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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San Diego Padres impending free-agent left-hander Nestor Cortes (biceps) had successful surgery to fix a small tendon tear in his left arm, according to Francys Romero. The 30-year-old Cuban southpaw is expected to return to baseball activities in roughly nine to 10 months. He will become a free agent at the conclusion of the World Series, but given his injury, he's expected to linger on the free-agent market going into the 2026 campaign. Cortes originally was put on the 15-day injured list by the Padres on Sept. 5 with a biceps injury, and now he will miss most, if not all, of next season. He made only two starts with the Milwaukee Brewers early in 2025 before getting hurt, and then he was traded to San Diego at the deadline over the summer. Overall, Cortes really struggled with the long ball, allowing 13 home runs in 34 1/3 innings while sporting a bloated 6.29 ERA and 1.63 WHIP in just eight starts combined.

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The New York Post's Jon Heyman is reporting that the Detroit Tigers and All-Star left-hander Tarik Skubal currently have a gap of around $250 million in contract talks. The word is that a year ago, the Tigers offered Skubal well below the $170 million deal that lefty Garrett Crochet eventually signed with the Boston Red Sox. Skubal, who is entering his walk year with Detroit in 2026, is reportedly seeking an extension in the $400 million range. The 28-year-old's price is only going up, as he's expected to win a second straight American League Cy Young award after going 13-6 in his sixth year in the big leagues in 2025. Skubal led the league in WAR (6.6), ERA (2.21), FIP (2.45), WHIP (0.89), walks per nine innings (1.5) and K/BB (7.30). He's the most dominant pitcher in baseball right now, but if Detroit knows that they are unlikely to sign him to an extension, he could be on the trade market this winter or next summer.

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Milwaukee Brewers veteran left-hander Jose Quintana will start Game 4 of the National League Championship Series on Friday at Dodger Stadium against the Los Angeles Dodgers, according to Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. Quintana was pushed back to Friday's game after Milwaukee used left-hander Aaron Ashby as the opener and rookie right-hander Jacob Misiorowski as their bulk reliever in the Game 3 loss on Thursday. The 36-year-old soft-tosser will now be tasked with keeping the Brewers' playoff hopes alive and to avoid a four-game sweep in the best-of-seven series. This will be Quintana's second playoff appearance this year after he held the Chicago Cubs scoreless over three innings in the NL Division Series. Quintana faced the Dodgers in back-to-back outings on July 9 and 20 during the regular season and allowed a combined five earned runs on six hits (two homers) while walking four and striking out nine in 12 innings. The Brewers won both of those games.

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According to sources, the Philadelphia Phillies are expected to either trade or release veteran outfielder Nick Castellanos this offseason, per Matt Gelb of The Athletic. President of baseball operations David Dombrowski did not say anything regarding Castellanos during his press conference on Thursday. When asked specifically about Castellanos, Dombrowski said he could not comment on "specific players that are on our roster under contract," but then spent the next 34 minutes doing just that. The Phillies are a team in transition and will be looking to get younger this offseason. The 33-year-old Castellanos, a two-time All-Star, hit .250/.294/.400 with a .694 OPS, 17 home runs, 72 RBI, 72 runs scored, and four stolen bases in 147 regular-season games in his fourth year in Philly in 2025. With the Phillies bullish on Justin Crawford and Otto Kemp in the outfield, and with Harrison Bader potentially re-signing, Castellanos is the odd man out.

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New York Yankees left-hander Carlos Rodon (elbow) had surgery on Wednesday to remove loose bodies and to shave down a bone spur in his left elbow and will not throw for eight weeks, according to manager Aaron Boone. The skipper added that it "probably delays him" to start the 2026 regular season. So the Yankees will be without both Rodon and right-hander Gerrit Cole (elbow) to begin next season. The good news is that both Rodon and Cole could return before the end of April, barring setbacks in their recoveries. The 32-year-old made his third career All-Star appearance (and first in pinstripes) in 2025 by winning a career-high 18 games and posting a 3.09 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and 203:73 K:BB in 33 starts. However, fantasy managers will be skeptical about Rodon heading into 2026 after his surgical procedure on his elbow. Still, Rodon has back-to-back seasons with an ERA under 4.00 in the Bronx after posting a 6.85 ERA in 2023 in his first year in New York.

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Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman will start Game 5 of the American League Championship Series in Seattle against the Mariners on Friday, according to Keegan Matheson of MLB.com. Right-handed rookie Trey Yesavage could be available out of the bullpen in a long-relief role if Gausman struggles early. In the Game 1 loss to the Mariners, Gausman pitched well, allowing two earned runs on three hits (one homer) while walking one and striking out five in 5 2/3 innings. He picked up the win in Game 1 of the AL Division Series against the New York Yankees, giving up just one run while walking two and striking out three in 5 2/3 innings, so he has been reliable for Toronto so far this postseason. In his only other start in 2025 against Seattle back on May 9, Gausman picked up a win, allowing three earned runs on seven hits while walking none and striking out three in 5 1/3 innings of work.

