Orioles OF Adam Jones: I need to temper aggressive approach
by Marty Gitlin | CBSSports.com

(4:46 pm ET) Orioles slugger Adam Jones has conceded that he must temper his aggressiveness at the plate in the postseason.

Jones is just 5 of 42 in the playoffs for a meager .119 average.

“I just think that what I do in the regular season, I think I need to cut back a little bit more in the postseason,” he told CSNBaltimore.com. “I think it intensifies when the postseason comes on, the strike zone is smaller. Every pitch is that more of importance. And you’ve got to lock in better. It’s the same game; it’s just the focus has to be stronger.”

One problem is that the studs in the Kansas City bullpen don’t allow home runs. Jones was 6 for 27 against Wade Davis and Kelvin Herrera combined in the regular season. Neither yielded a tater all year.

Wei-Yin Chen, Miguel Gonzalez set to pitch for Orioles in KC
by Marty Gitlin | CBSSports.com

(4:19 pm ET) As expected, Buck Showalter has tabbed left-hander Wei-Yin Chen to start Game 3 of the American League Championship Series for the Orioles in Kansas City on Monday. Righty Miguel Gonzalez is set to pitch the following day.

Chen had been in consideration to pitch Game 2 on Saturday, but the nod went to Bud Norris. Gonzalez finished the regular season strong with just 10 runs allowed in his last 51 1/3 innings pitched.

Yost: Jeremy Guthrie tabbed to start Game 3
by Marty Gitlin | CBSSports.com

(3:17 pm ET) Ned Yost has named Royals right-hander Jeremy Guthrie the Game 3 starter in the American League Championship Series. He will pitch the first home game in Kansas City against Baltimore, his former team.

Yost added that lefty Jason Vargas would “probably” start Game 4.

Guthrie has yet to pitch in this postseason. But he was on a roll entering it with a 2.40 ERA in September. He tossed seven shutout innings against the White Sox in his last start to raise his record to 13-11 and lower his ERA to 4.13.

Yost expressed no concern about pitching Guthrie after such a long layoff. “He threw really good during a (simulated) game, and I mean command and action on his pitches,” Yost told MASNSports.com. “He had a tremendous side (session Friday). He’s ready to go.”

Report: Mechanics cost Royals P Danny Duffy playoff starts
by Marty Gitlin | CBSSports.com

(2:14 pm ET) A mechanical breakdown that prevented Royals left-hander Danny Duffy from throwing strikes out of the windup motivated Ned Yost to keep him in the bullpen for the playoffs, according to the Kansas City Star.

Duffy struggled at times in August and September. He was particularly ineffective in his last start of the regular season, giving up four runs on five hits in just two innings against the White Sox.

Giants LF Michael Morse back on roster for NLCS
by Marty Gitlin | CBSSports.com

(12:43 pm ET) Left fielder Michael Morse has recovered well enough from an oblique injury that had sidelined him since Sept. 19 to earn a roster spot for the National League Championship Series. The Giants open that set against St. Louis on Saturday night.

Outfielder Gary Brown has lost his place as a result.

Morse boasted a .279/.336/.475 stat line in the regular season with 16 home runs and 61 RBI in 438 at-bats.

Caleb Joseph in, Nick Hundley out of Orioles lineup Saturday
by Marty Gitlin | CBSSports.com

(12:36 pm ET) The Orioles have made one minor change to their lineup for Game 2 of the American League Championship Series against visiting Kansas City. Caleb Joseph is set to start at catcher in place of Nick Hundley.

Hundley managed one single in four at-bats in the opener.

Ian Stewart refuses minor league assignment from Angels
by Marty Gitlin | CBSSports.com

(10:57 am ET) Veteran third baseman Ian Stewart has declined an assignment to Triple-A Salt Lake City and will leave the Angels to test free agency.

Stewart struggled to make contact in 2014, fanning 31 times in just 68 at-bats. He compiled a stat line of .176/.222/.382.

OF Nolan Reimold set to become free agent
by Marty Gitlin | CBSSports.com

(10:53 am ET) Veteran outfielder Nolan Reimold has elected to test free agency rather than accept a minor league assignment for the Diamondbacks.

Reimold, who also played for Toronto this season, managed a respectable .232/.282/.425 stat line with three homers and 13 RBI.

Astros 1B Jesus Guzman elects to become free agent
by Marty Gitlin | CBSSports.com

(10:49 am ET) Astros first baseman Jesus Guzman has opted for free agency rather than accept an assignment to Triple-A Fresno.

Guzman struggled mightily with Houston this season, compiling a .182/.272/.248 stat line with just two home runs and 52 strikeouts in 165 at-bats.

Cardinals SP Adam Wainwright: I have no doubts about elbow
by Marty Gitlin | CBSSports.com

(10:42 am ET) Cardinals right-hander Adam Wainwright, who is set to start the National League Championship Series opener Saturday night against San Francisco, has dismissed concerns about his right elbow.

Wainwright skipped a start in June with a sore elbow. He also dealt with what was described as a “dead arm” period in August. He was clobbered for six runs on 11 hits in 4 1/3 innings in his lone NL Division Series outing. That matched his shortest stint of the season. He even admitted elbow discomfort in that performance, but he has expressed no worries.

“I can be very honest about this because I’ve been through it,” he told MLB.com. “When I took a game off [in June], I aggravated my elbow, and it’s the backside of my elbow. So the elbow-fearing world can know it’s not my ligament. … And after that, it goes on the mend and gets better and better progressively.

“The other day, I aggravated that same spot on the backside of my elbow, and now I’m on the mend, and I can feel something. I’m very confident about it because I felt that before, the same exact thing. I was able to recover very well from it. I have no doubts going into [Game 1].”