In a winner-take-all Game 3 of the wild-card series on Thursday against the division-rival Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees first baseman Paul Goldschmidt will take a seat despite a left-hander being on the mound. Ben Rice is starting at first base and will bat fifth against Red Sox rookie left-hander Connelly Early. The Yankees are also starting left-handed-hitting infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. after he started on the bench in Game 1 of the series against a lefty. Goldy typically starts against lefties, but with everything on the line to advance to the American League Division Series to face the division-rival Toronto Blue Jays, manager Aaron Boone is changing it up. Goldy got off to a good start in the Bronx before quickly showing his age. Rice has been the more consistent bat for the Yanks for most of the year. In the Game 2 win on Wednesday, Rice went 2-for-4 with a homer and two RBI.

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Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy has said that it's unlikely right-handed pitching prospect Jacob Misiorowski will make a start in the National League Division Series against either the division-rival Chicago Cubs or San Diego Padres, according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. Since the start of August, Misiorowski had an ERA over 6.00 in his first MLB season, but his fastball also reaches triple digits, which is even more useful in postseason play. Misiorowski is a special talent on the mound, as evidenced by his 11-inning hitless streak to begin his career in Milwaukee when he was initially called up this year. He was never really the same late in the season after going on the injured list after he was hit on the shin by a comebacker. Misiorowski is going to need to throw strikes in whatever bullpen role he's in, whether it be a multi-inning reliever or more of a hammer in high-leverage situations.

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Detroit Tigers outfielder Parker Meadows has been dropped to ninth in the batting order on Thursday for the deciding Game 3 of the wild-card series against the division-rival Cleveland Guardians. Meadows will patrol center field and will face Guardians right-hander Slade Cecconi. The 25-year-old will drop all the way from leadoff to the nine-hole after going 1-for-8 with a walk and three strikeouts in the first two games of the series. With Parker moving to the bottom of the order, second baseman Gleyber Torres will move from the two-hole to leadoff for the Tigers as they look go advance to face the Seattle Mariners in the American League Division Series this weekend. Against right-handed pitchers during the regular season in 2025, Meadows hit only .220 with all four of his home runs on the year. He will obviously be much less attractive in playoff DFS formats in the nine-hole.

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Detroit Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson (foot) is starting at first base and will hit cleanup for Thursday's deciding Game 3 of the wild-card series against the division-rival Cleveland Guardians and right-hander Slade Cecconi. X-rays came back negative on Torkelson after he fouled a ball off his foot in the Game 2 loss at Progressive Field on Wednesday. The former first-rounder was also hit by a pitch on his hand/wrist, but he's all good and will hit in the heart of the batting order as the Tigers look to vanquish the Guards and advance to the American League Division Series to face the Seattle Mariners. In the first two games of the wild-card series, Tork has one hit in six at-bats with an RBI, a walk, and three strikeouts. The 26-year-old will be looking for a big hit in the winner-take-all game on Thursday, and he'll be a more risky DFS pick while potentially being at less than 100% with his foot.

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Tampa Bay Rays left-hander Shane McClanahan (triceps) is expected to be "fully ready" for the start of spring training in mid-February of 2026, according to president of baseball operations Erik Neander. McClanahan was expected to be a full-go going into spring training this year, too, after having Tommy John surgery on his left elbow in 2023. However, the talented southpaw suffered a left triceps nerve injury in spring training and did not pitch at all for the team in 2025. He made two rehab starts in the minors before eventually going under the knife in August. The Rays have similar optimism that McClanahan will be good to go next year, but at this point, despite the high upside, fantasy managers should be wary of spending too much on the oft-injured Rays ace. Remember, McClanahan has not pitched in the big leagues since August of 2023, so he's sure to have restrictions if he's healthy in 2026, at least early on.

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Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette (knee) seems unlikely to be ready to play for the start of the American League Division Series against either the Boston Red Sox or New York Yankees on Saturday, according to Rob Longley of the Toronto Sun. Bichette has been limited in his baseball activities, and he has yet to resume running, which will likely be the last step he needs to take to be cleared. "I hope we win this series and he comes back for the next one," first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. said. Vlad's comments seem like a pretty good indicator that Bichette won't be on the roster for the ALDS. Manager John Schneider left the door more open for Bichette to return, but he also didn't exude much confidence that Bichette would be ready. It will be a big loss if Bichette cannot play in the ALDS, with the light-hitting Andres Gimenez likely to continue to man the 6 in his absence.

