ARLINGTON, TEXAS - AUGUST 31: Jacob Degrom #48 of the Texas Rangers throws a pitch during the third inning against the Athletics at Globe Life Field on August 31, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images
MLB.com defines a “no-trade clause” as “a contractual clause that allows players to veto trades to certain teams. No-trade clauses are often worked into contract extensions and free-agent contracts as a perk for the players signing such deals.”
Such a contractual element gives a player considerable control over their future.
Entering Saturday’s Subway Series matchup, Mets right fielder Carson Benge had gone 18 games since his last home run and was stuck in the middle of a quiet slump – so quiet, it was hard to notice because of what else the rookie does on the field.
From his sensational diving catches seemingly every other night to throwing runners out on the bases or keeping them from advancing because of his cannon of an arm, Benge’s impact on a game extends beyond his production at the plate.
Nevertheless, the rookie snapped his homerless streak in the third inning against Yankees ace Gerrit Cole on a 1-0 slider that went high in the air with a launch angle of 43 degrees before landing 368 feet away in the bleachers in right-center field.
The home run was the Mets’ third off Cole, extended their lead to 4-0, and gave Benge 17 on the season. He finished 2-for-5 with two RBI.
“We put together some good at-bats early and just kept chipping away and eventually got [Cole] out [of the game], so overall I think we did a really good job at our plan today,” Benge said.
But the 23-year-old wasn’t done there.
In the bottom of the eighth, Aaron Judge lined one towards the gap in right-center field, but the outfielder sprinted across the field, laid out and made a beautiful catch as he’s done so often before during his rookie campaign.
“It’s fun watching guys play the game all out and leaving it all out there all the time,” said interim manager Andy Green. “The diving catches are turning into something that you now expect, which tells you something about the type of defender he is.
“When it goes in the gap and you see him running, you’re like ‘he’s gonna lay out and catch this,’ he just does it again and again and again.”
Benge’s catches, while amazing, have become so commonplace now that, much like their skipper, Juan Soto expects him to make it every single time and doled out high praise for the youngster.
“He doesn’t impress me anymore, I think he’s a superstar,” Soto said. “He’s doing things that superstars do every day. I mean, every day he’ll always find a way to make us smile with the swing, with the running, with the throws. It’s just incredible.”
It’s true, while he was picked off and caught trying to steal second base on Saturday, Benge has 22 stolen bases on the season to go along with the ridiculous catches and composure at the plate. He also has 10 outfield assists in right field, the most among all rookies, and is putting together one of the most complete all-around seasons as a rookie.
But if you ask Benge what he likes more: hitting a home run or making a great catch, he said going yard is “definitely way better,” perhaps signifying that his amazing grabs are becoming standard for him, too.
When told about Soto dropping “superstar” when describing him, Benge was appreciative, but composed.
“It’s pretty cool,” he said. “It’s pretty special to be able to catch someone’s eye like that, so that’s really cool and I’ll just keep on doing my thing and working hard every day.”
Zuffa/Paramount paused for a commercial break with Garcia and Benn in the ring before the fighter announcements. Which is a choice! Anyway, the waiting is over. The final instructions have been given by referee Tom Taylor, the seconds are out and we’ll pick it up with round-by-round coverage from here!
And here comes Ryan Garcia! The champion makes his way through the bowels of T-Mobile Arena and on to the floor as Vicente Fernández’s El Rey plays over the sound system, an obvious hit with a febrile crowd on Mexican Independence Day weekend.
ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 12: Ronald Acuna, Jr. (13) of the Atlanta Braves with an infield single in the first inning of the Saturday evening MLB game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves on September 12, 2026 at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
After an epic 11-inning win Friday night against the Phillies, the Braves were hoping to finish them off in the division race. They got a bit of a boost from the Phillies scratching Jesus Luzardo with long-running shoulder soreness.
