Jackson Chourio Undergoes MRI For Hamstring Injury
The Brewers got their NLDS off to a huge start with today’s 9-3 win over the Cubs in Game 1, with all nine runs coming in the opening two innings. Unfortunately, the game involved a significant injury for Milwaukee, as outfielder Jackson Chourio left during the second inning with what the team described as right hamstring tightness.
Chourio collected his third hit of the two-inning outburst when he hit a ball deep into the third base hole, then beat out the throw for an RBI single. Unfortunately, Chourio came up limping on the play, and Isaac Collins replaced Chourio as a pinch-runner and then in left field for the start of the next inning.
Speaking to MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy and other reporters after the game, Brewers manager Pat Murphy said Chourio was undergoing an MRI at the time of the media session, and more would be known once the testing is complete. The concern is real, as Murphy said “obviously it’s real scary having that hamstring injury to the same leg. We’re hoping it’s something he can come back from soon…It could be devastating.”
In a more positive note, Chourio told McCalvy and company that the removal was more precautionary in nature. “We’re still waiting [on MRI results]. But physically, I feel good, and I feel I’m in a position where I’m ready to keep going and ready to keep competing,” the outfielder said.
The previous right hamstring issue referenced by Murphy was a strain that sidelined Chourio for a month this summer, keeping him on the injured list for almost all of August. Chourio hit only .240/.293/.413 in 117 plate appearances after returning from the IL, after batting .276/.311/.474 with 17 home runs in 472 PA prior to his hamstring strain. The outfielder was also more active on the basepaths (stealing 18 bases in 25 attempts) pre-injury, as he stole three bases in as many attempts once his return. To be fair, this could also have been a tactical decision, as the Brewers were coasting towards a playoff berth in September and Chourio saw less need to press.
Assuming that the MRI doesn’t reveal anything serious, Chourio could benefit from the staggered nature of the NLDS schedule. Game 2 isn’t until Monday, and then there’s another off-day before Games 3-4 in Chicago on Wednesday and Thursday. Sitting Chourio just for Game 2 would be a hit to the Brewers’ lineup, but the team might view it as a necessary evil to give Chourio three full days off to rest his hamstring. This assumes, of course, that Chourio feels good enough to perhaps try playing in Game 2 after just one day off.
In the worst-case scenario of a mid-series injury removal, the Brewers would be able to replace Chourio on the roster. However, that would mean Chourio would have to sit out the NLCS if Milwaukee advanced. That means the Brewers won’t want to make a drastic call on Chourio unless it’s absolutely necessary, so there’s some added drama to what seemed like a pretty stable Crew lineup heading into the playoffs.
Curt Casali Retires
In a move that wasn’t publicly reported earlier this season, longtime catcher Curt Casali retired and took a job in the Reds front office, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Casali signed a minor league deal with the Braves last winter but was released before the end of Spring Training, and he didn’t play at all in 2025.
At age 36 and after 11 Major League seasons, it appears as though Casali decided to call it a career and move onto a new phase of his baseball life. The nature of his duties with the Reds isn’t specified, but Slusser wonders if Casali could emerge as a future managerial candidate….even as soon as this winter as the Giants look for a new dugout boss. That would continue the trend of catchers moving into managerial jobs, and Slusser notes that Buster Posey (obviously a former backstop himself) seems to be looking at ex-catchers in the early stages of San Francisco’s managerial search.
Casali has plenty of links to the organization, as he played with the Giants in 2021-22 and again during the 2024 season. In the first year of Casali’s time in San Francisco, he was Posey’s backup during what ended up being Posey’s final big league campaign.
A 10th-round pick for the Tigers in the 2011 draft, Casali was dealt to the Rays in March 2013, and he made his MLB debut in a Tampa uniform in 2014. Casali was mostly a part-timer over his four seasons with the Rays, but he received the bulk of the catching duties in 2016, playing in 84 games and making 256 plate appearances. He didn’t hit much during that extended look, however, and Casali left the Rays organization and bounced around to a few teams on minors deals, including a return to Tampa Bay before the Rays dealt him to the Reds in May 2018.
