The Houston Astros left three-time Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander off the roster for their AL Wild Card Series against Detroit but did include injured slugger Yordan Alvarez.
Verlander struggled in his return after missing almost two months with a neck injury this summer. The 41-year-old right-hander went 2-2 with a 9.26 ERA in five starts in September.
Astros manager Joe Espada said Verlander was professional when told of the decision and said he could be on the roster for future rounds if the team advances. Verlander last pitched Saturday, allowing three runs in six innings against Cleveland.
“JV understands how well some of our starters have performed, some of our young guys and … he threw the ball really well against Cleveland,” Espada said. “So I don’t want us to just disregard JV for the rest of the postseason.”
Alvarez missed the end of the regular season with a right knee sprain and hasn't played since Sept. 22. The 27-year-old, in Tuesday's lineup as the designated hitter, is a career .295 hitter with 12 homers and a .949 OPS in 58 postseason games.
Outfielder Chas McCormick was also included on Houston’s roster after being out since sustaining a small fracture in his right hand on Sept. 10.
Chris Sale left off Braves roster
As expected, Atlanta won't have NL Cy Young Award contender Chris Sale for its NL Wild Card Series at San Diego. The left-hander was scratched from the late game in Monday's doubleheader against the Mets with back spasms, and the Braves said he wouldn't be available until at least the Division Series.
The Braves also left off starters Spencer Schwellenbach and Grant Holmes after they pitched Monday. Starters AJ Smith-Shawver and Bryce Elder were included.
Pasquantino available to hit for Royals
Kansas City's Vinnie Pasquantino was on the roster for the AL Wild Card Series at Baltimore, returning from the injured list after breaking his right thumb on Aug. 29.
Manager Matt Quatraro said Monday that Pasquantino will not be able to play first base but is available to hit against the Orioles in the best-of-three series. Pasquantino batted .262 with 19 homers and 97 RBIs this season.
Baltimore’s roster includes little-used right-handed reliever Colin Selby — he appeared in three games with the Orioles this season and two with the Royals — instead of righty Matt Bowman. Starting pitcher Albert Suárez is not on the roster.
“We just felt Selby in the couple games he’s thrown for us, shown really, really good stuff and just from a matchup standpoint, wanted that extra right-hander in the bullpen,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. “He’s got 97-mile-an-hour fastball, really good slider.”
Frelick in for Brewers after wall collision
Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Sal Frelick is on the team’s NL Wild Card Series roster after crashing into a wall Friday and bruising his hip.
Frelick had been walking with a crutch Saturday, one day after he banged into the right field sidewall while trying to make a leaping catch on a foul ball. Yet he apparently recovered in time to contribute to the Wild Card Series beginning Tuesday against the New York Mets.
Frelick had vowed Monday he’d be “ready to go.”
When he hit the wall, Frelick's left side made contact with the metal chain link inside a window in that wall with no protective padding.
Along with the traditional bunting adorning the concourses and logos painted onto American Family Field for the postseason, the Brewers have installed new padding to the section of wall that Frelick hit.
Milwaukee’s Wild Card Series roster doesn’t include left-handers Bryan Hudson or Hoby Milner. Hudson went 6-1 with a 1.73 ERA in 43 relief appearances this season but got sent to the minors in early September. Milner was 5-1 with a 4.73 ERA in 61 appearances.
“The Mets are a great offensive lineup, but they don’t feature as many left-handed pockets for us,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “So we went with a different set of guys that are more right-handed favorable. We still have our share of lefties for certain moments. So that's what went into the thinking. If we were playing a different team like the Diamondbacks, for instance, I'm confident that Milner and Hudson would have been on.”
Mets reach into farm system for pitching depth
Right-hander Tylor Megill was left off the New York Mets’ roster for their series at Milwaukee after throwing 100 pitches in his start Monday. The Mets did include right-hander Max Kranick, who strained his left hamstring in spring training, was removed from the 40-man roster on May 6 and has not pitched in the major leagues since 2022 with Pittsburgh.
Kranick was 2-2 with a 3.82 ERA in 45 minor league appearances this season.
“He was dealing with injuries at the beginning of the year, and then we put him in the bullpen and the velo went up,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said of Kranick. “The reports we were getting is how well he was throwing the baseball. We had a decision. We had a three-game set. Miguel wasn’t going to be available, so we needed that length out of the bullpen — a guy who can give multiple who’s available and also has some quality pitches. You’ve got to give him credit.”
Right-hander Kenta Maeda was left off Detroit's roster after throwing 89 pitches Sunday.
“His contribution for this first series came in a bunch of pitches that we left him out there for on Sunday to allow us to give rest to the bigger group of relievers that we have,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said.
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Credit: AP