Tyler Mahle cruised through the first two hitters before Bryce Harper hit a monster homer and took a comical amount of time rounding the bases, clearly hitting back at the controversy from Zach Wheeler’s comments about Ronald Acuna’s home run celebrations last week. The Phillies had to be feeling good with a 1-0 lead for a couple innings there, until the Braves essentially ended the game with 8 runs in the fourth inning. Ronald Acuna kicked things off with a towering homer (and a normal home run trot).
The Braves then got a walk, single, single, single, error, wild pitch, walk, double, and single to score another 7 runs. Drake Baldwin provided the double before things got all the way back around to Acuna for the last single, bringing home the last run of the inning.
Mahle continued to cruise after that Harper homer, finishing 7.0 innings of 1-run ball with no walks, even though he only had 7 whiffs and 3 strikeouts. The Braves added another run on in the sixth with a Ronald ABS strikeout-turned-walk, an error on an Olson ground ball, and an Ozzie sac fly. The Phillies got one back with a solo homer from Crawford in the eighth against Brent Suter. The Braves got another 3 runs against the position-player pitcher for Philly in the eighth, as Kiersey singled, Albies doubled, and Harris hit a homer off the right field foul pole. Suter finished off the Phillies in the ninth, as the Braves only needed to throw Mahle and Suter on the night. The Phillies’ bullpen is in rough shape on the other side, after the 11-inning game Friday and the blowout bullpen game they suffered today.
Join us for hopefully the last time we see the Phillies this season tomorrow at 1:35 PM ET.
That may have been the worst Pakistan side in 50 years, but after trouncing them 3-0, England believe they have taken a big step towards winning back the Ashes next year.
New York Knicks guard Tyler Kolek drives to the basket during Game 1 of the NBA Playoffs Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday, May 4, 2026, at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks defeated the 76ers 137-98.
Tyler Kolek isn’t making any predictions or declarations about cracking a crowded championship backcourt. As he said Saturday, the goal is just “every day be consistent.”
But the third-year Knicks guard also understands he needs to be more aggressive when given the opportunity.
“Early on in the season, I was finishing at a high level. And then later on in the year, I was getting in there, maybe I was looking a little too passive,” Kolek said Saturday. “So just looking for my shot, being more aggressive in the paint, and then that opens everything else up. Having the defense collapse, and then finding sprays for our guys.”
Kolek enjoyed success and acclaim during a brief foray in the Knicks rotation last season, when injuries to Miles McBride and Landry Shamet left him as Jalen Brunson’s first backup.
Kolek shined in December — including during the NBA Cup championship run — and quickly evolved into a fan favorite.
But the 25-year-old also was out of the rotation after Jose Alvarado’s arrival at the February trade deadline.
With Alvarado, Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Shamet, McBride and Jordan Clarkson all returning, Kolek faces another uphill battle for consistent playing time.
But injuries or trades happen every season, and Kolek will have a chance to impress in the preseason starting Oct. 5 in Philadelphia. He also has the ideal archetypal teammate to study as an undersized point guard.
New York Knicks guard Tyler Kolek drives to the basket during Game 1 of the NBA Playoffs Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Philadelphia 76ers on May 4, 2026, at Madison Square Garden. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“Obviously, Jalen is amazing in the midrange, amazing with floaters, finishing at the rim,” Kolek said. “So taking that aspect of the game as a smaller guard — I need to be really efficient in the paint and around the rim. And that’ll open everything else for us.”
In the meantime, Kolek is enjoying the waning days of a championship offseason. In and around New York City, the players still are being treated like kings. Proof of Kolek’s popularity was displayed Saturday at a FlexWork Sports camp at the House of Sports in Ardsley, N.Y., where youngsters mobbed the point guard on the court.
Kolek, like his teammates, warned against turning the adulation into complacency, which might be more difficult on ring night for the Oct. 20 regular-season opener.
“The first game will feel like a great celebration. But internally we got to block out what the fans are thinking and everything that the media is going to say,” Kolek said. “Even though we may not be picked to be the favorites, New York fans are still going to say we’re the champs and we should run it back, we should win again. But we got to stay locked in. … At this stage, though, we shouldn’t have to be motivated. We’re champions. We know what it looks like. And we’re not just satisfied with one.”