Casali spent the next three seasons in Cincinnati, and his bat came alive to the point that he moved into a virtual timeshare with Tucker Barnhart. Casali hit .260/.345/.440 over 485 PA during the 2018-20 seasons, but the Reds still chose to non-tender Casali during the 2020-21 offseason, paving the way for his next contract with the Giants.
At the 2022 trade deadline, San Francisco dealt Casali to the Mariners as part of a noteworthy trade that also sent Matthew Boyd to Seattle’s bullpen for the stretch run. Casali backed up Cal Raleigh for the remainder of the 2022 campaign before entering free agency again, and his final two MLB seasons were spent revisiting old haunts in Cincinnati (in 2023) and San Francisco (in 2024). While Casali’s big league playing time during those two seasons was spent with the Reds and Giants, he also was briefly part of the Marlins and Cubs organizations on minors deals.
Overall, Casali will finish his career with a .218/.312/.369 slash line and 48 home runs over 1579 PA and 543 games across his 11 seasons in the Show. Beyond that modest offensive production, Casali was well-regarded for his ability to handle pitchers and call a game. If Slusser’s report is any indication, Casali’s knowledge of the game might well develop into coaching or managerial jobs if he wishes to pursue that direction.
We at MLB Trade Rumors congratulate Casali on a fine career and wish him the best in his post-playing career.
Tigers, Mariners Announce ALDS Rosters
The Tigers and Mariners get their AL Division Series underway tonight in Seattle, with rookie Troy Melton starting for Detroit against former All-Star George Kirby. Both teams will go with 14 position players and 12 pitchers on their 26-man rosters for the series….
Tigers catchers: Dillon Dingler, Jake Rogers
Infielders: Colt Keith, Trey Sweeney, Spencer Torkelson, Gleyber Torres
Outfielders: Kerry Carpenter, Riley Greene, Jahmai Jones, Parker Meadows, Wenceel Perez
Utility players: Javier Baez, Andy Ibanez, Zach McKinstry
Left-handed pitchers: Tyler Holton, Brant Hurter, Tarik Skubal
Right-handed pitchers: Kyle Finnegan, Jack Flaherty, Brenan Hanifee, Tommy Kahnle, Troy Melton, Casey Mize, Keider Montero, Rafael Montero, Will Vest
Mariners catchers: Harry Ford, Mitch Garver, Cal Raleigh
Infielders: J.P. Crawford, Josh Naylor, Jorge Polanco, Leo Rivas, Eugenio Suarez, Ben Williamson
Outfielders: Randy Arozarena, Dominic Canzone, Victor Robles, Julio Rodriguez
Utility players: Luke Raley
Left-handed pitchers: Caleb Ferguson, Gabe Speier
Right-handed pitchers: Eduard Bazardo, Matt Brash, Luis Castillo, Logan Gilbert, Emerson Hancock, Luke Jackson, George Kirby, Bryce Miller, Andres Munoz, Carlos Vargas
Keith and Hanifee are newcomers to the playoff roster, replacing Paul Sewald and Justyn-Henry Malloy. Right ribcage inflammation has kept Keith from playing since September 18, and he wasn’t quite ready to go for the Tigers’ wild card series against the Guardians.
As MLB.com notes, Keith isn’t feeling 100 percent but he is good enough to hit, so it is possible he might be limited to pinch-hitting or DH duty in the series. Since the Mariners are heavy on right-handed pitchers, the Tigers’ bench should benefit by adding a left-handed bat like Keith, who hit .267/.346/.439 over 422 plate appearances against righties this season.
The biggest developments on Seattle’s roster were reported earlier today, as Bryan Woo remains sidelined due to a pectoral injury. Josh Naylor’s impending paternity leave is also a major storyline for the series, though the M’s would get to make a mid-series substitution if Naylor did have to depart for the birth of his first child.
