Boston Red Sox left-hander Payton Tolle will get the nod as the Game 1 starter for the Red Sox on Tuesday for the start of the Wild-Card Series in the Bronx against the division-rival New York Yankees, according to Sean McAdam of MassLive.com. Tolle has been a tough assignment for the Yankees, who have a lefty-heavy lineup, so he will get the nod for Game 1 of the series over veteran right-hander Sonny Gray. In his two starts against the Yankees this year, Tolle dominated New York, going 1-0 with only one earned run allowed on four hits (one homer) while walking three and striking out 18 in 13 innings pitched. The 23-year-old former second-rounder from TCU in 2024 went 9-6 with a 3.03 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 171:40 K:BB in 148 2/3 innings pitched across his 26 starts for the BoSox this year in his first full season in the big leagues. Tolle heads into the postseason after a strong month of September in three starts against the Baltimore Orioles, Kansas City Royals, and Cleveland Guardians, posting a 1.53 ERA (1.23 FIP) with only three walks and 24 strikeouts in 17 2/3 innings pitched.

Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Jesus Luzardo, who has not started a game in three weeks after being placed on the 15-day injured list with inflammation in his left shoulder, will serve as an opener for the Phillies in Game 1 of the Wild-Card Series on Tuesday against the division-rival Atlanta Braves, according to MLB.com's Todd Zolecki. Right-hander Andrew Painter will be in the bullpen for the Phillies for the series. The Phillies activated Luzardo from the IL on Sunday, and he threw a perfect inning against the Tampa Bay Rays, so they feel comfortable having him pitch on back-to-back days in what will be an abbreviated outing. Philadelphia hopes Luzardo can set the tone in the series in Atlanta after he was excellent for them during the regular season, going 14-5 with a 2.86 ERA (2.78 FIP) and 1.07 WHIP with a career-high 221 strikeouts and 52 walks in 179 2/3 innings across his 30 outings (29 starts). Luzardo only faced the Braves once in 2026 on Sept. 7, and he dazzled with a nine-inning, complete-game shutout that saw him strike out 12 and walk just one for his 14th win of the season.

Philadelphia Phillies infielder Luis Arraez (ankle) will not be on the team's playoff roster for the Wild-Card Series this week against the division-rival Atlanta Braves, according to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com. Otto Kemp will take Arraez's spot on the roster for the three-game series in Atlanta at Truist Park. Arraez has not resumed baseball activities since spraining his left ankle in a game last Thursday. If the Phillies advance to the National League Division Series to face the Los Angeles Dodgers, it is unclear if Arraez would be ready to go. Not having the three-time batting champion available against the Braves is a significant blow to a Phillies lineup that limped to the finish line to barely claim the final Wild-Card spot in the NL. Arraez made his fourth All-Star team in 2026 and also successfully moved back to second base with the San Francisco Giants and Phillies. He finished the regular season with a .310 batting average (185-for-596) with six home runs, 64 RBI, 67 runs scored, and 10 stolen bases across 151 games and 655 plate appearances. Bryson Stott will likely start at second base for the Phillies against Atlanta, with Edmundo Sosa being the top candidate to start at the hot corner.

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said on Monday that superstar outfielder Aaron Judge (calf) is "making progress" and will be part of live batting practice on Monday, according to Brendan Kuty of The Athletic. The Yankees have been non-committal on whether Judge will be available for the Wild-Card Series this week against the division-rival Boston Red Sox, but Judge hit and threw on Sunday and appears to be trying to convince the team that he will be ready for the three-game series at Yankee Stadium. After missing most of the 2026 season with a stress fracture in his rib, the three-time MVP suffered a moderate right-calf strain less than two weeks ago, which sent him back to the IL. If healthy for the Wild-Card Series, Judge would be a major boost for the Yankees' lineup in the postseason. The 34-year-old eight-time All-Star played in just 66 regular-season games in 2026 and hit .241/.360/.511 with 18 home runs, 41 RBI, and five steals after back-to-back 50-homer seasons in 2024 and 2025. The Yankees will announce their roster for the Wild-Card Series on Tuesday before Game 1, so we will know then whether Judge is included.