seventh frame, surrendering a two-run homer to Munetaka Murakami. In his debut with the Royals and first big-league appearance since undergoing Tommy John surgery with an internal brace procedure in August 2025, the right-hander logged 63 pitches (35 strikes). Gonsolin is likely to remain in the bullpen for the final five games of 2026, but he could compete for a role in the starting rotation in 2027 if Kansas City picks up his team option.

Gore didn't factor into the decision Tuesday against the Mets after giving up two runs (one earned) on four hits and one walk while striking out two over five innings.

Gore fell an inning shy of a quality start, but this abbreviated outing was still a step in the right direction since he had given up at least three runs while pitching four or fewer innings in each of his previous three starts. Even with this solid showing, Gore has an elevated 5.91 ERA and 1.78 WHIP through five outings since the beginning of September.

Manaea (6-7) earned the win Tuesday against the Rangers after allowing three runs (two earned) on three hits and two walks while striking out nine over six innings. He also hit two batters.

Manaea allowed an RBI double to Josh Jung in the third before Texas scored twice without a hit in the fourth, aided by two passed balls and consecutive sacrifice flies. The veteran southpaw kept the Rangers scoreless over his final two innings, and New York's three-run sixth turned a 3-2 deficit into a 5-3 lead, allowing him to earn the win. Manaea matched his season high with nine strikeouts and lowered his ERA to 4.67. He's lined up to make his final start of the season Sunday on the road against the Nationals.

May did not factor into the decision Tuesday against the Philies, allowing two runs on one hit and two walks while striking out two batters across two innings.

May was pulled from his start early for a second consecutive outing, after giving up a two-run homer to Brandon Marsh in the second inning. May has failed to complete five innings in six of his last seven starts, posting a 7.84 ERA and 1.74 WHIP across 20.2 innings in that span, which is not the kind of form the Brewers were hoping for out of the right-hander so close to the playoffs. He's currently lined up to take on the Cardinals at home this weekend.