Dodgers, Phillies Announce NLDS Rosters
Game 1 between the Dodgers and Phillies takes place today in Philadelphia, with Shohei Ohtani (in his first playoff pitching appearance) facing Cristopher Sanchez in the pitching matchup. Here is how each club has arranged their 26-man roster for the NL Division Series…
Dodgers catchers: Ben Rortvedt, Dalton Rushing, Will Smith
Infielders: Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy, Miguel Rojas
Outfielders: Alex Call, Justin Dean, Teoscar Hernandez, Andy Pages
Utility players: Tommy Edman, Enrique Hernandez, Hyeseong Kim
DH/right-handed pitcher: Shohei Ohtani
Left-handed pitchers: Anthony Banda, Jack Dreyer, Clayton Kershaw, Blake Snell, Tanner Scott, Alex Vesia
Right-handed pitchers: Tyler Glasnow, Roki Sasaki, Emmet Sheehan, Blake Treinen, Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Phillies catchers: Rafael Marchan, J.T. Realmuto
Infielders: Alec Bohm, Bryce Harper, Otto Kemp, Edmundo Sosa, Bryson Stott, Trea Turner
Outfielders: Harrison Bader, Nick Castellanos, Max Kepler, Brandon Marsh, Weston Wilson
Designated hitter: Kyle Schwarber
Left-handed pitchers: Tanner Banks, Jesus Luzardo, Tim Mayza, Cristopher Sanchez, Matt Strahm, Ranger Suarez
Right-handed pitchers: Walker Buehler, Jhoan Duran, Orion Kerkering, Aaron Nola, David Robertson, Taijuan Walker
Los Angeles made two changes to the roster that swept the Reds in two games during the wild card round. Kershaw and Banda join the fray in place of left-hander Justin Wrobleski and right-hander Edgardo Henriquez. There was no doubt Kershaw would be returning to action after sitting out the Reds series, though in his final postseason appearance, Kershaw is slated to pitch in a relief capacity rather than in a starter’s role.
Smith hasn’t played since suffering a hairline fracture in his right hand on September 9, though the fact that the Dodgers included him on the wild card series roster indicates that the catcher is getting at least close to game readiness. Chances are Smith is ready to go at some point during the NLDS, though Rortvedt and Rushing are both on the roster to keep L.A. from being shorthanded behind the plate.
Both teams have plenty of big left-handed bats, which factored why each roster features six southpaws. The Phillies haven’t announced their rotation beyond Sanchez today, but Suarez is probable for Game 2, and using Luzardo in Game 3 would mean Philadelphia is tossing three consecutive left-handed starters at Ohtani and company.
News broke earlier this week that Johan Rojas was dealing with a quad injury, which removed any chance that the Phillies could put Rojas on the playoff roster following two months in the minors. The bench was instead filled out by two multi-position players in Kemp and Wilson, plus Sosa can play the outfield in a pinch.
Cubs, Brewers Announce NLDS Rosters
The NL Division Series between the Cubs and Brewers gets started today, with Matthew Boyd facing Freddy Peralta in the Game 1 pitching matchup. Here are the full 26-man rosters for both teams in the clash of NL Central rivals…
Cubs catchers: Moises Ballesteros, Carson Kelly, Reese McGuire
Infielders: Michael Busch, Nico Hoerner, Matt Shaw, Dansby Swanson, Justin Turner
Outfielders: Kevin Alcantara, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki, Kyle Tucker
Utilityman: Willi Castro
Left-handed pitchers: Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga, Drew Pomeranz, Caleb Thielbar
Right-handed pitchers: Aaron Civale, Ben Brown, Brad Keller, Andrew Kittredge, Daniel Palencia, Colin Rea, Michael Soroka, Jameson Taillon
Brewers catchers: William Contreras, Danny Jansen
Infielders: Jake Bauers, Caleb Durbin, Andruw Monasterio, Joey Ortiz, Brice Turang, Andrew Vaughn
Outfielders: Jackson Chourio, Isaac Collins, Sal Frelick, Brandon Lockridge, Blake Perkins, Christian Yelich
Left-handed pitchers: Aaron Ashby, Robert Gasser, Jared Koenig, Jose Quintana
Right-handed pitchers: Grant Anderson, Nick Mears, Trevor Megill, Jacob Misiorowski, Freddy Peralta, Chad Patrick, Quinn Priester, Abner Uribe
The Cubs are going with almost the exact roster of 14 position players and 12 pitchers that were used in their wild card series victory over the Padres, except Brown will take the place of left-hander Taylor Rogers. Manager Craig Counsell told MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian and other reporters that Chicago opted for Brown over Rogers and Javier Assad due to Brown’s strikeout ability, and on how Brown projects to match up against the Brewers. This leaves Pomeranz and Thielbar as the only left-handed relievers to be mixed and matched against Milwaukee’s left-handed bats.
