MLB Player News
-
Isiah Kiner-Falefa 2B | TOR
Blue Jays' Isiah Kiner-Falefa: Grabbing another start Friday
Kiner-Falefa will start at second base and bat eighth in Friday's ALCS Game 5 against the Mariners.
With Anthony Santander (back) removed from the ALCS roster ahead of Game 4, the Blue Jays have shifted Addison Barger to right field and Ernie Clement to third base while installing Kiner-Falefa at the keystone for the second straight contest. Kiner-Falefa went 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored in the Blue Jays' Game 4 victory.
-
Julio Rodriguez CF | SEA
Mariners' Julio Rodriguez: Elevated to leadoff spot for Game 5
Rodriguez will start in center field and bat leadoff in Friday's ALCS Game 5 versus the Blue Jays.
The Mariners tweaked their lineup in Game 4 and are shaking it up further for Game 5 after the Blue Jays evened the series Thursday. It's the first time since late July that Rodriguez has batted leadoff for Seattle. Randy Arozarena -- who had batted leadoff in every one of his starts since July 31 -- has been bumped down to the No. 5 spot.
-
Leonardo Rivas SS | SEA
Mariners' Leo Rivas: Another start at second base
Rivas will start at second base and bat ninth in Friday's ALCS Game 5 versus the Blue Jays.
For the second straight game, the Mariners are going with Rivas at second base, Jorge Polanco in the designated hitter spot and Dominic Canzone in right field, with Victor Robles retreating to the bench. Rivas went 0-for-2 with a walk in Thursday's Game 4 loss.
-
Troy Melton P | DET
Tigers' Troy Melton: Projected to be in 2026 rotation
Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris and manager A.J. Hinch said at their end-of-season press conference Monday that Melton will be a starting pitcher next season, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.
Melton bounced between the rotation and bullpen for the Tigers in 2025 both in the regular season and playoffs and was impressive in both roles, collecting a 2.76 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 36:15 K:BB over 45.2 regular-season frames. The 24-year-old has been almost exclusively a starting pitcher in the minors and held a 2.99 ERA and 101:20 K:BB across 75.1 innings between Double-A Erie and Triple-A Toledo this season.
-
Ben Rice C | NYY
Yankees' Ben Rice: Viewed as primary first baseman
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Thursday that he views Rice as the team's primary first baseman next season, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.
Rice split time between designated hitter (48 starts), first base (46 starts) and catcher (26 starts) in 2025, slashing .255/.337/.499 with 26 home runs across 530 regular-season plate appearances. Boone didn't rule out Rice serving as the team's No. 2 or No. 3 catcher in 2026, but most of the 26-year-old's playing time is expected to come at first base.
-
Luis Castillo SP | SEA
Mariners' Luis Castillo: Short outing in ALCS
Castillo (1-1) allowed three earned runs on five hits and one walk while striking out one across 2.1 innings to take the loss in Game 4 of the ALCS on Thursday.
Castillo got through two innings unscathed, but he allowed five of the first six hitters he faced in the third frame to reach base before being pulled. This was Castillo's first stumble of the postseason, as he had previously thrown six scoreless innings across two appearances in the ALDS. He has a less impressive 5:5 K:BB, but he has largely been a reliable arm for Seattle.
-
Andres Gimenez 2B | TOR
Blue Jays' Andres Gimenez: Knocks in four to even ALCS
Gimenez went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run and four RBI in Game 4 of the ALCS on Thursday against the Mariners.
Gimenez delivered a pair of big hits, kicking off the scoring with a two-run home run in the third inning. He came through with a two-RBI single five frames later, and he has now driven in six runs in his last two games. Gimenez has posted a .310/.355/.552 OPS across 32 plate appearances this postseason.
-
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 1B | TOR
Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero: Smacks fifth postseason homer
Guerrero went 2-for-5 with a solo home run in Game 4 of the ALCS on Thursday against the Mariners.
Guerrero provided an insurance run for the Blue Jays in the seventh inning with his fifth postseason home run. He's been a key to Toronto's success in the ALCS, going 6-for-9 with two homers, two doubles and four runs scored in his last two games.
-
Max Scherzer SP | TOR
Blue Jays' Max Scherzer: Wins postseason debut
Scherzer (1-0) allowed two earned runs on three hits and four walks while striking out five across 5.2 innings to earn the win in Game 4 of the ALCS on Thursday against the Mariners.
Scherzer drew his first start of the postseason and took the mound in a game for the first time since Sept. 24. He understandably showed some rust, issuing two free passes in the first inning and giving up a leadoff homer in the second inning. He settled in from there, allowing only a pair of singles and walks across his final 3.2 frames of work. It's unclear when Scherzer will be called upon next, but he played a big part in the Blue Jays leveling the ALCS through four games.