Toronto Blue Jays outfielder George Springer (knee) was forced to make an early exit from Friday's Game 5 after getting hit by a pitch. He was pulled from the contest after taking a fastball off the knee in the seventh inning. Springer underwent testing that came back negative for any structural damage. Jays' manager John Schneider told reporters on Saturday that Springer is feeling much improved. All signs are pointing towards Springer being available for Sunday's Game 2 against the Seattle Mariners. The team will likely wait until closer to first pitch before making a final decision.

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Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz won't be moving positions for the upcoming 2026 season. There was speculation that the Reds would shift De La Cruz elsewhere after leading the league in errors. The thought was that the Reds would move De La Cruz into the outfield much like the Pittsburgh Pirates did with Oneil Cruz due to his defensive skills. The Reds also have shortstop prospect Edwin Arroyo waiting in the wings, so moving De La Cruz does make sense on paper. For now, the Reds are keeping De La Cruz at shortstop, but they might have to make a tough decision once Arroyo is ready for the big league level.

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Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Logan Gilbert has been named the starting pitcher ahead of Game 6 of the ALCS against the Toronto Blue Jays. As expected, Gilbert will get the ball as he attempts to get his team to the World Series for the first time in franchise history. Gilbert gave up three runs (two earned) across three innings of work during Monday's Game 2. The right-hander holds a 2.45 ERA, 1.27 WHIP with 11 strikeouts in 11 innings this postseason. He only threw 58 pitches during his last outing, so he should be fairly fresh for this contest.

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Detroit Tigers pitcher Troy Melton is expected to move into the starting rotation next season. Tigers president of baseball operations and manager A.J. Hinch said at the end of the regular season press conference that Melton would be moved into the rotation next season. Melton posted a 2.76 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and a 36/15 K/BB ratio across 16 games (four starts) with the Tigers this past season. He was a full-time starter in the minors before joining the big league roster. The 24-year-old should be able to make a smooth transition into the rotation in 2026.

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Philadelphia Phillies infielder/outfielder Otto Kemp will undergo two surgeries this offseason. Kemp will have one to repair his left knee cap and the other to clean out his left shoulder. The 26-year-old played through the knee injury for a few months after suffering the injury in the middle of June. It's unclear when he suffered the shoulder injury, but now he'll get both of the issues resolved. It's unknown if Kemp is going to be ready in time for spring training. His availability isn't a big issue for the Phillies as Kemp is viewed as more of a depth piece. Kemp slashed .234/.298/.411 with eight home runs and 28 RBI in 62 games with the Phillies.

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Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Freddy Peralta is expected to be on the trading block this offseason. The Brewers will undoubtedly exercise Peralta's $8 million club option for the 2026 season. That is an extremely cheap deal considering what Peralta has given to the Brewers the last few years. Peralta is set to become a free agent after the 2026 season. That being said, the Brewers could move on from Peralta while they can still get something in return. The Brewers do have a few young controllable starters in Jacob Misiorowski, Chad Patrick, and Quinn Priester. Given the Brewers lack of spending in recent years, Peralta could be on the move with an extension seeming unlikely at the moment. The Brewers haven't been shy about moving on from big name players such as Corbin Burnes, Willy Adames, and Devin Williams. Peralta could be the next big name player leaving Milwaukee.

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San Diego Padres catcher Martin Maldonado has decided to retire from baseball. Maldonado has decided to call it a career after playing 15 years in the big leagues. He began his career with the Milwaukee Brewers and played six seasons there. After that, Maldonado jumped around to a number of teams. He won a World Series with the Houston Astros in 2022. The 39-year-old was known for his defensive ability, including winning a Gold Glove in 2017. He struggled as a hitter, slashing .203/.277/.343 with 119 home runs and 384 RBI during his big league career. It wasn't a great career, but lasting 15 years in the MLB is a big accomplishment for anyone.

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Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal could reportedly be on the trade block this offseason. According to Jon Heyman, Skubal and the Tigers are $250 million apart in long-term extension talks. That being said, the Tigers might be willing to move Skubal if the two sides can't agree on a deal. If he's available, the New York Mets are reportedly interested in acquiring Skubal. The Mets have a good young core of pitchers, but certainly need a frontline ace. Skubal would be a great fit in most organizations, but does make sense for the Mets. The 28-year-old isn't set to become a free agent until next offseason. This is a situation to monitor throughout the winter.