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Seattle Mariners right-hander Bryce Miller will make the start in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series on Friday in Seattle against the Toronto Blue Jays, according to manager Dan Wilson. Right-hander Bryan Woo will be available out of the bullpen if Miller needs help early on. The Mariners will be hoping for a repeat of Miller's Game 1 performance, when he allowed only one run in six innings on short rest for a win. This time, the 27-year-old will be on regular rest while going up against Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman. Miller dealt with injuries in the regular season and made only 18 starts, but he's been better in two postseason starts. In a no-decision in Game 4 of the AL Division Series against the Tigers, he gave up two earned runs with no walks and two K's in 4 1/3 frames. Miller faced Toronto just once in the regular season on May 11 and was hit hard, surrendering seven earned runs on eight hits (one homer) while walking two and fanning three in five innings.

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The Toronto Blue Jays announced on Thursday that they removed outfielder Anthony Santander (back) from their American League Championship Series roster due to a back injury. Santander will be replaced on the roster by outfielder Joey Loperfido. The 30-year-old Santander was scratched from the lineup for Game 2 of the ALCS on Monday with a back injury, but he was able to return to start in Game 3 on Wednesday. However, Santander apparently had a setback that will officially end his 2025 season. If Toronto advances to the World Series, he will be ineligible to play. The Venezuelan outfielder was a big free-agent addition by Toronto last offseason, but he failed to live up to expectations in 2025 after he hit a career-high 44 home runs in 2024 with the Orioles. Santander was injured for most of the year and finished the regular season with a disappointing .175/.271/.294 slash line, .565 OPS, and only six home runs in 54 games. In five postseason games, he went 3-for-15 with two RBI, a run, and five K's.

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Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio (hamstring) aggravated a balky right hamstring mid at-bat in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series on Thursday against the Los Angeles Dodgers and was pulled in the seventh inning, according to Jeff Passon of ESPN. Chourio injured his hamstring in Game 1 of the series. He was replaced by Blake Perkins after going 0-for-4 at the plate. With Milwaukee now down three games to none in the best-of-seven series and with their 21-year-old leadoff hitter injured again, things aren't looking good. According to manager Pat Murphy, Chourio was having "continual cramps" in his hamstring and was receiving IV treatment. It remains to be seen if Chourio will be available for Game 4 of the series in L.A. on Friday as the Brewers look to avoid elimination. Going into Thursday's game, Chourio had gone 8-for-25 (.320) with two homers, two doubles, eight RBI, and three runs scored in seven postseason games this October.

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New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (elbow) will not need surgery on his right elbow this offseason after undergoing an MRI exam, according to manager Aaron Boone. "He'll take some time off and continue to do strengthening things and rehab stuff," Boone said. Judge had a flexor strain in his throwing arm in late July and spent 10 days on the injured list. When the 33-year-old two-time MVP returned, he was limited to designated hitter duties for a month. He eventually returned to everyday duties in right field in the Bronx and should have a pretty normal offseason, barring a setback over the winter. Boone expects Judge to open the 2026 campaign as the team's starting right fielder. Judge had 50-plus homers for the second straight year in 2025 and led the league in runs (137), WAR (9.7), walks (124), average (.331), on-base percentage (.457), slugging (.688), OPS (1.144), and total bases (372) in 152 games played.

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New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe (shoulder) will be delayed to start the 2026 season after recently having surgery to fix a partially torn labrum in his left (non-throwing) shoulder, according to Deesha Thosar of FOX Sports. The Yankees are expecting Volpe to start hitting at the start of February, but he will not be allowed to dive on his surgically repaired shoulder until around April. While Volpe finished just one home run and two stolen bases shy of his second 20-20 season in his third year in the big leagues, he wasn't the same offensively after injuring his left shoulder in early May. The good news is that the 24-year-old will be back in May in a worst-case scenario, so he shouldn't have to miss too much time to begin 2026. Until Volpe is ready, expect the speedy Jose Caballero to start at the 6 for the Yankees. When Volpe is ready to return, he'll be firmly in the mix to take over at shortstop in the Bronx.

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New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that right-hander Clarke Schmidt (elbow) could be an option in the second half of next season, according to The Athletic's Chris Kirschner. Schmidt will miss the first half of the 2026 campaign after having an internal brace procedure on his right elbow on July 11. The 29-year-old hurler has been a solid rotation piece for the Yankees over the last two seasons, but he also hasn't been reliable due to multiple injuries. He had a 2.85 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 16 starts in 2024 before going 4-4 with a 3.32 ERA (3.95 FIP) and 1.09 WHIP with 73 strikeouts and 30 walks in 14 starts this past season. Schmidt had a career-high 149 K's and 46 walks in 33 outings (32 starts) for the Bombers back in 2023. He will not be on the fantasy radar in single-year leagues next spring, and it remains to be seen how much he'll be able to contribute to New York's rotation after the All-Star break.

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New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone confirmed that right-hander Gerrit Cole (elbow) will not be ready for Opening Day in 2026, although the hope is that he will be ready soon after, according to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. Cole underwent Tommy John surgery that included an internal-brace procedure on his right elbow back in March, so it's not a surprise that he won't be ready for the start of next regular season. The good news is that the Yankees shouldn't have to wait long for the ace to make his debut, barring a setback in his recovery. The 35-year-old former American League Cy Young winner has already resumed throwing on flat ground. Cole made only 17 starts for the Yankees in 2024 due to injuries and was unable to pitch at all in 2025, so it's understandable for fantasy managers to wonder if he can return to his Cy Young form in 2026.

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