The Brew Crew’s first roster of the postseason doesn’t contain too many surprises, as there was already an expectation that the team would use Misiorowski and Gasser as a pair of intriguing rookies out of the bullpen. Milwaukee is also deploying an alignment of 14 position players and 12 pitchers, but one position player that didn’t make the cut was Rhys Hoskins. This is also not a shock given how Hoskins has been essentially supplanted by Vaughn as the first-choice option at first base. A thumb sprain and a bone bruise cost Hoskins over two months of the season, and after returning from the injured list in September, Hoskins received only sparing playing time.
A pair of prominent injured pitchers weren’t included on either team’s NLDS roster. Counsell said Cade Horton won’t be involved in the series even as an injury replacement, which isn’t surprising since Horton (who is recovering from a rib fracture) wouldn’t be eligible to be activated from the 15-day IL until Game 5. Brewers manager Pat Murphy told Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel and other reporters yesterday that Brandon Woodruff might still be available to pitch later in the postseason if the Crew advances deeper into October, but the veteran right’s lat strain will keep him out of the Division Series.
Bryan Woo Left Off Mariners’ ALDS Roster
Right-hander Bryan Woo won’t be part of the Mariners’ AL Division Series roster, according to the Seattle Times’ Adam Jude. “The club is optimistic Woo will be available in the ALCS if they do advance,” Jude writes, though Seattle’s path to the next round will be trickier without their most consistent pitcher from the 2025 season.
Woo’s postseason status has been a question mark since September 19, when the righty left a start after five innings due to pectoral tightness. The M’s didn’t place Woo on the 15-day injured list, which was viewed as a sign that the injury wasn’t overly serious, and that the team was just being cautious in shutting Woo down in advance of what became an increasingly likely playoff berth in the final stretch of September. The fact that the Mariners won the AL West and secured a first-round bye only added to the hope that Woo would be ready once the postseason got underway.
A Thursday bullpen session and a simulated inning marked the first time Woo had thrown off a mound since his injury. Despite initial reports that the bullpen went well, it could be that Woo felt some discomfort the day after his throwing sessions, or perhaps he simply wasn’t close enough to 100 percent for the Mariners to pull the trigger on a roster spot.
More details should become available when manager Dan Wilson speaks with reporters later today, but the bottom line is that the Mariners’ rotation is missing a very important arm. In a season when the usually excellent Seattle pitching staff was more solid than great, Woo took a step forward to lead the pitchers in fWAR (3.6), innings (186 2/3), and ERA (2.94). Woo augmented those numbers with a 4.5% walk rate that ranked among baseball’s best, as well as a very strong 27.1% strikeout rate.
These numbers came on the heels of a very good 2024 season for Woo that was marred only by injuries, as a pair of IL stints limited him to 121 1/3 innings. The full and healthy version of Woo made his first All-Star team in 2025 and established himself as another important frontline piece of the Mariners’ deep rotation, though this pec injury now threatens to bring a sour ending to this breakout campaign.
George Kirby will be the Mariners’ Game 1 starter today, and Luis Castillo will start Game 2. The club hasn’t announced their Game 3 starter once the series shifts to Detroit for at least once game, though Logan Gilbert seems like the logical choice. If a Game 4 is necessary, Bryce Miller will likely start, though it’ll probably be an all-hands-on-deck situation if the Mariners are facing elimination (or if they want to throw everything to try and eliminate the Tigers in four games, with an off-day to rest up the staff before a Game 5 in Seattle).