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Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette (knee) has not been able to resume running yet, according to manager John Schneider, who added, "Hopefully soon." Bichette has been hitting on the field and throwing, but he may still not be ready for the ALDS, which starts this Saturday against either the Yankees or the Red Sox in Toronto. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. said that he hopes the team can win this series so Bichette can return "for the next one," which seems to indicate Bichette is unlikely to play this weekend. Nothing is official yet until the Blue Jays release their roster with or without their starting shortstop on it, but it seems to be trending towards him being sidelined. Bichette has been sidelined since September 6 with a PCL sprain after hitting .311 with 18 home runs, 94 RBI, and 78 runs scored in 139 regular-season games. If Bichette isn't ready to return, Andres Gimenez will continue to fill in at shortstop.

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Detroit Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson (foot) was sent for a precautionary X-rays on his right foot after fouling a ball off it in the fourth inning of Game 2 against the Guardians. The X-rays returned negative for any fractures, and manager A.J. Hinch said that he thinks Spencer Torkelson will be good to go for Game 3. In a rough day for Torkelson, he went 0-for-3 with a walk, and he was also hit by a pitch on the hand in the ninth inning. He'll hope for a better and less painful result to Thursday's decisive Game 3, as he and the Tigers look to advance to face the Mariners in the ALDS.

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Cincinnati Reds first baseman/third baseman Sal Stewart went 2-for-4 with three RBI and a stolen base in his team's 8-4 loss to the Dodgers. While the loss ended the Reds' season, fans have to be excited about what they saw from Stewart, who made a great first impression in the majors after his September call-up. He hit .255 in his 18 games in the regular season with five homers, a .355 wOBA, and a 52.5% hard-hit rate. The 21-year-old lefty came off the bench and walked as a pinch-hitter in Game 1 of the series before his big game Wednesday night. He'll be a key part of the Reds' future plans and has a good shot of filling an everyday role out of Spring Training next year.

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Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts went 4-for-5 with three doubles, three RBI, and a run scored to help carry his team to an 8-4 victory over the Reds on Wednesday night. The win completed a Wild Card series sweep for the Boys in Blue and moved them on to a great National League Division Series against the Phillies. Betts went 6-for-9 in the series, continuing his momentum from a strong finish to the regular season. Even though his overall numbers for the season were down, he finished the season by hitting .299 with six homers, 23 RBI, and a .376 wOBA in his 23 games in September. He looks locked in and ready to be a key part of the Dodgers' postseason run, heading into a tough matchup with the Phillies starting on Saturday.

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Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher/designated hitter Shohei Ohtani will take the mound for Game 1 of his team's NLDS series against the Phillies on Saturday. Ohtani would have been the starter for Game 3 of the Wild Card series against the Reds, but the Dodgers made that game not necessary by winning Game 2 by the score of 8-4 on Wednesday night. Ohtani pitched in 14 games this season, posting a 2.87 ERA and 2.45 FIP over his 47 innings. He stacked up 62 strikeouts while allowing just a .223 batting average against him. He faced the Phillies in one of his starts and threw five no-hit innings with five strikeouts. He worked up to six innings in his most recent appearance, so he should be able to go as deep as the Dodgers' need him to on Saturday, as he goes head-to-head with Cristopher Sanchez in what should be an awesome Game 1.

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Boston Red Sox rookie left-hander Connelly Early is being put in a big situation early in his career, as he has been confirmed as the team's starter for Game 3 of the wild-card series on Thursday in the Bronx against the division-rival New York Yankees, according to Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald. He'll be opposed by Yankees rookie Cam Schlittler. Early was impressive in his first four MLB starts in the final month of the regular season, allowing only six runs (five earned) on 17 hits (no homers) while walking four and striking out 29 in 19 1/3 innings pitched. A rotation spot opened up in the postseason when right-hander Lucas Giolito was shut down with more right-elbow issues. Early is listed by MLB Pipeline as the BoSox's No. 6 prospect. The Virginia product doesn't overpower hitters, but he has a strong command of the zone for his age and a couple of impressive breaking pitches to back up his 92-94 mph fastball.

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New York Yankees rookie right-hander Cam Schlittler will start Game 3 of the team's AL wild-card round series against the Boston Red Sox on Thursday. He'll oppose Red Sox rookie lefty Connelly Early with the season on the line for the two storied franchises and archrivals. The winner of Thursday's contest will take on the division-rival Toronto Blue Jays in the ALDS. Boston took Game 1 and had a chance to close out the series on Wednesday, but the Yankees instead came out on top in a 4-3 nail-biter. They'll now rely on Schlittler, who has excelled since his first promotion to the majors in early July. The 24-year-old Massachusetts native earned his way into the Yankees' playoff rotation after going 4-3 with a 2.96 ERA, a 1.22 WHIP, and 84:31 K:BB in 14 starts and 73 innings during the regular season.

