MLB Player News

DeLuca will start in center field and bat seventh Monday in Game 2 of the ALDS against the Yankees.

Cedric Mullins was the Rays' primary center fielder versus righties during the regular season. However, it's been DeLuca at the postion for each of the team's first two playoff games, despite the Yankees starting a right-hander in both contests. DeLuca went hitless in three plate appearances in Game 1.

Mullins is not in the lineup Monday for Game 2 of the ALDS versus the Yankees.

Despite the Yankees starting a righty again in Cam Schlittler, the left-handed-hitting Mullins will begin the contest on the bench. Jonny DeLuca is manning center field again for the Rays, and it seems he'll be manager Kevin Cash's preferred option at the position in the playoffs.

Naylor underwent surgery Saturday to repair the triangular fibrocartilage complex in his right wrist.

Naylor first hurt his wrist in early August, and he went homerless in his final 41 games after the injury. The Mariners anticipate Naylor being fully recovered before the start of spring training. Naylor will be looking to bounce back offensively for Seattle in 2027 after finishing with just a .667 OPS and 10 long balls this season, though he kept his fantasy value afloat by stealing 30 bases for the second year in a row.

Raleigh underwent debridement surgery Saturday on the AC joint in his left shoulder.

He is expected to be fully recovered from the operation by the beginning of spring training. It's unclear how much the shoulder issue might have affected him, but Raleigh experienced a massive downturn in production from his historic 2025 season to 2026, dipping 284 points in OPS (.948 to .664) and dropping from 60 home runs to 23 long balls. With health, Raleigh should bounce back to some degree in 2027.

Johnson underwent arthroscopic left knee surgery Monday, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

It's unclear how long the knee had been bothering Johnson, but he's expected to be ready to roll by the time spring training comes around. The right-handed reliever made 28 appearances between the Phillies and Athletics in 2026, finishing with a 5.88 ERA and 40:20 K:BB across 33.2 frames.

Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said Monday that Crochet (lat) is on track to have a fully healthy, normal offseason, Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald reports.

Crochet missed the final five-plus months of the regular season with a strained left lat, but he returned to make an appearance during the playoffs and will enter the offseason without restrictions. Lingering durability questions for Crochet will likely remain next spring, though he could quiet them somewhat if he looks sharp during Grapefruit League play.

Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said Monday that Durbin has appointments scheduled to have his left pinkie examined, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Durbin suffered a partially dislocated left pinkie back in late June, but he never missed any games and played through some discomfort for the remainder of the season. Now that the Red Sox have been eliminated, Durbin will have the finger looked at before determining whether anything needs to be done beyond rest. Durbin slashed .272/.377/.391 in 82 regular-season games after the injury, so it does not seem the lingering finger injury overly affected him at the plate.

Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said Monday that Anthony is not expected to require surgery on his injured right hand, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Breslow noted that the club is still gathering information on Anthony, who suffered an aggravation and additional injuries to his right hand during Game 1 of the wild-card series versus the Yankees. However, the feeling at this time is that Anthony's injury will heal with rest. Anthony was limited to only 55 regular-season contests in 2026 because of finger and hand problems.

Chapman passed a physical examination Saturday, which was the final hurdle in order for his $13 million option for 2027 to vest, Francys Romero of BeisbolFR.com reports.

The other requirement for Chapman's option to vest was throwing at least 40 innings, which he surpassed in mid-August. It was another dominant campaign as Boston's closer, as he finished the regular season having converted 35 of 37 save chances with a 1.92 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 71:23 K:BB across 51.2 innings.

Peralta is slated to face the Yankees in Game 2 of the American League Division Series on Monday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Peralta will look to guide the Rays to a 2-0 lead in the series after Tampa Bay took Game 1 on Saturday by a score of 1-0. The right-hander struggled throughout most of the regular season, but he had a resurgence in September, when he was the American League Pitcher of the Month by posting a 0.96 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 23:9 K:BB over 28 innings while going 4-0 over five starts. In his lone start versus the Yankees during the regular season, Peralta gave up three runs on two hits while walking six batters and striking out four on May 17 while with the Mets.