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Mariners' 3B Eugenio Suarez had five RBIs going 2-for-3 with two home runs in a 6-2 win over the Blue Jays on Friday, Oct. 17.

The Philadelphia Phillies aren't convinced that outfield prospect Justin Crawford can play an average big-league center field, and many rival evaluators agree that he is better in left field, according to Matt Gelb of The Athletic. There is more long-term upside from Crawford, but he could rate below Brandon Marsh in center field right now. Crawford's offensive skill set is tailored for center field, so Gelb suggests the Phillies "might have to close their eyes and let it happen." If the 21-year-old can handle center, it would allow the team to use Marsh in the strong side of a platoon in either left or right field. Crawford is listed as the Phils' No. 3 prospect at MLB Pipeline, and he's in line to make his major-league debut in 2026 after slashing a strong .334/.411/.452 with seven home runs and 46 stolen bases at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Crawford could be a part-time corner outfielder at first, but there's time for him to develop better defensive skills to fit center.

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The St. Louis Cardinals announced on Friday that outfielder Lars Nootbaar (heels) underwent surgery on both of his heels on Oct. 7 to shave down Haglund's deformities, according to John Denton of MLB.com. It's unclear if Nootbaar's surgeries will put his status for spring training or the start of the 2026 regular season in jeopardy at this time. The 28-year-old outfielder managed to play in a career-high 135 games for the Red Birds in 2025 in his fifth year in the majors, but his counting stats didn't take a step forward. In 583 plate appearances, the left-handed-hitting outfielder slashed a mediocre .234/.325/.361 with a career-low .686 OPS, 13 home runs, a career-high 48 RBI, 68 runs scored, and just four stolen bases. The oft-injured 28-year-old is unlikely to take the next step offensively unless he starts making better quality of contact and hitting the ball in the air more.

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The St. Louis Cardinals announced on Friday that second baseman Brendan Donovan (hernia) underwent sports hernia surgery on Oct. 7, according to John Denton of MLB.com. Donovan was shut down towards the tail end of the regular season in September due to a hernia that he dealt with during the second half. The 28-year-old should be recovered well in time to be ready for the start of spring training in February, though. While Donovan is a much better real-life asset than a fantasy one because of his limited power and speed, it doesn't take away from the fact that he was one of the team's most consistent contributors in 2025 while playing multiple positions on the diamond. Donovan, a former seventh-rounder in 2018 out of South Alabama, was a first-time All-Star in his fourth MLB season and slashed a healthy .287/.353/.422 with 10 home runs, 50 RBI, 64 runs scored, and three steals in 118 games played.

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Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter George Springer (knee) took a 95.6 mph fastball from Seattle Mariners right-hander Bryan Woo off his right kneecap in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series on Friday night and was forced to exit early, according to Shi Davidi of Sportsnet. Springer tried to stay in the game but limped badly to first base and was replaced by outfielder Joey Loperfido. The 36-year-old leadoff man went 1-for-3 with a double, RBI, and a strikeout in the 6-2 loss before departing. He will likely go for X-rays to rule out a serious injury, and we'll update you on the results of his tests. The good news for Springer and the Blue Jays is that they will have a day off on Saturday before the best-of-seven series heads back to Toronto on Sunday. Losing Springer for the rest of the series would be a huge blow to a team that is already without star shortstop Bo Bichette (knee).

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Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio (hamstring) is back in the starting lineup for Game 4 of the National League Championship Series on Friday against the Los Angeles Dodgers and right-hander Shohei Ohtani, starting in left field and batting second. Chourio's troublesome hamstring tightened up on him in the middle of an at-bat in the Game 3 loss on Thursday, and he was pulled early. He initially injured his hamstring in Game 1 of the series. The 21-year-old is back a day later, though, and will be trying to help the Brew Crew avoid a four-game sweep in the best-of-seven series. Milwaukee will surely need Chourio to step up if they are going to be only the second team in the history of MLB to come back from a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven series. In the first three games of the series, Chourio has just one hit in 11 at-bats, although it was a home run.

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New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said he sees first baseman Ben Rice as the team's starting first baseman next year, but that won't mean that he will abandon catching behind Austin Wells, accordig to Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News. Rice filled a unique utility role for the Yankees in 2025, serving as the designated hitter, playing first base, and also catching down the stretch. The 26-year-old former 12th-round pick in 2021 out of Dartmouth College took a big step forward in his second season in the big leagues, and first full campaign. In 138 games played, he hit .255 (119-for-467) with 26 home runs, 65 RBI, 74 runs scored, and three stolen bases in 530 trips to the plate. It became apparent pretty quickly that he was the better option at first base over the aging Paul Goldschmidt, but the Yankees needed him to fill multiple roles. Rice is a player on the rise and will be an everyday player in 2026.