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Seattle Mariners right-hander Bryan Woo (pectoral) will throw a bullpen session on Thursday, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports. It'll be Woo's first time throwing off the mound since he left a win over the Houston Astros on Sept. 19 with pectoral tightness. Fortunately for Woo and the Mariners, the team earned a first-round bye in the playoffs, giving the 25-year-old extra time to recover. Manager Dan Wilson said Wednesday he's optimistic that Woo will be part of the Mariners' roster when they begin the best-of-five ALDS round against either the Cleveland Guardians or Detroit Tigers on Saturday. He's unlikely to start in either of the first two games of the series, according to Kramer, which will leave the Mariners to choose from Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, and Luis Castillo. Woo finished the regular season 15-7 with a 2.94 ERA, a .93 WHIP, and 198:36 K:BB in 186 2/3 innings, helping the Mariners to their first American League West title since 2001.

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San Diego Padres right-hander Yu Darvish will start the win-or-go-home Game 3 of the NL wild-card series against the Chicago Cubs on Thursday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports. Darvish was a Cub from 2018-20, but his run with them ended when they traded him to the Padres a few months before the 2021 season began. Four years later, Darvish has a chance to help eliminate the Cubs from the postseason. The 39-year-old is coming off a difficult and injury-limited regular season, though, as he recorded a career-worst 5.38 ERA with a 1.18 WHIP and 68:19 K:BB over 15 starts and 72 innings. Darvish, who will oppose Cubs righty Jameson Taillon on Thursday, has pitched in 13 playoff games and gone 5-7 with a 3.77 ERA across 71 2/3 frames.

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Chicago Cubs right-hander Jameson Taillon will start in Game 3 of the NL wild-card series against the San Diego Padres on Thursday. After failing to put away the Padres in a 3-0 loss on Wednesday, the Cubs will turn to Tailon in a do-or-die showdown. Taillon ended the regular season in ace-like form over his final six starts, notching a 1.58 ERA with 24 hits allowed, 24 strikeouts, and seven walks in 34 1/3 innings. The 33-year-old took the ball 23 times during the regular campaign and went 11-7 with a 3.68 ERA, a 1.06 WHIP, and 98:27 K:BB across 129 2/3 frames. Taiilon faced the Padres back on April 14 and yielded two earned runs in 5 1/3 innings in a 10-4 loss, though he didn't factor into the decision.

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San Francisco Giants first baseman Bryce Eldridge (wrist) will undergo surgery to remove a bone spur from his left wrist on Thursday. The 6-foot-7, 240-pound slugger will need about eight weeks to recover, meaning the procedure shouldn't affect his availability for the start of the 2026 season. A first-round pick in 2023 and now one of baseball's best prospects, Eldridge earned his first promotion to the majors in mid-September. The 20-year-old slumped to a .107/.297/.179 line with four RBI, 13 strikeouts, and seven walks over a minuscule sample of 10 games and 36 plate appearances. He slashed a much more impressive .260/.333/.510 with 25 home runs over a combined 433 plate appearances among three minor-league levels in 2025. While it remains to be seen if Eldridge will begin next season in the majors, the Giants are optimistic that he'll be a long-term cornerstone in their lineup.

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Cleveland Guardians outfield prospect Chase DeLauter will make his major-league debut on Wednesday in Game 2 of the wild-card series against the division-rival Detroit Tigers and right-hander Casey Mize at Progressive Field. DeLauter is starting in center field and will hit seventh in the batting order. It's a bold move by Cleveland after falling down 1-0 in the series with a loss in Game 1 of the series on Tuesday. The 23-year-old DeLauter has lots of upside, but he also hasn't played in a game since July 11 in the minors due to a right-wrist injury that required surgery. The former first-rounder only played in 42 games at Triple-A Columbus and in the Arizona Fall League this year before his injury and hit .264/.379/.473 with an .852 OPS, seven home runs, 24 RBI and 28 runs scored. The Guards are looking for a spark given their lack of productivity in center field from Angel Martinez, but DeLauter is a big dice role in the postseason in a must-win game.

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Tigers' SP Tarik Skubal recorded 14 strikeouts in 7.2 innings getting the win in a 2-1 win over Cleveland on Tuesday, Sep. 30.

Red Sox's SP Garrett Crochet recorded 11 strikeouts in 7.2 innings with the win in a 3-1 win over the Yankees on Tuesday, Sep. 30.