The Mariners’ full ALDS roster will be announced later today, but Jude reports that rookie catcher Harry Ford and rookie infielder Ben Williamson have made the cut. Williamson’s presence gives Seattle some depth at third base if Eugenio Suarez has to move to first base. Josh Naylor‘s availability for the series beyond Game 1 is in question due to an impending paternity leave, as Naylor’s wife Chantel is on the verge of giving birth to the couple’s first child.
Rangers Notes: Coaches, Offense, Eovaldi, Bradford
The Rangers’ hiring of Skip Schumaker as manager was the biggest news out of Arlington yesterday, but some other items emerged from the club’s end-of-season press conference that took place on Friday hours before Schumaker’s deal was announced. President of baseball operations Chris Young and GM Ross Fenstermaker gave some hints about the managerial search when speaking with the Dallas Morning News’ Shawn McFarland (multiple links), MLB.com’s Drew Davison, and other media, as Young said the club wasn’t yet looking at external candidates and had “a lead candidate internally that we’re focused on.” Sure enough, the Rangers ended up promoting senior advisor Schumaker into the manager’s chair as Bruce Bochy’s successor, an outcome that was widely predicted if Bochy wasn’t returning for 2026.
More continuity could exist within the coaching staff, as Young said that the team is open to retaining all of its coaches for next season. Schumaker’s familiarity with the organization could help in this regard, but naturally the new skipper will have some say in bringing in some of his own choices for the 2026 staff.
Speaking of pitching coach Mike Maddux in particular, Young said the Rangers want to retain Maddux either in his current position or in some other role within the organization. The well-respected Maddux has now logged three seasons in his second stint as the Texas pitching coach, after previously working in that same job during the 2009-15 seasons. Given how the Rangers’ rotation excelled in 2025, it would seem like the ball is in Maddux’s court about whether he wants to return to Arlington in any capacity, or perhaps seek out a new challenge elsewhere.
Texas led all of baseball in rotation ERA (3.41) and overall ERA (3.49), but a lackluster offense doomed the club to an even 81-81 record. While the Rangers’ lineup never truly got clicking, the club’s numbers in some categories did improve as the year went on, which Young attributed to more of a contract-driven approach under hitting coach Bret Boone (who was hired in early May after offensive coordinator Donnie Ecker was fired). This emphasis on putting the ball on play and not over-focusing on launch angles will continue, as Fenstermaker said the club will look for players with “stable skills, on-base percentage, the ability to make contact, [and] execute situationally” when weighing new additions.
A full winter and Spring Training under Boone should also help, Young noted, rather than the lineup having to somewhat adjust on the fly after Ecker was let go. “The philosophy did shift. The players have not had an offseason to adjust,” Young said. “I think they’ll be asked to do different things in the offseason in terms of their training, and not just simply working on one specific swing, but being able to do multiple things that may allow them to be more successful and contribute to a team-type of approach that is necessary.”
Fenstermaker also provided updates on several Rangers players who were bothered by injuries down the stretch, noting that Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, Wyatt Langford, Evan Carter, and Cole Winn are all expected to have normal offseasons and will be ready for the start of Spring Training. Jake Burger should also be ready to go for spring camp following his recent wrist surgery, as Fenstermaker said Burger’s recovery timeline is around 6-8 weeks.
Nathan Eovaldi‘s offseason prep work could be delayed by a sports hernia surgery in the near future. Fenstermaker said Eovaldi is visiting a specialist next week to determine if a surgery is necessary, with a timeline to be determined if the veteran righty ends up going under the knife. Sports hernia surgeries have a fairly broad recovery period of roughly 6-12 weeks depending on the nature of the procedure, so there could be some impact on Eovaldi’s regular throwing build-up, which in turn would possibly delay his availability for Spring Training.