New York Knicks guard Tyler Kolek puts up a three-point shot in the first half at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York on Feb. 4, 2026. JASON SZENES/ NY POST
Plus, the Eastern Conference got tougher with expected improvement from Philadelphia, Miami, Indiana, Orlando and Toronto — not to mention the potential contenders in Detroit, Boston and Cleveland.
“It happens every year in the NBA. The Thunder won the year before; everybody loads up to try to beat the Thunder. We win, [and the same thing happens],” Kolek said. “It happens every single year. It’s a copycat league. Teams are trying to beat the best and compete with the best. So they do what they can.”
Utah's prospects made a statement in San Jose on Saturday, shutting out the Vegas Golden Knights 3-0 in the opening game of the 2026 Rookie Faceoff at Tech CU Arena and Sharks Ice.
The tournament, which runs September 12-15, brings together young talent from six Western Conference organizations — the Mammoth, Golden Knights, Ducks, Avalanche, Kings, and Sharks — giving each team's next wave of prospects a chance to compete outside their own development camps before main training camp begins.
Utah's power play did all the damage Saturday, and Vegas never found an answer.
The trouble started early for the Golden Knights, who ran into penalty trouble in the opening period. The costliest was a double-minor when defenseman Max Psenicka was nailed with a high-stick, an incident that unfortunately ended his night. Utah made them pay for it — and then some, finishing a perfect 3-for-3 on the man advantage.
Miko Matikka got things started, crashing the net to bang home a juicy rebound. Then, still working the same four-minute power play, Daniil But made it 2-0 with a highlight-reel effort — muscling his way through traffic and slipping a slick move past goaltender Pavel Moysevich.
Utah wasn't done. Later in the period, Artem Duda blew into the offensive zone and ripped a wrist shot from distance that beat Moysevich to complete the trifecta.
From there, the game settled down into an even-strength display of both offensive and defensive prowess.
By the final horn, it wasn't particularly close in terms of who controlled the game. The scoreboard read 3-0, but the story was really about a Mammoth group that took advantage of every opportunity handed to them and never let Vegas dictate the pace.
ALLENTOWN, Pa. — It sure looked like Alex Bump wanted to make a point Saturday night.
That this training camp will be different than his last one.
With the Flyers’ front office and coaching staff watching from upstairs at PPL Center, Bump absolutely made a point. The 22-year-old winger dazzled as the Flyers beat the Rangers, 3-2, in the first of two rookie games this weekend at the home of AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley.
Bump buried a goal and set another one up with an excellent pass. At this time last year, Bump went scoreless in both rookie games. He then didn’t make it to final cuts during main training camp.
Was he trying to make a point Saturday night?
“For sure,” Bump said. “It’s kind of getting to the time where you’ve got to make an impression. Obviously we’ve talked about last year. New year, see how it goes.”
This was a great start. And it came after a strong finish to last season. Bump joined the Flyers following the March trade deadline and opened eyes all the way through the playoffs.
“He got his taste last year, he was up and he got to stay up,” Phantoms head coach John Snowden said. “He got to play important, meaningful games at the end of the year and in the playoffs. He wants to stay there. That’s the kind of game that we’re going to expect from him — is that offensive upside, holding onto pucks and creating offense.”
Cole Knuble and Matthew Gard scored the Flyers’ other goals. Carson Bjarnason picked up the win in net.
Flyers’ prospects take first rookie game from Rangers, 3-2.
Noah Powell got into it with a Ranger after the buzzer. Ty Murchison then dropped the gloves (not in video). pic.twitter.com/ga7o59mgjb
• The Flyers’ top line of Bump, Knuble and Jett Luchanko was productive.
In the second period, Bump sent a pass through the Rangers’ defense as Knuble cut backdoor to give the Flyers a 2-1 lead.
“That was a hell of a pass,” Snowden, who runs rookie camp, said. “And Knuble’s finish on that one, that’s a hard pass, on your backhand, coming downhill, to be able to put that in the net is impressive.”