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According to a source, St. Louis Cardinals catcher Ivan Herrera (elbow) had successful surgery to remove bone spurs from his right elbow on Oct. 15, per Jeff Jones of the Belleville News. The surgery is not expected to delay Herrera's offseason work, so he should be ready for the start of spring training next year in mid-February. Although the Cardinals used the 25-year-old almost exclusively as a designated hitter after the All-Star break in 2025, he's expected to open next season as the team's primary backstop. Despite missing time with injuries, the Panamanian backstop had a breakout season for the Red Birds in his fourth year in the big leagues, slashing .284/.373/.464 with an .837 OPS, 19 home runs, 66 RBI, 54 runs scored, and even eight stolen bases in 452 plate appearances over 107 games played. There's a lot to like about Herrera, who has hit a strong .286 (192-for-672) in his four seasons in the majors.

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Toronto Blue Jays rookie right-hander Trey Yesavage will start Game 6 of the American League Championship Series back in Toronto on Sunday against the Seattle Mariners, according to manager John Schneider. Despite only making three starts in his first big-league season for Toronto during the regular season, the Blue Jays included Yesavage on their postseason roster. The 22-year-old former 20th overall pick in 2024 out of East Carolina showed why he's one of the top pitching prospects in the Blue Jays organization by fanning 11 and walking just one in 5 1/3 shutout innings against the New York Yankees in Game 2 of the AL Division Series to pick up the win. He wasn't nearly as sharp in his Game 2 outing in the ALCS against Seattle, though, allowing five earned runs in four innings with three walks and four K's. The Blue Jays will be hoping that Yesavage can get revenge against the M's back in Canada.

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Free-agent right-hander Nate Pearson agreed to a one-year, $1.35 million deal with the Houston Astros on Friday, a source told Ari Alexander. Pearson was once a top-100 prospect in the Toronto Blue Jays system and still throws hard, but he has transitioned to a relief role and spent the past few years pitching in relief for the Chicago Cubs. He was ranked as a top-10 overall prospect by both MLB Pipeline and Baseball America before the 2020 season, but he has not lived up to the hype. The 29-year-old looked better at Triple-A Iowa in 2025 than he did at the big-league level. He only appeared in 11 games out of the 'pen in Chicago, allowing 15 earned runs on 22 hits (two homers) while walking 10 and striking out only seven in 14 2/3 innings pitched. While Pearson has mostly pitched in relief since 2021, it's expected that Houston will give him a chance to return to a starting role in 2026.

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Philadelphia Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said on Thursday that he'd be "surprised" if left-handed reliever Jose Alvarado (forearm) isn't back with the team in 2026, according to Matt Gelb of The Athletic. The Phillies hold a $9.5 million club option on Alvarado for next season and are likely to pick it up, despite the fact that he missed time late in the year with a forearm injury and also served an 80-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs. The 30-year-old southpaw only appeared in 28 games for the Phillies in relief in 2025 as a result, posting a 3.81 ERA and 1.31 WHIP with 32 strikeouts and seven walks in 26 innings pitched. He also saved seven games in his ninth year in the big leagues and fifth in Philly. It sounds as though Alvarado's forearm injury shouldn't be an issue as it pertains to him being ready for the start of next year.

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MLB.com's Bryan Hoch reports that New York Yankees outfielder Jasson Dominguez is expected to play regularly in 2026, according to manager Aaron Boone. Dominguez may play winter ball this offseason to prepare him for next year, and the Yankees envision him in left field, depending on how the offseason goes. Boone also said during his season-ending press conference on Thursday that top outfield prospect Spencer Jones is in play to be a regular contributor at the big-league level next year. A lot has been expected of Dominguez since he arrived in the Bronx. The 22-year-old did lead the Yankees with 93 starts in left field in 2025, but he wasn't playing regularly late in the year and was a disappointment for his fantasy managers with a .257/.331/.388 slash line, 10 home runs, 47 RBI, 58 runs scored, and 23 stolen bases in 123 games in his first full big-league season. The switch-hitting Dominican still has the potential to be a post-hype sleeper, but competition will be fierce in New York.

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