More will be known when and if the surgery takes place, though there is some good news in that Eovaldi’s arm seems fine. Eovaldi’s season was ended after he was put on the injured list with a rotator cuff strain at the end of August, but Fenstermaker said the right-hander’s throwing program should proceed as planned once the matter of the sports hernia procedure is cleared.
Between the rotator cuff strain and an earlier IL stint for posterior elbow inflammation, Eovaldi was limited to 130 innings and 22 starts in 2025. Such injuries have to be a concern given Eovaldi’s lengthy past health history and the fact that he is turning 36 in February, but the veteran righty still looked like an elite arm when he was able to pitch. Eovaldi posted a 1.73 ERA over his 130 frames, with a superb 4.2% walk rate and host of other impressive metrics backing up that tiny ERA.
Cody Bradford is also expected to be set for the start of Spring Training, which counts as a bit of a surprise given that Bradford underwent an internal brace procedure in late June. Brace procedures do come with a shorter timeline than Tommy John surgeries, so the initial thought was that Bradford was would be out until late June 2026 at the earliest. The fact that Bradford is expected to participate in all of spring camp doesn’t necessarily alter that timeline since he’ll still need a lot of ramp-up time, though it’s a positive sign that Bradford seems to be making good progress in the first few months of his rehab.
Offseason Outlook: New York Mets
A record $340MM payroll couldn't even guarantee the Mets a playoff spot, as the Reds edged New York out of a wild card berth via tiebreaker on the final day of the regular season. The near-miss was the final insult after a disastrous second half, leaving the Amazins with plenty of roster decisions and perhaps some bigger-picture questions to answer during what is sure to be a busy offseason.
Guaranteed Contracts
- Juan Soto, OF: $643.125MM through 2039 (player opt-out after 2029 season, but Mets can override opt-out by adding $40MM to final 10 years of contract)
- Francisco Lindor, SS: $192MM through 2031 ($5MM deferred annually)
- Brandon Nimmo, OF: $101.25MM through 2030
- Sean Manaea, SP: $50MM through 2027 ($7.75MM deferred annually)
- Kodai Senga, SP: $42MM through 2027 (Mets receive $15MM club option for 2028 if Senga misses at least 130 consecutive days due to elbow injury/Tommy John surgery)
- Clay Holmes, SP: $25MM through 2027 (Holmes can opt out after 2026 season)
- Jeff McNeil, 2B/OF: $17.75MM through 2026 (includes $2M buyout of $15.75MM club option for 2027)
Option Decisions
- Edwin Diaz, RP: $18.5MM player options for 2026 and 2027 seasons (Diaz must decide on both options this offseason; if he remains, Mets hold $17.25MM club option for 2028 season with $1MM buyout)
- Pete Alonso, 1B: $24MM player option for 2026 (Alonso has already stated he is opting out)
- Frankie Montas, SP: $17MM player option for 2026
- A.J. Minter, RP: $11M player option for 2026
- Brooks Raley, RP: $4.75MM club option for 2026 ($750K buyout)
- Drew Smith, RP: $2MM club option for 2026
2026 financial commitments (assuming Diaz and Alonso opt out): $201.625MM
Total future commitments (assuming Diaz and Alonso opt out): $1,105,875,000
Arbitration-Eligible Players (service time in parentheses; projected salaries courtesy of MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz)
- Luis Torrens (5.105): $2.2MM
- Tyrone Taylor (5.093): $3.6MM
- David Peterson (5.089): $7.6MM
- Nick Madrigal (5.087): $1.35MM
- Tylor Megill (4.031): $2.6MM
- Max Kranick (3.011): $1MM
- Huascar Brazoban (2.170): $1.3MM
- Francisco Alvarez (2.164): $2.4MM
- Reed Garrett (2.143): $1.4MM
- Non-tender candidates: Madrigal, Kranick, Megill, Garrett
Free Agents
- Diaz (if he opts out), Alonso, Starling Marte, Ryan Helsley, Cedric Mullins, Gregory Soto, Tyler Rogers, Jesse Winker, Ryne Stanek, Griffin Canning
In almost a direct inverse of their magical 2024 season, the 2025 Mets looked like arguably baseball's best team over the first two and a half months before the bottom fell out. The club was 45-24 at the end of play on June 12, but Friday, June 13 ended up being the start of a Citi Field horror movie --- New York posted just a 38-55 record the rest of the way, leading to increased panic in Queens as it became apparent that the season was slipping away.