Knuble has been a riser in the Flyers’ system. The 2023 fourth-rounder has positional versatility and there’s chemistry with Bump.
“He’s a great player,” Bump said. “Heavy on the puck, can make plays, as well. And he can finish, too.”
Knuble, the son of former Flyer Mike Knuble, is heading into his first full season at the pro level. It wouldn’t be all that surprising if he plays well with Lehigh Valley and starts knocking on the Flyers’ door.
“Since the day I was drafted, I wanted to be a part of this organization,” Knuble said. “I grew up loving this team, so it’s a dream come true. Every practice, every game, every offseason, that was the goal, to get one step closer to this. Now I kind of took the next step turning pro. It’s real exciting.”
Bump cushioned the Flyers’ lead to 3-1 in the third period when Luchanko found him on the wing. Luchanko started the sequence by using his speed to enter the offensive zone.
“I love playing with him, with his speed, carrying the puck up the middle, I like to do that, too,” Knuble said. “I think we complement each other well. You saw his play to Bumper there. Other little plays, he’s good in the corner, he makes smart, little passes. I think we’ve got some chemistry and I’m looking forward to playing with him.”
Alex Bump with a good defensive play and then nearly adds his second goal. Has looked like the best player on the ice.
The 6-foot-7 defenseman constantly eyed hits and utilized his mobility. In the second period, he thwarted a potential scoring chance by tracking down a Ranger.
“There’s a lot to like about him and his size and what he can turn into,” Snowden said.
Sokolovskii was in the penalty box for both of the Rangers’ goals. With time and development, he’ll have to learn when to pick his spots for hits.
“He’s a big man, he skates really well for his size,” Snowden said. “I think he showed that he is not afraid to be a physical player. A couple of those penalties, he took licks. That’s the type of game that he’s going to have to play.”
Maksim Sokolovskii can cover some ground, which you see here. Later in the clip, it’s evident guys have to be aware of him because he’s constantly looking for a hit. pic.twitter.com/bKAi1eBiee
• Bjarnason, the Flyers’ 2023 second-rounder, stopped 27 of 29 shots.
“I’ve worked on a lot of things this summer,” Bjarnason said. “I just wanted to kind of emulate what I did all summer and show the work I put in.”
He laid out for a save toward the end of the first period when the Flyers were on the penalty kill in a 1-1 game. He also made a sharp glove stop in the third period to bail out Luchanko, who made an uncharacteristic turnover.
Last season was Bjarnason’s first at the pro level. He posted a 3.43 goals-against average and an .877 save percentage in 32 appearances with the Phantoms. The 21-year-old had a strong start but sputtered down the stretch. It’s worth noting that minor-league rosters can really change later in the season, which can make life tougher on a goaltender.
But this season is a big one for Bjarnason to show improvement.
“Every player thinks about how their last season went and the things that they can grow upon,” Snowden said. “I thought tonight he looked big in the net, he looked composed in the net, didn’t really get scrambled at times. He tracked the puck the way he needed to track the puck. If he couldn’t see through traffic at times, he just stayed big and pucks hit him. Overall, I thought it was a good step in the right direction for him as we start to push into training camp.”
Carson Bjarnason with a nice save here on the Flyers’ penalty kill to keep it a 1-1 game.
• Porter Martone, Denver Barkey and Oliver Bonk were among the healthy scratches.
The Flyers likely didn’t feel the need to play their top prospects in both games. According to a source, Martone, Barkey and Bonk are expected to play Sunday (5:05 p.m. ET). Any kind of game action is valuable when you consider the preseason is only four games and the regular season has an early start.
“It is a shortened preseason this year,” Martone said Friday. “I’ve never done an NHL training camp. Just trying to get those reps, so when the regular season does start and hopefully I do crack the lineup, I’m ready to go and I’m ready to be successful.”
