MLB Player News

The Red Sox reinstated Houck (elbow) from the 60-day injured list Sunday. He will start Boston's regular-season finale against the Cubs.

Houck will return to make a lone big-league appearance in 2026 on the final day of the regular season after completing his long recovery from hybrid UCL reconstruction surgery. The right-hander made four minor-league rehab appearances in September, most recently completing 3.1 innings on 42 pitches for Triple-A Durham on Sept. 19. Houck will likely be operating with a limited workload Sunday and may not work deep enough into his start to qualify for a win.

Contreras (hand) will serve as the designated hitter and bat third in Sunday's regular-season finale against the Cubs, Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald reports.

Contreras recently expressed concern about his availability for the wild-card round after being unable to swing a bat Wednesday or Thursday. However, it now seems he's in the clear to face off against the Yankees next week, so long as he makes it through Sunday's game without a setback. Contreras leads the Red Sox in home runs (27), RBI (81) and OBP (.387) with one game to play in the regular season.

The Rays recalled Scholtens from Triple-A Durham on Sunday.

After spending the past five-plus weeks in the minors, Scholtens will return for the final day of the regular season, replacing Ty Johnson in the Rays' bullpen. Scholtens has been serviceable in 11 appearances (two starts) with Tampa Bay this season, posting a 4.03 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 34:14 K:BB in 44.2 innings, though he doesn't figure to be part of the playoff roster.

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.

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.

Johnson will serve as the Athletics' opening pitcher for Sunday's game against the Astros, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Sunday is Brady Basso's turn in the rotation, so the Athletics may look to use him in bulk relief once Johnson exits the contest. Johnson has worked exclusively as a reliever this season between stops in the big leagues with the Phillies and Athletics, maxing out at 2.2 innings and 50 pitches over his 27 appearances.

Lambert will start Sunday's game against the Athletics in Sacramento, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Lambert was believed to have made his final appearance of the regular season during his 2.2-inning start in Thursday's series opener, but since the Astros have yet to punch their ticket to the postseason, he'll end up getting the ball on two days' rest in Game 162. The Astros will clinch the AL West title with a win or a Rangers loss, so the team is expected to make all of its top pitchers available for Sunday's contest. Given that he's pitching on short rest, Lambert is unlikely to work deep enough into the game to qualify for a win.

White went 2-for-3 with an RBI in Saturday's 13-2 loss to Houston.

White tallied a pair of hits, including an RBI single in the seventh inning with the contest already well out of hand. The rookie has logged 12 multi-hit games, with three such efforts coming in September. In 55 games, White is slashing .257/.275/.332 with three homers, 10 RBI and 19 runs while seeing action at both first base and third base.