Several coaches are already on the way out, including pitching coach Jeremy Hefner and hitting coaches Eric Chavez and Jeremy Barnes. But, manager Carlos Mendoza is staying, and president of baseball operations David Stearns isn't being fired two seasons into his tenure after owner Steve Cohen pursued Stearns for years. Cohen has already issued a public apology for how the Mets' season ended, and it remains to be seen how the owner will react in the face of such a disappointing result.
If you're assuming the reaction will be "Cohen spends another fortune in free agency," that can't be ruled out. Last winter's record-breaking Juan Soto contract notwithstanding, Stearns' usual strategy in free agency is to aim for shorter-term and relatively less expensive deals on the open market. This approach simply didn't work in 2025, and during his wrap-up press conference earlier this week, Stearns took responsibility for not doing enough to reinforce his pitching staff either last winter or during the season when the rotation fell apart.
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Mariners Notes: Woo, ALDS Roster, Raleigh
No, Ichiro Suzuki isn’t coming out of retirement to be part of the Mariners’ playoff roster. The Hall-of-Famer played six innings in the outfield during a split-squad tune-up game yesterday at T-Mobile Park, adding some extra fun to the proceedings as the M’s got ready for the start of their ALDS matchup with either the Tigers or the Guardians on Saturday.
The final calls on the 26-man playoff roster won’t be announced until a few hours before Saturday’s game, and as Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times notes, some of the Mariners’ decisions will likely depend on whether they’re facing Detroit or Cleveland. Perhaps the biggest roster question revolves about Bryan Woo‘s status, but manager Dan Wilson said Woo is set to toss a bullpen session today.
“It seems like things are going according to plan,” Wilson told Divish and other reporters. “He’ll get off the mound on Thursday, and so getting a chance to hear how he comes back from that on Friday and whatnot….We’ll just a continue to take it day by day and assess. And I do believe that we’re in a good spot with that.”
The bullpen session will mark Woo’s first time throwing off a mound since September 19, when pectoral tightness forced him out of a start after five innings. The injury wasn’t severe enough to merit a placement on the 15-day injured list, though naturally the M’s are being as cautious as possible with a pitcher who has been Seattle’s most reliable starter in 2025.
No announcement has been made about the Mariners’ playoff rotation, as Wilson said those decisions will wait until they team knows their opponent and has more input on Woo’s availability. Assuming Woo is able to pitch, however, Divish doesn’t think the right-hander will work in either of Seattle’s first two games of the series. Based on mound work during Wednesday’s warm-ups, George Kirby and Logan Gilbert (in some order) could be the favorites to start Game 1 and Game 2.
The Mariners have long envisioned the idea of these two homegrown arms headlining a playoff series, ever since Kirby was drafted 20th overall in 2019 and Gilbert was the 14th overall pick of the 2018 draft. As MLB.com’s Jim Callis writes, team scout Rob Mummau played a big role in convincing the M’s to select Gilbert, whose stock had somewhat dropped after an ill-timed bout of mononucleosis during the spring before the draft.
The focus of Callis’ piece is on Mummau’s real find of the 2018 draft, as the scout’s glowing reports led the Mariners to take Cal Raleigh with their third-round pick (90th overall). Raleigh wasn’t a complete diamond in the rough, as the M’s had to pay Raleigh $221.3K over the slot value of the 90th overall pick to convince Raleigh to leave Florida State after his junior year. However, while Raleigh was coming off a big season at FSU, his draft stock had fallen due to an unimpressive sophomore year.