Flyers’ lineup for first rookie game. Porter Martone, Denver Barkey and Oliver Bonk among those not playing. pic.twitter.com/Ca4txRaCTu
Sep 11, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Seattle Mariners second baseman Cole Young (2) tags out Athletics left fielder Carlos Cortes (26) on a steal attempt during the sixth inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Mariners are currently six games out of the AL West, six games out of the last Wild Card spot, and nine games from elimination. While it’s technically possible the Mariners squeeze into the playoffs if they go on a crazy run over the next 13 games, given how this team has played all year, I’m finding that increasingly unlikely. For now, let’s focus on what’s in front of them; perhaps the Mariners can get out of Sacramento with a series victory and some pride rather than dropping another winnable series at a crucial time in the season. Bryan Woo takes the hill for his 28th start of the season. Last time out, Woo went eight innings, giving up just one hit and two walks, with nine strikeouts. Woo’s dominance at home has become a calling card of sorts for him as he has continued to struggle on the road at times. However, in his last three road starts, Woo has logged two quality starts, kept opponents under two runs, and logged five-plus strikeouts in each start. Since the start of August, Woo’s road ERA ranks 6th best in MLB, while his road WHIP, .86, ranks 11th.
Additionally, since 2023, Woo has a 1.95 ERA against the Athletics. Originally hailing from Oakland, CA, Woo may have taken it personally when the team chose to force a move away. All this is to say the Mariners are really set up for a victory here tonight; a win here would be a great start for the push to the playoffs, especially with a couple of road series against the Rockies and the Angels before their final home stands of the season against the Astros and the Angels again. If things break their way, and with a pretty weak schedule remaining, the Mariners could slip into the playoffs at the last minute.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - SEPTEMBER 12: Joey Cantillo #54 of the Cleveland Guardians pitches during the game between the Cleveland Guardians and the Minnesota Twins at Target Field on Saturday, September 12, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Matt Krohn/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Guardians had a plan to use Daniel Espino as an opener and follow it up with Joey Cantillo. They got two good innings out of Daniel Espino, and instead of going to Cantillo, they decided to go to Aleman, which wound up being a disaster that costed them the game. Joey Cantillo went 4 scoreless innings with just one hit allowed and 8 strikeouts. It’s hard not to think if they would have just went straight to him, they would’ve won this game.
The offense scored three runs on five hits, including RBI hits from Bazzana, Kwan, and Hedgey. It wasn’t a great performance but this should’ve been enough to beat this Twins team today. Now they are in a spot where they HAVE to win tomorrow. We desperately need a vintage Tanner Bibee start.
The Brewers 20-0 blowout victory over the Reds Friday wasn’t the only highlight of the night in Milwaukee.
Sverre Vinje, a 102-year-old World War II Navy veteran from Rockford, Illinois, sang “God Bless America” during the seventh-inning stretch. The moving rendition went viral on social media.
102-year-old World War II veteran Sverre Vinje sang “God Bless America” at the Reds-Brewers game Friday night. X/@CoachCarthel
Vinje, who served from 1943-45 and was at the Battle of Iwo Jima and Battle of Okinawa, received ongoing cheers from the crowd in attendance at American Family Field on the 25th anniversary of 9/11.
The Brewers clinched a postseason birth Friday night. Getty ImagesThe Brewers defeated the Reds 20-0 Friday night. Tannen Maury/UPI/Shutterstock
The Brewers clinched a spot in the postseason with their beatdown of the Reds Friday night. The squad became the first team in MLB history with multiple shutout wins of 20-plus runs in a season.
Clarke Schmidt was dominant in what may be his final rehab start Saturday with Double-A Somerset.
The Yankees right-hander pitched out of the bullpen, getting four outs and striking out three. It took Schmidt just 21 pitches (12 strikes) to get through his appearance with the Patriots. He allowed just one batter to reach a three-ball count in his performance.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that if all goes well for Schmidt with his recovery, the team could activate him for the upcoming road trip to pitch out of the bullpen. And the Yankees could use it. Although they held the best bullpen ERA in the majors going into the weekend series with the Mets, the Yankees relievers have scuffled a bit.
The Yankees bullpen allowed two runs on Friday, but held on for the 6-4 win. On Saturday, behind Gerrit Cole, the bullpen allowed seven runs in their 12-2 loss.
