October 7, 2025
Philadelphia Phillies right-hander
Aaron Nola will start Game 3 of the National League Division Series on Wednesday in Los Angeles against the Dodgers, according to manager Rob Thomson. Left-hander
Ranger Suarez is in line to pitch behind Nola out of the bullpen, according to Matt Gelb of The Athletic. Nola will be tasked with trying to keep Philly's season alive after they lost the first two games of the best-of-five series in Philadelphia. The 32-year-old veteran will have a short leash in the starting role in a game the Phillies must win. Although Nola's 2025 campaign was a nightmare overall -- he went 5-10 with a 6.01 ERA and 1.35 WHIP in just 17 starts -- he finished the regular season in much better form on the mound. In his lone start against the Dodgers back on April 5, Nola took the loss by allowing three earned runs in six innings with seven hits allowed (two homers), one walk, and only two strikeouts.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Matt Gelb
October 7, 2025
Seattle Mariners first baseman
Josh Naylor (personal) is starting at first base and hitting fifth on Tuesday for Game 3 of the American League Division Series at Comerica Park against right-hander
Jack Flaherty. It was unclear if Naylor would be available for Game 3 of the ALDS after he did not travel with the team to Detroit to stay behind while he and his wife were expecting the birth of their first child. The 28-year-old has rejoined the team and will start on Tuesday, though, after going hitless in eight at-bats with a walk and a strikeout in the first two games of the series. Naylor will be looking to get back on track offensively in Game 3, and he has three hits in 12 plate appearances with two walks and a strikeout in his career against Flaherty.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
October 6, 2025
Milwaukee Brewers outfielder
Jackson Chourio (hamstring) is starting in left field and leading off in Game 2 of the National League Division Series against the Chicago Cubs and left-hander
Shota Imanaga. Chourio left Game 1 due to hamstring tightness and underwent an MRI that produced inconclusive results. However, it appears the injury is not serious enough to keep Chourio from giving it a go. The 21-year-old slashed .270/.308/.463 with 21 home runs, 78 RBI, 88 runs scored, and 21 stolen bases across 589 plate appearances this season. He was three-for-three with three RBI and a run scored in Game 1 before leaving the game.
--Will BradySource: MLB.com
October 6, 2025
Chicago Cubs infielder/designated hitter
Justin Turner is leading off and playing first base in Game 2 of the National League Division Series against Milwaukee Brewers left-hander
Aaron Ashby. Turner replaces left-handed hitting
Michael Busch at first base, who homered in Game 1 but struggles against same-handed pitching. Turner slashed .276/.330/.429 with three home runs in 109 plate appearances against southpaws in the regular season. Busch will almost certainly replace Turner early in Game 2, as Ashby is expected to be used as an opener and will likely only pitch an inning or two at most.
--Will BradySource: MLB.com
October 6, 2025
Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman
Max Muncy will start Game 2 of the National League Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Monday on the bench with left-hander
Jesus Luzardo on the mound for the Phils. Veteran
Miguel Rojas will start at third base and will bat seventh versus Luzardo. Muncy really struggled against southpaws during the regular season, going 11-for-70 (.157) against them with only three of his 19 home runs against them and 22 strikeouts in 80 plate appearances. The 35-year-old veteran also did not start the Game 1 win over Philly on Saturday with a left-hander starting, but he did enter the game in the sixth inning and went hitless in two trips to the plate with a walk. In two wild-card games against the Cincinnati Reds, Muncy went 1-for-7 with two runs scored, two walks, and three strikeouts. In seven career at-bats versus Luzardo, Rojas has two hits and a strikeout.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
October 6, 2025
Los Angeles Dodgers catcher
Will Smith (hand) remains out of the starting lineup for Game 2 of the National League Division Series on Monday against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park as the Dodgers go for a commanding 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series.