Mummau (who had some past ties to Raleigh’s family) knew that Raleigh had been dealing with a thumb injury that season. As a result, Mummau’s grades on Raleigh’s offensive and defensive tools were notably higher than other scouts, who projected Raleigh as a part-time starting catcher at best. It was enough for the Mariners to make the pick and the rest has become history, as Raleigh has exceeded all expectations to become a superstar on both sides of the ball.
Blue Jays Notes: Bichette, Bassitt, France, Berrios
Winning the AL East allowed the Blue Jays to bypass the wild card round, and get some needed time off before the ALDS begins on Saturday. The longer break created some hope that Bo Bichette (who hasn’t played since September 6 due to a left PCL sprain) could get healthy enough to be part of Toronto’s first postseason roster, yet at the moment it looks like the shortstop won’t be ready.
Jays manager John Schneider told The Athletic’s Mitch Bannon and other reporters that Bichette has yet to start running as part of his recovery process. Schneider and GM Ross Atkins were both, as Bannon put it, ” vague and cautiously optimistic” about Bichette’s availability, yet it is hard to imagine Bichette being included on the roster if he isn’t yet able to run. Such a lack of mobility would naturally rule out a return to shortstop duty, and even a DH-only or pinch-hitting role seems like a long shot. Despite the importance of Bichette’s bat to Toronto’s lineup, it hurts the Jays’ overall flexibility by devoting a roster spot to someone playing under what would seemingly be severe limitations.
Schneider said that a decision on Bichette’s status won’t be made until tomorrow, and the Blue Jays don’t have to officially announce their ALDS roster until Saturday morning. Some gamesmanship could be at play here just to not tip the Jays’ hand about Bichette to the Red Sox and Yankees’ advance scouts, but for now, the question might be if Bichette will even be available for the ALCS should the Jays advance.
Bichette’s bounce-back season was a huge part of the Blue Jays’ run to the division crown. After an injury-marred down year in 2024, Bichette rebounded to hit .311/.357/.483 with 18 home runs over 628 plate appearances this year, with a 134 wRC+ that ranked 20th among all qualified hitters in baseball. Getting Bichette back even in a bat-only capacity as a DH would be welcome news for the Jays, but all this uncertainty over one of their top players is a cloud hanging over the club’s postseason chances.
In a more positive injury update, Chris Bassitt is slated to pitch multiple innings during an intrasquad game today, which will be the final checkpoint towards the right-hander’s availability for the ALDS roster. Bassitt last pitched on September 18, and was then (retroactively) placed on the 15-day injured list the next day due to lower back inflammation. The timing has worked out well enough that the 15-day minimum will expire just prior to Game 1 of the ALDS, and Bassitt is expected to be part of Toronto’s pitching mix.
How the Jays’ pitching plans will shake out is anyone’s guess, beyond the expectation of Kevin Gausman and Shane Bieber acting in traditional starting roles. A healthy Bassitt might be viewed as a favorite for another rotation spot, and the Blue Jays are also weighing both ends of the experience spectrum in future Hall-of-Famer Max Scherzer and rookie Trey Yesavage.
One pitcher who won’t be involved in at least the ALDS roster is Jose Berrios, who went on the 15-day IL on September 25 due to inflammation in his throwing elbow. Initial scans didn’t indicate any structural damage, and Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith writes that this diagnosis was supported once Berrios got a second opinion. Since Berrios hasn’t started throwing, it is hard to project whether or not he could be available if the Blue Jays make it deeper into October. The Jays had already made the decision to move the longtime starter into a bullpen role a couple of weeks ago, and Berrios likely would’ve continued to work as a reliever during the postseason.
Atkins also had an update on first baseman Ty France, who is “feeling better” and “progressing at a level that he could be a factor for us” in the aftermath of an IL placement due to oblique inflammation. France last played on September 21 and is expected to try and face some live pitching soon, but it remains to be seen if this will come in time for France to be included on the ALDS roster. Acquired from the Twins at the trade deadline, France has hit .277/.320/.372 over 103 PA in a Jays uniform, and his right-handed bat could be a counter to Boston and New York’s left-handed pitchers.