Clarke Schmidt faced four batters in his fifth outing of @MLB rehab. He struck out THREE of them! 🔥
Aug 20, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Athletics starting pitcher Gage Jump (61) delivers a pitch against the Kansas City Royals during the fourth inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The A’s won on some fireworks last night thanks to a late extra-inning blast from Donovan Walton. That gave the A’s the first win of the weekend series against the Mariners, who are desperate for wins right now. The postseason is slipping away from them and the A’s are doing their part dragging them away from October baseball. We want our division rivals joining us on the couch this playoffs and that’ll look even more likely with another win tonight.
The team will get a big boost on offense tonight as the squad welcomes back catcher Shea Langeliers from the injured list, with him taking Darell Hernaiz’s roster spot:
Langeliers beat all the expectations that he was done for the year. He’ll wind up missing just over seven weeks, beating the expectations that his season was over. While he won’t be catching for the remainder of the season, getting his bat back in the lineup sure helps for the final couple weeks, and gives both him and team some peace of mind about his knee’s health heading into the winter.
To the game. Tonight’s starting pitcher for the Athletics will be rookie Gage Jump. The southpaw is has shown his talent plenty of times this season but with plenty of rookies consistency has been an issue. Jump got hit especially hard during August, when he posted a 7.58 ERA in his six starts. He seemed to enjoy the calendar flipping to September since he looked much better his last time out, which was against these same Mariners. Up in Seattle last weekend Jump held down the M’s to just two runs, but he exited after only four innings of work and eventually was saddled with the loss. Everyone will be looking for more length this evening in Sacramento, where Jump has struggled more compared to the road.
Here’s how the Athletics’ lineup shakes out for the second game of the series:
Langeliers slides right back into the heart of the order batting fourth behind Bolte, McNeil and Butler. After his walk off homer last night Walton rises to the fifth spot in the order while Zack Gelof drops all the way to sixth. It’s Cortes and Heim in left and catcher again, respectively, and Alika Williams is back in the lineup after a night off manning his usual shortstop position.
Seattle meanwhile will turn to righty Bryan Woo, asking him to help keep their season alive. Woo, a Bay Area native, has been a consistent and solid arm for the Mariners this season, making all of his starts and sporting a 4.03 ERA entering tonight. There’s more to his story however. When pitching in his home ballpark in Seattle Woo is among the best pitchers in the game. On the road? A different, worse pitcher. That doesn’t bode well for his chances tonight against an A’s team surging and getting their best hitter back.
The A’s have enjoyed playing spoiler in recent weeks and why stop now? Keep our foot on the Mariners’ throats and their season is almost toast thanks to us. Time for another nail in their coffin. Let’s go A’s!
New York Yankees' Aaron Judge reacts to hitting a fly ball during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, in New York.
Aaron Judge was back in the lineup Saturday for a second straight game after sitting out the final game of the Rockies series Thursday, as the Yankees work their best player into form.
The manager added Judge could “potentially” be off either Sunday in the series finale against the Mets or Monday in Minnesota.
“He’s physically responded well,’’ Boone said of Judge’s first games back. “That’s been encouraging. He’s handled the rigors of playing in these games.”
Through Judge’s first four games after skipping a traditional minor league rehab assignment, Judge is 3-for-14 with a walk, six strikeouts and no extra-base hits.
“Offensively, I feel like he looks good in these handful of days,’’ Boone said. “Hopefully, he gets more and more sharp.”
Judge said he is seeing the ball well and feels fine.
“He’s made good swing decisions, is getting deep in the count for the most part,” Boone said. “He’s gotten a lot of good swings off, gotten some results [and] gotten on base. I’m encouraged by where he’s at. Hopefully he continues to find that real timing and rhythm we know he can.”
Aaron Judge flys out in fourth inning of the Yankees’ 12-2 blowout loss to the Mets on Sept. 12, 2026 at the Stadium. AP Photo/Heather Khalifa
The Yankees have been waiting all year for Amed Rosario to start hitting left-handers, and he started Saturday against Zac Thornton. Rosario hit the ball hard, but came away empty.