Ben Rortvedt will make another start behind the plate and will catch left-hander
Blake Snell while hitting ninth against Phillies left-hander
Jesus Luzardo. Smith was not on the roster for the wild-card series against the Cincinnati Reds and has not started a game in almost a month due to a right-hand fracture. However, the 30-year-old All-Star is making progress and was able to pinch hit before staying in the game to play defense in the Game 1 win over the Phils on Saturday. Manager Dave Roberts said Smith is trending toward starting in Game 3 on Wednesday in L.A. One of the best-hitting catchers in baseball, the Dodgers' already potent lineup will get a big boost when Smith returns to his starting spot.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
October 6, 2025
Chicago Cubs rookie right-hander
Cade Horton (rib), who has been sidelined with a fractured right rib, is scheduled to throw off a mound this week at Wrigley Field, according to Patrick Mooney of The Athletic. It will help the Cubs determine whether Horton might be available if the Cubs advance past the division-rival Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Division Series to face either the Los Angeles Dodgers or Philadelphia Phillies in the NL Championship Series. Not having Horton for the NLDS and potentially beyond could really hurt Chicago, as the young hurler went 8-1 with a 1.03 ERA in 12 starts at the All-Star break. The 24-year-old was not on the roster for the wild-card series or for the NLDS after suffering a right-rib fracture in his final regular-season start on Sept. 23. The Cubs would probably have to make it to the World Series for Horton to have a shot at returning in 2025.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Patrick Mooney
October 6, 2025
Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar
Shohei Ohtani would start a potential Game 5 of the National League Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies if the series goes that long, according to manager Dave Roberts. Ohtani pitching in relief for the rest of this series is "not on our radar," Roberts added. Despite allowing three earned runs in his start in Game 1 on Saturday at Citizens Bank Park, Ohtani managed to pick up the win after the Dodgers made a comeback. The 31-year-old All-Star struck out nine hitters and walked only one in six innings of work in what was his first career postseason start as a pitcher. Ohtani can do it all on the baseball diamond, but he went hitless in four at-bats with four strikeouts at the plate in Game 1. If the NLDS against the Phillies is wrapped up before a deciding Game 5, Ohtani would be in play to start Game of the NL Championship Series against either the Milwaukee Brewers or Chicago Cubs.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Sonja Chen
October 6, 2025
Philadelphia Phillies outfielder
Harrison Bader (groin) is not in the starting lineup for Game 2 of the National League Division Series on Monday against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers at Citizens Bank Park. Left-groin tightness was the reason Bader was pulled from the Game 1 loss to L.A. on Saturday. The 31-year-old veteran will not start on Monday, but he could be available to pinch hit at some point, which means he's likely day-to-day and could be back in the starting lineup for Game 3 back in Los Angeles. With Bader sidelined,
Otto Kemp will make the start in left field and will hit ninth in the batting order against Dodgers left-hander
Blake Snell. Kemp hit just .234 (46-for-197) on the season with eight homers. He hit .231 (15-for-65) with four of his eight long balls in 74 plate appearances against lefties in 2025. Kemp won't be a popular DFS play on Monday out of the nine-hole.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
October 5, 2025
Milwaukee Brewers outfielder
Jackson Chourio (hamstring) underwent an MRI after making an early exit during Saturday's Game 1 of the NLDS versus the Chicago Cubs. Chourio was pulled out after suffering hamstring tightness while running out a ball in the second inning. He underwent an MRI over the weekend, but the results were inconclusive. That's not something Brewers fans want to hear heading into Game 2 on Monday. It's unclear at the moment if Chourio is going to be available for Monday's contest. The absence of Chourio could mean
Blake Perkins takes over center field while
Christian Yelich moves into left field. There should be another update on his status at some point on Monday.
--Andy WebbSource: Sophia Minnaert
October 5, 2025
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher
Tyler Glasnow is currently in line to start Game 4 of the NLDS against the Philadelphia Phillies. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirmed Glasnow will start this game, assuming it's needed. It's worth noting that Glasnow threw 34 pitches in relief of
Shohei Ohtani during Saturday's win. That is a fairly small workload for a starting pitcher and he'll get until Thursday to rest. Glasnow should be fully rested and ready to go for a Game 4. It's unclear if he'll make a full length start, but that'll likely be dependent on how this series plays out.
--Andy WebbSource: Bob Nightengale
October 5, 2025
Seattle Mariners starting pitcher
Logan Gilbert will take the mound for Tuesday's Game 3 of the ALDS versus the Detroit Tigers. The Mariners dropped the opener and will play Game 2 of the series Sunday night. Another loss for Seattle would make Tuesday a win or go home contest. Gilbert finished the regular season on a strong note. The right-hander allowed two earned runs or less in all of his starts in September. Gilbert posted a 3.44 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and a 173/31 K/BB ratio across 25 starts. He should offer viable DFS value for Tuesday's slate.
--Andy WebbSource: mlb.com
October 5, 2025
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher
Blake Snell has been named the starting pitcher for Monday's Game 2 of the NLDS against the Philadelphia Phillies. Snell tossed seven innings, allowing two runs while striking out nine batters during the Wild-Card round on Tuesday. The assumption is that
Clayton Kershaw will follow Snell out of the bullpen. That being said, the Dodgers might not push Snell to seven innings this time around. This will be a tougher challenge for Snell against a strong Phillies lineup. Snell racked up double digit strikeouts in two of his final three regular season starts. That being said, his high strikeout upside makes him an appealing option for DFS contests.
--Andy WebbSource: mlb.com
October 5, 2025
Milwaukee Brewers left-handed reliever
Aaron Ashby will open Game 2 of the NLDS against the Chicago Cubs on Monday, manager Pat Murphy announced. Ashby logged a stingy 2.16 ERA with a 1.17 WHIP, 76 strikeouts, and 24 walks over 43 appearances and 66 2/3 innings during the regular season. The 27-year-old didn't go past the 52-pitch mark in any of those outings, though, meaning he probably won't be in for long on Monday as the Brewers attempt to take a 2-0 lead in the series. Ashby tossed 1 1/3 perfect innings and 16 pitches in the Brewers' 9-3 win in Game 1 on Saturday.
--Connor ByrneSource: Sophia Minnaert
October 5, 2025
Chicago Cubs left-hander
Shota Imanaga will start Game 2 of the NLDS against the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday, manager Craig Counsell announced. After falling 9-3 in Game 1 on Saturday, the Cubs will turn to Imanaga as they try to even up the series against their division rivals. Imanaga made 25 starts during the regular season and finished 9-8 with a 3.73 ERA, a .99 WHIP, and 117:26 K:BB in 144 2/3 innings. He and the Brewers are plenty familiar with one another, having faced off three times during the season. The Cubs lost two of those meetings, but Imanaga pitched to a solid 3.66 ERA with 12 hits allowed, 17 strikeouts, and three walks over 17 2/3 frames.
--Connor ByrneSource: Maddie Lee - Chicago Sun-Times
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