Boone remains confident in the veteran right-handed hitter.
“He’s having the right at-bats and represents a real threat,’’ Boone said. “He hasn’t gotten a lot of results, [but] I expect him to be more in line with who he’s been against lefties.”
Cody Bellinger is greeted by third baseman Amed Rosario after hitting a solo home run in the sixth inning of the Yankees’ blowout loss to the Mets. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Anthony Volpe also got the nod Saturday over the vanishing José Caballero at second base and went 0-for-3.
With Ryan Weathers throwing off flat ground Saturday in his attempt to return from being shut down for two weeks with a left forearm flexor strain, Boone didn’t rule out the lefty returning to the roster even if he isn’t able to pitch any minor league rehab games.
“The bottom line is hopefully he’s pressed into a situation where he’s a little uncomfortable because he is healthy and ready to go,’’ Boone said of Weathers, who could have a bullpen session as soon as Monday. “In reality, that may happen.’’
Asked if Weathers could go straight to a postseason roster, Boone said, “I don’t know. I’d like to think that hopefully he’s back before then, but we’ll see.”
Clarke Schmidt was scheduled to make his fifth — and likely final — minor league rehab appearance Saturday with Double-A Somerset in his comeback from Tommy John surgery.
“I feel he’s thrown the ball well during games,’’ Boone said. “He feels and looks good. … Hopefully he plays a role for us.”
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Right-hander Chase Hampton, the top Yankees pitching prospect just two years ago, was claimed off waivers by Washington and optioned to Double-A. Hampton was designated for assignment to open up a spot on the 40-man roster when Judge returned from the IL.
Spencer Jones had his third straight multihit game.
“He’s done a good job in certain situations in thinking a little smaller,’’ Boone said. “Knowing where he can take his shots. He’s played a very mature game.”
The Yankees surpassed 3 million fans for a 26th straight season in which there’s been full attendance.
BOSTON, MA - SEPTEMBER 12: Catcher Adley Rutschman #31 of the Boston Red Sox talks with pitcher Ranger Suarez #55 after the seventh inning against the Kansas City Royals at Fenway Park on September 12, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Were you worried about Ranger Suárez coming into this afternoon’s game? It’s okay to admit it if you were. Hell, it’s okay to still be worried a tad. The man put up a 5.70 ERA in the month of August, culminating in a no-show performance against the Yankees in what was the biggest series of the season up to that point.
But today Suarez dined out on crafty veteran card, putting together a start that was uneventful in the best way. He gave up just one solo shot and was only trouble twice — and it was a but a teeny tiny little bit of trouble both times. In the first inning Bobby Witt, Jr. made his way to third after singling and stealing second. Suarez would escape the inning unscathed after striking out Vinnie Pasquantino on a full count (hat tip to Adley Rutschman for a nice challenge on the called third strike).Then in the seventh, after the Sox finally took a 3-1 lead in a game that was somnambulant up that point, Suárez struck out consecutive hitters to end a mini threat that saw the Royals put a runner in scoring position with only one out.
The whole point of Ranger Suárez is that you’re not supposed to worry about him. He’s never going to look like one of the best pitchers on the planet. He’s going to have stretches where he looks hittable. But, ultimately, he’s going to figure it out and get the job done. That’s what he did today, giving the Royals hitters no room to breath while the heart of the Sox lineup strung a few hits together here and there.
The losing streak is over, the Red Sox magic number is 7
Three Studs
Ranger Suárez: See above, duh.
Wilyer Abreu: It was Wilyer’s two-out, two-run double in the sixth that gave the Sox a 3-1 lead. Even at the time you knew it was all they would need.
Garrett Whitlock: We all know how important the bullpen is going to be in October. Whitlock striking out the side in the 8th has me dreaming about the postseason Sox shortening ballgames big time.
One Dud
Jarren Duran: 0-4 with a K, the only Sox player who played the whole game without getting a hit
